Wordless Wednesday~ leaves of blessings

Wordless Wednesday~ many leaves of blessings pouring out upon the ground 

Have a terrific day! think positive and throw some leaves!

Monday Menu fun learning in the kitchen

 

 What is your mood today?? Happy pumpkin? Sad, grouchy, lazy, hungry,I can tell you that this mom is a tired pumpkin today, so I was happy to find print all sorts of October and Halloween themed lessons today from abcteach.com, including this delicious recipe below.

What else can your kids learn in the kitchen? 

Math: let them count, measure and multiply your ingredients, 

Spelling: Make a list of fun spelling words from your recipe or theme of the week, such as "Pumpkin, Butter, Flour, Sugar, Cinnamon, Eggs, Baking, Spatula, Halloween, Sprinkles, Shapes, Oven, Kitchen, Puree, Ounces, Pounds, Cups.........it could go on and on. 

Chemistry: what elements are in your recipe? 

Science: Heat, liquids, solids, oil and water experiments

English: Find the nouns and verbs in this recipe, make some cool sentences or stories about the ingredients coming to life.

Handwriting: Of course they can write out the recipe and make a booklet or lapbook of fall recipes.

See how homeschool is anytime school, we think learning 24/7

Pumpkin Spice Bars

What you'll need:

2 c graham cracker or gingersnap crumbs
7 Tbs butter, melted
1 2/3 c plus 1/4 c sugar, divided
2 c all-purpose flour
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
4 eggs
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
1 c vegetable oil
1 can (16 oz) cream cheese frosting
Halloween shaped sprinkles

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Line a 15x11 inch pan with foil and set aside.
In a small bowl, mix crumbs, butter, and 1/4 c sugar until well combined. Spread
mixture into prepared pan. Smooth mixture in pan to form an even crust.
Bake crust until fragrant, about 6 min.; let cool completely.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a separate bowl, beat eggs, remaining sugar, pumpkin puree, and oil; stir in flour
mixture.
Using a rubber spatula, spread pumpkin mixture evenly over the cooled crust in pan.
Bake until filling pulls away from the pan, 25-30min.; let cool completely in pan.
Frost top with cream cheese icing. Gently drag the tines of a fork from side to side
through the frosting to create wave pattern. Sprinkle with Halloween shaped
sprinkles. Cut into 24 bars and serve.

http://abcteach.com/directory/seasonalholidays/halloween/ 

Recipe credit to our friends at abcteach.com and the wonderful seasonal unit for 

October!

Enjoy from Me~

Until you spread your wings..

 

 

~ Touched by the Love of Angels ~

May angels rest beside your door,
May you hear their voices sing.
May you feel their loving care for you,
May you hear their peace bells ring.
May angels always care for you,
And not let you trip and fall,
May they bear you up on angel's wings,
May they keep you standing tall.
May they whisper wisdom in your ear,
May they touch you when you need,
May they remove from you each trace of fear,
May they keep you from feeling greed.
May they fill you with their presence,
May they show you love untold,
May they always stand beside you
And make you ever bold.
May they teach you what you need to know
About life here and here-after.
May they fill you always with their love
And give you the gift of laughter ♥ ♥ ♥

 

 

Pumpkin drooling and designs~~

Fall is my favorite season because of the colors, the leaves, the crisp air and oh yes......PUMPKINS!! Eat your heart out Jenn Haggerty (my sweet pumpkin nut friend) this post is likely to drive you insane. Lets first find some delicious pumpkin foodies to enjoy and drool over. At the end is a yummy treat to warm your tummy up!

