Aunt Linda's View from the Cottage

Teaching Kids to Write Thank-You Notes

AuntLinda — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 16:47:31 +0000

Have you ever received a thank-you note from a grandchild? If so, I’m quite sure it warmed your heart. Call me old-fashioned, but I believe that thank-you notes are an important part of expressing our gratitude to one another. The practice brings graciousness and civility to our lives and draws us closer to one another.

Are thank-you notes becoming a lost art?
What brought this to mind was not a lack of thank-yous from my grandkids. Rather it was the response I received from guests of an elegant luncheon I gave in honor of a special teacher of mine. Of the ten people present, I received two sweet emails and one handwritten note. None of them were from the guest of honor. Of course, I didn’t host the luncheon in order to receive thanks. But I admit the experience would have felt more complete had she sent me a little personal note. Email or snail mail wouldn’t have mattered. She is generally a thoughtful person, and I’m sure she was not being purposely neglectful. I suspect she simply wasn’t trained as a child to express thanks in this way, and it didn’t occur to her to do so.

We can reverse this trend; it needn’t be difficult.
Frankly, I think many of us have neglected to teach our kids the simple art of thank-you notes. Perhaps we ourselves have let the practice slide. But we can do better, and maybe we can teach our grandkids to do better too.

When are thank-you notes appropriate?
About.com has a great article on The Do’s and Don’ts of Thank You Notes by Donna Pilato. (http://entertaining.about.com/cs/etiquette/a/thankyou.htm) She writes, “A thank you note is an expression of appreciation for a thoughtful act, expression, or gift.” She goes on to say, “… just remember that an imperfect note that comes with heartfelt sentiment is better than a perfect note that was never written.”

Guidelines most applicable to children are:

Always send notes for gifts that were received by mail. (If you’ve received and opened the gift in person, and you already thanked the giver personally, it’s nice but not necessary to send a note.)

Send thank-you notes as quickly as possible.

The message can be brief.

Always make specific reference to the gift. (“Thank you for the mittens.”)

Say what you feel or think about the gift. (“They keep my hands warm and toasty!”)

If you didn’t care for the gift, show appreciation for the thought. (“Thanks for remembering my birthday.”)

Here are a few ideas that may help get the grandkids excited about writing thank-yous:

Let them see you writing thank-yous. Kids love to imitate adults. When the grandkids ask what you’re doing, you can explain in such a way that might intrigue them. Invite them to try it themselves.

Give them some fun notepaper. Have colorful marking pens and stickers on hand.

If the child is reluctant to write something, encourage him to draw a thank-you picture.

You may want to help the child brainstorm the message, allowing the child to use his own words.

If the child has not yet learned to write legibly, you can serve as a stenographer, writing out the message at the child’s direction and letting her sign her name.

I believe we’re doing our grandchildren a favor by teaching them the simple art of thank-you notes. In this small way, we’re helping them make a gentler, kinder world in which to grow up.

A caveat: Be sure the parents are on board with this little project. You don’t want to appear judgmental toward them if they haven’t yet taught this practice to their children. You want them to be thankful.

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Christmas Potluck Bean and Beet Salad

AuntLinda — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 23:09:01 +0000

This recipe for a cold Bean and Beet Salad is a long-time favorite of mine to take to Christmas potlucks. First, it has the colors of the season. Secondly, it’s a delicious vegetable dish that few would think to bring. Thirdly, it’s pretty healthy. And lastly, it’s pretty easy to make. What’s not to love?!

I made this dish for a potluck last Saturday and, as usual, I had people raving about it and wanting the recipe. I blog mostly about kids and families, but I wanted to give you this little Christmas bonus simply because I thought you might enjoy it. I give you no guarantee the kids will like it though!

Serves: 8 Preparation Time: 20 minutes Chill Time: minimum 30 minutes

Ingredients:

5 large Boiled Eggs
30 ounces canned, fancy sliced Green Beans, drained
30 ounces canned sliced Pickled Beets, drained
1 1/2 cups lo-cal Mayonnaise
10 Green Onions
2 Tablespoons Dill Weed

Directions:

Peel and grate the Boiled Eggs. Set aside.
Chop the Green Onions. Set aside.
Mix the Dill Weed in with the Green Beans and spoon into the bottom of a clear glass bowl.
Layer on the Pickled Beets.
Sprinkle the Green Onions on top of the Beets.
Spread the Mayonnaise on top of the Onions.
Sprinkle the Eggs on top of the Mayo.
Chill and serve.

