Halloween Mystery Dinner!

On Sundays we always eat a nicer dinner. But this Sunday we had so many leftovers I couldn't bring myself to make more food. So I came up with this idea. First I made my kids go play. Then I would put a different leftover on each plate, and wrap it in foil. I would also put a different drink in each cup and wrap in foil. Then I wrote a number on the foil. When all the plates were ready I called the kids in. I turned on some Halloween music (because its Halloween). When the song stopped I would pull a number out of a hat. Whoever was in front of that number got to sit down. When everyone had a plate, we all unwrapped our food. Everyone was surprised. Did everyone love what they got? Probably not. But they were so excited about the game that they didn't care. Also all my kids begged to do this every holiday. My husband and I laughed, because we really just wanted to get rid of leftovers. Anyway this is your idea for today! I think this would also be fun at lunchtime. Do different sandwiches on eat plate, etc.

Colored Rice!

If you went to college you learned lots of useful things. When you choose a degree in early childhood, you learn a lot of crazy things......like how to color rice.

So here goes!

1. Take a freezer bag (needs to be a freezer bag because they are heavier).

2. Fill it with white uncooked rice.

3. Peel the wrapper off one crayon and stick it in the bag.

4. Microwave for 1 minute. Yes Microwave!

5. Take out and start to kneed it (keep bag closed, and watch out it will be HOT)

6. If crayon isn't melted enough put in for 30 seconds and kneed again.

7. The crayon color will melt onto the rice and then you can do a project with your kids.

So what could we do with colored rice: One idea is to fill in a bottle and do one of those I- Spy things. Another idea is to take glue and glue large amounts onto card stock. Lastly you could take a bottle and use lots of colors and do something like a layered sand bottle thing! Anyway I remember sitting in the campus kitchen with my professor teaching me this. She was a really funny lady and I have lots of memories of her teaching me CRAZY things.

Have a fun day!

Halloween Musical Chairs!

My Mom always has a Halloween Party. It is so fun that trick or treating is a let down for my kids. They carve their pumpkins (with their 20+ cousins), we eat dinner (this year is a soup contest), we play games, and we eat treats!

One tradition at my Mom's Halloween party is to play Musical Chairs. We always are in costume and play the Monster Mash. For years we had tears when someone got out! Now we don't. Everyone that gets out gets to sit in the Pumpkin chair. They put a plastic pumpkin on their head and then all the Aunts and Grandma give them their treat. We always have special treats-not just candy (Pop, Rice Crispy Treat, Socks, Rings Etc) They sit there until the next one gets kicked out and then they can eat their treats or just watch. It works really well- at least until they get that age when they realize they can lose and get their prize.

Ghost Hunt!

Every year since I started my own preschool I have done a Ghost Hunt. I did it for preschool and then started it at family parties, and I also do it for just fun with my own kids. All you do is take one cotton ball, one tissue, and some string and make a little ghost. Then you draw a little face on it. After you have them made you put them in a bowl or a Halloween bucket. Before the game starts make all the kids go outside while you hide the ghosts. Some are hard to find, some are easy. Make sure you count how many you have. Then start some spooky music and have them come in and hunt. I always have two rules: 1. No Running and 2. You may only take one ghost at a time. Once they pick it up they walk to the bowl and drop it in. It is really fun and simple and has no winner, which means no tears.

Pumpkin Seed Snack!

Cajun Spiced Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Double or triple this recipe, depending on how many cups of seeds you have. Toss a salad with these seeds, sprinkle over a chicken dish, or serve as a snack.
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup pumpkin seeds
1 scant teaspoon Cajun seasoning, or to taste
paprika, for more color, if desired
a little salt, depending on saltiness of the seasoning
2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon melted butter or vegetable oil
PREPARATION:
Rinse seeds well and get as much of the pumpkin pulp off of them as possible. Some of the small pieces are going to adhere, but they won't hurt the seeds at all, and might even add a little more flavor. Pat dry with paper towels. Don't let them dry completely on the paper towels, because they might stick!
Toss pumpkin seeds with seasonings. Combine butter and Worcestershire sauce; stir into seeds until well blended and coated.
Heat oven to 300°. Roast, turning from time to time, for about 45 to 60 minutes, or until nicely browned and crunchy.

Sugar and Spice Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
(do the same way as above, except for ingredients)
1 cup pumpkin seeds
1 tablespoon melted butter or vegetable oil
1 tablespoon granulated sugar, or more, to taste
1/2 to 1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon allspice

Regular Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
(do the same way as above, except for ingredients)
2 cups pumpkin seeds, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons Canola oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
(I add a little season salt & Garlic also to this mix)

Skillet Toasted Seeds
1 cup pumpkin seeds
Optional: Salt, garlic powder, onion powder, seasoned salt, or other seasoning of choice
Preparation:Rinse pumpkin seeds. Use your fingers to remove all the pulp. Drain pumpkin seeds and discard pulp. Spread out on paper towels on a cookie sheet to dry overnight. Heat a large, heavy-bottomed, dry skillet over medium heat. Add pumpkin seeds. Shake and stir the seeds constantly as they are toasting to prevent burning. When the pumpkin seeds begin to get golden, start to pop open, and release their aroma, they are done. Sprinkle hot toasted pumpkin seeds with salt, garlic powder, onion powder, seasoned salt, cayenne pepper, or your choice of seasonings. Toss to coat.

Fall Leaves

One of my favorite things to do with my kids is go to the canyon (or a park) and pick pretty colored leaves. Then place them on wax paper and do a design with them. Then give them yellow, orange, and red crayon shavings and let them decorate their leaves. Then I put another wax paper on top, put a towel on top of that (at least two layers thick), and I take a iron and melt the crayon through the layers. It takes awhile but when you are done it is so pretty. I have had preschool moms frame it and put it above their beds. Anyway kids love it and parents too! Have a fun day!

Are Things Tight?

Not a preschool or kid thing, but it helps the family.

With this economy the way it is I found a website that says they will cut your grocery bill in half. Anyway I went to it and it was interesting. She says you can save at least 50% by spending about 30 minutes a week. Anyway check it out if you are interested! I will put it in my favorites section, under Coupon Moms.

Witches Brew Snack Mix

I do this almost every Halloween with my kids. I find that it is great a parties also. Because it has more good stuff than candy it helps with the sugar rush. I like to let the kids help me and I tell them as I pour it in what each thing means. I serve it in a witches kettle ( black pot) use 1 cup of each ingredients listed below. Also I delete things I don't want to buy or things I don't have. You will find that it is a perfect Halloween treat. Also I have about 30 nieces and nephews and when we do this we usually come home with extra if I use all the stuff.

triscuits--cobs webs

cheese curls--earthworms

red hot candies--blood drops

salted peanuts--snake eyes

candy corn--chicken toe nails

fritos--butterfly wings

hazel nuts--owl eyes

blanched almonds--cats eyes

M & M's--colored flies

raisins--ants

dried apricots--lizard gizzards

shoestring potatoes--bat bones

sunflower seeds--cats claws

Adoption

So we are trying to adopt our 5th baby. If you have any