Mother's Day Similes

We are working on poetry in class right now. This week we have been working on figurative language. I had my students come up with a list of adjectives that describe moms, or grandmas, in some cases.  Next, I had them turn them into similes.  They couldn't just do adjective (like/as) noun. They had to be more specific. I think they did a nice job of coming up with creative ideas.  Finally, I let them make their mom out of construction paper. Some of them did a better job at this than others!

Here are some of my favorites:
Mom you’re as sweet as an ice-cream cone full of thoughtful words melted across a happiness meadow.


You’re as busy as a rollercoaster zooming though a park blowing people away.

You’re as warmhearted as my heart giving hugs and making people feel better.

You’re as smart as a genie, future teller, and, old wise men combined with extra wisdom.

You’re as fashionable as a supermodel with the prettiest dress and accessories.

You’re as precious as an old china vase passed down for generations and generations.

You’re as funny as a comedian in the same room with the guy Jeff and his puppets.

Your love is as strong as a force field that protects the earth from evil and things that can harm me.

You’re as brave as a guy going in the military and taking a bullet for his bud.

You’re as caring as a nurse doing her most no to give up on a patient
-JC 2013

You are as beautiful as the sunshine that brightens my day!

You are as busy as a mother who has ten kids even though you only have half that!

You are as sweet as the pollen of a flower carried by a bee!

You are as humorous as a comedian who can make anybody laugh!

You are as protective as a mother bear fighting for her cub’s lives!

You are as fashionable as the next top model wearing the prettiest outfit in the world!

You are as fun as the rush of a roller coaster when you feel butterflies in your stomach!

You are as wise as an owl who all the other animals go to for advice!

You are as bright as the brightest star in the solar system, that sticks out from all the other stars!

You are as blissful as biting into chocolate with caramel inside!

-EV 2013

You’re as sweet as sugar on a freshly picked strawberry from a nearby meadow


You’re as kind as a little red ladybug floating in the breeze

You’re as funny as a travelling circus that doesn’t have creepy clowns

You’re as beautiful as a rainbow tulip that wins first place in every garden show

You’re as creative as Monet, Picasso, De ’Vinci, and Van Gough put together

You’re as fun as an imaginative little child thinking of millions of games to play

You’re as giving as Santa Claus on Christmas Eve

You’re as sympathetic as a loyal dog who senses your feelings everyday

You’re as caring as a professional nurse who helps people every hour of each day

You’re as happy as a child in Disney World on all of the best rides

Mom I love you every day, and I want you to know that in all the possible ways.
-AM 2013

R & R

The twins are here! My mom called me and told me she was going to go visit them, and asked if I wanted to go too. Of course! She said she would be at my house in 15 minutes. So, I headed to my craft room, and whipped up some onesies for them. Gotta love my Silhouette. They were finished and ready to go by the time my mom got to my house.  I also made a cute little flower clip for Robyn.

Meet Riker Dallas and Robyn Lee!

Handsome Riker

Adorable Robyn

Holding the TWINS! 

Friday Funnies

Meet Chuck. My kids from last year thought it would be funny to give this to me. He sat in my room for a day, and my current kids couldn't stand him.  I told them he was watching. By the end of the day Chuck disappeared. Chuck is still lost. I think he may be in the trash!

Pppepperjax Grill- Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches

PepperJax Grill has a new line, PepperJax at Home. I decided to try it out! I liked it! It was super easy!

I caramelized the onions in butter and salt and pepper (about 20 minutes), seasoned the meat with salt and pepper and season salt (it cooks in less than 2 minutes!)  Then I toasted some bread and put some provolone cheese on it, and loaded up the sandwich. Quick, Easy, Good! You could add peppers or mushrooms if you wanted to, but I was going super easy!

Hooded Towel

Follow the numbers, not the steps! OOps!

1. Measure a hand towel to 24 inches. 

3. Fold towel in half lengthwise and place strip about one inch below the fold. 

2. Cut a strip of fabric 25 inches long. (You can fold it in and make the edges nice, or leave them raw)

4. Unfold the towel, and sew on to towel using a top stitch.

5. Fold the hand towel the other direction, so the fabric is touching. 

6. Sew on either side leaving the raw ends open. Turn right side out. 

7. Take the corner I am pointing to, and tuck it into the other corner. 

8. It should make a hood!

9. Fold the edge up to hide the raw edges, and sew. 

10. pin to the center of the towel, right sides together

11. Stitch one more time,  to make sure it stays on! 

12. Hang in the bathroom, take to the pool, or give as a gift! 

Little White Dress

My BFF, Erica, recently got engaged.  When I went to visit her in the fine city of DODGE. I took her a little gift of wine and bridal magazines.  I had to cutesy up the wine. I will give my sister Jackie credit for this idea!

This is the bottle of wine before. Little Black Dress

I used a Sharpie to color out the black part.

