Elmwood-Murdock

Quick and Easy Chocolate Covered Strawberries Recipe

May 7, 2011 by info@3QuartersToday.com

It’s Easy to Make Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Don’t these chocolate covered strawberries look delicious? I made them at home. Seriously.

Not even a word to describe how good they actually taste. Just like at Christmas, I dip everything in almond bark chocolate. I have used Ghirardelli’s melting chocolate when I’m doing a small personal batch for gourmet chocolate covered strawberries. But for large events, chocolate almond bark works just fine.

It’s easy to make chocolate covered strawberries from scratch. All you need is big delicious looking strawberries, chocolate, and a fork. Ok, a double boiler pot does come in handy.

I get the white almond bark drizzle on the strawberries by dipping a fork in the white chocolate and drizzling it over the strawberries.

It’s not hard to make chocolate strawberries, all you need is a double boiler and some dipping chocolate. But, some people think it’s a little intimidating. Around Valentines Day you will see and hear ads from various online stores where you can buy chocolate dipped strawberries and have them delivered.

Why Use a Double Boiler when Melting Chocolate?

Chocolate is a fickle ingredient. If you it too hot chocolate will burn or “seize up” and become clumpy. (Whatever you do, do NOT add water to chocolate.) With a double boiler pot, you add an inch or two of water to the bottom pot and set on medium heat.

You can turn the stovetop on a boil, to begin with, but then reduce the heat to low to gradually melt your chocolate. If you don’t have an “official double boiler pot you can use a metal bowl and sit in on a saucepan. Or a smaller pot inside a larger pot, as long as the bottom doesn’t touch the water.

Stainless steel double boilers pots. Cookware for melting chocolate, fondue and low heat cooking.AxeSickle 18/8 Stainless Steel Universal Melting Pot, Universal Double Boiler Insert, Double Spouts, Heat-resistant Handle, Flat Bottom, Premium Baking Tools,

Melting Chocolate Without a Double Boiler

This can be done. But take caution and be careful. I normally melt two squares of white almond bark for 20 seconds at a time and check it until it’s soft. Don’t just look at to see if it’s melted. The blocks of almond bark retain their shape, even when melted.

Ghirardelli melting chocolate wafers are actually designed to be melted in the microwave. Instructions are on the package and it’s VERY wise to follow them.

Ghirardelli Chocolate Dark Candy Malting Wafers, 30 Ounce Ghirardelli Candy Making & Dipping Dark Melting Wafers, 12 oz Ghirardelli Melting Wafers Bundle, Milk Chocolate, Dark Chocolate, White Chocolate, Set of 3-10oz each

Strawberries are good any time of the year, but I make them on Valentine’s day and also for high school graduation parties. They are everyone’s favorite and I’ve created an expectation amongst my friends. My kids LOVE when I make chocolate covered strawberries.

Homemade Chocolate-Covered Strawberries 4 Ways

For my son’s graduation, I made about 60 chocolate covered strawberries and it wasn’t nearly enough. I could have made three times that many considering how popular they were. Maybe next time.

Buy Chocolate Covered Strawberries Online

If you don’t think you can handle dipping your own strawberries then you can always buy them online. Golden State Fruit sells them on Amazon and the reviews are fantastic.

I’ve read reviews for Sherri’s Berries and the Golden State Fruit Company Although they both pack and ship them approximately the same Golden State Fruit Company comes out ahead.

Very little is more romantic and makes an impression than tasty chocolate covered strawberries. What woman doesn’t like chocolate?

Golden State Fruit 6 Love Berries Chocolate Covered Strawberries Belgian Chocolate Covered Strawberries – 12pc Classic – Milk, Dark & White Chocolate Gift Box Caramel Sea Salt – 12pc Belgian Milk Chocolate Covered Strawberries Golden State Fruit Chocolate Covered Strawberries, 6 Dark, Milk & White Delight

Day 152/365: Graduation Party Invitation

May 6, 2011 by info@3QuartersToday.com

365_152_050611_GradpartyInvite — High School Graduation Party

For the next week or so I’m going to be indulgent and celebrate my son’s high school graduation from Elmwood-Murdock High school. Thought I would share the resources I used to make this event special and memorable.

