Spicy Apple Cake Recipe

Tender and moreish, this cake keeps and travels well.

Great as a coffee morning cake, or with whipped cream for dessert.

Invariably comes out a little different each time, depending on the type of apples used.





Spicy Apple Cake (with a crunchy topping)
125g butter (1/2 cup)
1 cup cooked apple (or canned, if you wish)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup of flour, plus 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp each of nutmeg, allspice
pinch salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup raisins or sultanas

1.  Preheat oven to 150 degrees celsius.
2.  Cream the butter and sugar, add apple and egg (using ingredients at room temperature).
     Or, melt the butter, cool a little before adding the sugar and egg (then leave for 5 minutes).
3.  Sift dry ingredients and add to the apple/butter mixture.  Stir until just blended.  Add sultanas.
4.  Spread into greased or lined baking pan.
5.  Add the crunchy topping (below).

Topping

Melt 1 Tablespoon butter, stir in 2-3 tablespoons of brown sugar and add up to 1/2 cup of large oat flakes.

Bake 35-40 minutes (until a skewer comes out clean).  Let it cool before cutting.

Moving Smart: WHAT CARDBOARD BOXES CAN TEACH KIDS

Moving Smart: WHAT CARDBOARD BOXES CAN TEACH KIDS: Like red rubber balls and teddy bears, broccoli refusals, skipping rope, sticky fingers, boo boo kisses, bath time pouts, and ...

CQSB Open letter to the English Community

CQSB Open letter to the English Community

For families of the Quebec Community concerned about the proposed new language laws, the above letter was recently posted in the Quebec-Chronicle by the Chairman of the Central Quebec School Board (scroll down for the letter in .pdf format and a link to the petition).

CALL TO ACTION - There is a petition for signing that is linked to the above letter.  The petition deadline is Monday, March 18.

Disposable Diapers size 3 anyone?

Would you like to have a box of disposable diapers size 3 for your infant? One of our playgroup parents has purchased a box which are too small for her little one.

Phone me if you are interested, Sheryl T. 418 353 8243

LadyBug Paper plate Craft for Kids

Try this cute LadyBug craft for preschoolers

As a parent, it is easy for us to want to step in and DO the craft for our child.  So, I encourage you to show your child what to do, and then allow them to use child-safe scissors, paint and a non-toxic glue stick on their own!

These are important skills all good preschools, kindergartens and learning centres encourage children to do to help develop their cognitive skills.

You'll need:-

2 white paper plates
Red paint, Black paint
Scissors and a glue stick
Coloured construction paper for the head, spots and eyes; or use stick on eyes
3x black pipe cleaners (for legs)
Stapler

• Help your preschooler paint one paper plate red and the other black (allow time to dry)
• Cut the red paper plate in half
• Trace circles onto lightweight coloured paper and have your preschooler cut out the circles and glue onto the wings
• Punch three holes on either side of the black paper plate
• Thread black pipe cleaners through the back of the black paper plate (to form legs)
• Staple the red wings onto the black body (slightly overlapping at the top)
• Cut a crescent shape for head, from coloured card, paper or foam
• Glue the head shaped crescent onto the tip of the wings
• Glue eyes onto the head

Playgroup's inspiration for music is "mainly music"

mainly music was founded in New Zealand for preschoolers and their families.  Today there are mainly music groups operating in many countries world-wide.

To find out if there is a group near you, or to start a group visit mainlymusic.org.nz

Original and creative music resources for the home (in Canada or the USA) 

can be purchased via mainlymusic.org

Brand new TV mini series 'The Bible' airing tonight

There's a brand new TV mini series The Bible airing tonight on the History Channel 74.

Created by husband and wife team, Mark Burnett (producer of The Voice, Survivor, Celebrity Apprentice and Shark Tank) and Roma Downey (Touched by an Angel). This is a big production that retells Biblical stories from Genesis through Revelation. The mini series starts TONIGHT ... Sunday, March 3rd, and will bring your favourite Bible stories to life for five weeks!

Parents, here's a preview (above). It has been compared to a PG-13 film due to its portrayal of some Bible stories, so discretion is advised. Every episode will repeat on the History Channel during the week.

There has not been a production like this, probably since The Ten Commandments.  Mark and Roma are expecting millions of people worldwide will watch this series after it is released.