Math Exploration ~ Skip counting by 2's & 5's

Jack worked on "skip counting" this week.  To represent pairs he ran around the house trying to find anything that came in two's and lined them up in the kitchen.  (he even had his sisters in line for a while).  Then we counted out loud 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10, unless he started to recognize the pattern.

Later in the week, we started our counting by 5's exploration.  He used handprints to visual 5's.  He was a little hesitant at first to "smooch" his hands in the paint, but after a first attempt by Abby, he got right into it!

                            

CUPCAKES BY ABBY

I really like baking cupcakes so I thought that making my own recipe would be a good way to challenge myself. I thought that adding this little twist would make the cupcake a little sweeter, and switching the bleached flour for the unbleached flour would make this recipe a little healthier.

Recipe :

  1  1/2 sticks of butter

1   1/2 cups brown sugar

2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cups egg whites about 6 eggs

3 teaspoons of vanilla extract 

3/4  cup of milk

1 banana

1. Set a rack in the middle level of your oven and preheat to 350 degrees.

2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar for about 5  mins until light and fluffy.

3. In another bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

4. In a third bowl combine the egg whites, milk and vanilla extract. Add a third of the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, and then half of the milk mixture. Continue to alternate the  ingredients.  Scrape the bowl and beater often. 

5. Pour the batter into the prepared cupcake pan, bake the cupcakes for 25-30 mins or until a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean.

6. Cool the pan on a rack for about 5 mins, then take the cupcakes out of the pan and let cool completely.

7. Once the cupcakes are frosted you can add a slice of banana and a sprinkle of cinnamon!

I thought the cupcakes were delicious!  My brother and sister did too, my mom thought they were a little sweet with the cream cheese frosting I used. I brought some to my nana and papa's house, they said that they were delicious and really moist. 

Cut the High Fructose Corn Syrup

I am sure that you are aware of the epidemic of childhood obesity that is sweeping our country. I can tell you first hand that this is not media hype. This is, in fact, a trend that I see everyday. I see it in the school, at church, and in my own gymnastics school.

The old adage is true, “you are what you eat!” Being active and choosing healthy, all-natural foods are ways to add to a healthy lifestyle. Read the labels on everything. If the ingredients are not something you already have in your pantry, then it probably shouldn’t be in your child! I bet that you do not have high fructose corn syrup in your pantry!

A recent study by Princeton University, published in the journal Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior, showed that rats given water sweetened with HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) in addition to a standard diet gained much more weight than rats that received water sweetened with table sugar. Rats on the HFCS diet also showed characteristic signs of a dangerous condition know in humans as metabolic syndrome; including abnormal weight gain, significant increases in circulation triglycerides, and fat deposits, especially fat around the belly! Read more about the study at (http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S26/91/22K07/)

The Corn Refiners Association is working hard to convince the public that HFCS in moderation does not have adverse effects on the body. They are spending millions of dollars to make sure that you keep buying their product. The mass use of HFCS in the US, took hold in 1984. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-fructose_corn_syrup).


Take a look at the graph below from the CDC, that show the prevalence of obesity in girls. There is a distinct increase in children that have had HFCS in their diets their entire lives compared to those who did not. To me, there is an obvious correlation between the use of HFCS and obesity.





10 Surprising Foods That Contain HFCS

Campbell's Tomato Soup (2nd Ingredient Listed)
Onion Soup Mix
Most Breads including whole wheat.
Chicken & Beef bouillon
Stove Top Stuffing
Wheat Thins
Yo-plait Yogurt
Special K Cereal
Chicken Nuggets
Canned Tomatoes

There are many factors that are contributing to obesity and the overweight in America. HFCS is an easy one to eliminate by eating all-natural, and food free of HFCS. I encourage you to take a look at what is in your food, and make the decision to CUT THE HFCS!