Homeschool Kitchen - Fruit Chews

So today is the first day of school for All Saints Catholic Home School! ASCHS hasn't been active since our youngest was in 8th grade - some ten years ago! Of course, as a stay-at- home Nana, I have certainly done my share of creating teaching moments for my young charges, but today we began in earnest once again.

Simon is 4 and will be taught a combination of pre-school and kindergarten material. He comes well equipped already. He's known his letters by sight from about 18 months or so and can recite the alphabet, count, and sound out the beginning letters of words already. Math has also come easily to him and he can do simple addition such as 3 + 3 = 6.

Rachel is 2 and knows letters and numbers by sight as well as shapes and colors. She must have inherited (and assimilated) Simon's natural propensity for absorbing anything and everything she hears even once. Although she is still quite the precocious, active toddler, she is also determined to please - at least most of the time. Add the fact that she is potty trained, and I am happy to say that the revival of my role as teacher should be quite smooth.

In addition to beginning class time, I have always added a bit of practical learning into the mix. Today, after writing, math, and drawing, we had a kitchen lesson on how to make your own fruit chews. As anyone who has children knows, these little bits of gelatinous goodness are on most children's short list of favorite snacks.  Since we have been working very hard on making most of our meals from scratch, due to a new-found determination to eat healthy and natural, fruit snack creation seemed a logical step. So when I saw a pin on Pinterest, it went into the 'do it now' hopper of my brain. We purchased all of the necessary components yesterday and the kids and I made them - lickety split!

These are actually tiny ice cube trays

Preparation:

Gather: small sauce pan, measuring cup, plastic spoon and molds.
Lightly spray your molds with Pam (for easy removal).

Ingredients:

1/3 cup apple juice (the original recipe calls for water)
1 pkg Jello
1 pkg Gelatin

Apple juice, Jello,plain gelatin, Pam and molds.

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Stirring constantly, make sure that the dry ingredients have completely dissolved.

Carefully pour mixture into molds until almost full.

Refrigerate for about 20 minutes and then pop out of molds onto a paper napkin (absorbs any condensation).

Allow to set and adjust to room temperature.

Serve or store. They do not have to be refrigerated and will stay edible for much
longer than they will last!

First day of All Saints Home School - A is for Angel.

FREE printables here.