5 Simple Ways to Use Canned Black Beans when Frugality Rules
photo credit: net_efekt
If your family budget is stretched just about as far as it will go, and who’s isn’t, you need some proven tools to stretch your money even further. One of the methods most of us use to squeeze a few more pennies out of our paycheck is to cut back on the grocery bill. Let me introduce you to your new best friend; superbly nutritious and wonderfully delicious, the Black Bean.
If you find yourself wandering through the aisles of your grocery store, searching for something to make for dinner that won’t rob you of your last dollar, mosey on over to the black bean display and check out the price. Read the label and you’ll learn that black beans are loaded with nutrients like protein, iron, calcium, and potassium, and they are high in fiber, and low in fat and sugar, so they really offer a lot of bang-for-your-buck. With those kind of credentials, it is obvious that black beans should be a staple in every household, frugal or not. So, let’s think up a few simple and delicious meals to create using your new best friend… the black bean.
1) Simply Delicious Four Bean Soup
You’ll need 1 can each of black beans, garbanzo beans, butter beans, and navy beans, drained but not rinsed, and set aside. In a large pot, pour 2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil, add 1 cup finely chopped celery and 1 cup diced onion. Cook over medium to medium low heat until celery is a little transparent and tender. Then, add 1 clove garlic, minced, crushed, or grated, and cook for just about a minute. Add 1 small can fire-roasted diced tomatoes and 1 small can chicken broth. Simmer slowly for about 20 minutes. Give it a taste and add salt and ground black pepper to taste. You may also want to sprinkle in some hot red pepper flakes if you like a bit of spice. That’s all it takes and it’s ready to eat, and healthy, too.
2) Beans and More Beans Salad
Like any salad, you want to use a variety of color and textures. Choose solid beans, like black beans, butter beans, garbanzo beans, kidney beans, waxed beans, and the like for a nice mix of colors. Drain and rinse all the beans and put them in a big bowl. Now, you want to add some nice crunchy texture and more color. Be sure to add some sweet onion, or green onion with the tops, some beautiful chopped sweet red pepper, finely chopped celery, maybe some chives, a little parsley, dill perhaps, or whatever herb you have that sounds good, and top it all with a drizzle of a good vinaigrette dressing like Paul Newman’s Own Balsamic Vinaigrette. Give the salad a good, but gentle, toss so all the ingredients are distributed. This is a surprisingly easy and flavorful recipe and makes a really refreshing salad. Even the kids will enjoy this salad, which is great because it’s loaded with nutrition.
3) Under a Minute Black Beans and Taco Sauce
My daughter actually created this recipe and, although it may appear a little strange at first, it certainly has its merits and has made me a true believer in sometimes simple is best. You’ll need to drain and rinse your canned black beans, being sure they drain thoroughly and you don’t end up with water in your bowl. After your canned beans are rinsed, pour them into a bowl and simply top with any favorite taco sauce, like those little leftover ones we seem to accumulate from getting take-out. Mix the taco sauce in gently but thoroughly, give it a taste test, add more taco sauce if you like, and enjoy! You just have to trust me on this one. It makes a great side dish or after school snack, and is loaded with nutrients that you don’t get in a lot of other snacks. You can also use taco sauce you have in your refrigerator, or even a bit of salsa. Just don’t overdo the sauce. You want the flavor of the salsa or taco sauce to enhance, not overwhelm the black beans.
4) Black Bean and Celery Cottage Cheese Salad
Creating salads that use black beans is a great way to add another nutritional element to any meal. This salad is almost a meal in itself. Start by putting a 1 cup scoop of cottage cheese in a serving bowl, and sprinkle a little salt and freshly ground black pepper on top. Drain and rinse a can of black beans, being sure they drain well. Top the cottage cheese with about 1/2 cup of the black beans. Add about a handful of chopped celery on top and you have a great, crunchy, creamy lunch that’s packed with protein, calcium, iron, and fiber. Did I say this was almost a meal in itself? It IS a meal in itself!
5) Whatcha Got Black Bean Burrito
If you have a few staples in your pantry you can whip up this simple and nutritious burrito. You’ll need a flour or corn tortilla, heated if you like, placed on a plate. Drain and rinse your black beans thoroughly, then start building your burrito however you want with whatever you have in the kitchen. I add my black beans first, then some diced tomatoes, leftover rice if I have it, a little onion, lots of shredded cheddar cheese, a little sour cream or cottage cheese, some chopped parsley or cilantro if it’s in the refrigerator, some leftover fish is nice, and whatever else I have to use up. Depending on how my stash of leftovers is, I go a little heavier on the black beans and lighter on the other stuff. Then, sit down with your bottle of taco sauce or salsa, and enjoy!
These are just a few of the countless ways to enjoy cooking and serving the incredibly nutritious and inexpensive black bean. You can see why I’ve befriended black beans and added them to my pantry staples. The five meal ideas I’ve given here can easily be built upon to add your own personal flair and create black bean dishes that you can call your very own family favorites.
Please stop by often and share your own frugal ideas for living.
