Star of the Day

Like all his classmates, Ben took a turn at being the "Star of the Day" in class. He was so looking forward to it, that he talked about it all week before that, asking us every day if that particular day had arrived, and on the morning itself, was the first to announce it to us all, "Today, I'm the star!".

As the star, Ben got to bring to school a mystery object for Show 'n Tell, and be the teacher's helper to turn the pages of the book during storytime, hand out drums, and this and that, and also got to be the first in line for just about everything (something I've seen the kids fight over, several times).

And somehow, all that helped Ben feel really special! And I'm just thankful to see him settling wonderfully into school, and yes, proud of him, too, whenever he reminds me, "Mommy, I did not cry!".

So, what did Ben bring to show and tell?

Did you guess it? Scroll down for the answer...

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... it was his favourite Playmobil white knight, on horseback, with the whole works! Sword, shield, and spear (and no, it's not a lance, according to Ben, unless it's made of wood)!

Based on the clue that the mystery object "rides a horse", someone guessed that it was a farmer, and another, thought it might be a superhero. All very smart guesses indeed!

Ben also brought star-shaped cookies we'd made ourselves, to share with the other boys and girls. Because really, every one is a star, too! And that means, you, you and you!!!

P.S. The teachers tell me this is the first snack Ben's really eaten, since school started about a month ago. You know, some things, like good manners, and that includes not just saying "Thanks" but also not always saying "No, thanks", are works in progress with our little ones, and ourselves, too, because we play the important role of setting the "right" example for our children to follow. And because we're all just human, we're not always as good as good can be!

Kids can bake: Ruby Fruit Shorties
Adapted from: Kids' Baking

I like how straightforward this recipe is, and it was the cookie after we've tried it once, that I thought might make for a nice little mid-morning snack for Ben and his friends, over cupcakes or jello (the other thing that would like nice as stars). No frosting though (sorry! and I know, most kids are icing fans), but it's not that crumbly nor flaky either, so that way, it's easier for clean-up! But I especially like that it's packed with fruits.

2/3 cup butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup superfine (white) sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup mixed dried blueberries and cherries (We used 1 cup of dried cranberries and raisins, and you can always substitute or go for a mixture of chopped dates, dried apricots, and candied cherries even).

• Preheat oven to 350F.
• Mix butter, brown and white sugar in a large mixing bowl till light and fluffy (a wooden spoon worked fine for us, or you can use an electric mixer if you like, though that'll mean more to clean up afterwards).
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• Add the egg, vanilla extract, and flour, and gently stir together until smooth.
• Mix in the dried fruits to make a smooth soft dough.
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• Spoon the mixture into a line along a piece of nonstick parchment paper, kitchen foil, or plastic wrap. Pat it into an even shape about 12" long. Wrap it up. Roll it backward and forward to neaten the shape. Chill for at least 15 min or up to 2 days.
• Unwrap and cut the mixture into slices.
• Put them on an ungreased baking sheet and cook for 12-15 min, until the cookies are a pale golden colour.

Yield: 18 cookies, according to the recipe, but I always like to make ours slightly bigger, so the yield's about half instead. Doubling the recipe gave us 22 star-shaped cookies.

This mom's tip: Always make more, because some kids may drop their cookies on the floor (and it did happen, and another kid wanted to keep his for his mom, so he got an extra one from me, with permission from the teachers). And the teachers themselves, who work so hard to take care of the children, can do with some of the sweet morsels, too!

What else worked for us:

We used Reynold's star-shaped baking cups, that I really just happened to come across in the clearance aisle, to make the fun shapes. So I'd just spooned the mixture into a ziploc bag, and after it was chilled, piped it into the baking cups (via a slit corner), but it still needed some touching-up, especially to fill up the tips of the star. Alternatively, a cookie cutter should work nicely, too.