Turn off the TV, turn on the oven and turn down the spending
Issue date: 3/29/09 Section: Arts and Entertainment
(ARA) - With less money for the movies or a night on the town, families are nesting more at home. In fact, according to Pew Research Center, 85 percent of Americans have made personal spending cutbacks. Further, Nielsen Company reports television viewing is at an all time high, with the average American viewer spending more than 151 hours a month (almost five hours a day) in front of the tube. Don't let the tough economy keep your family from talking and laughing together -- get up, get creative and get baking cookies.
Baking cookies with the whole family is a fun and low-cost activity and you likely have most of the ingredients already on hand. From dads to toddlers, everyone loves cookies, and Americans definitely stand by their favorites. In fact, according to a recent national Land O'Lakes survey of 1,000 people, classic chocolate chip is without a doubt America's favorite cookie, with oatmeal raisin and peanut butter cookies nearly tied for second place.
Want to enjoy some delicious family time? Consider the following cookie baking activities that will stir up some good-spirited competition, making everyone a winner. For more activities, tips and recipes go to www.landolakes.com.
1. Test Your Cookie IQ: Challenge the family to some cookie trivia while baking your favorite cookies together. For instance, where does the word "cookie" originate? How many cookies does an average American eat every year? Find out who's the "Smart Cookie" or "Rookie Cookie" of the family. The one with the best score wins bragging rights.
2. Family Fortunes: You don't have to visit your favorite Chinese restaurant to get a fortune cookie. Who says you can't make your own cookies and write your own fortunes at home? While baking cookies with your family, each member writes a fortune for another. One by one, each person reads the fortunes out loud and the remaining family members guess which fortune was written for whom. The person with the most correct answers gets more cookies.
Baking cookies with the whole family is a fun and low-cost activity and you likely have most of the ingredients already on hand. From dads to toddlers, everyone loves cookies, and Americans definitely stand by their favorites. In fact, according to a recent national Land O'Lakes survey of 1,000 people, classic chocolate chip is without a doubt America's favorite cookie, with oatmeal raisin and peanut butter cookies nearly tied for second place.
Want to enjoy some delicious family time? Consider the following cookie baking activities that will stir up some good-spirited competition, making everyone a winner. For more activities, tips and recipes go to www.landolakes.com.
1. Test Your Cookie IQ: Challenge the family to some cookie trivia while baking your favorite cookies together. For instance, where does the word "cookie" originate? How many cookies does an average American eat every year? Find out who's the "Smart Cookie" or "Rookie Cookie" of the family. The one with the best score wins bragging rights.
2. Family Fortunes: You don't have to visit your favorite Chinese restaurant to get a fortune cookie. Who says you can't make your own cookies and write your own fortunes at home? While baking cookies with your family, each member writes a fortune for another. One by one, each person reads the fortunes out loud and the remaining family members guess which fortune was written for whom. The person with the most correct answers gets more cookies.
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