Sparkle Stories Blog
A home for Sparkle audio stories, crafts, recipes, and kind words!
Sparkle Kitchen: Applesauce
Homemade applesauce—typically dolloped onto a bowl of warm oatmeal at our house—is like a fuzzy scarf and a hug as the weather starts to turn colder.
Martin & Sylvia's: Saturdays! Printable Project Page: Protectors
Use this printable project page to imagine you are a police officer. Color in the figure above so that it looks like you. You can also use the hat, glasses, and other drawings on the right to inspire you! (Feel free to add a superhero cape too!)
Sparkle Kitchen: Cheesy Cracker
Cheesy crackers, as we generically call them, are also easy to make at home. Not only do the homemade crackers have less preservatives, by making them yourself you can also flavor them how you like.
Martin & Sylvia's: Saturdays! Printable Project Page: Nippy Knitting Day
Use this printable project page to learn to finger-knit! You can make a scarf to keep warm on "nippy" days just like Martin & Sylvia do!
Sparkle Craft: Nippy Day Knitting
In this post we do a bit of finger knitting of our own with a twist – beads! – to make unique and funky necklaces you can wear no matter the weather.
Sparkle Kitchen: Mushroom Tacos
The following recipe is one of my favorites to make when our local mushroom foragers are bringing in sacks of these beautiful fungi. It’s really good when made with simple, widely available creminis, but you can also use a mix of exotic mushrooms if you happen to come across them.
How to Make Friends in a New School: 3 Strategies
David offers three straightforwards strategies to children joining a new school.
Martin & Sylvia's: Saturdays! Printable Project Page: A Better Way
You can take a regular sheet of paper and cut it in half (like this sheet along the dotted line). Then you can decorate the cover of the can however you like. Just follow the directions on this free printable!
Sparkle Craft: Out and About Art Box
Make an art supply holder for art that wants to happen while out and about – whether on a trip, waiting at a doctors office or at the playground! Inspired by the Martin & Sylvia: Saturdays! story “A Better Way."
To make room for the making that doesn’t happen in our house, the out and about art box is just the thing!
Sparkle Kitchen: Peach Pizza Pie
While I would gladly choose peach pie with neighbors over canning tomatoes or cleaning the basement, I must confess that my favorite kind of peach pie isn’t the sweet kind — it’s peach pizza pie.
Sparkle Kitchen: Turkey Burgers
To help our turkey burgers taste like more of a summer celebration, I begin by buying turkey with a little higher fat content. It varies, depending on what’s available at the store in a given week, but I don’t like to buy ground turkey any higher than 93% lean.
Sparkle Kitchen: Blueberry Jam
So named because it must be kept in cold storage, “fridge jam” leaves out the last step in traditional canning — the boiling water bath to seal the jar. Further, because you’re keeping the jam cold, you can also play a bit faster and looser with the ingredients without worrying about things like acidity and botulism.
Sparkle Kitchen: Cherry Icicles
Some of you will probably remember ice pops from childhood — you know, the kind that came in the little plastic tubes. They’re still great for a treat, but, as a grown-up now, I prefer something a little healthier for our family’s day-in, day-out popsicle needs.
Sparkle Kitchen: Infused Honey
Lavender infused honey is a good starting place, but the method below will work with any number of ingredients. Think herbs like thyme, camomile, anise, cloves, rosemary, or mint. Or go really wild and infuse your honey with chili peppers, lemon peel, or dried mushrooms.
Sparkle Kitchen: Purslane Pesto
Purslane is a low-growing, sprawling plant with succulent-like, deep green leaves. While it’s commonly thought of as a weed, it’s actually quite edible. Its slightly lemon-y flavor is delicious when mixed in salads or pesto.
Martin & Sylvia: Saturdays! Printable Project Page: Let's Do Everything Map
Kids can use this printable to plan a fun playdate that combines all their favorite ideas to make a "Let's Do Everything!" map.
Sparkle Kitchen: A Granola Formula
This granola formula is the perfect chance to do a little experimentation, try something new! You never know when you’ll happen upon a winning combination!
Martin & Sylvia's "Everything" Granola Bites
While I sometimes just make baked granola crumbles, I also enjoy the chewier texture of granola that’s been baked into bars. But, truly, by the time the smell of toasted granola hits my nose, I find that I don’t care much what shape it is. We call these “granola bites” and love them just the same.
Sparkle Kitchen: Peanut Butter Yogurt Drops for Dogs
Another treat we’ve found that works is these simple frozen yogurt drops. With just two ingredients, they make a great recipe for small chefs to whip together for their canine friends. And, if it’s summer in your part of the world, your pup will also appreciate cooling off with these icy cold treats.
Sparkle Kitchen: Crab Cakes
Frozen or canned, a few lumps of crab meat sprinkled over a salad or in a sauce can make even the most avowed land-lover think fondly of the sea. But our favorite use for crab is crab cakes!
