Kids as Chefs- White Chocolate Truffles

June 5, 2020 / momsdiary26 / 2 Comments

When it comes to kids’ favorite dessert, chocolates will always stand a winner. What better way of getting our kids moving than to make them make chocolate truffles of their own.

My little one chose his favorite white chocolate for the recipe. These truffles are simple and easy to make as they require no baking. So let’s get our kiddos hands tried on making their own creamy and yummy truffles.

Ingredients
1 cup chopped white chocolate (or white chocolate chips)
1 tbsp butter (diced)
3 tbsp heavy cream
½ tsp vanilla essence
Toppings
1 cup chocolate (melted)

Directions
1 Gather the ingredients.

2 Add all the ingredients in a microwave safe bowl and heat them for 30 seconds or until they are nicely mixed. Make sure you don’t overheat.

3 Cover it and refrigerate it for at least 2 hours so that it is firm enough to scoop.

4 Use a small spoon or a candy scoop to make balls. Place it on a parchment paper and refrigerate it.

6 Melt the white chocolate or topping and dip each ball in this coating.

7 Keep in the fridge for the coating to set.

Enjoy!

Notes
1 If the mixture is too runny then add more chocolate.
2 You can add coating of your choice such as sprinkles, chopped nuts, shaved coconut, etc. Coat while the chocolate coating is still not set.
3 Work in batches specially if it’s a hot weather, keeping it in the refrigerator so that the mixture is easier to handle.

6 fun STEM activities to do with kids at home

May 14, 2020October 26, 2020 / momsdiary26 / 2 Comments

Engaging kids into something constructive and fun is a task altogether, specially when they are home all through. These easy and fun activities with kids are helping us survive our days at home. I am sure they will do yours as well!

Baking Soda and Vinegar Volcano

This classic science experiment helps kids learn about chemical reactions and what happens when a volcano erupts. It gives an idea of what an actual volcano looks like and also demonstrates the chemical reaction between an acid and a base.

Materials required:
for making volcano cone
3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup water
2 tbs oil

for lava making
Vinegar
2 tbs Baking soda
Food coloring
Dishwashing detergent
Flat pan
Empty bottle

Instructions:

Start by making a volcano cone by mixing flour, salt, cooking oil and water.
When you get a firm and smooth dough, make the cone in a flat pan by molding the dough around a bottle to form a volcano shape. Be sure not to cover the hole of the bottle or drop dough inside it.
Fill the bottle most of the way full with vinegar and a bit of food coloring.
Add 6 drops of detergent to the contents of the bottle. The detergent helps trap bubbles produced by the chemical reaction so you get better lava.
Add baking soda to the liquid in the bottle.

….and then watch out, time for eruption!

What is happening?
The baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is a base while the vinegar (acetic acid) is an acid. When they react together, carbon-dioxide gas is produced which creates all the fizzing as it escapes the solution. The dishwashing detergent helps hold the bubbles.

Explore the Phases of Moon

Discover the phases of moon through an easy project model.

Materials required:
Cardboard
Paints/color markers
Circular moulds or lids
Scissors

Instructions:

Take a cardboard and paint it with the colors of the galaxy.
Take a circular lid and cut 8 pieces of moon.
Paint or color different shapes of the moon as shown in the picture and stick them on the cardboard.
Take another lid (slightly bigger than the previous) and cut a circular piece of cardboard, and stick it in the centre (color or paint it as Earth).
Now label these and you are done.

Make an LED card

This simple light up cards is a great way for kids to get experience of creating a circuit. The supplies used in this project are inexpensive. I managed to get all of it at home itself.

Materials required:
Card stock
1/4″ copper tape or copper wire
LEDs (2 or 3 per card)
Coin cell Battery
Tape
Markers and items to decorate your card

Instructions:

Decorate the front of your card.
Inside the card, sketch the circuit, deciding the positioning of the battery. Draw two parallel lines for the copper tape/wire starting at the LED locations – one should end under the battery and the other should be about 3/4″ to one side of the battery.

Cut 2 lengths of copper tape/wire to match your sketch and apply to your card. Secure the battery with a tape. Make sure the bottom of the battery makes contact with the copper tape/wire.
Select LEDs for your card. Bend the legs flat and connect it with the copper tape/wire. Use a small scrap of copper tape/wire on or under the battery to complete the circuit. Check if your LED lights up. LEDs have a polarity, so if it does not light up, spin the LED 180 degrees so the legs are now touching the opposite pieces of copper tape/wire.

Secure your LED’s with the tape.

We need a switch to complete the circuit. The simplest version is a pressure switch, so fold the right corner of the card. Whenever it presses the battery, the card lights up

Rock Cycle Experiment with Crayons

Study a series of processes that create and transform the types of rocks in Earth’s crust using crayons.

