Teal and Purple Birthday Cake

We came up with this cake for my sister's birthday. It took less than a batch of fondant and two cake mixes. I did two 9-inch circle pans and a heart pan. 

I covered the cakes with homemade frosting (1/2 cup Crisco, 2 cups powdered sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla, 2 Tablespoons milk) right before I added the fondant. This helps it stick to the cake. 

To make the fondant, melt one 16 oz bag of mini marshmallows with 2 Tablespoons water in a large bowl. Melt on 30 second intervals, stirring after each round of 30 seconds...about 1 1/2 minutes total.

Add 3 cups of powdered sugar. Stir until smooth. Put Crisco on the counter. Knead in about 3 more cups of powdered sugar. (There were about 2 cups of powdered sugar left in the 2 lb. bag.) 

Put Crisco around the ball of dough. Cover with Saran wrap. Place in an air-tight container until ready to work with it. 

I split the fondant into three piles. I colored one purple, one blue (a little bit of blue food gel turned it the teal color), and left the other pile white. 

I just rolled out the fondant and cut strips and circles for the outside decorations. I rolled balls out of the fondant for the bottom and cut out the letters by hand. 

St. Patrick's Day Dinner

As a quick St. Patrick's Day dinner, I boiled some ravioli and placed it on the plate in a shamrock design. We covered it with pesto. Then we added some more green to the plate with sauteed asparagus. Even though it isn't green, the kids love homemade garlic bread. I just toast a piece of bread, spread butter over the toast, and sprinkle on a little garlic salt. 

For dessert, I put out a variety of things the kids could make trifles with. We had brownies, pistachio pudding, mint Oreos,Redi-whip, and green gummy bears. 

St. Patrick's Day Scavenger Hunt #3

Here is our 3rd Annual St. Patrick's Day Scavenger Hunt. I still have shamrocks left from the first year we did this. I found them at a teacher store. The little black pots, along with the gold chocolate coins, came from Party City. The kids will find a pot of gold and a clue in each location. I have a large green pot with more goodies in it for the final clue.

For our past clues, click on these links:
http://workingmomwonders.blogspot.com/2013/02/st-patricks-day-scavenger-hunt.html
http://workingmomwonders.blogspot.com/2014/03/st-patricks-day-scavenger-hunt-2.html

This year's clues:
#1: On St. Patrick's Day, make sure you were green, not pink. But first find your next clue under the bathroom ____________________ (sink)

#2: Later we will have some trifles with Oreos and toffee. But right now your clue is in the drawer for our ______________________ (coffee).

#3: You kids are so smart and you have got some good looks. Your next clue can be found on a shelf for your ________________ (books).

#4: You're so hot you could be on fire. We take clothes out of the washer and put them in the _______________ (dryer)

#5. The leprachaun is loose. Be quiet as a mouse...You might find him in the Barbie _____________ (house).

Pot of Gold Craft

To get ready for St. Patrick's Day tomorrow, we made a pot of gold craft tonight. I cut a pot out of black cardstock and glued it to a piece of white cardstock. 

Then the kids glued little pieces of colored paper to the white cardstock. They added stickers to decorate their pot. 

Pi Day Food

 This year marks a very special Pi Day because of the extra 15 that can be added. So, we decided to celebrate. David likes math, so this was a really neat opportunity to introduce him to the symbol. We made Pi cheese bread and Pi strawberry pie. 

I rolled out my cheese bread dough and cut it in the shape of the pi symbol. (I used a pizza cutter for this step.) My cheese bread recipe can be found here: http://workingmomwonders.blogspot.com/2014/01/snowman-cheese-bread.html

I made my strawberry pie recipe ( http://workingmomwonders.blogspot.com/2014/05/strawberry-pie.html) I made half of the filling this recipe calls for, but all of the pie crust. I used the extra pie crust to cut out the pi symbol and the numbers 3.1415.  

I put the pie together and added the crust shapes and numbers. 

I'm Lucky Shamrock Activity

This craft didn't take a lot of time, and it helped remind the kids of how many things they have to be thankful for. 

I started by drawing a four-leaf clover (or my best attempt at a freehand one!) on a piece of green cardstock. Then I traced the top of the clover on a piece of white cardstock. The kids and I cut out the shapes. 

Then I took a fastener and attached the green four-leaf clover to the white cut-out. We pulled back each piece of the clover and wrote something they decided they were lucky to have. 

Then we decorated the top of the shamrock with some St. Patrick's Day stickers we found at the dollar store. 

