Trains, trains, trains!

Can anyone guess what we did last weekend?

 

And can you tell who enjoyed it the most?

 

 

For more out of the ordinary moments, head over to Try New Adventures Thursday.

What to Make for Lunch Besides a Sandwich

Recently, I decided to make homemade bread so I would not have to run out and buy more sliced bread.  While it is a noble and thrifty goal, getting myself to carve out three plus hours to make bread is an uncommon feat.  Especially since I lost the paddle to my bread machine more than a year ago.

So for the past week, my daily lunch dilemma has had the added difficulty of no sliced bread option.  This makes packing my husband's lunch quite challenging, since he usually takes an almond butter and jelly or some other kind of sandwich.

Nevertheless, I came up with a collection of lunch alternatives.

10 Lunches That Don't Require a Typical Loaf of Bread

1. Tortilla pizzas - We had these pizzas for lunch today.  Yes, I used homemade tortillas, but store-bought tortillas are fine too.

2. Fish tacos - We ate these tacos yesterday, using a leftover fish fillet.

3. Pasta salad - Another great way to combine whatever veggies and protein we happen to have.

4. Stuffed avocados - These are gluten free and delicious!



5. English muffin or pita sandwiches -
I like to keep English muffins in the freezer as a backup.

6. Crepes (also known as Swedish Pancakes) - Fill these with ham and cheese for a savory option.

7. Taco Salad - My cousin used to eat this almost every day--in peace, after her kids had their lunch.

8. DIY "Lunch-ables" - I make ours with cheese, meat, and crackers.  Avocado is a nice addition too.

9. Lettuce or cabbage wraps - I use a large leaf to wrap up whatever protein I have in the fridge.

10. Baked sloppy joes - This went into my husband's lunch bag today while it was still warm.

Though not as effortless as a sandwich, sometimes I would rather avoid the hassle of going out to buy bread ( I use mayonnaise when we're out of milk for the same reason).  And these lunches are not too messy to pack up for my husband or for me and my kid(s) if we're on the go.

If you were out of bread for the week, 
what would you make for lunch?

Linked to Top Ten Tuesday

Five Happy Moments

What Came on Monday

What We Got Tuesday

Armed with cardboard and instructions, two young scientists are ready to begin their projects for the Science Fair next month.

What I Needed to Hear on Wednesday 

See that book?  It's actually a love letter.  And the words come from the One who is love.  That's why He can love me, in spite of all that wearies Him, just like he loves the people described in chapters 42 and 43 of Isaiah.


What the Kids Configured Thursday

I thought this was an ingenious way to resolve the longstanding conflict over who gets the two swings.  Now all three can!

And before we had a swing set, they devised this simple setup, which they continue to enjoy in addition to the big wooden play set (that grandparents and great grandparents sponsored).

What Remained on Friday

What moments from your week are you savoring with a thankful heart?

I'm linking up with the Company Girls and Boys in Motion today.

Unabashed Aluminum Can Collecting

Our Adventure

Sunny skies, melted snow, and no lawns being mowed yet meant there were plenty of empty cans along our street route today.  All those shiny recyclables beckoned me to gather them.  So, after a nice long bike ride, I decided to be bold and pick up cans I spotted instead of hurrying home; I let my son pick up a few as well.  We counted our stash upon returning.  The boy: 7,  Momma: 17.  Then we washed our hands thoroughly as soon as we went inside.


Our Reasons

While we are never going to make a lot of money doing this, collecting aluminum cans has several important benefits:

• it reduces litter
• it conserves natural resources through recycling
• it teaches children that earning money is hard work

I can also think of other educational opportunities that can collecting offers me and my kids.  We can:

• calculate how many cans or bags of cans it takes to make a pound.
• calculate how much each can is worth, depending on the current price of aluminum.
• discuss how much energy is saved by recycling versus using raw materials.

Mighty Good Molasses Muffins

Rich in calcium, iron, and aromatic spices, molasses muffins are a perfect sweet-but-not-too-sweet snack that works most any time of day.

"They taste like pioneer bread," according my husband.  Thanks to a hearty portion of molasses, these muffins are packed with flavor and nutrition.  Our whole family liked these cinnamon and ginger spiked morsels.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups unbleached flour
• 1/4 cup whole wheat graham flour (or regular whole wheat flour)
• 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

• 1 cup sour milk or buttermilk
• 3/4 cup molasses* 
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/3 cup melted butter or oil
• 1/4 cup brown sugar

• unsweetened coconut flakes, optional

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). Cream together melted butter or oil and brown sugar.  Stir in molasses, milk, and eggs.  Beat until smooth.
2. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, spices, baking soda, and salt.  Add to wet ingredients and blend just until batter becomes fairly smooth.
3. Spoon batter into greased or paper-lined muffin cups.  Bake for 18 to 25 minutes, until middle springs back when touched.
4. Allow to cool slightly and spread additional butter on top if desired.  To decorate with coconut flakes, cut a stencil from wax paper before pouring coconut on top.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

* Applesauce can be substituted for up to half the molasses if needed. For example, if you empty your bottle of molasses and realize you don't have enough to make 3/4 cup.  This happened to me the first time I made these muffins. 

Makes about 18 muffins.

This recipe is linked to Pennywise Platter Thursday.

