Our Lady of Lourdes ~ Chocolate Grotto

I made this for my kids so we could celebrate
 Our Lady of Lourdes feast day (Feb 11).

It's made with a paper picture of Our Lady of Lourdes, a half sheet of black construction paper, a bunch of clothe roses,  and a batch of "No Bake Chocolate Cookies"!  YUM! These were my favorite cookies when I was a child and all of my kids LOVE them, too!  (But #9's too little. I'm sure he'll love them next year, too!)

The recipe:

No Bake Chocolate Cookies

• 2 c. sugar
• 3 Tbsp. cocoa
• 1/2 c. milk
• 1 stick of butter
• 1/2 c. peanut butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 4 c. oats

Combine sugar, cocoa, milk, and butter in saucepan. While string, bring it to a boil for 2 minutes; remove from heat. Add peanut butter and vanilla. Stir until peanut butter is melted in. Add the oats. Stir until well mixed. Use tablespoon to drop onto wax paper and allow to cool. (About 3 hours) Makes 2 dozen cookies.

After making the cookies and letting them cool, I placed a half sheet of black construction paper on a small pizza pan and placed Mary in the middle. You could glue her down to the paper if you wish. Then I arranged the cookies around the edge of the black paper to create a grotto. 

I added some roses at Mary's feet and a few along the sides. 

This works well for parties, too! (Like an All Saint's Day party)

They are easy for kids to pick-up and snack on!

 But I think a few of my little girls would say the best part is cleaning the bowl with their sisters!

Click here for the printable picture and recipe

Our Lady of Lourdes, Pray for us! 

God Bless,

~Jennifer