1.) It will be a potluck, and we encourage you to make your dishes WITH your children. Bring a copy of the recipe, and we’ll put together a cookbook of all the recipes. TBDC will provide a make-your-own ice cream sundae bar!

If your last name ends with the letters A-L, please bring an entrée; M-S,  salads; and T-Z families are in charge of beverages!

2.) Each class is in charge of a different activity (yoga, games, etc.), so wear clothes you feel comfortable moving and playing in. We will plan on having this event outdoors, weather permitting.

3.) We challenge you to get creative on HOW you get to TBDC for this event. Folks who do not drive in cars are in for a special treat. Live too far to walk or ride? Park your vehicle at Ford Heritage and come down the path!

Meet Shannon, our preschool student of the week! Initially she may come across as shy, but don’t let first impressions fool you. Ask her about her favorite character, Minnie Mouse, and she’ll warm-up to you.

Shannon’s family has a yellow lab, named Haley, whom Shannon adores. At home, she also enjoys spending time with her eighteen-month old sister, Molly. They love reading books together and playing outdoors.

Each year she and her family travels to Hilton Head, South Carolina. Shannon’s favorite things to do on vacation are collecting seashells on the beach, fishing with her dad and grandpa, and playing putt-putt golf.

Our annual “Walk with Teddy” will take place on Tuesday, May 1, 2012, at 1:00 PM. for our school-age children.  Everyone else (infants through pre-k) will walk on Wednesday, May 2, 2012, at 10:00 AM.  If you are able, please consider collecting pledges from your family and friends to support this worthy cause.  On the date your child will be walking, he or she may bring a favorite teddy bear or stuffed animal.  We will walk around our parking lot and down the walking path.

On Thursday, May 3, 2012, the school children will host a bake sale from 3:30 to 6:00 PM. They will be baking during the week of April 30, 2012.  If you would like to contribute to the bake sale, please bring in your items to sell by Thursday morning. Money collected from these events will go to support the programs at Ele’s Place. As always, thank you for your support.

Meet our Toddler student of the week: Dash! In the classroom he can usually be found reading stories, playing trucks, and generally being a kind and polite friend to his peers.

No wonder he has such a love for books at school, his family has some pretty cool traditions that involve reading. They spend Saturday mornings at the library for story time. Then on Sunday mornings he and his family have breakfast at the Ugly Mug, followed by a trip to “the big bookstore” (aka Barnes & Noble). Beyond books, he and his family take an annual vacation to Traverse City together.

If you ask Dash, he’d say his favorite food is chocolate; but being the health conscience family that they are, he doesn’t get it very often! He also really enjoys scrambled eggs with cheese and lots of pepper.

Next time you’re in the Toddler Class, take a moment to ask him about his monster doll named Maple!

Chocolate Pudding with hidden avocados

1/4 cup fat-free soft tub margarine spread (we subbed regular butter)

1 cup avocado puree

1 cup confectioner’s sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup cornstarch

In a medium saucepan, melt the margarine over low heat. Stir in the avocado puree, sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla. Cook, mashing well with a spatula to smooth out any lumps of avocado, until the mixture thickens (about three to four minutes). Off the heat, gradually stir in the cornstarch. Serve warm.

Serves eight to ten

If TBDC were doing a production of Goldilocks & the Three Bears, Beth would be Goldi! At school she can usually be found bouncing around and dancing in her class. Her favorite toys at home and school are definitely baby dolls and little people.

Beth’s family has two cats, one named Baxter and one named Jack; Beth loves them and is always excited to see them when she gets home. Anything she can do to keep up with her big brother, Tate, she does—sometimes he loves this about her, and sometimes, not so much!

When it comes to food, she loves her fruit. Especially grapes and oranges! Next time you’re near the Pre-Toddler Class, stop by and say, “Hello!”

