We Remember with Random Acts of Kindness

As educators, we remember and honor our fallen colleagues and their students from Sandy Hook School.  We honor them each day in our classrooms in which we continue their dream of teaching our children.  We honor their memory with our service.  Join with teachers everywhere in committing random acts of kindness to show our love for Sandy Hook.

 

Five for Friday! Lucky December 13th

I am linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for  Five for Friday! Thank you, Kacey, for hosting! 

I had fun posting this week, joining two linky parties.  The first was all about COOKIES at Time 4 Kindergarten's Virtual Cookie Exchange.

I shared some of my favorite Christmas recipes.  (These are some of my sister's family's gorgeous creations!) 

I also shared my new favorite Character Education book.  SO sweet. (I meant the book- but so are the cookies!)

The second linky was a Christmas Questionnaire with Michelle at Fabulous in First.

 I had fun thinking about my Christmas memories as I was answering the questions- and so much fun reading about other blogging friends' memories and traditions. 

 

We made our hands and foot reindeer this week.  This is always a favorite because it is such a great independent activity.  

You can check my Reindeer Post to find lots of other reindeer ideas and freebies!

We also made our hand wreaths for the children to take home to their parents this week.  They did a great job.  I help "steer" their hands to the right spot.

 

As I was finishing up the last couple wreaths and writing, and while some of the children were washing up before recess, I put on a Curious George winter story.  When I looked over on the rug, I realized that I had a line of beauticians in my class.  Too funny.

 

 

Here is my post with some Holiday Homework ideas. Just click on the picture below if you would like to a copy!

I have been sending home one or two a week this month, just for fun.  You could even make a packet to send home over break if you wanted.  I sent this one home last night and the kids loved it! I stapled the worksheet to the plate and napkin. 

 

We had our Teddybear "Tt" Party today! (Guess what letter we worked on?) Everyone brought in their favorite Teddybear.   (One little girl said her Teddybear was in the shape of a cat.)

 

 

We did lots of addition and subtraction problems, graphing, and patterning with Teddy Grahams. AND we had tea. It was peach iced tea- so how bad can that be? Ninety nine percent of the kids liked it.  One was adamant that he was probably NOT allowed to drink it.  Then he was allergic to it. Then he had to go to the bathroom.  Poor thing.  I had apple juice, too, so it was all good.

 

The bears "chit chatted" on the rug while we worked with our Teddy Grahams and drank our tea- so nobody's bear was spilled on, heaven forbid!

 



 We sorted our bears.  We played a game where one person had to describe a bear with lots of details, and someone else had to find the bear.

We lined up our bears biggest to smallest.  We used our bears to act out positional words like above our head, below our knees, beside us, and between us and our neighbor.  We drew pictures and wrote about our bears.

We went on both Bear Hunts (of course) on Youtube. 

Congratulations to Natasha and Breanne on winning the Holiday Specs!  I hope you have received them and have a ball looking at lights this weekend!
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Here is a little ornament I found that I thought would be so perfect for so many of us that I wanted to share.  Seems good to me!

Have a WONDERFUL weekend!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas Questionnaire Linky!

I am so excited to link up with Michelle at Fabulous in First for this Christmas Questionnaire link up! Thank you Michelle!

Hot Chocolate or Eggnog?
Hot chocolate. Yum.  Sometimes I mix some hot chocolate in with my coffee when coffee just doesn't seem like enough. 


Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them underneath the tree?
Santa wraps!  If Santa Carolyn wraps, the presents are wrapped just to be done. If Santa Jeff wraps, the presents look perfect.

　

Colored lights or white?
I like the look of white lights. It seems clean and bright. If we have a "theme" tree, it is white lights. We did that ONE year- gingerbread men, candy canes, and a few colored balls, but every other year we always put on every ornament the kids had ever gotten.  Since that isn't really a "theme," we always went with colored lights for fun. Last year we kept it simple with white lights and simple ornaments, because we were sorting ornaments for the kids to take for their own trees.

When do you decorate?
The DAY after Thanksgiving. Sometimes I bring up the boxes Thanksgiving afternoon.  But I start taking them down the day after Christmas.  I like having a clean, fresh start for the New Year.

Real or Fake Tree?
Real.  I could easily do fake.  EASILY.  Fake + a pine scented candle= perfect.  Jeff = NO WAY FAKE.  So we go with real.  He does all the work. It is only fair.


What Tops Your Tree?
A sweet angel! :) 

Favorite Christmas Memories or Traditions?
Every year our whole family gets together on Christmas Eve for food (mainly appetizers and cookies) and games with prizes.