Organizing Basics for Busy Moms
Organizing Basics: We all want more time- if I did a poll of what you would ask for if you could have anything most of us would probably say more hours in a day before we would even ask for money or fame. An organized life is a simplified life and a simplified life means more time for the things that are important. There is no easy fix! Organizing is an ongoing process not an event. People say I am going to “get organized”. That is a great goal to aspire to but I encourage you to reword it a little. Try- I am going to become more organized. First of all, everyone has some aspect of their life that is organized. Your house can be cluttered with mountains of laundry and three years worth of magazines but your spices might be alphabetized or you might need all the towels in your linen closet folded the same way. So, here are some tips for getting started in the process of becoming more organized.
- Just do it: Don’t be afraid and overwhelmed by the organizing process. Taking it one task at a time is the easiest way to dive into an unorganized space. Once you see progress you will be motivated to continue.
- Start small: Picture the one space in your home that you avoid, the place that makes you shake your head and cringe when you pass by. That spot that you really want to change but just don’t know where to start. The space in your home that bothers you the most. Start there. Set the timer for half an hour. Get done what you can, assess what you accomplished and what is left and go back later.
- What works for one might not work for you. Those organization articles in magazines have great ideas but they are very generic. Sometimes we judge ourselves if we fail after trying to implement some of those ideas from HGTV shows and articles. Please remember those shows represent hours and hours of work with seasoned professionals edited down to a half hour time slot. I typically spend 8-12 hours on a home office, 10 hours on a kitchen, etc (which is why I charge by the project and not by the hour). It all depends. One size does not fit all.
- Keep at it. Once you have invested the time and effort to become more organized you have to work at maintaining that progress or you will slip right back into old habits. This is just like losing weight, having a daily quiet time or any other new habit you try to form. Maintenance is key to keeping your life organized. I develop a maintenance plan for my clients. It would be a shame to invest your finances and your time in a project and three weeks later walk into the same mess that was there before. All it takes is being aware of what created the situation in the first place and being committed to changing the pattern. Take fifteen minutes at the end of the day to clear the clutter off the kitchen counter or pick up the mismatched gloves that have accumulated in front of the door. If you put everything in it’s place tonight you will have a better start to your day tomorrow and you will not face an accumulation of clutter.
- Enlist help- if organization is not your strong suit chances are you know someone who has the knack. Swap- babysitting or cook them dinner for a week in exchange for helping you tackle your cluttered family room. Hire a professional organizer- it is not as cost prohibitive as you may think!! Having an organized life means less stress and more time.
Happy Organizing!
Letters of the Alphabet
by Aunt B
Copyright 2004-2006 Story Soup Kids, a division of Enchanted Corner
Letter A
Letter A – Apple Printing
Apples
Knife
Paint
Paper
Paper Plates
Parent can cut an apple in half. Place a small amount of paint into a paper plate. Have child dip apple half into paint and make apple prints.
*Optional*
Paint your child’s hand green and arm brown. Make a print on paper. Next add apple prints to the hand/arm print like an apple tree.
Letter B
Letter B – Bus
Yellow Paper
Black Paper
Markers
Glue Stick
Scissors
Cut out 2 black wheels and 3 small squares and 1 large square, for windows. Have your child glue them the wheels on to the bottom of the yellow paper. Next glue the small squares in a straight line at the top leaving enough room for the big square at one end. You can also cut out one small black circle for a headlight if you would like. Have your child write the word BUS on the side of the bus. If your child can not right you write it in light pencil and have your child write on top. (Added touch – round the corners of the yellow paper)
Letter C
Letter C – Cutting Cookies
Black Marker
Child Scissors
Beige Paper
Brown Paper
Glue Stick
Draw a circle with the black marker on beige paper. Draw smaller circles on brown paper. Have your child cut out the circles. The circles do NOT need to be perfect for most cookies are not perfect. Glue the brown “chocolate chips” on the beige “cookie:”
Letter D
D – Daisy Hands
White Paint
Yellow Paint
Blue Paper
Paint your child’s fingers only with white paint. Make a print on the paper of your child’s fingers. Do this again and again until you have a circle of white finger prints. Once you do on the last set of prints paint the palm of your child’s hand yellow along with the white fingers. Place the last print down and you will have a daisy.
Letter E Craft
Letter E – Egg
Water Colors
Water Color Paper
Scissors (for Parent)
Cut an egg shape out of the water color paper. Have your child water color the paper to create a Dyed Easter Egg.
Letter F
F – Feet Fun
Roll of Kraft Brown Paper (shipping paper)
Paint of Any Color
Paint Brush
Baby Wipes
Lay down the paper. Paint your child’s feet with paint. Have your child hold on to your hands as they “Walk” across the paper. They can turn around and walk back until the paint is all gone on their feet. Repeat this as many times as you want. Use baby wipes to make clean up easier. Wipe your child’s feet with them.
*You can use this paper for wrapping a gift.
Letter G
G – Grapes
Purple Paint or Ink Pad
Paper
Baby Wipes (easy clean up)
Let your child use the paint or ink to make thumb or finger prints to form a grape bunch. Use a baby wipe for quick clean up.
