Grandparents, Easter, and A Recipe...

This past week was a whirl of activity as we prepared for Grandparents Day. One of the things I love about homeschooling through our former private school's Independent Studies group is the special events we still are able to participate in. And this year, I was asked if I would be willing to host a hospitality table with coffee and treats for the grands attending. For those of you who know me well, you know that I adore baking (more then eating), throwing a party of any kind, crafting, and sharing it all with others. So, this was a perfect opportunity to do just that.

Emily helped me make some flower filled vase table center pieces. We used leftover Easter grass to cover the stems of the faux flowers.

I also made some candle centerpieces from thirty cent plates and goblets I purchased at the thrift store and glued together with my handy dandy E6000 craft glue. That, along with a little left over ivy from a previous project, a little curling ribbon, some Dollar Tree candles, and some clearance netting from Wal-mart rounded out the project. Wouldn't these be adorable for a wedding?

 And of course there were the treats. Iced oatmeal cookies, brownies, scotchies, and iced sugar cookies. Not to mention my homemade chalkboard sign. Chalkboard paint works beautifully on the glass in picture frames.

 

 

After all the schooling, crafting, and baking of the week, it was nice to relax over the weekend. Well, after the grocery shopping and laundry. And since this week we are on spring break, I just might get some writing in before starting on my preparations for Easter.

And speaking of Easter, what would a book review at this time of year be without some great Easter book recommendations? One of my all time favorite Easter books is the Parabel of the Lily. Young Maggie loves getting gifts. but when her father gives her a flower bulb, she is very disappointed. That all changes when she goes outside on Easter Day and finds a beautiful Lily. The story of the true meaning of Easter shines through in this beautifully illustrated tale.

Another great Easter book is The Story of Easter by Patricia A. Pingry. This book  is the Biblical story of Easter written for small children to understand and is as wonderful as all her other books such as The Story of Christmas which Emily read aloud every Christmas for several years.

Finally, I am fond of The Jelly Beans and The Big Dance. At first I thought it would be a book about Easter with jelly beans being so prominent in the title, but it was actually a lovely book about friendship. To be more precise, it was a book about totally different individuals who felt that they will be unlikely to be friends until they discovered something they had in common. You guessed it, they all loved jelly beans.

And lest I forget, the recipe here is the recipe for my iced oatmeal cookies which are a delicious addition to any cookie repertoire.

Iced Oatmeal Cookies:

2 cups old fashioned rolled oats (not quick cook)
2 cups unbleached flour
1 TBS baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 cup salted butter softened
1 cup brown sugar packed
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

Glaze:

2 cups powdered sugar
3 TBS milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Put oats in food processor and pulse until coarse. Mix oats, flour, baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl. In a stand mixer, cream butter and sugars until smooth. Add eggs one at a time and finally vanilla. Mix in dry ingredients. Roll dough into two tablespoon size balls and place about two inches apart. This will be about six on a tray. Bake one tray at a time for ten minutes. Cool for five minutes before removing to a cooling rack. When completely cool, mix glaze and place a spoonful on the cookie. Spread with your finger and place back on rack to dry for at least two hours before placing in an airtight container.

Well, that about wraps it up for this week. Join me next week for another exciting episode, same crazy time, same crazy channel. Be sure to drop by and join the Literacy Musings Monday Blog Hop that I joined as well where you will find other great blogs, or my personal website, Fun With Aileen, where you will find more on reading, writing, and my very own early grade Fern Valley chapter book series and my Quack and Daisy picture book series. I'm also on twitter @AileenWStewart if you want an extremely brief glimpse into my days. 

Exploration

This past week I felt a bit under the weather, but Emily still wanted to attend Cook Book Club on Tuesday. So, we called our friends to see if they would pick her up and drop her off. But I must admit, I was sad and pleased at the same time as she worked in the kitchen by herself preparing some applesauce doughnut muffins for her breakfast themed item. I was happy that she is turning into a confident and capable baker, but I was also a bit sad to think how quickly she is growing up.

On Wednesday she had extended choir practice, and on Thursday, she performed in a spring gala event  for choir and band. She was thrilled to have a small solo part with three other girls. She was even more excited to find out that there was complimentary cake afterwards

We rounded out the week by attending the Maple Syrup Festival at Malabar Farm State Park. I found it really interesting  to see how they currently produce maple syrup, but also how the Native Americans and the pioneers went about doing so. The Native Americans hollowed out a log in which they placed the sap. To evaporate the water, they added stones that had been heated in the fire. The pioneers perfected the making of maple syrup a bit by cooking it in large cast iron kettles over the fire. But no matter the method, the outcome is the same__delicious!

