When I reached adulthood, I discovered that adding color to your Rice Krispy Treats wasn’t the norm and that my mom did that to make that experience special for us.

Wanting to give my kids this same thrill, we made Rice Krispy Treats in the shapes of autumn leaves, using a Wilton cookie cutter (the same one we used for this pastry). We divided the Rice Krispies and colored each section a different, bright color and ended up with an array of colorful autumn leaves both beautiful and delicious.

This is a simple and fun activity and one that your kids are sure to remember!

What is your favorite after-school snack to make with your kids? How do you make simple activities like cooking and crafts veer from the norm?

The cookbook, Picture Me Cooking by blogging friend Colleen Kennedy, is one of the most unique cookbooks you’ll find out there for cooking with kids. Not only is Picture Me Cooking full of great, kid-friendly recipes, it is also a scrapbook type keepsake. Each recipe comes with kid-friendly instructions as well as a photo insert spot so you can capture a picture of your little chef cooking and place it in the cookbook. A cookbook and a scrapbook all in one! When you complete each recipe, your kids will have a keepsake cookbook that they are truly a part of. How cool is that?

One of the most simple recipes in the Picture Me Cooking cookbook is CK’s Cone Mix. It is a simple snack mix, but the idea to serve it in ice cream cones is brilliant. My kids were excited to have something new, even though we have snack mix all the time. Just the presentation alone made this snack mix extra special (and my 4 year-old could make it all by herself!)

If you want a cookbook that truly involves your children, Picture Me Cooking is a must have cookbook for you!

Recipe: CK’s Cone Mix (from Picture Me Cooking)

The recipe in Picture Me Cooking suggests a snack mix of raisins, dried cranberries, chocolate chips, your favorite cereal, mini pretzel sticks and mini marshmallows. I used the recipe as inspiration but added the following ingredients:

Ingredients:

• Ice Cream Cones
• Chocolate Covered Raisins
• Yogurt Covered Craisins
• Twizzler Bites
• Honey Nut Cherrios
• Cocktail Peanuts

Directions:

1. Mix a handful of your chosen ingredients in a bowl or plastic bag.
2. Fill cone(s) and serve.

Click on these links to read Kristen’s reviews on Recipes Every Man Should Know, The Crabby Cook, and The Whole Family Cookbook.

Do you spend time cooking with your kids? What are some of your favorite dishes to cook together? Why do you think it’s important to have your kids help out in the kitchen?

Kristen Doyle is a mom of 4 young children and the face behind the food blog, Dine & Dish. Kristen’s mission is to help others make family mealtime a priority, where families gather around the table each night to engage in great food and conversation. Sharing recipes that are quick and simple to get on the table, Kristen’s goal is to provide a resource for others looking to simplify their lives in order to reconnect with their family, one meal at a time. Besides her food blog, you can connect with Kristen on Twitter, Facebook or follow along with her Project 365 on her Photo Journey Blog.

This one-of-a-kind matchup helped to lighten the spirits, soften the affect of spending the holidays overseas, and provide the troops with a little taste of home during a time when it matters the most, the holidays. Highlights of the game will be shown during halftime of the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl on January 1, 2011.

The Prize

This week’s giveaway is all about staying connected with family and friends. Five lucky winners will receive one regulation-size football signed by legendary college football coaches (coaches will sign each football and each football ARV: $250-400).

Entry Requirements

For a chance to enter and win, please complete the following requirements and leave a separate comment for each on this post, including links to your original tweets.

1. Follow @Fritolay on Twitter.
2. Tweet the following:

• RT @MomItForward GIVEAWAY! Enter to win a football signed by coaching legends http://bit.ly/hf0KGj #gno #TostitosConnecttoHomeBowl PLS RT

• RT @MomItForward #TostitosConnecttoHomeBowl helps families stay connected. For info, stop by @MomItForward! http://bit.ly/hf0KGj #gno PLS RT

• RT @MomItForward #TostitosConnecttoHomeBowl gives troops a taste of home during a time that matters most! http://bit.ly/hf0KGj #gno PLS RT

Optional Entry

The following is an extra entry that is completely optional and will earn you one extra entry for this giveaway. Leave a separate comment on this post for the completed entry.