Materials required:
Crayons 3-4
Aluminum foil
Plastic knife
Bowl
3 cups water
Parchment paper
Art paper
Marker
Glue

Instructions:

Take an art paper or cardboard to make a diagram of rock cycle. You can be as crafty as possible. Even better, if more of cutting and pasting is done so that it interestingly involves the kids.
Melt few crayons on a parchment paper in oven to get magma. When this magma cools, igneous rock is formed.

Now erode the igneous rock with a knife to get sediments.

Take another piece of aluminum foil; put the sediments into it and compress it until it is compacted to form the sedimentary rock.

Make a boat of aluminum foil. Take some water in a bowl and microwave it for around 4 minutes.
Put the sedimentary rock in the boat and place it in the heated water to show the effects of heat and pressure. Soon we see traces of molten matter on the foil.

Let this cool and carefully take it out. The structure so formed is a metamorphic rock.

You can again completely melt any of the rocks to form magma.
Stick these pieces of rocks on your rock cycle diagram.

Make a Da Vinci bridge

Da Vinci bridge is an interesting self supporting structure that can help kiddos learn the science behind how designing of structure works on their performance. You can also take up challenges to see whose bridge can carry the maximum weight. Ours could carry around 4 kgs and above.

Materials required:
9 Pencils
27 strings or rubber bands

Instructions:

Begin with keeping tying three strings on each pencil; one at the centre and the other at the end.

Place two pencils vertically and two horizontally above it so that they are secured by the strings on both the ends.

Now keep one more pencil in the centre on either side of the strings underneath.

Now slowly raise either of the vertical pencil and fit in two pencils like this.

Do the same thing on the remaining side and your bridge is ready.

Now carefully add weight to the bridge and see its capacity.

Make Invisible Ink

Making invisible ink is a lot of fun, you can share secret messages and reveal in an interesting way. All you need is some basic household objects and the hidden power of lemon juice.

Materials needed:
Half a lemon
Bowl
Paint brush
White paper
Lighter/Candle

Instructions:

Squeeze some lemon juice into the bowl.
Dip the paint brush into it and write a message onto the white paper.
Wait for the juice to dry so it becomes completely invisible.
When you are ready to read your secret message or show it to someone else, heat the paper by holding it close to the candle or the lighter.

What’s happening?
Lemon juice is an organic substance that oxidizes and turns brown when heated. Other substances which work in the same way include orange juice, honey, milk, onion juice, vinegar and wine. Invisible ink can also be made using chemical reactions or by viewing certain liquids under ultraviolet (UV) light.

Here’s to all the moms in this time of a pandemic

May 10, 2020December 9, 2022 / momsdiary26 / Leave a comment

This is the third reminder to have them finish their breakfast.
The project from school needs to be done.
The presentation for the next office meet is nearing the deadline
The screen time has again crossed the limit today.
The fancy breakfast is still on the to do list.

Amidst the torrid times, a typical day in a mom’s life might seem like this.

Things have got more than real.

When our whole world has come to a halt, she makes sure our lives keep going by her love.

She is playing the park buddy, the school teacher, the caregiver, the grandparent, the cook.
She is ensuring the kids are educated, disciplined and safe.
She is making sure that times are made fun and memories created.
She is handling Zoom calls and FaceTime playdates.
She is trying to mark the events and festivities by at home to-do’s.
She is handling the stark reality of being the frontline parent.
She is caring for the sick and the aging more diligently.
She is overwhelmed and time starved.
The already tough road has got even tougher.

Let’s raise a toast to all the mothers and tell her that she is doing her best. Let her not be daunted by the seemingly happy families to do’s. Let her know it’s okay to take pride in all the trivial things she does with her kids and tell the world about it. Let’s tell her not to be harsh on herself by being guilty of not doing something and end up being guilty of being guilty.

Let no pandemic be a barrier in showing love to our moms and make her day more special by may be—
a breakfast in bed or a sit-down-brunch,
a video chat that makes her giggle,
a homemade gift from the heart,
a decorated front door or porch from steamers or special signs,
a virtual tour to a garden or museum together,
a video with a special message,
a virtual slide show,
a handmade card of appreciation,
…and above all a day of uninterrupted sleep, no laundry, no dishes, no breaking up fights, no diaper changes and no waking up at nights.

Mothers love thoughtfulness. These little acts can do wonders for her and keep her going for the rest of her days. Let’s do our part and bring a cheer to every mom’s face.

Iced doughnuts recipe

May 2, 2020December 9, 2022 / momsdiary26 / 1 Comment

Making these doughnuts is as easy as gorgeous it seems. This one is a no yeast doughnut recipe and is sure to get a thumbs up from young and old.

Notes:

You can use icing of your choice for frosting. I used store bought chocolate candy coating and royal icing.

You will need a doughnut cutter for cutting the doughnuts. However, you can also grab two round lids, one smaller than the other, to get the required shape.

Doughnuts taste best when eaten the same day, though they may stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days.