Kitchen Calendars a HUGE HIT!

A fellow teacher in the county was doing these with her students, so I decided to order some calendar blanks from http://www.barebooks.com/ and have the kids create one for themselves as well.  Each month had a different theme and the students had to create their calendar with illustriations and information to be used in their kitchen.  We started with June, since we were working on them into May and they will be able to use them into May of 2011.  Here are some pictures from a student calendar.

This calendar was very well done, and was a superior example of what the kids are doing in class!  I hope that those who have had calendars brought home are enjoying them!

Bubble blowing at It's Best!

With the rainy weather comes a great time to blow bubbles.  Why?  Because the humidity in the air keeps the bubbles wet longer, letting them float along in the breeze for a good distance.  You don't want to blow bubbles in the rain, but before or after a rain shower is a great time for long lasting bubbles.

This is a great science experiment for you to try out with little kids in the summer season - Be sure to follow the directions for letting them sit out and age a little as mentioned at the end.

See more bubble photos HERE

Here is a recipe for making your own bubbles -

2/3 cup Joy dishwashing soap

1 gallon water

2 to 3 tablespoons of glycerine (available at the pharmacy)

Gently stir the ingredients together and leave the solution in an open container overnight. We believe that this gives the alcohol on the dishwashing soap a chance to evaporate some. In any case, the solution seems to get better with age. If you substitute some other soap for Joy, you will have to experiment with the rest of the formula... but that's the fun of experimenting!

Lunchtime Manners Matter

There is nothing more revolting than being on lunch duty and seeing some of the poor manners that students have while eating their lunches.  This week we are looking at manners and how they matter not only in school or at home, but in the general public where other people will see you eating and interacting with others.

Mind your Manners...

Here are a few tips to help you become a well mannered student eating your lunch...

Don't play with your food...  Making sculptures with your form and spoon being stabbed into the fruit you were required to take is not appropriate...  while it can be fun and does make conversation at the table, it is not appropriate to play with your food.  If you do not want to eat your fruit, let it sit on your plate until it is time to throw out your trash.

No matter what the cartoon above says, don't lick your plate - That is gross!  Eat as much as your silverware cleans off of your plate - You should not lick your plate for any reason, no matter how great the food tasted...  you are a human being, not a dog.

Milk is to drink, not to use as gravy - Drinking your milk builds strong bones and muscles - Dumping your milk all over your mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese is a sure recipe for disaster when you go to clean up.  Drink your milk, don't play with it.

Keep your feet off of the table - I know - It sounds ridiculous, but I have seen kids put their feet on the table while sitting to wait on food - I found this picture at frecklephoto.com and thought it was fitting for this discussion...  This little kid is just lounging out eating a sandwich, but his manners are not very good.

Finally - Know what your silverware is used for - The picture below shows a very elaborate table setting which includes a serving for fish, salad, dinner and desserts...  Know what your silverware is for and you will avoid the embarrassment of asking someone later.

List some of the other things that you have seen kids do in the lunch room that gross others out - Why are these not acceptable and how can you ask them to fix those things that they are doing?

Earth Day 2010

Happy Earth Day!

What are you doing to help out the Earth?  Do you recycle? How are you conserving water?  How are you trying to save electric?  If anyone reading this has a family like mine - We still have a ways to go on understanding the long term effects of our resource usage...  I am constantly going around turning off lights, TVs, video games, closing doors (although that has lessen since we now have a cat and the kids are aware that she will escape if the door is left open) and turning off water that is dripping (sometimes small hands can't quite turn it all off)

Here are some things to consider when thinking about saving energy and resources...

LEAKY FAUCETS WASTE WATER...
http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/sc4.html has the following information... There is no scientific definition of the volume of a faucet drip, but after measuring a number of kitchen and bathroom sink faucets, the volume seems to be between 1/5th and 1/3rd of a milliliter (mL). Drips from bathroom tubs come in a bit more, though, at about 1/2 mL. So, for our calculations below (numbers are rounded), we are going to use 1/4 mL as the volume of a faucet drip. So, by these drip estimates:

One gallon: 15,140 drips

One liter: 4,000 drips

Looking at it this way, it seems like that drop of water down the drain is pretty insignificant.

Log on to their website and use the water calculator to see how much water could be wasted my a few leaky faucets, and to think that people in most cities are paying for water and sewage - That is a lot of wasted money!

http://www.csgnetwork.com/elecenergycalcs.html is a general electric Energy Cost calculator that will give you a visual on how much money you are using on kitchen appliances, laundry, personal care items and light bulbs.  Many items you may not even think about their use.