We also had the chance to explore Louis Bromfield's former home as it was open for free self guided tours that day. I always adore the opportunity to explore new things and new places. And it goes without saying that I adore exploring all sorts of new books as well.

Buddy and Earl have my same love of exploration. They also have quite the imagination as they explore their very own kitchen where they take a dip in a shiny blue lake, rescue a hedgehog girlfriend for Earl, and have a snack of meatloaf. Kids four to ten will love this story.

Well, that about wraps it up for this week. Join me for another exciting episode, same crazy time, same crazy channel. Drop by the Literacy Musings Monday blog hop where you will find other great literary blogs. And feel free to drop by my personal website, Fun With Aileen, any day of the week for even more on reading, writing, my very own early grade chapter book, Fern Valley, the sequels, Return To Fern Valley,  and Cooking In Fern Valley, along with my very first picture book, Quack and Daisy! I'm also on twitter @AileenWStewart if you want an extremely brief glimpse into my days. 

What I Saw In The Teachers' Lounge

This past week I had two school visits scheduled, I had lunch and recess duty on Friday for Emily's twice monthly Mansfield Christian school visits, and I was recruited to decorate a table for Mansfield Christian's Annual Flamin' Hot Breakfast which is the yearly fund raiser for the Independent Studies Program we home school through.

My first event of the week was an evening of reading to pre-k students at the local pre-k in my home town. After I read from my book, Quack and Daisy, I checked out all the centers they had set up for the children. It was fun to see the extra large versions of books by authors and illustrators I am friends with. Authors and illustrators like Karma Wilson, Jane Yolan, Tomie dePaola, and Mark Teague. 

 

My second event was an all day visit to the Western Reserve Elementary School where I presented to children in kindergarten through sixth grade. All the children were attentive, asked great questions, and participated when I asked questions. I was also able to spend time with the school's librarian and my long time friend Mrs. Cindy Linder. But the big surprise of the day was What I Saw in the Teachers' Lounge. Actually it was what I saw in the science room which was doubling as a much larger teachers lounge,but since that is the title of the first book I read for review this week I thought I would go with that. Oh yes, what did I see? A beautiful pot luck lunch set up in honor of my visit. There were soups, and veggies, baked potatoes and toppings, veggie pizza, and chocolate cake and cupcakes. I was really touched by the thoughtfulness of the staff and hope I conveyed properly how much it was appreciated.

Recess duty on Friday at MCS was interesting since a two hour delay caused it to be held on the very small music room, the only room available at the time. Try to imagine fifth grade boys jump roping, fifth grade girls hoola hooping, and another set of fifth grade boys throwing a ball as they played Monkey in the Middle next to a group of children laying on the floor playing checkers. Needless to say I had to move once or twice to keep from being trampled or pummeled, and I could have used a pair of earplugs as well; but I survived and was able to decorate a table as requested with a basket centerpiece reflecting the farm market that I manage in the summer.

Saturday rounded off the busy week with me taking Emily to the Flamin' Hot Breakfast where she volunteered to bus tables. Her and several other home school children also went across the street to a local nursing home to sing for the residents.

And of course there were those books I read. You remember, the first one was called, What I Saw In The Teachers' Lounge. It was a funny book about a little boy and his wild imagination. Every day he would walk by the teachers lounge and wonder what in the world was going on in there. One day he stopped to peek in the slightly opened door, and to his utter surprise, he saw teachers doing the most amazing things. Of course when he told his class mates about what he saw they had a peek too, but all they saw were teachers eating their lunches in a perfectly normal manner. Not daunted in the least by his classmates version of events or by the principal sending him back to class, the young boy dreamed of becoming a teacher when he grew up.

The second book I read was called Don't Push The Button. This book featuring Larry the monster is adorable and encourages kids to participate as the story goes along. Perfect for the four to eight set, this book is short but fun.