Letter H
H – Home/House
Large Appliance Box
Markers or Paint
Imaginations
Using the large appliance box let your child color or paint the walls of the box. Encourage your child to use there imagination to create a home/house out of their own box.
Letter I
I – Ice Painting
Dry Tempera Paint
Paper
Ice
Use ice to add the water to a dab or two of dry tempera paint. As the ice melts it will turn the dry paint into liquid paint. Encourage your child to mix colors using the dry paint. Talk about how the ice feels while your child paints.
*Option*
Don’t have Dry Tempera Paint, try dry cool-aid.
Letter J
J – Jeans
Strips of Old Jeans (Parent should pre cut the strips)
Card Stock Cut out of the letter J
Glue
Glue strips of jeans to the J shape to create a jean J.
Letter K
K – Key Chime
Old Keys
Fishing Line
Hanger or Pipe
Using the old keys help your child tie pieces of the fishing line to the keys. Tie the other end of the fishing line to the hanger or pipe. Be sure to hang them at different lengths but close enough to hit each other to create the “chime.”
Letter L
L –Ladybugs
Black Crayon
Red Crayon
2 Small Paper Plate
Black Circle Sticker (labels)
1 Brad
Scissors
Have your child color one paper plate red and one black. Next place the black sticker circle labels on the red paper plate. Once done, cut the red paper plate in half, using the brad, connect the three pieces (one whole plate and 2 half plates) at the top of one the whole plate. This will leave you with a lady bug with wings that can open and close.
Letter M
M – Marble Painting
Box – (AVON box lid works great)
Marble
Paint Any Color
Paper
Place paper in the box and dip a drop or 2 of paint on the paper. Place the marble into the lid and tilt the box back and forth to get the marble to roll around. You can add more colors to create different colors. Try golf balls for a different look.
*Option for 2 and Under*
Use a Cool Whip container to hold a small piece of paper, paint and a marble. Let your child shack the container all around. You will get the same turn out.
Letter N
N – Noodle Paint
Spaghetti Noodles
Linguini Noodles
Lasagna Noodles
Paint
Paper
Cook the noodles, let them cool, dip the noodle into paint and drag it across the paper. Each noodle will leave a different print.
*Option*
You can do this with uncooked noodles it is just harder to handle.
Letter O
O – Octopus
Paint
Paper
Paint Brush
Baby Wipes (easy clean up)
Googly Eyes
Paint only the fingers and a palm NO THUMB of your child’s hands. Make a print of your child hands with the palms on top of one another. This will give you a print with 8 fingers sticking out. Just like legs to an octopus. Add some googly eyes and you have a silly octopus.
Letter P
P – Pickle Painting
Large and Small Pickles
Knife (for Parent Use)
Paint
Small Plates
Paper
Parent should cut the tip of the pickle off and place that open end down into paint that you have placed on to a small paper plate. Next encourage your child to pick up the pickle and make prints on his plate with it. If you feel like making a mess have your child roll a pickle in paint then roll it on paper.
Letter Q
Q – Queen
Construction Paper
Glue Stick
Child Scissors
Markers
Give your child a square 4 x 4 piece of paper and help your child round the corners. This will be your Queen’s face. Next give your child a rectangle piece of paper and have them cut V’s out of the long side of the rectangle. This will create a Crown for your Queen. Next have your child cut long strips of paper for hair to go onto your Queen. Once you have all the parts have your child glue together a Queen using markers to create the face.
Letter R
R – Pet Rock
Large Rock
Paint
Markers
Googly Eyes
Yarn
Glue
Take the large rock and paint it. Use markers to draw on a face. Glue the googly eyes and use yarn for the pet rock’s tail.
Letter S
S – Snake
Old Tie
Dried Beans
Hot Glue Gun (Parent will use)
Red Felt
Parent needs to hot glue the small end of the tie closed. Once the hot glue has cooled your child may start adding dry beans. While they are doing that the Parent can cut a fork shape out of the red felt for a snake tongue. When the tie is full of beans the Parent will need to glue the red felt tongue to the top of the larger opened end of the tie (on the inside) so it sticks out. Then seal the end with glue. The tie should be completely sealed with glue. To be sure that it does not break later take and glue the seam of the snake(tie) also.
You can add googly eyes to give your snake a silly character.
Letter T
Coming Soon
Letter U
U – Umbrella
Construction Paper
Circular Object
Pencil
Scissors
Pipe Cleaner
Glue
Trace the circular object with a pencil. Have your child cut out the circle. Fold the circle in half and cut along the fold. This will give you two umbrella tops. Next take your pipe cleaner and bend it into a “J” shape. Glue the “J” shape to the back of your half circle and you have an umbrella.
Letter V
V – Vase
Masking Tape
Empty “GLASS” Salad Dressing Bottle
Rubber Gloves
Shoe Polish (blue or brown)
Old Rag
Using small strips of masking tape; cover your bottle completely. After this step is done you will need to put gloves on. Using the old rag rub shoe polish onto the bottle you just taped up. This will give your bottle a very neat “VASE” look.
