It's Begun!

This month, our Co-op has been studying apples.  I don't know who has had more fun, the kids or the moms!  Every week 2 of us teach a session while the other mother brings snack and then gets the morning off - I know we're all looking forward to that treat too!  The 4th week of the month we will go on a field trip together.  This is the schedule we've come up with and it has worked perfect so far...

9:00 Arrival
9:30-10:30 Session I - Pledge of Allegiance, Focus Book and activity
10:30 Snack
10:45-11:15 Break for Gross Motor - Outside play, Nature walk, Dancing, Theatre, etc.
11:15-12:15 Session II - Subject study of the theme
12:30 Departure, after closing in song

APPLES!!

Ideas, recipes and facts from An Apple a Day by Jennifer Storey Gillis...


*Best apples for snacking:  Macs, Empire
*Best apples for pie:  Nothern Spy


Freezing Apples
Peel, core and slice thinly your apples and drop them into lemon water for 5 minutes.  (Lemon water = 1 gallon of cold water and 2 tbl. lemon juice)  Sprinkle sugar over the bottom of a cookie sheet, layer on apples, sprinkle more sugar, continue until done with apples.  Place apples in freezer bags and freeze until ready to use them in sauce, pies, etc!


Drying Apples
Core apples and slice them into 1/4inch rings.  Thread apples onto a string and hang them to dry in an airy, dry place.  Cover with cheesecloth.  When apples are fully dry, pack them in containers and use for baking or eating.




Broiled Apple Kabobs
6 apples
1/4c. butter
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tbl. smooth peanut butter

Wash and core the apples.  Cut each apple into 12 pieces.  Put the apples onto skewers.  Melt butter in a small pan over low heat, mix in the rest of the ingredients until smooth.  Take a basting brush and brush the mixture onto the apples.  Broil for 4 minutes, turning 2-3 times.


Apple Pizza
1c. butter (room temp)                       Red jam (your favorite)
2/3c. sugar                                         Ground almonds (optional)
1 egg                                                  Dried or fresh apple slices
1tsp. vanilla                                
2 1/2c. flour
1/2tsp. salt
1tbl. cinnamon
peanut butter

Mix butter and sugar together till creamy and smooth.  Beat in eggs and vanilla.  Slowly add the flour, salt and cinnamon.  Completely mix the dough until it forms a dough.  Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 or 4 hours, until chilled.  Grease cookie sheet and preheat oven to 350 degrees.      Sprinkle a little flour onto a surface and roll out your dough till it's about 3/8 in.  Lift the "crust" onto the cookie sheet.  Bake the cookie crust for about 8-10 minutes till dough is slightly browned.  Cool crust thoroughly before adding toppings.  Spread crust with peanut butter, then add the sauce - jam.  Arrange apple slices and sprinkle with ground almonds.  Cut in pizza style wedges and serve with cold milk.  ~Mangia bene!

Sensory Recipes

FLUBBER
2 tsp. borax solution
1c. warm water
1c. glue
Food Coloring

In one bowl, mix water and borax.  In a separate bowl, mix glue and food coloring.  Pour a small amount of borax mix into the glue mix, stirring very fast.  Place in a large bowl and let it sit overnight.



QUICK MODELING DOUGH
1c. cold water
1c. salt
2 tsp. oil
3c. flour
2 tbls. cornstarch
food coloring

Mix the water, salt, oil and enough food coloring to make a bright color.  Gradually work flour and cornstarch in until it is like bread dough.  Knead and then model it like any clay.


Lemonade Play Dough
3c. flour
1c. salt
1c. water
1 tbls. oil
1c. lemonade mix

Mix all ingredients together, play and enjoy the smell!


Long Lasting Play Dough
1c. flour
1/2c. salt
2 tsp. cream of tartar (or alum)
1tbls. oil
1c. water
food coloring (added to water)

Mix ingredients in a saucepan over low heat.  Stir swiftly and strongly until ball forms.  Let cool 5 minutes and then knead for 3-4 minutes.  Store in plastic bag in fridge.  (This recipe should be doubled)

Crafts

I've found some great craft ideas at this website. A lot of them are simple and many use items found around the house. For instance, I just printed directions for how to make dinosaur feet out of tissue boxes, a kitchen sponge and duct tape!

http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/

Trustees of the Reservations website

The Trustees of the Reservations website has some great ideas for things to do and places to visit. For example, have a picnic at the Crane Estate in Ipswich when they have live music. Or check out a presentation at Dover library. The website is http://www.thetrustees.org/things-to-do/

Places to Go and Things to Do (in Gloucester)

Here's a start for a list of things to do locally. It's definitely not a comprehensive list, so please add anything else you can think of!

Parks/Outdoors:
- Ravenswood Park

- Whale watching or here

- Eastern Point Wildlife Sanctuary

- Stage Fort Park

- Dogtown

- Harborwalk Audio Tour


Museums/Tours:
- Gloucester Maritime Heritage Center

- Hammond Castle

- Tour Cape Pond Ice Company

- Poetry Tour

- Water Shuttle Tour


Art:
- Art Haven

- Pottery


Exercise:
- Bowling

-YMCA



Other:
- List of Historical Sights

Free Fun Fridays!

Every Friday all over Massachusetts there are Parks and Museums that open their doors for FREE.

Free Fun Fridays can be a great way to explore the world around us. Some of the possibilities include Plymouth Plantation, The Museum of Science, Garden in the Woods (I like the sound of this one), and both the Franklin Park and Stone Zoos. I'm thinking it's time to go see some monkeys! (I'm sure my kids would like it too...) Now I'd hate to wish for a rainy beach day, but since that's where I usually spend my Fridays...well maybe a few clouds would be a welcome sight. Now all I need to do is find out where the Free Gas Fridays are being held!