Friday, October 28, 2011

Rolled Flowers from Craft 10/28

Here is a "how-to" on making rolled fabric flowers like the ones we made today for our burlap wreaths!  Just think of the possibilities - some that were mentioned were flowers to put on headbands/clips for our little princesses' hair...pins to make brooches...gift ideas...what a great craft!

Thursday, October 13, 2011

October: Falling into Fall



Pumpkin Pie Playdough


1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt 
2 teaspoons cream of tarter
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon veg oil
1 cup water
6 drops red food coloring
15 drops of yellow food coloring


Add oil, water, food coloring and whisk until smooth.  Combine dry ingredients in a non-stick pan.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it forms a ball.  Turn onto counter, let cool slightly, knead until smooth.  Dough will keep in a plastic bag for about a week.

A Prayer for Autumn


I pray...
God, I see the cycle of the seasons.
Summer ends and runs into fall,
which gives way to LONG winter,
and then spring.
Autumn is a season of change - 
and it reminds me that I am changing too.
Things I used to need I may need no longer.
Helm me throw off those things that hold me down,
so I might become something new.
This is a time when there is an explosion of color,
and then it starts to get cold again.
This is part of life.
Help me understand
I cannot live in summer forever.
I cannot be growing 
like a garden in the spring all the time
I am made to change
and this season is part of it.
Let me welcome the change.
Let me see the beauty of your earth
as it prepares to speel in the wintertime.
Let me embrace this time of change and become something new.
Amen.



Pumpkin Snickerdoodles



Yield: about 3-4 dozen cookies
Ingredients:
For the cookies:
3¾ cups all-purpose flour
1½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup light brown sugar
¾ cup pumpkin puree
1 large egg
2 tsp. vanilla extract
For the coating:
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground ginger
Dash of allspice
Directions:
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Whisk to blend and set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugars on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.  Blend in the pumpkin puree.  Beat in the egg and vanilla until incorporated.  With the mixer on low speed add in the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated.  Cover and chill the dough for at least 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Line baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.  Combine the sugar and spices for the coating in a bowl and mix to blend.  Scoop the dough (about 2½ tablespoons) and roll into a ball.  Coat the dough ball in the sugar-spice mixture and place on the prepared baking sheet.  Repeat with the remaining dough to fill the sheets, spacing the dough balls 2-3 inches apart.  Dip the bottom of a flat, heavy-bottomed drinking glass in water, then in the sugar-spice mixture, and use the bottom to flatten the dough balls slightly.  Recoat the bottom of the glass in the sugar-spice mixture as needed.
Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until just set and baked through.  Let cool on the baking sheets about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  Repeat with the remaining dough.  Store in an airtight container.

October Destinations ~ Pumpkin Patches


Lattin's Country Cider Mill & Farm - 9402 Rich Rd. Olympia
Schilter's Family Farm - 141 Nisqually Cut Off Road SE Lacey
Hunter's Pumpkin Patch and Christmas Trees - 7413 Yelm Hwy. SE Olympia

Upcoming Events:
October 28th - Clothing Exchange
November 18th - Toy Exchange

Next Meetings: 
October 28th
November 4th (back to back with Oct. 28)

November 18th

Moppets Songs

Song we’ll be doing all year:

It’s Fun to Come to Mops (tune of Farmer in the Dell)

It’s fun to come to Mops, it’s fun to come to Mops
With all the other girls and boys, it’s fun to come to Mops.

It’s fun to sing and play, hear stories every day
We make a craft and eat and snack, and then we’re on our way.


God Is With Me (tune Frere Jacques)

God is with me, God is with me, all the time, rain or shine
God is always with me, God is always with me
And I’m fine, and I’m fine


My God Is So Great

My God is so great, so strong and so mighty,
There’s nothing my God cannot do!
      (repeat)
The mountains are His, the rivers are His, the stars are His handiwork, too
My God is so great, so strong and so mighty,
There’s nothing my God cannot do!


Short-term songs:

Moses’ Mother  (tune Ten Little Indians)

Mother put Moses in the basket,  Mother put Moses in the basket
Mother put Moses in the basket, And put it in the river.

Moses floated down the Nile (or river),   Moses floated down the Nile,
Moses floated down the Nile, In his basket boat.

The princess pulled the basket out,  The princess pulled the basket out
The princes pulled the basket out,  And there was baby Moses!