Pumpkin Pie

Crust: (no shortening)

• 1/3 c. whole wheat or unbleached flour
• 1 c. unbleached flour
• pinch of salt
• 1/3 c. oil
• 3 T. milk

Mix flours and salt together.  Mix the milk and oil in a separate bowl with a fork until the milk is suspended in the oil.  Add oil mixture to flour mixture and mix with a fork only until mixed.  Roll out between wax paper.  Roll the dough out within 15 minutes.

Tips:

• The less the dough is mixed the better.
• Don’t make more than a triple batch at one time.
• The better quality the oil the better it tastes.  Try Expeller Pressed.

Pie Filling

Put ingredients in a blender in the order listed.

• 2 eggs
• ¾ c. sugar
• 1 c. pumpkin (fresh cooked or frozen pumpkin tastes better)
• 1 T. cornstarch
• 1 ½ c. evaporated milk
• ½ t. salt
• ½ t. ginger
• 1 t. cinnamon
• 1 T. oil

Blend then pour gently into an unbaked pie shell.

Bake at 350 for about 50 minutes.

Whipped Cream

Whip 1 c. of whipping cream until it starts to be whipped.

• Add 1 T. instant vanilla pudding
• 3 T. powdered sugar or to taste.
• ½ t. vanilla

Whip to mix.

This is a stable whipped cream that can be used as a frosting or topping and won’t separate.

 

Microwave Caramel Popcorn

This is a fun easy recipe to do with children.  This can be used when teaching:

• the sounds — OR, AR, Short O, or P.
• the word family -op.
• farms, seeds, plants, or heat.  

Caramel Popcorn

1.  Melt in the microwave in a large glass bowl on high for 2 minutes:

• 1 cube butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup corn syrup
• ½ tsp. salt

2.  Stir then microwave for 2 or 3 more minutes.

3.  Stir in ½ tsp. baking soda.

4.  Pour over 4-5 quarts of popped popcorn.

5.  Stir to mix then pour in a large brown paper grocery bag.

6.  Fold down the top then cook in the microwave for 2 minutes.

7.  Take out the bag then shake it and cook again for 1 ½ minutes.

8.   Pour out on a cookie sheet to cool.

9.  When cool break apart.

ENJOY!

Ranch Dressing- Simple and Tasty

Ranch Dressing

•  1 tsp. dry parsley
•  ½  tsp. garlic powder
•  1 tsp. salt
• 1 ½  tsp. instant minced onion
•  1 tsp. pepper
• pinch of oregano

Mix spices with 2 cups of buttermilk.  Then add 1½ – 2 cups of mayonnaise. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 min. (Will keep refrigerated for several weeks.)

For more educational products and information visit www.phonicsbyspelling.com

Soft Boiled Eggs

Put eggs in pan of hot water.  Bring water to a boil.  Turn to low and cook for 3 minute at sea level.  (Add 1 minute for every 2000 feet you are above sea level.)

Toast 1 piece of bread for each egg while the eggs are cooking.  Butter the bread and tear apart the bread into individual bowls.

When the eggs are cooked, cool for 1 minute in cold water.  Break open over the broken up bread.  Scoop out the eggs.  Mix the eggs into the bread.  Salt and Pepper to taste.

Serve with Bacon and sliced oranges for a yummy simple meal.

This is one of my husband’s and grandchildren’s favorite meal.

Discipline Tip- What about Bored?

Bored       

Children use the word, “BORED” to manipulate and get attention from the adults around them.  Teachers, parents, and other caregivers are easily pulled into trying to entertain them when this term is used.  Here are a few tips to help reduce the use of “BORED”.

1. Don’t allow the word to be used.  It goes right along with potty words.  Warn them matter-of-fact that the word is no longer allowed.  Maybe have extra jobs associated with its use.
2. Make sure you are not rewarding the use of the word “BORED” with attention.
3. Eliminate it from your own vocabulary.
4. Be proactive to create some positive, quality time with children.   Never have positive time be a reaction to negative actions or the word, “BORED”.

Enjoy those children in your care!   Love them!  Good luck on your journey to eliminate the use of the word, “BORED”.

 

Wow Fowl! or Parmesan Chicken

Put 2 cups of corn flakes in a gallon zip bag.  Crumb the corn flakes with a rolling pin.  Season with about 2 T. shredded parmesan, 1t. basil, 1t. salt, and some fresh ground pepper.

Cut 4 boneless chicken breasts into 4 or 5 pieces.

Dip chicken in beaten egg.

Put chicken in the bag of corn flake crumbs.  Shake and place on a greased baking  dish.

Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes.

Good served with barbeque sauce.

Spinach Salad

 Mix together:

• 1 (10 oz.) package spinach,
• 1 cup grape tomatoes,
• 1 cup fresh sliced mushrooms,
• 1 can drained olives,
• 3 strips of bacon (cooked and crumbled),
• chopped almonds,
• 1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

Dressing:   (This is what makes the salad.)

