Springtime is for Hope and Apple Tarts

  “It’s no ordinary apple tart. It’s the apple tart of hope.  After you’ve taken a bite, the whole world will look almost completely different.  Things will start to change and by the time you’ve had the whole slice, you’ll realize everything is going to be okay.”  Sarah M. Fitzgerald

The Tart Apple of Hope

  Bring on the apple tarts, sunshine, and walks in the woods. This recipe is easy for families to make and a keeper for the recipe folder.  You can make your own crust or use a store bought crust.  The secrets are the apples and the apricot drizzle.

Tart Recipe

You will need four large Granny Smith apples, ½ cup sugar, 4 Tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold butter, small diced, ½ cup warmed apricot jelly or strained apricot jam and 2 Tablespoons water.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a large tart pan, cookie sheet, or pie pan with parchment paper.

Family Baking is Fun & Tasty!

 You will need a raised edging so the juice from the apples does not over flow and burn.  If you are using cookie sheet, the dough should be like an open pouch around the apples.  You can layer the parchment, a piece of tin foil and then the open pouch crust.  No matter what base you are using, place the prepared pan or sheet in the refrigerator while preparing the apples.

  Adults or teens can peel the apples and cut them in half through the stem. Remove the stems and cores with a knife and a melon baller. Slice the apples crosswise in ¼-inch-thick slices. Place overlapping slices of apples diagonally down the middle of the tart and continue making diagonal rows on both sides of the first row until the pastry is covered with apple slices. Some people make concentric circles. Sprinkle with the full ½ cup sugar and dot all over with the butter. Allow the children to help with everything possible.

All Hands Make this Cooking Project a Success!

Baking

Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the pastry is browned and the edges of the apples start to brown. Rotate the pan once during cooking. If the pastry puffs up in one area, cut a little slit with a knife to let the air out. Place strips of two -inch wide foil on the edges of the pie pan crust to keep the edges from getting too brown.

   When the tart’s done, heat the apricot jelly together with the water and brush the apples the pastry completely with the jelly mixture. Some people drizzle the apricot mixture toward the end of baking. Loosen tart with a metal spatula and allow to cool. You may add whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

More Ideas and Activities....See the authors’ book “Learning Through the Seasons” at area bookstores and grandparentsteachtoo.org. For more help to prepare young children for success in school see the authors’ web site: www.grandparentsteachtoo.org. Also check our audio Podcasts WNMU Radio 90; Youtube video activities; and join us on Pinterest

Photos: Fran Darling, fdarling fotos
Sketches: Mark Nowicki

Victory Cleaning with Children

 “Nothing inspires cleanliness more than an unexpected guest.” Radhika Mundra

Spring Cleaning is Cool!

 Right now we have an unexpected and unwelcome guest in our nation and we may be running out of educational entertaining ideas for the family. If you haven’t already done so consider a good house cleaning, throw away, and give away before we are all freed from the house again.

  If the time is positive, fun, and short, young children may enjoy being included in many household chores and learn important skills at the same time in small game like doses. In addition, children begin to understand that everyone helps in a family. 

Around the House

Dusting, Vacuuming and Sweeping—If you plug in the vacuum, provide a broom and dustpan or Swifter- type sweeper, your preschooler with the help help of older folks will love to gather up crumbs and dirt, especially in their own room. You can work together or make it a game to find little bits and dust bunnies. They can also dust surfaces with a damp cloth, dusting brush or a big old sock with their hand inside.  They can help prepare surfaces for washing and waxing.

  Your young children will be developing language skills, muscle control, and organizational skills, as well as, the positive self- image that comes from helping others. They may not be able to do much at first, but they can help with added responsibility as they grow older.

  Washing in the kitchen---Children can help empty drawers and wash them out. Young children love to use water and soap bubbles to clean silverware, plastic dishes and cups.  Set your little dishwasher up on a sturdy stool at the sink or on the floor.  Show the kids how to wipe off the table and chairs, too.