Reading Month Popcorn Treat Bag

For David's snack day tomorrow, we decided to continue the "March is Reading Month" theme. We cut strips from colored cardstock and wrote "Pop open a good book!" in the middle. Then we glued pieces of popcorn scrapbook paper on the ends of the cardstock. I staped the strips to a plastic bag and filled it with Skinny Pop popcorn.

Dr. Seuss Treats

Today is Dr. Seuss's birthday. David had snack day, so we made some treats that matched a couple of his books. We made green eggs and ham with two pretzel sticks, a little bit of white chocolate melted on the sticks. Then I added a green sixlet candy to the chocolate. 

The Lorax guys are made from a Nutter Butter cookie. I added candy eyes (to make them stick, I used some of the melted white chocolate leftovers from the pretzels.) Then I added a yellow frosting mustache. 

For dinner, we had pancakes that were turned into the Cat in the Hat hat. I used Redi-whip and strawberries to add the accents to the pancake. 

Basic pancake recipe: 

1 1/3 cup flour

1 1/4 cup milk

1 egg

2 Tablespoons sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 Tablespoons baking powder

2 teaspoons softened or melted butter. 

Whisk together and pour in a heated skillet. 

Only one of the kids wanted to have the green eggs. I just scambled some eggs with a little green food gel. 

Dr. Seuss Cat in the Hat Photo Board

I found a picture of something like this on Pinterest, so I decided to make my own. We usually celebrate Dr. Seuss's birthday on March 2nd, so I thought this would be a fun addition. We will also be sharing this with David's kindergarten class. 

I bought a presentation board at Walmart for under $3. I cut two circles out of the middle. I just did this with scissors because I couldn't find our exacto knife. The scissors worked fine. Then I drew on the design with a pencil. It is just freehand, so there are definitely some issues! 

I outlined everything with black Sharpie. Then I colored in the rest with black, red, and blue Sharpie. I wrote the line, "I can read in red. I can read in blue. I can read in pickle color too." (Taken from a Dr. Seuss book.) The kids had a lot of fun trying out the photo board. 

Snow Day Scavenger Hunt of Activities

 I couldn't resist making another hunt for the kids after seeing their reaction from the Valentine's Day scavenger hunt. (And because Rachel continue to put the clues back in their spot and pretend to find them again!) So, when we got early notice of a snow day tomorrow, this was a perfect opportunity to make some new clues for them to fill our day. 

I will place the new clues where the last activity takes place. 

Here they are...

1. Hip, Hip, Hooray, we have a snow day! Your first clue is by your silly spray! (They have been patiently waiting to spray it all over each other :) ) 

2. Rachel will probably want to watch Sophia and the dancing trolls, but let's start our day with cinnamon rolls! 

3. Spend some time doing a little grammar and math. When 30 minutes are done, your clue can be found where you take a bath. 

4. It's now time to pick out a craft on Pinterest. Make sure it appeals to all of your interests. 

5. While the oven is still on, and after you remember to feed Fred, let's go to the kitchen and bake some bread! 

6. Go find some green or put on your suit. It's time for a photo shoot. 

7. Let's read a chapter from The Long Winter to help fill our day. Let's hope the groundhog was wrong and spring comes without delay! 

I just wrote these on some scrapbook paper.  Won't be as much fun as the prize hunt, but should help keep them active while we try to stay warm! 

#LoveTeaching Week

Last week was #Love Teaching Week...A week dedicated to showcasing the positives about teaching. The media does a great job showing many of the negatives that come along with teaching, but rarely highlights the reasons we went into this profession to start with.

Don't get me wrong, this career is difficult and definitely has its challenges. There have been times in my ten years of teaching that I have questioned my career choice and contemplated starting over in a new career. There have been many times that I have felt guilty about working outside of the home in a career that demands so much of my time at home too.  However, whenever I am having my doubts, something always happens to remind me that I am making a difference. 

For instance, as I thought about all the little things I could share for #LoveTeaching this week on social media, I realized that I can find something positive about my job every single day. 

I noticed, in this one-week time frame, that what really makes me love teaching the most is the connection I can make with these students on a daily basis. I can make a difference in their lives. Here is a list of some things that have happened in one week of teaching.

I love teaching because...

* After sharing a chapter from Kid President's Guide to Being Awesome, written by Brad Montague and Robby Novak, the kids in one of my classes were so moved by the message, they broke out into an applause. This reminded me that there are so many students out there that are moved by the idea to treat people more awesome. The line that ended the chapter was,  "Maybe our goal as people shouldn't be to become a celebrity, but to live in a way that makes everyone around us feel celebrated." If I can help these students understand that their actions make a difference and if I can show them that I celebrate them and believe in them, then I am doing the job I set out to do.

