v 3 issue 26: Love is in the air

Love is in the air and we have found gifts and more that will help you celebrate the holiday of love. Inspire smiles with these lovely products.



Cover by Joleen Thiessen






Love is in the air



1. Start a food fight takes all the work out of searching for those unique and stylish tees. Not only can they save you time, but also shipping fees can be reduced by buying all the great tees in one spot! Many hip and trendy styles to choose from. One of our favorites is the pink heart long sleeve tee by Pretty Punk.

2. We love the Valentine's day photo cards from In a Baby Carriage. These custom cards are true photo cards, printed on photographic paper so they look fantastic. $1.49 each, includes envelopes. Available at PhotoAffections.com.

3. We love these Robeez baby shoes adorned with angelic hearts and wings. Made of soft and breathable leather for comfort, these smart shoes also offer suede soles for no slips and lots of grip. We love them, not only because they are adorable, but because they stay on even the teeniest of piggy toes!

4. For the girl who is a little bit girly and a little bit rough and tough, this shirt is glamorous and ready for play. The durable camouflage thermal by Januzzi is adorned with a hot pink heart and sassy pink diamonds. You can also purchase this shirt at startafoodfight.com where $1 from every purchase goes to donorschoose.org -an organization which helps a teacher's wish for a classroom project come to life!

5. Stylish burpies from BabyJar hold up to their "Funky, Fun & Fabulous" motto. The American Sweetheart collection of 100% cotton twill diapers, designed with the colors and shapes of Valentine's Day, makes a perfect gift. Gifts are even more special for your sweetheart when personalized with the available monogramming.

6. We can't think of a better way to show off your softer side. Bambini Bliss offers a diaper cover made of minky camouflage material with a soft and silky pink heart on back. An adjustable velcro closure in front allows one size to fit from 6m-18m. Ooh la la! (Save 20% at Bambini Bliss when you spend $100 - enter TTW at checkout.)

7. Flowers by Zoe has created heart inspired designs for the season. The soft cotton dress and leggings come in a striped heart pattern which reminds us love is in the air. Available in sizes 12months-24months at Nordstrom.

8. Spread the love with these adorable shoes from Little Soles. Perfect for everyday play or dressing up. Available in both black and lime green. Little Soles creates high quality shoes that fuse leather with modern synthetics to give an upscale look to their shoes with remarkable endurance.

9. Nifty Tees has come up with a cool way for your little heartthrob to show his love. The Amor Tee, with its tattoo style, will have the girls going gaa-gaa and the boys thinkin' he's the baddest dude on the block. Available in sizes 3-6 months all the way up to 12 years!


Spread the love

Valentine's Day is the perfect opportunity to keep spreading the love with candy, balloons, and anything heart-shaped! For a dazzling Valentine's Day celebration, Lisa Kothari, author of every parent's indispensable guide "Dear Peppers and Pollywogs...What Parents Want to Know About Planning Their Kids' Parties", has put together some amazing tips and ideas that any parents' little love bugs - and wallet - are sure to enjoy!!

FOR THE INVITATION:

Use red construction paper, doilies, red pipe cleaners, and pink and red glitter to make large homemade hearts that can be delivered to your guests. Other ideas for decorating your heart-shaped invitations include using red hots, conversation hearts ("Be Mine"), and red licorice! If you are hand delivering, you can tie your invitations to red balloons to kick off the festive party!!

FOR HEART-FILLED PARTY DECORATIONS:

* Fill your room with red, pink, and pearly white balloons - include a few thematic Mylar balloons for added fun! Amongst the balloons, hang pink and red streamers and a banner that says "Happy Valentine's Day" for even more festivity!
* On your party tables, use a red table cover and sprinkle conversation hearts and Hershey Kisses as festive confetti. Don't forget to use pink, red, and white plates, napkins, and cups!
* For that extra special touch, draw hearts on your cups, or create a pre-dining activity for kids by placing white markers on the table for cup-decorating!
* Also, for more pizazz, have a big stuffed teddy bear in the center of your table with balloons tied to one of his plush arms, and heart-shaped sunglasses at each place setting for the kids to wear!

