Leap Day Fun: Fruity Frogs and "Tic Tac Toad"

Here they are - our Fruity Frogs (idea courtesy of FamilyFun)!

These were a lot of fun to make and eat - especially with cream cheese caramel apple dip. (I figured I had the cream cheese, might as well throw some brown sugar and vanilla in there too!) Good stuff!

Noah and I played a few rounds of "Tic Tac Toad" (idea from TLC family) earlier too. Yep! We drew our own frogs...

 

Now to gather all the blankets and pillows an set up camp in the living room for our sLEAPover (and American Idol fest up until 9 o'clock - DVRed it from yesterday). Oh, and our leap contest! The kids have been practicing for that all afternoon. The dog has even tried to get in on the act. :)

Here's hoping the kids actually go to sleep! 

Happy Leap Day!

Leaping into Leap Day!

I love the whole idea of having one extra day to spend with my kiddos so I've been trying to come up with some fun little things to make February 29th extra special.

Since the history behind Leap Day is all Gregorian calendars and Julian reform (???), we are keeping it simple and sticking with FROGS!

Here are a few ideas that I am tossing around for Wednesday's festivities...

1) Teach them the game of Leap Frog (...or at least attempt it) or let them LEAP and measure how far they jump (- throwing some math in there.)

2) Play a few rounds of "Tic Tac Toad" (I saw this while I was browsing and cannot find the link again, but you cut out some paper frogs in two different colors to use as markers - my boy loves tic tac toe.)

3) Most definitely make this Fruity Frog (from FamilyFun) - Granny Smith apples, grapes, cream cheese, and chocolate chips. How cute is that?

4) Break out the Froggy books, of course! Froggy Plays T-Ball is always good for a laugh.

Last, but not least...my kids will LOVE this one...

5) Have a sLEAP-over in the living room! The kids love when we all camp out together (and we haven't done it in awhile) so I'm sure they'll be excited about this, especially since Leap Day is on a school night.


*Have anything fun planned for your extra day?

Peanut Butter, Crackers, and Chocolate - oh my!

Who would have thought that peanut butter crackers coated in chocolate almond bark would be SO GOOD?
I am forever in debt to my sweet cousin, Courtney, for making these for us while we visiting down in Arkansas last summer. The kids and I have made them a few times since, and, now, I make sure to keep the ingredients on hand. (I admit, before that visit, I didn't even know what Almond Bark was, but I found it in the baking section at Wal-Mart.)

All you have to do is spread a thick layer of peanut butter on 12-15 Ritz crackers (or the store brand), put another cracker on top, and then start melting your almond bark in the microwave.

Melt four big squares (half the package) for 30 seconds at a time on high, stir, and then repeat until it's completely smooth. Then dip the peanut butter crackers in the almond bark - coat them really well. Then put them on wax paper to set. 

Depending on how well you coat them, you may have some chocolate left so you can make more crackers and dip some more.  Seriously good stuff! Store them in an air tight container (if you your kids don't eat them all in one sitting - haha!).


And while we're at it - Here's a variation using graham crackers, peanut butter, and chocolate chips I came up with that's even easier to whip up and is a fun after school snack - my daughter's favorite!



My kids love making those smiley faces!

If peanut butter and chocolate are near and dear to your heart (like they are to mine!), these treats will be too. Yum!