Recipe Linky Party

Once again, I am linking up with Clutter Free Classrooms for her week of Linky Parties!

Today's assignment is to share a recipe that you make often during the school year - bonus points for freezer friendly or crockpot recipes.

Well, you're in luck - and I'm getting all kinds of bonus points today!  I do NOT enjoy cooking, so the crockpot is my BFF during the school year (and the summer, whenever we do not grill!).  I'll share two of my favorite recipes, but here's a little something I have learned...boneless frozen meat (chicken breasts, pork chops, roast, etc.) plus 1 cup of water and seasoning of your choice = yum.  I have not made one combination yet that I haven't liked.  Some of my faves are chicken & taco seasoning to make quesadillas, tacos, enchiladas, or taco salad; chicken with garlic salt & seasoning salt - remove from crockpot & shred, add bbq sauce for sandwiches; roast with beef stew seasoning. I don't do a lot of chopping, braising, browning, or anything else for my crockpot recipes.  Mostly open & dump :)

The first recipe is one that freezes well - just omit the baking at the end if you'd like to prepare ahead and freeze.  It makes a LOT so unless you have big eaters or a giant family you can make 1 batch & split it into two 8x8 pans.

Pizza Casserole

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground chuck
1 26 oz jar spaghetti sauce
1 cup elbow noodles (uncooked)
2 - 8 oz bags shredded mozzarella
50 pepperoni slices

Cook elbow noodles as directed on package. Brown the ground chuck and drain off the grease. Mix together the cooked elbow noodles, ground chuck, and spaghetti sauce. Put half of the mixture in a 9 x 13 pan sprayed with cooking spray. Top with one of the 8 oz bags of cheese and half of the pepperoni. Then, put the other half of the mixture over the previous layer. Top with the other 8 oz bag of cheese and remaining pepperoni. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

This is delicious! Very filling, makes a lot, and re-heats well. It reminds me of lasagna and pizza at the same time :)

The second recipe is a perfect one for a cool evening - my son LOVES this one.  It tastes just like the chicken tortilla soup at Max & Erma's.  You don't make it in the crockpot, but since I shared all of my meat cooking secrets above, I thought that was ok :)

Tortilla Soup

1 can nacho cheese soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can enchilada sauce (mild)
1 soup can full of milk

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan, whisk until smooth, heat until warm. Add more chicken if desired (Owen doesn't like chunks, so I don't!). Serve with sour cream & tortilla chips.

I told you - easy! Truly, just open & dump. I usually serve it with a cheese quesadilla, or a salad of some sort. It also reheats well.

I can't wait to read some of the other recipes in the Linky! I love my stand-by's, but it is always nice to add in some variety...as long as the recipes are easy! Head on over to Clutter Free Classroom and link up!

Favorite Children's Author Linky Party

Once again, I am linking up with Clutter Free Classroom for a Linky Party!

Today's writing assignment is: Open Response

Respond to this prompt in a complete sentence. Who is your favorite children’s author? Add details to support your answer.

So, yesterday I wrote about my favorite illustrator(s) - I broke the rules and chose two instead of just one :)  Today's assignment is even harder...so, I am going to cheat again big time and do my top 5!  I really don't think there is an early elementary teacher who can choose *just one* favorite author.  So, here goes!

5.  Barbara Park

I know Junie B. is sassy.  I know she says "bad" words like stupid and dumb bunny.  But, I still love the Junie B. books by Barbara Park, and so do my students.  Every year I read at least some of the books, and some years I have read the whole series to my students.  She always inspires students to want to read, which is what is important!  There are very few books that can make me laugh out loud during a read-aloud - Junie B. is one of those books.

4.  Mo Willems

Mo could have (and should have!) made it onto my favorite illustrator post as well, but I was trying to follow the rules and only choose 2 illustrators.  So, it is only fair that I include him on my favorite author post!  I love his books for my classroom, as well as for my little one here at home.  This is a BIG favorite at our house:

His books are deceptively simple, but so entertaining and fun for kids of all ages.  We also love the Pigeon books, and the Elephant and Piggie series.  You can't go wrong with a Mo Willems book!

3.  Eric Carle

No list of children's book authors (or illustrators!) would be complete without Eric Carle.  His books are beautiful, simple, and always a class favorite.  I love that he writes about a wide variety of subjects and topics within his books - other than The Very Hungry Caterpillar, I think my favorite might be this one:

Or, this one...

2.  James Marshall

James Marshall is both a talented author and illustrator.  His George and Martha series was one of my very favorites as a child, and I love to read it to my students as well.  The short, sweet little stories seem like they could be written by children, and it really inspires students to try their hand at reading and writing "chapter books."

Another thing I love about James Marshall is that he writes and illustrates such a wide variety of books.  The Miss Nelson books, The Stupids, fairy tales - he does it all.  I love his humor and the detail he puts into his work.  

