Blue Moon Pumpkins

Our heirloom "Blue Moon Pumpkins" are almost ripe!


Have you ever eaten lettuce this color before?


This sunflower bud is about to burst open.

5th graders in the kitchen

William, Jack & Peter practice grinding coriander seeds. They loved the smell of fresh ground spices. We are getting excited about our "Dia de los Muertos" celebration coming up on Monday, for which they will have made costumes, decorations, and will prepare Mexican food.


Katie & Rachel are naturals with a mortar & pestle.

Quote of the Week

"A culture is preserved one generation at a time."
~ Dewey Balfa



Scarlett and Mariah (sporting their Fall Festival t-shirts) show off our bounty of pecans before the 4th graders dig in to crack, shell and eat a healthy snack!

Garden Treasures

Madasyn finds a beautiful yellow squash.


Ivy discovers a pumpkin hiding among the leaves.


The children were amazed by the bees hovering and pollinating all the pumpkin flowers. This one's covered in pollen before he takes flight again.


We planted shallots today and harvested some green onions. As she helped the other fifth graders weed and plant the shallots, Rejane remarked, "I've never been this close to a teacher before!" It's always the little quips that make me smile.

Ms. Billie Kay's Etiquette Class

Ms. Billie Kay is getting into the halloween spirit!


Ms. Bobbi Coco dressed in a specially made holiday apron.


The table was perfectly appointed.


The girls enjoyed Ms. Bobbi's gumbo, sweet potatoes and rolls. This was their chance to show their teachers how much they learned about dining etiquette these past few weeks.


All smiles and compliments to the chefs...
Bon Appetit!

Recipe of the Week

Leaf-peeper's Salad

1 head of Red Cabbage, shredded
8 Carrots, peeled & shredded
1/2 c. sunflower seeds or chopped nuts
1/2 c. golden raisins

Oil & Vinegar Dressing
*you can use a variety of oils or vinegars to change the taste of your salad.

This recipe also comes from Vermont's Cooks Garden.
It's named for all the people who travel to the Northeast to view the vibrant colors of fall leaves. This salad is bright, beautiful, nutritious and delicious!

Pink October at APCS

Today we paid $1 to wear pink t-shirts and another $1 to wear blue jeans to raise money for the Susan Komen Foundation for Breast Cancer Research.


Dayton picks some pink zinnias from the garden for the front office.


According to "The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth" by Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., some foods that decrease your risk of getting breast cancer are the following:
Beans, Broccoli, Red Cabbage, Carrots, Cranberries, Eggs, Flaxseed, Grapefruit, Kale, Lemons, Lentils, Olive Oil, Pineapple, Prunes, Spinach, Strawberries, & Tomatoes. The spice Cumin & the herb Rosemary (which we have an abundance in the garden) also seem to play a role in blocking cancers.

Pumpkins beware...

5th graders Lindsay, Elyse & Shawna are charmed by these pumpkins.


The children have scooped out the seeds for toasting and chopped the pumpkin into large pieces for roasting.


The toasted "pepitas", which is Spanish for pumpkin seeds. They are a healthy, nutritious snack. Even the children who never tasted them before loved them. I love to garnish a creamy pumpkin soup with a few crunchy pepitas.
Parents, try this one at home!

Quote of the Week

"Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap
but by the seeds that you plant."
~ Robert Louis Stevenson