The cold is setting in and I am craving soup. Nothing warms the body like hot broth. Tonight we had Campbell's Tomato Soup and grilled cheese. Now I am on the hunt for recipes so I can make some from scratch!
Here are some I plan to try:
Homemade Tomato
Greek Lemon Rice
Broccoli, Bean and Cheddar
Italian Egg Drop
Beef and Bean Chili Verde
Leek and Potato
Minestrone with Endive and Pepperoni
Ravioli and Vegetable
Chicken and Spinach
Black Bean
Curry Squash and Chicken
Japanese Chicken-Scallion Rice
Sweet and Sour Beef Cabbage
Here are some we already love:
Taco Soup
Lentil
French Onion
Italian Wedding
Split Pea
Chicken Noodle
Chicken Tortilla
Friday, January 6, 2012
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Teaching Textbooks
This marks the first week with Teaching Textbooks Math 3. Bels is loving it! From what I can tell, TTM3 picks up at about 1/2 way through the Saxon Math 2 book. So there is a little review for her, but I think that is good as she is learning to use the program.
The layout is simple for her to use and for me to check in on how she is doing. She has actually enjoyed it so much that she is doing 2 lessons a day on her own. I have only assigned one, but she wants to work ahead. Since I can reassign the lessons if she isn't learning the material, I don't mind her doing as much as she likes.
I can't tell you enough how much I love this program already. The Saxon Math k-3 books are wonderful curriculum, but they require so much from the parent. With an emerging reader, I can definitely use the extra time. Though I feel a little funny about just sending her off to learn on her own, I have to admit that I am also relieved. I have never enjoyed math and it has always been an area I have worried about in homeschooling- both in teaching it and being consistant. I think this was just what we needed.
The layout is simple for her to use and for me to check in on how she is doing. She has actually enjoyed it so much that she is doing 2 lessons a day on her own. I have only assigned one, but she wants to work ahead. Since I can reassign the lessons if she isn't learning the material, I don't mind her doing as much as she likes.
I can't tell you enough how much I love this program already. The Saxon Math k-3 books are wonderful curriculum, but they require so much from the parent. With an emerging reader, I can definitely use the extra time. Though I feel a little funny about just sending her off to learn on her own, I have to admit that I am also relieved. I have never enjoyed math and it has always been an area I have worried about in homeschooling- both in teaching it and being consistant. I think this was just what we needed.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Cookie Season with Recipe
It is Christmas cookie baking season at our house again. The Betty Crocker cookbook is open and the counters are filling with treats. Both girls took cookie boxes to their ballet teachers this year and also to the piano teacher. The piano recital for Bels also required a dozen piano shaped sugar cookie cutouts frosted with Nutella and topped with sprinkles. For fun, we also made guitar shaped cutouts for my husbands guitar students' recital.
We have baked thumbprints and butter pecans, Nutella blossoms with candy cane kisses, and sugar cutouts and chocolate chip cookies. I still want to make Christmas mice, cereal wreaths, peppermint flavored candy cane cookies and fudge. There are gingerbread houses waiting to be built and last, but certainly not least, a birthday cake for our Lord and Savior, Jesus.
This year, I experimented a bit and now I have a new sugar cookie cutout recipe. This recipe rolls easily, is not sticky and lifts well from the counter and the pan. It also tastes delicious! I do all the mixing by hand. It makes for a better cookie.
Sugar Cookie Cutouts
1c Butter, softened but not melted
1/2c Shortening
2c Sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
5 1/2c All Purpose Flour
1c Powdered Sugar
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Salt
In a large bowl, cream sugar and butter and shortening until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. In another bowl, mix together flour, powdered sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir the flour mixture into the wet mixture. Cover and chill at least one hour in the fridge. You can also leave it overnight.
Preheat over to 400 degrees. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface. I prefer to use half flour and half powdered sugar. Roll to 1/2 to 1/4 inch thick. Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Place shapes on an ungreased cookie sheet 1 inch apart.
Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool on sheet a few minutes before removing for best results. I like to use a pie server to pop them off. The pointed tip often works better than a wide flat spatula.
