A GrammieDay to Remember!

Are you looking for quick and easy sweet treats to make with your children this holiday season? I haven’t yet met a child who doesn’t love them and especially treats they create for themselves.

Today I decided to spread my ‘Grammie wings’ a bit wider than usual and include the grandkids while making them some sweet treats. Six years of grand intentions, I finally leaped, inviting the children into the kitchen to help.

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As Grammies go, you’ll not find me to be the most adventurous, patient, or merry sort. Nor am I inclined to invite unnecessary mess and mayhem. Although perpetually ready to give hugs, read a story, or to listen intently, I’m rather ‘Mary Poppins’ like – quiet and practical, valuing the peace of well-mapped routines

Given such a nature, you see the stretch that including kids in the kitchen might present, and my divided mind on the matter. Still, the children are getting a bit older, and they generally follow instructions – when so inclined.

To begin, I decided on the simplest, most classic of recipes. Kellogg’s Rice Krispy Treats are tried and true. And with the inexpensive purchase of a few Rubbermaid TakeAlong Sandwich containers, each child was able to claim their own portion, and creatively decorate to their heart’s content.

Thinking the project through, I decided on several teaching goals.

1. Always wash hands before touching food.
2. How to coat a dish (or baking pan) with butter.
3. Working with food is fun and creative.
4. Always wash hands after working with food.

In addition to the butter, marshmallows, and crispy rice cereal that is necessary to make a batch of Rice Krispie Treats, I provided:

• Milk Chocolate M&M’s
• White Chocolate Mint M&M’s
• Mini Marshmallows
• Sparkling Red and Green Baking Sugars

Note: I would suggest the addition of cake frosting offered along with your decorating candies. Although the sugars stuck reliably well to the treats, the larger candies were iffy at best.

The trouble with Rice Krispy Treats, of course, is that they are hot and sticky to work with at the beginning. I set the children up, coating their dishes with butter while I dealt with the hot sticky part. I allowed the mixture to cool to a child-safe temperature and then divided the single recipe of warm marshmallow covered Rice Krispies among four containers.

With lightly pre buttered hands, the children then safely pressed their treats into the dishes evenly. And after a quick wipe down of hands, they then used the candies and colored sugars to decorate.

Within thirty minutes of focused time, I was able to accomplish my goals with the three children in my care, ages 6, 4 1/2, and 3 years old. Each child was delighted with the process (a rare candy nibbling fest) as well as the final result of a sweet treat to take home.

It was indeed a GrammieDay to remember! The children loved it – and no doubt, I loved it too. I encourage you mommies and grammies of ‘Littles’, to take the brave leap of safe, simple exposure into creative, child-friendly kitchen projects. You’ll have them confident and prepared to learn about cooking in no time!

Related Stories:

• Welcome To GrammieDay 2018
• The Tale Of An Accidental Mother