Pumpkin Roll Cake by Paula Deen  ( I love her cooking)

Ingredients 

Cake:
3/4 cup cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon ground allspice
6 large eggs, separated
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup golden brown sugar, packed
2/3 cup canned pumpkin, packed
1/8 teaspoon salt
Powdered sugar
Filling:
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
2 tablespoons dark rum
1 cup whipping cream, chilled
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
6 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup English toffee pieces for garnish
Additional powdered sugar, for garnish
1 1/2 cups purchased caramel sauce, warmed, for garnish

Directions

For the cake: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Line a 15 by 10 by 1-inch baking sheet with parchment paper. Spray the parchment with nonstick cooking spray.
Sift the flour, cinnamon, ginger, and allspice into a small bowl. In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until very thick. Add the pumpkin to the egg mixture and combine at a low speed until incorporated. Add the dry ingredients and beat at a low speed until mixed. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites and salt until stiff but not dry. Fold into the cake batter, stirring with a spatula, until most of the white streaks are gone.
Spread the batter onto a baking sheet and smooth out. Transfer baking sheet to the oven and bake until a tester comes out clean, about 15 to 18 minutes. While the cake is hot, dust generously with powdered sugar. Loosen the edges and turn the cake out onto a kitchen towel. Fold the towel over the edge of the cake and roll up. Cool completely, edge down, for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
For the filling: Soften the gelatin in the rum. Stir over low heat until the gelatin dissolves. Cool. Beat the chilled whipping cream and powdered sugar in a large bowl until peaks form. Fold in the gelatin and 6 tablespoons English toffee pieces.
To assemble, unroll the cake and sprinkle with 4 tablespoons of English toffee pieces. Spread the filling over the toffee. Start at 1 long side of the cake roll and, using the towel as an aid, roll up the cake to encase the filling. Place the cake, seam-side down, on a platter.
Trim the ends of the cake at a slight diagonal. Dust the cake with powdered sugar. Spoon some warm caramel sauce and the remaining toffee chips over the top of the cake. To serve, use a serrated knife to cut the cake crosswise into 1-inch thick slices. Drizzle more sauce on each slice and serve.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aunt Trina’s Holiday Pumpkin Crunch - given to Paula Deen by her aunt Trina

1 (15 oz.) can fresh pumpkin
1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 c. sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1 box yellow cake mix
1 cup chopped pecans
2 sticks butter, cut into pieces
FROSTING:
1 (8 oz.) pkg. softened cream cheese
1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together pumpkin, evaporated milk, cinnamon and sugar until well combined.  Add eggs and mix well.
Pour mixture into a 9X13 baking dish prepared with a non stick spray. Sprinkle cake mix evenly over entire top. Sprinkle nuts evenly over cake mix and top with butter pieces.  Bake at 350º F for 50-60 minutes.  Set aside to cool.
Prepare frosting while cake is cooling.  In a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer, whip cream cheese until light.  Add in whipping cream and continue to whip until fully combined and thickening.  Add powdered sugar and cinnamon and whip until smooth.
To Serve:  Scoop out a slice of the pumpkin crunch and top with a dollop of the cream cheese frosting, or frost the entire pumpkin crunch with the frosting.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 How about some fun printable activities for your kiddos, homeschooling or not they will enjoy these. From the website http://www.2teachingmommies.com/

Go to webpage to click on picture to download

All the printables are in one easy download. Just click the image above to download a single zip file of all the printables.  You will need to be able to view pop-ups to download the unit, as it will appear in a pop up window from the site! Last year’s printables are also included in this download.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What about decorating those cute pumpkins?? what can we do to a big orange round ball? 

Beautiful pumpkins carved so intricately with a flower/ herbal design

1 love it,!!

 Many many Pumpkins in all sorts of designs and fun creations to try!

Glitter {Pumpkin} Topiary

Pumpkins! #pumpkincarving #fall

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 And for our final "pumpkin treat of the day"

Pumpkin Pie White Hot Chocolate--- yummmmmmm!! 

Ingredients:
3 cups whole milk
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 ounces white chocolate (roughly chopped)
pinch salt

Directions:
1. Heat the milk, pumpkin puree, and spices in a sauce pan until it just starts to simmer and remove form heat.
2. Add the chocolate and stir until it has melted.
3. Pour into mugs and top with whipped cream and garnish with cinnamon.

Similar Recipes: from the Closet Cooking Website- a wonderful spot to enjoy
Pumpkin Pie Milkshake
Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream
Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal
Pumpkin Pie Pancakes
Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake
Pumpkin Pie French Toast
Pumpkin White Chocolate and Macadamia Nut Cookies

Enjoy all!!

