Everyone loves freebies!

Hey head on over to Miss Bainbridge's Class to check out her flippy books give away! She's giving away different sets of books, your choice with up to 4 winners! Go check it out! Nothing like a Mid-Summer give away to perk up the old teaching spirit!

The Ultimate Sticky Buns

I love to bake. While I'm not always the best at somethings....Pie crust you foil me again! There are some things that I rock at... Ultimate Sticky Buns being one of them. The recipe is brought to you courtesy of Cook's Illustrated All Time Best Recipes.

I've subscribed to other magazines, I've used other cookbooks. I should know better, because time and time again I end up back with Cooks Illustrated materials they are the best, especially when they use color pictures.

The dough is twice raised, which means they are twice as yummy and will be eaten twice as quickly!

The recipes makes 12, 3 1/2 inch buns

Dough:

3 large eggs @ room temperature

3/4 cup buttermilk @ room temp.

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 1/4 teaspoon salt

1 envelope instant yeast

4 1/4 cups unbleached flour

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Carmel Glaze

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

3/4 cup light brown sugar

3 tablespoons corn syrup (light/dark)

2 table spoons heavy cream

Pinch of salt

Cinnamon-Sugar Filling

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

pinch of salt

1 table spoon melted butter

The recipe also has a pecan topping, which I skipped because I thought the carmel glaze would be enough and...it was :)

Making the dough

1. Using a stand mixer, whisk eggs then add buttermilk. Add in the sugar, salt and yeast. Add 2 cups flour and butter, use a spatula to even out dough. Add all but 1/4 cup of the flour. Use the dough hook and knead on low for about 5 minutes. Be sure to check dough, add flour if too sticky. Knead 5 minutes longer. Place dough on floured surface, knead by hand for about 1 minute. Spray large bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Put dough in bowl and light spray top of dough. Cover with plastic wrap tightly and set in a warm place until doubled in size about 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

2. Make glaze.

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Heat on medium whisking until butter is melted and mixture is combined. Pour glaze into 13x9 nonstick metal baking pan, tilt pan and use spatula to cover the surface.

3. Assemble and bake.

Combine all dry ingredients in the filling. Turn dough out on floured surface. Stretch dough into a rectangle then roll out until it measures 16x12. Brush dough with 1 tablespoon of the filling butter. Leave a 1/2 inch around the edge for sealing the buns. Also brush side of baking dish. Place filling mixture evenly over the dough. Begin rolling the dough starting on the 16" side. Roll the dough until the seam is down and the roll is pushing down on it. Flip dough and pinch the end of the dough and the roll together. Flip back on its seem. Cut log in half, then in quarters using a serrated knife. Cut each quarter into 3 buns.

Arrange and rise

4. Arrange the buns in a 4x3 array in your metal pan. Cover tightly with plastic wrap until puffy and pressed against each other about 1 1/2 hours. (If making these ahead of time you can "proof them for the 1 1/2, then refrigerate till the next morning) Put oven rack in lowest position. Heat oven to 400 degrees.

When ready to put buns in, lower temperature to 350 degrees. Bake until golden brown, or internal temp is at 180 degrees about 25-30 minutes. Cool on wire rack for 10 mins. Invert the pan onto a cutting board or large plate. Scrape extra glaze on to buns.

5. Pull apart and serve, eat quick because they'll go quick!

** Buns can be refrigerated in plastic wrap for up to 3 days. Reheat in microwave about 2 mins or in the oven 325 degrees for 8 minutes.**

Craft Blog

It was love at first blog....if you like easy, fun to look at crafts head on over to

How About Orange Blogspot....

I'm all about the glass jar/tape decorating tutorial....

Grade Level Link Up Party

While flipping around Pintrest on this steamy afternoon I came across a link to this blog. The Teacher's Lane.... who happen to be having a Link Party sorted by grade level.

INGENIOUS! Right?

So head on over to The Teacher's Lane check out the blogs, pass them on to your friends, link up your own blog and when we get rain again (someday!) you'll have a rainy day activity! Enjoy

Gratitude is one of the best emotions

I have 10 followers in 7 days, yippee!!

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! If you've started following me, linked up to my blog or commented on a post!

At this rate I'll be a first class blogger in no time!

I'm hoping to pass 100 followers by the first few weeks of school in September. I have some great blogs planned for when the school year starts. My only delay is that I can't get into my classroom and if we could peek into my classroom it would appear as if a new teacher were moving in there, because I strip that thing down at the end of the year.... nothing like a spic and span classroom to start the year off. So let's plan on more great things to come from It's Elementary My Dear Teacher.... including a blog theme update once I am back from my Disney vacation!

That would make Miss Triebel.....???

The last week of school my two sisters came into help with a tie dye t-shirt project. Which completely rocked and plan on doing this year at the beginning of the year and then have room spirit days with our shirts.

My middle sister Jaclyn, just graduated high school and is going to college to major in illustration. My youngest sister Katherine and I joke that Jaclyn soaked up all the art genes in the gene pool. When we were finished with the t-shirts there was a little bit of time before the end of the day so they start asking my sisters all sorts of questions; i.e. What's your favorite Harry Potter book? What is your dog Jake like? What is Miss Triebel's dog like?

So one student asks if Katherine is a good at sports. At 5'10" Katherine is great at most sports she tries. She plays volleyball and rows crew at our high school. They ask Jaclyn if she is sporty. Needless to say, she is admittedly not.

So then the question comes up...If Jaclyn is good at art and Katherine is good at sports. What is Miss Triebel good at?

