NO TIME FOR FLASH CARDS:
If you have little ones at home and are looking for fun fantastic learning ideas for preschoolers from activities to crafts and book recommendations NTFFC is an easy place to start. Allison McDonald is the founder of No Time For Flash Cards. Allison has a degree in Elementary Education and spent 10 years working with preschoolers and parents teaching crafts. In 2008, after the birth of her son she left the classroom to be home with her son. Her passion for teaching children inspired her to share her ideas online. Thus, No Time For Flash Cards was created. You will find tons of books, themes and alphabet crafts to teach your toddler and preschooler.

Favorite NTFFC Links:
Toothpick Sea Urchins
Paper Plate Animals
Fine Art Museum
Venus Fly Trap

PRESCHOOL EXPRESS:
Preschool Express is a free on-line educational resource for children ages 1-5. Jean Warren is the founder of Preschool Express and the previous owner of Totline Publications. She is best known for her songs, rhymes and stories which can be found in popular books such as; Piggyback © Song books, 1*2*3 Art , Theme-a-saurus and the Totline Teaching Tales children’s book series. Jean created the Preschool Express Website as a way to give back to the world. Her hope is to provide every parent and grandparent the resources they need to create a natural learning atmosphere.

There is so much to explore on the Preschool Express. The calendar station offers teachers or parents a calender with chosen themes for each week. There are calenders for preschoolers and toddlers with a daily activity to do together. Plan a party at the party station. Learn to make snacks, read stories and discover.

LOVE2LEARN2DAY:
If you have a child who loves math Love2Learn2Day offers loads of fun games and manipulative ideas that are K-12 math orientated. The creator of Love2Learn2Day is an educational consultant working with both kids and teachers. The website is all about learning to have fun with math.

Favorite Love2Learn2Day Links:
Mapping a Farm
Play dough Maps
Incan Quipu Math (place value, history)
Math in the Movies

Now, for the important part: the tips of trade for making perfect gnocchi. Michael prefers to bake the potatoes. It is perfectly fine to boil the potatoes however you must follow these important guidelines.

1. When boiling the potatoes for potato gnocchi you want to cook the potatoes WHOLE with SKINS ON. If you peel and cut the potatoes before boiling they will absorb too much water resulting in mush.

2. Do not over cook the potatoes. Test the potatoes by piercing one with a fork or knife. If it is hard then it needs to cook longer. A fork should be able to insert easily and the potato slowly slip off. (About 30-45 minutes) Lay the potatoes on a board or towel to cool slightly before peeling.

3. Use a potato ricer or push the cooked potato through a strainer. Mashing the potatoes creates mashed potatoes. Gnocchi begins as a light dough. Pushing the potatoes through a strainer or ricer is what gives the gnocchi the airy texture.

The dough should be gently handled similar to when making biscuits or pie crusts or even meatballs. Everything is folded in mixing until just blended. This is not a pasta or bread dough so avoid kneading the dough too much. Add the flour a little bit at a time until the dough holds together. Do not add too much flour. Once the dough is ready you can either cut the dough then cook or shape the cut pieces using the tines of a fork. The indentations created by rolling the dough on the fork is key to holding the sauce. The end result? Absolute heaven. There are many ways to serve gnocchi. Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the recipe for delicious ideas. Click here for a step by step tutorial from making the dough to rolling them.

Source: Michael Chiarello
Kosher salt
1 pound russet potatoes
3 to 4 large egg yolks,
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon gray salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting board and dough

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Spread a layer of kosher salt on a baking sheet and arrange the potatoes on top (see Cook’s Note). Bake until a bit overcooked, about 45 minutes. Let sit until cool enough to handle, cut in half, and scoop out the flesh. Reserve the potato skins, if desired, for another use. Pass the potatoes through a potato ricer or grate them on the large holes of a box grater. You should have about 2 cups.

Make a mound of potatoes on the counter or in a bowl with a well in the middle, add 3 of the egg yolks, the cheese, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Mix in the potatoes and mix well with hands. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the flour over the potatoes and, using your knuckles, press it into the potatoes. Fold the mass over on itself and press down again. Sprinkle on more flour, little by little, folding and pressing the dough until it just holds together, (try not to knead it.) Work any dough clinging to your fingers back into the dough.

If the mixture is too dry, add another egg yolk or a little water. The dough should give under slight pressure. It will feel firm but yielding. To test if the dough is the correct consistency, take a piece and roll it with your hands on a well-floured board into a rope 1/2-inch in diameter. If the dough holds together, it is ready. If not, add more flour, fold and press the dough several more times, and test again.

Keeping your work surface and the dough lightly floured, cut the dough into 4 pieces. Roll each piece into a rope about 1/2-inch in diameter. Cut into 1/2-inch-long pieces. Lightly flour the gnocchi as you cut them.

