I have yet to post anything about cooking, and I haven't tried any new recipes recently that are worth posting, so here is a fun way to fix PB&J that my team enjoyed during Character Suite. We didn't have much to cook with; a microwave, a burner, a toaster, and an iron. Yes, the kind you use to get the wrinkles out of clothes. (After three weeks in the same four walls, you learn to be creative with what you have on hand...)
This is the crazy crew who turned an iron into a cooking appliance...
: Make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. (easy enough...)
Step Two: Cut a piece of tin foil that is big enough to wrap the entire sandwich. (What?)
Step Three: Spread butter on one side of the outside of the sandwich, place face down on the tin foil, and spread butter on the remaining plain side of the sandwich. (I know, we're weird! ...as if the picture didn't clue you in...)
Step Four: Wrap the sandwich in the tin foil so that there is only one or two layers of tin foil on each side. (Wrapping the sandwich like a tootsie roll, or scrunching/rolling the foil up to the crust works well, just make sure the tin foil on the bread side is relatively smooth)
Step Five: Pre-heat iron (yes, the one you use to get wrinkles out of clothes...) to the wool or cotton setting.
Step Six: Place the foil wrapped sandwich on the IRONING BOARD!!! (IMPORTANT STEP!!!)
Step Seven: Place heated iron on top of sandwich (still in the foil!) and leave for approximately 30-45 seconds. Repeat on second side. (you can
very carefully place your ear by the sandwich while the iron is still on it and hear the butter crackling!) The bread should have a grilled look when it is done. Step
Eight: Let cool
Step Nine: Carefully unwrap and enjoy!
Its no secret that this year's VBS has a farm theme. It is also no secret that I am a country girl at heart. (my email address, the cowboy boot necklace that I wear all the time, my attempt at keeping chickens in a very tight space, the fact that I volunteer at a barn...need I mention the theme I picked for the VBS?) So I didn't think it would be that hard to come up with plenty of curriculum ideas.
While I have bushels of ideas, they had not been coming together quite like I had wanted them to. Writer's block had set in, my creativity quit and I grew tired of trying to make something work that seemed set on doing quite the opposite!
Then, inspiration knocked. Literally. (well, o.k, it was the door bell) Some friends stopped by with some things for me from a mutual friend who knew of the VBS. Out from the trunk of their car they produced a variety of farmish looking things! Wicker baskets, metal buckets, milk jugs, a small wagon, lanterns, a pump, a pair of overalls... yep, I am happy!
It was just what I needed to get my creative juices flowing again! For some reason, it is so much easer to write skits when you have an abundance of amazing props in front of you. You can sit down to write a skit to illustrate a particular lesson, but if you don't have any inspiration, you're sunk. Thanks Annick! You made my day, and quite possibly, the VBS!