Well, that about wraps it up for this week. Join me for another exciting episode, same crazy time, same crazy channel. Drop by the Literacy Musings Monday blog hop where you will find other great literary blogs. And feel free to drop by my personal website, Fun With Aileen, any day of the week for even more on reading, writing, my very own early grade chapter book, Fern Valley, the sequels, Return To Fern Valley,  and Cooking In Fern Valley, along with my very first picture book, Quack and Daisy! I'm also on twitter @AileenWStewart if you want an extremely brief glimpse into my days.

Sharing Is Fun

This past week held a wonderful surprise for both Emily and I. As you know if you have been following my blog, we've been spending time practicing our recipes for the 16th Annual Chocolate Lovers Bake Off sponsored by our local library. So with breath held and hopes high, this past Monday we took our entries and waited as the judges sampled all the offerings. They judged the children's table first and to our great joy we heard them call Emily's name as first place winner for her strawberry filled chocolate cupcakes with chocolate buttercream frosting. 

Before hand I reminded Emily that win or lose we both had a wonderful time baking together and that was what was important. But I would be lying if I said my heart didn't thump with delight at the sound of her name being pronounced as winner.

Next they announced the winner of the cookie table, and I won second place for my chocolate chocolate chunk cookies. I was pleased, but it was nothing compared to the happiness I felt for my offspring. Next they announced the winners from the dessert table which I had  not entered. Following was to come the cake entries, and after looking at all the beautiful cakes, I was fairly sure I was not going to win anything for my chocolate peanut butter cup cupcakes. So, you can imagine my surprise when I was announced as the first place winner of cakes.

The rest of the week passed in the normal manner with home school lessons completed, choir practice for Emily, house cleaning, and time spent enjoying the numerous squirrels frolicking in our yard. I love squirrels with their wiggly tails and cute faces. Even when they try to climb my shepherd's hook to steal bird seed from the feeders, I can't help but laugh at their antics.

So out of the pile on my bookshelf, I snagged a book about squirrels which had caught my eye at the library due to it's beautiful cover. It was called Mine, All Mine and the title suggested there just might be a lesson in there somewhere. Of course there was a lesson about sharing, but it was told subtly and there was even a glittery snowflake to follow. A perfect book for four to eight year old children to take in; and if they are like me, they will definitely take time to feel that glittery snowflake on every page too!

I also read The Tale of Pip and Squeak which happened to be another book about sharing. This was totally coincidental of course, but worked out perfectly. Pip and Squeak are brothers who don't really like to be in the same room and don't really like to share the spotlight. But one day that all changes and they realize it's okay to work together and share the admiration of those around. This is an older book, but it is worth seeing if your library has a copy or searching for a used copy as it was considered good enough to be added to the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. 

And since all these books happen to be about sharing, I would feel totally remiss if I didn't share the recipe for Emily's award winning cupcakes with you. So here it is and I  hope you enjoy.

Strawberry Filled Chocolate Cupcakes

Cake:

2 cups sugar                                                                2 eggs

1 ¾ cups unbleached flour                                           1 cup milk

¾ cup baking cocoa                                                    ½ cup light olive oil

1 ½ tsp baking powder                                                 2 tsp vanilla extract

1 ½ tsp baking soda                                                     1 cup boiling water

¼ tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line two muffin tins with paper liners. Stir together dry ingredients in bowl and set aside. In a stand mixer, beat sugar, oil, eggs and milk until smooth. Add dry ingredients and mix thoroughly for about two minutes. Stir in boiling water. (Batter will be thin) Pour batter into tins filling about 2/3 full. There will be some leftover batter as this recipe makes about thirty cupcakes. Bake about twenty minutes and check centers to see if toothpick comes out cleanly. Remove from pan and cool on racks.

Filling:

1 container strawberries (diced)

½ cup sugar

1/8 cup cornstarch

½ cup water

In a pan combine all ingredients and cook over medium heat stirring frequently. Mixture will begin to thicken like jelly. When it gets to this point, remove from heat and allow to cool. Core cupcakes (we used an apple corer) and fill with cooled strawberry mixture.

Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting:

1 ½ cups softened salted butter

1 cup baking cocoa

5 cups powdered sugar

½ cup milk

1 TBS vanilla extract

In stand mixer, add five cups of powdered sugar and cocoa and beat on low until combined. Add butter, vanilla, and one TBS of milk and beat. Continue to add milk one tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached. If frosting is too thin, add additional powdered sugar. Frost cupcakes and enjoy!