Leslie aka BlockmomNC --- lover of pumpkin and cuteness

Wordless Wednesday A is for Apple's and cutie pies

Wednesday brings hump day, my favorite blogging day because of all the Wordless Wednesday pictures that everyone posts, I enjoy seeing them all and posting them myself via my own blogs and social networks for The Mommies Network. This week I found some of last years apple picking photos and a diva that lives at our house, she loves to have her picture taken and loved the apple orchard trip. Next time you take a field trip think of all the wordless Wednesday cute pictures you can save for the year. Start with the alphabet A - Z .

Fellow Bloggers what are you doing?

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Help Wanted: The Mommies Network Blog Contributors! 

 

We are looking for the following additions to our blog team!

Content Team Writers
If you have an interest in writing or blogging about Mom-related topics and stories, we'd love to have you join our team! The Content Team is a fun, interactive group of ladies who write articles that cover all kinds of topics, so no matter your specialty - we want to hear from you! Your words will be published within our fast-growing network of blogs and social media, reaching thousands of mothers from all walks of life! Our only requirement is that you are able to submit a minimum of one article per week for the team.

Cartoonists
Whether your medium is pen, paper and a scanner, Photoshop, Microsoft Paint, or any other tool for that matter - we'd love it if you'd consider submitting your art for use in our Sunday Momics column! We're looking for mom-centered funnies, and would like to receive submissions bi-weekly or weekly. To see some examples of our previously submitted cartoons, click here.


If you'd like to join our team, please email us at hr@themommiesnetwork.org and request an application!

You are Never To Old .... Dream

This quote was to perfect for my life right now, setting new goals, starting over, I left a job of over 20 or so years to set out on uncharted territory miles away so I could be home during the week to homeschool and take care of my family as I should be doing.Working just weekends now allows me the freedom to be home all week long. I left to also get away from the childess behavior that I was beginning to think was a normal way to behave as an ED nurse. I have discovered that you can work with professional, mature, caring and excellent coworkers, not kindergarteners. I entered another realm of work environment and actually enjoying  my job, imagine that.The system I know work for actually wants employees to be happy, what a novel idea, happy nurses take care of patients with a big smile on their face and customer service soars high, 5 stars high!!
So stay tuned for more in the saga of a much happier momma...lol

Happy Fall Ya'll

I have been dressing up my blog with some fun fall decor, pumpkins and scarecrows with fall colors. I love this time of the year and just had to change up the scene a bit. Thank you to my favorite background site "cutest blog on the block" for some awesome free fall backgrounds. I redid my header with Photoshop and my favorite field picture of the 3 amigo kiddos, a Sheri Allison Photography original shown below.

This has to be my favorite picture of all 3 kids, even though they have grown alot since then, it tells the tale of our household, big brother leading his girls thru their journey into adulthood and protecting them as a big brother would.  Good night blogger world.

Dough,Flubber,Gak Mommy DIY

 How to Make your own Doughs, Flubbers, Glurch and Other Homemade Concoctions Art Supplies at home

Terrific list of resources I found via Pinterest from this website today: 
Ohdeedoh.com

• Basic Playdough - Homemade by Jill for on Skip To My Lou
• Uncooked Playdough - Karol's Kitchen
• Gluten-Free Playdough - Celiac Sprue Association
• Kool-Aid Playdough - Chocolate On My Cranium
• Edible Chocolate Play Dough - Instructables User Its Your Dime
• Edible Peanut Butter Play Dough - Instructables User Its Your Dime
• Scented Playdough - Minieco

• Watercolor Paint - Lilac Silhouette
• Puff Paint - One Crafty Mumma
• Milk Paint - Pantry Spa
• Finger Paint - Creative Kids At Home

*note: some of these names are used interchangeably and without consensus so one man's glurch is another man's gak!
• Flubber/Silly Putty - Pepper Paints
• "Clean" Slime/Oobleck - Ohdeedoh (sometimes referred to as oobleck after the Dr. Seuss book Bartholomew and the Oobleck.
• Gak - Polliwog's Cakewalk (sometimes spelled "gack")
• Silly Putty/Glurch - Toms River Mom
• Glurch - My Little Gems (another version)