1.  Laura Numeroff

Who does NOT love the "If You Give a" series?!?  It all started with the little mouse, and has grown to include a pig, moose, cat, and coming soon - a dog!  Those books might be her best known series, but I also love her "What ________ Do Best" series, as well as some of her lesser known books such as "The Chicken Sisters" and "Dogs Don't Wear Sneakers."

This book comes out October 4th!  I can't wait.

So there it is - five of my favorite children's book authors.  I was going to say my top 5, but then I kept thinking of more and more authors as I was making this list (Kevin Henkes, Dr. Seuss, Mercer Mayer, H.A. Rey...).  For the sake of those reading this, I'll stop here.  I can't wait to see the authors that others choose as their favorites!  Who are some of your favorite children's authors?  Feel free to share - I'm always looking for new authors to add to my classroom library :)  And don't forget to link up with Clutter Free Classroom to share!

Favorite Picture Book Linky

I'm linking up with Clutter Free Classroom for a series of Linky parties!

Today's writing assignment is: Personal Narrative

Complete this sentence, “Based on the illustrations alone, my favorite picture book is _________.” Use photos or additional sentences to support your choice.

I love that she's giving us summer writing prompts!  It definitely helps when my brain is too hot to think of anything on my own :)

Although, this prompt is pretty tricky.  As a first grade teacher I LOVE picture books, and I am a fan of many illustrators as well.  I am going to be a cheater and share my two favorite books!

The first one is Owl Babies:

The illustrations in this book are adorable, and different from many other books because it is set at night - the background of all of the pages is black.  I remember my Mom reading this book to my younger siblings, and I just had to have it for my classroom.  It helps that the story is just precious too.  Here's another example of the beautiful illustrations inside the book:

Since I am being a cheater, here is my other favorite author/illustrator...those of you who know me at all will immediately know why I chose this book!

My own little sweet pea is named after this book!  And the funniest thing is, he has a blanket just like the Owen in the story.

How could you not love that face?  I love all of the Kevin Henkes books, but obviously "Owen" holds a special place in my heart.  The story is amazing, and I love how he includes speech comments from the characters.  Here's one of my favorite illustrations of the other Owen:

Just precious.  The students in my class always love hearing this story after they learn that my Owen's name was inspired by this book!  And of course, I read it often to my own Owen.

I am excited to read all of the posts on this Linky and hopefully add some great picture books to my classroom library!  Head on over to Clutter Free Classroom and join the fun!

Arr! Pirate Locker Tags

Ok, I have to admit I am a little nervous.  This is my first attempt at sharing anything that I've made.  I'm so inspired by all of the great bloggers out there, that I feel like I should try to "give back" and share something as well!
For the past few years, I have had a sailing theme in my classroom - with calming blues and nautical accents.  I love it, but I usually can only have the same theme for a year or two before I start getting restless.  So...I decided to turn sailing into pirates!  That way many of the fabrics and accents I have will work, and I can just add to the overall theme.  Plus, some of the pirate things out right now are so cute!  You can see a photo from 2 years ago below...

I'm thinking with a few pirate accents, some cute clip art and fabric, I'll be able to transform sailing into pirate with no problems.  I recently downloaded some adorable pirate clip art (Yo Ho Ho) from Just So Scrappy.  They have some great deals and amazing freebies, you should definitely check their site out!  I decided to attempt my own locker tags - I plan to fill in student names once class lists are finalized using a cute font (like smiley monster by Kevin & Amanda) or using my best "pirate" handwriting.  The frame area for the names *may* be a little small, I will have to see once I start adding the names.
Locker Tags
Please feel free to leave comments or feedback!  I appreciate any comments I receive :)  Also, if you like or download the locker tags, please consider following me - more goodies are coming, I promise!!

Classroom Library Linky Party!

I am linking up with The Sweet Life of Third Grade for a classroom library linky party!  Before posting my pictures, I have a confession...I am addicted to books.  I have a GIANT library and I base my room arrangement around showcasing/utilizing it.  I love having our classroom gathering area surrounded by the low bookshelves filled with books!  I am a little nervous this year because I am getting a SMART board (yay!) but will be moving our gathering area so that the SMART board is also a focus.  I'm hoping our books can still surround us...
Here is a picture of our overall gathering area/library:

The white baskets on the top of the shelves are from Big Lots.  The blue crates on the bottom are from Wal-Mart, and so are the shelves.  The shelves are the 4 shelf plastic units, but instead of putting them all the way together I only assembled them to have 2 shelves.  This is the perfect height for first graders, they are easy to clean, light enough to move, and fit just about anywhere!  Plus, they were relatively cheap :) 
I have so many books that I only allow students to choose from the white baskets, and then I switch the books out several times during the year (seasons, holidays, themes, etc.).  Each white basket has a label on the front telling what type of books are in the basket, along with a sticker dot.  Then, each book in the basket has a corresponding sticker dot so students know where to put the books away.  I also leveled each book in my library using Fountas & Pinnell leveling, so students can select books that are appropriate for their reading levels.  It was a LOT of work, but so worth it.  I use the Daily 5, and it is so helpful for students when they are filling their book boxes.
Here is another shot of our library:

You can kind of see the labels in this picture.  You can also see the writing area (green shelf) with its basket of pictionaries and other writing books. 
Behind the curtain, I kept my calendar wall.  Our school is an HET school (Highly Effective Teaching) and we are encouraged to cover our calendar & other "distracting" items when they are not being used.  I liked the way the curtain looked closed, but I have to admit that I rarely closed it!

