*Read to the children in your life every day. You are giving them a gift that will last a lifetime!
Goodnight Moon By: Margaret Wise Brown Illustrated by: Clement Hurd
Ages: Toddler through Kindergarten
This classic bedtime story is often given as gifts to expectant mothers. The story describes the green room prior to bedtime, and wishes everything goodnight, including the moon. This is a perfect book to read to a child before bedtime. Goodnight Moon provides descriptive text and can foster vocabulary development as well as rhyming patterns.
Tips for Reading:
- As the text is read, the child can identify the things mentioned on the green pages.
- The child can identify the rhyming words.
- Enrich the child’s understanding by discussing the nursery rhymes indicated in the story.
- Encourage vocabulary development by discussing the word “mush”. The old-time telephone may also be a discussion point.
- Ask the child to locate the mouse on each of the green pages.
Additional Books:
- I Love You to the Moon and Back Illustrated by: Tim Warnes (Board book.)
- Good Night, Little One By: Salina Yoon (Lift-the-Flap Book)
- How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night? By: Jane Yolen and Mark Teague (Our favorite!)
- Sleep, Black Bear, Sleep By: Jane Yolen and Heidi E.Y. Stemple Illustrated by: Brooke Dyer
- Big Red Barn By: Margaret Wise Brown Illustrated by: Felicia Bond
- The Moon Sees You and Me By: Caleb Burroughs Illustrated by: Lisa Alderson (Board book.)
*All of the books listed can be found on Amazon and most can be found at your local bookstore or library.
Cooking Time:
Cornmeal Mush
At one time, mush was a fairly popular morning dish for families. Most children have probably never tasted mush, so making it and giving it a try could be an interesting experience. Children can help by adding the ingredients.
1 1/4 cups yellow cornmeal
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
Maple syrup or sugar and milk for serving
- In a medium saucepan, mix together the cornmeal, water and salt.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens, about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Spoon the mush into bowls and serve with milk and sugar or maple syrup.
- Can also pour the cooked mush into a loaf pan and chill, completely.
- Remove from the pan, cut into slices.
- Heat a small amount of oil to medium high heat and fry the mush slices until browned on both sides.
- Serve with a sauce of your choice.
Pecan Crescent Cookies
These cookies are often made at Christmas time, but are great anytime of the year. The crescent shape reminds us of a crescent moon and children will enjoy making these sweet treats. Children can help add the ingredients, mold the dough into the crescent shape and roll the cookies in the powdered sugar.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons water
2 1/4 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup finely chopped pecans
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- Whisk the flour and the salt together in a bowl and set aside.
- Using a mixer, combine the butter and sugar.
- Beat the butter mixture until it is light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the vanilla and water to the butter mixture and beat until combined.
- Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture.
- Add the finely chopped nuts and mix until well combined.
- Take a tablespoon full of dough and roll to form a crescent shape. (Can also roll into balls for a full moon.)
- Arrange the crescents or balls evenly spaced on the parchment lined baking sheets.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 18 minutes or until slightly golden on the bottoms and edges.
- Watch carefully, it is better to under-bake than to over-bake.
- Place the baking sheets on a wire rack to cool for a few minutes.
- Take the cookies off of the baking sheets and put on a wire rack.
- Put the powdered sugar in a shallow bowl.
- While the cookies are still warm but easy to touch, roll them in the powdered sugar until coated.
- Place back on the wire racks to continue cooling.
- For a second time, roll each cookie in the powdered sugar until completely coated.
- Ready to serve.
Makes about 3 to 4 dozen, depending on size.
