Wisp Clips Revamped

{The Paisley Boutique Bow}

My other blog site for Wisp Clips has been revamped.  There is a 'Products' link list that should get you to the style you are looking for.  I seriously hope this is much easier to use instead of just randomly scrolling through pics.  I'm trying to prepare for some giveaways that will be hosted on other sites, and offer a user friendly non-facebook stop.  Any suggestions are welcomed.  Seriously, help a sister out!

The Most Delicious Cupcakes

A while back, I had the opportunity to participate in a taste test for a new business, Goodness Bakery.  If you have even the slightest sweet tooth, then you'll love these creative, and oh so delicious cupcakes.  Right now you can become a fan on Facebook .  I'm pretty sure you'll want to place an order right away.  I highly recommend the Red Velvet with Cream Cheese Frosting, the Chocolate Cupcake with Cream Cheese Frosting, Cookies and Cream, Snickerdoodle, Peanut Butter Cup, Cappucino...well, I recommend them all!!!

If you are Facebook'less' you can check her out here...

Apple Cinnamon Muffins

The long time controversy between stay at home moms (SAHM) and working moms (WM) is overrated, but today I must declare that being a stay at home mom wins out.  It wins because it's 8:00am and warm Apple Cinnamon Muffins just popped out of the oven.  If I were working, I'd have one shoe on, possibly a bra, and frantically throwing two kids in the car to make it to the sitter and then to school on time.  But that's not happening today.  Today I'm enjoying my warm muffin in my pj's with some creamer and a dash of coffee.Yes, being a SAHM definitely wins out. 

Just in case you are a SAHM, or if you're an ambitious WM, here's a delicious recipe for some warm morning goodness...

Apple Cinnamon Muffins
1-1/2 cup flour (I used whole wheat flour)
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cups sugar
1/2 cups milk
1-3/4 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup Unpeeled Apples, chopped

• Mix all ingredients together.
• Pour into greased muffin pan
• Bake @ 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
• While muffins are baking, mix 1 Tbsp Cinnamon with 1/2 cup sugar (this will be more than plenty) in a small dish.
• Straight out of the oven spread and even amount of butter on the top of each muffin.  Then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on the top of each muffin...Enjoy!!!

Happy Cooking!!!

Menu Monday

The windows are open.  Secret Garden's Pound Cake candles lit.  Chili in the crock pot (it's Sunday for me).  Cooler temps have arrived.  I'm in love.  Not just infatuation.  True, true love. 

This week's menu might make you do a double take.  There are repeats.  I know.  I've failed you.  Please don't depart from me.  I love you too.  Not just infatuation.  True, true love.

Monday- Tomato Cream Sauce Pasta, Salad, Cheesy Bread
Tuesday-Pineapple Quesadillas, Corn Saute (recipe to come)
Wednesday-Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole, Salad, Fruit Parfait
Thursday-Mexican Casserole, Restaurant Style Salsa, Mexi-rice
Friday-Chicken Club Salad, Honey Butter Cresents
Saturday-Hot Ham Drip Sandwiches, Taco Dip with Chips
Sunday-Broiled Salmon, Perfect Potatoes Au Gratin, Green Bean Casserole

Happy Cooking!!!

Lazy Lady's Chicken Pot Pie and Pull Apart Rolls

I'd love to slave in the chicken to reproduce the most delicious straight from the prairie Chicken Pot Pie, but let's get real.  That's not going to happen.  Ever.  So when this recipe came from my Simple & Delicious magazine a few years back, I carefully placed it my plastic sleeves, not to be soiled, and then kissed it over and over and over and over.  So run.  Get yourself some plastic sleeves so you can show this recipe an equal amount of love.

Lazy Lady's Chicken Pot Pie
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp all purpose flour (I used whole wheat flour)
1 tsp granules of chicken bouillon granules
1/8 tsp pepper
3/4 cup milk
1-1/2 cubed cooked chicken breast
1 pkg (about 10 oz) frozen mixed veggies, thawed
cresent dough (I used half wheat flour, and half white flour)

• In a large saucepan, combine mayo, flour, granules, and pepper.  Gradually stir in milk to avoid clumping of flour.  Stir until smooth.
• Bring to a boil.  Cook and stir for about 2 minutes until thickened. 
• Add chicken and veggies.  Cook 3-4 minutes longer.  Now is the time to roll out the dough.
• Sanitize your counterspace.  Throw down some flour and get to rollin'.  Thin, but not see through thin...