This is also an excellent dish to serve with Christmas dinner too.

Here’s wishing you and yours the Merriest of Christmases!

P.S. The photo is of my grandniece visiting with the Elfery™ bears.

P.P.S. I plan to take a little break from blogging between now and the New Year. Hope to see you then!

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What Do I Feed the Grandkids? Six Days of Recipes-6

AuntLinda — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 19:05:57 +0000

NUT BUTTER POWER BALLS

Your grandkids are coming to visit during the holidays and you’re wondering what to feed them. You want your grandchildren to discover that healthy food can be yummy.

I’ve found that kids are likely to enjoy the food they help prepare, and this healthy snack is something the grandkids can help you make. They may enjoy experimenting with the options you provide. If one of the children has a peanut allergy, be sure to use only almond butter.

Ingredients:

1 cup Peanut or Almond Butter
1/2 cup Non-fat Dry Milk Powder or Soy Protein Powder
1/2 cup Raisins, Chocolate Chips, or Craisins
1/4 cup Honey
Graham Cracker Crumbs

Directions

Place Graham Crackers in a self-sealing plastic bag and crush by running a rolling pin back and fourth over the bag. (If you don’t have a rolling pin, you can use a plastic glass or an un-opened soup can.)
Mix all the other ingredients in a large bowl.
Shape mixture into 1-inch diameter balls.
Roll in crumbs and refrigerate. (Can also be frozen.)

I’m thinking this will be a favorite snack the grandkids will ask for time and again. Just don’t eat too many of these yourself!

Together, let’s invite our children and grandchildren’s imaginations (and good eating habits!) out to play.

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What Do I Feed the Grandkids? Six Days of Recipes-5

AuntLinda — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 18:09:59 +0000

YOGURT PARFAIT

Your grandkids are coming to visit during the holidays and you’re wondering what to feed them. You want your grandchildren to discover that healthy food can be yummy.

A Yogurt Parfait works well as a dessert or snack. You supply the ingredients and maybe a little help, but let your grandkids choose which fruit they want to use and exactly how they want to put the parfait together.

Ingredients:

2 cups Plain Yogurt
2 cups Granola or other crunchy cereal
2 cups bite-sized prepared Fruit (berries, bananas, kiwi, etc. Frozen blueberries slightly thawed are good too.)
Honey

Directions
In a tall glass, layer ingredients, starting with the yogurt. You may want to add a bit of honey to each layer as you go.

What could be more fun, yummy, and healthy all at the same time?

Together, let’s invite our children and grandchildren’s imaginations (and good eating habits!) out to play.

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What Do I Feed the Grandkids? Six Days of Recipes-4

AuntLinda — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 15:41:15 +0000

OVEN BAKED SWEET POTATO FRIES

Your grandkids are coming to visit during the holidays and you’re wondering what to feed them. You want your grandchildren to discover that healthy food can be yummy.

Most kids love fries, and these put most fast-food fries to shame. The secret is the olive oil and baking them rather than frying. Here is the fourth of six healthy dishes your grandkids may enjoy.

Serves : 4-6 Preparation Time: 15 minutes Baking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1 – 1 1/2 lb Sweet Potatoes (Large ones are best.)
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1/2 tsp Sea Salt
1/2 tsp Paprika
1/4 tsp Cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil
Peal the Sweet Potatoes. Cut into strips that are about 1/2 inch wide on each side.
Measure Oil, Salt, Paprika, and Cinnamon into a container with a tight-fitting lid.
Add the Sweet Potatoes and seal the container. Shake well to thoroughly coat the fries.
Spread the potatoes out onto the baking sheet in a single layer.
Cook for 30 minutes, turning every 10 minutes, until slightly browned.
Transfer immediately to a paper towel lined plate and let drain for a couple of minutes
Serve warm.

Better keep these ingredients on hand, ’cause I’m thinking your grandkids are going to ask for these each time they visit!

Together, let’s invite our children and grandchildren’s imaginations (and good eating habits!) out to play.

