I saw this recipe in a magazine and thought I'd give it a try. I added my own variation to the recipe and I think they turned out delish, well and also from those who tried them. So here it is:
Caramel Apple Muffins 1. Take your favorite batch of apple muffins and make them as stated (I used the Jiffy Apple Muffin Mix), let them cool. 2. Use an electric mixer to blend 8 ounces softened cream cheese, 3 tablespoons maple syrup and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract until smooth. Add food coloring (I used 3 drops of yellow and 1 drop of red). 3. Frost each muffin and coat or edge with chopped nuts (I used brown sugar and rolled oats mixture) and drizzle caramel over the muffins.
Well it's been some time since my last post. I have no excuse other than life is moving along, sometimes faster than I actually think I realize. Work is busy, the kids activities are keeping them (and me) busy and we've been rebuilding the shed and chicken coop from the fire and decided to add a little green house as well. Then before I realize it, weeks have past.
My little man has started karate and he tested for his white with yellow stripe belt, seeing how proud he was when they called his name was the best. He is gaining so much mo self-confidence since he's been attending.
I also watched a documentary, titled The Human Experience. It was a great movie, it is definitely one of those movies that makes you stop and think about life in general. I watched it four times in one week and considering buying it. It is one of those movies you think everyone should watch and as I struggle trying to figure out what my place is in this world, I think it helps put things in perspective. One of the most memorable quotes for me was "by giving yourself, you find yourself," which I think is true. We take moments in our life, both good and bad and we find meaning in them whether it is intended or not, but regardless of what you find, it is your experience and I realize that if I don't try to reach for my dreams than what kind of example am I setting for my children. We tell our children from an early age to reach for the stars and dream big, but then as life moves along and those children grow, we tell them to get a job, take responsibility, and grow up....and thus later in life we find ourselves questioning "life" and what it all means, is it all mundane or is there a bigger piece to the puzzle?
Don't get me wrong, I'm not in anyway indicating that I'm unhappy with my life, in fact I'm quite happy....what I question is there a greater purpose, what is my impact, what am I contributing to the world.
So, I've spent some time trying to figure out, what am I passionate about, what would I do for free if I didn't have to work, and what brings joy to my life. Writing, education, and my children/family is what I kept coming back to.......I have some ideas as far as writing projects and I always start them, but never finish, we shall see if I can overcome my fear of failure and just do it, if not for myself, but at least to show my children that I can.
"But whatever experience we have, whether it is good or whether it's bad, we can always remember it and learn something from it. And it's those moments....when something touches you, something opens up something that you didn't realize before, you feel a longing, you know, that you never felt before." - MakotoFujimura
My sweet pea, the first-grader, has been working on this school project for a few weeks. Every so often I’d get an update from her:…..“Today, we got to make up our own insect…mine is the “buttercock,” half butterfly and half peacock”…….”I wrote a story about my insect”…………”I made my insect out of clay”…….and this went on, what I noticed was the excitement in her tone, what she was learning about the insects, the details she was including and the smile it brought to her face. And then the day came when she could barely keep still, waiting patiently as my little man talked about his day until she can no longer stand it and says, “I have to tell you this….we are having an author’s café in my class, you get to come, I can dress up and we tell our stories and then serve you drinks and cookies, I’m really excited, can you come?”
So, we marked it down on her calendar and it was like leading up to a birthday….the day finally arrived and she puts on her best dress and says, do you think I’ll be okay in front of everyone? I nod. My mum accompanies me to the Author’s café and we are greeted by three third-grade girls in the classroom and told to pick a seat. The teacher explains how the projects got started and thus turned into the Author’s café and then the students begin reading their stories about the insect that they created. I was impressed by the creativity shown by these children, the details that were included and some made you laugh out loud, it was quite impressive and you could tell each child enjoyed the project, there was a spark in their eyes as they talked about their story and sitting there listening to these children made me appreciate my children’s school, appreciate the spirit that they are instilling into my child. It’s what I love about Montessori, they are creating independent, life long learners.
A few parents have created a committee to work on spreading the word of Montessori, there should be more public Montessori schools, we need to expand our school we have a growing population with less teachers and it is going to bubble – the school has over 500 students on the waiting list, which shows parents want more options and we should have more options than traditional public school settings. Our children continually are taught early on that they "CAN'T," when in all reality they CAN. If you are unfamiliar with Montessori, here is a great video....take a peak
"We cannot create observers by saying 'observe,' but by giving them the power and the means for this observation and these means are procured through education of the senses." - Maria Montessori
It’s amazing how it’s the little things that sometimes have the biggest impact. I was making lunches for my children in the morning and as my little man is getting ready he yells, “Don’t forget my note, you forgot one day, so remember my note, okay mommy?”
And as I listened to him, my heart smiled….we are still working on learning how to read with him, so he knows sight words, but sometimes I wondered if he ever paid attention to the notes in the lunchbox or knew what it said. And I also realize I’m not the first mom to ever put notes in the lunch box, my mum use to put them in mine and I always looked forward to it, so I made it a practice for myself. Yet, my kids never said a word about them, until I forgot. So, I handed him the lunchbox and he says, “Is it in there?” I shook my head yes and asked, “do you want me to tell you what it says?” “No, no, don’t tell me, let me try my best,” he replied.
We get so caught up in the daily routines that sometimes it’s hard to catch those stop and pause moments and here I reflected on all that makes me happy and it’s never the material things….it’s the smile from a stranger, the tug of my hand as my kids wrap their hands around mine, the soft kiss from my husband as he walks in the door, a compliment from out of the blue, and the good-night laughs and cuddles. I treasure these moments more than I can explain, I suppose some of it reminds me of my own childhood memories, but it's what I look forward to the most throughout my days.
“Some people drift through their entire life. They do it one day at a time, one week at a time, one month at a time. It happens so gradually they are unaware of how their lives are slipping away until it's too late.” M.K Ash
