My Aunt Zelda is an awesome cook! In fact, everyone in my family pays the highest possible compliment to anyone else's culinary skills when we say, "That tastes almost as good as Aunt Zelda's cooking!" LOL That's high praise, indeed! Alas, she and my uncle moved off to Tennessee to be near my cousin, their granddaughter! I miss them so much...AND I miss her good ol' country cooking too! But we talk on the phone, and they'll be coming for a visit soon!
Aunt Zelda's pies and cakes are beyond description. But today I'll talk about her Coconut Cream Pie. Many years ago, she gave me the recipes for her Coconut and Chocolate Cream pies...and both are yummy. I used to make them quite often, but for some reason I got out of the habit during the last few years. But a week or so ago, I decided the time had come....time, that is, for Coconut Cream Pie. Mine will never be as good as hers...but it was still pretty tasty if I do say so myself! LOL
I've recently started making about eight pie crusts at the time, and I store them in the freezer until needed...convenience food at its finest. I'll have to share that recipe another time. But without further adieu, here's a great recipe for Aunt Zelda's Coconut Cream Pie!
AUNT ZELDA'S COCONUT CREAM PIE
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 cups milk (I use half evaporated)
3 egg yolks, beaten
3/4 cup flaked coconut, divided
1 and 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pie shell, baked
Meringue:
3-4 egg whites, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup sugar
Combine first 3 ingredients in a heavy saucepan. Combine milk and egg yolks; gradually stir into sugar mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in 1/2 cup coconut, butter, and vanilla. Immediately pour into a baked pie crust. Cover the filling with waxed paper.
Beat egg whites (at room temperature) and cream of tartar at high speed for one minute. Gradually add remaining sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form and sugar dissolves...about 2-4 minutes. Remove waxed paper from pie filling; spread meringue over hot filling, sealing to edge of pastry . Sprinkle with 1/4 cup coconut. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool to room temperature.
Yield: 1 nine inch pie
All of the little boys on my side of the family (our sons and two nephews) have had their pictures made in this sailor outfit when they were around the age of two...today it was Alexander's turn! I thought Erin caught a very sweet expression! I love it! Now, Alexander will have a 'sailor picture' for Mam (my mama) to hang on her hall wall with the rest of the grandboys!
Here’s an article I wrote a year or two ago, and I thought I’d share it here. Now for the disclaimer: I KNOW what works for good home management...I just don’t always follow through. And as I say below...knowing and doing are two different things!
But when I DO take the time to actually follow ‘the’ plan, everything certainly does run much more smoothly in our home. Plus, I have two big girls who do A LOT around here. In fact, they are much better at the daily tasks and cleaning up each night before bedtime than I ever was. So I guess maybe I should have included as one of my points...have twin girls, but have them first! And when they are 17 years old, they will bless your heart and your home beyond measure! LOL
Okay, that’s enough of that...perhaps the following post will help someone in some small way!
~Roses from our garden with my favorite Willow Tree figurines~
A DISORGANIZED MOM’S GUIDE TO ORGANIZATION
In jest, I have often said that my sister must’ve received all the organizational genes from the family gene pool. She is extremely organized, and her house is always picture perfect. Mine is...um...not! Perhaps having six children who are home all day doing school does contribute to my dilemma, but more often than not it is lack of planning and discipline on my part that is the true crux of the problem.
~One of my 'prayer' centers~
Knowing what to do, and actually doing it are two entirely different things. But when I take the time for P3 (prayer, planning, and preparation), I can tell a marked difference in our days...in stress levels as well as productivity. So, I would like to share some of the most important things that have worked well for us over the last ten (now eleven) years of homeschooling...that is, when I have followed my own advice. It really is a matter of discipline...and for me, lack of discipline must become a matter of prayer!
~A Mother's Day gift from my children several years ago~
♦On Saturday or Sunday, I check the calendar for appointments for the upcoming week. More often than not, this will affect daily schedules and menu plans. For example, if I know that we’ll have a late afternoon activity, I will usually plan a meal for that evening that can be done in the crockpot.
~Buttermilk Biscuits...mm mm good~
♦ I prefer to have all laundry caught up, menus planned, and groceries purchased before the week begins. There is satisfaction in knowing that even if everything else goes wrong, my family will be dressed in clean clothes and well-fed. Plus, everyone likes to look at the menu plan on the fridge to find out what we’re having for lunch or supper each day of the week. This eliminates the inevitable question...”Hey Mama, what’s for supper?”
~Ivy topiary and more favorite Willow Tree figurines~
♦One of my biggest ‘sanity savers’ is the weekly school assignment checklist, especially for the 5th and 2nd graders. Over the weekend, I like to type out all assignments for each school day for each child, divided by subjects. I jot down page numbers, books to read, items for copywork, etc. Now, even if I’m unavailable, my children have no excuse for not getting their work done. And as an added bonus, sometimes they will get up earlier than normal to start school...and they already know what to do! I give them a copy to keep and check off as they complete the work, and I also staple another copy in my lesson plan book. It works for us! Erin and Elisabeth write down and keep up with all their own work. They also keep up with their time spent in each subject, so we will be better able to calculate credits for transcripts later on.
