What's Cookin' Wednesday--Peanut Butter Eggs

A few weeks have passed since I've had a What's Cookin' Wednesday, but spring break started this afternoon (a whompin' 3 days off from school, but I'll take what I can get) and I was itchin' to get in the kitchen with my kiddos. 

Today's recipe:

Peanut Butter Eggs 

If you all have followed me for a while, you know that my weakness is chocolate and peanut butter--Reese's Cups more specifically (well, Reese's Eggs, Reese miniatures, Reese minis--I'm not picky, but surely you see the pattern here)  I LOVE Reese anything. ;)

BUT, let me tell you friends, as much as I love Reese's, I think I love this more!

 I love them so much that 5 minutes after I was home, I was doing this!

 That's right---mixing up a batch!  I was craving something sweet, and since starting that silly diet I deserved a little sweet! ;)  (*Side note, those GNC Shakes really work--and I get full real easy!)

All you need is a few simple ingredients (the ones pictured + marshmallow cream, butter, and sprinkles to make it look pretty!)

 Basically you throw it all in your stand mixer. Mold it into little egg shapes.

I like to line cookie sheets with wax paper, and them put them on it.

Stick them in the fridge to firm up a bit.  It makes dipping easier!

Dip them in yummy chocolate.

Let your kids help you every step! :)

Add sprinkles---add drizzle (it makes them look pretty!)

My future employee right? Look at the drizzling  :)

 Maybe not your husband---his is the big glob! :)

 Let them harden.  Store in fridge--after you eat a few! :)

So my pictures may not be the best quality---but we did do this as a family (which is QUALITY time!)

We've made them for a few years now (posted the recipe on FB last year).  It's definitely a hit with me, and most importantly, my family--not just because it tastes AWESOME, but because nothing beats time spent with family, right? :)

If you'd like a copy of the recipe for yourself, click the image below.

**And, I'm just one step closer.  Look what I made! ;)

 (Except I have the phone number on the cupcake on the business card) ;)

Someday friends, I will get that store front--until then! ;)

Still Chuggin' Along

Is anyone else still chuggin' along waiting for spring break to arrive?  I still have a few days left before it starts.  We work Monday-Wednesday of next week.  Then we get our "Easter break" Thursday-Monday.  It goes by WAY. TOO. QUICK.  

So what do you do when it's a short week? 

We started doing a little unit on Beatrix Potter last week and I found the stories on YOUTUBE as well.  My students really seemed to enjoy them.  Here are a few videos.

This is a nice intro for discussion, but you will see similar scenes in other "World of Peter Rabbit and his Friends" videos.  

We had a fun discussion on the transportation used, the way she would write (ink wells), and the accent she had (as my students aren't exposed to many cultures/languages).

The Tale of Tom Kitten and Jemima Puddle Duck

The Tale of Peter Rabbit/Benjamin Bunny

We will continue into Monday with the tale of Peter Rabbit.  We will be retelling the story, alphabetizing vegetables from Mr. McGregor's garden, and using adjectives to describe the vegetables.  ( I can hear a few of them now using the word YUCKY!) ;)

For my emergent readers (okay, my whole class wanted these stories too) we will be working on Little Lamb, Little Lamb.  I made activities for the story that should hit the learning abilities of all of my students, as they all want the book. :)

You can click HERE to see it on TpT.

We will also be working on my Hippity Hoppity Centers. 

You can click HERE to see it on TPT.

For other English and Language Arts activities, I love using the Easter Ribbit.  

Click the picture to read about it on Amazon.

It's such a cute story.  Have you heard it? 

Last year I made a few activities to go with this story.
I tried to make them a little cuter this year ;)

 The activities are FREE on TpT.  You can click HERE to grab them.
Please leave feedback on TpT if you download and are planning on using.
It is sad to see that there are so many downloads, and little comments.
It is a little discouraging to want to put freebies up...a thank you goes a LONG way with me ;)

Another freebie I have that I shared last week with you--but just in case you missed it....

You can click HERE to grab this freebie from TpT as well---
again please take a few minutes to say a thank you. :)

Some other great things I have found that I can incorporate into my week

Gladys guest blogged for Alisha the other day--and left this great freebie! :)
Click HERE to see it! :)

Vowel sorting from the Bubbly Blonde--click HERE for the link! :)

Need help with rhyming? Check out this great freebie also from The Bubbly Blonde.
Click HERE

If you're students still need help with sight words, check out this great freebie from Tales from Outside the Classroom.  You can click HERE to see it. 

