75% Healthy Snacks for a Halloween Party

One of the gifts of my sabbatical is time to do "mom" things with thought and creativity. When I was working sometimes snack was bought at the grocery store -fast, sometimes expensive,  but far less fun to do.

I challenged myself to make snacks that were mostly healthy and fun for the kids (meaning they will eat them!)

Menu:

Popcorn

"Clementine" Pumpkins

Pumpkin Seeds

"Dirt" -Chocolate Pudding/crushed chocolate wafers & Gummy Worms

Goblin Juice (a.k.a. Apple Cider)

Final Results Below:

Hubby decorated the enterence...

Popcorn in white paper bags with word "Pop!" writte in orange. 

(Last time I made popcorn for class snack my son gave me constructive criticism on the lack of butter and salt! No complaints this time.)

Scarecrow Seeds 

(From 8 pumpkins donated by C&S that we carved for Keene Pumpkin Festival...soaked in saltwater brine before roasting)

"Clementine" Pumpkin Patch 

(Pintetest Idea)

"Dirt" Dessert a special request by the teachers! I was thinking about calling them Walpole Worms but preferred Hubby' suggestion - Gravediggers. Very quick and easy!

10/30/2013

Mystery Springs in Walpole?

Clues from old books online

(Offensive comments are not written by blogger)

First I read...

Annually, in the months of May and June, shad and salmon, in great numbers, set out from the ocean for the head waters of the Connecticut and its tributaries. Shad, unable to pass the rapids at the Great Falls, were crowded into the basin below and far down the river, while the salmon, more agile in their movements, were able to surmount the rapids and fulfill their summer mission of depositing their spawn, [9] and returning again in the fall to the ocean.  The shad, less fortunate, after a time became discouraged at their futile attempts to run the rapids, fell back, and ascended some of the larger tributaries.  Their number was immense.  From time immemorial the Great Falls had been the best fishing ground to be found in all New England.  Tradition says that there were once Indianwigwams on or near the site where now stand the railroad station near cold river then the dwelling near by, extending below more than one fourth of a mile, the Indians being a sub-tribe of the five nations called the Abenaquis or Abenakees, meaning the pines.  There were also other wigwams of the same tribe on a small brook in Westmoreland, on land now owned by Robert E. Green, about half a mile south of Walpole town line which is called Wigwam Brook to this day. In the narrow defile between Fall mountain and the river was the Indian path where they used to travel from the white settlements in Massachusetts below to Canada, in their marauding expeditions.  The blossoming of the shad tree (Amelanchier Canadensis) was the signal for all the Indians for many miles around to gather about the falls for the purpose of shad and salmon fishing.

Then I read:

(http://www.nh.searchroots.com/documents/History_Walpole_NH.txt)

There is a fountain of chalky berate 

waters about two and one half miles 

north of the village, called the

 "Abarakee Springs". The name 

being derived

From an Indian tribe that once in

 bygone days used to bathe in its 

waters for cutaneous diseases."

Then I read...

Chalybeate waters, also known as ferruginous waters, are mineral spring waters containing salts of iron.Wikipedia

Then I read

http://des.nh.gov/organization/divisions/water/wmb/rivers/documents/cold-nom.pdf

Before Mr. Boudrieau put his wheelbarrow to such extensive use, visitors were coming to this part of the river to stay in one of three “fancy” hotels to partake of the healing benefits to be found in the 3 or 4 mineral springs on the Walpole hillsides of Brewery Road 

then I read:

http://www.accessgenealogy.com/new-hampshire/walpole-cheshire-county-new-hampshire-history.htm

There is sufficient evidence to warrant the conclusion that there were large numbers of Indians who lived a part, if not all the year, near the railroad station at Cold River. In the immediate vicinity and also a half-mile below, the plough-share of civilization has unearthed Indian skeletons, spear-heads, arrowheads, heaps of clam-shells and numerous other Indian relies, which, together with the rude carvings on the rocks below the Falls, are in dubitable evidences of there having been a famous lodgment for Indians about this vicinity long before the pale-faces’ eyes rested on this natural landscape of beauty. One-half mile south of Cold River is a spring of chalybeate waters, thought by the Indians to possess remarkable medicinal qualities. There was a tribe of Indians who frequented this spring, called the Abanakees or Abanarquis (meaning the pines), from whom the spring derives its name. The Indians drank freely of the water and washed themselves all over with it, claiming it would cure cutaneous diseases. It might have been potent in its effects on the red-skins; but no one ever knew of any sanitary effects it had on white people. It is very offensive to most people, both in taste and smell ; one glass of it being sufficient for a life-time with ordinary people, unless driven to the very verge of death from thirst.

Beautiful Days

B and I "hiked" the Mill Pond Nature Sanctuary yesterday. We were delighted with many discoveries:

- three ponds

- great blue heron

- gorgeous groves of trees in vibrant colors 

- cool artifacts of days gone by

- appreciation of the people in Walpole who maintain the trails and the footbridges

Bliss without going far from home.

knitting in the corporate world

I have secret. I knit during conference calls.

Oh, how I love the anonymity of the conference call.

If I pulled out my needles and yarn in the middle of an 'in person' meeting - the looks alone could kill my career. I often yearn to do it and I even have a wip (work in progress) or two in my purse... just in case.

Sadly, that usually just causes the yarn to tangle with twenty pens.

But when I work from home, or when I position myself just right in my office, I can pull out the contraband and at least do a few rows. The relief is amazing.

I mastered the ability to knit and purl in the dark during long car rides. This led to the ability to knit without looking. My non-knitting friends think it is magic. It's not. No different really in my opinion than typing or playing an instrument.

My mother would tell me about knitting in college lectures. NO FAIR! I am jealous every time I think of four luxurious years of knitting and learning. But somewhere, somehow, the perception that knitting while in a meeting, a lecture, is somehow unproductive and disrespectful.

Yet I am sure, if I did the research, my habit is probably statistically correlated with higher retention of knowledge and more creative thinking. Even if armed with this data I doubt that our current corporate world is ready for my ancient, yet innovative ways.

Thus, I have a now not-too-secret secret.

Raverly...85,000

Finally, a soccer mom

B and T have been offocially signed up for our little town's soccer league and yes, I am now a soccer mom. One lesson I need to learn is to buy and carry in the car with a foldable chair. I noticed with some envy the more experinced mom's at Tball in the spring seemed to have this figured out. I also need to pack a bag of easy knitting that I can do without looking while I watch thing one and thing two on the field.

Ben has joined a team to "cheer them" while his cast is still on. We will see if he plays when it comes off or not - but I like his team spirit.

Yes, he asked for pink cake

The Blue Cast

First Day...

I'm pretty sure the pictures speak for themselves - they only thing was Ben tried to leave the house a 1/2 hour early to wait for the bus. I think he was ready... (and yes, his mom drove to the school after just to make sure he made it ok!)

Kindergarten Orientation

Here are pictures of Ben's orientation with a few comments from his mom...

A hearty breakfast and a does of morning Sesame Street to fortify him for the day...


Drawing pictures in the morning dew...


Mugging for the camera...


Waiting in the Cafeteria for the first meeting to begin...


Ben's table


Walpole Primary School (isn't it cute!)


Ben after the open house


Ben at the after school bus stop