Happy Halloween

May the Force be with you!!

Are you smarter than a 3rd grader? Mammals

We took Big Man's Cub Scout group to the Nature Center this week for a presentation on mammals.  You know, warm-blooded, hairy, air-breathing creatures such as humans and sloths.  Not surprisingly, the boys all frantically raised their hands whenever our guide asked a question.  Surprisingly, they got most of the answers right!  Would you have done as well as this group of eager 3rd graders? (answers are listed below)

1. What is the only mammal capable of flying?
2. Which mammal lays eggs rather than "giving birth" to their young?
3. Which mammal has 8 vertebrae instead of the usual 7?

And the drumroll please.............

Answers:

1. The Bat
2. The Duck Billed Platypus
3. The Sea Cow

If you answered these correctly, I have a 9 year old that could use your help with his math homework.

In the Kitchen with my Little People-Easy Apple Crisp

Great for a quick apple pie fix when you return home from a day of apple picking and realize you have no pie crust, no butter and very little time before bed-time.

1. Hold back your laughter as you call the neighbor and ask to "borrow a stick of butter".
2. Send Little Man over to get the butter
3. Cut 8 medium apples into chunks and spread in baking dish.
4. In a bowl combine dry ingredients: 3/4 cup flour, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon and 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg.
5. Add 8 tblsp. unsalted butter cut into small pieces to dry ingredients.
6. Scatter this mixture over the apples.
7. Bake until brown (approx. 50 min. at 375 degrees).
8. Serve with whip cream or ice cream.

This recipe was sent home in Biggest Girl's backpack years ago by her teacher Miss Laurie.  Challenged with teaching a class of multiply disabled kids how to make the recipe, she had cut out line drawing icons of the tasks (cut, stir, bake) as well as the ingredients and helped the kids glue them to a red piece of construction paper.  This over-sized recipe card will always be my favorite.