Dear Reader,
This Blog is designed for the parents, grandparents and caregivers of young children. Each post will highlight a great book that all children should hear, with tips to enrich the beginning reading skills. You will also find fun recipes that go along with each story. Enjoy reading and cooking with the children in your life.
*Read to the children in your life every day. You are giving them a gift that will last a lifetime!
A Polar Bear in the Snow By: Mac Barnett Art by: Shawn Harris
Ages: Toddlers through Kindergarten
This beautiful book uses white, gray and blues to chronicle the travels of the polar bear in our story. Children will enjoy following the polar bear on his journey. They will learn about this beautiful animal through the amazing illustrations!
Tips for Reading:
- Before reading the story, ask the child to tell you anything that he/she knows about a polar bear.
- After reading, ask the child to tell you why he/she thinks it’s hard to see a polar bear in the snow.
- After reading, ask the child to tell you what he/she thinks a polar bear might eat.
- After reading, ask the child to tell you what protects a polar bear from a snow storm.
- After reading, ask the child to tell you where the polar bear was going and what was he going to do.
- After reading the story, ask the child to tell you something new that he/she learned about polar bears.
Additional Books:
- Snow By: Cynthia Rylant Illustrated by: Lauren Stringer
- Tracks in the Snow By: Wong Herbert Yee
- The Snowy Nap By: Jan Brett
- The Mitten By: Jan Brett
- Dot in the Snow By: Corrinne Averiss
Cooking Time:
Snowflake Yogurt Bites
These easy to make snacks are fun and beautiful. They really do look like winter time! Children will love helping you mix the ingredients, cut the snowflakes and adding the sugar sprinkles.
You will need an 8 or 9 inch square baking dish and a small snowflake cookie cutter.
3 containers (5.3 ounces each) vanilla nonfat Greek yogurt
1 package (3 ounces) JELL-O Berry Blue Gelatin
White sanding sugar
- Using a microwave safe bowl, combine the yogurt and the gelatin.
- Microwave on high for 2 minutes. Stirring after each minute.
- If the gelatin is not dissolved completely, continue to microwave for another 1 to 2 minutes, stirring after each minute.
- Pour into the 8 inch square dish or pan.
- Refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm.
- Using the cookie cutter, cut into snowflakes.
- Sprinkle with the sugar crystals.
Makes 5 to 10 snowflakes, depending on the size of your cookie cutter.
Broccoli Cheese and Noodle Soup
This is one of our favorite soup recipes. The recipe was given to us by a dear friend from our workplace and comes from a very popular restaurant in Ohio. Thank you Jen for sharing this one with us. Children can help by adding the ingredients and kitchen cleanup.
2 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup chopped onions
3 cans chicken broth (14.5 ounces each)
12 ounces of fine egg noodles (can be found in the Asian section of your grocery store)
2 packages frozen chopped broccoli (10 ounces each)
1 clove garlic
6 cups milk
2 pound box of Velveeta cheese, cut into small chunks
Salt and pepper to taste
- In a large saucepan or soup pot, heat the butter and onions.
- Cook over medium heat for 3 minutes.
- Add the broth and heat to a boil.
- Add the noodles and season with salt and pepper.
- Cook uncovered for 3 minutes.
- Stir in the frozen broccoli and garlic.
- Cook an additional 4 minutes.
- Add the milk and cheese.
- Heat until the cheese is completely melted.
- Stir occasionally to prevent burning.
Makes 12 to 15 servings.
Snowman Cupcakes
These snowmen are adorable and the recipe is so easy because you use a box cake mix and canned icing. Children can help by adding the ingredients to the cake mix, cracking the eggs, frosting the cupcakes and decorating the snowmen.
Line cupcake tins with white liners.
1 cake mix of your choice
1 to 2 cans of vanilla frosting
Coarse sugar
Oreos
Semi-sweet chocolate chips (regular and mini)
Orange candy slices
- Prepare the cake mix and put into cupcake tins to bake according to the directions on the package.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool completely.
- Frost each of the cupcakes with vanilla frosting, making the tops smooth.
- Put the sugar in a small dish and dip each frosted cupcake to form a shimmering top on the cupcake.
- Place mini chocolate chips on each cupcake to form a mouth.
- Add two regular chocolate chips to form the eyes.
- Cut a sliver off of an orange slice to form the nose.
- Open an Oreo cookie and use the chocolate portion to cut into sections for the hat.
Makes 24 snowmen.
