My fish had a "case of the Mondays......."

Happy Monday! Since this is a 3-day work week for most school districts, today is basically Wednesday in my book!

This weekend, I learned how hard it is to keep a goldfish alive. Its so, so, so much harder than you think. If you are like me, you figured you could pick up a couple fish at the pet store, give them cute names, throw them in a bowl and feed them once a day for the next 3-5 years. WRONG. 

If you are thinking about getting goldfish, read this first! I certainly wish I did....... Poor Taco made it about a week before going belly-up. 

http://thegoldfishtank.com/goldfish-care-take-care-of-goldfish/


In other news, I kicked off the autumn season today with a fun activity that I was able to use with students in grades 2-5. By just enlarging the number you assign to your students, this activity can be used at any elementary grade level! My students reviewed standard, expanded and word forms of a number and colored in the candy corn when they were finished. It made for a perfect, festive bulletin board! Enjoy!

-Miss I. 

Place Value Freebie!

Happy Thursday!

We're all in full swing and nearing the end of our second full week of school! Mine was interrupted by a severe sinus infection which always hits me at back-to-school time! 

As a Basic Skills Math teacher, the first chapter we are working on in each grade level is usually related to place value. Below, you will find a freebie that will help your students build number sense and place value understanding. Apologies for the short-and-sweet post...it's tea and bed time for this sick girl!

Enjoy!

-Miss I

"Kitchen Sink" Muffins!

   I love muffins. I used to start my day with a crumbly corn muffin or moist gooey blueberry muffin from my favorite coffee chain until I realized that even the 'low-fat' version contained over 400 calories. Although I'm certainly not a calorie counter or health nut, I do try to eat well and can't justify that kind of caloric intake for a silly little muffin. Last night I had some too-ripe bananas lying around and decided to experiment with whatever I had in my pantry. My options were limited, but with a little tweaking and substituting, I ended up with a delicious batch of muffins! My egg yolk allergy (sad.....we all know the yolk is the essence of the egg!) caused me to substitute egg whites, but you could use either.

"Kitchen Sink" muffins

Makes 12-15 muffins.

1 ½ cups whole wheat flour

1 cup rolled oats

½ cup white sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

¼ cup egg whites or 1 egg

¾ cup skim milk

1/3 cup applesauce

3 tablespoons peanut butter (optional)

¼ cup semi sweet chocolate chips (optional)

2 mashed bananas

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.

In a separate bowl combine egg whites, milk, applesauce, and peanut butter. Add mashed bananas and combine thoroughly.

Stir the flour mixture into the banana mixture until it is just combined. Add chocolate chips or sprinkle them on top of muffins when they are in the pan.

Scoop mixture ¾ of the way full into muffin tins lined with cupcake liners or sprayed with oil. Bake for about 15 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Enjoy!

Here's the best part! If this recipe makes 14 servings that brings you to 157 calories a muffin! Sounds pretty guilt-free to me!