Valentine Crayon Rubbings

Getting my three-and-a-half-year-old to draw is not easy.  "You do it" is his usual response to my invitation to color.  Since he sees his sisters drawing elaborate pictures every day, he doesn't like his own rudimentary attempts at art.  However, crayon rubbings proved a magical method for him to get pleasing results.  All I had to do was set him up for success.  My daughters enjoyed learning a new art technique as well.

Materials:

• Crayons, paper wrapping removed
• Paper
• Scissors
• Cardboard (thin, like from a cereal box)

These cardboard shapes were used under the paper.

Directions:

1. Cut out desired shapes and letters from cardboard.
2. Position shapes under paper.
3. Use the side of a crayon to rub over the shape.
   

I'm linking this activity to Kids Get Crafty.

Homemade Fish Crackers, Art, and Math Pedagogy

Snacks as Math and Art

Our fish crackers were inspired by the masterful art of M.C. Escher.  The fish shapes show the beauty and efficiency of wave patterns and curves. That math can be beautiful is something I learned too late; I want my children to be introduced to that truth early in their school years.

Learning math was usually a struggle for me. Reading this critique of the way mathematics is taught clarified some of the reasons why.   I can only guess how a passionate mathematician like Paul Lockhart teaches math to young students.
Not until I took geometry in high school did I start looking forward to math class.

It is my hope that hands-on learning opportunities like these fish will help my children discover that visual patterns and math are wonderfully and inextricably linked.  And we ponder such intricacies, we can have fun fitting the little fish back together as a puzzle.

Quick and Easy Fish Crackers : Tortillas as a Medium

First, cut the tortillas into symmetrical wavy strips.

Then trim the tortillas to form fish shapes. 

Finally, after cutting the fish shapes, bake at 200 degrees F for about 20 minutes to make them into crisp crackers.  Enjoy plain or serve with guacamole and/or cream cheese.

Menu and Activity Plan for the Week {2/7 - 2/12}

Due to the wintry weather,  I did not get out to the Asian market to replenish my ingredients for Chinese or Vietnamese cuisine last week.  So we made a Chinese jump rope from yarn and a bit of elastic--that was the extent of our Lunar New Year activities.  I did have fun experimenting in the kitchen with crepes and fruit, in anticipation of Valentine's Day next week.

Today I shall head to the Asian market so I can finally cook some semi-authentic ethnic dishes.  Happily, my daughter's kindergarten class is learning about Chinese New Year this week, so we can at least be coordinated, albeit a few days late.

In the activity realm, I am planning to post some simple Valentine's Day craft ideas soon.  So come on back this week to see what we produce.  In the mean time, you might see if any of these DIY game ideas strike your fancy.  Have a lovely week!

DINNERS:

• Leftovers & Tossed Salad
• Noodle Stir Fry & Vietnamese Pumpkin Wraps
• Waffles, Bacon, & Fruit Salad
• Lasagna Roll Ups & Tossed Salad
• Chicken or Duck, Sticky Rice, & Cucumber Salad
• Salmon Pot Pie

ACTIVITIES:

• Yarn measuring, make rock candy
• Ice suncatchers, make valentines
• Indoor hopscotch, Chinese jump rope

For more menu ideas, head to Menu Plan Monday.

Chinese Jump Rope and the Lunar New Year

Happy Lunar New Year!

Chuc Mung Nam Moi!

Xin Nian Kuai Le!

Across the Pacific, it's already February 3rd, and the Vietnamese and Chinese are busy ushering in the year of the rabbit for the next several days.  So I thought why not celebrate by hopping around a little?  The inspiration to do Chinese jump rope struck me this week as I contemplated what to do with my three energetic kiddos.  We've been snowed in for two days.

Years ago, my best friend and I would play Chinese jump rope together.  In my twenties, I was in China and got to see the real thing.  Now that I have kids, I thought it would be fun to teach them the simple version I learned as a girl.  Here we are, practicing our moves:

In

Out

On!

"Yi, er, san!"

The simple chant of instructions we followed:
One, two, three*,
One, two, three*,
In, out, in, stretch,
In, out, on!

 *We introduced saying the Chinese numbers "yi", "er", "san" instead.

To hear them pronounced, go to the Ting guide.

For rubber band skipping in authentic Asian contexts, take a look at the video slide show and brief YouTube clip below.   Enjoy!

Linking this to WFMW and Show and Tell.

Green Bay Packers Crackers

Though I am not really into pro football, my husband has been a Packers fan from birth.  So I made these green Packers crackers to show my support.  He was amused.  Hopefully he will get to watch his team play in the Superbowl on Sunday, though he'll have to find a screen somewhere else.  We have neither a TV antenna nor cable at home.  And on most days, that's the way we like it.

Ingredients: 

• Spinach tortillas (buy some like me or make using Tammy's recipe)
• Cream cheese, softened
• Turmeric, paprika, cumin, and taco sauce
• Salsa verde, optional

To make them:

1. Cut tortillas into football shapes.  Place on baking tray.  Bake at 200 degrees F until they become crisp, about 20 minutes. Allow to cool.
2. Mix together cream cheese, turmeric, and other spices until desired color and flavor is reached.
3. Place yellow cheese mixture in a plastic bag.  Cut a tiny hole and carefully squeeze out cheese to form the lines of the football lacing.
4. If desired, serve the crackers with salsa verde for dipping.

If you have kids who would be interesting in learning a little more about football, check out Mrs. Perry's Superbowl unit.

Linking this to Works for Me Wednesday