Letter W
W – Watermelon
Pink Paper
Green Paper
Black Circle Stickers
Scissors
Pencil
Glue Stick
Draw a triangle on the pink paper. Have your child cut out the triangle. Have your child cut a strip of green to glue at the bottom of your triangle. Place black stickers on the pink portion of the triangle. You will have a nice slice of watermelon when you are done.
Letter X
X – Ray
Black Construction Paper
Chalk
Imagination
Have your child trace their hand or foot with the white chalk on the black paper. Next have them draw in what they think their bones look like.
*Option*
Get a real X-Ray of a hand or foot for your child to look and compare. A picture from a book would work also.
Letter Y
Y – Yarn Painting
Yarn
Paint
Paper Plate
Paper
(Clothes Pin)
Place a small amount of paint on a paper plate. Cut yarn to be different lengths. Have your child place the yarn in the paint getting it covered w/ paint. Next drag the yarn over paper. Do this with different paint colors.
If you have a child who does not like to get their hand dirty add a clothes pin to one end of the yarn. Then have the child pick up the yarn using the clothes pin and their fingers will stay clean.
Letter Z
Z – Zig Zag Fun
Rick Rack Trim
Glue
Card Stock
Scissors
Have your child use the zig zag rick rack trim to create a Z zig zag style.
Reindeer and Santa Preschool Theme Crafts
by Aunt B
Copyright 2004-2006 Story Soup Kids, a division of Enchanted Corner
Reindeer and Santa Kids Crafts
Reindeer Magnets
Small dog biscuits
Small wiggly eyes
Small red pom poms (for the nose)
Brown chenille cut in 2 inches length strips (for antlers)
Magnet strip.
Hot Glue Gun (used with supervision)
What you will need to do:
You take a dog biscuit and work on it vertically. You want to hot glue a red pom pom near the bottom (above where the dog biscuit indents), then hot glue the wiggly eyes above that. Twist the chenille sticks (pipe cleaners) into antlers and hot glue those at the top of the dog biscuit, gluing them to the back so they stand out at the top and then attach magnetic backing to the biscuit.
3D Reindeer
Here is a new twist on the Reindeer hands and feet.
Items you will need
Hand and feet of a child
Paper of your choice – construction or scrapbook paper
Pencil
Scissors
Glue
2 Googly eyes
Red Pom Pom for the Nose
Picture Frame to fit your Reindeer in. Ages birth-3 can usually fit 5×7 older will need 8×10 or larger.
Trace your child’s hands and one foot. Take the foot and glue it down with the toes going down heel up, then glue the hands at the top near the heel as antlers. (I have glued these pieces to a nice scrapbook paper) Place inside the frame of your choice. On the outside of the glass glue on the googly eyes and the red pompom at the tip for a nose. This makes for a really neat 3D effect. A decoration to have out every year.
Santa Prints
There are many ways to make this Santa. Here are two versions.
Painted Handprint Santa
Red Paint
White Paint
Card Stock
Black and Red Marker
Paint Brush
Mix a drop of red into some white to make a flesh color. Paint the center palm the flesh color. Paint the Thumb and bottom half of the palm red. Paint the fingers white. Place your hand print down on top of the card stock. With other hand paint your thumb white and add a white thumb print at the end of the red thumb. Once this is dry, draw eyes and mouth on the face. An alteration is you can cut around the Santa Print, punch a hole at the top, tie a ribbon and you have an ornament.
Plaster Handprint Santa
Plaster of Paris
Sand
Water
Bowl
Red Paint
White Paint
Straw
Ribbon
Red and Black Marker
Small White Pompom
Glue
(Optional googly eyes)
In a shallow bowl add sand with a little bit of water. This will thicken up the sand. Have your child make a Hand Print in the sand. Mix plaster of paris and pour into the Sand Handprint mold. After about 1 or 2 hours take straw and poke a hole in top of red area, hat. This will leave you an opening to add a ribbon to hang it with. Let dry 24 hours. Take hand out of sand mold let dry an additional 12 hours. Once mix a drop of red into white paint to make a flesh color, paint palm the flesh color. Paint the thumb and bottom of palm (near wrist) red, for hat. Paint fingers white or just leave plaster white color. Once dry add on the white pompom to the end of the thumb. You can add eyes with marker or googly eyes. Draw on mouth.
Christmas Printables
Recommended Books to read
Hurry, Santa!
Santa’s Noisy Night
Careful, Santa!
Written by: Tim Warnes
In each of these books Santa makes all kinds of silly mistakes on Christmas Eve!
Guess Who’s Coming to Santa’s for Dinner?
Written by: Tomie dePaola
When Santa’s family comes to dinner, everyone has a big laugh!
Santa’s Book of Names
Written by: David McPhail
The adventure of a boy who learns to read by reading Santa’s book of names.
