New Year's Confetti Hot Dog Recipe

No matter if you're a kid or a kid-at-heart, you'll love this incredibly fun twist on a normal hot dog - make them healthier too with turkey or chicken hot dogs and reduced fat crescent rolls.

Confetti Hot Dogs

for more kid-friendly recipes and craft projects visit our sister blog www.MakeHealthyFun.blogspot.com

What You’ll Need

• Turkey or Chicken Hot Dogs
• Reduced Fat Crescent Rolls
• Food Coloring
• Baking Sheet
• Oven
• Plate
• Paintbrush or Something to Apply Dots

How To Make It!

1. Open package of crescent rolls. For each hot dog, use one crescent roll.

2. Roll a crescent roll between your hands or on work surface into a snake about ¼” wide.

3. Wrap around hot dog leaving space between. Place on baking sheet with the ends of the crescent facing down.

4. Place a drop of each color of food coloring on a plate.

5. Dip the non-bristle end of a paintbrush into one color of food coloring. Dot food coloring on crescent roll wrapped around hot dog. Dip paintbrush in food coloring and dot on again. Clean brush after changing each color.

6. Cook following instructions on crescent roll package.

Tons of other recipes and ideas are available in the 120-page Make Healthy Fun! book - check out the shopping page at the upper right for details.

Christmas

I got my nephew's a really cool Christmas gift - Air Swimmers.  A friend sent me a video months ago about them and I was so intrigued, I ordered it.  Then, I see it's one of the top gift items at Toys r Us.  It's huge, fun and really looks like it's swimming in the air.

I've had the idea for this cake for a couple of years and thought this was the year to try it out.

This was kind of a combo gift for my sister.  My parents were both rural mail carriers and we have this 'thing' about mailboxes.  I had my brother cut holes in the mailbox (not an easy thing) and then I gave my sister tons of succulents to choose from (from a friends garden) and she planted it.  My brother got into the fun and made himself a succulent garden and then my mom even found a pot and made one.  My sister is going to add a large 'cabbage' succulent in the front.  Can't wait to see the plants grow and spread to hopefully cover the mailbox.

I was headed out of town and decided to go through downtown Lemoore - I love small town America where there's still a Christmas tree in the center of town and decorations hanging over the street!

Happy Holidays!

Here's a fabulous way to keep the kids busy while they wait for holiday festivities or any day of the year!  And, it's a recycling project too!  It uses #6 plastic containers - and things from around your home.

I Shrunk the Plastic

Materials Needed

Cookie cutter, plastic or other plastic item for hanger

Wire or fishing line

#6 clear plastic containers

Plastic decorations: beads, toys, etc

Permanent pens

Scissors

Hole punch, small

Cookie sheet

Oven mitt

Candle

Paperclip

Plastic ring

Glue

1” wide braid

Oven or toaster oven

Directions

Draw design on clear plastic with permanent pens. NOTE: The designs will shrink about 50% of the original size. Cut out. Punch holes in top and bottom. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place clear plastic designs on cookie sheet and place in oven until they lay flat. This will only take a few minutes. Remove from oven using oven mitt. With adult supervision, make holes in plastic decorations by heating paperclip in candle flame. Insert into plastic to make holes. Thread beads, shrink plastic designs, toys, etc. on wire, knotting below item to secure. Make holes around bottom of cookie cutter edge with hot paperclip. Thread decorated wire in hole and knot. Repeat for all wires. Make three evenly spaced holes around top of cookie cutter. Cut three 12” pieces of wire. Insert each wire into a hole and knot. Gather wire at top and tie around plastic ring adding a bead, if desired.

Kitchen Transformation

Kitchen CHAOS!!!  My cabinets haven't been loved for 32 years but I have my fingers crossed that the Rust-oleum Cabinet Transformations will help me out with three EASY steps and make them beautiful!  I've deglazed (or in my case, degrossed them) and tomorrow comes the painting step.  I'll post more photos as I progress...

California's Central Coast

Morro Bay Lighted Boat Parade

Ragged Point

One day it's 80 degrees and the next there was a shark sighting...

Decorate Your Holidays with Antique Postcard Images

Digital images are a fabulous way to create inexpensive decorations for your home this holiday season.

All you have to do is print off an image, punch two holes about 1/2" apart, string through some ribbon and tie to your tree, a garland, down your staircase - share you ideas!  These vintage holiday and everyday images are from my great aunt's collection that are available on etsy.com