We all look so forward to this. When I was little, we went to my grandparents' house.  We always had oyster stew and ham on biscuits.  Santa always came, because we heard his sleigh bells during dinner.  Now we go to my parents' house for food and games.  On Christmas morning, my parents come over to our house for quiche, breakfast casserole, fruit, and cinnamon rolls.  Christmas afternoon, we all go to my sister's house for more wonderful food, games, and cookies.  We are so blessed to live close to family. I am so thankful for that.  (Sounds like we eat A LOT.)

A favorite memory with my own kids was one year when they were young, going to Target with my mom and my kids and letting them touch every button they wanted on every Christmas display there.  Since I homeschooled them, we could go to the store at an off time when no one was there.  We just enjoyed each singing, spinning, glowing display, and I didn't rush anyone. I just let them enjoy everything.   Then we went to TGI Fridays. Perfect day. So simple, but one of my favorite memories. 

Do you remember your favorite gift as a child?
I remember getting a tape recorder when I was in 3rd  grade and LOVING that.  When I thought back, the first thing I thought of for a special gift, for some reason, was my taperecorder!  And guess what? I even have a picture. When The Donny and Marie Show started, I sat by the television and tape recorded all of the songs they sang each week, then listened to that tape non-stop.  That was my technology, and I thought it was the best ever.
My grandmother made  the doll and afghan.  I still have that afghan!

Do prefer giving or receiving?

Giving, giving, giving.  I am so much better at giving than receiving, too.  I sort of have a hard time just accepting things and saying, "Thank you!"  

What is your favorite Christmas song?

My favorite is Mary Did You Know?   It is beautiful.  I also love anything Harry Connick Jr. and of course, Johnny Mathis! Oh I also love Baby, It's Cold Outside.

Candy Canes. Yuck or Yum?

I am not really a peppermint fan, so ... yuck.  I like the way they look, and they make me happy to see- but not to eat.

Favorite Christmas Movie?

I love Rudolph.  I remember one year when our TV broke when I was little, and Rudolph was on that night. (You know- before you could OWN the movie and watch it whenever you wanted.) 

We all piled in the car and went to my grandma and grandpa's house.  My great-grandma made us egg salad sandwiches and cocoa. It was perfect, and I will never forget it.

I love Elf, too. 

Do you shop online or at stores?

Both! Probably like all of you!  I love online because you can find anything at all from anywhere. LOVE that! 

Photo Cards, Letter or Store Bought Card?

I love getting photo cards SO much to see my friends' families.  I usually send store bought cards with a picture in it of us.  I don't know why I don't get with the program and get some photo cards made.  When I read this answer, it seems ridiculous!


Thanks for stopping by! I am off to read all of your answers!

 

Christmas Cookie Exhange! Yum!

 

 

I am so excited for Time 4 Kindergarten's Virtual Cookie Recipe Exchange! 

I can't wait to share some of my favorite recipes, but also to get over and see some of the other favorites from you clever people!  One of the best parts of this party  is that I get to share cookies with you - and my kitchen isn't even a mess from baking.  You should SEE it when I bake.  Not really.  You shouldn't see it.  These cookies above are made and decorated by my wonderful sister's family.  Each one is like a little piece of art.  They also make these little marzipan treasures:

 

I did not get the artistic gene.  Actually, my sister, her husband, and son's are all artistic, so I love to be on the oohing and aahing end of these cookies.  But, I do have some recipes that I LOVE and can't wait to share!

 

As I was trying to decide which recipes to share, I went to my favorite recipe spots:

 

Those are where I go for 99% of my recipes.  Our church cookbook from 1974 that has all of my relatives' favorites- (and I love it because my mother did the artwork for it. I remember being so proud of that! :)  And on the right is a cookbook of favorite recipes that my mom made for me one Christmas. Can you tell I have loved the life out of it?  Or into it? 

 

I judge the quality of a recipe by the filthiness of the card.  It is pretty obvious which recipes are delicious- and which ones may look great on the clean, white pages of the cookbook, but aren't loved.  Let's call these my Velveteen Rabbit Cookbooks.

It is sort of like clothes or sneakers.  The  clean, perfect-looking ones aren't nearly as comfortable as the worn out favorites.  I know that is some sort of fabulous object lesson that I could probably relate to wrinkles and dry hands, etc. etc.  but I don't even want to.  I want to know I am loved and "a favorite" without having to be worn out looking and wrinkled. And I like being clean.  So I am not even going to continue that object lesson any further. 