I visited my favorite store, and hit up the 40% off sticker sale, to get a white dress and some white glitter stickers to add to the bottle.

Friday Funnies

I got this note from 2 of my girls. They wrote it to persuade me to give them nap time at school. I am very proud of their persuasive and opinion skills they have learned this year!

"My opinion is we should have a nap time because of us growing kids.  We have a lot of homework. We need sleep...."

"Do you ever feel tired of working so hard, because you are the best teacher ever? Well, thats how we feel..."

"And if we get a nap we wouldn't be so grumpy and annoying. You are already the greatest teacher ever, but if you let us take a nap, you would be history.  Thank you very much for reading our letter..."

Breakfast Quinoa

I was trying a little healthy kick, and gave this a try.  I even set my alarm to get up early to make it! After a few disasters, I would say it is a good healthy breakfast, that would be better with fresh fruit (which I added to the directions, but didn't have when I made it!)

Ingredients
2 cups milk (I used vanilla soy, because I wanted to use it up!)
1 cup quiona, rinsed
3 T brown sugar, plus more for serving
1/8 t. cinnamon, plus more for serving
1 cup berries

Directions
Bring milk to a boil in a small sauce pan- WATCH IT! Mine boiled over!
Add quinoa, and return to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, unitl 3/4 of the milk has been absorbed, about 15 minutes.
Stir in sugar & cinnamon.  Cook, until almost all the milk has been absorbed, 8 minutes. Stir in berries and cook for 30 seconds.  Serve with additional berries, milk, sugar, and cinnamon

Adapted from Martha Stewart Living

Veggie Sandies

I seriously can't believe I haven't blogged this recipe yet! It is one of my FAVORITES! It's definitely a keeper! I found it the old fashion way, in a cook book.

In the summer, most of the ingredients can be found at the Farmer's Market.  I like to go on Saturday mornings and buy everything, and then make it for lunch!

Ingredients: 
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 T honey
1/2 t. red pepper flakes
2 small zucchini, sliced (or one zuch, 1 yellow squash)
1 medium red onion, sliced 1/2 in thick
2 red bell peppers, sliced into wide strips
1 foccica flat bread - or your favorite bread or roll
feta cheese ( or herb-flavored goat cheese)

Directions: 
In a zip lock baggie, marinade the veggies in the soy sauce, lemon, honey, and red pepper flakes.
Grill veggies or cook in pan to your liking (reserve a little bit of the marinade to drizzle over your sandie)
Toast the bread
Assemble sandwich!

Here is the real recipe if you want to follow it! It is from Taste of Home

Princess Shirts

My Birthday Princesses needed something for their 1st, 2nd, and 3rd birthdays! This is what I whipped up on my Silhouette!

Skillet Cornbread

When I didn't have any Jiffy Mix in my pantry, and didn't want to go to the store in a snow storm, I decided I was going to put my new skillet to use! I had to pick and choose from recipes, based on the ingredients I had on hand (no buttermilk). I had everything to make this one!

Ingredients: 

1/4 cup of butter
1 cup of white or yellow cornmeal
1 cup of all purpose flour
1/4 cup of sugar
4 t. of baking powder
1/2 t. of salt
1 cup of milk
1 egg
1/4 cup of vegetable oil.

Directions
Preheat oven to 425F.
Place the butter into a 10-inch  cast iron skillet and heat in the oven until butter is melted.
In a large mixing bowl, stir together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, milk and egg until well blended.
Pour batter into the HOT and buttery skillet (batter will sizzle), return to the oven and bake for 20 - 25 minutes until bread is golden brown and a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center will come out clean.
Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes.
Flip cornbread onto a large plate and cut into wedges.


Adapted from Grouprecipies.com

Friday Funnies

Have you heard of Corn-dogging? This is the new prank to play on your friends in 5th grade. Throw it in with a tomato fight, and you have a lunch time office visit!

I had never heard of it, but laughed when they said they just got "corn-dogged."

Corn-dogging for those of you who don't know, is grabbing someones shoulders and kneeing them in the butt. I'm not sure where it came from, but they are all doing it!

Garden Fence

Here is my "before" garden fence picture. I made it out of cheap plastic fencing and green fence posts.  Then I used twist ties to hold it together. It sorta worked for last summer, but the bunnies chewed through it and the snow squished it down. I wanted something pretty.

I found this awesome and easy to install fence on Amazon.  It was well worth the $130! I could put it up all by myself, and the wire will keep the bunnies out! The cedar posts are thin, but it will work for what I need. http://www.terraproductsgroup.com/ is where I actually ended up ordering from. It took less than a week to get here, I just had to wait for the snow to melt to put it up!

