just for fun - No-Bake Berry Pie!

 

Today we are celebrating my amazing husband's birthday (his birthday is actually on Monday, but the family is coming together today to celebrate!) One of his long-time favorite desserts is Cherry Cream Cheese Pie, which I made for us to enjoy today, so I thought I'd share the simple recipe with you which you may top with any berry you like - cherry, blueberry, raspberry, strawberry - whatever you like. Yes, I know, the berry pie we typically think of is a baked, traditional pie, but in case you have a craving for a berry pie, but are looking for something just a bit less traditional, check this recipe . . . 

Summer Reading - Barnaby Unboxed!

Tundra Books sent me a new book for review - Barnaby Unboxed! by The Fan Brothers, so today I'm happy to let you know about it.

grandma's cookbook - Heart PB & J on No-Knead Artisan Bread

Sometimes when my grands were younger and I was thinking about what to fix for them, I forgot the one important thing to remember . . . keep it simple. Children usually do not care if something is elaborate or took a long time to prepare. They are often delighted with simple things . . . such as heart PB & J sandwiches!

Summer Book Review - Don't Wake Up the Tiger

I have another fun book from Candlewick Press which I'm happy to share with you today - Don't Wake Up the Tiger  written and illustrated by Britta Teckentrup. This book not only has a fun story with colorful illustrations, but it engages children in the telling of the story, making it very memorable!

grandma's cookbook - Refreshing Blueberry, Green Ice Tea!

It is supposed to be hot and humid where I live today, so I thought it sounds like a good day to share my favorite recipe for blueberry tea with you! 

Whether it is hot and humid or even when it is cold outside, this tea is a delicious and refreshing drink. Try this recipe with your grandchildren . . . it is simple, quick, and so delicious! A big added "plus" is the health benefit . . . blueberries and green tea are so good for you! My husband never liked tea, until I made blueberry tea for him! Now he drinks my tea instead of pop! My grandsons love this tea, too . . . and the only sweetening comes naturally from blueberries . . . not sugar!

Summer Book Review - The Beautiful Layers of Me

I have another book to share with you today from Candlewick Press - The Beautiful Layers of Me by Sophia Payne and illustrated by Ruchi Mhasane. The story and illustrations in this book are both beautiful and combine to teach an important lesson.

Make a Difference Today!

While today really is not National Make a Difference Day - it is actually the fourth Saturday in October, I do believe every day is a day to make a difference, so let's make a difference today! National Make a Difference Day says; "Initiated in 1990, this is a national day devoted to helping others by doing volunteer work in the community. The activity can be almost anything. On this day, millions of Americans participate in community improvement projects taking the form of clean-ups, fix-ups, painting and repair in poorer neighborhoods, parks and municipal facilities. It doesn't matter what project you take on. It doesn't matter whether you help a non-profit organization, the community, your town, nursing home, a church, a food kitchen, or any other group in need. What matters is that you participate."

Summer Book Review - Put Your Shoes On

I'm happy today for the opportunity to share a fun and unique yet common book with you today from Candlewick Press - Put Your shoes On by Polly Dunbar - and illustrated by Polly AND her child! Yes, Polly AND her child illustrated this book and this is one of the unique things about Put Your shoes On and one of the things which will cause you and the children you love to love this book!

Today is Not the International Day of Awesomeness, But Let's Celebrate Anyway!

The International Day of Awesomeness is actually on March 10th, but I do think every day is a day to celebrate the people in your life and of course they are awesome, so why not make a point to celebrate them today! When I first saw this "special" day, I wasn't sure if I'd write about it, but then I saw the following quote on the web page for the day; "No one's perfect, but everyone can be awesome!" and knew I had to write about it!

First of all, what a great quote! It is true, none of us are perfect, but we can all be awesome! I know my grands are awesome - at least to me! Take some time today to let your grandchildren and other family members and friends know how awesome they are to you . . . which makes you pretty awesome, too!

I thought it would be fun to share some of the information with you which I found on the International Day of Awesomeness' web page . . . 

Summer Book Review - M is for Mango

I'm very happy to share with you a fun book for young children from Candlewick Press - M is for Mango by Atinuke and illustrated by Angela Brooksbank. If the children you love are learning their letters and particularly love monkeys and mangos, then this is a book which could quickly become one of their favorite books.

just for fun - Today, July 8th, is National Milk Chocolate with Almonds Day!

Mmmm! I do enjoy chocolate and almonds, so a day to celebrate these delightful treats sounds like a good idea to me! Especially since chocolate is good for you and almonds are good for you . . . combining the two has to mean this sweet treat is actually good for us . . . right??!!!

I thought it would be fun to share some almond fun facts with you on this delicious day - so I looked on-line for some info to share! Did you know . . .

Summer Book Review - Yeti Is NOT Ready for School

I am very happy to share with you some wonderful books for Summer (and any time) reading with the children you love. This first book, Yeti Is NOTReady for School, is from Random House Books for Young Readers. Now, I have to say, I lived for several years in one of the most beautiful places on the face of the Earth - Northern California - the true North at the top of the valley which runs the length of California. There are mountains on three sides - and when I say, "mountains", I mean MOUNTAINS! Mt. Shasta to the North is over 14 thousand feet tall! 

Today is World Chocolate Day! Celebrate with the Best-Ever Chocolate Cake!

Today is World Chocolate Day, so in honor of this most important day, I'm re-running my recipe for the best-ever Chocolate cake! Don't you just love chocolate cake?!!! Aren't there days when chocolate cake is the best thing you could possibly eat? Well, I do love chocolate cake and there are days when chocolate cake most certainly does put a smile on my face - although since I've been working the past five years to lose weight (and have lost 100lbs), I rarely eat it, but I do fix it for others.

So, when I found the recipe I'm sharing with you today and tried it . . . well, I knew I had to share it with you because it is the best chocolate cake I've ever had! (I found the recipe in my Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book) What could be a better way to celebrate World Chocolate Day, than with the Best-Ever Chocolate Cake???!!! :-) Or, if you have a special event coming up where a chocolate cake would be the perfect addition . . . or, if you would just like to brighten your family's - and your own - day, bake up this best-ever chocolate cake! But first, some chocolate fun facts . . . did you know -

The Little Ginormous, Humongous, Hairy, One-Eyed Monster Boys Adventures!

   

Recently I shared how when my grands were young and at my house for a sleepover, we typically made up stories at bedtime. They almost always had monsters or dinosaurs in them. One night when my oldest grand was six, my middle grand was three, and my youngest grand was one, we were getting them into bed when my oldest grand said there was a monster under my middle grand's bed! This was not what my middle grand wanted to hear, so I said there could not be any monsters under the bed because the monsters were at their poppa's and grandma's house getting ready for bed on their sleepover. My grands found this idea very interesting, so of course, our bedtime story for the night had to have little, ginormous, humongous, hairy, one-eyed monsters getting ready for bed and being scared because they thought they saw, teeny, tiny, itty, bitty, not-so-hairy, two-eyed people under their beds!