Reindeer and Santa Cooking with Kids
Reindeer Sandwiches
Items you will need:
(Makes 4 sandwiches)
1 Slice of Bread
8 Celery Sticks (antlers)
8 Raisins
Peanut Butter
4 Cherries
Night before prepare food by:
Cutting all crust off bread and cutting the bread into 4 triangles. Place the bread triangles in the freezer.
Slice each of the celery sticks halfway down, place in a bowl of water in the fridge over night.
Day of cooking:
Have your child spread peanut butter on the frozen bread. (Easier to spread on frozen bread) Place the triangles points down on a small plate. Then let hem create reindeer faces by adding raisins for eyes, cherries for noses, and the celery (should have curled over night) for antlers.
By the time you are done decorating the bread is defrosted and your child will be ready to enjoy a Reindeer Sandwich!
Happy Birthday Jesus Preschool Theme Crafts
by Aunt B
Copyright 2004-2006 Story Soup Kids, a division of Enchanted Corner
Happy Birthday Jesus Crafts for Kids
Jesus Birthday Present
Items you will need:
Small Shoe Box
Wrapping Paper
Scissors
Tape
Ribbon
Wrap and decorate the box like a present. Make a small slit in the top of the box. As you go through the Month of December, add money to this box. Encourage your children to put their money in as well. Perhaps their allowance or a small portion of the money they receive for Christmas from family. At the end of Christmas, have your child help you open the box and count the money you have. It is your gift to Jesus. Take that money and donate it to a good cause, and let your child help decide. This can be as simple as adding it to the offering plate at church or taking it down to a food bank.
Be creative. Talk to your children about all the gifts Jesus gives us. Why not give him a gift back?
Candy Cane Ornament
Items you will need:
Peppermints discs with wrappers removed
Cookie Sheet
Aluminum foil
Spatula
Oven
Optional: Ribbon
Preheat oven to 250º. Remove all the wrappers from the peppermints you want to use. Cover your cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Arrange the peppermints in the shape of a candy cane making sure the candy canes are touching. Place peppermints in oven of 3-5 minutes or until peppermints begin to melt together. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Use spatula to remove wreath from aluminum foil. You can add your ribbon for decoration at this point.
** If your candy cane cools too long before you remove it from the aluminum foil it may become stuck and hard to remove, thus breaking.**
Give them away as a special gift. Wrap them carefully in some colored plastic wrap, tie with a bow and add this short poem.
Look at this Candy Cane,
What do you see?
Stripes that are red,
Like blood shed for me.
White is for my Savior
Who’s sinless and pure!
“J” is for Jesus my Lord, that’s for sure!
Turn it around
And a staff you will see
Jesus my Shepard
Was born for me!
From: http://www.alighthouse.com/candycane.htm
Baby Jesus Ornament
Items you will need:
Half a Walnut Shell (cradle)
Cotton
Small Baby Figure (to represent Jesus)
Thin Strip of Cloth
Pipe Cleaner (5 inch pieces)
Glue
Take your thin strip of cloth and wrap it around the baby figure for swaddling clothes. Make a hoop out of the pipe cleaner and glue the ends inside the walnut shell. Next glue the cotton into the walnut shell, for bedding. Glue the baby on top of the cotton. Set aside until dry.
Recommended Books to read
The Crippled Lamb
Written by: Max Lucado
This little lamb has a special job, helping Jesus!
Room for a Little One : A Christmas Tale
Written by: Martin Waddell
There is always room for a little one here. The animals are ready to welcome the Baby Jesus.
Jotham’s Journey: A Storybook for Advent (Jotham’s Journey Trilogy)
Written by: Arnold Ytreeide
A story of Advent, to be read every day.
Cooking with Kids
Special Birthday Cake for Jesus
Items you will need:
White Cake Mix
Pink Cake Mix
Yellow Cake Mix
Chocolate Cake Mix
White Icing
Green Gumdrops
Toasted Coconut
Small Baby Doll
Votive or Tea Light Candles
Tube of decorating gel (for writing on cake)
(You can make a cake for your family and a cake to share the joy of Jesus birthday with another family.)
Mix up your cake mix’s as the directions say. You will need to make a single layer of each cake mix for ONE cake.
Then tell this story as you decorate the cake with your family. Also retail the story when you share the 2nd cake with friends.
Here is a white cake, a pink cake, a yellow cake, a chocolate cake. These cakes symbolize the different colors of God’s people. Over the cake and between the layers goes a fluffy white icing to show how God’s love binds all God’s creatures to each other and to Him. Around the edge goes a wreath of green gumdrops. In the center we will make a manger bed for baby Jesus with toasted coconut to look like the straw in a manger. Then we will write Happy Birthday Jesus to celebrate His birthday. Here a candle. We don’t put the candle on the cake because God has no age to be counted. But we have it near to remind us that Christ is the Light of the world! Let us all sing Happy Birthday dear Jesus with candles lit.
Alteration: This can be done individually by using cookies instead of cake. You would need cookies of all the same size but the colors mentioned above. Everything else would remain the same.
