1 1/4 c Firmly-packed brown sugar
3/4 c Golden crisco shortening
2 T Milk
1 T Vanilla
1 Egg
1 3/4 c All-purpose flour
1 t Salt
3/4 t Baking soda
1 1/2 c Pastel-coloured candy coated chocolate pieces

1. Pre-heat oven to 375F (190C). Place sheets of foil on countertop for cooling cookies.
2. Combine brown sugar, shortening, milk and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended. Beat egg into creamed mixture.
3. Combine flour, salt and baking soda. Mix into creamed mixture at low speed just until blended. Stir in candy-coated pieces or vanilla chips.
4. Drop rounded tablespoonfuls (15 mL) of dough 3 inches (7 cm) apart onto ungreased baking sheet.
5. Bake one baking sheet at a time at 375F (190C) for 8 to 10 minutes for chewy cookies, or 11 to 13 minutes for crisp cookies. DO NOT OVERBAKE. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet. Remove cookies to foil to cool completely.

1. 90 million chocolate Easter bunnies are made for Easter each year.
2. Each day, five million marshmallow chicks and bunnies are produced in preparation for Easter.
3. 16 billion jelly beans are made for Easter (that’s enough to completely fill an 89 feet high and 60 feet wide plastic Easter egg – about the height of a nine-story office building!)
4. 82 percent of Americans say they would prefer a chocolate or candy bunny for Easter, while only 4 percent say they would prefer a live rabbit (can you blame them?!) Read more

If your toddler is anything like my little guy, they LOVE candy. However, a lot of Easter candies are choking hazards or just way too much sugar for them. Here are some ideas for safe candies and other items to put inside your toddler’s Easter eggs this year!

1. Cheerios
2. Mini M&M’s (mixed in with the Cheerios if you like)
3. Lucky Charms (especially the marshmallows, my little guy goes crazy for the chocolate ones and the marshmallow bits are hard and small enough that he doesn’t choke).
4. Bite- size Milky way bars – soft & no peanuts!
5. Stickers – always a favorite around here.
6. Fruity Cheerios – brightly colored so it looks more like candy . Read more

• Sidewalk chalk (get the good stuff without the lead and other additives because they still like to eat the chalk).
• Thomas the Train engines
• Mini balls – soccer, basketball, baseball. I saw these at Target last week in a set of three, they aren’t small enough to be a choking hazard, but they could be ripped apart, depending on your child, so always watch them with these.
• Bunny ears!
• Blocks – Peek-a-blocks are fun for the younger ones, or some extra duplos for the bigger ones.
• Hot Wheels and other cars (without any detachable parts)
• Stickers
• Larger play figures (Army men, Fisher-Price people, etc).
• Chocolate bunny
• Bubbles – these no spill bubble containers are a hit around here.
• Smaller sand/bath toys

What are you putting in your little one’s basket this year?? Tell us in comments! Also see our 13 Toddler Easter Egg Fillers for more ideas and Cute Easter Costumes For Children & Babies for even more Easter fun, don’t forget your photo Easter cards as well!