Snow

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 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!

Snow            By:  Uri Shulevitz

Ages:  Toddler through First Grade

 

This is a perfect wintertime book!  Its simple text describes the first snowflake and takes us on a journey until the entire city is covered with snow.  It illuminates the joy that children feel when it begins to snow.  The pictures are beautiful and add to this lovely story.

 

 

 

Tips for Reading:

• Before reading the story, ask the child to tell you how they feel when they see the first flakes of snow begin to fall.
• After reading the story, ask the child to tell you some of the people in the book that didn’t think there would be a lot of snow and why they thought that.
• After reading, have the child tell you who was the only one in the story that thought there was going to be a big snowfall.
• After reading, ask the child to describe what the town looked like after the snow.
• After reading, ask the child to recall a time when it snowed and they were surprised.

Additional Books:

• Tracks in the Snow            By:  Wong Herbert Yee
• The Snowy Day           By:  Ezra Jack Keats
• Snow            By:  Cynthia Rylant            Illustrated by:  Lauren Stringer
• A Polar Bear in the Snow            By:  Mac Barnett            Illustrated by:  Shawn Harris
• Sneezy the Snowman            By:  Maureen Wright            Illustrated by:  Stephen Gilpin

 

Cooking Time:

Banana Snowman Snack

These easy to make snowmen are fun for children to assemble and a healthy snack.  Children can just look at the picture and make these snowmen all by themselves.

Bananas

Pretzel Sticks

Mini Chocolate Chips

Thin slices of carrot

Raisins

Black Seedless Grapes

Skewers

• Cut the bananas into 1/2 to 1 inch slices.
• Slide 3 of the slices in a row onto the skewer so that it looks like the 3 parts of a snowman.
• Stick a pretzel stick on both sides of the middle slice of the banana to form the arms.
• Place 2 mini chocolate chips on the top banana to form the eyes.
• Add 5 more chocolate chips to form the mouth.
• Add a small slice of carrot for the nose.
• Place 3 raisins on the center slice to form the buttons.
• Place a sliced grape on the top of the snowman’s head to form a hat.

Make as many as you would like.

 

Beef Macaroni Soup

This is a very hearty soup that is so easy to make and perfect on a wintery day.  Children can help by adding the ingredients to the soup.

1 pound ground chuck

2 cups frozen mixed vegetables

1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained

1 can (14.5 ounces) beef broth

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup uncooked elbow macaroni  (We used the large elbow macaroni.)

• In a large saucepan, cook the beef until it is no longer pink.  Drain and return to the pan.
• Add the vegetables, tomatoes, broth, and pepper.
• Bring the mixture to a boil.
• Add the macaroni.
• Reduce the heat, cover the pan and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes or until the macaroni is done and the vegetables are tender.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Hot Chocolate Cookies

We always think of hot chocolate to keep us warm on a snowy day.  Now we can have that wonderful flavor and feeling in the form of a cookie and they are delicious.  Children can help by adding the ingredients, cracking the egg and assembling the cookies.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

For cookies:

1 stick butter

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 large egg white

3/4 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

For filling:

1 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/3 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

• Using a medium saucepan, melt the butter.
• Whisk in the brown sugar.
• Bring the mixture to a boil and cook for one minute, stirring constantly.
• Transfer the mixture to a bowl.
• Whisk in the vanilla.
• Add the flour and salt .  Stir until combined.
• Allow the mixture to cool for 5 minutes.
• Add the egg white and stir until incorporated.
• Allow the mixture to cool for another 10 minutes.
• If the dough is too thick, add a teaspoon or so of water to thin.  (If you can form the dough into a ball, it is too thick.)
• Drop one teaspoon-sized amount onto the parchment lined baking sheets, at least 3 inches apart.
• Bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until they are golden brown around the edges.
• Place the baking sheets on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes.
• Remove the cookies and return them to the racks to finish the cooling process.
• To make the filling, put the chocolate chips and the cream in a microwave safe dish.  Microwave in 30 second increments, stirring after each until the chocolate is melted.  (Takes about 1 minute.)
• Stir in the vanilla.
• Allow the mixture to cool for 10 minutes or until slightly thickened and spreadable.
• Spread the filling between 2 cookies and continue until all the cookies are filled.
• Allow to cool completely.

Makes about 2 dozen small cookies.