Author: Jessi Rose

Cousin Fall Forest Photos

We went to the backyard forest for these pictures. These three girls are cousins; we decided to take the pictures for as a Christmas gift for the grandparents.

We did get a couple smiles from the tiny one.

The picnic table was a fun addition to our photoshoot.

Little Miss Storm wasn’t interested in cooperating with her smiles today.

Snow White Disney Dinner

The Little One has been watching Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs lately, so I decided to have a German Snow White themed dinner for family movie night!

Appetizer:  Bavarian Pretzels

Dough Ingredients:

  • 3 tea Instant dry yeast
  • 1 ½ Cup Warm Water (100-110 degrees)
  • 2 TBS granulated sugar
  • 4 Cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tea salt

Crust Ingredients:

  • 1 Cup water
  • 2 tea baking soda
  • Coarse Sea Salt
  • ¼ Cup Butter

Instructions: 

  1. Combine yeast and warm water and sugar.
  2. Add in flour and salt (knead or use mixer).
  3. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with a tea towel, and place in a warm place to rise for 30 minutes.
  4. Preheat oven 425, grease baking sheet.
  5. Divide dough into 8 equal parts. Roll each part into 24 inch rope to form the pretzel.
  6. In a shallow bowl, combine the water and baking soda.  Submerge each pretzel in water and place on the baking sheet.
  7. Sprinkle with sea salt and let sit for 10 minutes.
  8. Bake for 12 minutes then brush with melted butter.
  9. Serve with cheese sauce.

Entrée: Gulaschsuppe (soup)

Ingredients:

  • 2 T. olive oil
  • 2 onions, chopped
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1.5 lb beef, cubed into bite sized pieces
  • 2 T. balsamic vinegar
  • 2/3 cup red wine vinegar
  • 6 med thin skinned potatoes, peeled and cubed into bite sized pieces
  • 32 oz beef broth
  • Water
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 T. paprika
  • 6 oz. tomato paste

Instructions: 

  1. Cook onion, carrots, celery and garlic in olive oil until the onion is caramelized. 
  2. Scrape pot and add beef, browning well. 
  3. Scrape the pot again and add the wine and balsamic vinegar, let it simmer on low until the wine has almost entirely evaporated.
  4. Add broth, bay leaves and paprika, and let simmer for about an hour to tenderize the beef. 
  5. Add potato cubes and enough water to cover plus about 1 inch above, and bring to boil. 
  6. When potatoes are tender, add tomato paste, lower to a simmer and let cook for about another 15 minutes.

Fruit: Apple Dumplings

(I got this idea from the Disney Princess Cookbook.)

Dough Ingredients:  

  • 1.5 cups of flour
  • 1 teaspoon of baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon of salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
  • 6 TBSP of cold butter
  • 1/2 cup of milk

Filling Dough Ingredients:  

  • 2 peeled apple (cut into quarters)
  • 1 TBSP butter (cut into quarters)
  • 3 TBSP of brown sugar 
  • 1/4 cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg

Syrup Ingredients:  

  • 1 cup of hot water
  • ½ cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 TBSP melted butter

Instructions: 

  1. 1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees.  Butter a 9inch square baking pan.
  2. 2. To make the dough, mix together flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg in a mixing bowl.  Cut 3 tablespoons of butter into small pieces.
  3. 3. Use your hands to knead the butter and flour together.
  4. 4. Stir in the milk.
  5. 5. Flour a surface and knead the dough until it holds together and dust the top with flour.  Roll out into a 12 inch square.
  6. 6. Cut the dough into four equal squares and place two quarters of apple in each square.  
  7. 7. Place 1 quarter tablespoon butter one quarter in each square. 
  8. 8. In a small bowl, mix together 3 tablespoons of brown sugar, cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg.  Spoon equal amounts of mixture in each square.
  9. 9. Gather three corners of dumpling together and pinch together.  Put all four in the baking dish an inch apart.
  10. 10. Combine hot water, the remaining brown sugar, and 2 tablespoons of butter, melted.  Stir and pour over the dumplings in the pan.
  11. 11. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown.
  12. 12. Spoon more syrup over the top, and serve warm.

