A Day With the Kids/Peppermints

I took off work at noon on Friday.  While Leon napped, Meri and I made a bajillion chicken enchiladas and froze them... after sampling of course.  YUM!

It was so nice to just sit and talk with her as we worked.  We practically have to pencil in time when we can visit with her.  

It's really reminds me of the old days when Maddy was in high school...

We DID end up going to Hotel Transylvania 2 for a matinee!  So much popcorn!!!!  That's not a complaint, but just saying.  With a smile...  

Leon laughed uproariously at the parts that he got and you know what?  

I cried...  

Not because of Leon's laughing, but the fact that they were going to move away from the child's grandpa and the child and grandpa loved each other so much!  

Oh my... I'm tearing up again...

ANY WHO...  We had enchiladas for supper again and afterwards, we cooked/crafted!

Meri made blue chocolate chip cookies (don't ask! But please buy me more food coloring) and Leon and I made Christmas tree ornaments!

Here is the tutorial.  We have yet to perfect our procedures, but I think he and his daddy will be making more this week.

Peppermint Ornaments

1) Unwrap about 250 peppermints. ;)

Or make the kid.

2) Then arrange them on a pan that has been prepared with a piece of parchment paper.

3) Dig out your metal cookie cutters and arrange the pieces of peppermint in each cutter.

I expected the cat to be a very thin layer of peppermint...

4) Then bake at 350 degrees for just a few minutes, until the pieces melt together.

We discovered which cookie cutters are keepers and which ones leak.

Also we discovered that 4 minutes is probably too long in our oven...

If they get bubbly, then it's too long.

The cat didn't get a brain.

5) THEN before it cools TOO much, take a straw and poke a hole into each one to lace a ribbon to hang it with.

6) Carefully cut or push them out of the cookie cutters.  Some may not survive.

So you have to eat them.

I'm wondering if spraying the cutters before hand would be good.  I bet so.

I hung these up, but I may restring them and then hang them against something closer so they'll quit spinning around.

I'm kind of liking this project!  We'll do more of these...

My mind is racing with new ideas on how to display them...  

Maybe a little hot glue on the edges with ribbon or lace...

hmmm.