To shape use a gnocchi board or the tines of a  fork turned upside down. Rest the bottom edge of the gnocchi board (or the back of a fork) on the work surface, then tilt it at about a 45 degree angle. Take each piece and squish it lightly with your thumb against the board while simultaneously pushing it away from you. As you shape the gnocchi, dust them lightly with flour.

When ready to cook, bring a large pot of water to a light boil and add salt. Drop in the gnocchi and cook for about 30 seconds from the time they rise to the surface. Remove the cooked gnocchi with a skimmer, shake off the excess water, and serve as desired.

Cook’s Note:
Baking potatoes on a layer of salt allows heat to circulate 360 degrees. Scrape the salt into a jar and reuse it again and again. If you do not have time to shape the gnocchi, you can freeze the dough, defrost it in the refrigerator, and then shape it. To freeze shaped gnocchi, line baking sheets with waxed paper and dust with flour. Spread the gnocchi on the prepared sheets and freeze until hard. Remove to individual-portion-size freezer bags. Store in the freezer for up to 1 month. To cook, drop the frozen gnocchi into boiling salted water. Cook for about 2 minutes after they rise to the surface.

Dazzledish Variations:
- Baked Gnocchi: Prepare gnocchi as directed above. Meanwhile heat 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over low heat. When melted stir in 2 tablespoons flour until smooth. Slowly add 1 cup milk whisking until smooth. Continue to heat sauce until slightly thickened about 5 minutes. Then add 3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese. Stir until blended. Season with salt and pepper. Place cooked gnocchi in a casserole dish. Pour sauce over gnocchi. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes.
- Sprinkle gnocchi with 1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese then drizzle with 1/2 cup heavy cream. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 10-12 minutes.
- Simmer gnocchi in chicken stock with chopped celery and carrots to make dumpling soup. Garnish with chopped scallions.
- Heat 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat until slightly browned. Toss with gnocchi.
- Serve Gnocchi with marinara sauce.
- Use in the place of pasta.

I awoke one morning to find an enormous zucchini on top of the kitchen island. A friend at Stephen’s work brought them in. He said there were more but he was not sure how many I would want. This giant cuke was plenty. Part of the zucchini went into a batch of muffins. I shredded the rest then stuck it in the refrigerator until the next day. I needed some time to come up with alternative uses for zucchini. This recipe for zucchini cornbread caught my eye.

The bread part is a bit misleading. It is definitely a casserole. Something more like a spoon bread than cornbread. I forgot to buy corn mix while at the supermarket and so I had to make my own mix. I have included the recipe for the mix below. I apologize I forgot to write down the name of the site I found the cornbread mix recipe on. It would be nice to have the rest of the ingredients list to make the cornbread. I will keep looking! Until then enjoy a spoonful of zucchini cornbread casserole.

Source: Allrecipes
4 cups shredded zucchini
1 onion, chopped
2 eggs, beaten
1 (8.5 ounce) package dry corn muffin mix (see below for recipe)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
8 ounces Cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 2 quart casserole dish.

In a large bowl mix together the zucchini, onion, eggs, muffin mix, salt and pepper. Stir in 4 ounces of the cheese. Spread this mixture into a greased 2 quart casserole dish; top with remaining 4 ounces of cheese.

Bake in a preheated oven for 60 minutes.

Corn Muffin Mix:
Source: Unknown
1 cup Corn Meal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl or ziplock bag.

I was looking for something different to go with grilled salmon when I stumbled upon this recipe for white bean salad. It combines fresh green beans with tomatoes and olives drizzled with a tangy vinaigrette. This white bean salad makes for a great side dish at any picnic or BBQ. Add canned tuna for a tasty lunch to take to work or use the dressing to flavor your favorite steamed vegetables.

Source: Adapted from Woman’s Day
12 oz fresh green beans
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 cup olive oil
1?4 tsp each salt and pepper
1 can (15 to 16 oz) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 medium tomato, cut into wedges
1?2 cup pitted Kalamata olives
Chopped parsley

Steam green beans by dropping them into a pot of salted boiling water. Blanch for 3-5 minutes. Drain water then cover pot.

Meanwhile, make dressing: Whisk oil, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper until well blended.
Cut green beans into smaller bite sized pieces. In a large serving bowl, gently toss green beans, cannellini beans, tomato and olives. Drizzle dressing over salad and garnish with parsley, if desired.

Variations:
- 1 grilled salmon steak, flaked
- 2 cans (5 to 6 oz each) solid light tuna in olive oil, undrained. Replace the oil in the can for 1/4 cup olive oil.
- Use 1 (12 oz) bag microwavable green beans in the place of fresh green beans.
- Go Mediterranean by mixing 8 oz green bean with two bags mixed greens, 2 cucumbers seeded and sliced, grape tomatoes in the place of wedges, 1 can (12 oz) tuna in oil drained, olives, 1/2 cup Greek salad dressing, 1/2 cup crumbled basil-tomato feta cheese.