Clothes

Make a List - Divide and Conquer!

   Sorting Clothes—This is an extremely important skill. Your children can help you sort the dirty clothes into piles of dark and light colors.  Later, when the clothes are washed and dried, they can help fold and sort again into piles for each person. Matching socks is an especially good activity for learning about pairs, as well as, the concepts of same and different. They can help make piles for the change of seasons, give away, and throw away. 

  Give kids jobs can they handle depending on their age and understanding. Be ready to finish up or redo later, if they get tired, and let children know you appreciate efforts.  There are many other jobs to train children to be helpful: Raking, sweeping, shoveling, setting the table, providing pet care, stacking magazines, getting the mail, watering plants, separating materials for recycling, working in the garden, and taking out the garbage.

More Ideas and Activities....See the authors’ book “Learning Through the Seasons” at area bookstores and grandparentsteachtoo.org. For more help to prepare young children for success in school check our audio Podcasts WNMU Radio 90; Youtube video activities; and join us on Pinterest

Photos: Fran Darling, fdarling fotos

Victory Gardening with Our Young

Gardening: Fresh Air; Vitamin D; Exercise

According to the American Horticultural Society and horticultural therapists, gardening helps with diseases like migraines, depression, autism, Alzheimer’s, and provides physical, nutritional, and mental health. Gardening provides the joy of fresh air and boosts vitamin D thanks to the sunshine. It helps make people happy. Does that describe an essential for our times, or what?

  Earth is made of bacteria that have a high level of serotonin, a hormone called the happiness hormone. The serotonin in the earth around your plants make us happier and relaxed. Gardening is good for the body and heart since it is a physical activity. Raking, watering, cutting, moving, and dragging aid flexibility and balance. One hour of gardening is equal to thirty minutes of activity. All of this is great for families.

Victory Garden 3.0

  A Victory Garden can be a plot of earth or a few large containers of potting soil in the sunshine. You can purchase plants, seeds, or seed potatoes and follow the directions on the package. Easy plants to grow are small patio and other tomatoes, beans, peas, mixed lettuce and other leaf crops, peppers, zucchini, yellow squash, herbs, and colorful plants like nasturtium, small sun flowers, marigolds, petunias, and hundreds more.

A Plot of Earth or a Few Large Containers

  Here are basic suggestions for containers that can produce remarkable crops. Avoid containers that held anything poisonous. Clean out and rinse containers well and make drainage holes on the bottom.  Some people put crushed water bottles on the bottom for drainage.  It is not needed if you have good potting soil, never garden soil.

  If you have started seeds indoors 5-6 week before to get a head start on the gardening season, check Almanac. com for frost maps in your area. You want 65 degrees minimum and 70-85 degrees optimum soil temperature (not air temperature) and more than 6 hours of sun light to plant outside. 

  If you have planted indoors and kept soil like a damp sponge but not wet, you should have seedlings after two or three weeks. Thin out weaklings and keep the sturdiest.  Place in a bright location that is not more than in high 60’s for sturdier seedlings.  High temperatures will make the plants leggy. After a few more weeks you should have full leafed plants.

Vegetables

  Vegetables require larger pots than annual flowers.  You can even plant seed potatoes if you follow container and bag directions. Tomatoes, for example grow well in 5 gallon buckets. Peppers will grow well in containers about 8 inches in diameter and 10 inches tall. They need warm roots.  You may place dark plastic around the top of the roots for a while. Later they need calcium.   Keep soil to a moist crumbly ball.

More Ideas and Activities....See the authors’ book “Learning Through the Seasons” at area bookstores and grandparentsteachtoo.org. For more help to prepare young children for success in school see the authors’ web site: www.grandparentsteachtoo.org. Also check our audio Podcasts WNMU Radio 90; Youtube video activities; and join us on Pinterest
Photos: Fran Darling, fdarling fotos