#creativeparenting

Cupid’s Blueberry Cheesecake Smoothie

/ momsdiary26 / Leave a comment

If you are looking for some simple yet healthy treat for your kids on or around Valentines day, this blueberry smoothie just fits in right. While being a healthier alternative to shakes, this smoothie is also luxurious as it comes with the goodness of cheesecake. Your kids will feel they are having a treat while having something so healthy. A win win!

The ingredients are fresh and unprocessed right from your refrigerator. Plus, greek yogurt and cream cheese make it high in protien. The blueberries give a sweet taste but if you want it to be a li’l more sweet, you can use any sweetener of your choice.

As sweetener, I added a spoon of honey into it. You can alternatively add brown sugar or white sugar.

I used unflavoured greek yogurt; you can also choose vanilla or any other flavored yogurt. I used Philadelphia cream cheese option as I find it quite a tastier alternative of cream cheese.

Milk can also be altered to your choice, like a normal whole milk or almond milk or any other milk. I used normal whole milk.

Blueberries used in this are frozen since they make the smoothie thicker and your smoothie is more smoothie like rather than a shake like. You can also add ice while blending to give a thicker texture. Just throw into the blender with other ingredients while blending and it turns fine.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup greek yogurt
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1//4 cup cream cheese
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp honey

For topping and decoration:
Sprinkles
Cracker crumbs
A heart shaped cookie Few blueberries

Directions:

1. In a blender, blend all the ingredients that is blueberries, greek yogurt, cream cheese, milk, honey, and blend it until smooth.

2. Pour it into a tall glass and sprinkle cracker crums, blueberries on top of it.

3. Carefully make a slit in the heart shaped cookie with a knife and insert in the glass.

Enjoy!

Energy Bars

/ momsdiary26 / 1 Comment

If you are looking forward to some make ahead quick breakfast ideas, then these energy bars are something not to be missed upon. These are super easy to make and in only 3 steps.

These energy bars are our family’s favorite. I prefer making it in advance and storing it in an airtight container. They are a savior as quick to-go breakfast on busy mornings or a filling snack in the evenings. They remain nice and crisp for a good amount of time as well.

These bars are not only wholesome, but also highly adaptive and can be varied with a number of ingredients. I find that peanut butter gives a good binding to the ingredients as compared to almond butter. You can also add whipped frosting of any flavors, just to give an additional twist of taste.

Ingredients:
2 cups rolled oats
2/3 cups peanut butter (or any other nut butter)
I cup nuts such as almonds, walnuts, pistachios, dry dates etc.
2tbs flax seed
¼ cup honey
Chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Take rolled oats, dried fruits, flax seed powder, peanut butter, almond butter and honey in a dish.


2. In a chopper, coarsely grind all the ingredients.


3. Now add choco chips to the mixture.

4. Next, take a raised baking dish, firmly press the mixture into it. Cover it for 2hrs or until firm.

4. Now using a knife slice it into bars. Store it into an airtight container.

My Hot Chocolate Bar DIY

/ momsdiary26 / Leave a comment

Who doesn’t love hot chocolates, specially in winter. So this winter we thought to do our own hot chocolate bar. The idea was that my little one (who is all love with chocolate) can relish his own cup of hot chocolate specially on weekends or after a cold day or a snow day.

This hot chocolate bar is made with minimal items available at home and is quite budget friendly. Just select a corner in your home, get some decor and cutlery and you are set to go.

By the way this hot chocolate bar was an ultimate hit at my home. So do your own cocoa bar and sip a mug of hot chocolate with your favorite book. Nothing beats this combination on the planet, I am sure you will agree to it! Lets get into making!

You need to do the following to set up your own hot chocolate bar.

1. Designate an area in your home. It can be simply a side table, a cart or simply a tray in your room. Put a table cover if you want to.

2. Pick up a theme. Your theme will help you select decor like banner or other accents that you will use for the bar. I chose a theme in red, white and black generally to give a wintery feel. This theme will also go well around Christmas.

3. Your favorite packet of cocoa for quick cups or your own homemade recipe of cocoa. I used Swiss miss hot cocoa.

4. Some cute mugs which fit into your theme. I used mugs with snowman and other winter things print.

5. Jars to keep cocoa and other toppings.

6. Banners for display and labels for the items. You can easily print them and hang it or display on a board. I used a little display board saying “Baby it’s cold outside, warm up here”. I also used a li’l flag of “Hot Chocolate Bar” and some hangings saying “ Let it snow”.

7. A raised tray or a stand to add an element of height to your set up.

8. Toppings of your choice. I used marshmallows (which is generally a must), whipping cream, chocolate chips, candy melts, candy canes and sprinkles.

Some options for hot cocoa toppings are:

• Whipped cream

• Marshmallows of different sizes and flavors

• Chocolate Bits

• Coconut shavings

• Chopped nuts

• Mini chocolate cookies

• Toffee bits

• Sprinkles

• Crushed Candy Canes

• Pirouettes

• Butterscotch chips

• M&Ms

• Chopped mints

• Pretzel rods

• Ice cream

• Cinnamon

• Caramel drizzle

• Chocolate syrup

Some of the printables I used for my DIY are given below:

DIY Snowman

/ momsdiary26 / Leave a comment

Who doesn’t love a snowman?! After all these creatures are super cute to behold. And what if one can be found in one of the corners of your house; that too a one which doesn’t melt😀!

This is one of the cutest craft I’ve done in recent times. Although, it might look difficult but it is one easy thing to do, and believe me kids will be in the middle of it too!

Yarn is such a versatile craft material. I so very much wanted to do a yarn craft for a very long time. The balls will require yarn in ample, if you are making it of a bigger size. Popping up the balloon and getting a stiff yarn ball was the most favorite part of the process. As far as accessorizing and doing up the snowman is concerned, you can be highly adaptable with it and use felt, buttons etc. instead of the art paper.

Let’s get into making!

Materials required:

White yarn
2 Balloons
1 bottle of Tacky glue (4 ounce)
Water
Bowl for mixing
Glitter (optional)
Art paper (blue for hat, black for eyes & smile, orange for nose, red for buttons)
Scissors
Hot glue gun
2 twigs
Scarf
Ribbon (for hat)

Directions:

1. First start by blowing up the ballons. Keep one a little smaller than the other, for the head and the body respectively.

2. Mix glue in water (as much as is comfortable to work with) and start by dipping the yarn in glue mixture and then wrapping it around the balloons. Keep wrapping until they are covered sufficiently but not fully.

3. Sprinkle glitter on wet ballons and let them dry for around 24 hours.

4. Now make a hat using art paper, cutting two circular discs (for the bottom and top of the hat) and a rectangular disc to make a cylinder. Glue the parts to make it look like a hat.

5. Similarly make eyes, nose, face and buttons with art paper.

6. Once the yarn is completely dry, pop the balloon and take it out of the ball.

7. Cut a small circle at the bottom of its head and using a glue gun stick it to the body.

8. Glue the hat. Similarly stick the eyes, nose, smile, and buttons.

9. Insert twigs for hands and tuck in the scarf and your snowman is ready!