The photography is by my friend Beth who does senior pictures as a hobby, Vivid Image Photography. Yes, David’s favorite was hanging upside down from a barn thirty feet in the air. He had fun, that’s what you look for in a good photographer.

The graduation party invitation created on Mixbooks. I purchased a Groupon (which I love) for $100 of products for only $15.00, what a bargain! Mixbooks has a huge gallery of templates and everything is customizable. Colors, adornments, layout, everything is very easy and I couldn’t beat the price anywhere. Bought a hundred invitations for only 0.15 a piece.

If you haven’t tried Groupon, I’d love it if you followed by link and signed up, I get discounts for future purchases and can really use them this summer.

Graduation parties in rural Nebraska are a big deal, it’s really a big traveling party and a reason to socialize. Since the classes are small everyone is pretty much invited and it’s an open house type of event with parents and friends. My son really graduates on the 14th, but he wanted to have his party the week before so he could go to all his friends parties the next week.

Stay tuned for more party preparation, senior portraits, post production of senior pictures, and why guys can be so hard to photograph.

Day 138/365: Rock the Prom Dress, Break Out the Red Carpet

April 25, 2011 by info@3QuartersToday.com

Prom season is here and countless high school juniors and seniors will be buying a prom dress and renting tuxedos in preparation to show off their finery for a night to remember. At Elmwood-Murdock High School being small doesn’t mean we don’t go all out for prom.

The post prom committee, parents and students spend all year fundraising to have a high class prom. Students wait in the lobby of the school to take their “red carpet” walk to the two chartered buses. Waiting outside are throng of paparazzi (parents with camera) waiting to take a picture of their daughters in their prom dress along with their beaming dates. Ok, some guys don’t beam at the fuss, but many think it’s pretty cool.

Formal dates are not essential, many go as groups, single guys and single girls also have a good time. I also took the “traditional” shots, but wanted to get a little more stylized with my photography and highlight on the gorgeous prom dresses and finery of the formal evening.

This year prom was held at the Lancaster Event Center in Lincoln, with post prom at the one of the Lincoln YMCA’s. I don’t know where they had more fun. Post prom included swimming, a rock wall, “A Minute To Win It” games, and prizes which included Notepad computers (which my son won) GPS trackers and much more.

PhotoShop: Typical layers with an increase in brightness, contrast and touched up the sharpness on the prom dress and added a little burn to emphasis the design. Added a layer stroke, selected the color from the dress, and added a drop shadow. The text is just one text box with the vertical spacing decreased so the two lines would overlap, text color is white and black with decreased opacity to soften the colors. I had fun with this one!

Did You Know, You Can Buy a Prom Dress Online?

Last year my daughter bought a prom dress on line. I learned more and more girls are doing this so they will have the unique dress and not end up wearing the same prom dress from Debs that another classmate bought. The safest place to buy a prom dress is on Amazon as they have a return policy if it doesn’t fit right or look the way you expected.

It is strongly advised to shop early for your prom dress though, not only due to the return policy, but to make sure your date knows what the color so he can order the corsage and tux color.

Below are some of my favorite prom dresses on Amazon.

Women ball gown evening prom dress Women’s bra Fishtail wedding dress- Blue Tidetell Elegant Floor Length Bridesmaid Cap Sleeve Prom Evening Dresses Burgundy IDOBRIDAL Tulle Beaded Bridesmaid Evening Party Prom Ball Gown Dress -Blue IDOBRIDAL Tulle Beaded Bridesmaid Evening Party Prom Ball Gown Dress -Yellow Favebridal 2015 Women’s Long Formal Evening Prom Dresses JAEDEN Girl’s Sweetheart Charming Formal Evening Dresses Long Prom Gown Hot Pink

Day 137/365: Choir Performance Wins Top Score at District Music Contest

April 21, 2011 by info@3QuartersToday.com

I never get tired of bragging about the students at Elmwood-Murdock High School, especially when my son and daughter are involved. Here our choir performs at the district music contest the song “Things That Never Die”. They received “1’s” from all three judges receiving the highest score of a 1+ for the second year in a row. Twelve schools competed and only two schools received the high score.