FOR THE CRAFTS:

* Have the kids make their very own Love Bugs! Have red and black construction paper out - you can either have the red and black circles pre-cut for easy assembly, or have the children cut out the bug bodies and spots on their own. In addition, have markers, crayons, and glitter glue available for unique decorating!
* Another craft idea includes purchasing small clay pots and having the kids decorate them by painting on small love bugs. What's best is that these small pots can then be taken home as the goody from the party!

MORE LOVEABLE ACTIVITY IDEAS FOR A SWEET VALENTINE'S DAY!

GUESSING GAME: Make some large tags with words on them that relate to Valentine's Day, such as "heart," "flower," "chocolate," etc. Place these name tags on the backs of the guests when they arrive to the party. Do not let the guest see the word on his or her back - the kids must guess the word by the clues that fellow guests give to them!
CRAFTS: Have the kids make their own Valentines! Provide all of the materials for them to design and decorate: paper, confetti, glitter glue, markers, crayons, etc.
Bake a batch of heart-shaped cookies and have the kids decorate with pink frosting and candy toppings!

MORE GAMES...

* Play "Pin the Bow on Cupid"
* Have a Heart Ring Toss - make a large heart (about 25-30 inches) and decorate it with a face using craft items or candies. Fasten arrows around the perimeter of the heart to make it "stand out" for easy tossing. Make toss rings out of pipe cleaners, and have guests toss them on the giant heart. Those who get it around the target win a chocolate!
* Place Conversation Hearts into a jar, and have the kids guess the number!
* Hide Hershey's Kisses around the party area, and give the kids two minutes to find as many as they can!
* Play Musical Hearts - either make a red paper heart or use a stuffed animal "heart." Have the kids stand in a circle and when the music plays, pass the heart. When it stops, the person directly to the left of the person holding the heart is "out!!" The game continues until there is only one person holding the heart. Give the winner a small box of chocolates!
* Play Can You Please be My Valentine, Please Smile. Have the kids sit in a circle, and ask one guest to be "It." He or she must go up to a person in the circle and say this statement. The kid being asked must respond with: No, I cannot be your Valentine, I cannot smile. He or she must not smile in the least!! If he does, then he becomes "It" and the game continues!

SWEET TREATS FOR A TASTY VALENTINE'S MENU:

* Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to make small sandwiches, cut up fruits, and make red Jell-O Jigglers!
* Make Valentine's Roll Ups: wrap up lunch meat, lettuce, mustard and/or mayo, and a slice of cheese in a red-colored roasted red-pepper tortilla.
* Cook heart-shaped pizza with lots of yummy toppings - pepperoni and red pepper are two good Valentine's Day choices!
* Make Valentine's Rice Krispie Pops: prepare a batch of Rice Krispie treats, roll each treat into a heart and place a popsicle stick inside. Press on candy hearts or dip the treats in milk chocolate for an even sweeter touch!
* For a frothy Valentine's Day drink, make one package of cherry Kool-Aid and one package of strawberry Kool-Aid with sugar and water. Add one frozen can of orange juice and lemonade. Mix until the juices are thawed and add one quart of ginger ale.

FOR THE GOODY BAGS!!

Make a VALENTINE'S DAY PAPER CUP. Use pink or red cups, or plain white cups that you have painted with pink or red paint. Cut out medium-sized hearts - enough for each goody cup. Line the hearts up against your cup and hole punch two sets of holes through both the heart and cup. Next, use pink, white or red ribbon to attach the heart to the cup. For a finishing touch, fill your festive cups with all types of sweet or sparkly Valentine's Day goodies: candy, a blinking heart necklace, heart stickers, lip gloss, etc!!
Alternatively, if the kids decorated the above-mentioned clay pots with love bugs, finish the pots off by filling them with chocolates that are wrapped in red and black foil!

For even more holiday party tips and ideas, check out Lisa Kothari's recently-released "Dear Peppers and Pollywogs...What Parents Want to Know About Planning Their Kids' Parties", available at www.Amazon.com for only $9.95.

And before planning any sort of celebration be sure to visit Lisa's website at www.PeppersPollywogs.com for all essential components of creating a fabulous fiesta!!

Lisa Kothari is the founder and president of Peppers and Pollywogs, a kids’ party planning company that provides parents with ideas, entertainers, and interesting web-based tools (customized rhymes and cards for your invitations!) to make kids’ party planning easy. She has recently written and published Dear Peppers and Pollywogs…What Parents Want To Know About Planning Their Kids’ Parties which is available at Amazon.com and Peppers and Pollywogs.