One night when tucking my son into bed he asked me to tell him a story. The sad part was my mind was blank. I could not come up with anything. I relayed the incident to a friend of mine who comforted me with her own tale of bedtime woe. We agreed our husbands were excellent storytellers but somehow over the years we lost touch with that creative side. Stephen calls it work mode. Over time with practice my friend and I have become more comfortable telling bedtime stories. Jim Jinkins is best known for his bedtime stories, “Pinky Dinky Doo”. He originally made up the Pinky’s Adventures as bed-time tales for his children. Each night after he closed the door he would write the stories down.

To make story dice you will need:
- 6 to 12 (3/8-inch) square wooden blocks.
- For the images use permanent ultra fine tip markers to draw your own pictures, stickers, stamps, a wood carving tool and stain, temporary tattoo sheets, pictures from old story books, magazines, print them from the computer using sheet labels, sticker paper or regular white paper.
- Seal the blocks after the pictures have been applied using a sealant or Modge Podge.

Use pictures of animals, transportation, food, household objects, clothing, landscapes, fairy tales and people.

To Play:
Divide the dice among the participants. Take turns rolling a single die. The first person begins the story based on the picture they roll. The next person adds to the story based on the roll of their dice and so on around the group of participants. You can opt to time each segment. Say each person has 30 seconds or a minute then the next person rolls and adds on to the story line. Or each person must tell a short story in one minute using the pictures rolled from all of their die. When they are done the next person rolls and takes their turn.

Variations:
- Paint pictures on small rocks.
- If you do not want to spend the money or time making story dice use print out and laminate small slips of paper or cardboard pieces. Throw the pieces into a bowl or basket and toss.
- Make dice from card stock.
- Print a selection of pictures at the top of a page with lines across and down the page. Use the pictures create a story and the lines to write the story.

I have always loved spicy food. I thought I could handle heat that is until at Seventeen I traveled cross county to Texas. The salsa there was so hot my mouth was inflamed for the rest of the day. I dared not eat another lick of the stuff the remainder of my visit in Texas. Upon my return home I remained adverse to hot spicy foods for sometime. Years later I returned to Texas. It was there I learned from many friends how to cook some of my most favorite Mexican dishes. One evening at Mrs. Rodriguez house I learned to make Tostadas complete with homemade refried beans. There are so many ways to make frijoles refritos but to be honest I have no problem using a can of store bought refried beans. It is super quick and before you know it dinner is on the table. I do however, enjoy making my own tortillas. Corn or flour can be used. Traditionally corn is the tortilla of choice but flour will work. The tortillas can be baked in the oven until crispy about 8 minutes on 375 degrees for a less fat version.

Serves 5-6
5-6 corn or flour tortillas
Vegetable oil
1 (15-ounce) can Refried beans
2 Romaine Lettuce Hearts or 1/2 head iceberg lettuce, sliced thin
Shredded Cheddar or crumbled queso fresco or cotija cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 lime
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 avocado, chopped or guacamole
1 small onion, diced
1 cup of Salsa
1/2 cup sliced radishes
1/2 cup diced Red Pepper

Pour about 1/4 inch of oil in a large skillet. Heat on medium-high until oil sizzles when a drop of water or crumb is placed in pan. (Not smoking hot) The tortilla should sizzle and bubble up instantly after it is placed
in the oil. If not the oil is not hot enough. Cook tortilla 30 seconds on each side until firm and crisp. Drain on a paper towel. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Meanwhile heat beans in a small pan. Stir in a little water, about 2-3 tablespoons stirring and mashing. Keep warm and moist.

To serve top tortilla with beans, lettuce, cilantro, a squeeze of lime juice, cheese and then any other desired toppings.

Growing up in the South ribs were a pretty common commodity at dinner, picnics and barbecues. In Texas the golden trumpet of barbecued meats was the brisket. While here in California is seems the beloved Tri-tip takes 1st place. I have never cooked ribs before, ok once at a friends house but my sister was co-chef and we ended up charring them to death; which was not much different from the way my father grilled them. It has been 11 years since I left the Sunshine state and even longer since I had rib because I was a pour college student. I was not about to let another summer go by without the taste of ribs. Yes I have been to a BBQ restaurant our here but what they served up did not constitute fine finger lick’n Southern barbecue goodness. The worst part was what they tried to charge for the monstrosity.

This recipe was tucked away in my file folder of ‘need to try’ recipes. It is not Dale’s BBQ but they were tasty and satisfying. I have to confess though I do not have a grill so our ribs were roasted in the oven. It is not the same as eating real slow cooked smoked ribs where the meat just falls off the bone but they were moist and tender so if you do not have access to a grill it is doable.

