Special Moments

Finding joy in the little moments...

Buttercream Frosting in Ninja Blender

Buttercream Frosting in my Ninja Blender

400g butter
600g powdered sugar
1tbsp vanilla

I let the butter get to room temp then blended it first. The sugar went in about 200g at a time and then the vanilla. It mixed rather nicely!

Kabobs

The kids have been asking to grill out again. This time they wanted to try their hand at making kabobs. Here is what we mixed for the pork & chicken marinade. 

The beef was marinaded in yakiniku sauce. 

Making kabobs is so much easier with good helpers!

1 orange, zested, then juiced, remainder discarded

1 lemon, zested, then juiced, remainder discarded

1 lime, zested, then juiced, remainder discarded

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup canola oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or pork, cut into 1-inch cubes

Marinade for 2 hours

 Grill until the meat is cooked

This is the first time I've made these since the kids were born. I've been waiting for them to be big enough to be around the grill safely. Now that they are able to help I'm sure we'l have this kind of supper for often. It is so easy to make a few days worth of food in a short time on the grill!

Frozen Banana "Ice Cream"

After school snacks can be simple, healthy and yummy. Here is one of the kid's favorites!

Frozen Banana "Ice Cream"

• 4 frozen bananas

• chop bananas in Ninja blender/processor

• transfer to dish

• top with chocolate, raspberries etc.

World Cup Teachable Moments

It is that time again... 

it happens every four years...

Much of the world is glued to the TV 

And reading the news 

To see what is going on with the World Cup.

While many Dads, and some Moms, will be busy with World Cup stuff it is easy to overlook the learning opportunities for little kids. Simple things like playing a "match the flag" game can get 2 and 3 year olds involved. Older kids can follow along with the wins/losses on a chart.  It is a great time to get out the world map to see where the different teams come from. Please share your ideas in the comments!

Books:

Winners Never Quit

Soccer Game

Pele, King of Soccer

B Bears Get Their Kicks

B Bears Play A Good Game

Picture Atlas

People

Small World: Away We Go!

We're Different, We're the Same

Map Work

There's a Map on my Lap

Printables:

World Cup Wall Chart with Japan viewing times and stations

Sister Bear Coloring Page

Soccer Ball Maze

More Mazes

Menu from Tokyo McDonald's featuring flavors from various countries

In Japan it is common to have food deals that match up with major sporing events.  McDonald's has some interesting choices. There is a Brazil BBQ burger with a soccer ball style bun, a German Schnitzel burger, McFlurries with European flavours and a couple of drinks.  

Signs for the World Cup:

Ball

Game

Soccer 

Players signing ;-)