Well rhubarb season is fast upon us and I love baking with rhubarb, mostly because I just don’t like it alone!  Usually I find myself indulging in strawberry-rhubarb pie or delicious rhubarb slush,  but this week I thought I’d try something new and different… I tried it because my eldest son said “Mommy lets make an apple rhubarb pie (he thought he invented it)”.   It turned out rather yummy and I think you might like it too… Here is the recipe…

For the Topping:

The zest of 2 lemons (save the juice for the filling)

1.5 cups of sugar

1.5 cups flour

1/2 t salt

1/2 t cinnamon

1 stick of butter (cold)

For the Filling:

3 granny smith apples, peeled, sliced and cored

3 cups rhubarb, chopped

The juice of the above 2 lemons

1/2 cup sugar

FOR TOPPING:

Zest the two  lemons.  Put the zest of the lemon and the 1.5 cups sugar in a food processor or blender.  Grind until very fine.  Add the flour and all of the spices to this mixture.  Add the cold butter and combine in the mixer.  Set Aside

For Base:

Slice all of the apples and rhubarb and place them in a casserole dish or baking pan.  Squeeze the juice from the above lemon(s) all over the apples.  Sprinkle 1/2 cup of sugar over the fruit and stir to combine.  Pour the crumb mixture from above (the topping) over the apples and pat it down.  Bake this at 375 degrees for 50 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

I am not sure if I would have ever come across this website had it not been for the fact that they asked my talented hubby if they could feature him in their next article.  Once I heard this I searched this site up and down and found I really loved it.  This site has some great party ideas, recipes, wedding planning tips (which I don’t need, but love to look at) and so much more!  I highly suggest you check it out at  http://www.pizzazzerie.com/ …  You might happen to see a pretty great photographer featured while you’re there…

My boys really wanted to paint fish today so this was the quickest way I could think of… Then, after the fish were completed, my older son REALLY wanted a shark… This was a little harder, but we figured it out….  My younger son wanted a “non biting shark”  with “no teeth”  he tends to be a little afraid…  Older kids could cut out their own sea animals…  Younger could use finger paints! Here are the directions….

The Fish:  Take a paper plate… Cut out a triangle mouth, staple/tape it on as the tail…  Paint and TADA…

The Shark:  I needed an extra plate. I cut out a triangle mouth, a little skinnier than with the fish… I used this as the “fin”… I then cut out a tail from another plate and used that as the tail…  I did a zig zag cut for the teeth…

I thought with the end of the year nearing I’d re-post some ideas for teacher gifts…

Being a teacher myself for the past 11 years, I am often asked, “What is a good gift for my teacher? ”  I first want to say that I think it is so kind that my students bring me gifts and really whatever they bring me is a special treat!  Teachers never expect gifts and when we get them it really is heartwarming.  I especially love when I get holiday cards with a picture of your family or a card that is written by a student themselves with all sorts of misspellings and backwards S’s.  I think it’s very thoughtful when I get  baked goodies or treats.  Without being presumptuous here is a list of ‘Some of my Favorite Teacher Gifts”  I’ve received in the past… They are in no particular order!

1. Gift Cards are always very nice.  I think teachers really appreciate being able to spend a little money on themselves since we often don’t take the time to do that…  If you are going to get a gift card, you might think about what it is your teacher is really into..   Do they have any sort of special plans for the holiday or summer break?  Do they have a favorite shopping location or restaurant?  One year I got a gift card to REI because my class knew my family was spending time in the Mountains that summer…

other gift card ideas;  Target, Bookstore, Coffee Shop, Restaurant, Mall, Visa, i-tunes, Grocery store, Spa, Hair Salon, Video store etc..

2.  Magazine Subscription:  I think this is a very fun, creative and helpful gift… You again have to know your teacher, but some suggestions might be; Family Fun, Martha Stewart, Real Simple, etc..  

3..  Class Gift…  Another nice gift I’ve received has been from an entire class.  One parent organizes donations and then uses the money to buy either a gift card or larger item (again personalized) for you.  One year I got a patio heater and a cooler from my class because they knew we had a newer home.  Another year I got a Target Gift Card with the pooled money that said something like “use this for diapers”

4.  Books…  Books either for the classroom or for the teacher are always appreciated

5.  Games…  Maybe a favorite family game of yours to share with your teacher’s family or classroom family.

6.  Time…  Offer to help in the classroom or with projects that you can take home.  I LOVE to send cutting and pasting home with parents who give the gift of time.

7.  A bag of goodies to be used in the classroom…  Many times I find myself spending my own money on craft supplies (the odd ones we don’t have at school like buttons and craft foam), felt tip pens, post it notes, staplers ( I have lost about 20), and adult scissors.  One family brought me a cute canvas bag filled with all sorts of these supplies, it was so helpful.

8.  Handmade…  So many Moms or Dads have special talents these days…  I have received the most adorable handbags (purses), scarves, hats, mittens, children’s clothing (so adorable), jewelry and home goods, and they are always one of a kind!

