The Lord gave me an awesome idea last year when I was beginning our school year and I want to share it with you. One important skill that I want all my children to be blessed with is the ability to cook and bake. In the beginning of Lee's Grade Four year we began "Menu Planning". Our theme for that year was 'Dinner'. Each month was considered to be a unit: Week One-Meat Dish, Week Two-Potato/Rice/Pasta Dish, Week Three-Vegetable Dish, and Week Four-Dessert Dish. We did this for September, October, and November and then for December we choose Christmas Treats to make each week. At the beginning of January, Lee made an entire meal of each of her favorite dishes for her grandparents. I kept all of this information in a binder. On Monday of each week, Lee would search for the desired recipe and then type it out. I would print that off and put it into her binder. On Tuesday she would make a shopping list of the ingredients she would need and then she would shop for it when we went to the grocery store. Lee would make each dish by the end of the weekend and I would always take a picture of her with her finished project. I would then print that picture with a title and it would become the title page in her binder for that week. For the rest of the year I would just allow her freedom in the kitchen as she felt the desire to cook or bake. This year we have done "Lunch Planning". Week One-Sandwich Dish, Week Two-Soup Dish, Week Three-Salad Dish, and Week Four-Dessert Dish! For the rest of this year, Lee is making dinner on Saturday nights and she loves it! Next year we will do 'Breakfast Planning'! I'll post a picture on the right-hand side for you to see an example of our Title Page.

Bless you all,

Mel