Art of the Kid-Friendly Party

Saturday will mark a new class topic for us, and we're so excited about it. This is a mom's night out or parents of kids of all ages. The menu will be focused around easy, fun, delicious food to serve at parties so that both the kids and adults will be wowed!

On the menu are 3 different gourmet sliders with accompanying dips, oven-roasted french fries of different types, and whoopie pies. Plus, we'll have an adult and kiddie version of a cocktail for you to sip on. Come on! You know you want to join us!

Sign up today here!

Snow Days

This last week has had us staying inside, and we're feeling a bit housebound. We even had to cancel our Finger Foodies class for tonight because of the subzero temps predicted tonight along with the 6 inches of snow we got overnight. The good news though: We have rescheduled for the 15th of March, so if you were disappointed to miss this one, you have a second chance to enroll now!

I think we all get antsy when the weather gets like this. I thought I'd share a few ideas to keep you sane (or get you thinking of ways to stay sane) with your little one during the snow.

1. Make a kid-friendly recipe with your little tyke, like this fabulous new favorite for Cherry Granola Bars. These really work; no falling apart, I promise. They're fairly low in sugar, and you can play with ingredients to toss in some of those hidden yummies your toddler may not usually get. If you're feeling crafty or want to send them to school as a snack for your kiddo's preschool or whatever, wrap them in wax paper for a nice touch. Pics of wrapping below are from a recent bday party. They're nut-free, so no worries about allergies. Yum!

My favorite part of this recipe is that a toddler can stir the dry ingredients and help press the bars into the pan.




2. Make Valentines, and give your child a major part of the project. Gluing or coloring hearts are simple jobs that a toddler can get pretty caught up in. We just used some buttons, old scrapping paper, and glue and scissors. Hey, it's not necessarily "Mish+Mashy", but I figured I'd share! Anything to get a toddler occupied without being outside. ;)

Our Next Class!

Our next class is going to be a really fun one for those of you with kids 12 months & up. It's called "Cooking for Kids Made Easy" and we will be giving you lots of great tips on how to involve your child in meal prep as well as great ways to keep them entertained while you are trying to get dinner made. I believe anyone with a toddler can relate to that one! Like all our class menus it is extremely family friendly so it's not just for your toddler to enjoy.

Finger Foodies: "Cooking for Kids Made Easy" February 8th @ 6:30pm

- Apple Amaranth Pancakes

- Wild Rice & Citrus Salad

- Homemade Granola Bars

- Lemony Chicken Fajitas w/ Roasted Veggies & Avocado Relish

You can register via http://www.stirtolearn.com/ OR http://www.mishmashhomemade.com/

Snow Day Craft Ideas!

It's amazing how quickly you can run out of things to do with kids when its just too cold to go outside. I thought I had a well laid plan of painting, baking cookies, and building a fort that would eat up the majority of the morning before it was time for a nap - but at 9:30am I realized I had crossed most of the activities off our list and still had 3 1/2 hrs left! So I got on one of my favorite craft sites The Crafty Crow to find some inspiration. I decided the next time I have a free day to shop without a toddler I am going to Michaels and creating a couple of craft boxes that I can pull out in a pinch that way I won't be scrambling for ideas at the last minute. One of the projects I can't wait to try is the rainbow house village from Frugal Family Fun - the best part is once the project is complete they can spend a whole afternoon playing with it. And it is just so cute and adorable I won't even wait to the next snow day to try it out! How do you entertain your kids when your stuck inside all day?

Super Steal of a Mish+Mash Deal!

We are so excited to be a featured deal on Daily Deals for Denver Moms today! All Mish+Mash classes at Stir Cooking School are $30! To take advantage simply click the link above - we will contact you once the deal has ended to get your registered for an upcoming class. The deal is good for 6 months so you have plenty of time to choose! Tell your friends - great idea for a baby shower gift!!

Yummy Birthday Bruschetta

A's birthday was this weekend, and like Nicole, I had a lot of fun planning out some of the snacks we would serve at the party. I wanted to share one recipe that is a favorite over here, and I love it because it's filled with all sorts of nutritious goodies plus some yummy goat cheese- a perfect comforting appetizer on these cold winter days. Being 29 weeks pregnant, and hungry every few hours, yesterday I noshed on the leftovers of this recipe and still felt good about the fiber, veggies, and yes, the fabulous cheese and bread. We just threw the cheese in with the bruschetta, but you can spread it separately. Yum! Hopefully your toddler gives it a shot, too!

Bruschetta with White Beans and Tomatoes

I'll also share more of our birthday party successes with you as the days go on- these recipes can be used not only for parties but every day.