Kid-Made Presents Preschool Crafts
by Aunt B
Copyright 2004-2006 Story Soup Kids, a division of Enchanted Corner
Christmas Crafts for Kids
CD Picture Ornaments
Items you will need:
2 CD’s
Cute Pictures
Ribbon
Puffy Paint
Glue (or hot glue if preferred)
Optional items you can use:
Glitter
Doily
Pick the perfect picture and set it aside. Take your ribbon and lace it though one cd, next glue two cd’s back to back, (if your cd has print on it put the print sides together so as not to be seen.) Once this is done you will take your perfect picture and glue it to the cd you did not tie the ribbon through. That cd will be the back of your ornament. Next take and outline your picture with puffy paint of your choice to make the picture stand out.
Optional: Place a doily in between your cd’s. Outline your picture with glue and sprinkle with glitter.
Peppermint Bath Salts
Items you will need:
Epson Salt
Baby food jars or small canning jars
Peppermint flavoring or oil
Red food coloring
Decorative cloth
Ribbon
In a large bowl or zip lock bag add Epson salt, food coloring to the color you like, and 2 or 3 drops of peppermint flavoring/oil. Add decorative cloth to the top of the jar and tie with ribbon.
Fun Ideas for Wrapping Paper
Items you will need:
White tissue paper
Paint or stamp pads
Cookie Cutters
Stamps
Markers or Crayons
Your child’s hands
Plenty of room
Lay out your tissue paper. You can have your children decorate their own wrapping paper by stamping it with stamps or cookie cutters. Hand prints, finger prints, thumb prints, they all make great pictures. Use crayons and markers if you don’t have paint or stamp pads. Have your child color pictures all over the paper. You can do this before of after you wrap the present. Grandparents love to get presents that are handmade. The handmade wrapping paper makes it the best presents ever!
Recommended Books to read
Country Angel Christmas
Written by: Tomie dePaola
What will the littlest angels do for the Christmas Celebration?
Santa’s Favorite Story
Written by: Hisako Aoki and Ivan Gantschev
Santa shares his favorite story with the forest animals, the birth of Jesus.
The Polar Express
Written by: Chris Van Allsburg
Take a magical Christmas train ride to the North Pole for Christmas.
Cooking with Kids
Yummy Spoons
Items you will need:
Plastic spoons
Chocolate (can be melting chocolate or chocolate chips work great, too)
Extra items to add:
Sprinkles
Nuts
Colored Sugar
Coffee Mug’s
Spoon to Mix
Wax Paper
Colored Plastic Wrap
Ribbon
Microwave
Prepare your area by placing your extra items on paper plates. Next place chocolate into one of the coffee mugs, melt on low in microwave, stir often. Once melted dip spoon into chocolate and then toll in extra item of choice. Place on wax paper to cool. Once cool wrap with colored plastic wrap and tie with a bow. You now have a little something extra to add to any present.
Alteration: Use pretzel rods instead of spoons, only dipping ½ the pretzel into the chocolate. Kids love to make and eat these great treats.
Christmas Printables
Christmas Decorations Preschool Theme Crafts
by Aunt B
Copyright 2004-2006 Story Soup Kids, a division of Enchanted Corner
Kids Christmas Crafts
Lasting Impressions Christmas Cards
Items you will need:
Foam Fruit Tray (like a meat tray)
Pencil
Paint
Construction Paper
Paint Brush
Using your pencil you will draw and poke a Christmas design, such as a snowman with snow all around him, in your foam fruit tray. Paint on a thin layer of paint to your picture in the tray (a thin layer gets better results than a thick layer of paint). Lay your pre-cut construction paper in the tray. Rub lightly on the back of this paper. Lift and you should have the design from your tray onto your paper.
Easy Fridge Magnets – Christmas Presents
Items you will need:
Old business card size magnets
Holiday Wrapping Paper
Flat Ribbon
Tape
Cut out a piece of holiday wrapping paper about ¼” larger then actual magnet. Fold corners and tape down the edge, also tape flat ribbon on, for decorative touch.
Christmas Hand Towels for the Busy Mom!
Items you will need:
White Hand Towel
Fabric Paint (Red and Green)
Child’s Hands
Using the fabric paint, have your child make hand prints all over the white hand towel. Use fabric paint to write on the towel “See, I DID wash my hands.” Your guest will love these towels.
Recommended Christmas Books to read
A Christmas Story (Dick and Jane)
Published by Grosset and Dunlap
The holidays are a time for family and togetherness and Dick, Jane, Sally, Spot and Puff know how to celebrate.
Mouse’s First Christmas
Written by: Lauren Thompson
One little mouse tells what Christmas is like to him.
The Twelve Days Of Christmas : Rebus Sticker Storybooks (Rebus Sticker Storybooks)
Illustrated by Nan Brooks
What a great way to tell this old story then with a rebus sticker storybook.