Source: unknown
1/2 cup plus 2 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
2 1/2 tbsp hot paprika
4 tsp onion powder
1 1/2 tsp celery salt
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
2 racks pork spareribs (7 pounds total)
2 cups ketchup
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

For Grill: Soak 3 cups woods chips in water according to the package directions or for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, combine 2 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar, paprika, onion powder, celery salt, salt and pepper. Run a knife down the length of the bone side of each rack to split the skin, then season all over with the rub.

Remove the grill racks, arrange a drip pan or disposable baking sheet on one side of the grill to catch drippings. Drain the wood chips and transfer to a 2-foot long sheet of heavy duty foil. Wrap tightly creating a secure pouch, then poke 10 holes in the top to create a smoker box. Place the pouch on the side of the grill opposite the drippings pan. Set the grill racks into place, close the grill and preheat to 325 degrees.

Working quickly, arrange the ribs, meaty side up, over the drip pan. Grill, covered, turning occasionally, until the meat shrinks away from the bone and is fork tender, about 3 1/2 hours.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combing the remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar, the ketchup, honey and vinegar over medium high heat and season with salt and pepper. Bring just to a boil, then lower the heat to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally until smooth, about 5 minutes.

Brush the ribs all over with the sauce, arrange meaty side up and grill uncovered, turning once at 200 degrees for 20 minutes. Cut the racks unto individual ribs and serve with the sauce on the side.

Variations:
For a tangier less sweet sauce add more vinegar.
To bake in the oven: prepare ribs as above with rub. Wrap ribs in heavy duty foil and bake at 300 degrees for 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours. Check ribs after 2 1/2 hour mark if they are tender coat with sauce and continue to bake 20-30 minutes.Watch the ribs like a hawk. The oven tends to dry meat out especially pork.

Photo: courtesy iVillage.com

It amazes me that a single event can seem so far in the distance and then sneak up on me before I know it. Last Christmas I made a goal to be prepared. Unforeseen circumstances crushed that goal into tiny particles of cosmic dust. Christmas cards never went out and planned gifts were never finished while we all suffered retched illnesses the entire month of December. Each year my sister-n-law Jennifer and I renew our vow to complete all our Christmas shopping by Thanksgiving. Last year I waited to buy presents in hopes of scoring the best deals late into the season. I have learned my lesson. This year I am a repented saint.

Augusts’ resolution to ‘Make’ is nothing profound unlike the previous months have been. My resolution to make is the practical side of me saying “you only have three months before the flurry of the flu, school projects and holidays get in the way.” I have granted myself two months for planning three birthdays, one the week of Christmas. Then there is the making of Halloween costumes and new garb for the Christmas play I have been writing in addition to finishing all the homemade gifts started last November. I cannot wait for my little niece Lilyanna to opens hers. I will say no more since her mommy sometimes reads my posts.

Making does not have to revolve around crafts. You could:
Vow to make a new friend.
Make a decision you have been putting off until that some day.
Make home repairs. If the emergency overflow drain for your air conditioner has been leaking vow to get it fixed…today.
If you continuously miss your best friend’s birthday make a point to remember it.
Make a new recipe once a week.
Make a family plan that lists the goals you want to accomplish as a family. Come up with a family motto to help you achieve those goals.
Make up family traditions.
Make a list of topics to discuss at family dinner each night.
Make family time a priority once a week.
Make cards for someone in need of a warm gesture.
Make up a package for a soldier at war. Or take it to their family to show support.
Make a picnic lunch to share.
Design and make games and treats for a backyard carnival.

There is no procrastinating allowed during the month of August. It is about choosing to take care of business today.

Granita is a icy frozen treat similar to the Italian ice, French sorbet and the American slushy or snow cone. The granita, traditionally made of coffee, is eaten as a refreshing and light dessert or between courses to cleanse the palate. It is uncertain exactly where the granita first originated. China has been cited for creating the first ice creams. Even so, the claims of Italy, France and Spain as the first to introduce water ices as far back as the 13th century are all together questionable. There are myths that Marco Polo brought the idea of cultivating ice and ice creams back to Italy from China but it is all undocumented speculation. In any event Italian ices eventually made its way to Europe and then on to the Americas.

Source: Woman’s Day
6 cups cubed seedless watermelon
1?4 cup sugar
1?4 cup lime juice

Purée watermelon in a food processor. Add sugar and lime juice; pulse until sugar is dissolved.

Pour into a 13 x 9-in. metal baking pan. Freeze 2 1?2 hours, stirring each hour, mixing ice crystals into the middle oXf the pan.

To serve: Let granita stand for 10 minutes at room temperature. Scrape into chilled glasses and serve at once