• Beeswax Crayons - Wee Folk Art
• Soy Wax Crayons - Wee Folk Art
• Crayon Nibbles - My Magic Mom

• Sidewalk Chalk - Tiffany Teske for Craftbits (find Tiffany at Art, Food and Motherhood)
• Egg Shaped Sidewalk Chalk - Skip To My Lou (slightly different recipe) I also found some great blogs and websites that list multiple recipes for homemade art supplies all in one place:
• Artists Helping Children - roster of recipes including facepaint, clay, and glue.
• Fresno Family - over a dozen different dough recipes.
• Play Dough Recipe.org - all dough all the time.
• Kid Activities.net - all kinds of doughs here and other recipes here.
• My Mommy Makes It and here - crayons, dough, fingerpaint, gack, and more.
• Better Budgeting - 20 recipes for homemade art supplies.
• Creative Kids at Home
• Blue Bonnet Village - doughs, clays and over six kinds of paints.
• Kinder Art - comprehensive list of recipes.

Have fun!

(Images: 1. Flickr member FrankenberrysKiss licensed for use under Creative Commons 2. Heather Hackett/Lilac Silhouette 3. Sarah Rae Trover/Ohdeedoh 4. Tiffany Teske)

The next rainy day you have no excuse for the kiddos saying "I'm bored" make some Gak and have a blast.   

Not your Friend, I'm your Parent~

I saw this on Pinterest and had to put it here on our blog, such a great statement, even after the crazy day we have had here, everybody is grouchy including momma.But even after an aggravating day I still love my babies, from the big one to the little one (hubby included).

Momma Block~~

Life is too Short... Take the Chance

Oh how true this very statement is, why don't we heed this warning that our mother most likely sometime in our younger life said to us. I don't know about you, but as a young girl, I knew it all and my parents did not. Oh they have proved me so wrong since then, and I have had to eat much crow. Always know that your mother is a very smart chick, because she has been thru the fire and come out stronger for it. Yes we as moms make mistakes but we also grow from those mistakes and God sets us back on a path that is even and more clear.
Nobody said that it would be easy.... They just promised it would be worth it.....

~~ Leslie~~
aka: not a know it all mom ;)

Stay tuned for some fun field trip picture from our Friday, will try to post them this weekend.

Comparing notes on October 5th~ Tom Conway & Steve Jobs

Saddened by the news that a great man had passed away the very same date that my own father passed away October 5th, just goes to show that great minds do think alike and all things may happen for a reason. I bet my father and Steve Jobs are having an interesting conversation right now in heaven, comparing notes, talking over past elements in each others lives and oh yes, talking about cancer, the common bond they both shared. But no more tears at least for now there is no pain. I miss my father greatly but rejoice in the fact that a new body awaited him in heaven and a great new world opened up for him at the foot of his Jesus.

Steve Jobs was a man that I saw in my father, so smart and so strong, full of life and knowledge spilling out from a cup overflowing. My father chose some different paths in life, was never the CEO of a huge company or a multi-millionaire, but in a sense he was all that. With the love of his family and passion for serving/helping others he was a CEO in my mind with a multimillion dollar heart.They both had similar childhood's, born to unwed young mothers who did not want them, or could not keep them.
Both dropped out of college at one time or another, but continued on.
All the money and prestige in the world just does not matter when that nasty word "cancer" decides to enter your life, now Steve Jobs and Tom Conway are on equal ground hopefully both in heaven, comparing notes.

I have always been touched by this speech and wanted to share it , a great thing for your children to share with you as a parent...hint hint.

via NPR "The death of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, has renewed interest in the commencement address he gave at Stanford University in 2005, which drew considerable attention for its content and because Jobs so rarely spoke in public about himself.

As Bob Boilen writes over at the All Songs Considered blog: "He tells three very candid, uncharacteristically Steve Jobs stories about life, love and death from a guy who's biological mother wasn't able to parent him, was booted from the company he created and battles cancer. Anyone stuck in a miserable job — or anyone trying to figure out what to do with their life — should watch this. He's an inspiring fellow human." Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford commencement address

Stay Hungry ~~ Stay Foolish great words to live by!

