Christmas is nearly here, and depending on where you live, the weather is getting colder (unless you are in the Southern Hemisphere, where you are getting ready for the summer). At this time of the year, thanks to Bing Crosby we think of snow on the ground, a red-cloaked Santa Claus, presents, and ornately decorated trees. In fact, Christmas has become very much a celebration of the winter, and even if you are not a religious Christian - or not a Christian at all - its motifs have become a regular part of western life.
Part of the celebration is the anticipation of the day itself. Unfortunately for busy housewives, this also means endless preparations with kids home from Christmas break running around the house. The constant ruckus and the never-ending mess takes a toll on your energy levels and when the calendar rolls around to December 25, you are too beat to have any fun. What could a flustered mother do? You could stress out and succumb to the pressure, but where's the fun in that?
One idea to keep the kids happy at home is to do some baking with them. And one of the best ways to entertain them is to bake some cupcakes for Christmas with them. This will keep them busy, give them something nice to eat, and provide a great creative outlet for them. Of course, it's not just the actual baking that is the fun, but also trying some of the many cupcake decorating ideas that are out there.
Apart from the usual frosting and topping, you should consider making a snowman cupcake. After baking the cupcakes and letting them cool, place a snowman made out of a stack of marshmallows placed one on top of another on top. If the marshmallows are proving to be uncooperative, use pretzel sticks to keep them together. You can use toothpicks too, but you have to warn guests so that no mishaps occur.
You can use more pretzel sticks for his arms. Candies that are shaped just right can be made into a cute snowman hat. For the face, use icing or chocolate fudge to draw features and expressions. Alternatively, you can arrange candied fruit or chocolate chips to draw the lines that make up the mouth, eyes, and nose. A piece of licorice can be fashioned into a little scarf. You can literally raid your pantry for supplies and still end up with edible art.
This is where the rich imagination of children pay off. Sit back and be amazed at how each child makes a personalized interpretation of what a proper snowman cupcake should look like. When you are done, you might feel a little apprehensive to eat one of your masterpieces. After all, you labored for hours only to finish it in a minute. Then, as you stare into the cupcake and see the many yummy ingredients used to decorate it, you say goodbye to the poor snowman as you bite its little head off. Yummy! Food has never been this much fun and you can thank your own efforts into making it.
Part of the celebration is the anticipation of the day itself. Unfortunately for busy housewives, this also means endless preparations with kids home from Christmas break running around the house. The constant ruckus and the never-ending mess takes a toll on your energy levels and when the calendar rolls around to December 25, you are too beat to have any fun. What could a flustered mother do? You could stress out and succumb to the pressure, but where's the fun in that?
One idea to keep the kids happy at home is to do some baking with them. And one of the best ways to entertain them is to bake some cupcakes for Christmas with them. This will keep them busy, give them something nice to eat, and provide a great creative outlet for them. Of course, it's not just the actual baking that is the fun, but also trying some of the many cupcake decorating ideas that are out there.
Apart from the usual frosting and topping, you should consider making a snowman cupcake. After baking the cupcakes and letting them cool, place a snowman made out of a stack of marshmallows placed one on top of another on top. If the marshmallows are proving to be uncooperative, use pretzel sticks to keep them together. You can use toothpicks too, but you have to warn guests so that no mishaps occur.
You can use more pretzel sticks for his arms. Candies that are shaped just right can be made into a cute snowman hat. For the face, use icing or chocolate fudge to draw features and expressions. Alternatively, you can arrange candied fruit or chocolate chips to draw the lines that make up the mouth, eyes, and nose. A piece of licorice can be fashioned into a little scarf. You can literally raid your pantry for supplies and still end up with edible art.
This is where the rich imagination of children pay off. Sit back and be amazed at how each child makes a personalized interpretation of what a proper snowman cupcake should look like. When you are done, you might feel a little apprehensive to eat one of your masterpieces. After all, you labored for hours only to finish it in a minute. Then, as you stare into the cupcake and see the many yummy ingredients used to decorate it, you say goodbye to the poor snowman as you bite its little head off. Yummy! Food has never been this much fun and you can thank your own efforts into making it.
About the Author:
Knowledgeable contributing author Anya likes providing her wealth of exciting tips and hints about home baking. Not to mention her best tip is certainly her place for looking for cupcake decorating and flower cupcake decoration.
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