Learning Cursive

Monkey is in 2nd grade but seemingly interested in learning cursive....so I made this chart for him.
Plus I put the regular letters next to the cursive letters.  Every little helpful hint is a good thing.

It is collapsible so we can put it in his desk instead of hanging it on the wall.  Seeings as how I do not have ample school wall space.  Oi.
I cut apart a tag board that I had, then drew lines and wrote in the letters.  Taped it together so there are seems where you can fold like an accordion to save on space.


So far we have worked on A, B, C, O and Y.... :)  We started with a....just by itself.  When learning the letter b I had him write boy....and then for c....we wrote cab....  He's doing pretty good.  Apparently he thought it would be easy, cuz he said it's not as easy as he thought it was going to be. :)




 

Corn Pudding-"Scalloped Corn"

1 can cream corn
1 can whole kernel corn
1 8oz container sour cream
2 beaten eggs
1/2 cup butter
1 box Jiffy Corn bread mix
2 Tbsp chopped onion
salt and pepper to taste

Mix together and put in buttered medium size casserole dish.  Bake uncovered at 350 for 45 minutes.


TJ probably ate half of this whole thing.  He loves it! :)




 

StoveTop Dressing Hot Dish

1 box Stove Top dressing
1 lb hamburger
1 onion
1 can french style green beans
1 cup sour cream
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 small can French Fried onions

Mix dressing as directed on the box.  Spread it on the bottom of a 9x13 pan.  Brown hamburger and put on top of the dressing.  Slice the onion and layer on next.  Drain the green beans, to layer next.  Mix soup and sour cream together and spread over top.  Bake at 350 for 45 minutes, uncovered.  Sprinkle French fried onions on top and return to oven for 5-10 more  minutes.

 

Toys are Overrated #1-boxes

Who needs toys when you have boxes.....

Sometimes I'm amazed what my kids will play with other than their toys.  So here's a little series that I will throw out at you every once in a while with my crazy kids new "toy" :)

Oh what do we even buy real toys for?!



 

No Bake Cheese Cake-Tart

I have 2 recipes for this.  They have a uniquely different taste though.  This is the original recipe we've always used in our family.  You will see the difference in the ingredients when you compare with the newer version I found and posted previously.

I say this is the "tart" recipe, and the other is the "sweet" recipe.

They look exactly the same.  But once you bite into it you can sure tell the difference!

Try it for yourself.

1 cup sour cream
1 pkg. cream cheese
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 8oz container cool whip.

Mix together and spread into a graham cracker crust.

Let chill for 2 hours before eating.  Makes 1 tall pie.




 

Thanksgiving Dinner

Things from this years Thanksgiving dinner.  Yum, Yum!

Turkey

Ham

Mashed Potatoes

Green Bean Casserole

Triple Berry Salad

Stove Top Stuffing

Raspberry cream Cheese Jello

Scalloped Corn

Homemade Buns

Cheese Cake Sweet

Cheese Cake Tart

Pumpkin Pie

Pecan Pie

What did you enjoy this holiday?

Thankful Turkeys

A new year = a new turkey.

Here's how we did our turkey last time....well, before...I couldn't find last years. Click here.

And this year we chose a different setting.

We cut out feathers from construction paper, and cut along the edges to make it look like a feather.

Cut out a little turkey shape downloaded from here.

Then assembled our turkeys!

Happy Thanksgiving.  Gobble Gobble.

 This is mine, obviously...I didn't color my turkey's face, so you can't tell the difference between his beak and the gobbler.  What is the real name for that thing anyway?  And what's the point of it?

 

Paper Weaving

We found a great little paper weaving craft to make Thanksgiving placemats.

Use construction paper.  Fold it in half, the long way.  so it is 4x12.  Draw a line at the unfolded part 1 inch from the edge.  Cut from the fold down to that line, every inch.

 Like so...

 Then open up, like so.

 Now you need to find the other colors you want to use, and cut 1x12 inch strips from construction paper.

Use all one color, or mix it up.  Find your own pattern.  And weave up and down.  Every other one.

