Reading, Writing and Lilly!

We are getting ready to send our kids back to school and rushing out to get all the necessary supplies...which will include these adorable clip boards personalized by these lovely young ladies with their favorite Lilly Pulitzer designs.  They had a mini lesson about Lilly and how she got started with her designs and company and how she encourages bright and happy color.    The girls chose their two favorite patterns (one for the front and one for the back of the clipboard) and came up with some cute designs!

 We also made flower pens to go along with the clipboards!

Aren't they wonderful?  From 5 to 15...their designs bring big smiles to all who see them!  Have a great school year ladies!

Craft Camps 2015 Week Five: Cooking, Day Three- Desserts and Goodie Boxes!

Uh-huh...that's just what we did at our sugar-fest today!  First up: Rollo Peanut Butter Cups.

The girls pat their peanut butter dough in the mini muffin tins.

 

 They decorate their goodie boxes in between baking and prepping for the next recipe.

 Check out their watermelon lollipops!  You can never have too many no bake cookies in the pantry and it helps to have so many good helpers!

 Jenna goes for an abstract design on her box!

The afternoon girls had planned all week to make hamburger and fries cupcakes and cookies 

and they were perfect!  

You can find the instructions online here but keep in mind that they are so much better when you make the recipes from scratch like we did.  Don't skimp on the real buttercream frosting, either!  They were really good!  We opted not to put real sesame seeds on ours.

The afternoon girls opted to make clear lollies and put sprinkles in them!

And of course, packaging makes perfect gifts!  We wrapped everything up as pretty as can be and I forgot to take proper pictures!

So much fun and such a joy to cook with these girls!  Can't wait to do it all again for Halloween!

Craft Camps 2015 Week Five: Cooking, Day Two- Entrees and Etiquette!

Day two of Cooking and a Craft Week started with a brief lesson on guest manners.  We started off with our craft and painted and decorated chalkboards to take home to use as menu boards, family greeting boards or for whatever the kids wanted to use it for!

Today we made chicken spaghetti to take home for the family to sample. They learned how I was taught my my Italian great aunt how to know when your pasta is ready!

and how to drain pasta...

 and how to chop veggies...

and how to know if your mixing bowl is too small...

 and how to toss all the ingredients!

While the spaghetti was baking, we made our snack...PF Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps!

Trust me...I heard all the gripes and complaints about how yucky garlic and onions are, how gross Hoisin Sauce smells and how, "I'm not eating that, Miss Eileen."  But we have a rule here...you have to try one bite unless you are allergic because it's rude to the host...and you never know, but you just might like it.  

This one was skeptical...

See this chickie in the purple tank...she would rather die that smell an onion or garlic.  But she had to obey the rule and she tried a bite...then came back for 4 more servings!  It's that good!

The Chicken Spaghetti just came out of the oven and they were crazy for the aroma! 

 The afternoon class was just as eager!

Making chalkboards are fun...have you ever tried it?

She may look like a finicky eater, but trust me, she's a glutton for Chicken Lettuce Wraps!  Her family made them for dinner the next night!

You can, too!  Try out these recipes:

Check out these chalkboards!

Great times with gregarious girls!  Love them!