This week's mom tips

Cleaning Tip: Clean those dirty and dander filled stuffed animals by placing them in a pillowcase, tie the top and wash them in the washing machine.

Financial Tip: Save hundreds of dollars by cooking meals at home and packing lunches. Not only the cheapest but also the healthiest way to satisfy your hunger.

Green Tip: Purchase reusable bags for grocery shopping. It takes 20 to 1,000 years for a plastic bag to break down in the environment and paper is bulkier than plastic, taking up more landfill space. Like plastic, it does not breakdown rapidly. Grocery Stores like Hannaford offers attractive reusable bags for only $2 and also credits you for each recyclable bag you use. They also recycle your used plastic bags. Check with your grocer to see what programs they offer. Check out Get hip get green for stylish reusable bags.

Time Saving Tip: Pay Your Bills Electronically. Save time (and stamp money) by not writing out and mailing checks.

v 3 issue 25: Initially Yours

This week we review products that are personalized for your little ones. Products include clothing, blankets, room decor and more.





Cover photo by Connie Hill




Initial This



1 Two Tina’s is the place to shop when looking for personalized goods. Their line of personalized blankets and clothing is just too cute and makes the perfect gift for a baby shower. Their onesies are adorned with an ultra-suede initial while the blankets have washable felt monograms. Onesies are available in sizes 3-6 months and 6-12 months ($26); blankets are one size ($48).
2 Never loose a binky to the floor again with the totally Blinged Out Initial Clip by Baby Posh. This clip will definitely grab the attention of on-lookers due to the sparkling rhinestone crystals of your little one’s initial which attaches with a leopard print ribbon.
3 A monogrammed banner from Lisa FROST is the perfect addition to your child’s room. Each banner is painted with quality paints on heavy weight canvas, attached to a dowel rod, embellished with fun fringe and hung from a shiny satin ribbon.
4 At Funky Daisy you will find custom embroidered clothing that is stylish and unique. We love the Audrey and Patrick Essential Sets that combine a soft onesie and hat with an embroidered initial. But the Jersey Tee is a must for all little boys. With your last name and the birth year on the back of the tee, this will be loved by both the child and dad.
5 Name Tiles make a great gift for a special child or a birthday gift for one of your child’s friends. Prices range from $18 to $38 depending on the size you choose. Each name tile is a unique and colorful, hand-painted ceramic plaque that make a great decoration for a playroom, bedroom, or nursery.
6 This beautiful sterling silver baby cuff bracelet found at the Silken Thread makes a beautiful gift for a special baby girl. Engraved with baby’s monogram, this bracelet will certainly be treasured for years to come. Available in two sizes (perfect for a newborn or for a first birthday gift).
7 A portrait from Kiki & Polly will bring a smile to all who see it. Artist Lisa Golightly creates unique portrait art paintings by weaving your child’s face into a modern yet sentimental piece of work. Each work of art is hand-painted and created with whimsy, humor and imagination. We also adore their personalized portrait greeting cards as well.

8 MJK Knits Initial Sweaters make a great gift for a little one or for the whole family. These sweaters ‘that spell out fun’ are made in the USA of 100% cotton. Available in hundreds of color combinations and available in sizes 6 months to size 12.



Winter Reading


Dream Snow by Eric Carle is a favorite of all snow lovers. As in all of Eric Carle's pushbutton books, this one will delight your child in hearing a holiday tune. Carle creates wonder with a plastic snow page hiding a critter on each page. Perfect for ages 2-6.


Ages 4-8 will love There Was A Cold Lady Who Swallowed Some Snow by Lucille Colandro. This story provides a different take on the old lady who swallowed a fly. Her large appetite becomes a snowman when it is spit back out, which your kids will find hilarious.



Snowmen at Night by Caralyn Buehner is a favorite of our kids, they love seeing the snowmen come out to play! At night the neighborhood snowmen gather at the park for a night of fun including snowball fights, making snow angels and drinking cold cocoa. The illustrations provide a bit of extra fun when your children look for hidden images. Best for ages 3-7.

It's Winter (Celebrate the Seasons) by Linda Glaser is part of her well-known Celebrate the Season's book series. The book not only describes the surroundings of the season but discusses hibernation habitats as well. In addition, Ms. Glaser has included a list of suggested nature activities. Ages 4-8.