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What Do I Feed the Grandkids? Six Days of Recipes-3

AuntLinda — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 17:21:32 +0000

PORTLAND STEW

Your grandkids are coming to visit during the holidays and you’re wondering what to feed them. You want your grandchildren to discover that healthy food can be yummy.

My family has always loved this dish. True, my son refused to eat onions until he grew up and tasted Army food. But because the onions are in rings and layered, it was easy to remove them. So here is the third of six healthy dishes your grandkids may enjoy.

Servings: 8 Serving size: 1-1/2 cups Preparation Time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients:

2 pounds Stew Meat
1/2 cup Onion sliced 1 medium Potato with skin
2 cups sliced Carrots
30 ounces canned cut Green Beans
10-1/2 ounces condensed canned Tomato soup
1/4 cup Flour
1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
2 pieces Bay leaf

Directions:

Combine Flour and seasoning in a container with tight-fitting lid. Add Meat. Put on lid and shake to cover.
Place Meat in the bottom of a greased casserole or crock pot. Pour remaining flour over meat.
Add layer of onions, bay leaves, potatoes, carrots and beans. Spread soup on top.
Cover and bake for 5 to 8 hours in 250 oven or on low for 8 hours in crock pot.

Together, let’s invite our children and grandchildren’s imaginations (and good eating habits!) out to play.

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What Do I Feed the Grandkids? Six Days of Recipes-2

AuntLinda — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 16:40:57 +0000

HOT DIGGIDY DOG

Your grandkids are coming to visit during the holidays and you’re wondering what to feed them. You want your grandchildren to discover that healthy food can be yummy. So here is the second of six healthy dishes your grandkids may enjoy.

Ingredients

4 Turkey Hot dogs
8 ounces Cheddar Cheese
3 large boiled Eggs
3 Tablespoons Mayonnaise (the healthiest kind you can find)
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
3 Tablespoons Sweet Pickle Relish
12 medium whole-grain Hotdog Buns
1/2 teaspoon dried Mustard

Instructions

Chop hot dogs, cheese, and egg in food processor.
In bowl, mix together all the ingredients.
Spread 3 heaping tablespoons mixture inside each bun.
Place under broiler for a couple of minutes until the cheese starts to melt, or arrange stuffed buns on paper towels and microwave on medium high (70%) for 2 to 5 minutes, until cheese starts to melt.

Note: May be wrapped individually in foil or placed in a baking dish.

I like to serve this with Friendship Soup. Dissolve 1 Bullion Cube in 1 cup boiling water. Combine with 1 can concentrated Tomato Soup in a pan. Sprinkle in a few Italian Seasonings and heat.

Together, let’s invite our children and grandchildren’s imaginations (and good eating habits!) out to play.

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What Do I Feed the Grandkids? Six Days of Recipes

AuntLinda — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 17:19:02 +0000

HEALTHY HOMEMADE GRANOLA

Your grandkids are coming to visit during the holidays and you’re wondering what to feed them. In the “olden days’ of my youth, grandparents were the ones giving us kids sugary treats we didn’t get at home. But these days, many grandparents I know are concerned that their grandchildren are eating more than enough sweets at home. They want their grandchildren to discover that healthy food can be yummy too. So here are six healthy dishes your grandkids may enjoy.

Dry Ingredients:

6 cups rolled oats (you can also use a combination of rolled grains)
2 cups of raw almonds and/or walnuts (or other nuts). May be lightly chopped.
½ cup raw sunflower seeds
½ cup sesame seeds or flax seed
½ cup wheat germ
Optional: ½ cup unsweetened coconut,
½ cup dried fruit (add after cooked) –raisins, date pieces, cranberries, cherries, apricots, etc.

Wet Ingredients & Spices:

2 cups unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup agave nectar, honey, or maple syrup
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive or walnut oil
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 Tablespoon ground ginger
½ tsp salt

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 300°F.
Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Mix the wet ingredients together in a separate bowl.
Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix together thoroughly.
Spread the mixture onto two baking trays.
Stir every 10 – 15 minutes to ensure even browning.
Bake for 35 – 40 minutes, or until evenly golden brown.
Add the dried fruit and stir.
Store in the refrigerator.

Hint 1: The grandchildren might enjoy these dishes even more if they are allowed to help make them.