I also filled my raised beds with fresh dirt. In the past I just did 1/2 compost, 1/2 top soil.  My cucumbers were having trouble last year, so I decided to try something new. I tried the square foot gardeners recipe: 

Mel’s Mix

1/3 vermiculite

1/3 peat moss

1/3 compost (from as many sources as possible) 

I used cow manure from Hy-Vee and leaves from my front yard!

Then I tilled them with a handy dandy tiller, I borrowed from a friend. 

YAY SPROUTS! I planted lettuce seeds!

N&M Twins

Another twin shower.... This time it was for 2 boys. I made them onesies using my Silhouette and flocked vinyl.

Hair ties

I first found these hair ties in my Birch Box.  They are great because they don't leave a bump in your hair, they are cute, and hold your hair up! However, I have not bought any because they are $3.00 for ONE hair tie!

When I saw this deal on Pick Your Plum, I had to grab it! All this for $7 with shipping!

For those of  you that don't know PYP is like a craft Groupon!

First I cut the elastic to about 8 inches long. I used this note pad as my template!

Then I tied, and tied, and tied some more. This elastic made 60 hair ties!

Next, I burned the ends using a candle, so that they wouldn't fray.

Then I whipped up a cute little card to display them on using my Silhouette!

I sent them to a few of my BFF's because, who doesn't love some snail mail?! 

And as long as I got my suit and tie..

My aunt called me needing something to give a baby boy.
 I gave her a few options, and she picked a bow tie and tie onesie!
It makes me want to sing the new JT song. 

And as long as I got my suit and tie

I'ma leave it all on the floor tonight

And you got fixed up to the nines

Let me show you a few things?

I also made some burp cloths to match! 

Baked Potato Dip

Everyone loves a new dip? I tried this one for a March Madness Watch Party. It was quick and easy! I have made a hot version of this dip with cream cheese, but this cold one is perfect to take to parties.


Ingredients
1 16 oz. container light sour cream
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
6 green onions, sliced
salt, pepper and cayenne to taste

Directions
Mix everything and enjoy scooping with potato chips.

Friday Funny

Miss Cremer, you haven't worn any KU stuff this week. Not even your Jayhawk necklace you always wear.

She's right. Jayhawk depression has set in.

Pot Stickers

I made these at school with my kids after reading a story about the Asian culture.  The kids loved it and they turned out so yummy! The hardest part is putting them all together! That is when a class full of kids comes in helpful! I was so busy helping the kids make these, that I didn't take any pictures, but I promise they are delicious!

Ingredients:
3 cups of boiling water
2 cups napa cabbage, sliced finely (napa cabbage is green, last year I used the purple, and it was not near as good!)
2 cups roasted chicken breast, diced (I used a rotisserie chicken from the store!)
2 green onions
1 clove garlic, minced
1 t corn starch
1 T sesame oil
salt and pepper, to taste
pot sticker wrappers
1 T olive oil (for cooking)

Directions:
Boil the water and pour over the sliced cabbage to soften. Drain excess water from the cabbage and put into food processor.  Add chicken, green onions, garlic, corn starch, soy sauce, sesame oil, salt and pepper.  Pulse food processor until thoroughly combined.

Spread out the pot sticker wraps and scoop a small teaspoon full of filling onto the center of each wrap.  Wet the top of each pot sticker wrapper with a baster brush dipped in water.

Fold the pot sticker to make a moon shape and pinch shut with 3-4 pleats along the side. 

Heat 1 T of oil in a pan.  Once hot, add 12 pot stickers and cook until the bottoms are golden brown.  Add 1/2 cup water and cover with a lid.  Steam for 4 minutes.  Repeat with the remainder of the pot stickers. 

Fiesta Lime Chicken

Dinner tonight was so good, that I actually ate it all and didn't leave any for leftovers! (Don't worry I used the skinny chicken breasts, not the big fat ones!) This recipe is very similar to Applebee's Fiesta Lime Chicken. It was super easy and had really easy clean up because I used a ziplock, the grill (YAY SPRING!), and a foil lined pan!

Marinade Ingredients: 

• 1/3 cup teriyaki sauce
• 1 cup water
• 2 1/2 Tablespoons lime juice
• 2 Teaspoons garlic
• 1 Teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 Teaspoon salt
• 1/4 Teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 lb chicken breasts (I used the pounded out ones)

Topping Ingredients: 

• Mexican cheese
• Ro-Tel
• Spicy Ranch Dressing
• Tortilla Strips- Santa Fe Style (found by the croutons)

Directions: 

Marinade the chicken for 2 hours, in a Ziplock bag. 

Grill chicken. 

Turn broiler on High

Bring chicken inside, and put on a foil lined pan. 

Spread ranch over grilled chicken, followed by Ro-Tel, cheese, and tortilla strips. 

Put in oven on broil, till cheese is melted and slightly crispy!

This picture really doesn't do it justice, I also didn't have any side dishes with it to make it look pretty! It would be good with rice, mexi corn, or chips and salsa. It would also be good on top of a salad.