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Spane’s Renewable Energy Diorama – Projects for Kids

Renewable Energy Diorama – Projects for Kids

So, Spane comes home and says that he has to make a diorama for his third-grade class to be shown at Open House. I’ve never made a diorama before, but I love crafts, and I’m very interested in renewable energy.

When I asked Spane what his diorama was going to be, he said a farm. His farm has corn, a house, a river, and a cherry tree. He’s actually right on target, there are a lot of things on his farm that can use or create renewable energy.

Part of the project was the diorama itself, the other was the research that I did for the project. I have included sources for my research in this post, so you can find more about it.

Update: Parents were treated to all the wonderful dioramas at Open House on Thursday, May 31, 2012. The children got to see other classrooms the next day, Friday, so the diorama had to be up for one more day. I got to do a little repair work at Open House as the kids had been spinning the windmill and touching the cherry tree. I quickly glued the “leaves” back on the tree, sadly only one of the “cherries” were left, I guess the rest got eaten! The good thing about this diorama is when Spane went to take it home, everything collapsed, he closed up the box, and put it in his backpack.

Mother’s Day Rose Smoothie from Spane

A Mother’s Day Rose Smoothie

Yes, this was made by a kid, but guess what? It’s really good, and good for you. Don’t be afraid of roses, they are delicious and very good for you. Use plain yogurt for the best taste.

Spane was upset on Friday when he told me that he had forgotten my Mother’s Day present at school. He started crying and I hugged him and said that he, himself, was the best present I had ever gotten. I mean that.

Last year, with the help of our roommate and friend, Maria, Spane made a whole tablescape and breakfast parfait. This year, since he’s now eight, he wanted to do everything himself. We have a knitted throw blanket that he used as a table-cloth, and he cleaned the kitchen all by himself! I was so proud!

When I was sleeping this morning our lovely Maine Coon, Rolo, came up to me and touched my face with his paw. Opening one eye, I saw he was getting ready to do it again, only this time there were claws. I said to him, “Did Spane tell you to wake me up?” That cat nodded his head, I swear he did! I got out of bed, and Spane was excited to show me a neat and clean kitchen.

Spane went to the trouble this morning of making me his very own Rosy Smoothie, all by himself. It was delicious!

I hope everyone has a Happy Mother’s Day – even if you’re not a mother!

Seafood Stuffed Avocado with Marinated Asparagus

Seafood stuffed avocado is a delight in the spring when perky asparagus comes into play. Here we marinated it to give it extra flavor. Enjoy!

Microwave Mexican Rice with Pork Loin Tacos for Cinco De Mayo

Microwave Mexican Rice

Recipes in this Post

So, a few weeks ago I was at the market and there was a package of Uncle Ben’s Taco rice in the Manager’s Special section. I thought, hey, why not? It might be good. I prepared it according to package directions on Tuesday. When Spane tasted it, he made a face. I tasted it, and I made a face, too. I even put Tapatio on it, and sour cream, and it still tasted like dirty, old socks. Mind you, I’ve never tasted dirty, old socks, but I imagine they probably taste like that rice – horrible. Moral of the story, don’t by Uncle Ben’s flavored rice.

After that debacle, I was determined to make good Mexican rice, but my stove, Bertha, is on the fritz. I had to find another way to make it.

I also had a pork loin roast, and I wanted to marinate it, but, it too, could not be roasted in Bertha. I had to find another way for that as well.

Food Art – Teacher’s Garden No Bake Lemon Wafer Cake

Recipes in this Post

Lemon Wafer Cake

The PTA at John Muir Elementary School puts on a staff luncheon every year. Parents are asked to bring in their best dish. Our teachers and staff are very lucky, as a lot of our parents are very good cooks. This year, in fact, the recipes are going to be collected and the PTA is publishing a cookbook. The luncheon was going to take place in the newly planted Teachers’ Garden. I decided to make a cake and decorate it as a garden.

The cake looked lovely tilted up at the dessert station. In fact, it looked so lovely, and so real, that no one ate it. Some guests thought it was too pretty to cut, a few thought it was art, and a few didn’t think it was really edible. I wound up taking it home and will share it with family and friends.

Barbecued Corned Beef – St. Patrick’s Day Dinner

I was so looking forward to having barbecued corned beef and putting my corned beef on the Weber, but I got rained out. It didn’t turn out a bad dinner, though. I used the baby Nesco, and that brisket turned out just fine.

Kiwi Lime Cupcakes for St. Patrick’s Day

These Kiwi Lime cupcakes for St. Patrick’s Day are unique and delicious. Don’t wait for a holiday to make them.

Braised Oxtails – Oxen Shvantz Suppe

Braised oxtail with wine for hours is tender and juicy. When I was a little girl growing up in Germany when we had Oxen Shvantz Suppe it was always a real treat. They are wonderful on a cold, rainy winter day.

Chili with fixin's

Sometimes, on a cold day that looks like it might rain, you have to have chili. Usually, I make a big pot of it, and it cooks a long time to let the beans get nice and soft. Sometimes, you just don’t have that kind of time, but you don’t want something that came out of a can.

I don’t buy the Chili mix in the bag. I make my own, and you should, too. It’s very simple, and better because you can control the heat and you know what’s in it. Basically, it’s a mixture of chilies, cumin and a little salt.

If you live in California, you probably have access to fresh Anaheim chilies, if you live in New Mexico, you have the New Mexico chili which is a bit hotter than the Anaheim. Both chilies have thick skin, so they should be charred before use. When making my chili, I charred two nice big red bells peppers as well.How to Char Chilies

Charring chilies is very simple. You need four things, the chilies themselves, a gas stove top, long tongs and a plastic bag (the one the chilies came in is fine). Put the gas flame up as high as it will go, and just lay the chili on the burner. Use the tongs to turn the chilies as they char. When most of the skin has been charred, put the chili in the plastic bag, close it, and let the chili steam in the bag. When the chili is cool enough to handle, remove the charred skin under running water. Not only is this a great way to skin a chili pepper, it also give the chili a nice roasted flavor. Of course, if you want really smoky flavor, do it on the Weber!

Cheesecake Stuffed Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

The other day, when I was perusing Pinterest, I came across something that looked fabulous. It was strawberries stuffed with cream cheese, and it was called Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries. I pinned it and decided it would make a nice treat for the kids in Spane’s class going to the Planetarium field trip. Last year, I made White Chocolate Rum Raisin Cookies for Mrs. Mary’s class when we went to The Natural Science Museum.

I lucked out, and strawberries were Buy One box, Get One Free. There are 24 kids in Spane’s class, plus the teacher, and possibly one or two more parents who, like me, volunteered to go on the trip to help with the children. There were enough strawberries, with a few extra for the house.

I decided to change the original recipe a little and dip the strawberries in chocolate. All the recipes on the Internet tell you to add shortening to the chocolate to temper it. I don’t like shortening, and I knew that I had dipped strawberries before without it. Of course, looking in The Joy of Cooking, I found that I didn’t need shortening at all, just a candy thermometer, that I have a nice glass one with a clip. There are instructions later in this post about how to do this.

Renewable Energy Diorama – Projects for Kids

A Mother’s Day Rose Smoothie

Microwave Mexican Rice

Recipes in this Post

Recipes in this Post

Chili with fixin's

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