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!
The Wonderful Things You Will Be By: Emily Winfield Martin
Ages: Toddlers through Kindergarten
This is an absolutely beautiful book that is a perfect bedtime story! It celebrates the love that parents have for their children and all of the hopes that they have for their future. It is done in rhyming verse and the illustrations are amazing. This was a New York Times bestseller and is a must have. The Wonderful Things You Will Be would be a perfect gift for new parents.
Tips for Reading:
- Before reading the story, ask the child to tell you what he/she wants to be when they grow up.
- After reading the story, look at the fold out page and ask the child to tell you which figure he/she likes best and why.
- After reading, ask the child to find rhyming words such as me/be, you/do, etc.
Additional Books:
- You are My Happy By: Hoda Kotb Illustrated by: Suzie Mason
- I’ve Loved You Since Forever By: Hoda Kotb Illustrated by: Suzie Mason
- I Love You Because You’re You Liza Baker Illustrated by: David McPhail
- I Love You Little One By: Nancy Tafur
- No Matter What By: Debi Gliori
Cooking Time:
Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever
The Wonderful Things You Will Be is a feel-good story and nothing makes us feel better than warm chocolate chip cookies. There are many great recipes for chocolate chip cookies, but this is one of our favorites. They are a little more tedious to make, but well worth the effort. You mix the ingredients, refrigerate over night and bake the next day. Children can help by adding the ingredients, cracking the eggs, forming the cookies and kitchen clean-up.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees to toast the walnuts.
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 2/3 cups flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup dark chocolate chips
2 cups chopped walnuts, toasted
- Place the chopped walnuts on a cookie sheet and toast in a 350 degree oven for 9 to 10 minutes. Allow to cool.
- Using a mixer, beat the butter, brown sugar and sugar until creamed, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add the eggs and vanilla to the butter mixture and blend until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, soda and salt.
- Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and blend until well combined.
- Using a spoon, stir in both chocolate chips and toasted walnuts.
- Using a 1/4 cup measure, form balls of cookie dough.
- Flatten each ball to 3/4 inch thickness.
- Place the flattened cookie balls into a container, separating each layer with waxed paper.
- Cover the cookie dough and place in the refrigerator overnight.
Baking the cookies:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Take the cookies from the refrigerator and allow them to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Place the cookies on parchment lined baking sheets at least 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and the centers are light brown.
- Place the cookie sheets on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes.
- Remove the cookies from the trays and return them to the racks to continue cooling.
Makes about 2 dozen cookies.