Vegi:  Crispy Potato Bake

Ingredients:

  • 6 russet potatoes, thinly sliced
  • 1 small onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 Tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 2 teaspoons rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon thyme
  • ¼ cup real bacon bits

Instructions: 

  1. Preheat oven to 375F.
  2. Use a mandolin or sharp knife to make thin, equal slices of your potatoes and onions – about 1/8″ thick is ideal.
  3. Grease a round casserole dish.
  4. Use a spiral pattern , arrange the sliced potatoes in your baking dish.
  5. Insert the sliced onions an equal distance apart amongst the sliced potatoes.
  6. Place the butter in a microwave-safe dish and microwave for 330 seconds until completely melted. Stir in the olive oil and then pour the mixture over the casserole.
  7. Sprinkle on your seasoning and bacon bits.
  8. Cover with tinfoil and bake for 45 minutes.
  9. Remove the tinfoil and continue baking for 15 minutes to crisp up the potatoes and bacon.

Dessert: Poison Apple Pie

(I got the idea for my Poison Apple Pie from A Magical Kingdom Called Home Blog.)

Ingredients:

  • 4 Granny Smith Apples, peeled and diced
  • 14oz can whole cranberries
  • Juice from one lemon
  • 2 tsp pie spice
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • Two pie crusts
  • Egg wash

Instructions: 

  1. Preheat oven to 425°. Line pie plate with one pie crust and set aside. Pour lemon juice over diced apples and stir to prevent browning.
  2. In a medium saucepan, bring cranberries, one cup of apples, sugar, water, and pie spice to a boil over medium heat. Then lower heat and simmer 10-15 minutes.
  3. Remove from heat and add remaining apples. Let filling cool while preparing the crust.
  4. Lay second pie crust on working area. Using a picture reference and a knife, free hand the Poison Apple face to the pie crust. Paint the crust with egg wash.
  5. Turn pie filling into pastry lines pie plate and then carefully place crust on top. Fold and pinch pie crusts together. Cover edges with aluminum foil or pie crust protector shield.
  6. Bake for 30 minutes, remove crust shield and bake for additional 15 minutes.

Drink:  Evil Queen’s Punch

Ingredients:

  • 2 envelopes lemon-lime Kool-Aid
  • 10 cups water
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 46 ounce can of pineapple juice
  • 1 quart lime sherbet
  • 2 liters lemon-lime soda

Instructions: 

  1. Combine the Kool-Aid, sugar, water, and pineapple juice. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
  2. When ready to serve, scoop lime sherbet into a punch bowl.
  3. Pour the kool-aid and juice combo over the Sherbet. Follow this up with lemon-lime soda.
  4. Serve immediately.

Farm Tot School

Color: Red

Shape: Square

Number: 10

Letter: F

Day 1:  Farm

Read:  

Abeka Preschool Curriculum

Songs: 

Snacks:

  • Haystacks  (10 oz.Chow Mein noodles mixed with melted 1 cup chocolate and 1 cups butterscotch chips)

Activities:

  • Wooden Farm
  • Farm Puzzles
  • Stickers
  • Beanie Baby Farm Animals
  • Farm Sensory Tub
  • Farm Animal Movement Cards
  • Old MacDonald Had a Farm
  • Barn Number Match
  • Paper Plate Tractor
  • Sorting Farm Foods
Farm Sensory Tub
Farm Sensory Tub
Farm Puzzle
Farm Puzzles
Farm Animal Movement Cards
Old MacDonald Had a Farm
Farm Animal Movement Cards
Old MacDonald Had a Farm
Wooden Farm
Farm Animal Beanie Babies
Paper Plate Tractor
Paper Plate Tractor
Barn Number Match
Barn Number Match
Sorting Farm Foods

Day 2: Sheep

Read:  

Abeka Preschool Curriculum

Songs:  

Activities:

  • Paper Plate Sheep
  • Do-A-Dot Sheep
  • Heard the Sheep
Paper Plate Sheep
Do-A-Dot Sheep
Heard the Sheep

Day 3:  Cow

Read:  

Abeka Preschool Curriculum

Songs: 

Animal Alphabet Friends

Snacks:

  • Chocolate Milk

Activities:

  • Paper Plate Cow
  • Do-A-Dot Cow
  • Milk the Cow
Paper Plate Cow
Do-A-Dot Cow
Milking a Cow

Day 4: Horse

Read:  

Abeka Preschool Curriculum

Songs: 

Animal Alphabet Friends

Snacks:

  • Apples and carrots
Sharing the snack with the horse!

