Chocolate Bird's Nest Tutorial

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life,

what you will eat or drink; or about your body,

what you will wear....Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or

reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.

Are you not much more valuable than they?” Matthew 6:25-26

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God provides for the birds of the air and he provides for us too. What types of things does the Lord provide for us? Shelter, a bed, strawberries (all Anne), food, family, laughter, and more. Help your little sprout to brainstorm all the things the Lord provides for them. While you talk, makes some yummy chocolate nests. God provides the birds, too,you know!

Bird's Nest Tutorial



Materials:

• 1 cup shredded coconut
• shredded wheat (six large "loaves")
• 2 cups milk chocolate chips (also a great opportunity to melt down leftover chocolate Easter bunnies)
• wax paper or cooking spray
• cookie sheet or muffin tin
• Cadbury mini eggs or jelly beans (for eggs)
• Recipe yields 12-15 mini nests

Step 1: Put six "loaves" of shredded wheat into a large bowl and have your child crunch them up into little tiny pieces.

Step 2: Add 1 cup of coconut to the shredded wheat, toss until mixed well.

Step 3: Okay, here is where you get a couple of options. We tried two different methods of how to form the nests: 1.) Using a cookie sheet/metal tray covered with wax paper or 2.) Using a muffin tin sprayed with cooking spray. Both worked great. However, I think the muffin tin method worked best for little hands to shape the nests. You choose. So for step 3, prep your pan of choice.

Step 4: Use a double boiler (or a heat-safe bowl set over pot of bowling water) to melt 2 cups of chocolate chips.

Step 5: Pour melted chocolate over wheat mixture and mix up until the chocolate evenly coats.

Step 6: Form the nests, either in the muffin tins or on the tray. Make sure to make a little center for your eggs.

OR.....

Step 7: Put in your eggs and put in the fridge to harden. If you used a muffin tin, use a knife to "pop" out the nest after it's hardened.

The muffin tray-method yields a more-shaped looking nest:

The tray method is a little more free form.

Step 8: Enjoy eating a little nest. Perhaps, outside? Lay on the grass and listen for some feathered friends. We enjoyed reading these books: Wild Birds, Birds  and The Best Nest. And this scripture.

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P.S. Be sure not to leave any nest "just lying around." I had this one on the floor next to the sliding glass door (perfect lighting and all...) and ran to the kitchen to attend to some early dinner prep. After realizing Jack (16 months) had been very quiet for some time...I wandered back and found this....He did enjoy that nest very much! And let's face it, I had forgotten the nest so it was free game.

Comments

[Mom]

What a fun idea. Wish I were there to join in the fun and the eating of the nest.

[angela]

My 5 year old just walked in the room and said... what's that a picture of (very excitedly)... I guess we'll be giving these a try!