This coming year I will be using the SMART board for calendar, so this area can be used for something else - possibly our "Where in the World?" current events map, or the word wall.  It would be nice to be able to cover the words for spelling tests!
I hope viewing my library gives you some ideas - I LOVE getting to peek at others' classrooms!  If you like what you see, follow my blog!  I am working on some great SMART board activities and beginning of the year fun that I will be posting soon :)

Learning fun with Owen

This summer I have linked up with one of my favorite blogs - Teach Mama - and I am participating in the Smart Summer Challenge.  This challenge focuses on the importance of parents as their child's first teacher, and also emphasizes how necessary and easy it is to sneak a little learning in each and every day.
Last summer, Owen was all about any learning activity I would set up for him.  We would "play school" and he loved it.  This summer, he's a little trickier to entice.  Being 4 years old, he has MANY opinions of his own, and doing "learning time" with Mom is not cool and not fun.  So I have had to be even sneakier with my teaching moments and learning activities.
Yesterday was hot and humid, so we had a lot of time indoors.  While Owen was playing with his Legos, I snuck off to the kitchen and taped 9 letter cards all around in random places (the refrigerator, chairs, drawers, etc.). 

A Q is hiding on a kitchen drawer...

An R is on our refrigerator door!

Then I set up the challenge - I told Owen that he was going on a scavenger hunt to find 9 letters in the kitchen.  He of course was excited, because he loves to look for hidden things (we are STILL playing "egg hunt" in our house with plastic Easter eggs!).  I gave him one of my steno notebooks with 9 simple boxes drawn on it, and told him it was his job to write a different hidden letter in each box as he found them.  He LOVED this activity so much that I ended up hiding the letters three more times!

Here is Owen's completed recording sheet.  I love his handwriting :)

When he finished, I asked him which letters he had found, and he read them off of the sheet to me.  I just *happened* to choose some letters that he occasionally forgets or mixes up.  When we were finished, he moved back to his Legos, and that was it.  I am thrilled that I found an activity that he enjoyed and that added a little letter practice to his day!

If the Smart Summer Challenge sounds interesting to you, head on over to Teach Mama and check it out - you won't be disappointed!  Feel free to leave a comment or share a sneaky learning activity of your own!

New for us Friday!

I am so excited to be linking up with one of my VERY favorite blogs, Teach Mama, to share something new that Owen and I did today! 

If you haven't read this blog before, you should definitely check it out.  It's full of great ideas that I use both at school and at home to help make learning fun.
Our "New For Us Friday" was inspired by my sweet grandpa, who I call Paw.  He loves to eat lunch at the local senior center where he lives to catch up with friends while enjoying a tasty meal.  On St. Patrick's Day they had little treats in small "baskets" made from cupcake papers and other simple materials.  Knowing that I could definitely use the idea, he saved his basket and sent it to me.  Isn't he the cutest grandpa ever?? 

Paw's basket inspired Owen and I to make not one, not two...but 50 adorable mini baskets for my kiddos and all of his friends in his class!  Here are our finished products!

They were very simple to create.  To make your own, you will need:

• One paper cupcake liner
• 1/2 of a chenille stem (pipe cleaner)
• 1 inch by 8 inch strip of scrapbooking or construction paper
• Foam shape or sticker
• Hot glue
• Stapler

After making so many, I created a "system."  It made things go much more smoothly!  I only wish I would have taken pictures of each step.  I'll do my best to explain without photos!

First, I bent the pipe cleaner into a handle shape and hot glued it to the outside of the cupcake liner.  Then, I formed the paper strip into a circle and stapled it once on the end.  I placed the stapled paper circle on the counter, and pushed the cupcake liner inside the circle.  I stapled near the pipe cleaner on one side of the paper circle to hold it in place, then hot glued around to attach the rest of the paper circle to the cupcake liner.  Owen helped me with the last step (the fun part!).  Once all of the baskets were created, Owen and I chose a coordinating foam shape and stuck it to the front of the basket.  Easy, and super cute!  Here are some close up shots of some of our favorites:

These were Owen's favorites...

And these were some of my favorites! 

They all turned out uniquely, and I think they are adorable!  The children in both classes are sure to enjoy them, especially filled with some special treats - a piece or two of candy, and some Plumdoodles Easter crayons!  I think I'll put some bunnies and eggs in them...



I hope you enjoyed our "New For Us Friday" - if you decide to make the mini baskets, please email me or leave a comment here - I'd love to hear how they turn out!  And if you'd like some Plumdoodles recycled crayons to fill them with, feel free to check out my website (http://www.plumdoodles.weebly.com/) or find my page on Facebook!