 We were having so much fun weaving I said lets make a placemat for everyone for the Thanksgiving dinner table.  So here are all 25 of our placemats!  Monkey made most of them.  He was a quick little weaver.
I also added some contact paper to the top side so they hold up a little longer.  And we wrote everyone's names in the bottom right corner, so they will sort of work as name cards for the dinner table as well. :)

Happy weaving!  Switch up the colors and use at any time, for any holiday, or any regular day!


 

Indian Headbands

 In honor of our friend Squanto, we made Indian headbands.

Use a brown paper bag and cut a strip for the headband.  You will need to tape an extra piece to it to make it big enough to go around their head.  Decorate the band.

Cut construction paper into a feather shape and put cut marks all around it to give it the look of a feather.

For extra look you can string some beads to hang from your headband.

Assemble your feathers and beads.  Fit to your head and wear! :)

Happy Thanksgiving!




 

Paint by Number Turkey

It was really a COLOR by number.  But I thought would be more fun if we PAINTED it instead.  And they loved it!

Check out this great website for tons of student worksheets like this and more!



 

Sweet and Sour Meatloaf

I'm not sure if this really had your standard sweet and sour flavoring that you normally think of, but it was still good.

Sweet and Sour Meatloaf

1 1/2 - 2 lbs hamburger
1 1/2 cups crushed saltine crackers
1 tsp salt
2 tsp minced onion
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
*2 eggs

Top sauce:
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 8oz can tomato sauce
2 Tbsp vinegar


Mix all ingredients to form into a loaf in a small/medium loaf pan.  Bake at 375 for 50 minutes.  Boil the topping ingredients and pour over the loaf.  Then bake for 10 more minutes.

**With meatballs, or patties, I don't usually add the eggs...this time it would have been helpful.  While all other things seem to hold together just fine for me this time it did not hold its shape as good for the slices.  But it also may have helped to get a higher 90/10 meat instead of the 80/20 to help hold it together too.  Still tastes the same though even if it doesn't come out in such nice neat slices. :)

Enjoy.

TJ gives this recipe a 7 out of 10.

 

Just for fun

I was doodling around the other day, and this was how it ended up.

Swirling Fall Time.

 

Layers of Love Chocolate Brownies

Wow, these are just as good as I thought they were going to be!   Yumm.

Layers of Love Chocolate Brownies

1/2 soft butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup cocoa
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2/3 cup caramel ice cream topping

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease an 8x8 pan.  Beat butter and sugars in a mixer until creamy.  Add 2 of the eggs, one at a time beating well after each one.  Then add the vanilla and mix well.  Gradually beat in the flour and cocoa.  Scoop most of this mixture into the bottom of the 8x8 pan leaving about 3/4 a cup worth still in the mixing bowl.  Spread the brownie mix in the pan, layer with the white chocolate chips, and then pour over some caramel.  Next in the mixing bowl, add that last egg to the 3/4 cup worth of brownie mix that is still left in the bowl.  Mix on medium for 2-3 minutes, or until a light creamy color.  Mix in the semi-sweet chocolate chips.  Spread evenly over top the caramel layer.  Bake for 30-35 minutes.  Cool completely in pan before enjoying!

 The first layer of brownie on the bottom, leaving 3/4 cup worth in the mixing bowl.

 Topped with the white chocolate chips and caramel.

 The 3/4 cup left over in the bowl, mixed with the last egg until nice and creamy. Then mix in the chocolate chips.

The last 3/4 worth with the chocolate chips mixed in, and spread over the caramel layer.

Done baking!

TJ gives this a 6....which is pretty good, because he doesn't really like brownies that much. :)

I'd give it an 8.5 I think. :)


 

Christmas Wreath-Do it yourself

I was at Hobby Lobby and they had some wreaths that were already put together with some ribbons or other decorative items on them.  But they were very pricy.  Then I went down another aisle, where they have barren wreaths, and gads of supplies to do it yourself. :)  So I decided to find something and make my own.  You can do it to, thanks to the bountiful supply at Hobby Lobby!  And it was all half off....so I actually paid 40% of what the price of the already put together one and I got to make it the way I wanted to. :)

Simple, yet I like it.

My choice of decor....

Put together on the wreath....wrapped around and held in place.

And then it's location!  Yes, you're right, the Chrismtas decor is up at the Wright house!