HIgh School Choir, Things that Never Die — Elmwood-Murdock Choir

For your listening pleasure here is the video from my YouTube Channel.

If you have followed previous articles you know we are a small rural school district from a community of less than a thousand people in Eastern Nebraska. Our high school has a student body population of less than 120 students. That’s approximately thirty students in each graduating class. To have this many students (almost 50%) in choir is simply amazing and the credit has to go to Mrs. Betty Colbert our choir director.

She has made choir “cool” and coaches the students to find their voice. Many students sang solos at districts (including my son) and the girls sang Italian Sonatas earning top scores. The students participate in honor choirs and learn from top vocal practitioners in the field. In 2009 they even were invited and sang at Carnegie Hall, an experience I’ll never forget.

Glee Has Made High School Music Cool

The television show Glee and movie High School Musical and Pitch Perfect has helped make high school choir and singing cool again. That and American Idol. It doesn’t matter why, but I’m glad. Many people have made fun of Glee and don’t like the mashup covers of popular songs but it has elevated music programs around the country. Glee style show choirs are extremely popular

Glee – The Complete Series Pitch Perfect Pitch Perfect August Rush High School Musical 2 High School Musical 1-3

Music in Our Schools

Mon Valley schools honored for commitment to music education

“Ensuring that every child has access to music in schools is central to the NAMM Foundation’s work, but a commitment from the entire community, including local music industry leaders, keeps music in schools,” foundation executive director Mary Luehrsen …

CMCSS makes list for Best Community for Music Education

Ensuring that every child has access to music in schools requires commitment by students, teachers, and those who determine school budgets,” said Mary Luehrsen, executive director of the NAMM Foundation. “We commend the districts and schools that …

Why cut music programs that help children with their learning?

However, we know that is shortsighted, as educational research supports music in schools. In performance groups, if not many students are being served or if the quality of performance is lacking, music becomes a target. This is too bad, because music …

Music education helps mould well-rounded students

Music educators from across New York state came to Albany to spend the day meeting with their legislators to advocate for continued support for music in schools and to discuss the current challenges that face education. Music educators from NYSSMA Zone …

Harmony Project Mentors Youth Through the Power Of Music

Unfortunately, many school districts are quick to cut the music programs whenever budget issues arise, but the statistics show that there’s value in keeping music in schools. According to the Arete Music Academy, children who take music lessons are …

Day 130/365: Spring Elementary Carnival

April 15, 2011 by info@3QuartersToday.com

365_130_040811_SpringCarnival — Carnival Games: Put your ticket on a color, roll the die. Match you win!

It’s spring time and therefore the annual Elmwood-Murdock Elementary Spring Carnival. Student, parents and relative purchase tickets that can be redeemed for games, food, raffle drawings, jump houses and the very popular cake walk.

Although there is only a little over 200 students in the K-6 school at least twice that many attend the carnival. Kids everywhere, making a “joyful” noise. It makes you appreciate teachers. Thousands of dollars are raised that go back to the classrooms for supplies, trips, and other needed items for the students and teachers.

Although my kids are far removed from elementary school the high school cheerleaders had a fundraising table. Since my daughter was at State FBLA conference I took her place. Just knew my photo of the day would come from the carnival.

I worked in the ticket redemption center where little first graders agonized over prizes worth one ticket a piece, a 6 inch back scratcher or a sticky alien man. Boy, to go back to when those decisions were the only ones I had to make. The grand prizes were large stuffed animals worth 330 tickets, and yes it was normally the 5th or 6th grade boys. Over the years they had figured out the game system. Everyone had fun, I think, it was hard to tell by looking at some of the parents.