Play With Whipping Cream

Last Tuesday we had friends over for dinner and enjoyed sweet potato pie with whipped cream. Ever since T has been begging for more whipped cream. Why, this very morning when I asked what he wanted for breakfast he marched over to the refrigerator, opened the door and grabbed the bottle of whipped cream. Um, no. Sorry T, but that may sound good for breakfast, but it's a treat. He ended up choosing something else instead.

Later I decided T needed to have some fun with that whipping cream he wanted so badly. Why not use it to make pictures, or practice writing? So after his afternoon nap I grabbed the few necessary items and let him have at it.

What you need:
A cookie sheet or jelly roll pan or large plate
Whipping Cream
A willing toddler or preschooler
Napkins or towel to clean the mess

What to do:
Simply spray or spoon whipping cream on a plate. Let your child dig in and explore. Or play a "copy me" game where one of you draws a shape or number or letter etc into the whipping cream and the other draws the same thing.

It's loads of fun and very yummy! Enjoy!

Besides whipping cream (or shaving cream), what other messy fun finger play/art does your little one enjoy?

Global Babies: A Stunning Baby Faces Board Book

Babies love looking at baby faces. It doesn't matter if that face is their own in a mirror or another baby's picture on a computer screen or in a book, they just love faces. There are charming photo books on the market for young babies with pictures of faces. What makes this one different is its approach.

Global Babies is just that- pictures of faces of babies from all around the globe. What a way to introduce the smallest babe to the idea that there are all kinds of babies, but we are all people. Certainly they won't grasp that concept fully. While flipping through the pages of "Global Babies" they will be exposed to babies who live in different cultures. Babies who are all beautiful and loved just as your own baby is loved. 

The photography is interesting and beautiful. Even my 2 1/2 year old enjoyed looking at this simple board book. He's started noticing the details in the pictures "Mama, what's this?" This is a book that should be in every home and would make a lovely addition to any "first book" collection.  

"I have it I have it!"

I love the exuberant joy of a little child. The smallest thing is new and exciting, even when they've done it before. "I have it! I have it!" my son cried when playing a match the picture bingo-type game. The picture on his card was the same as on the board: a butterfly! To him, he'd just won a million dollars. "I have it! I have it!"

Oh, if only we could recapture that joy and wonder as adults!

Children are a real blessing. I cherish my son. He truly is a joy.

Wordless Wednesday: The Giant Rocking Chair

When the family went on vacation, this was a highlight of the trip:

"Mama, more please?" pumpkin soup

This recipe should be called "Mama, more please?" because that's exactly what my 2-year-old said as he finally looked up from his bowl. Seriously, I started to wonder whether he'd ever come up for air. Once he took a single spoonful of the soup he was gone to the world. Hardly stopping to look up the spoon kept dipping into the bowl time after time, until he couldn't get it to scoop up much. Then he picked up the bowl and drank the rest. "Mama, more please?" he asked, finally giving me eye contact.
I myself couldn't help but smile after after bite myself. It was that good. My husband got home late, and once he tried the soup he was gone too. I don't know how many bowls of the stuff he ate, but it was quite a few. Highly recommend this rather unusual pumpkin soup. The original recipe calls for vegetable broth, but chicken broth adds nice dimension. 

Curried Pumpkin Soup adapted from allrecipes.com

In a pan melt 2 tbls butter, and add 3 tbls wheat flour (will give a nice nutty taste, but all-purpose will work) and whisk until smooth. Add 2 tbls + 1/4 tsp red curry powder (or smooth 2 tbls if you don't like a kick) and whisk until smooth and bubbling.

Gradually whisk in 4 cups of chicken stock. Continue cooking, stirring, until it begins to thicken. Then open up and add 1 30oz can of pumpkin puree (not pie filling) and 1 1/2 cups of cream/half&half/coconut milk (just use whole milk if you must). Season with 2 tbls of soy sauce and 1 tbls. of sugar. Taste, and add any salt and pepper you think necessary.

Serve with a nice thick slice of bread to dip.
A bit of yogurt on the side adds a pleasant cooling touch.
Milk to drink tastes wonderful with this. 

Monkey See Monkey Do, Toddler Edition

Our theme for now is "Loving your neighbor". Today something happened to T that was an excellent example.

Today at church a little girl walked across the room to T, reached out, and gave his cheek a big, finger-nail-digging-into-skin, unprovoked, pinch. Then she walked away. It left an angry welt on his cheek just below his eye. "Ice! I want ice!" he cried.

Later this afternoon, he randomly- lightly, not even leaving a mark- pinched my arm.
 "Why?" I asked. "Did you like it when A pinched you or did you cry?"
"I cried. Ice!" he replied.
"It hurt, didn't it? If you didn't like being pinched, do you think you should pinch?"
"No."
He gave me a hug.
Sigh.
Toddlers.
Well, just us.

Monkey see, monkey do.

Design work again

So once again I'm playing with my blog. It's both a rewarding experience and I must admit rather frustrating. When one blog template seems to work, something about it is not quite right. Then when I find that thing I was originally looking for I have to search for a new template. I tried to make sure there's a sharing button after each post. Not finding it! So frustrating. Will have to search further how to add it after each post. I mean, seriously, a blog without sharing buttons? What fun is that?