At Grandma's Place

A three year old child is a being who gets almost as much fun out of a fifty-six dollar set of swings as it does out of finding a small green worm. ~Bill Vaughan Childhood fun When my grandkids were little, and I still have some who are, we could take long walks outside in the sunshine and search for ladybeetles and grasshoppers. We'd watch the busy ants at work and laugh at the nosey magpie who always follows us around and wants to know what we are doing. If the weather was unfriendly, we'd build a cardboard cubby house indoors and decorate it with finger paint and stickers. We might serve a high tea of chocolate cupcakes and scones with jam and cream to all the teddy bears. (Teddies are well known for their fondness of chocolate cupcakes.)  But, sadly, kids don't remain content with hunting for beetles. They grow up and their interests certainly change, though perhaps not their interest in cupcakes and scones. It's harder to connect with your older grandkids an...

Maybe it's the cold weather. Maybe it's the kids home now on school holidays. Maybe it's the inspiration from a recent cookbook sale.  Whatever the reason, I seem to be spending more time in the kitchen.  And the kids have loved it.  I recently bought a copy of the  Australian Women's Weekly Cookies   cookbook . The title grates a little.. Australians cook biscuits, not cookies. But the book itself is beautiful- not a big book but with beautiful layouts and wonderful photos. The front cover has a lovely, almost  honeycomb , texture. Mish Mash Cookies   The biscuit.. sorry, cookie.. recipes have been grouped into 4 categories: kids, cafe, holidays, occasions. Naturally, I began with the kids' cookies. And the Mish Mash cookies are a lot of fun. They are so easy that the kids can help you make them. They'll only take about 15 minutes to complete. Ingredients 250 gm milk chocolate, chopped roughly 115gm packaged baby Oreo biscuits 1 ...

Yesterday, I cooked up a batch of simple Jam Drops and, while still warm,  packaged them up for my grandkids. I wasn't certain whether they would appreciate them. After all, the grocery shelves are lined with colourful packs of commercially made biscuits of all shapes, assortments and flavours. And Jam Drops are quite basic. They're the sort of biscuit that I used to whip up quickly and pop into the oven while the dinner cooked. But that was when my kids were small... and times, and tastes, change. Apparently, though, kids still like Jam Drops- especially when they're still warm and fragrant. "You know, you're just like a real grandma, Nan... you know, cooking up special treats for their kids," commented one of my grandsons, with his mouth filled with Jam Drop. "How many can I have?" In case you've misplaced your own family Jam Drop recipe, I've listed my own below. It varies considerably from my own grandmother's vague recipe ...

It's wet and miserable today, with sudden downpours of rain that are too heavy for a fun walk in the rain and certainly too cold to take two small boys puddle jumping. But they will be here soon looking for an exciting afternoon adventure with grandma. Fortunately, I've stocked up on indoor activities for just such a situation. Today's plan?... a wonderful mini vegetable garden.  'Woolworths Fresh Food' store's latest shopping incentive for families and the latest in their range of collectible cards, is Jamie Oliver's Garden. The collectible cards are very attractive with some textured, embossed and even heat sensitive that change if you hold your finger on the print. There are also some cards that are fragrant. An optional journal can be purchased to store the cards and stickers or you could also buy a coordinated designer tin. I noticed that, among other matching items that can be purchased, there were some small aprons, gardening trowels...

Have you ever watched the look of intense concentration on the face of a child as they draw, paint or create a masterpiece of art? I often wonder what thoughts are going on behind that intensity. Yes, art is fun. Yes, young children enjoy getting messy with paint and feeling the textures of different media. I love watching them concentrate on a new paint texture and try out ways of using it or changing it. But it's so much more than just 'fun' for a child's education and development. Studies show that, through art, children learn to think creatively, to observe, describe, analyse and interpret. They learn to express feelings with and without words. They practice problem-solving skills, critical thinking,  and develop related language and vocabulary. It also develops confidence. So.. as a grandmother, I encourage my grandchildren to explore art and to create. It's a real thrill when one of them rushes up to say, "This is for you, Nan. I made it '...