Nut Butter Bear Edible Craft

These edible bears are fun and easy to do. And they are adorable, if I do say so myself. Which I do. Affiliate links below. 

Nut Butter Bear

Materials:

• rice cake (I like the lightly salted ones by Quaker best)
• Skinny Pop popcorn mini cakes
• smooth peanut butter
• Nutella
• candy eyeballs

Steps:

Spread peanut butter onto one rice cake and three popcorn mini cakes. 

 

Put a dollop of Nutella off center on two popcorn mini cakes to make the ears. Stick them in place (the peanut butter will hold them nicely). 

Put a smaller dollop of Nutella directly in the center of the third popcorn mini cake. Position it on the face to make the bear's snout.

Drag a toothpick through the Nutella on the snout to make the bear's smile. Add two candy eyeballs. 

Since I suspect someone will point this out, this project is not appropriate for people with nut allergies or for groups where you don't know for certain that no one has nut allergies. You can make an equally adorable bear using other types of spreads. For example, try Monkey Butter in place of the peanut butter and Apple Butter for the Nutella. There are lots of other possibilities. Don't be afraid to be creative!

Encouragement Toast

As parents, we do everything we can to support our children and encourage them to do their best. Next time your kids have a big test, an important interview, or stressful tryouts or auditions, serve them up a delicious breakfast of Encouragement Toast.  

I dreamed up Encouragement Toast in the cereal aisle at the Safeway by my house. I noticed something I hadn't had since early childhood, Alphabits (affiliate link), and my mind was flooded with ideas for edible crafts. What fun! I tossed the box into the cart, excited to get started. 

As an aside, I absolutely love the design of this box. The notebook paper and fonts are perfect for this kid-oriented cereal. I adore the little bee, ice cream, turtle and space designs on the Bits letters. And using the cereal itself for their motto ("a story in every bowl!") is very clever. Good job, anonymous graphic designer!

I washed my hands, poured a cup of Alphabits onto a plate, and started sorting letters. About 10% of the letters were too misshapen or broken to use, so those went into a container for future breakfasts. As I sorted, I started spelling out my message. 

Then it was just a matter of toasting some bread, spreading peanut butter on top, and adding the letters. I surrounded the toast with orange segments and banana slices. Served with a glass of milk, this is the perfect way to fuel kids for that important test or presentation.  

Expect to see an Alphabits-inspired edible craft from me again. I've got a whole box of possibilities!

Peanut Butter Graham Cracker Owls

 Meet the Owlan family. 

Here are Mr. and Mrs. Owlan with her sister, Owlicia Owlexander. 

Can you tell I had the best time making these? Because I totally did. They were a hit with my family and you should definitely make some. Affiliate links below. 

Peanut Butter Graham Cracker Owls

Ingredients:

• graham crackers
• creamy peanut butter
• cocoa Candy Melts
• candy corn
• large candy eyeballs*

Steps: 

To make Owlice, use a knife to spread peanut butter onto a graham cracker. Add two eyes and a candy corn beak. Follow the package directions to melt the Candy Melts, then use that to add the forehead and wings. 

Owlejando is basically the opposite. Start with the cocoa candy melts, add the facial features, then use peanut butter to make the forehead and wings.

To make Owlicia, I spread the peanut butter smoothly, then used a toothpick to draw in the forehead, wings, and tail feathers. 

The owlets (Owlison and Owlex) are made with half a graham cracker each. The easiest way to get them to split cleanly is to use a sharp chef's knife and press down along the score line with equal pressure along the whole knife. Spread peanut butter on each, then pounce the knife up and down repeatedly against the peanut butter to create their fluffy feather texture. Add the eyes and candy corn beaks.   

*I wasn't able to find the Wilton candy eyeballs printed with the eyelashes that I used anywhere online.  I've had them for awhile and it looks like they might be discontinued. You can make your own version by drawing eyelashes onto the candy eyeballs I've linked above with a black edible marker. 

Guilt-Free PB&J Sundae

We're in the middle of a heat wave here in Northern California. You know what's REALLY refreshing on a hot day? A homemade peanut butter and jelly sundae. Even better, it's guilt-free. 

Believe it or not, you can actually serve this as a meal and not feel like the worst mom ever. With homemade frozen yogurt (literally frozen yogurt - no added sugar), naturally sweet ripe berries, a homemade peanut butter sauce, and plenty of nuts, it's not all that different than serving a PB&J with a glass of milk, nutritionally speaking. The fancy glass makes all the difference. Affiliate links below.

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Guilt-Free Peanut Butter and Jelly Sundae

Materials:

• Greek yogurt
• ice cream machine (we LOVE our Cuisinart!) 
• smooth peanut butter
• sugar
• fancy sundae glasses (seriously - they make everything more fun)
• frozen berries
• peanuts

Steps:

Follow the manufacturer's instructions to freeze the Greek yogurt in the ice cream machine. 

Meanwhile, remove the berries from the freezer so they can thaw and then make the peanut butter topping. In a small saucepan, combine 1 c. sugar with 1/2 c. water. Bring the mixture to a boil, then allow to boil for one minute. Remove from the heat and stir in 1/2 c. peanut butter. Let the topping cool. Chop the peanuts and set them aside.

To assemble your sundaes, put a large scoop of berries in the bottom of the glass. Add a generous dollop of peanut butter topping, then add a scoop of frozen yogurt. Repeat the layers until the glass is full, then sprinkle chopped peanuts on top. 

The result is amazing. Trust me.