Back to the recipes!  Here are some of my favorites. I hope you enjoy them.  I found pictures online that LOOK just like my cookies look, although, they weren't the same recipes. 

Melting Moments



This is my aunt's recipe. I love to make them a Christmas, but they are also so sweet for Valentine's Day, Easter- let's face it- any time.  They are a bit time consuming because you have to roll all the little balls, then put them together. BUT they are worth every minute. They make great gifts, too, because they look so pretty in a jar or holiday container. 

Cookie

350 Degrees- 12 minutes



1 C Butter

2 C Flour

1/3 C 10X sugar

Cream butter with 10X sugar until fluffy. 

Blend in flour gradually. 

Beat at medium speed for 5 minutes or knead. 

Chill several hours or overnight. 

Roll rounded 1/2 tsp. size balls like marbles. 

Place 1" apart on ungreased cookie sheet. (I use parchment paper.)  

Cool on wire rack.

Almond Butter Cream Filling

 

1 1/2 C 10X sugar

3 Tbsp. butter

2 Tbsp. cream

1/4 tsp. almond extract

 

Beat until smooth. 
Tint any color you would like with food coloring. 
Put frosting between two flat sides of cookies.

 

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Gumdrop Cake

This is my grandmother's recipe. She made it every year for Christmas.  It also makes a wonderful gift because one batch makes 2 loaf size pans. 

 

1 lb. white raisins                                       1 lb. small spiced gum drops (not the black ones)

1 C chopped pecans                                   1 C shortening

4 C flour                                                     2 C sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon                                          2 eggs

1/4 tsp. cloves                                            1 3/4 C applesauce

1/2 tsp. salt                                                 1 tsp. baking soda in 1 Tbsp. hot water

1/4 tsp. nutmeg                                           3/4 C orange juice

1 tsp. vanilla

 

Cream sugar and shortening. 
Add eggs and dry ingredients, applesauce, and orange juice. 
Last, add baking soda, raisins, nuts, gumdrops, and vanilla.
Use some of the flour to dust gumdrops as you cut them. 

 

You can bake this in a well-greased and floured angel food pan for 3 hours at 250 degrees.  I like to  bake this in 2 loaf pans, which also cuts down on the baking time.  It is supposed to be better if you wrap it and let it stand, but we never are able to make it last that long...

 

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Chocolate Marshmallow Frosting Cookies



350 Degrees-  Bake 8 minutes/ Add marshmallow/ Bake 2 more minutes

 

Cookie

1 3/4 C flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 C cocoa powder
1/2 C shortening/butter
1 C sugar
1 egg
1/2 C milk
1 tsp. vanilla

36 marshmallows cut in half

Frosting

Box of 10X sugar

4-5 Tbsp. cocoa powder

dash of salt

3 Tbsp. butter

4 Tbsp. milk or cream (or as much as needed for a good frosting consistency)

1/2-1 tsp. vanilla

 

Mix cookie batter. 
Drop by rounded teaspoons onto greased cookie sheet. 
Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes.   
Remove and place half a marshmallow on top of each cookie. 
Put back in the oven. Bake for 2 more minutes.  Remove.  Frost.

 

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Easy Cranberry Pecan Cookies



My daughter tried this recipe last year and we loved it. It is sort of a Sandra Lee Semi Homemade idea- and I sort of love that. You know how sometimes you need a quick but really good cookie that doesn't seem quick?  Here you go!

 

1 tube (16 1/2 oz) refrigerated sugar cookie dough, softened

1 C chopped pecans

2/3 C white chocolate chips

2/3 C dried cranberries

1 tsp. vanilla extract

 

In a large bowl, combine the cookie dough, pecans, chips, cranberries, and vanilla. 

Drop by tablespoon 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.

Cool for 2 minutes before removing from pans. 

Makes about 3 1/2 dozen.

 

 

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It just so happens that I had a class tonight, and another teacher shared this sweet book that goes great with this post called Cookies: Bite Size Life Lessons, by Amy Krouse Rosenthal. 

It is a wonderful Character Education book, because it explains different character traits with very kid-friendly vocabulary.  Here are some examples:

 



"Cooperate means, 'How about you add the chips while I stir?' " "Trustworthy means, If you ask me to hold your cookie until you come back, when you come back, I will still be holding your cookie."  "Fair means, you get a bite, I get a bite."  "Regret means, I really wish I didn't eat so many cookies." "Content means sitting on the steps just you, me, and a couple of cookies."

 

The illustrations are absolutely beautiful and sweet. 

I will leave you with one of my favorites...

 

Have a wonderful day! Thank you for stopping by!