Saturday, August 30, 2014

Food for Thought or Reading

I just saw one of the best movies in a long time, The Hundred Foot Journey.  This got me to thinking about food and reading and wanted to share some good books.

Book Jacket for: All four stars

All Four Stars by Dairman. The book opens with Gladys in her kitchen trying to use her father's blow torch to finish off the crème brûlée she has just finished making, but there was a small accident and now she is banned from cooking. 

Book Jacket for: Coco : my delicious life
Coco: My delicious life by May.  Coco LOVES hanging out with her friends, baking delicious cupcakes, and rescuing animals . . . like snails ? The Lotus Lane Girls organize a cupcake sale to raise money for a veggie garden to help save the snails.


Big Trouble in the Big Apple

Thea Stilton, Big Trouble in the Big Apple by Stilton. The Thea Sisters are off to New York City for another fabumouse adventure! Nicky has been training to run the Big Apple Marathon, and her friends are there to support her. While in the city, they all visit Pamela's family and have a delicious dinner at the family's pizzeria. But the mouselings discover that someone has been threatening to burn the restaurant down, and Pam's family might have to close it for good to stay safe! Will the Thea Sisters catch the troublemaker before it's too late?


Image result for eggs over evie

Eggs over Evie by Jackson.  Evie feels unsettled and sad after her parents divorce, her father remarries and takes the family dog, and his new wife becomes pregnant, but a cooking class and helping the elderly lady next door with her cat give Evie a way to cope with the changes in her life. Includes recipes.

Book Jacket for: Pancakes, pancakes!

Pancakes, Pancakes! by Carle.  The barnyard rooster crows to tell Jack it's time to get up. It's very early in the morning -- and Jack is so hungry that what he really wants is a large pancake for breakfast. But first, Jack's mother needs flour from the mill, an egg from the black he, milk from the spotted cow, and butter churned from fresh cream. Will it ever be time for breakfast and that large pancake?

Book Jacket for: Even aliens need snacks

Even Aliens Need Snacks by McElligott. Creating snacks that make most humans queasy, this chef has found a new clientele-aliens. 

Book Jacket for: Chicks and salsa

Chicks and Salsa by Reynolds.Soon after the chickens tire of their feed and decide to make tortilla chips and salsa, all the other animals on Nuthatcher Farm start to crave southwestern cuisine.

Book Jacket for: Bee-bim bop!

Bee-Bim Bop! by Park. A child, eager for a favorite meal, helps with the shopping, food preparation, and table setting.

Book Jacket for: Grilled pizza sandwich and other vegetarian recipes

Grilled Pizza Sandwich by Johnson. Have you ever munched on Wormy Apple Croissants? How about Peanut Butter and Jelly Sushi? These are not your ordinary cookbooks! Easy step-by-step instructions guide you through each unique recipe. Equipment lists, safety tips, and difficulty ratings for each recipe are also included.


Book Jacket for: Grow it, cook it

Grow it, Cook it by DK Publishing. Showing how to grow plants and then how to use them in delicious kid-appealing recipes, this book offers a fresh approach to healthy eating by getting children involved in food right from the start!

Book Jacket for: Chicken soup for the soul : kids in the kitchen : tasty recipes and fun activities for budding chefs

Kids in the Kitchen by Canfield. Families That Cook Together Stay Together! Chef Antonio knows about family fun in the kitchen. He grew up with family members who cooked, ate, and spent most of their time whipping up delicious dishes together. He fell in love with cooking during those formative years and grew up to become a fabulous chef and a five-star restaurant owner.

Cathy 

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

New apps on the iPads



Dinosaur Builder-  Ages 3 and up. It’s time to build a DINOSAUR! Dinosaurs Builder is an enticing collection of dinosaurs puzzles that is sure to excite any child. Dinosaur Builder a preschool shape learning puzzle for kids who love dinosaurs. Includes all the names of the dinosaurs written and pronounced and fun dinosaurs sounds.





Numbers League -  Ages 5 and up. Villains lurk in the streets of Infinity City. Our only hope is the Numbers League. Assemble a team of superheroes and use the sum of their incredible powers and ingenious devices to capture as many villains as you can.  In Numbers League, clever use of basic math skills will save the day. The more you play the sharper these skills will become until no villain is safe from your numerical onslaught.




Sudoku Junior- Ages 4 and up. A sudoku puzzle is a logic puzzle which is solved using logic and reasoning.The object of the puzzle is to fill in the rest of the grid using numbers or pictures so that no number repeats in any block, row or column. 



Planet Geo- Ages 4 and up.  Let your kids become the geography masters! 
 Make geography addictive and engaging while mastering the countries, states, cities,      monuments…
Colorful jigsaw maps full of fun and enlightenment to keep you coming back for more… 




Word Mess - Ages 4 and up. Find words in beautifully designed word clouds. Improve your visual scanning abilities and vocabulary through engaging and fun gameplay!  Word Mess is fun for word enthusiasts of all ages! But it is specifically great for kids in middle school as it boosts spelling, word recognition and general knowledge. It is also being used in special education programs and by occupational therapists.


uKloo- Ages 4 and up. Is a fun seek-and-find literacy game for ages four and up. It encourages kids to look up word clues, search the play screen and discover surprises along the way! There’s even a picture helper to look up words when kids get stuck. 

Benefits
• Progressively builds sight reading (visual word recognition)
• Provides the basics of sentence structure
• Introduces research skills
• Builds confidence 
• Promotes independent learning and play
• Makes you giggle


Cathy