***This article was originally published in the Fall 2013 issue of Traverse Bay Family Magazine. It has been reprinted with permission.***
When I was first working on this I was a little concerned that my photos wouldn’t be Pinterest worthy. And then I realized that this a family magazine with articles written by real families FOR real families. And here are our real projects made by my 5 & 2 year old girls and I. I hope you enjoy making (and eating) them as much as we did!
Fall Trail Mix
This snack is perfect for even the youngest of sous chefs!
You will need:
Candy corn
Cinnamon or Honey flavored cereal (Honey Nut Chex, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Golden Grahams, etc)
M & M’s (your favorite flavors)
Peanuts (dry roasted, honey roasted or regular)
Auntie Ann’s Cinnamon Bunny Snacks
Reese’s Pieces
Combine your ingredients in proportions that excite your clan. If you want it healthier, use more cereal, crackers & nuts and add some dried cranberries. For a more dessert-like mix, feel free to load up on the candy. We liked about 4 cups of cereal, 2 cups of nuts & 2 cups of candy.
To make assembly with small children easier, have it already portioned when they come to help and use a MUCH larger bowl than necessary to keep the over zealous mixing mess to a minimum :).
Acorns
These are a fun craft for a fall party with kids. They are great for my older daughter to help with!
You will need:
Mini vanilla wafers or bite-sized nutter butters
Chocolate chips (any flavor)
Caramel or chocolate frosting
Hershey kisses (regular or caramel are fabulous!)
To assemble, unwrap a bag of Hershey kisses. Spread some frosting on the bottom and push onto a cookie. Then place some frosting onto the bottom of a chocolate chip and place on the other side of the cookie.
I’ve also made these using a broken pretzel instead of a chocolate chip but the pretzels get stale quick and then they aren’t as good.
Pilgrim Hats
These would be a fabulous project for older children & would make great place cards or table decorations for Thanksgiving dinner.
You will need:
Keebler Fudge Stripe Cookies
Caramel or chocolate frosting
Mini peanut butter cups
Small tube of orange frosting with a fine tip (optional)
To assemble, spread a thickish layer (1/8 inch) of frosting on the top of a peanut butter cup. Flip pb cup upside down and place on the bottom (the chocolate side) of the cookie. To make it more obvious what these are, use a tube of orange frosting to draw a band around the “hats.”
Do you make any fun snacks for fall?
