No Bake Snack - Peanut Butter Honeybee's

A perfect project for a snowy October day. We had a little lesson on honeybees then went to work making some of our own. Did you know bee's have 5 eyes! 

These little snacks might not quite resemble honeybees but sometimes with a 4 year old and a 1 1/2 year old, things don't always turn out like they're supposed to! 

BUT, they are delicious, healthy and super easy to make!  

No Bake Peanut Butter Honeybee's
1/2 cup peanut butter (we had chunky, I'd recommend smooth)
1 TB honey
1/3 cup nonfat DRY milk
2 TB sesame seeds
2 TB toasted wheat germ
Unsweetened cocoa powder
Sliced almonds
Mini chocolate chips (optional)

Step 1:  Toast sesame seeds and wheat germ. Can toast the almonds too. Pop in the oven on cookie sheet with parchment at 350 degrees for about 5-7 minutes.
Step 2:  Mix peanut butter and honey
Step 3:  Add the dry milk, sesame seeds and wheat germ until well mixed. Use your hands. Better yet, use your kids' hands! If too crumbly add more P.B.
Step 4:  Shape into ovals and place on parcment paper cookie sheet (the same one you used earlier).
Step 5:  Dip a toothpick in cocoa powder and press gently across the top of the bee body.
Step 6:  Stick sliced almonds on the sides for wings. My kids thought they should have eyes so we added chocolate chips. Not so sure they look like bee's anymore with the chocolate chip eyes but that's kids for ya!
Step 7:  Chill bee's in fridge for 30 minutes.

If your kids are like mine, they will snack on the ingredients the entire time they are making these. I didn't mind, it's all good for them!  

After chilling them on the cookie sheet (and eating one or two!) I put them in an airtight container so they wouldn't dry out. Back into the fridge - wheat germ needs to be refrigerated. 

Daniel started calling them cracker jack's for some reason. He says they are like crackers but chewey. Okay, sounds good buddy! Crackerjacks it is.

Free Range Eggs vs. Grocery Store Eggs

Check this out!

Can you guess which is which? The upper egg is directly from the farm. The bottom egg is from the grocery store. 

Farm eggs have a harder shell and take two hits on the counter to open them. Grocery store eggs crack when you barely squeeze them! 

Farm egg yolks are richer and make anything your using them in (cookies) orange. The yolks are even harder to mix/scramble because they are so thick. The yolk will stick to the edges of the bowl and you need a spatula to get it all out.

Grocery eggs are pale yellow and seem slimy, but they whip well and seem fluffier.

I have some of both in my fridge. I tend to use both. The farm eggs are much smaller than the 'large' eggs from the grocer. So if I'm making 3 eggs in the morning for my breakfast burrito I'll use 2 farm eggs and 1 grocery egg.

Lego Cake

There are many versions of Lego cakes that you can find online. This was a super quick and easy Lego cake that can be done by the average baker and decorator.

And since you are an average baker and decorator I can give you a quick idea of how to do it.

• All it takes is one 9" x 13" cake. 
• Cut into thirds. 
• Cut one of the thirds in half. 
• Decorate each third or half the colors you desire. 
• Use marshmallows to complete the Lego look. 
• Decorate the marshmallows with your fingers. 

Of course I cooled the cake completely then put them in the freezer to make them stiff. Put on a crumb coat, froze or cooled again then decorated. Took me probably 3-4 hours. Always a late night but most enjoyable!