What items do you have at home that are using electric just from having them plugged in that you never use?  How many hours is your computer turned on and not being used?  All of these things use electricity that someone, somewhere is paying for, and even if that someone is not you, you need to consider  this and help to conserve by making sure lights are turned off when you leave a room, TV are only on when being watched, and computers are not sitting idly by with no one using them.

Consider doing some of these things as well to help keep things out of the landfill...

1.  Purchase cloth towels for use in the kitchen, rather than paper towels.  Keep your hand towel separate from your dish towel so that you do not cross contaminate things from the dirt on your hands

2.  OPT-IN for paperless billing - Get all of your statements sent to you via e-mail - This saves paper and keeps your personal information from being taken from your mailbox!

3.  Paper or Plastic?  Always opt for paper if you are not using the re-usable grocery bags.  Plastic is very difficult to recycle (especially those plastic grocery bags)

4.  If you live close enough to work to walk, then do so - Save gas and air pollution while getting much needed exercise!  We don't walk nearly enough in this country, and if it is iwthin a 5 mnute drive, you can walk there is little time as well!

5.  Replace all the bulbs in your house with energy savings one. Energy savings bulbs will save you upto 70% in utility bills and at the same time uses less electricity.

6.  Set your thermostat in your house in the winter at 68-69 and in the summer 75 or more.  It does not need to feel like an icebox in your house - And set the temperature higher when you are not going to be home in the summer - There is no reason to be cooling a house for people who are not even home, plus you are saving yourself money by keeping it warmer while you are away in the summer, or cooler in the winter - No need to heat when you are not home either.
Remember - we only have one Earth and if we continue to used and abuse her, we will have nothing to replace her!

TV turn off Week April 19-25, 2010

This week is National TV Turn Off Week and we are wanting to know what YOU are doing rather than watching TV...  Did you know that most kids watch 3 hours of TV a day?

Kids spend more time in front of the TV each year than they do in school!  Yikes!  That is hard to believe (well not really, my kids are guilty of it, and I am constantly going around turning the TV off in rooms where no one is watching it)

TV's consumer a large amount of electric, and you would be surprised how much money could be saved by just not using your TV set, really!  I would not kid about this at all...

SO..... What are you doing in place of watching TV this week?  Or any week - You don't have to celebrate TV turn off on just this specific time, you can do it anytime!  Spend some time with your family - Go outside - The weather is beautiful!  Tell us what you are doing rather than watching TV, and playing video games!  Simply submit a comment below and let everyone know your plans for keeping the "Tube" turned off this week.  We love hearing what you have to share!

Caramel Popcorn - Getting Rave Reviews!

I love Crunch and Munch Popcorn with peanuts, and  This recipe is always a hit when we make it in class.

The concept is simple - get a paper grocary bag and shake the day-lights out of the popcorn after you have made the syrup!  The kids loved taking turns shaking it up, and got to enjoy the popcorn while learning more about SUGAR and the many uses that it has in the world, from candy, to powering Maui Hawaii, to using it as gasoline in vehicles.  It was a fun and educational day that the kids are anxious to share with their families!

CARAMEL POPCORN


Ingredients:

16 cups popcorn

1 large brown paper shopping bag

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1/2 stick butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla



DIRECTIONS:

1. Place the popped popcorn in the brown paper bag and set aside.

2. Combine the brown sugar, corn syrup, butter and salt in a 32 ounce (4 cup) glass measuring cup. Cook in the microwave on high for 2 minutes or until the mixture bubbles. Stir the mixture.

3. Microwave again on high for 2 minutes, stirring after each minute

4. Add the vanilla and the baking soda, stir well

5. Pour the caramel mixture over the popcorn in the bag. Fold down the top of the bag and SHAKE WELL.

6. Place the bag in the microwave and microwave on HIGH for one minute and SHAKE

8. Microwave 30 more seconds and SHAKE

9. Microwave 30 more seconds and SHAKE

10. Pour the caramel corn on a foil lined tray to cool. After the corn is cool, place in an airtight container to keep fresh.

Warmer Weather Means Picnic Time... Keep safe by following these tips

I love a fun summer picnic, and with all the warm weather we have had here at the beginning of spring, I thought now would be the perfect time to talk about picnic safety.  Follow these tips to ensure a safe picnic with your friends and family.  No one wants to end up in the hospital with food-borne illness.


SOME KEY AREAS TO CONSIDER:

*  As always, wash hands and work areas before preparing food - clean hands help keep bacteria from forming in food.  Always wash your hands after you sneeze, blow your nose, pet the animals and go to the restroom.