• 3 T.  Ketchup
•  2 T. cider vinegar
• 1 ½ t. Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 c. brown sugar
• 2 t. dry chopped onions
• 1/8 t. salt
• ½ c. vegetable oil
• pepper to taste

Mix dressing together then mix with salad.

Fresh Air Cookies

Fresh Air Cookies       

(Fun to make when teaching the AIR sound.  This is fun to eat outside in the fresh air.)

1. Mix:

• 2 cubes Butter
• 3 cups Brown Sugar

2. Mix in:

• ½ cup Applesauce
• 2 teas. Vanilla
• 3 Eggs

3. Combine and mix in:

• 3 cups Flour (part whole wheat flour)
• 1 teas. Baking Soda
• ½ teas. Salt

4. Mix in on low:

•  2 cups regular Oatmeal
•  ½ -12 oz bag of Chocolate Chips

5. Drop onto a greased cookie sheet.

6. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes.

7. Eat outside in the Fresh Air.

Apples

Objective:  Help children discover and learn about apples.

Preparation:

• Find drawings or pictures of apples and apple trees from books, magazines or old calendars.
• Gather the following materials; Apples, Knife, Paper, Paint: red; yellow and green, Paper plate. 
• Decide on a book to read.     Suggested books: The Apple Pie Tree by Zoe Hall ,The Seasons of Arnold’s Apple Tree by Gail Gibbons,Ten Apples Up On Top! By Theo LeSieg.,

Lesson:

• Read a book. 
• Discuss apples while showing apples, pictures and/or books.  Apples are a fruit, plant, have seeds.
• Discuss the changes through the seasons in apple trees.  Can be discussed with seasons
• Fruits are a healthy food. 
• It is fun to cut an apple in half horizontally to show the children the star pattern created by the core and seeds.  Use this apple to do the apple stamping in the activity below.

Discussion Questions:

• What color are apples?  Red, yellow, green or a combination of colors.
• How do they grow?  On apple trees.
• How do they taste?  Sweet, crunchy, juicy.
• What can we make with apples?  applesauce, apple juice, apple pie, apple cake, etc.

Activity: Apple Stamping  (It is fun to use red, yellow and green paint and make a stamping of each color.  Keep an apple in each color of paint and don’t mix colors.  Use paint shirts.  Do with one child at a time.)  

• Cut your apple in half( for an apple-shaped stamp cut the apple vertically – cutting it horizontally makes a circular shaped stamp.)
• Pour paint onto a pie tin or plastic plate.
• Dip your apple into the paint.
• Stamp your apples on the paper.  If the apples are carefully stamped, the star may be visible.  
• Set aside to dry.

Making Applesauce is a fun activity with children.  Applesauce blog to be posted soon.

For more educational products and information visit www.phonicsbyspelling.com

 

Stop the Spread of Germs

Teach How to Not Spread Germs

(A good lesson for the first day of school)

Objective: Introduce the concept of germs as micro-organisms that can make us sick.  Teach children how to stop the spread of germs.

Preparation:  Have the following materials:

• Hand washing facilities
• Liquid foam soap
• Paper towels
• Materials for model germs such as pom-poms, pipe cleaners, wiggly eyes, foam shapes, etc.
• Construction paper
• Decide on a book to read — Suggested books:  Germs are not for Sharing by Elizabeth Verdick, Germs! Germs! Germs! By Bobbi Katz, The Adventures of Micki Microbe by Maurine Burnham Guymon

Lesson:

Read the book(s) then discuss.  Discussion Questions:

• What are germs?  Germs are tiny living things called micro-organisms. They can’t be seen with our eyes alone, but they can sometimes make us sick.
• How are germs spread?  When you sneeze or cough germs rush out of your nose and mouth into the air.  Germs can be on your hands although they cannot be seen and can spread to things you touch.
• How do we prevent them from spreading?  Cover your face when you sneeze or cough with your elbow or shoulder to stop the spread of germs with your hands.  If you stay home when you are sick, your friends at school won’t get sick.
• When is it important to wash your hands?  You need to wash our hands after you cough, sneeze or blow your nose, play with a pet, or go to the bathroom.  We need to also wash our hands before we eat.

Have the children practice washing their hands.  Role-play washing hands.  (Squirt soap on hands then rub in for about 20 seconds or the length of a simple song, then wash and dry.)

Activity: Make Model Germs

It is fun to have children create germs.  Have the children make “germs” from pom-poms, pipe cleaners, and foam pieces glued to construction or heavy paper.  You can have them draw on eyes or use wiggly eyes or sequins.  Let them be creative and show their interpretation of what germs look like.  Write the word “germs” on the paper.

For more educational materials and information visit www.phonicsbyspelling.com