I hope I have found some great activities to help you fill your week if you are still working! :)

Now, because my spring break is so short---a real vacation won't start for me until after school is out...and it's already booked, and I'm ready to go! :)
Want to play a game to win my Easter things? 
I'd also like to give away both Little Lamb, and Hippity Hoppity to the first person to comment with the correct answer:

Where do you think we (my family) will be going on vacation?
If you have been following me for a while, you may just know the answer! ;)

 Be sure to include your email address!
One thing though, my blog no longer accepts anonymous users.  I am getting way too many spam comments to keep up with.  Please be sure to follow me along with google friend connect on the side.  Thank you! :)

Telling Time

We've been working on telling time in class. Some of my kiddos are doing AWESOME.  Some are having such a hard time.  It happens every year.  Some are telling time when they come to me...that's not always a good thing because then I hear "Mrs. Davis, it's almost lunch time."---then again, if they have a hard time telling time I hear "Is it lunch time yet?" 

I just wanted to share a few YouTube videos that we've enjoyed so far during our telling time unit. 

One song that we enjoyed using our own clocks with was the 2nd one listed on here.

I can say I snapped a picture where at least half of my room was engaged! :)

 They had fun singing and showing the time that was called out. 

I then had them partner up and ask their partner to show them a time they called out while they both showed the time.  Then they compared their answers.  

We also invented our own little chant.  We say it with a little beat.

"Big hand on the 12...we say o'clock.  Big hand on the 6...we say thirty"

"Minute hand on the 12...we say o'clock.  Minute hand on the 6...we say thirty."

They thought we needed to record our own YouTube video...they thought we sounded awesome! :)

I made this last year..it's not fancy, but it helps.

If you want a copy of it, you can click the image above.

I also wanted to give a copy of my new Easter centers (Hippity Hoppity) to the first 3 to comment.  

 

Have a great night! :)

Leprechauns, Easter, Freebies---OH MY!

Why does March have to have both St. Patrick's AND Easter in it?  It creates SUCH a busy month. Then with spring break right around the corner...there's just never enough time to do it all. Maybe we just need to add leprechaun hats to Easter bunnies and combine it all! :)

 Friends, let me tell you...there are SOOO many great products on TpT, and freebies on blogs that I need more time in my day.  (I think I said that last week!)  I want to do it ALL!

Last week, I started a few St. Patrick's things, and I'm going to finish things up on Monday.  I wish I had remembered to take pictures, but I was observed on Friday so I was doing good to get through my day.  Even after all these years of teaching, I still get VERY nervous when someone walks in to observe me.  Last year, my principal asked me a few times if I would let people observe me during my guided reading/centers, and I told him I get butterflies when people watch me.  Why do I let it bother me?  Are any of you like that?  

If any of you are still looking for something to do for St. Patrick's day, I have a post HERE of things I was/am using.  We also did the Leprechaun, Leprechaun emergent reader.  My kids LOVE these little books.  As a matter of fact, a few of them asked me, "Will we get to do an Easter Bunny, Easter Bunny?"  I'm a sucker--so guess what I'm working on.  I hope to get that posted today, so if you're not following me on Facebook please make sure you do as that's where I will post when it's finished! :)

If you are wanting Leprechaun, Leprechaun--you can click on the image below to download it for FREE from Teachers Pay Teachers.

Please leave feedback if you do (or have) downloaded.

I also updated a file from last year.  I've added new stations, and some cute graphics.  If you have time, check it out! :)

It's geared for first/second grade--and it's Common Core Aligned.  I wrote the standards on each direction page for stations.

You can click HERE to see it on Teachers Pay Teachers.

Now for the freebie.  Last year, I put this on as a freebie on my FB page.  

This year, I'm sharing with all of you!  Enjoy! :)

You can click HERE to download it from Teachers Pay Teachers.  Please be courteous enough to leave feedback for all products you download from TpT (whether it be free or purchased).  A lot of time goes into making products, and it really encourages bloggers/sellers to continue with freebies when feedback is left. 

Have a happy week! :)

What's Cooking Wednesday

I haven't posted a What's Cooking Wednesday for a week or two, so I figure I'm due.

Here's the thing though----what have I been cooking?

Allow me to show you.

 

This has been my breakfast.

 

This has been my lunch.

 You can click each image to read more about them if interested.

They taste good.  They're a meal replacement.  It's nice to have something quick and easy.  

In the mornings, I mix my own.  I sometimes add a banana and a little bit of natural peanut butter, and mix it with milk.  It's a long morning at school.  Our lunch time isn't until 12:30, and then if I have lunch duty, my lunch time isn't until 12:45.  Adding a little extra to it helps curb the appetite.  

I think that it's helped me lose a couple pounds so far--so yay! :)

BUT, you guys seem to like the What's Cooking Wednesdays for the sweet treats! 

Mind you, I haven't given up making them---but they always go to family, neighbors, or either my husband or I take them to work.  I don't want them here.  I mean when I can drink those AWESOME drinks above, why would I want something like this?

The picture is a little blurry---that's so it doesn't look so good to me from this end! ;)

But I bet you all would like to see that recipe, huh? :)

That brings me to What's Cooking Wednesday!