Winter Babies Wear Layers by Michelle Sinclair Colman is great for babies through age 4.




Frozen Noses by Jan Carr is an adorable book that has been a favorite of little kids for years. Styled as a poem and brightly illustrated, this book inspires outdoor fun.

Snowballs by Lois Ehlert will be enjoyed by children ages 3-8. They will love the collages on each page and the decorated snowmen. The book ends with winter facts, a recipe for popcorn balls and photos of snowmen.




This Week's Mom Tips


Cleaning Tip: Before hanging shower curtains, soak in salt water solutions to prevent mildew.

Organizing Tip: Make your bed first thing in the morning when you get out of bed.

Time Saving Tip: Create a box/folder just for bills. Compile all you need to get the job done including stamps, envelops, checkbook and of course the bills. Having it all in one place allows you to easily get the task done. Just pull out the box whenever you have a free minute.

Green Tip: Replace 5 light bulbs with compact fluorescent lights (CFLs). According to the Department of Energy and the US EPA, Energy Star CFL bulbs are up to 66 percent more efficient and last up to 10 times longer than standard bulbs.

v 3 issue 24: Accessorize

Accessorize

Dress up your every day gear and clothing with these products that add a little extra. We review accessories for your little ones in this week's issue.


Cover by Michelle Huesgen



Accessorize their look



1 Here is a stylish accessory that is also quite practical... Rugged Idea blankies are made from layers of fleece and weather resistant nylon with beautiful ribbon and rickrack edges and are quilted to create a warm and cozy feel. Available in 3 sizes: a small changing blanket, a weatherproof blankie (with ties to attach), and a large blanket (for doubles and picnic’s).
2 Accessorize your car seat with a Ritzy Baby car seat cover. Ritzy baby offers covers for infant car seats, toddler car seats as well as high chair/shopping cart covers. Their car seat covers fit most car seats (including our favorite car seat, the larger Peg Perego Viaggio). Each cover is reversible to offer two stylish designs. Add a little glam to your car seats with Ritzybaby.com.
3 The perfect accessory for any baby is a beautiful Shootsie baby blanket. These satin blankets are simply beautiful! Each is constructed of double-layer satin that is produced with responsible dyes from N. America and Europe and hand-sewn in Canada.
4 Accessorize your child’s outfit with one of Baby belts' 30 unique styles that are constructed of cotton webbing and durable ribbons that are fully washable. $18, Babybeltz.com.
5 The Dribbler by Resa Design is simply the most adorable drool bib we have seen. With a stylish fabric print on one side and a waterproof and washable vinyl on the other, this (reversible) bib will not only look good but will stop the drool from soaking through to her clothes.
6 Add a little pizzazz to your child’s outfit with a Skibz bib. Skibz are not only a fashion statement but designed to absorb drool. $16, Skibzusa.com.
7 The Changing Pad Clutch by Sugar Lamb may be more of an accessory for mom with its fashionable exterior yet functional interior constructed of vinyl and containing lots of pockets. Includes a matching change purse for mom.
8 Lilly’s Ribbons will spice up her hair with their headbands, barrette’s, and ponytail holders. Their Pony O collection can be customized to coordinate with her outfits and are only $6. An easy way to tie back her locks and look put together.

Donate your locks

In case you missed the Oprah show where Oprah cut Hilary Swank’s hair for a great cause; Hilary kicked off Pantene’s Beautiful Lengths program which will create free wigs for women who have lost their hair due to cancer treatment. We were so excited about this campaign that we jumped on board and donated our hair as well.

In addition to providing real-hair wigs for free to women in need, Pantene has donated more than one million dollars to the EIF's Women's Cancer Research Fund, a program committed to saving lives by raising funds and awareness for millions of women and their families affected by cancer.

Creating a real-hair wig takes approximately three to four months, and each wig requires at least six ponytails to make. Join the Million-Inch Chain of hair by donating your hair to this worthy cause.

In order to donate, your hair must meet these requirements:

*Hair must be a minimum of 8 inches long (measure hair from just above the elastic band of the ponytail to the ends).
*Wavy/curly hair texture is fine—you may straighten hair to measure.
*Hair should be freshly washed and completely dry, without any styling products.
*Hair may be colored with vegetable dyes, rinses and semi-permanent dyes. It cannot be bleached, permanently colored or chemically treated.
*Hair may not be more than 5 percent gray.