* A senior from the school I used to teach at contacted me to tell me that he got accepted at the college of his choice. Why did he contact me? Because he knew I would want to know. These moments in teaching are so important because it tells me that I have made a connection with a student. They know that I care about them and want them to succeed in life. 

* After school (on the last day of the school-week), two students came and asked me to take a picture with them. We were wearing the new shirts our group, Here 2 Make a Change (H2MC), had made. They are helping to spread a positive message throughout our school and community. To see students go out of their way to make a positive impact shows me that with a little reinforcement through me, these students feel comfortable about making a difference. 

* Over the weekend, I opened my email to find a letter written by a freshman in high school. This student took time out of her weekend to send me a message about the impact I have had on her and how much she respects me. It is times like these that make every negative thing about teaching just disappear. These moments keep teachers going for a very long time. 

* Last week, I went to my mailbox in the school office to find a hand-written note from a student facing something that could potentially keep him out of school for a long time. While reading this letter, tears filled my eyes. This student knew I saw potential in him and thanked me for believing in him; he was very sad to say that this letter might be his last good-bye.  This letter reminded me that my teaching can impact all students. Just showing students you believe in them, care about them, and want them to succeed will carry them through some of their toughest moments. 

* While reading a nonfiction piece about refugees, students in every one of my classes shared their concerns and talked about ways people throughout the world could offer help. These moments give me so much hope. High school students often get stereotyped as the "Me Generation". I see on a daily basis that there are so many students that just want to do something to help others, even if it doesn't get them anything. Not all students fit this stereotype...

These moments are just a few that stick out from the week. Like I said before, there is always something, every day, that reminds me why I love teaching.  And while I often bring stress from this job home with me, I honestly believe this profession has made me a better mom. If you are contemplating a career in teaching, know that there will be countless #LoveTeaching moments like this you will be able to reflect on at any point in your career. 

President's Day Craft with Puffy Paint

To start, I made some puffy paint. Puffy paint is just equal parts of shaving cream and school glue. For the brown paint, I added some brown tempera paint to the mixture. 

We cut out a blue hat for George Washington and a black hat for Abe Lincoln. Then we glued it on the paper plate.  We cut the sides of Lincoln's face so it looked longer. Then the kids drew on a face. The final step was to paint the puffy paint on the face. This was their favorite part because I let them use their hands for this step. 

President's Day Treats

I found pictures of these treats on Pinterest. I used a vanilla wafer as the head. I drew on a face with a food marker. Then I added some frosting to be used to stick the marshmallows and chocolate chips on the face. I cut a melting chocolate disc for the hat. 

Valentine's Day Scavenger Hunt #3

We are all pretty excited about our 3rd Annual Valentine's Day Scavenger Hunt. From the moment we turned the calendar to February, David has been counting down the days until this. It is something he remembers and reminds me about yearly. I am sure it will be the same for the St. Patrick's Day hunt. If you want to start a fun tradition with your kids, this is definitely memorable for them! 

I have to give credit to Steve for the clues. He is the poetic one in the family :) Everything pictured below came from the dollar store (except the books). I do have a larger prize waiting for them at the end of the hunt. Here are links to our other Valentine's Day hunts. 

http://workingmomwonders.blogspot.com/2014/02/valentines-day-scavenger-hunt-2.html

http://workingmomwonders.blogspot.com/2013/02/scavenger-hunt.html

The clues for this year: 

Clue #1: We are going to get started. You are going to be the champ. The first clue is under mom's lamp. 

Clue #2: Always have a very strong handshake. Your next clue is found on a topping for your pancake. 

Clue #3: Syrup is sweet and sticky like glue. Your next clue is found where you put on your shoe. 

Clue #4: Violets are blue, Roses are red. Your next clue is found by Fred (our fish). Could say bed instead.

Clue #5: You are almost done, and are smooth as silk. Your next clue is attached to your milk.

Clue #6: This is it. Your hunt is done. Go to your playhouse to find your fun. 

Paw Patrol Birthday Cake with Marshmallow Fondant

For Rachel's 3rd and a 1/2 birthday, she decided on a Paw Patrol cake. So I got adventurous, after using fondant for the first time last weekend, and made this look-out tower cake. I made a cake in a 10x12 inch cake pan. I used regular cake decorating frosting ( 1 cup crisco, 4 cups powdered sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla, and 4 Tbsp milk) for the green grass. I also used this frosting to cover the tower before I put on the fondant. 