Activities:

  • Paper Plate Horse
  • Do-A-Dot Horse
  • Rocking Horse (Stick Horse)
Paper Plate Horse
Do-A-Dot Horse
Rocking Horse

Day 5:  Pig

Read:  

Abeka Preschool Curriculum

Songs: 

  • This Little Piggy

Snacks:

  • Pigs in a Blanket (Wrap hot dots in crescent rolls  375 degrees for 10 min)

Activities:

  • Paper Plate Pig
  • Catch the Piggies
  • Numbers & Colors Pig E Bank
Catch the Piggies
Paper Plate Pig

Day 6:  Donkey

Read:  

Abeka Preschool Curriculum

Songs:  

Animal Alphabet Friends

Activities:

  • Paper Plate Donkey
  • Pin the Tail on the Donkey
Paper Plate Donkey

Day 7: Goat

Read:  

Abeka Preschool Curriculum

Songs:  

  • Gomer Goat YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cItWWyC9dc&list=PLtcVDUfj-tZytwkA64XHNSi0PwA0TMrJM&index=7
Animal Alphabet Friends

Activities:

  • Paper Plate Goat.
  • Do-a-Dot Goat
  • Goat Colors and Shapes
Do-A-Dot Goat
Goat Shapes
Goat Colors
Paper Plate Goat

Day 8:  Rooster

Read:  

Abeka Preschool Curriculum

Songs:  

Animal Alphabet Friends

Activities:

  • Paper Plate Rooster
  • Feather Rooster
Paper Plate Rooster
Feather Rooster

Day 9: Chicken

Read:  

Abeka Preschool Curriculum

Songs:

  • Five Little Chickens

Snacks:

  • Hard Boiled Eggs

Activities:

  • Paper Plate Chick
  • Do-A-Dot Chicken
  • Feed the Chickens
  • Counting Chicks
  • Catch the Fox
Paper Plate Chick
Counting Chicks
Do-A-Dot Chicken
Feed the Chickens
Catch the Fox

Day 10: Mouse

Read:  

Abeka Preschool Curriculum

Songs: 

Snacks:

  • Cheese

Activities:

  • Paper Plate Mouse
  • Mouse in the Color House
  • Mouse Colors and Shapes
Paper Plate Mouse
Mouse Colors
Mouse Shapes
Mouse in the Color House

Day 11: Cat

Read:  

Abeka Preschool Curriculum

Songs: 

Activities:

  • Paper Plate Cat
  • Do-A-Dot Cat
  • Cat Colors and Shapes
Cat Shapes
Cat Colors
Do-A-Dot Cat
Paper Plate Cat

Day 12:  Dog

Read:  

Abeka Preschool Curriculum

Songs: 

Snacks:

  • Puppy Chow

Activities:

  • Paper Plate Dog
  • Do-A-Dot Dog
  • Doggy Doggy Where’s My Bone?
Paper Plate Dog

I ordered a couple toddler age books from Abeka.com. Following are some of the specific books with links that are used in this Farm Tot School Unit:

Grant’s Farm

Home of the Budweiser Clydesdales
Baby Goats
Chickens
Milk a Cow

Baby (High Contrast) Farm Book List:

  • Farm by James Brown
  • Black & White Farm by Charles Reasoner
  • Hello, Farm by Cani Chen

Toddler (Live Animal) Farm Board Book List:

  • Busy Doggies by John Schindel & Beverly Sparks
  • Busy Barnyard by John Schindel & Steven Holt
  • Busy Horsies by John Schindel & Casi Lark
  • Pocket Piggies Opposites! By Richard Austin
  • Farm Animals by National Geographic
  • Sleepy Cat by David P. Hall

Toddler (Sing Song) Farm Board Book List:

  • Five Little Ducks by Little Scholastic
  • The Chicks in the Barn by Aly Fronis
  • Old Macdonald had a Farm by Pam Adams
  • Moo, Baa, La La La! By Sandra Boynton
  • Skip to My Lou by Nadine Bernard Westcott
  • Farmyard Rhymes by Clare Beaton
  • Barnyard Dance by Sandra Boynton

Toddler (Lift-a-Flap) Farm Board Book List:

  • Noisy Farm by Covent Garden Books
  • Moo by Matthew Van Fleet
  • Pop-Up Peekaboo! Farm by Dawn Sirett & Sarah Davis
  • Farm! By Lori Froeb

Toddler (Touch-and-Feel) Farm Board Book List:

  • Baby Touch and Feel Farm Animals by Dawn Sirett
  • Touch and Feel Farm by Scholastic
  • Baby Touch and Feel Tractor by Dawn Sirett & Charlie Gardner
  • Farm by Phillips
  • Baby Einstein Touch and Feel Farm Animals by Julie Aigner-Clark
  • Touch and Feel Farm by DK Publishing
  • Touch and Feel Tractor by John Deere
  • Touch & Feel Farm by Dwell Studio
  • Fuzzy Farm by Little People
  • Night Night Farm by Amy Parker
  • F is for Farm by Aimee Chapman
  • Good Night Farm by Patricia Hegarty
  • On the Farm by Little Bee Books

Toddler (Animal Sounds) Farm Board Book List:

  • Clifford’s Animal Sounds by Normal Bridwell
  • My Farm Friends by Wendell Minor
  • Farm Friends 101 Dalmatians by Disney
  • Find the Piglet by Stephen Cartwright
  • Funny Farm by Grosset & Dunlap
  • Baby Animal Farn by Karen Blair
  • On the Farm by Kate Riggs
  • Moo, Moo, Peekaboo! By Jane Dyer
  • Farm Babies by Emily Bolam
  • Farm Friends Little People by Fisher-Price
  • Farm Animals by Charles Reasoner

Preschool (Favorites) Farm Book List:

  • The Donkey’s Christmas Song by Nancy Tafuri
  • Going to Sleep on the Farm by Wendy Cheyette Lewison
  • Little Red Hen by Beverly Capps Burgess
  • Farm Lullaby by Karen Jameson

Preschool (Lift-a-Flap) Farm Book List:

  • The Berenstain Bears Visit the Farm by Mike Berenstain
  • Peek-a-Moo! By Marie Torres Cimarustk
  • PeekABoo Farm by Jane Dyer

Preschool (Colors) Farm Book List:

  • One Sheep, Blue Sheep by Thom Wiley
  • Moo Moo, Brown Cow by Jakki Wood
  • Moo, Moo. Brown Cow Have You Any Milk? By Phillis Gershator

Preschool (Numbers) Farm Book List:

  • Tiny Puppies by V.C. Graham
  • My First Counting Book by Lilian Moore
  • Ten Sleepy Sheep by Phyllis Root
  • Barn Cat by Carol P. Saul
  • Pocket Piggies Numbers! By Richard Austin
  • Big Fat Hen by Keith Baker

Preschool (Alphabet) Farm Book List:

  • Usborne Farmyard Tales Alphabet Book by Heather Amery & Stephen Cartwright
  • John Deere Farm ABC by John Deere
  • Click, Clack, Quackity-Quack by Doreen Cornin & Betsy Lewin
  • G is for Goat by Patricia Polacco

Preschool (Sing Song) Farm Book List:

  • Barnyard Boogie by Jim and Janet Post
  • Mickey and Friends Old MacDonald Has a Farm by Margaret Snyder
  • Pete the Cat Old MacDonald Had a Farm by James Dean
  • Old MacDonald Drives a Tractor by Don Carter
  • When Cows Come Home by David L. Harrison

Preschool (Story) Farm Book List:

  • The Farm Book by Jan Pfloog
  • Big Red Barn by Margret Wise Brown
  • Tractor Power! By Catherine Nichols
  • Duck on a Bike by David Shannon
  • The Puppy Book by Jan Pfloog
  • Baby Farm Animals by Garth Williams
  • Where Do You Sleep Little One? By Patricia Hopper
  • Good Morning, Farm by Lori Reiser
  • Let’s go to the Farm! By Carly Hart & Lauren Tobia
  • Piglet and Granny by Margaret Wild

Storm (X-Men) Party -2

Storm (X-Men) party this year. With rainbows, lightning bolts, and tornados added!