Christmas Cooking with Kids
Candle Salads
Items you will need:
Pineapple ring
1 Lettuce leaf
1 banana
1carrot
Vegetable peeler
Tooth picks
What you will do:
Place a piece of lettuce leaf on a plate, then lay a pineapple ring on top of the lettuce leaf. Peal the banana and cut it in half, place half of the banana in the center of the pineapple ring. Peal off a strip of carrot, using a vegetable peeler. Roll the carrot tip in to a ring, overlapping the ends. Stick one end of a toothpick through the end of the carrot strip and the other end down into the banana. Pinch the carrot ring to make it look like a pointed candle flame.
Thanksgiving Turkey Fun Preschool Theme Crafts
by Aunt B
Copyright 2004-2006 Story Soup Kids, a division of Enchanted Corner
Kids Turkey Crafts
Turkey Melt
White paper
Peeled Crayons (fall colors)
Pencil
Scissors
Large electric flat pancake griddle
Foil
Pair of old socks
Paper Plate
Glue/stapler
Sharpie Marker
Cover griddle with foil. Plug in the griddle to heat up. Place the old socks on your child’s hands to protect them from the griddle. Place white paper on griddle once hot. Color on the white paper and see the crayons melt. You can also do this on the paper plate if you choose, I recommend you use a brown crayon for the paper plate. Once the white paper is covered in all fall colors. Take it off and turn off/unplug the griddle. On the table place you child’s hand on the on the paper and trace as many hands as you can out of this colorful paper. Cut the hands out and glue to the back of the paper plate. Draw a turkey face on the paper plate. You know have a colorful turkey. To enjoy the most out of the colors hang the turkey in the window.
Alterations: Cut a round circle out of the crayon melt paper and glue the hands on to it. You can also use crayon melting to create beautiful fall leaves.
Turkey Pumpkin Bowl
You will need:
Medium to Small Pumpkin
Knife for adult use only
Large and small spoons
Fresh fruit
Flat Suckers
Cut top off pumpkin. Use your spoons to hollow out the pumpkin. Leave more on the backside of the pumpkin then the front. (save seeds for roasting).
Poke your suckers through the back of the pumpkin to look like feathers. Take your brown construction paper and cut into a long oval shape. Glue wiggly eyes on to each side of the brown oval, fold one end about 1/2 inch, glue that end to the pumpkin in the front.
Wash and cut up fruit, the fruit can include green and red grapes, apples,etc. Chill fruit, just before Thanksgiving dinner put in hollowed out pumpkin.
Hands of Turkey Framed
Items you will need:
Tempera Paints in fall colors be sure to include Brown
Paint Brushes
White Construction Paper
Google Eyes
Glue
Read Construction paper
Orange pipe cleaners
Picture Frame size depends read directions
Paint your child’s palm and thumb brown, paint each finger a different color. Place hand print onto the white paper. Do so for both hands making sure to place the thumbs facing each other. (left and right)
Once dry place the white paper inside a picture frame that is to the size of both hands. Depending on your child’s age weather it will be a 8×10 or a 10×13 (babies can use a 5×7) Once your hands are inside the frame glue on a google eye to the thumb, but do so ON THE GLASS. Also cut a small oval piece of red to glue ON TO THE GLASS under the neck (thumb) part of the turkey. Cut two orange pipe cleaners to the correct size for your turkey. Bend them to add feet to the leg and glue them ON THE GLASS under the body (palm) of the turkey.
Once you are done this is a keepsake art. It is a 3-D turkey.
Turkey Printable Games & Activities
Turkey Cooking with Kids
Turkey Friends
1 red apple
1 large marshmallow
5-6 small marshmallows
12-14 raisins
As many toothpicks as marshmallows
1 candy corn
To put the turkey together:
Place apple on hard surface with stem up. Take off stem if there is one.
On each toothpick, you will have 2 raisins and 1 marshmallow. The marshmallow will be at the top (or rounded tip of the pick) and the raisins will be below the marshmallow.
Evenly space the toothpicks directly behind where the stem would have been.
Directly opposite of where the marshmallow/raisin toothpicks are is where you will place the large marshmallow face.
To make the face:
Use 2 raisins for the eyes; push them into the large marshmallow. Use the 1 candy corn for the nose; push the corn into the marshmallow using the pointed end. Mount the head and you have a turkey.
(Let your child change the directions up how they would like.)
Recommended Turkey Books to read
Arthur’s Thanksgiving
Written by: Marc Brown
It is almost Thanksgiving and Arthur is in charge of the school’s Thanksgiving play. He runs into trouble when nobody wants to play the part of the turkey and has to take matters into his own hands!
‘Twas the Night before Thanksgiving “
Written by: Dav Pilkey
School children of various races go on a field trip to Mack Nugget’s farm save the lives of eight turkeys by smuggling them home, this poem based on “The Night Before Christmas.”
Ten Fat Turkeys
Written by: Tony Johnston
Children will gobble up this hilarious story about ten goofy turkeys and their silly actions.