I then made my own fondant. We all liked the taste of this fondant. 

Put one 16 oz  bag of mini marshmallows and 2 Tablespoons of water in a microwavable bowl. 

Melt in the microwave on 30 second intervals, stirring after each 30 second time frame. 

Add 1 lb of powdered sugar and stir. Grease the counter and your hands with crisco. Knead another 3 cups of powdered sugar into this mixture. (I had 1 cup left of a 2 lb bag of powdered sugar.) 

Then I split the fondant up  for the amount of colors I needed and colored each ball with food gel. 

I put crisco around the ball of colored fondant and covered it with plastic wrap. I put it in an air-tight container until I was ready to make the cake. I did put the ball in the microwave for a few seconds before I made the cake. This softened it really quickly and made it easier to work with. 

The tower is made from Rice Krispie treats. I used a whole batch of Rice Krispies for the entire tower. (3 Tbsp butter, 6 cups marshmallows, 6 cups Rice Krispies)  I molded this free-hand and then covered it with the fondant colors. If you spray your hands with cooking spray, it is very easy to mold this into the pieces that make the tower. 

Tip: The top is pretty heavy. I put a small tupperware bowl in the cake, face down. Then I set the whole tower on top of that bowl. That helped support it a lot better. 

I found the Paw Patrol figures at Target. 

Groundhog Day Pancakes

For these Groundhog Day pancakes, I started by making my baked pumpkin doughnut holes: http://workingmomwonders.blogspot.com/2013/10/baked-pumpkin-doughnut-holes.html

Next, I made chocolate chip pancakes: http://workingmomwonders.blogspot.com/2013/02/pancakes.html

Then I added Cheerio ears, frosting and mini chocolate chips for eyes, a red candy for a nose, and black gel for the mouth. 

Superman 40th Birthday Cake with Homemade Fondant

When a friend of ours turned 40, I decided I would try to overcome my fear of fondant and make this cake for him. 

It turned out okay, and I learned a lot about fondant in the process! 

I know I don't like the taste of store-bought fondant, so I tried to make my own. I found this recipe for the black fondant: http://bakeyourfaceoff.blogspot.com/2011/03/black-marshmellow-fondant-badass-and.html

I altered it a little bit...

Ingredients: 

1 cup of black melting chocolate discs

1 bag mini marshmallows

3 Tbsp water

1 lb of powdered sugar plus 1 1/2 cups

1 tsp black food gel

Crisco

Put your marshmallows and water in a microwavable bowl. Heat for 30 seconds. Stir. Repeat process for about 2 minutes total. 

Add the chocolate discs. Stir. Then add the black food gel. Stir. Add about half of the powdered sugar. Stir. Add the rest of the powdered sugar. Put Crisco on your hands and knead in the rest of the powdered sugar. 

Put Crisco around the dough ball and wrap with plastic wrap. Place in an air-tight container and refrigerate until ready to use. I did have to warm it in the microwave for about 30 seconds to soften it up before I used it. 

I worked in layers for this cake. I started by making the Superman shirt and then placed it on my cake. 

Then I added the white shirt. I rolled out the black fondant and placed that on top. Then the final touches were the white collar, the black buttons on the suit, and the red tie. I wrote the message on a piece of red fondant. 

Bubble Painting

We decided to give bubble painting a try today. It was a little messy, but the kids thought it was really cool! 

We mixed 1/4 cup water, 2 Tbsp paint, and 2 Tbsp dish soap in a little pie tin. A bowl would work fine too. 

Blow in the tin with a straw and watch the bubbles expand. We pulled the bubbles over our paper and let it dry.

 I did put some cardboard hearts on the paper to create more of a Valentine's Day image on it. 

Mini Corn Dogs

I found this recipe on Pinterest and decided we would make Corn "Pups" for the Puppy Bowl.: http://www.momontimeout.com/2013/08/easy-homemade-kid-friendly-mini-corn-dogs/

They turned out really well! I used peanut oil so they look a little darker than they would if you use vegetable oil, but I really like the flavor of the peanut oil. 

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup cornmeal

7 Tbsp flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 cup milk

1 egg

1 Tbsp honey

hot dogs

oil for frying

Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix the egg, honey, and milk in a separate bowl and add it to the dry ingredients. Whisk until it is fully incorporated. I cut my hot dogs in half and put a wooden stick through them. 