Meet our Wobbler student of the week, Henry! The first thing comes to my mind when I think of him is, “FOOD!” This handsome little guy loves to eat, and will eat anything. He especially loves brussel sprouts, cucumbers, cauliflower, watermelon, shrimp, dutch babies, breakfast sausage, and hot dogs (see, I told you). His new culinary obsession is anything he can “dip”. Henry and his parents love dinner time, as it gives them the opportunity to sit together, listen to music, and talk about their days. Just recently he has learned to say “cheers” and clink glasses—too funny!

Henry has an intense curiosity to learn new things. When he is grasping new concepts, you can literally see the learning process taking place on his face! For such a little guy, he is very athletically talented: he loves kicking balls and footballs and throwing them “up high!” If you have ever met Henry then you know about his great love for books. In fact, part of his family’s drop-off and pick-up routines involve reading at least two books prior to leaving.

Next time you have a few spare moments, pop into the Wobbler Class to say, “Hi!” to Mr. Henry. If you read him a book or toss him a ball, you’ll have a BFF for life!

As each of you know, creating a strong sense of community at TBDC is really important! Starting this week, we will feature a different student, from a different class, his/her interests, and more!

First up is the newest addition to the TBDC family, Zoe! Don’t let her small size fool you, a whole lot of cute and personality comes in this tiny package. Zoe is one of the most observant young women I have met. In particular, I think she really enjoys watching the big kids on the block—The Wobblers!

At home, she loves playing with the wooden toys on her bouncy chairs. Her favorite things to do with Mom and Dad? Read books, go for walks, and flashing that gorgeous smile of hers to anyone who will notice! BeyonSAY WHAT?! There’s a new dancer in town, and she’s learning her moves from her daddy.

Next time you have a few spare moments, pop into the Infant Class to say, “Hi!” and see if you can catch a glimpse of that adorable smile!

Mac & Cheese Soup

Makes 5 adult servings

Ingredients:

• 4 oz dry elbow macaroni
• 1 1/2 cups onion, chopped
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tbsp light butter
• 2 tbsp flour
• 2 1/2 cups fat free low sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
• 1 cup fat free milk
• pinch nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard
• salt and fresh pepper to taste
• 2 cups (about 10 oz) broccoli florets, chopped into small pieces
• 1-1/2 cups 2% shredded sharp cheddar

1.) Melt butter in a dutch oven or big soup pan over medium heat. Once butter starts to bubble turn the heat to low and toss in all your chopped veggies (except the broccoli), garlic, and bay leaf. Saute for about five minutes until the veggies begin to soften and become fragrant.

2.) Add flour a tablespoon at a time, mixing well with each addition. Season your mixture with salt and pepper (I like a little kick to my meals, so I used crushed red pepper instead of black).

3.) Next, slowly add your stock, milk, nutmeg, and dry mustard while stirring constantly. Crank the heat to medium high until it starts to boil.

4.) Toss in your dry noodles, cover the pan, turn your heat down to low and cover the pan. Let the mixture simmer for ten to fifteen minutes.

5.) Next put the broccoli into the pan, salt and pepper to your taste, and let cook for another five minutes.

6.) Once the broccoli is cooked to your liking, slowly stir in cheddar cheese and remove from heat immediately.

Side notes:

-I chopped all my veggies on Sunday so they were ready to go when I got home. This cut WAY down on the prep time for this meal.

-You could easily omit and/or substitute different veggies that appeal to your family, so get creative! And since I have only met two kids that don’t like mac & cheese, I think this would be a great way to introduce a veggie your kids aren’t crazy about.

-If you have veggie haters at home, don’t fear! In between steps three and four, toss your creation in a food processor and the nutrients of the veggies stay, but any visual evidence of their presence disappears! Once you have blended them into oblivion, return the mixture to the pan and bring it to a boil. Then proceed to step four and cross your fingers!

-Finally, if you’re counting calories, you are in luck–at 252 calories per serving, this meal is a bargain!

-I doubled the recipe and threw the leftovers in tupperware containers for lunches for the rest of the week.