Car garage birthday treat

Every year it’s a challenge, what will may toddler hand out at his day care. This year i made a garage full box full of car shaped treats.

Justlovecars

The cars

I made these cars by wrapping raisin boxes in colored paper. I glued some dutch “pepernoten” on the boxes using a thick icing made with icing sugar and some drops of egg white.

The garage

I upcycled a delivery box to make the garage.I first wrapped it, to hide the ugly box. I used strong black strips of card board. When my toddler starts playing, he can be a bit rough. This is why I connected all the strips with cello tape.

My tips for easter

Easter for me symbolizes new beginnings. It is also another occasion to relax and have a good time with people you love. Here’s my new and older suggestions for your Easter preparations:

  • Decorate some branches for Easter. Just trim any tree or shrub you like.

PaasBoom

  • Make your own bread, it’s easier than you think. Read about baking bagels right here. By making the dough on Saturday evening, and doing the first proofing in your fridge, your timing will be perfect for brunch on Easter Sunday.

Vlechtbrood

  • Decorate Easter eggs, a fun activity for the whole family. Boiled eggs will keep for a few days in your fridge. Make them a few days in advance. For an even easier alternative: buy boiled eggs.

Eggbox

  • Make pancakes for your Easter brunch. The batter can also be made a day in advance and kept in your fridge.
  • Bake some yummy cupcakes and ice them in easter colors.
  • After hunting for Easter eggs, hand out home made bags to take your treasures home.

Tasjes

Perfect Pizza Paluzza

Thanks to a sweet friend of mine, I am the proud owner of the Italian cooking bible “the silver spoon”. The book itself ways several kilo’s, but is worth all the shelf space it occupies in my book cupboard.

My Italian cooking bible

What you notice when you leaf through this book is how delightfully simple the Italian cuisine really is. Few ingredients are used to make the star of the show shine. I would recommend this book to any starting home cook.

One of my favorite recipes from “The silver spoon” is pizza. I use the recipe for making pizza dough but for the toppings I let my guests decide. I knead the pizza dough the evening before. I let the dough proof in the fridge. This means that making the pizza’s takes little time on the day itself.

My toddler loves pizza. From the moment we bought his kitchen stool he has been joining me to “help” with my cooking. And pizza is the perfect opportunity for this because:

  • Your toddler can help you knead the dough. Simply give your toddler a small portion of the dough and continue kneading together. My son loves pushing his fingers or fists into the dough! Simply combine the dough every now and then, and give your toddler a new ball to knead.
  • Your toddler can help dusting your work top and roll out the dough. At this point in time my toddler runs to the kitchen  cabinet container a big and a small rolling pin. My toddler is so experienced now (3 years old), that he rolls out a pizza all by himself, but you might wanna help a bit the first few times.
  • Your toddler can prick holes in the pizza with a fork.
  • Your toddler can sprinkle cheese, oregano and veg on his own pizza.

pizza

My son is always extremely proud of his creation and walks to the oven to check on his pizza regularly. Both dad and son are big pizza lovers.

Pizza dough (for 2 adults and 1 toddler)

  • 500 gram plain flower and extra for dusting
  • 7 gram instant yeast
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 240 ml lukewarm water
  • Olive oil

Mix your flower, water, salt and yeast together. Cover the mixture with a kitchen towel and let this mixture stand for 10 minutes (you can skip this step, but I promiss you it makes the kneading easier.

Knead your dough for a minimum of 10 minutes. Time your kneading, it will seam like forever the first time, but after 10 minutes you will have that smooth, elastic stuff people like to rave about.

tip: knead your dough on a table top, not your kitchen counter. This lower surface makes it possible for you to use your body weight when pushing into the dough to stretch it.

Make sure your dough is covered in oil to protect it from sticking and place it in a large container. The dough (at least) will double in size. Make sure you prevent your dough from drying out by applying an air tight lid or use kling film. Now you have two choices: let your dough proof in the fridge for up to 24 hours, or proof it at room temperature for 1 hour.

pizza2

When you want to make your pizza, take the dough out of the fridge, knock it back and let it get to room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Now you can devide your dough into 2 large balls and one smaller ball. Protect your dough by covering it with a (damp) kitchen towel until you roll out your pizza.

Roll out your dough to form your pizza. Prick holes with a fork where the topping goes.

Place your toppings on your pizza and bake for 10 to 20 minutes at 220 degrees.

I will blog about my husband’s favorite pizza some other day.

Our little garden…first plants

Spring weather has finally arrived in Holland! Today, me and my toddler continued work on our gnome garden. I assembled the components earlier.

The attention span of my toddler allowed for 5 minutes of sowing and gardening together. After this my little toddler got distracted by his sand box and left me to finish up. However, I am pretty sure he will be glowing with pride when the garden starts to grow.

GnomeGarden

Our little garden

I love growing my own veg and favorite flowers from seeds, and I have been searching for a way to get my toddler involved in this activity without letting him garden among my seedlings. This means my toddler should have his own patch of dirt in my poststamp sized garden.

I found the solution while searching garden ideas on pinterest: a fairy garden! Like the one you find on this blog.

fairy garden

creamerchronicles.blogspot.nl

I spent the cold moths of winter looking for some basic items for the fairy garden. A colleague supplied one inhabitant, and his donkey and the “home” came from the thrift store.

Garden

I painted the gnome house myself on a plain teapot. When it stops freezing my son and I will get started on the actual “gardening” in a big pot. To be continued….

Teapot2

Birthday surprise

Painting ceramics is surprisingly easy! I made this birthday plate for my nephew in 20 minutes. You do have to bake your plate in order to harden the paint.

VerjaardagsBord

I bought the plate from a thrift store and upcycled it in a few simple steps using:

  • permanent marker or sharpie pen
  • Decorfin Porcelain paint
  • Paint brushes

I drew my design with the permanent marker. I colored in my design using the Porcelain paint. I baked my plate in the oven for 45 minutes.

This plate can go in the dish washer. This way my nephew can eat of his birthday plate every year!

Try your own hand at making a personalized plate.

DecoBord

Leuke kapspiegel

kapspiegelMeiden

Van een kratje en een spiegel van Ikea maak je een leuke kapspiegel. Laatst zijn er 5 leuke meiden bij me langsgeweest voor een workshop.

Op het kratje zitten haken om armbanden en kettinkjes op te hangen. Aan het waslijntje kunnen de oorbellen worden opgehangen. Verder heb ik het kratje versierd met papier, washi tape en leuke stickers.

kapspiegel

Ik ben inmiddels begonnen aan een ander voorbeeld…voor de paasworkshop.

Giftwrapping Christmas Countdown 20

Betrek je kind erbij! Laat je ukkie lekker losgaan met verf. Als je kind ook kan lijmen en plakken kun je ze ook glitter en lijm geven, mijn zoontje is daar nog iets te jong voor.

Kind

Om zijn kunstwerk goed tot zijn recht te laten komen heb ik het kado eerst in zijn creatie verpakt en daarna in folie. Hiertussen heb ik gekleurde pailletten gedaan voor een extra feestelijke look. Daar zal oma blij mee zijn!