Check out beautifullengths.com for tips on growing healthy hair fast and to pledge your hair to the Million-Inch Chain.
Share your photo’s with us! Email your before and after pictures to info@tottrendsweekly.com and we will post them in a follow up article.


This weeks mom tips
Cleaning Tip: Use cotton balls dipped in bleach to remove mildew from the corners of the tub. Just let them sit and when you are finished cleaning the bathroom, remove the cotton and rinse.
Time Saving Tip: Don’t Let The Housework Pile Up! By doing a little each day you wont have to spend an entire day of your week cleaning.
Financial Tip: As mom always said, turn out the light when you leave a room. This small gesture cuts down on your annual electricity bill.
Sanity Saving Tip: Let calls go to voicemail! Phone interruptions cause you to become distracted from your to do list or spending quality time with your kids. By returning phone calls at your convenience you can get your list done and cut down on chatter time.

v 3 issue 23: Editor's Picks II

Editor's Picks Part II


More of our favorite picks from 2007. We love these products and know you will love them too!


Cover by Shannon Stewart





Our Picks from 2007

1We love See Kai Run for their amazing quality, comfort and style. See Kai Run shoes are handcrafted from butter-soft sheepskin leather and have a flexible rubber sole along with padded collars for comfort. Shop SeeKaiRun.com for styles and to find a retailer.
2 Custom Made For Kids, The First Adventures of Incredible You is our favorite gift to give this season. An award winning personalized children’s book, it makes the perfect gift for every occasion. The book is personalized with your child’s favorite people and places and follows your child from the day they arrived on Earth through their exciting adventures in life. Take a virtual book tour to see pages from the book. For $32.95 you will create a gift that will be cherished for a lifetime.
3 It’s portable comfort and style with PortaMEe, a hands-free child carrier! Lumbar support and a honeycomb gel padded shoulder strap make carrying even your three-year-old (yes, 3!) comfortable. An attached wallet pouch, cell phone holder, bottle holder and optional hooded cape make the PortaMEe fantastically functional, while gorgeous colors, materials and details mean great style.
4 We're in love with CleanWell products; where killing 99.99% of germs is 100% safe! CleanWell products use ingenium, a patented formulation of essential plant oils, to safely and effectively kill germs. We love their easy-to-use SPRAY! I have one in my diaper bag, car, and purse...just one squirt and germs are gone!
5 Cover up those cute little baby legs with….BabyLegs! Babylegs are one size fits most leg coverings that are useful to cover legs when wearing bodysuits, or for keeping legs warm when pants rid up. They are perfect to throw in your diaper bag and pull on when the evening chill begins, great for under a dress or when wearing a onesie. Not only are they cute and draw lots of adult attention, but your baby will love looking at the patterns.
6 Skipping Hippos’ ponchos are as much of a traffic stopper as, well, skipping hippos. Gorgeous fleece in rich chocolate browns, bold fuschias and pretty periwinkle are adorned with skipping hippo’s signature accoutrements- matching tassle, puffball fringe, ric rac and flower adorned ribbon- to create a piece worthy of any winter wonderland. With sizing from 6 months through 4T, and 14 colors to choose from, there’s a Skipping Hippos Poncho for every little girl to fall in love with.
7 For your glamorous little girl you must head over to Out to Tea. We simply adore their collection of clips and headbands and think they are the most glamorous we have seen. We love that in addition to their beauty, they truly are non-slip clips thanks to their fully lined design; they secure even the finest of hair. Be sure to check out their adjustable headbands (a first of their kind!), they are simply charming and always a perfect fit!
8 If your little one suffers from frizzy dry hair, don’t let it ruffle your feathers, because FuzzyDuck is here to smooth things out. The FuzzyDuck collection was formulated by a mom determined to tame her own frizzies and spare her curly-haired daughters the same battle; the collection includes shampoo, conditioner, detangling spray and anti-frizz gel. Totally effective without the use of sulfates, alcohol or silicone, FuzzyDuck is clearly a smooth operator.
9 Blirt shirts feature design interpretations of figures of speech that capture kids’ character traits (Bull in a China Shop, Fish out of water). Made with 100% organic cotton, non-toxic dyes and designed with a water based screen silk, these shirts also have being green figured out. Available in sizes 6 months to 6 years, several colors and short or long sleeves at blirtshirt.com.
10 Rockin’ Baby Slings offers both the ring sling choice and the pouch carrier. It used to be that pouches were one-sized…not anymore. Rockin’ Baby Slings offers an adjustable pouch which adjusts to three different sizes through the ease of zippers. Each pouch is reversible and their fabric choices are fantastic. Slings can be confusing to some, but Rockin’ Baby Slings are easy to use and include clear directions. Once you try a sling you will wonder how you ever survived before.
11 Perfect for you and your kids, Earworms make learning languages easy and fun. Their CD’s put the words and phrases you need not just on the tip of your tongue, but deep in your long-term memory with catchy melodies composed of rhythmic repetitions. You can learn a language while you are driving in your car, working out at the gym or having a relaxing bath.
12 Protect-A-Bub offers protection from the elements with their variety of stroller covers. Their 3-in-1 sunshade protects your little one from 98%+ UV rays as well as mosquitoes and other insects. Protect-A-Bub Sushades are the must-have stroller accessory for celebrities like Julia Roberts, Kate Winslet, and Sarah Jessica Parker to keep their little ones safe.