Dip each hot dog in the batter and fry in oil that has been heated to 375 degrees. Mine cooked for about 2 minutes before they were fully cooked. 

Kid Friendly Super Bowl Treats

We came up with some Super Bowl treats the kids would eat (and they went together really quickly too). 

I made team color Jell-o. I cut it up into bite-size pieces and layered it with reddi-whip in a clear cup. 

We turned cheese and crackers into a football shape. The football is pepperonit with swiss cheese slices as the laces. 

I saw a lot of really cute stadium-style trays but my kids won't eat any of those dips, so we made a nacho stadium. I have taco meat in one endzone, cheese in the other, lettuce and tomato on the field, and scoops as thesidelines. 

Football Player Rice Krispie Treats

David has snack day tomorrow, so he was very interested in bringing a treat with a Super Bowl theme in mind. We saw pictures of these treats on Pinterest (http://www.partypinching.com/parties-holidays/super-bowl-snack-stadium/) and decided to make our own for his classmates.

I made a double batch of rice krispies. (6 Tbsp butter, 2 bags of mini marshmallows, and 12 cups of rice krispies)

I filled a sheet cake pan with about 2/3 of the mixture. I put the remaining mixture in a smaller pan. I cut the large pan into 25 rectangles.

Then we dipped the bottom of each rectangle in melted dark blue chocolate discs. I used a spoon to cover the bottom half of each treat with the chocolate. We used white frosting to stick a vanilla wafer to the top half. I used an edible food writing pen to draw a face on the wafer. Then we used white frosting to write the numbers of some of the Seahawks players.

Quinoa Taco Bake

I was looking for some quinoa recipes and came across this one. (http://www.michellesfitlife.com/turkey-quinoa-taco-bake-recipe-made-to-fit-the-21-day-fix.php)

I made a few changes to fit what I had, but we all loved this one! I will definitely be making this again. 

Ingredients: 

1 20 oz package of turkey burger

1/2 green pepper, diced

1/4 onion, diced

2 small cans of tomato sauce

1 10 oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies

1 Tbsp lime juice

3 cloves of garlic, diced

2 Tbsp chili powder

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp garlic powder

2-3 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup quinoa

Brown the turkey burger in a saucepan. Add the green pepper, onion, and garlic. Saute for a couple of minutes. Add the lime juice, chili powder, cumin, and garlic powder. Stir. 

Next, add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and 1 cup of shredded cheddar. Remove from heat.

Meanwhile, cook 1 cup of quinoa in 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat and cover. Let simmer for 15 minutes. Add the cooked quinoa to the burger/tomato mixture. Place in a greased 9x13 inch pan. Cover with about 1 1/2-2 cups shredded cheddar cheese. Place a piece of tin foil over the pan and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove the tin foil and bake for 10 more minutes. 

This is really good on its own, but I really enjoyed it in the middle of a tortilla shell. My husband ate some with tortilla chips as well. 

Stuffed Green Pepper Soup

I pinned this recipe from the website: http://www.cookingclassy.com/2014/09/stuffed-pepper-soup/ and decided to give it a try yesterday (with a few changes). I was really happy with how it turned out. 

Ingredients: 

1 lb turkey burger

2 Tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper

1 onion, diced

1 large green pepper, diced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 cans diced tomatoes

1 can tomato sauce

1 cup broth (I used chicken because that was all I had)

1 Tbsp parsley

1/2 tsp basil

1/2 tsp oregano

1 can chili beans (drained and rinsed)

1 cup brown rice 

Start by browning the turkey burger with 1 Tbsp of the olive oil and some salt and pepper in a large pot. When the turkey is browned, remove it to a plate that is covered with paper towels. In the same pot, add the remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil, onion, and green pepper. Let that saute for a few minutes. Add the garlic. Stir for about 30 seconds. Then add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, parsley, basil, and oregano. I added chili beans for added protein. 

Stir and let simmer 

When ready to serve, make your rice. Stir in some rice when you are ready to eat. Keep the rice and soup separate until just before eating. 

2015 Super Bowl Commercial Bingo Cards

Last year I made Commercial Bingo cards for the Super Bowl: http://workingmomwonders.blogspot.com/2014/01/2014-super-bowl-commercial-bingo-cards.html

The kids remembered playing and asked me if I was going to make more cards for this year. So, using the site: http://adage.com/article/special-report-super-bowl/super-bowl-xlix-ad-chart-buying-big-game-commercials/295841/, I came up with these cards. I did move the images around so we have six different cards.