Like the Tostitos page on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/Tostitos)

Terms and Conditions

Winners will be selected randomly through http://random.org. No purchase necessary to enter. Giveaway ends at midnight ET Thursday, January 6. See all terms and conditions here. This giveaway is available to U.S. residents only.

The bowl-game-inspired celebration was held at an undisclosed military base in the Persian Gulf on December 22^nd, 2010.  The troops experienced game-day rituals and even had a chance to play alongside college football legends. The great American tradition of football will bring everyone a little closer this holiday season as it gives the troops a taste of home. Highlights of the game will be shown during halftime of the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl on January 1, 2011.

Party Topic

Join Tostitos and our panel of experts as we discuss staying connected with family and friends. The party will be held on Wednesday, January 5 from 9-11 ET (8CT, 7MT, 6PT). Click here to see details about the Tostitos giveaway and enter for a chance to win.

Party Details

• What: Girls’ Night Out (#gno) Twitter party (Click here to learn about #gno!)
• When: Wednesday, January 5 from 9-11 p.m. EST (8CT, 7 MT, & 6 PT)
• Where: Party with us on our very own Custom Tweetgrid! (Use hashtags #gno and #TostitosConnecttoHomeBowl)
• Topic: Staying connected with family and friends
• Who: Brand Panelist: @Fritolay @LaVarArrington, Community Panelists: @chaotic_barb @MilitaryMama @alisonlewis @crazyadventures @Texasholly @RachelFerrucci @CherylBudge @ParkerMama, Moderators: @jylmomIF @Dadventurous @troypattee and @MomItForward
• Party Favors: Click here to enter for a chance to enter the Tostitos giveaway
• RSVP: Use Mr. Linky below (enter the twitter URL and your twitter ID (e.g., http://twitter.com/jylmomIF).

RT @MomItForward Join @Fritolay #gno party Wed 1/5 (9-11ET) about staying connected http://bit.ly/i8AnUU #TostitosConnecttoHomeBowl PLS RT

Note: Mom It Forward accepts paid sponsorships for most #gno Twitter parties. During the parties, brand sponsors provide tips, techniques, expert advice, and information on party topics. Mom It Forward is grateful for the giveaway prizes, coupons, and discounts that sponsors also provide to the Mom It Forward community in conjunction with #gno Twitter parties.

Back in 1960, a picture of a little girl named Debbie became an American icon. This month, to celebrate Little Debbie’s 50^th Anniversary, a lucky girl age 4-8 in your life could win a $5,000 scholarship just by re-creating that classic photo.

The Little Debbie Look-A-Like Contest is already under way, and if you’ve got access to a camera and a straw hat, you could well on your way to winning all sorts of great prizes, including the grand prize of $5,000 for a child’s education.

You might be surprised to learn that “Little Debbie” is a real person, but it’s true! In fact, she’s going to be one of the judges for the Look-A-Like Contest.

Here’s the story of how she became such an icon:

In 1960, a bakery owner by the name of O.D. McKee was trying to come up with a name for his newest snack cakes. Inspiration struck when he looked at a photograph of his 4-year-old granddaughter Debbie, who was wearing her favorite straw hat.

From that moment on, “Little Debbie” has been the unforgettable face on dozens of America’s favorite snacks, from Oatmeal Creme Pies and Swiss Cake Rolls to Nutty Bars and Zebra Cakes.

Now it’s your chance to re-create a classic by taking part in the Little Debbie Look-A-Like Contest.

