Column Summary
Dont let the weather fool you, confirm the season by frequent calendar checks. Even the almanac can set you straight when Ohio weather directs your attention away from winter.
February has arrived, and while our first few days in have been mild, no need to remind the natives, this is Ohio; dont blink the weather will change in a second, dont nod off cause when you shake if off youll need to get the shovel. And we all know what can happen when you wake-up in the morning; the green grass and slop mud are buried, and so is the shovel.
The kids love the snow, and well they love the mud stuff, too. Once clean snow boots were drying on the register or lined up in front of the wood stove, now mud boots are set atop newspapers in wait for the next adventure outside. Running and playing in the snow, a slip and slide was bound to happen, no harm a drip dry or tumble will be the fix. But when the snow melts away, and jean knees drop and bottoms plop the laundry basket fills.
So when temperatures plummet again, and fierce blizzard winds blow again, and the kids have to settle indoors, again, you will need an attention direction plan. Kids in the kitchen may be ideal. The kitchen table is a great place for projects, or stools pushed up to the counter or island is how the little ones can get their hands into a fun food project.
One of moms aprons, a paint smock (aka one of dads old button-ups), or one of dads large work T-shirts will keep play clothes clean, or school clothes if they got dressed before the cancellation, or maybe they never got out of their jammies that morning. Consider the ingredients of your project and then determine needed protection.
Have the kids prepare breakfast. Have the kids fix lunch. Have the kids pop ingredients into a crock-pot for supper. Have the kids whip up dinners dessert. Have the kids mix up a bedtime snack. Two very important things; adult supervision and help with the clean-up.
After the kitchen table is cleaned, it could be game time (Or nap time, for them, for you?). A complete deck of cards spread out across the table is a simple game of memory played. Divide a bag of Scrabble tiles into equal piles, one for each child; how many words in your letter pile? The same game can be played with alphabet blocks.
Bingo is always fun. Have each child bring 5 to 10 unwanted items to the Bingo prize table. Mom can add some fun stuff, too. Check the cupboards, private stashes, and junk drawers, even change purses, be creative. If you dont have Bingo cards the cards can be drawn with a pencil and ruler or printed off a computer. Bingo markers can be anything small; marbles do not make good markers (we used M & Ms during our family Christmas Bingo; the more you eat the less chances of winning.)
Plan on more snow days; plan, plan, plan.
Kids love to be in the kitchen, if you arent in the habit of shooing them away; send their recipes to: Country Cupboard, 5973 Blachleyville Rd. Wooster, OH, 44691. Emails are always welcome: thewritecook@sssnet.com
Play Dough (Mary Anne Horning, Shiloh)
1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
2 teaspoons salad oil
1 cup water
Several drops of food coloring
Mix all ingredients together. Cook over medium heat, stirring until it sticks together in a big ball. Remove from heat. Using your hands, squeeze and knead until soft and smooth.
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Colossals (Mary Anne Horning, Shiloh)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/2cup butter
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups chunky peanut butter
6 cups quick oats
2 cups chocolate chips
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
Mix the first 6 ingredients thoroughly. Add remaining ingredients. And mix well. Drop on greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. There is no flour in this recipe.
Snow Ice Cream
2 eggs
2 cups milk or cream
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons vanilla
Fresh clean snow
Beat 2 eggs in a large bowl. Add 2 cups milk or cream, 1 1/2 cups sugar and 3 tablespoons vanilla. Mix together and add enough fresh, clean snow to create the proper consistency. Sort of like slush. Serve this yummy treat in a dish or ice cream cone.
Kids Favorite Breakfast Bars (Rhonda Hibdon)
2 jars marshmallow creme
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 stick butter
1/2 box Wheaties Energy Crunch cereal
1 cup granola, plain or with nuts
Melt butter and vanilla together for 1 minute in the microwave. Add peanut butter and marshmallow creme and stir well to combine. Add Wheaties to the mixture and spread it out in a plastic refrigerator container. Add granola to the top and press down into the mix with an offset spatula.
Peanut Butter Play Dough
1 cup peanut butter
2/3 to1 cup nonfat dry milk
2 tablespoons honey
Mix ingredients. Add enough powdered milk to make play dough dry enough to handle. Shape into balls. Add raisins to make a face. Or stir in chow mein noodles and make a bird's nest. Or stir in Cheerios or chocolate chips for fun. Eat and enjoy!
Microwave Scrambled Eggs
1 small pat butter
1 egg
Put small pat of butter in a microwave-safe dish. Microwave on medium 20 seconds to melt butter. Break egg into bowl. Scramble. Cook on high 1 minute, stirring once during cooking.
Kids Crazy Cake
1 1/2 cups flour
3 tablespoons cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cooking oil
1 cup cold water
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoons vanilla
1 tablespoons vinegar
Sift flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt directly into 8 inch square cake pan. Make 3 holes in the dry ingredients. In first hole, pour vanilla. Into another, pour cooking oil. In the last, pour vinegar. Pour 1 cup cold water over all and beat with a fork until smooth. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.
A Vegetable the Kids Will Eat
2 boxes frozen chopped broccoli
1 box frozen cauliflower
1 can Campbell's cream of chicken soup
8 ounce jar Cheez Whiz
Dried bread crumbs
Make veggies; boil and drain. In a 2 quart casserole dish mix all ingredients, except bread crumbs. Cover top generously with bread crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for about 1/2 hour or until bread crumbs brown and cheese bubbles.
Brownies Kids Can Make
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons cocoa
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
Combine all ingredients in a 9 x 9 inch baking pan. Mix well. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes.
Cinnamon Rolls for Kids
2 c. flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup Crisco
Spread butter
Sprinkle sugar
Sprinkle cinnamon
Mix first 5 ingredients together. Roll out dough (as if you to make a pie shell). Spread butter to desired amount. Sprinkle sugar to desired amount. Sprinkle cinnamon to desired amount. Roll like you would a jelly roll. Cut about 1-2 inches (or desired amount). Place in oven at 350 degrees for few minutes or until light brown.