One of my students yelled out she's good at being a teacher (Thanks Guys!). But it got me thinking. My Dad is an engineer. I think in some ways I got his engineering brain (certainly NOT the math part) but the how things work, the way things fit together, how to take things apart and put them together...which by proxy makes me good at putting Ikea furniture together AND crafts.

So that day we decided Miss Triebel is crafty. So here is my first craft blog, not too applicable to the classroom but certainly a fun and easy craft for anyone!

Sea glass Shadow Box

I used my favorite pieces of sea glass here, given to me by a friend.

Materials:

sea glass (clearly you could do this with seashells, rocks, etc.)

12x16 art canvas (any size can be used)

E6000 craft glue

pencil

shadow box frame

1.) I started by arranging the sea glass by color on one of the extra boards I had. I started with the brillant blue, the blues, blue/greens, whites, white/greens, olive green and bottle green. I arranged them on the other board in the rectangle and in the way I wanted them.

2.) I took a pencil and marked off 2" in from the edge on each corner to create the rectangle that would be used for the sea glass.

3.) I used the E6000 glue, which comes out like hot glue--kinda of all over the place, and not when you expect it, grab extra paper towels! I glued in the 4 corner pieces first. Putting glue on the board and on the back of the glass pieces and letting them "set up" for 2 minutes. I then glued them on to the pencil marks.

4.) I then took the top part of the rectangle and started glue the "head" of each line in, using the same glueing procedure. Then I did the same for the bottom "foot" of the rectangle.

5.) Finally, I started with the left hand row (blue glass). I put the glue dots down on the board and then arranged the glass with the glue on the back under the second row, so I could see where to place them while they set up. When, they were all set up I just "flipped" then over into their places. I used a q-tip to wipe up any misplaced glue.

6.) I let it dry for a day or 2 before, putting it into the shadow box.

**Note about E6000, I had never used this glue before but had seen it used on many craft blogs. I really liked it and would use it (with the windows open) in my classroom if need be. It does ooze from the tube quite a bit. It does not dry super quick (I was thinking it was more like super glue...it's not that quick), if you get it on something it shouldn't be on...table, your sunglasses :o/... it will roll of it like elmers glue, if you just rub at it. Overall, I was really happy with the results and the product.

Buyer be ware in the back to school aisle....

So it's about 9,000 degrees in the Northeast today, and while I love the sun, and the summer. I certainly laying low today and hanging out indoors. It's been like this most of the week...so I decided to swing by my (not so) local Target to check out the dollar spot and (please forgive me for saying it) the back to school section. Summary of these events...

What in the good Lord's name was I thinking.... The panic set it!

I happen to be reading Abby's blog The Inspired Apple today, about her trip to Target. This is one of her pictures from her blog-

The Roseart crayons for .99 cents...already gone! I start to panic. What am I missing out on???

Composition journals for $1.00... A DOLLAR! I must need these and that's when I catch myself.

I'm a list maker. I made a list at the end of the year of the things, and ONLY the things I will buy for my classroom this year. I also took a last look at our POs to see what we did order supply wise.

I realized this after the amount of money I spent last year on school supplies and the amount of "stuff" a.k.a JUNK I had hidden on the shelves in my classroom.

So did I need those spiffy new dollar composition books? No. Did I want to buy them? Yes. A situation could arise where I may need them! Putting my supply anxiety aside, I revert to my list and try to stick to it. Also our PTO gives us some money to help offset our supplies every September. I try really hard to use this money to the best of my ability and not dip into my money when buying school supplies (ha ha ha ha flash to my making 20 tie dye shirt, all of the supplies I bought for my class this past year....)

We ordered 3 different types of journals this year. I think I'll be all set. Crayons, I still have a box of 500 crayons from 6 years ago, that I have as a back up. Furthermore I still have some of the crayons from last years class that I have yet to take care of. Our students do bring in some supplies and generally I ask for crayons, so I know I'll be all set. The panic subsides.

I should note that my list does change as the summer goes on but I try to substitute when needed, not add to.

So the moral of this story is:

1.) Go with a plan.

2.) Know what you already have.

3.) Know what you need, and buy ONLY what you need.

4.) Substitute on your list, try not to add on to it.

5.) Just because it's a bargain, doesn't mean it's a real bargain especially if your not going to use it!

My TTB (things to buy) school list looked like this at the end of June:

* new Carlson-Dellosa job pockets and cards

* laminated sticks, for choosing students etc.

* fabric to cover 2 paper bulletin boards

* Steps to literacy Desk Plates ( I loved these and so did the kids)

*Rainbow color Expo dry erase markers for (my) whiteboard

My TTB school list now looks like this

* 1 bag wood rectangles from Woodworks Ltd.

(I'm going to make permanent job magnets instead of spending $10.00 a yr on cardboard that I end up sending home with the kids. See the tutorial at Matsutake blog for printing with an inkjet printer on wood blocks)

* 20 magnets to put student names in (purchased at Joann fabrics $1.00 each with a 20% coupon last weekend. These are to go with the job magnets.) (More to come on items 1 & 2 once I get in my classroom)

*Dog wooden craft sticks (to go with my Up theme)

*fabric to cover bulletin boards (purchased at Joann fabrics this past weekend with a 20% off coupon)

* Steps to literacy Desk Plates

*Rainbow color Expo dry erase markers for classroom whiteboard

Additions:

*3m laminator

*Up banner for outside bulletin board

*New clip art package from DJ inkers for bulletin board

While I am spending more on the wood blocks etc. they are something I will use over and over again. So the one time purchase is more than buying a cardboard job bulletin board set, but after one year of use, I will have re cooped that money. Also, by not indulging in buying those composition books helps to afford my new laminator.