Hint 2: Another breakfast favorite is Breakfast Rice Cakes. You’ll find that recipe at an previous blog of mine, http://auntlindasblog.com/2010/07/26/breakfast-rice-pancakes-kids-will-love/

Together, let’s invite our children and grandchildren’s imaginations (and good eating habits!) out to play.

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Six Gifts Grandkids Can Make For Grandparents: Day 6

AuntLinda — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 16:56:31 +0000

WALNUT PHOTO CASE

As the sixth craft, I really wanted to use at least one photo of the child, as grandparents usually love photos of their grandkids. I thought of how Grandma and Grandpa might be living in tight quarters these days, and not have room for more “stuff”, so I wanted something small. Then I remembered a cute little photo case I made in scouts long ago. It seemed perfect and something the elves would think of.

A word to the wise, opening a walnut shell without breaking it is not easy. I used a gentle tap with a wooden mallet and pried it open with a kitchen knife. I had success with my third try.

Supplies You’ll Need

Walnut shell halves, nut meats cleaned out
Small photographs of grandchild (I scanned in photos and sized them to fit … 325 pixels square for a medium-sized walnut … and printed them on photo paper.)
Pencil
Scissors
Craft glue
Small strip of felt or leather

Instructions

Ask an adult to pry apart a walnut into two halves
Place the flat rim of the shell onto a blank piece of paper and trace around it.
Cut out the shape, turn it over, and place it on the photo, centering on the face. Now trace around the shape and cut out.
Repeat for the other side.
Run glue around the rims of the shells.
Place the photos onto the shells, matching the shape of the photos to the shells. You may have to trim a bit.
Let dry.
Place the shells together and glue a small piece of felt or leather over the seam on one side at the widest part, to work as a hinge. Let dry.

Disclaimer: I trust that my readers have good sense and will not allow their children or grandchildren to engage in unsafe activities. Children should be supervised in making all crafts mentioned in this blog.

Together, let’s invite our children and grandchildren’s imaginations out to play.

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Six Gifts Grandkids Can Make For Grandparents: Day 5

AuntLinda — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 17:18:05 +0000

SPICED HAZELNUTS

I realize that many of the crafts I’m sharing here involve spices. This one is no exception! Having lived in Oregon much of my life, I developed a fondness for hazelnuts, or filberts as we called them. The question was always how to remove the skins. Rubbing between towels is the standard method, but I think my way is easier and more effective. Just don’t be obsessed with removing them all.

This may not seem like a child’s activity, but I know you can find ways for the child to safely help.

Supplies You’ll Need:

3 cups raw Hazelnuts
3 Tablespoons Canola oil
1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
2 teaspoons Cloves, ground
1/2 cup Sugar
(1 1/2 Tablespoons of Pumpkin Pie spice may be substituted for the Cinnamon and Cloves)

Roasting and Skinning Instructions:

Remove and separate out all pieces of shells from nut meats.
Place nuts in microwave and process on high for about 3 minutes. Watch that they don’t burn.
Immediately place in freezer for 15 minutes. This “shocks” the nuts and helps loosen the skin.
Place in a heavy-duty zip lock bag, sealing it well, and tumble in dryer, No-Heat setting, for 15 minutes.
Place about 1 1/2 cup of nuts at a time into salad spinner and spin off loose skin.

Spicing Instructions

Preheat oven to 250.
Measure oil into a container with tight-fitting lid.
Pour in nuts, cover, and shake vigorously, coating them with the oil.
Pour out onto large cookie sheet.
Process sugar and spices in blender until super fine and sprinkle about half of mixture on the nuts.
Roast for about 15 minutes, watching that they do not burn.
Stir nuts, sprinkle with remaining sugar mixture, and roast for another 15 minutes or until golden brown and crunchy.
When cool, place in attractive jars such as jelly jars or in holiday-themed plastic bags.

Note: For those who have false teeth and have difficulty eating whole nuts, these can be ground in a blender. Delicious in cookies and cakes and sprinkled on salads.

Together, let’s invite our children and grandchildren’s imaginations out to play.

Disclaimer: I trust that my readers have good sense and will not allow their children or grandchildren to engage in un-safe activities. Children should be supervised in making all crafts mentioned in this blog.

Check out Whimsmoore’s Elf Toy-of-the-Month™

Watch our Elf Toy of the Month Video

Share Your Elfery™