Storm Dress

They all wore their “Storm X-Men” Shirts.

Birthday Girl’s shirt says “TWO NADO”, and mine says “STORM CHASER”.

I tried my very best to give her a zigzag lightning bolt part in her pigtails! She is also wearing her lightning bolt earrings that we got for our X-Men Family Halloween Dress up.

Storm Decorations

I used pool noodles to make a rainbow. White pom-poms for the clouds, then I cut out lightning bolts for the clouds. A cloud table cloth for the background. Then I used a black umbrella with paper rain drops hung with fishing wire.

I used the “Xavier’s School” that I made for our X-men Family dress up last Halloween. Then I printed out X-Men Storm posters and made some “X” symbols with paper.

Crepe paper rainbow with white pom pom clouds. I put in the extra lightning bolts and rain drops that I had.

Cloud and lightning bold balloons.

TWO nado… I hung gray crepe paper from the ceiling fan and then turned it on medium.

Storm Food

We had lots of Storm themed foods!

We had “Rain Water”, “Mini Marshmallow Hailstones”, “Nacho Bugle Tornados”, “Cheetos Lightning Bolts”, and “Cotton Candy Sunset Clouds”!

Rainbow Flavored Drinks

Fruit dip is made with cream cheese and marshmallow cream.

Pizza is made with pepperoni, olives, and cheddar to create and “X” symbol.

Storm Cake

I followed the directions on the white cake box then covered it in my buttercream and then marshmallow fondant. Last I used black buttercream to spell her name and make cracks with the lightning bolt.

Buttercream Icing

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 cup Crisco
  • 4 cups powdered sugar (2 lbs)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 tablespoon milk (if thick)

Directions:

  1. Cream together the butter and Crisco with a mixer.
  2. Slowly add in 1 cup of powdered sugar at a time.
  3. Add the vanilla, if it seems too thick you can add a bit of milk.

Marshmallow Fondant Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 16 oz. Mini Marshmallows
  • 3 TBSP water
  • 2 lbs Powdered Sugar (4 cups)
  • Crisco

Directions:

  1. Grease a large glass bowl with Crisco.
  2. Pour in the marshmallows and water; then microwave at 30- second intervals, stirring after each interval, until melted.
  3. Reserve about 1/4 cup of the powdered sugar. Place the rest of the powdered sugar in a large bowl of a standing mixer.
  4. Grease the paddle attachment with Crisco and pour in the melted marshmallows on top of the powdered sugar.
  5. Beat until a dough form; there will be a lot of loose bits and sugar in the bottom of the bowl.
  6. Grease a clean work surface with Crisco and dump out the fondant and all the loose bits. Grease your hands liberally with Crisco and knead the mixture together, just like kneading bread, for about 5 minutes until smooth.
  7. Grease hands again as needed. As the fondant becomes smoother, use the reserved powdered sugar to coat the surface to keep it from sticking.
  8. Once smooth, you can divide and color the fondant. While working with one piece, cover the remaining fondant with plastic wrap to keep it from drying out.
  9. When you have your colors finished coat the fondant in a light layer or Crisco; wrap in plastic wrap and place in a large baggie for at least an hour, preferably overnight.
  10. Store at room temperature for several months. To us it, dust the surface and rolling pin with powdered sugar and roll out to 1/8 of an inch.

Water Play

Rainbow sprinkler and bubbles.

Happy Birthday my Sweet Perfect Storm!

24 Month Old Sleeping Beauty Toddler Photos

She is a gorgeous 2 year old Sleeping Beauty!

She like the fountain!

Wanted to touch all of the roses, but we were at a public rose garden so I tried to keep her from grabbing them.

One of the gardeners cut a rose just for her to match her dress and brought it over to give to her. She is watching him walk away here!

My Sleeping Beauty!

Below she is Sleeping Beauty 1 year apart in each photo…

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