Prizes include:

• A $5,000 scholarship to the grand prize winner on behalf of the child
• The winning child’s picture on certain packages of Little Debbie products
• Cases of Little Debbie snack cakes, gift bags filled with goodies and Madame Alexander Little Debbie 50^th Anniversary collectable dolls

It’s easy to enter. Just visit the Little Debbie Look-A-Like site and follow the steps to send in your submission. But hurry! The deadline for submissions is Jan. 20.

For more information on Little Debbie and the contest, you can follow Little Debbie on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook or just drop me an e-mail with any questions.

Good luck!

Come join us as we pamper ourselves through a chat about chocolate and indulgence at tonight’s girls’ night out (#gno) party on Twitter. We’ll be tweeting with terrific folks from the Zone Perfect team about their new product—Indulgence.

Tonight’s giveaway is a $250 Spafinder gift card! The 200th person to tweet the following wins:

200th person 2 follow @zoneperfect gets $250 Spafinder gc. Winner announced 2nite on #gno 9-11 ET RSVP http://bit.ly/1R1qHM PLS RT

What: Zone Perfect is sponsoring this week’s #gno Twitter party (Click here to learn about #gno!)

When: Thursday, October 22, 9-11 p.m. EST

Where: Click here to party with us on our custom Tweetgrid. (Use hashtags #gno and #zoneperfect.)

Topic: Your Personal Indulgence!

Who: @craftymamaof4 @juliefisk @mommybrain @organizersandy @plussizemommy @savingmycents @stonerjj @zoneperfect

Party Favors: Tonight’s giveaway is a $250 Spafinder gift card! The 200th person to tweet the following wins: 200th person 2 follow @zoneperfect gets $250 Spafinder gc. Winner announced 2nite on #gno 9-11 ET RSVP http://bit.ly/1R1qHM PLS RT

RSVP: Please leave your Twitter ID in the comments to follow and be followed (on Twitter, of course!) by other #gno gals. The best format is as follows: http://twitter.com/jylmomIF.

Quality time at home has emerged as a major silver lining in today’s economic picture. In fact, families are cutting back on out of the home occasions, with 58 percent of Americans citing that they are dining out less and 53 percent spending less on vacations.  This gives Mom the chance again to focus on the true joys that have knit families together for generations, says Kathy Peel, “America’s Family Manager.”

Peel finds that even if finances really get tight, submitting to a “survival mode” mindset can rob the family of life’s joys. “Don’t let that happen! Scale down and make adjustments, but don’t eliminate fun—it’s an absolute necessity for family health.”  Creating simple occasions at home like spending the night playing games over a bowl of popcorn is a great way to reconnect and bring the family together.

Orville Redenbacher’s Gourmet Popping Corn has been uniting families for more than 40 years and partnered with Peel to share ideas that are both fun and frugal. “Quality family-fun time doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated—we’ve all seen the tot who plays more with the box than the toy,” Peel says.

Through her 20 books, Family Manager website, blog and frequent appearances, Peel helps Mom simplify the home and create a strong family team. “Many parents say that although tighter budgets are painful, the upside is an opportunity to change spending routines that had gotten out of hand,” she says.  “Instead of finding joy in splurging, they’re finding joy in spending more time with family and creatively solving how to stretch resources.”

Kathy encourages Mom and Dad to start the summer by holding a family meeting, and discuss the budget so children will have realistic expectations. The aroma and taste of snacks like Orville Redenbacher’s help bring the family together for this meeting.  After that, it’s discovery time!  Make a list of resources in the home.  Look in closets—do you have games, cards, musical instruments, art or craft supplies, hobby or sports gear?  Most families have forgotten about the many things they have squirreled away.  Make another list of resources in your community—parks, farmers markets, museums, the zoo.  Then brainstorm with the family about things you can do if you have 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, a half day, a whole day, or a weekend.  It’s remarkable how quickly your time will fill up.

Don’t let budget get you down. These inexpensive options will make for family fun and many memories this summer.

Photo by Kenny Moller and used with permission from Flickr.