Friday, March 12, 2010

Old Bell Cow (March is Sing with Your Child Month)




I love this show! Too bad I can only find it on the web.
Here's a clip from the PBS show Lomax the Hound of Music.


Lomax The Hound of Music

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

March is Sing with Your Child Month!


In honor of the month have fun singing this silly song and then use the recipe following the song to make your own spaghetti.

ON TOP OF SPAGHETTI
written by Tom Glazer
sung to the tune of "On Top of Old Smokey"


On top of spaghetti (on top of spaghetti)
All covered with cheese (all covered with cheese)
I lost my poor meatball (I lost my poor meatball)
When somebody sneezed (when somebody sneezed)

It rolled off the table (it rolled off the table)
And onto the floor (and onto the floor)
And then my poor meatball (and then my poor meatball)
Rolled out of the door (rolled out of the door)

It rolled in the garden (it rolled in the garden)
And under a bush (and under a bush)
And then my poor meatball (and then my poor meatball)
Was nothing but mush (was nothing but mush)

Oh, the mush was as tasty (oh, the mush was as tasty)
As tasty could be (as tasty could be)
And early next summer (and early next summer)
It grew into a tree (it grew into a tree)

The tree was all covered (the tree was all covered)
With beautiful moss (with beautiful moss)
It grew lovely meatballs (it grew lovely meatballs)
And tomato sauce (and tomato sauce)

So if you eat spaghetti (so if you eat spaghetti)
All covered with cheese (all covered with cheese)
Hold on to your meatball (hold on to your meatball)
And don't ever sneeze (and don't ever sneeze)




Easy Slow Cooker Spaghetti and Meatballs

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 pounds ground beef (you may also used ground turkey)
1 1/4 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
2 cloves garlic, minced
coarse salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 medium yellow onion, chopped (optional)
1 egg, beaten

1 (28 ounce) jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce
1 (16 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (14.25 ounce) can tomato puree

1 pkg of Spaghetti

DIRECTIONS
In a bowl, mix the ground beef, bread crumbs, garlic, onion, and egg.
Using wet hands, form mixture into meatballs.

In a slow cooker, mix the spaghetti sauce, crushed tomatoes, and tomato puree.
Place the meatballs into the sauce mixture.
Cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours.

Cook spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but firm to the bite.
Drain and move onto serving platter.
Spoon the sauce and meatballs over the pasta.

(this is a combination of more than one recipe...one of the original recipes can be found at allrecipes.com)

Tuesday Book Look.....Johnny Appleseed


Today is the Storytelling Sub's first Book Look.
I've decided to dedicated a couple of Tuesdays a month...note I haven't mentioned which ones or how many, yet...to a blog on the great books that are out there.
Each blog will pick a book, give a quick synopsis and an activity that is related to the story. I figure that there are sooooo many books out there that I could do this forever.



This Tuesday's Book Look is about the book Johnny Appleseed by Jane Yolen. There are many, many, many books for children about Johnny Appleseed and you can pick whichever you wish but I happen to like this one by Jane Yolen although Steven Kellog's version is also a fave.
It also happens that Thursday, March 11th is Johnny Appleseed Day.

Jane Yolen's Johnny Appleseed The Legend and The Truth does just as the title indicates. It tells the story of the legend of Johnny Appleseed, in verse, while giving the facts of his life on each page just under the verse.
The books reading level is rated for ages 4 to 8 years.

Just to tell you a little about the books subject without giving away the whole book:
Johnny Appleseed (September 26, 1774 – February 18, 1845)was born John Chapman. He was an American pioneer who introduced apple trees to large parts of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois.
Johnny was born on a small farm in Massachusetts. He headed west when he turned 18. Many believe that he planted apple seeds haphazardly but, in fact, Johnny planted with a plan.
To learn more about Johnny Appleseed, read one of the many books about him.

Now for the crafts!

Here's an apple coloring page

I was going to put a directions for Apple Printmaking but I found a site , Make and Takes, with wonderful directions and pictures.

Ooooo....another apple favorite is Apple Smiles.
you'll need:
an apple (read apples look more mouth like but any type of apple will do), cut into wedges
peanut butter or Nutella
miniature marshmallows
plastic knives
paper plates

how to:
1. Give each child 2 apple wedges, a plastic knife and a few marshmallows
2. Have the child smear peanut butter or nutella on one side of one of the apple wedges.
3. Place a few marshmallows on the peanut butter/nutella side of the apple wedge like teeth.
4. Smear peanut butter/nutella on one side of the other apple wedge.
5. Place this apple wedge on top of the marshmallows.
6. You now should have an apple smile.

Here's a marvelous recipe for Homemade Applesauce


This is the "Johnny Appleseed" song from the Disney movie.



Oh, the Lord's been good to me.
And so I thank the Lord
For giving me the things I need:
The sun, the rain and the appleseed;
Oh, the Lord's been good to me.

Oh, and every seed I sow
Will grow into a tree.
And someday there'll be apples there
For everyone in the world to share.
Oh, the Lord is good to me.

Oh, here I am 'neath the blue, blue sky
Doing as I please.
Singing with my feathered friends
Humming with the bees.

I wake up every day,
As happy as can be,
Because I know that with His care
My apple trees, they will still be there.
The Lord's been good to me.

I wake up every day
As happy as can be,
Beacuse I know the Lord is there
Watchin' over all my friends and me
The Lord is good to me.


-----SPANISH-----

Dios se acordó de mí,
Y a El le agradeezco
Porque me dio
Un Corazón
Y asî amar su creación,
Dios se acordó de

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

How to make three very simple Bird Feeders


Kids love to study animals.
A simple way to encourage your children in observing and helping wildlife is to make bird feeders for the yard.

There are three types of bird feeders that can be made using two basic ingredients...peanut butter and bird seed.

Pine Cone Bird Feeder
you'll need : a pine cone, string, peanut butter and bird seed

* Tie a piece of string, approximately 20inches long, firmly onto one end of the pine cone
* Spread a thick coat of peanut butter on the cone
* Roll the coated pine cone in bird seed
* Hang the pine cone in the yard

Bagel Bird Feeder
you'll need: half a bagel (it can be stale), string, peanut butter and bird seed

1. Take a piece of string approximately 20inches long and place it through the hole in the bagel and tie both ends together to make a large loop to hang up your bird feeder with.
2. Spread the flat side of the bagel with a heavy coating of peanut butter.
3. Pour a good amount of bird seed onto a plate
4. Press the peanut butter side of the bagel into the bird seed
5. Hanger you Bagel bird feeder outside

Toilet Paper Roll Bird Feeder
you'll need: a toilet paper roll, string, peanut butter and bird seed

* Poke holes in the top of a toilet paper roll and thread string through them
* Spread a thick coat of peanut butter on the outside of the toilet paper roll
* Pour bird seed onto a plate
* Roll the peanut butter covered toilet paper roll in the bird seed, make sure it is covered well
* Hang your bird feeder outside

Now that you have your bird feeders, the kids can watch the different birds that come to eat, take pictures of the different birds that show up and maybe even keep track of the number of birds and do some research in to the types of birds that appear.

Happy Crafting!!