Delicious Desserts
Our readers have sent in their favorite recipes and we would love to share their easy and yummy desserts!

Monkey Bread Recipe:
You will need: 1 can of Pillsbury grand biscuits (or similar brand), cinnamon/sugar mixture, brown sugar, butter, bundt cake pan

This is the "non-baking mom's" recipe!

Spray Pam in the cake pan and set aside
set the oven according to the directions on the biscuits
cut the biscuits into quarters
roll each quarter into a ball and roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture
stack evenly into pan
take about a stick of butter and a cup or so of brown sugar (see I told you I was a non baking mommy) nad melt together on stovetop until it gets all bubbly
pour on top of biscuit balls
bake according to the directions on the biscuits...or just a smidge longer

After it is finished, et it cool for about 10 minutes, then turn upside down on a plate
The kids pick off the pieces and eat (like little monkeys).

Submitted by TTW reader Laura


Dirt Pie:
1 large bag oreo cookies (or packaged Oreo pieces)
1 cup 10x sugar
1/2 stick softened butter
1 (8 oz.) pkg. softened cream cheese
2 boxes instant vanilla pudding
3 1/2 cup milk
1 (12 oz.) container cool whip

Chop Oreo cookies in food processor until cookies are mushed up.
Mix butter, cream cheese and sugar together until smooth.
Blend pudding, milk and Cool Whip together.
Combine pudding and cream cheese mixture together until there are no lumps.
In a truffle bowl, layer cookie mixture then pudding mixture, repeating with cookie mixture on the top.

Submitted by KTW reader Evy


Chocolate Truffle Cake
1 chocolate cake box mix, prepared according to directions
1 container Cool Whip cream (or make your own real whipped cream)
1 box chocolate pudding, prepared by directions
Heath bars, crushed up
Cherries and nuts if desired

Prepare cake and chocolate pudding according to box. Crumble cake up.
In truffle bowl layer chocolate cake, layer chocolate pudding, then layer Cool Whip cream and repeat layers with whipped cream on top. Sprinkle heath bar (and nuts/cherries) on top as desired. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Submitted by TTW Reader Susan


Winter Smores
Graham crackers
Chocolate bits
Marshmallows

Place about 10 chocolate bits and 8 mini marshmallows on top of graham cracker. Place another graham cracker on top. Cook in microwave for 15 seconds.

Submitted by TTW reader Serena


Mini Banana & Chocolate Chip Muffins
1 egg
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 c. oil
1/3 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 c. mini chocolate chips

Beat egg in bowl. Add bananas, oil, milk and vanilla. Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in chips. Stir liquid into dry ingredients. Pour batter into cupcake liners 3/4 full. Bake at 400 degrees for 12 to 14 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan. We freeze these and send them to school with our daughter...she loves them cold!

Submitted by TTW reader Janet


Whoopie Pies

1/3 c. shortening
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp. salt
5 tsp. cocoa
1 c. milk
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

FILLING:
3/4 c. shortening
3/4 c. powdered sugar
1 (7 oz.) jar marshmallow creme
2 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Drop on ungreased cookie sheet by tablespoon approximately 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes. Mix filling ingredients well. Fill once cooled.

Submitted by TTW reader Shannon