*  Plan your picnic with safe foods in mind.  Bacteria grow best between 40 and 140 degrees. Most of the food you serve at your picnic will only be safe on the table for two hours and, if the air temperature is over 90 degrees, food becomes unsafe after only one hour. Once leftovers have been on the table that long, don’t keep them -- throw them away.  Don't leave food out while you are swimming or hiking, to come back and nibble on later - This is almost a sure recipe for disaster and illness.


*  Have enough coolers with ice or frozen gel packs in which to store the perishable foods like meat, poultry, fish, eggs and salads. You want to keep the food at 40 degrees F. Pack foods right from the refrigerator into the coolers.

*  Don't put the cooler in the car trunk; Carry it inside an air-conditioned car.  The trunk of the car does not have airconditioning, so your cooler will warm up over time.  At picnics, keep the cooler in the shade and keep the lid closed. Replenish the ice if it melts.

*  Use a separate cooler for drinks, since the cooler will be opened and closed several times over the period of the picnic.  Opening and closing a cooler repeatedly allows the cool air to leave and warmer air to enter, leaving the possibility for food-borne illness.

*  Pack clean, wet, disposable cloths or moist towelettes and paper towels for cleaning hands and surfaces. Cross-contamination during preparation, grilling, and serving food is a prime cause of food borne illness.

*  Pack raw meats, poultry, or seafood on the bottom of the cooler. This will reduce the risk of them dripping on other foods. Pack coolers until they are full. A full cooler will stay cold longer than one that is partially full.

*  If you plan on getting takeout foods such as fried chicken, Eat them within an hour of pick up.

 *  Grill raw poultry until the juices run clear and there is no pink. Hamburger should not be pink in the center.  NEVER partially cook food to complete later - This can cause harmful bacteria to grow.

*  When taking food off the grill, Don't put the cooked items on the same platter which held the raw meat unless you have washed the platter in between uses, and never mix cutting surfaces for raw meats and vegetables.

*  Chances are, picnic leftovers have been sitting out for more than an hour or two. Discard these leftovers. Cold foods that were kept in a cooler that still has ice may be safe. If the ice has melted, the food should be discarded. 


Log on to http://whatscookingamerica.net/picnic.htm for more tips on picnic safety.

Decorative Mosaics from your Colored Easter Egg Shells

This is a simple project that will use up those egg shells from your Easter Eggs.  It is fun for all ages, and can be done on a number of different types of paper.  I recommend that you use Black or Navy Blue paper, as these colors really "Set off" the colors of the easter egg shells in the art work you design.

Here's What you need to do to get started...

SUPPLIES:

*  Colored Egg Shells
*  Posterboard
*  Glue

DIRECTIONS: 

1.  Save all the shells from your easter eggs (once they have been eaten)

2.   Break the colored egg shells into small pieces so that they are fairly flat, I recommend that you put them on a flat surface and roll over them with a rolling pin, this will give small pieces that are flat.  Some people prefer a little bit larger pieces, so if this is the case, you can break them up by hand.

3.  Draw a design on a dark piece of posterboard or cardstock.  Construction paper is not sturdy enough to hold the weight of the egg shells, so be sure to have a heavier paper.

4.  Work in small sections.  Use a cotton swab or an old paint brush to spread glue onto your design.  The glue should be fairly thick to be sure to adhere to the eggs...  Be sure to use a glue that dries clear.

5.  Stick the egg shell pieces, colored side up, onto the glue.

Continue with step 4 and 5 until your design is completely filled in with egg shells.

Set your mosaic aside to dry completely.

Share your mosaic creation with us, and we will post pictures on the blog!  E-mail pictures to jallen@loudoun.k12.va.us or if you are in the FACS classes with Mrs. Allen, bring your creation to school and we will take a photo of it and put it on the blog!  Thanks for participating!

A fun family easter egg project!

I want to share a fun Easter egg activity you can do with your family. I did this last year with my kids (6, 8 and 10 years old), plus, my husband Don. It is an activity the whole family will enjoy doing. It is dyeing eggs using old silk ties.

The directions can be found here...

SILK EGG DIRECTIONS

Here is a basket full of silk eggs made by my friend in Arkansas.  She makes these with her adult children every year and they LOVE IT!

I went to the local Good Will store and bought silk ties (must be silk). We had so much fun dyeing eggs while Easter dinner was cooking.

Have fun and let me know how your family enjoys this activity that can become a tradition to be handed down to many generations to come. Send me photos of your prize eggs! Feel free to share this blog with your friends, and have them send me their egg pictures too! 

E-mail egg photos to jallen (at) loudoun.k12.va.us

Have an eggs-eptional fun time!

Those who are in the FACS classes at LCPS can bring their egg creation to school and will will take a picture of it and post it on the blog for all to see!  Thanks for participating.

These Eggs were made by Meri-Tate - I think they look Eggs-ceptional!