Thanksgiving Pilgrim Preschool Theme Crafts
by Aunt B
Copyright 2004-2006 Story Soup Kids, a division of Enchanted Corner
Kids Pilgrim Crafts
Mayflower ships
Items you will need:
Walnut
Small amount of play dough
Toothpick
Small white piece of paper
Crayons
Give your child a walnut shell half, a small piece of play dough, a toothpick and a small square of white paper for a sail. Let your child decorate their sails with crayons. Help your child put 2 holes in their sail. Show the child how to stick their toothpick in one hole and out the other hole. Have you child roll the play dough into a ball and place in the bottom of the walnut shell. Then stick the toothpick in the play dough. You now have the Mayflower Ship.
Log Cabins
Items you will need:
Stick pretzels
Construction paper
Glue
Using your imagination and build your own log cabin you might go camping in.
Glue stick pretzels to the construction paper in the pattern of a log cabin.
**This craft can be altered for older children by using small milk cartons, and have the children glue the pretzel sticks to the carton. Children can also use construction paper to make the doors, windows and a chimney if they would
Easy Pilgrim Hat
Items you will need:
Large sheet of Kraft mailing paper
Masking Tape
Black construction paper
Bucket (beach bucket or plant pot)
Measure around the rim of the bucket with the Black paper. Cut a strip to fit around the paper. (You can take foil to make a buckle if you would like)
Place paper centered over the upside-down bucket. Press paper down with hands around bucket to shape. Take masking tape and go around the bucket. This will hold your shape. Place your black strips on top of the masking tape. Remove hat from bucket.
Cooking with Kids
Sweet Cornucopia’s
Items you will need
Sugar Cones
Fruit shaped gummies OR Fruit shaped cereal OR Runts
Icing in a tube
Dollie
Small paper plate
Ribbon
Fill the sugar cone up with icing. Optional: add your name to the outside of the cone. Tie your pretty ribbon around the opening of the cone for decoration. Place your fruit shaped treats in side the cone. Lay your cone down on a dollie-covered plate. Let your fruit treats scatter out of the opening.
Recommended Pilgrim Books to read
The Thanksgiving Story
Written by: Alice Dalgliesh
A wonderful holiday story about the voyage of the Mayflower, Plymouth Plantation, and the celebration of the first Thanksgiving.
The Pilgrims’ First Thanksgiving
Written by: Ann McGovern
Celebrate Thanksgiving with the Pilgrims.
The Very First Thanksgiving Day
Written by: Greene, Rhonda
Introduces young readers to America’s most beloved national tradition, which began with a shared feast to rejoice in the bounty of the land, new beginnings, and peace between two societies.
Thanksgiving Printable Games & Activities
Native American Preschool Theme Crafts
by Aunt B
Copyright 2004-2006 Story Soup Kids, a division of Enchanted Corner
Native American Crafts for Kids
Vest
Items you will need:
Brown Paper Bag
Scissors
Glue
Construction Paper
Markers, Crayons, Paints
What to do:
Take a brown paper bag and cut arm holes in sides of bag, as if head was the bottom of the bag. Cut up front of bag towards bottom of bag. Cut circle at bottom of bag for neck. You should be able to put the bag on as a jacket with your arms through the holes on the side. Cut fringe at the bottom of the jacket (which is the top of the bag). Paint/color Indian patterns onto jacket. Cut out shapes from construction paper, or cut fringe and paste onto vest.
Indian Corn Necklace
Items you will need:
Indian Corn
Needle
Thread
Water
Small bowl
Paper Towels
What to do:
After you pluck off corn off the corn husk, soak the corn kernels in water. Once the kernels are soft use your needle and thread and put it through the middle of the soft Indian corn. You can do this until you have a necklace or a bracelet, your choice.
Tee Pee
Items you will need:
Construction Paper (any color)
Scissors
Tape
2 to 3 Straws
What to do:
Take a piece of construction paper, any color, and wrap it into a cone shape and tape. Trim around the base so the cone will stand flat. Next cut a flap in your teepee by making two cuts vertically about 2 inches long about 2 inches apart, then fold the teepee flat up. Stick drinking straws through the top if you want to have more support for your tepee. That’s all there is to it! Decorate your tepee with some great Native American designs, pre-cut designs and shapes.
* You can cut your teepee shape ahead of time decorate it with/ Native American designs and then assemble it.*
Recommended Books to read
Squanto and the First Thanksgiving
Written by: Theresa Celsi
A simple biography of the Wampanoag Indian who helped the Pilgrims survive in their early days in the Plymouth colony.
Nickommoh : A Thanksgiving Celebration
Written by: Jackie Koller
An interesting depiction of the Native American celebration of Nickommoh. This was a traditional celebration of the Narragansett people.
The Story of Thanksgiving
Written by Nancy J. Skarmeas
A story of how the pilgrims came to America on the Mayflower in search of religious freedom, how they landed at Plymouth Rock, and how the Native Americans taught them to plant and then joined them in a Thanksgiving feast.
Cooking with Kids
Native Symbols Painting
What you need:
White Bread
Food Coloring
Milk
Directions:
Mix a few drops of food coloring with one teaspoon of milk. Make several colors. Provide the kids with new clean paintbrushes. Let them paint native American signs on a piece of White Bread. Toast on normal setting.
Pictures become vibrant in color after toasting, and this is a healthy and fun snack.
