POP ROCKS COOKIES

This is a fun novelty cookie to eat, as you get a crackle and pop in every bite. This is a fun cookie to make, if you can find Pop Rocks. Around the 4th of July I ran across several posts on the internet that incorporated Pop Rocks in to cookies but when I went to find Pop Rocks at major retailers/grocery stores like Wal-Mart, Meijers and Kroger, I found they didn't carry them and I had all but chucked the idea, until my son brought home a pack that he had picked up at Family Dollar (we have found since they also carry them at Dollar General). Item used: (This made 24 1 inch mini-cookies)

• Slice and Bake or pre-formed squares Sugar Cookie dough
• 1 can Vanilla Frosting
• 2 pack pkg of Pop Rocks
• Blue Food Coloring (optional)

Bake the Sugar cookies according to the instructions on the package and allow them to cool.

If you want to tint the frosting, you can just put a few drops in the frosting can and stir it up.

Frost the top of the cookies.

Sprinkle the Pop Rocks on top of cookies.

15 Minute Sea Creature Cookies

For when you want to bake special cookies and take and/or serve, but just don't have the time. Clean up is minimal as you slice the cookies on parchment paper right on the baking sheet and mix the food coloring right in the can of frosting. Items used:

• Refrigerated sugar cookie dough
• 1 can vanilla frosting
• Gummy sea creatures
• Blue Food coloring
• Baking Parchment paper
• Knife

I used a bag of octopus and there were 10 of them and ended up with 13 cookies, but you could use any type of gummy sea creatures. Our local Walmart has sharks and even some "Finding Nemo" ones.

Preheat oven to temperature indicated on package, place baking parchment paper, slice into 1 inch slices and place approximately 2 inches apart then place in oven to bake according to package.

While cookies are baking, open up can of frosting and add approximately 15 drops of blue food coloring and mix in the can using knife.

Remove the cookies from the oven and allow to cool, or you can speed up the process by sticking them in the fridge for a few minutes if you have shelf space.

I know, cookies are not suppossed to be square - the reason these turned out this was as that I left the dough out of fridge too long before slicing them - wait until you are ready to start the project before taking out of the fridge to avoid this.

Once cookies are cool, frost them with the blue frosting.

Put your sea creature(s) on the top and you are done!

COFFEE FILTER FLOWER

This makes a great kids craft as the coffee filters hold up much better than tissue paper when making them. Items used:

• 4 white coffee filters
• 1 pipe cleaner, cut in half
• 2 small bowls
• 3/4 cup water
• Food coloring
• Plate, wax paper or plastic surface to dry the filters

Keep the coffee filter together and press them down flat.

Fold the coffee filters up accordion style (I folded about an inch in and ended up with three pleats total, but you could make the folds larger or smaller). Continue folding until you get to the end of the filter

Fold in half an snip the corner in the center diagonally on each side slightly (this will be where you will twist the pipe cleaner later. For now, leave the filters folded.

Put approximately 1/2 cut water in a bowl and 6 -10 drops of food coloring and mix it up.

Stick the ends in the food coloring and allow it to saturate for a few minutes.

Take out and allow to dry.

Next, mix approx 1/4 cut water in a bowl and 6-10 drops of food coloring

Stick the folded center into the mixture, allow it to saturate until the color starts to meet up the color from the ends. Remove and unbend at center but leave the pleats folded. Allow to dry.

Once dry, take the 1/2 piece of pipe cleaner and twist around the center to make the stamens. You can leave up or twist the two sides into loops.

Start separating the layers on one side of the pipe cleaner, pulling the top layer to the right, the 2nd layer to the left, the 3rd layer to the right and 4th layer to right. Repeat on the other side of the pipe cleaner and you are done.