{Little Man and Chunky Monkey, my sous chefs, were ready to eat}

• 
  
  Pour chicken mixture into a greased 8 x 8 baking dish.  Take rolled out dough and place on top of chicken mixture.  Cut and/or fold extra dough until it covers the entire mixture.  Using a knife, cut little X's in the dough.
• 
  
  Bake @ 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.



{Not pretty, but I had some hungry kids}

Because it would be absurd to make all that dough for a little pot pie, you MUST have pull apart rolls to go with this homestyle meal.

Pull Apart Rolls

• 
  
  Using the dough recipe, take a little smaller than golf ball sized balls and stuff three into a muffin pan.
• 
  
  Let rise for 3-4 hours, covered with waxed paper or a thin kitchen towel (preferably a clean one).
• 
  
  Bake @ 325 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
• 
  
  Top with butter and honey.

Happy Cooking!!!

Educational Mumbo Jumbo: Part III

Once temperatures drop in Oklahoma, we plan on taking Little Man (almost 4) and Little Miss (almost 2) to a local orchard to pick apples.  I want to make the most of our time there, so I thought we'd do a little prep work.  Little Man and Little Miss' schema (background knowledge you already know on a subject) is pretty limited.  They both love apples.  They know that apples come in different colors.  They know they are good for you, but that's it.  Not much else.  I wanted to build on their schema before we made the trek.   

Up, Up, Up!  It's Apple-Picking Time was the perfect book to help Little Man (Little Miss listened, and I was pleased with that).  First, we took a 'Book Walk'.  Little Man held the book and got to look through the pages without me reading.  Occasionally I would point to pictures and ask, "Why do you think that man is standing on a ladder?" or "What do you think they're doing?"  Sometimes he would answer, "I don't know."  To which I would say, "Well, maybe we'll find out once we read it." 

After he was finished, we started at the beginning and I read.  I was real careful to provide Think Time.  Once we got to the part about the ladder, Little Man's light bulb went off, "Mama, he's not on the ladder to climb the tree, he's picking apples!!!"  He was so excited to have figured that one out.  Of course it was obvious to me, but had I answered this for him during our Book Walk, I would have denied him the opportunity to have ownership over his idea.  It means more when he discovers it. 

Since we spent the time learning about apple orchards, I'm hoping our trip will be that much more valuable and he'll start making these types of connections...

Text to Self-A time where your child remembers what they have read in a story and connects it to a time in their life.  For example, when reading this book Little Man said, "That's the kind of apples we eat."  Connecting what he saw in a book and relating it to his little life.

Text to World-This is when your child makes a connection from a book to something in the world.  For example, I'm hoping Little Man will say, "This place is just like the book we read, " when we arrive at the orchard.

Text to Text- This is when your child makes a connection from one book to another.  For example, we also love Runaway Pumpkin.  When we sat down to read the apple book Little Man made a comment that pumpkins grow on the ground (which he learned from Runaway Pumpkin) and apples grow on trees.

Giving your kids these types of opportunities allows for  metacognition.  A big fancy word for 'thinking about thinking'. Reading offers a whole lot of metacognition!  Use the word today.  You'll sound super smart!!!

Well that's it for now.  Next week, we'll talk about some pre-reading activities involving acronyms KWL and FQR.  More mumbo jumbo if you ask me!

Educational Mumbo Jumbo: Part Duex

Did you do your homework?  You didn't?  Likely story.  That, and you know I'm going to tell you anyway.  I'd do the same thing!

So today we'll talk about going a little deeper.  Some simple things to do while reading to your child.  First off, slow down.  It's really easy to plow through a book, say "The End", and turn out the lights.  However, the next time you sit down to read, take breaks.  For example, we were reading A Mother for Choco last night.  Choco is in desperate search for a mother, but can't find one that looks like him. 

This is the perfect time to STOP and look at pictures.  Give your child some 'think time'.  Time where your child gets to just sit and think without you saying anything.  Yes, this is hard!  We all want to force and cram so much knowledge into our child, but truth is...your child needs time to process and think.  You'll be surprised at what they say.  For example, this is what I got from Little Man after a little 'think time'

After looking at the above pictures, Little Man not only pointed out what the book stated about the differences between the animals, but also pointed out other similarities and differences not stated.  This would have never happened if I hadn't allowed him the time to just look at the pictures, OR if I'd had pointed out what I thought he needed to know.  Think Time...it's important!

Stayed tuned for Part III tomorrow!  It will actually entail the meanings of  metacognition, schema, text to text, text to self, text to world.  You'll be smarter for it.  You might even toss these words into your daily conversation.  People will be amazed.