9.  Movie passes…

10.  A VACATION TO THE CARIBBEAN…  HA HA, just kidding!

If your kids have several teachers and you’d like to do something homemade, here are a couple ideas…

We made Lemon Yogurt Bread for each of the teachers in his class (click here for the recipe), tied it to a cutting board, and added a personalized magnet as a little extra… I had him help make the bread, tell me the names of his teachers and what letter they started with, and sign his name to the card.  It was inexpensive, easy, and he LOVED helping!

To make the clips:

I bought magnetic clips at the local Office Supply Store

I cut out colorful circles and glued them in the middle of the clip

I used scrapbooking alphabet stickers as the “personalization”

I finished it all with a little ribbon to match

My son and I take a class at the EP Family Center for two/three year olds…  This is the recipe they gave us for bubbles… I’ve made these before at school and used 2teaspoons of Glycerin in place of the Karyo Syrup and it’s worked just as well…  This is a great time of year for bubbles, ENJOY…

2 Cups Joy Dish Soap 
6 Cups Water 
¾ Cup White Karo Syrup   
Combine, shake, and let settle for 4 hours before using.  
Store covered in the refrigerator to extend suds shelf life.
Then allow warming before using.    


Bubble Tips. 
•  Do not stir wand in suds, this avoids foaming.
•  If foam develops, scrape off with stiff card. 
• Keep suds clean, avoid dirt, grass, bugs etc. 
•  Use a 9x13 cake an or pizza pan for suds. 
•  Bubbles are best on humid days 
•  Joy and Karo syrup work best. Other brands don’t work as well. 
•  Direct sun light weakens suds. 
•  If bubbles get in eyes, Rinse with water   
BUBBLE WAND.  Bend a metal hanger into desired shape...For small wands tie a twist tie to a straw.  

Today in Kindergarten we started our first Earth Day Project….  Paper Mache Earths…  We RECYCLED old newspaper and used eco friendly paste to make a fun project… Here are the directions!  I will post the pictures after we paint them…

1.  Cut several 1 inch strips of newspaper

2.  Blow up a balloon (7 or 9 inch)… The smaller you blow them up the more “circular” they are…

3.  Make the paste by mixing 1 part flour with 2 parts water.

4.  Carefully dip a strip of paper into the paste… I always slide my hands down the strip after I dip it to get any excess paste that might drip off.

5.  Place the strip on the balloon.

6.  Continue the process criss-crossing the strips and covering the entire balloon with newspaper.  You can repeat the process several times so you’ve done several layers of newspaper on the balloon.  The more newspaper the stronger it will be!  You will want to make sure to cover the knot of the balloon too…

7.  Let the paper mache dry.  You can set the balloon in a cup to dry, just make sure to flip it after several hours so both sides get a chance to dry.  You can also just lay it on a piece of plastic and again flip it half way through the drying process.

8.  Using a permanent marker you will want to “Draw” an outline of the continents, depending on the age of your child he/she may be able to do this themselves.  It DOES NOT HAVE TO BE PERFECT… It’s just for the paint to have a bit of an outline…

9.  Paint Away… We will use green to paint the inside of each of our drawn continents and blue for the rest (oceans)…

So cute!  ENJOY….

With the weather warming up, I can’t help but dream about fresh fruits and vegetables!  The tartness of a freshly picked strawberry and the crispness of a green bean right off the vine… MMMMMMMMM…..  CSA is one way to guarantee we get fresh veggies weekly/biweekly from a farmer we trust…

CSA is a fairly new idea to me… I have known about it for about 3 or 4 years and think the concept is amazing…  Here are the basics…  A farmer offers a certain number of “shares” to the public of their farm.  Typically the share consists of a box of vegetables, but other farm products may be included.  Interested consumers purchase a share (membership) and in return receive a box of seasonal produce each week throughout the farming season.   I have had several friends suggest several different farms, each offering something different.  I’ve heard amazing things and even some complaints.  The complaints mostly are that you get a lot of “one” kind of veggie and maybe don’t care for it or don’t know what to do with it… Some of the farms allow you to come out for a “tour” and even have special events for kids during the season…  If you think you might be interested in CSA, here is a link to a website where you can type in your zip code and get a list of local farms that might service your area.  You can also choose what kind of produce/dairy you would like to purchase…

http://www.localharvest.org/

I was talking to some friends about CSA at church last night and we were all saying how great of an idea CSA is BUT how much we LOVED the farmer’s market…  I am not sure if CSA cuts into my Farmer’s Market purchases or not, but I know it will not cut into my FM visits… I love going to the market!  I am hoping that the FM supplements my CSA purchases!

So I know I’ve told you this before, but my all time favorite “blog” is www.bakerella.com I love every ounce of her creativity and wish I had just a pinch of it!  Needless to say, these are the cupcakes I am going to attempt for Easter…

photo courtesy of Bakerella

Mine probably will not be as “perfect” but my family won’t care!  That’s what is so great about family!

Happy Easter!

My husband, of all people, found these fun websites for me and I am addicted already!  The pictures are linked directly to the sites, ENJOY….