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Felt Sewing

Kristin just finished sewing this lovely project for Kal's birthday.  He is intensely interested in mobiles, and she had this pre-punched felt kit laying around from her stocking last year, so she decided to complete it (the brand is Colorbok, but I looked online and didn't see them for sale anywhere).  This was the perfect project for a five year old!  Although she has done some hand sewing and some machine sewing with assistance, using the pre-punched kit made it easy for her to be more independent with the process.

If you look closely at the heart, you'll see that it's two different colors.  She lost one of the heart pieces and we improvised with a scrap piece of felt.  I was able to punch holes with her plastic needle so she could continue, although it would have been easier with a small gauge hole punch.  I think I may whip up a few of these kits so she can sew anytime she wants!

Snow Treats

It's a rare day in North Carolina where we have enough snow that the grass doesn't peep through, but this weekend has been a winter paradise.  The kids are also having a "snow day" today, where they lounge around the house and play to their heart's content.  There have been plenty of sledding and snow angels and imaginary games going on out there!

When they come in, freezing and dripping, first on the agenda is some sort of warm treat.  My girls love Snow Candy the best.  If you get some snow, why not try some too?

SNOW CANDY

1/2 cup real maple syrup
2 tbsp. salted butter
Fresh snow

(this recipe is easily doubled or halved)

1. Have the kids fill a big, clean pan of snow (think at least 2” deep and as wide as you have).  Meanwhile, heat the syrup and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently.

2. The mixture is ready 6 to 7 minutes after it boils. It should stiffen when dripped onto a plate. I just set the timer and call it good, or do a few test drips on the pan of snow.  You're looking for it to firm up.  Don't fret here - just get it rather thick but not burnt.  (If you're a perfectionist, you;re aiming for about 230 on a candy thermometer.)

3. Remove from heat and pour over the snow within a minute or two. It cools so quickly that kids can taste it right away, directly from the snow.  Eat it all.  No really, the leftovers get all soggy.  You HAVE to eat it.  Poor you.

Traditionally, this is served with something really salty, like pickles or crackers.

(This version was adapted from Catherine Newman's recipe published in Wondertime magazine.  Sniff.  Wondertime.  That was my favorite magazine, and now it's gone forever.)

101 Places You Gotta See Before You're 12!

We have a new book.  It's called 101 Places You Gotta See Before You're 12!  I've had my eye on it for more than a year now, and finally decided to buy it used because I found a copy with the stickers still intact (generally I'd suggest to buy it new just for the sticker aspect).  The book contains a list of cool places that aren't really specific, like "a big dune," "a hall of fame" or "a living history museum."  Since the adventures are so open-ended, we have a lot of latitude to try new things, both in our home town and on our larger adventures.  The stickers that come with the book help track your activities with text like "Been There!" or "Awesome Adventure!"

I asked the girls what they thought, and here were their comments:  "It has lots of adventures in it."   "I'm looking forward to going to a lighthouse.  The most famous one in the United States is Cape Hatteras," which happens to be just up the road a piece.  Lucky for us. "And it has cool pictures."  True.  They are quite inspiring.  "I'm looking forward to going to the ice castle and sleeping for a night."  Um...  technically it says to find a cool hotel.  I'm not sure that I'm ready to go all the way to Canada just to freeze in an unheated hotel!  That's what camping is for, right?

We will continue to update our book adventures here on the blog, with the title 101 Places - and then the # and the title.  101 Places -#68 Patisserie, coming soon!