Toddler Activities for St. Patrick's Day: Rainbows and Cupcakes

I'm always a little leery about baking with my kids...you just never know what your kitchen will look like when you're done or how much flour and eggs your kids will consume. But when I found this recipe from Family Fun, I decided to be brave and attempt to make these babies...from scratch. I actually never planned on making them from scratch, but when I was finally ready to roll up my sleeves I realized that I didn't have any cake mix. It was a BIG undertaking but if you have an entire afternoon to kill, I highly recommend this activity. There's something about having your kids help you measure the flour and crack the eggs that feels so "motherly." We made a mess and had a good time.

I used the yellow cake recipe in my Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book.

Ingredients:
3/4 c butter, softened
3 eggs
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cups milk
*Click here for baking instructions.

I had to take some shots of my cute girls in their lil' aprons. I remember buying the white one (now paint-stained) when I was pregnant with my first daughter. I couldn't imagine having a little one big enough to fit into it. How time flies.

Hazel says, "I am smiling mom, see?"

Yes, I let my three year old use the beater on her own and she rocked it.

After a little taste test, we got out the food coloring!
We divided our batter into six bowls and mixed the colors, following the guide here.

We spooned the six layers into our cupcake pan and popped them into the oven. I filled our larger pan while my three year old filled the smaller one. Even though her layers weren't perfect, it didn't matter because they still made a rainbow! (My two year old lost interest after she consumed way too much batter...)




And here they are...

Any fun St. Patrick's Day traditions out there?