Well, that about wraps it up for this week. Join me for another exciting episode, same crazy time, same crazy channel. Drop by the Literacy Musings Monday blog hop where you will find other great literary blogs. And feel free to drop by my personal website, Fun With Aileen, any day of the week for even more on reading, writing, my very own early grade chapter book, Fern Valley, the sequels, Return To Fern Valley,  and Cooking In Fern Valley, along with my very first picture book, Quack and Daisy! I'm also on twitter @AileenWStewart if you want an extremely brief glimpse into my days.

An Uncommon February

For those of you who are familiar with Ohio weather in February, you know it is usually cold, snowy, and extremely dreary. But this past week we have had an uncommonly mild week. So mild in fact, that on Saturday it was almost seventy. That also happened to be the day of the Richland Public Health Department's Winter Walk for Health. They were sponsoring the walk at three separate locations and we chose to walk at Malabar Farms the former home of Louis Bromfield.

We walked the one mile Doris Duke Trail and had the unexpected pleasure of being the only hikers on that particular trail. We took our time. We took pictures. We enjoyed nature and each other. And quite possible, Emily heard a Who.

 

We had an uncommonly good time on our uncommonly warm February walk. And it just so happens, that I also read an uncommonly good book as well. A book titled This Is The Rope by Jacqueline Woodson. I had the pleasure of meeting Miss Woodson last May at the Hudson Children's Book Festival, and I wish I had read this book previously so I could have told her how much I enjoyed it.

It is the story of one family's migration from South Carolina to New York and a piece of old rope that ties the generations together. Ms. Woodson expertly weaves a tale of the many uses of the piece of rope, a tale that starts with a new mother and ends when that same woman is a grandmother. It is a story I heartily recommend for children of all ages.

Well, that about wraps it up for this week. Join me for another exciting episode, same crazy time, same crazy channel. Drop by the Literacy Musings Monday blog hop where you will find other great literary blogs. And feel free to drop by my personal website, Fun With Aileen, any day of the week for even more on reading, writing, my very own early grade chapter book, Fern Valley, the sequels, Return To Fern Valley,  and Cooking In Fern Valley, along with my very first picture book, Quack and Daisy! I'm also on twitter @AileenWStewart if you want an extremely brief glimpse into my days.

Life and Books

Life is like the tide with ebb and flow. Some weeks are restful with not much going on and others are chock full of busy and interesting events. This past week was one of those busy weeks. Emily attended not one, but two pizza birthday parties. We also attended Cook Book Club where the theme was casseroles. She chose to make our family's version of goulash and I made bread pudding out of a box of stale yeast donuts. I wasn't sure how well bread pudding would go across, but much to my surprise, the dish was empty when I went to retrieve it.

In addition, I had a book signing at a local store downtown. My friend Connie, who owns the local Avon store Connie's Place, hosted a children's day resplendent with balloons, face painting, and a cookie decorating station run by Emily. While the children waited their turn to have their faces painted, I read to them from Quack and Daisy.

During our school week, we started a new unit in Social Studies about going West. Emily was pretty excited about the fact that I found a fun online game called Wetward Trail for her to play. So it only seemed appropriate to read a book from my library pile called Covered Wagons, Bumpy Trails by the esteemed blue board creator at the SCBWI, Verla Kay.

Told in beautifully flowing rhyme, the story follows a family of three on their long journey west. Through hardships including foul weather, rocky mountains, and parched land, they forged on until they found their own promise land. Although this book is over fifteen years old, it is well worth the search.

Another great book about traveling west is a book titled, Apples To Oregon - Being the (Slightly) True Narrative of How a Brave Pioneer Father Brought Apples, Peaches, Plums, Grapes, and Cherries (and Children) Across the Plains, that I reviewed two years ago.  Apples to Oregon is a terribly funny story of the pioneers traveling there and the cargo they brought. Even the title is funny claiming to be slightly true. So if you want a bit of history told in a fun manner, you really need to check out this realistic fictional piece!

Well, that about wraps it up for this week. Join me for another exciting episode, same crazy time, same crazy channel. Drop by the Literacy Musings Monday blog hop where you will find other great literary blogs. And feel free to drop by my personal website, Fun With Aileen, any day of the week for even more on reading, writing, my very own early grade chapter book, Fern Valley, the sequels, Return To Fern Valley,  and Cooking In Fern Valley, along with my very first picture book, Quack and Daisy! I'm also on twitter @AileenWStewart if you want an extremely brief glimpse into my days.