Fives, Counting To and Counting By

This week The Princess and I have been working on the number 5, as well as planting some basil for our kitchen window. We combined these two for a fun activity she loved. We're counting and learning about plants!

We went into the pantry, and grabbed some beans.

 

We used some pintos, chick peas, white beans, red beans, black beans and lentils. We also grabbed 3 paper towels and 6 snack-sized zip-lock bags.  We cut the paper towels in half and the width was perfect for the bags. Folded into fourths, we lightly wet them and tucked them into the bags.

We counted together 5 of each bean, and put each group in a bag. We counted as we took them out of the container, into the bag, and as we lined them up in the bag. That was a lot of counting to 5. 

Then, we hung them up and counted them in their bags- BY five. We talked about how each group of 5 added up to thirty, and how we saved time counting in fives. 

We're also counting as we check them for sprouts and discuss how they are growing and the parts of the plant. This activity will last us weeks!

Lentils

Red beans

White beans

Chick peas

Pintos

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Freezing Bacon

Mmmmm.....bacon. Bacon on sale? DOUBLE Mmmm! A lot of the bacon we eat is chopped and used to flavor dishes, but we do enjoy the occasional fry up. I just snagged myself a 10 pound box of sliced bacon at 14.99. I didn't mind that some of it would probably end up ends and bits since we use a lot of that anyways. Even if it was 5 lbs of it, we would gladly use every bit! Many people avoid buying bacon in bulk because putting it up is such a hassle. You can't just throw the box into the freezer, it would be one giant clump. Here is how I put up our box of bacon.

First, you will need a box of waxed paper, your bacon, and about 15 minutes.
Start unrolling your waxed paper on a table or counter, fold over about 6-8 inches now, it will be a pain later.

Unroll a sizable amount, but do not tear off.

Start laying out slices of bacon at the crease. They don't have to be terribly far apart, but not touching.

When you get close to the roll of paper, you can begin folding, which will turn into rolling. Fold the flap you created earlier over those first couple slices. Fold the first slice over the second, and then fold again, then it will start to roll in on itself.

As you roll it up, unroll some fresh paper, keeping a continuous roll o'bacon. When you have rolled all your bacon, roll it in some more paper before you tear it off, tuck the ends (they'll kind of cover themselves...)and toss in the freezer. You can now use as little, or as much bacon as you wish from the roll. And hopefully, save money!

I also froze the bits and pieces, (NOT half the box surprisingly!)

I cut them up into bits with kitchen shears, and divided them up into snack-sized zip bags that I put into a labeled freezer bag. I also got a few bags of lovely snow-white fat to render. I see some bacon biscuits and cornbread in my near future! Yum!

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Another Cute Find + a Mini Giveaway

Remember when I blogged about finding some super cute shaped ice cube trays at Halloween time? This week I found another cute tray at Dollar General. Just in time for Valentine's day!

I got three...two for making ice...and one for crafts. They were a buck each, niiiice.

My first craft.....

Crayons!

I used my microwave to melt my crayon bits since I'm not really sure these cheapy trays are really silicone....I'd hate to melt them!

Each little "set" has a reds-pinks heart, an oranges-yellows heart, a greens heart, a blues heart, and a purples heart. They're a big hit at my house, and I can't wait to see what else I can make! (I'm thinking soaps!)

Followers of the Disheveled Mommy Facebook page may have noticed a new tab on the page. "Top Fans". Just a cute little way to acknowledge all the little comments and love you leave. This week, since I have an extra set of little heart crayons, I'm gonna pass them on! I'll check the "Top Fans" tab Saturday evening, and the follower who's sitting at #1 will be sent the set! (So, you must be following us on FB to participate...)

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