We have baked thumbprints and butter pecans, Nutella blossoms with candy cane kisses, and sugar cutouts and chocolate chip cookies. I still want to make Christmas mice, cereal wreaths, peppermint flavored candy cane cookies and fudge. There are gingerbread houses waiting to be built and last, but certainly not least, a birthday cake for our Lord and Savior, Jesus.
This year, I experimented a bit and now I have a new sugar cookie cutout recipe. This recipe rolls easily, is not sticky and lifts well from the counter and the pan. It also tastes delicious! I do all the mixing by hand. It makes for a better cookie.
Sugar Cookie Cutouts
1c Butter, softened but not melted
1/2c Shortening
2c Sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
5 1/2c All Purpose Flour
1c Powdered Sugar
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Salt
In a large bowl, cream sugar and butter and shortening until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. In another bowl, mix together flour, powdered sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir the flour mixture into the wet mixture. Cover and chill at least one hour in the fridge. You can also leave it overnight.
Preheat over to 400 degrees. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface. I prefer to use half flour and half powdered sugar. Roll to 1/2 to 1/4 inch thick. Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Place shapes on an ungreased cookie sheet 1 inch apart.
Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool on sheet a few minutes before removing for best results. I like to use a pie server to pop them off. The pointed tip often works better than a wide flat spatula.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Love
Today, Ava, my 4 year old, came to me. She sat on my lap, looked at me and said:
Ava- "Mommy do you know who needs lots of love?"
Me- "Who?"
Ava- "Satan. He needs lots of love so he can be nice and be an angel and not be scarey and try to trick us. He needs love."
Funny how the whole love thine enemy is so hard for us as adults, but for a child it is quite simple. Give them love, so they will have love in their hearts too. Amazing.
Ava- "Mommy do you know who needs lots of love?"
Me- "Who?"
Ava- "Satan. He needs lots of love so he can be nice and be an angel and not be scarey and try to trick us. He needs love."
Funny how the whole love thine enemy is so hard for us as adults, but for a child it is quite simple. Give them love, so they will have love in their hearts too. Amazing.
Friday, November 18, 2011
Math Genius (Cont)
Another math genius moment in our house....
I am trying to condense the lessons in our Saxon Math 2 book and get into our Sax Math 3 book, because we haven't been diligent in doing the bookwork. I feel like we have still been learning math though. I saw more evidence of that today. Here is the conversation I had with my 6 year old.
I am paging through my Saxon Math 2 teachers manual, grouping lessons to do more of a mastery approach when I see a lesson on dozens and 1/2 dozens. I think, I am pretty sure she knows this...
Me-- Bels, do you know how much is in a dozen?
Bels-- Yeah, 12
Me-- Do you know how much is in a half dozen?
Bels-- 6... and 3 in a quarter dozen.
Me-- Ok, thanks...
Ava-- Isabel, how much in a dozen and a half?
Bels-- Hold on, um... 18.
So, I have decided to breeze through the fraction lessons and the lesson on dozens. I was pretty sure she knew everything Saxon Math 2 could offer on fractions and I was right. I just hope Saxon Math 3 offers more because we will be into that book very soon.
I am trying to condense the lessons in our Saxon Math 2 book and get into our Sax Math 3 book, because we haven't been diligent in doing the bookwork. I feel like we have still been learning math though. I saw more evidence of that today. Here is the conversation I had with my 6 year old.
I am paging through my Saxon Math 2 teachers manual, grouping lessons to do more of a mastery approach when I see a lesson on dozens and 1/2 dozens. I think, I am pretty sure she knows this...
Me-- Bels, do you know how much is in a dozen?
Bels-- Yeah, 12
Me-- Do you know how much is in a half dozen?
Bels-- 6... and 3 in a quarter dozen.
Me-- Ok, thanks...
Ava-- Isabel, how much in a dozen and a half?
Bels-- Hold on, um... 18.
So, I have decided to breeze through the fraction lessons and the lesson on dozens. I was pretty sure she knew everything Saxon Math 2 could offer on fractions and I was right. I just hope Saxon Math 3 offers more because we will be into that book very soon.
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