Mommies Talk! webinar, don't miss it!

 

 

The Mommies Network Presents ... Mommies Talk!

Mommies Talk is a monthly webinar series that engages, informs, and supports our members.

Get your kids to listen — the first time. No nagging or yelling required. October's webinar, presented in partnership with Positive Parenting Solutions, offers tools and strategies you can use right away. Discover how this webinar will be your answer to better behavior and parenting peace!

There are two dates to choose from: Wednesday, Oct. 12, at 2 p.m. EDT and Thursday, Oct. 13, at 9 p.m. EDT. To ensure that this webinar proceeds as scheduled, we need at least 120 participants. If you are interested in attending, please click here to sign up as soon as possible.

Email jennifer.zaranis@themommiesnetwork.org with any questions about the Mommies Talk webinar series.

Inspirational beauty

Inspiring works from sebastien montaz-rosset a film maker, dad,and video blogger who has captured such wonderful pictures in motion. 

The first video is Summer Feelings:

"A celebration of the beauty of our french and Italian Alps. I filmed and edited what I personally like in the mountain culture: sports, life style, art of living, culture and people."
Enjoy and make sure your speakers are on,the music is incredible!

Summer feelings from sebastien montaz-rosset on Vimeo.

The second video is a touching view that Sebastien captured of his wife and daughter, much like many mothers and little girls in our lifes, so beautiful!

Mother and daughters from sebastien montaz-rosset on Vimeo.


http://www.vimeo.com/chamonix
sebmontaz.com

Enjoy your Sunday!! Inspire someone else today, not just yourself!

Lucy our newest joy ~

A very small creature was all it took for our household to be turned upside down, our big strong teenager brought home this wee little kitten that he rescued so it would not get run over near a very busy road. "Lucy" as he named her, has captured the hearts of everyone here, except for our oldest cat (who growls at her always) and the dogs can't really figure her out yet,Buttons mostly barks at her all the time. She leaps like a rabbit with her little stubby tail (not sure why she has no tail, just a little stubble) that she loves to wag or wiggle back are forth as she runs sideways down our hallway. Today she discovered the bathtub and the top to a shampoo bottle, what fun she had for at least an hour.She was also fascinated with the TV and Xbox Live, all the guns and moving soldiers on the big screen got her into climbing trouble.She has single handed, or pawed, taken out my recycled newspaper pile on the sun-porch and has it all over the floor now. She loves to get in my hair or sleep on my neck if I am on the couch working on my laptop, I guess I am warm and fluffy. Having a kitten is just like having another toddler, same mess, same excitement.

Meet Miss Lucy~~

Please consider adopting your pets or rescue pets that all need homes and spay and neuter to help prevent unwanted and abused animals all over the world. Be a responsible pet owner!! 

 

Field Trip~~ whoo hoo!

Who does not love the word field trip!! I know a homeschool mommy does, that sometimes means a break or another chance for teaching (which is what I love). My kids think field trip means "no work"" "fun and frolic" "play" , well ....... we do those things, but never miss an opportunity to learn something new or possibly relearn things that might have been forgotten, even by mom and dad.

Our trip this time to the Catawba Science Center, right here in our own county, was a day filled with lots of fun things to do. We also visited the Hickory Art Museum, in the same building, one of our favorite spots to visit because it is always a changing canvas of modern art, history, sculpture and imagination. I know that momma could stay in that gallery all day long and bask in the quietness and soak up the history of all that artwork. As usual ,momma is out numbered by her peeps and has to keep moving along back to the Science Center.

Enjoy some of the photos we took that day:  A little physics, some geometry, chemistry, zoology, botany, history and more all while having fun!

 The Many face of our crazy Mommy~ A Lego/K'nex lesson

 Leave me alone momma, but note the grin...lol, never to big to get some sugar from your momma, what happened to my little boy?

 My girlies and some flash black-light photography, another lesson.

My payback, Mr B got me, in the ear......yuck--- slimed, lesson learned by momma.

Have a blessed day!!