Today's Recipe:

Cake Batter Cookies

Now I've tried several varieties of cake batter cookies.  They are all similar with a few measurement differences, but my favorite so far has come from Sally's Baking Addiction.  

You can find the original recipe  HERE!

I don't have a lot of pictures of us making these cookies.  I say "us" because I like to bake with my OWN kids (son/daughter). 

We had a snow day last Wednesday and we found ourselves in the kitchen baking! :)

AND anytime I have "help" in the kitchen, my recipe is always modified from the original! 

For example, I asked my son to pour in about half a bag of white chocolate chips.  I was using Hershey brand, so I told him to squeeze the bag between the s and the h, and pour in the top half.  WELL, a whole bag of chocolate chips later, and we have a sweeter cookie! ;)  Then of course, I can never follow directions either (wonder who he gets it from), so our recipe used a whole bag of white chips, a cup of chocolate chips,  I used round confetti sprinkles---and PEANUT butter! ;)  

OHH MY!  

My coworkers complimented these all day long. 

*Note*  

I like to use round sprinkles, like this:

verses sprinkles like this:

I like the round sprinkles better because they don't "melt" as easy.  Sometimes when sprinkles are added to hot foods, the colors run together.  That's just my little tip.  

Here are a few pictures of our cookies.

Here's a printable recipe adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction.

 You can click the image above to download your copy.

Thanks to the Bubbly Blonde for the border, KG for the font, 

and Scrappin' Doodles for the baking kid. :)

Now, I don't want you all to think I only make junk food and drink meal replacements! :)

This is a recipe that my hubby and I like, but don't make that often.  I had actually forgot about it until just a couple weeks ago when we were thinking of something quick to fix for supper.  

This is Fried Pork Ribs with Sweet Sauce served with rice. 

It's really good.  I didn't even adapt this recipe! :)

You can click HERE to find it. 

*My only suggestion, you may want to double the sauce for the recipe.*

Happy Cooking! :)

Tuesday Tip, a Product, and a Freebie

Hey everyone!!  I'm a little better since my last post.  Sometimes you just need to step back for a bit and see things in a different light! :)

 Honestly friends, you and I both need to get off the computer, forget school stuff for a while, and relax/enjoy our time! :)  We're home from work, we may have families to take care of, family/friends to enjoy spending time with---OR we just may need some wind down time for ourselves.  Whatever the case, I have a few quotes I would like to share with you for Tuesday Tip! :)

I'm such a quote junkie---as a matter of fact, I have several wall quotes in my house.  I LOVE 'EM!

Reading these have put life in a different perspective.  I go through spells where I am all about school and trying to create things that will help my students that I forget what is ALWAYS the most important.  I even take family days to try and make up for lost time---completely unplugged (well, FB doesn't count on the phone does it?) I appreciate life so much more when I'm with my own.  I've posted this before and shared this message before---but it must be one of those spells I'm going through again!  Friends, first and foremost--FAMILY! :)  

 I've had a FB fan ask how I did the colorful letters in my most recent product.  So I thought some others would like to see too---I've made a tutorial to show you.  Ashley at the School Supply Addict also did one a couple weeks ago on using digital papers to fill your word art. 

 Here is her link to that post.

HAHA---I said Wah-lah---that is so not what I meant to say! :)  MOVING ON!!!

I am late to the game on my St. Patrick's Centers, but I am also going to use them into next week. I created centers to help differentiate for my firsties.  The games are very similar, but the skill levels are different.  Here's a preview picture.

Right now, I have it for $3.00 in TpT.  

Click HERE if you're interested.

I've also found some great ideas (again which I have) on TpT for St. Patrick's 

that I will be using this week or next. 

HERE is the link to Erica's sorting--only $1.

 HERE is the link to Teri's Catch a Leprechaun Unit.

HERE is the link to Jen's Marshmallow Math.

HERE is the link to Glady's St. Patricks' Day O'Fun!

Aren't they all great products?  Now the sad thing is there are MANY other great products that I've found and want to use--heaven forbid I say this, but I want more time in my day so I CAN use them all! :)  (okay, maybe not---but you know what I mean!)

Now for the freebie!!
Click the image below to download! :)

 Though it's an emergent reader, my class LOVES these stories to read just for fun! :)
You can incorporate many ideas though to the story to hit a variety of skills.
1) Take several words from the story (maybe the picture words) and have them state the number of syllables in each word.
2) Take words from the story and sort by vowel sound (long/short)
3) Take words (the pictures) from the story, and describe them.
4) List the nouns in the story.
3) Sequence the story.
4) Write how they would get the gold if they were the leprechaun.
5) Write what they would like to do with a pot of gold.
6) Write or discuss, what other thing could they add to the story. 
Hope that gives you some other ideas for this story!! ENJOY!

You know---I don't hate comments either! :)
Show some LOVE! :)