My Turn on Earth

My Turn on Earth 
-CAROL LYNN PEARSON
(A nostalgic song from my childhood... a favorite, maybe because the main character shared my name)
The world goes 'round like a merry-go-round
It lets some off and it takes some on
Some horses are high and some horses are low
Some turns are short and some turns are long.

Well never mind just how long you stay
The size or shade of the horse you've got
Just see all the sights and hear all the sounds
And feel the sun, and you'll learn a lot.

The world turns round like a Ferris wheel.
Some times you're low and sometimes you're high
But even way down you can never forget
The thrill you feel when you're touchin' the sky. 
Listen

Carnival Town

Carnival Town 
-NORAH JONES
Round 'n' round
Carousel
Has got you under its spell
Moving so fast, but
Going nowhere

Up 'n' down
Ferris wheel
Tell me how does it feel
To be so high
Looking down here
Listen

Apple-Cinnamon Coffee Cake

Today is Johnny Appleseed's birthday. In celebration, my four year old and I baked apple-cinnamon coffee cake for breakfast. Happy Birthday John Chapman!

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault, illustrated by Lois Ehlert) is a fun picture book with repeated phrases that children love to read out loud along with you. This book is a favorite at our house. To extend the fun, I created this accompanying play set.

 

I originally intended to make flannel board letters out of felt but instead opted to add magnets to the back of the tree and use them alongside our fridge magnets. This turned out to be a good choice.

Even the teenagers are having fun with this!

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

I try not to duplicate posts from my various blogs but after my previous Pinterest Fail, I was anxious to post my latest success everywhere possible.

These Cinnamon Roll Pancakes were seriously the bomb!

I made them last Saturday morning and they were indeed fabulous. Next time (and there will DEFINITELY be a "next time") I think that I will make the glaze and swirl mixture the night before to save prep time in the morning.

Warning: They are quite filling. Even my teenage son couldn't finish a second pancake.

Wassail for a Snowy Day

A cold snowy afternoon deserves a pot of hot wassail. Here's is my great aunt's recipe, a personal favorite.

Sliced Ginger Root

Wrap in tulle netting:
12 whole cloves
4 sticks of cinnamon
8 allspice berries
1 medium piece of ginger root, sliced

Boil together for 10 minutes:
2 1/4 cups of sugar
1 quart water
Spices (from above)

Cinnamon Sticks

Add the following ingredients and simmer together:
3 cups orange juice
2 cups lemon juice
2 quarts apple cider

Serve hot. Can be stored in the fridge for several days and simply reheated by the cupful in the microwave.

I use a tea ball for the cloves and allspice berries and just boil the ginger root and cinnamon sticks in the mixture directly. I leave the spices in the mixture and the cider becomes stronger as it sits. If desired, you can remove the spices before storing in the refrigerator.

Cookie Plates

I saw this cute idea on Pinterest a couple of months ago and decided to try it out. I purchased a few glass plates in varying sizes and a couple of  small glass vases and candlestick holders. (All from the thrift store, of course.) I carefully glued the vases and candlestick holders to the underside of each plate. Because I used graduated sizes, I can also stack them on top of each other.

Here's how they turned out:

I have used them on several occasions and have received compliments each time. I have found that using a wider based vase or candlestick gives the cookie plate more stability.

My only complaint is that using the E6000 glue means that the plates smell for a while. I suggest leaving them outside for a few days until the majority of the smell dissipates.