You know that I rarely share anything useful that’s related to the kitchen end of the house. But I’m relatively good at reading directions, and putting various ingredients into a container. In fact, despite last year’s nightmare before Christmas mishap, our whole family has become rather proficient at creating fun dry mixes for family and friends.

So when I found this recipe for spiced chai tea mix, I knew I’d found this year’s teacher gifts. We love chai tea, but it’s such an expensive treat, we rarely endulge. Because many of the spices were already in my pantry, it cost a total of $22 for about a gallon of dry mix — probably one-third the cost of store-bought dry chai mix.

Ingredients:

* 1/2 cup instant tea
* 1 cup of sugar
* 1 cup of dry milk
* ½ cup of dry creamer

Spices:

* 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
* 1 teaspoon of ground ginger

* ½ teaspoon of salt
* ½ teaspoon of freshly ground nutmeg
* 1/4 teaspoon of ground allspice
* 1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves
* 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne (careful, careful!)

Spoon a couple of heaping teaspoons into a mug of hot water, stir, and Voila! Steaming chai tea. Of course, you can add more or less to taste, and you can vary the ingredients to match your love of spices.

It was an easy mixture for both kids to make, and we had lots of practice figuring out fractions as well. We measured all the amounts with only the half-cup and 1/4 teaspoon. My eight- and eleven-year-old often had to think twice, but measured accurately. They’re very excited to give their home-made gifts. Works for me!

What’s your favorite teacher gift?

Visit Rocks in My Dryer for more great tips.
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A couple of years ago, we had just moved to the cabin. Our home was a disaster, and we’d barely finished the addition before the snow flew. As Christmas approached, I had little energy to even find the kitchen countertop, let alone decorate for the holidays. Let’s just say those weren’t the best months of my life.

I remember a weekend when I had a burst of Christmas spirit and I cleaned the kitchen just enough to make some cookies with the kids. When I finally located the hand mixer, I searched in a panic to find the rotary whisks that you insert into the mixer.

I could only find one.

We managed to bake the cookies, even with just the single whisk. And when six-year-old Craig wrote his annual email to Santa, he included a sweet and generous addendum:

“And could you please give my mom a mixer?”

On Christmas morning, we all experienced the excitement every young family anticipates — the rush up the stairs and the noisy rousing of Mom and Dad from their bed. But the first gift Craig looked for, and the first one that was opened, was the one marked, “Mom”.

If it’s possible to fall in love with your six-year-old. It may have happened for me that morning.

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***THIRD GRADE GUEST BLOGGER***

Santa’s workers were the Elves. Rudolf was his favorite reindeer. After all year of working, Santa got on the sleigh. Rudolf’s dad was the leader, then it was Rudolf, then Dasher and Dancer. Then Dancer’s son and Dasher’s two sons were last.

They went to Rhinelander first. Wausau was the eighth one to get to. One kid wanted a bb gun, but he was only 8 years old and you have to be 10 years old to shoot a bb gun.

Finally he finished and after about two weeks he got about one-million thank you notes. So he wrote one million your-welcome notes back to them.

Editor’s Note – That must have taken Santa a very long time;)

I’ve hired my kids as weekly guest bloggers. Please join us as third-grade Craig and fifth-grade Darla write about their adventures.
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‘Twas the day after snowfall, and all through the block,
We were sleeping like tomcats – dead as a rock,
When we heard on the driveway a rumbling clatter,
So we sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
And what to our wondering eyes should appear?
But a rosy-cheeked neighbor and his two kids driving a four-wheel-drive Polaris Ranger.

This weekend, Wisconsin was hit pretty hard with our first snow storm of the season. We received between 6-10 inches of snow, followed by freezing rain. It was our first snowfall in our new home. We don’t even have a shovel. Continue Reading »