Saturday, June 16, 2012

My favorite Freezer Meals


This post has nothing to do with preschool but it is something that I think is a HUGE time saver for moms.... Freezer meals.  If you've never tried it, you totally should!  I'm currently 38 weeks pregnant with our 3rd so stocking up the freezer so my family doesn't stare after the baby comes is a must for me!
I think that I went a little nuts with the freezer meals this time.  I just kept finding recipes that I wanted to try and now... I have an entire freezer FULL of meals and snacks!  Most of my recipes come from Once a Month mom (whole foods menu) and although I haven't been able to do "one big cooking and preparing day" like she does (can't stay on my feet that long), I will make a double or triple batch of what I am making for dinner a couple times a week so that I can eat one meal then freeze the rest.

Here are my favorite freezer recipes that I have found so far.... and yes these are all currently in my freezer!  If you are new to freezer meals and have questions, please comment!  It can be a little intimidating at first :)







Corn Flake Chicken tenders- (Kid's LOVE these.  I keep a stash in the fridge at all times!)

 

Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins






Teriyaki Meatball Bowls

Black Bean Quesadillas  (I love these for lunch time!)

Hearty Black Bean Quesadillas


 



Corn Dog Muffins  (we used turkey dogs and the kids love these for lunch!)

IMG_2291









(Best cookies I have EVER tasted!  I doubled the cooking time though)



Country Quiche Recipe 


 


(I cooked these then froze them. I tossed them into the slow cooker frozen
then added the store bought sauce)

Cranberry-Sauced Meatballs





Chicken Stir- Fry (One of my favs - Dream Dinners cookbook)
Serves 6
1/4 cup                 sesame oil
1/2 cup                 honey  
1/2 cup                 lite soy sauce
3 teaspoons          mined garlic
1/8 teaspoon        red pepper flakes
6                          scallions, chopped
1                          green pepper , sliced into 1/4 inch pieces
1                          red pepper , sliced into 1/4 inch pieces
1                          large carrot , sliced into 1/4 inch pieces
6                          4-oz boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, sliced into 1 inch thick pieces

Putting you dinner together- In a bowl, combine the sesame oil, honey, soy sauce, garlic, and red pepper flakes and stir.  Pour mixture into a freezer bag.  Add 6 chicken breasts to the bag. 

To freeze- Place the veggies in a separate freezer bag.  Place the bag containing the chicken and marinade into the veggie bag and seal.  Label, date, and freeze for up to 3 months.  Thaw in the refrigerator before cooking as directed below.

For tonight-  Allow chicken to marinade for 4 to 5 hours.  Heat a large skillet over high heat.  Add the chicken and the marinade and cook 5 minutes, just until the chicken loses its color.  Remove the chicken and set aside.  Add the scallions, peppers, and carrot to the hot pan and cook for 1 minute.  Return to the pan and cook for 4 to 5 more minutes, until heated through, and serve.  

Saturday, June 9, 2012

Toddler Time- Sorting colors


I thought this serving plate would be perfect for my toddler's sorting time!  You could use colored bears if you had them, pom poms, or anything colored that is small enough for your little one to scoop it up with a spoon.  I love activities like this because they not only teach sorting and colors, they also work those fine motor muscles!  Always a plus!

Letter T Week- Lesson Plan


This was another week I really had to pace myself with.  The letter T has so many great activities that go along with it, I had a hard time narrowing down the activities that we would try and fit in!

How to decode our weekly plan- 

(2)- Things I have planned for my two year old
(4)- Things I have planned for my four year old

Yellow- Things to print out (some black and white that students will either cut or color, and some color printed items that I have laminated and ready to use year after year)

Green- Activities that will need some prep time or prep materials.  

My Tt Pinterest board

Here is our Tt week Lesson Plan  




PRESCHOOL
Monday
(Trains)
Tuesday
(Turtle and tools)
Wednesday
(tools and tree)
Thursday
(tiger and tower) 
Friday
(teeth and tractor)
Centers
-Make the t and T with blocks





Letter of the  week
Story time
The Foolish Tortoise
 If you See a Tiger
The Loudest Roar
Touch and feel tractor
Trucks
Art

Math

 -Make towers of 10 and 20 with blocks
Color time


Thursday, June 7, 2012

Letter S week- Lesson Plan

I think I might have gone a bit over board with our S week.  There were just soo many great activities that just had to include as many as I thought we could handle!  The main thing to think about when teaching the letter /s/ sound is that blends with the letter s are great since they still say the /s/ sound.  (Blends are letters that when put together still say both sounds but they are just blended together) For example- the /sn/ in "snail" or /sl/ in "slime".... you still hear both sounds when you say the word.  However, the /sh/ is a phoneme because when put together, they make a completely new sound.   So try and stay away from shark or shells because they don't really say the /s/ sound that we are trying to introduce.

Here is our Ss week Lesson Plan  


How to decode our weekly plan- 

(2)- Things I have planned for my two year old
(4)- Things I have planned for my four year old

Yellow- Things to print out (some black and white that students will either cut or color, and some color printed items that I have laminated and ready to use year after year)

Green- Activities that will need some prep time or prep materials.  


My pinterest Ss board

Our Weekly Plan- Letter Ss

PRESCHOOL
Monday
(snake)
Tuesday
(spider)
Wednesday
(sand)
Thursday
() 
Friday
(stars)
Centers



Letter of the  week

Make the Letter Ss in sand
Story time


Art

Math



Science
Color time
Food





Letter K Week

We mainly stuck with the Kite theme with a few Kangaroos added in here or there.  


Our Weekly Plan- Letter Kk

PRESCHOOL
Monday
Wednesday
Friday
Centers


Letter of the  week
Story time


Read the Fly Away Kite
Art

Math
Color time
Coloring book
                                            









Letter Poking (we use tooth picks)






(Wednesday) K is for Kangaroo!


 Since my little man is just starting to gain confidence with scissors, I cut out most of the Letter K but let him finish himself. Not sure why I don't have a picture of the complete Kangaroo?!



K writing during center time




Prewriting skills-  My almost 2 year old is VERY new to writing so she did her best.  :)  




(Friday) Find the letter K


Kite craft- They had soo much fun with these!  We taped yarn to the end and they flew there kites around the house.





Books from this week- 



 

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