Thanks for sharing these with us!

Some more eggs brought in by Laura, Lauren and Grace - Beautiful job girls!

The fabric under the few eggs above where the fabrisc used to die the eggs.  A really cool way to transfer dye to the eggs!

The Time Has Come, The Time is NOW!!!

Well as heard in the Wonderful World of Dr. Seuss... The time has come, the time is NOW!!! (from Marvin K Mooney)

That is right... The Time is NOW to start thinking about what you want to do with your life... in that ever changing 7th or 8th grade mind, you need to make some tough choices about what you want to do and be when you grow up... Sometimes I think I am still figuring that out for myself, but it sure is fun!

The Wonderful World of FACS awaits you (sometimes referred to as TEEN LIVING) the 8th grade FACS curriculum at Loudoun County is full of fun and surprises - Everything you need to know about life to get you to where you want to be! Be sure to read EVERYTHING I NEEDED TO KNOW ABOUT LIFE... it really is true.

Think about this...

What are the THREE most important things in your life?

The responses that I typically hear are (not in any particular order)...
1. family
2. friends
3. food
4. shelter
5. clothing
6. water
7. money
8. clean air
9. good health



Now think about the classes that you are taking in school... What are you learning in those classes that relates to all of these? Sure you go to different classes with your friends, but are those classes teaching you how to be a great friend, child care provider, cook, personal finance manager? Do you cook in those classes and learn how to prepare nutritious meals? Learn how to manage your money so that you can pay your mortgage when you get older, or the car payment so that you don't lose that car once you get it? How are you going to decorate that house now that you have it? What if you have a leak in the faucet or a door knob goes through the wall? Can you fix it? Can you sew that button back on to your shirt that fell off, or are you just going to spend more money and buy a new one?

We come from an expendable society, and it is high time to LEARN to take care of things for yourself, because trust me - When you get to be as old as me... and MAN AM I OLD... No one is going to do it for you - You have to know how to do it yourself... And if you can't do it yourself, well... i hope that you learned to manage your money.

SO... Where does FACS fit into all of this?

Well... Lets see...

* You will learn how to manage your finances so that you can pay your bills and save your money for the things that you want to purchase. We don't want you to get into debt!

* You will learn how to take care of children without stressing yourself out! Learn effective ways to take care of children, have fun with them and enjoy the time that you are babysitting.

* Be a good citizen - We look at leadership and being a integral part of your community... Volunteer and help others, not only is it good for you as a person - It is great for the community!

* SEW - now we know that not everyone is going to be a seamstress or tailor, but being able to sew on that button that falls of on the way to an interview is essential, you don't want your shirt (or pants) falling off on the way in the door... That would not be a very good first impression to a future employer.

* COOK - You cannot expect to live on take out all of your life, so why not learn how to cook some simple meals that your family and friends will enjoy? learn about the importance of getting the proper amount of nutrients and how to balance your diet with the essentials for good health!

* Learn to like others, AND yourself. You will become a well rounded individual in FACS class, and others will see that in you as a member of FCCLA.

And the list goes on and On...

As I write this I have posted a FACEBOOK question to all of my friends as to what their favorite memory from FACS (aka Home Ec) was, and I will be compiling and posting those from some adults that took FACS (Home Ec) when they were your age. I think it will be fun to see what they have to say!

So what are you waiting for???

Get out there and sign up for 8th grade FACS (Teen Living) or your 9th grade FACS equivalents. There are a ton to choose from, and you don't want to miss out on this great opportunity!

So PLEASE GO NOW and contact your counselor about becoming a part of the awesome FACS classes in Loudoun County schools!

All I Ever Needed to Know I learned in Family and Consumer Sciences

Most of what I really need to know about life and what to do and how to be…..I learned in Family and Consumer Sciences.

I didn’t learn it in math or science or Spanish…I learned it in my Family and Consumer Sciences classes.

This is what I learned…..

Choose food from the Food Pyramid. Avoid fats and sweets. Keep food safe.

Choose clothes to flatter your body type. Clean and fix them when needed.

Budget your money wisely. Shop sales. Read labels, leases, sales and mortgage agreements very carefully.

Don’t be a parent too soon. It’s also a good idea to be married first.

Choose someone you get along with…then have the baby. Nurture it, love it, give it the right discipline and know when to let it go.

Learn to balance work and family. Learn to get along with others…Learn to like yourself!

Think of what a better world it would be if we were all equipped with the life skills taught in Family and Consumer Sciences…

If we all had strong happy families….Had balanced budgets…Could resolve conflict without violence.

It’s still true, no matter how old you are…Whether you are male or female… What career you’ve chosen…

It’s still best to go out into the world equipped with basic life skills.