♦Planning for tomorrow begins with preparation the night before. It works well if each child has clothing laid out according to the weather and the schedule for the next day. If we are going to stay home, then play clothes are fine. But if we are going to be out and about, then appropriate clothing must be pre-selected. Where is that red hairbow? Where are those brown sandals? It is stressful to be hunting things when it’s time to be heading out the door! The night before is also the best time to prepare my husband’s lunch, iron his work shirt if necessary, and load the coffee pot for the next morning! A decent bedtime is important for me. I must have my sleep, or I will be very draggy in the morning!
~Mr. Potterman in our front flower bed~
♦ Rising early and having quiet time are good for me. Bible reading and prayer (and a cup of coffee) are a great way to start the day. I hate getting up out of my warm bed, but I have a little trick that sometimes works. I tell myself that if I’ll just go ahead and get up, I can have a nap later. Once I’m up, however, I’m usually fine.
♦It is discouraging to face dirty dishes first thing in the morning. Our big girls clean up from supper, load and run the dishwasher, and leave things tidy...the night before! What a blessing! Additionally, it helps if everyone in the family does a quick pick-up of each room before bedtime. (Once again, Erin and Elisabeth are pros in this area!)
~Favorite Gooseberry Patch kitchen calendar...can you believe it's May?!~
♦I’m grateful for a husband who likes to ‘do’ breakfast—meaning he prepares the breakfast (most days), wakes the children, and gets everyone to the table to eat. He says that he enjoys doing it, and it gives him time with the family before he goes to work. You won’t hear me complaining, especially when I’ve been up at night with a fussy baby! Before my husband leaves, many times he will also get everyone headed in the direction of making beds, getting dressed, and brushing hair and teeth. His input virtually eliminates the occasional moaning and groaning, dilly-dallying, and slacking...and we are more apt to start school in a timely manner. I realize that not all mothers have this luxury, but it sure is a blessing for this homeschooling mama! (Note: Often we do let the little boys sleep a little later in order to get some of our more intensive school subjects done. When they’re up...things are a bit louder. LOL)
~Living Room Step-Back Cabinets that my BIL made~
♦Now, this may seem like a ‘no-brainer’, but having school supplies, books, pencils, etc. in their proper places is essential. I wish I had a nickel for every time I’ve dug under the sofa to find a pencil or looked under a bed for a missing book. And I’ve hidden the hand-held pencil sharpener many times (sometimes from myself) to keep it from becoming MIA, courtesy of the little ones. Not being able to find things is one of the biggest threats to my homeschool happiness! So the motto ‘A place for everything, and everything in its place’ is the key!
♦ Last of all, it works best for us to have specific jobs assigned to different days. These jobs are in addition to the general daily upkeep (dishes, laundry, room pick-up etc.) of the home. For example, Monday-clean bathrooms, Tuesday-mop floors, Wednesday-clean class, Thursday-dust/vacuum bedrooms/change sheets, Friday-clean out fridge. Then there are monthly jobs, quarterly jobs, and so on. This is simplistic and old fashioned, but simple is good...and it’s better than doing nothing at all! Of course, de-cluttering is the first step to having an organized home. I’m still working on this one!
Many moms are blessed with a great amount of organizational skill and tidy tendencies. Unfortunately, I’m not one of them, so I try to compensate. I’ve discovered that with P3...and a BIG emphasis on prayer, it is possible to successfully manage the home and bless my family.
Where have the last two years gone?? We had this teeny, precious newborn baby...and now all of a sudden, we have a tractor-lovin', always smilin', adorable curly headed little boy running around! How'd that happen??!! Your beautiful smile and happy disposition bring such joy to our lives, and we have discovered that Baby #6 is just as precious and wonderful as Babies #1, #2, #3, #4, and #5. We love you and thank the Lord for you every single day!
If you want to be inspired, blessed, motivated, and uplifted...all at the same time...be sure to head over to Warm Pie, Happy Home to read a wonderful post entitled A Mother's Touch. Ruthann is a lovely, encouraging lady from Missouri who has a beautiful, gentle spirit. She also has a gorgeous home that will make you drool! You especially need to check out her pantry/storage room here and here. And all her pie recipes will make your mouth water. Oh. my. word. Hurry...head on over there. Her words will most certainly bless your little pea pickin' heart!
It seems as though I've not been a very good 'bloggy' person lately. After I get done with what must be done each day, do school, and take my walk...there just hasn't been any time left over for blogging. I have been doing lots of extra 'kitchen' stuff as well like making strawberry jam, so that's taken up a good chunk of time too. Anyway, we'll be winding down with school soon, so maybe I can 'visit' and post more often.
Today is Friday...time for Show and Tell over at my good friend Kelli's blog, There's No Place Like Home. And for this post, I'd like to share about a couple of plates that mean a lot to me. These two magnolia plates belonged to my grandmother (the one who lived in this house), and I distinctly remember eating some of her good country cookin' off of them. The plates are probably not worth a lot in monetary value, but they are priceless to me.
Since our master bedroom is done in a green/white/khaki color scheme, I think the plates add a nice touch in the grouping above the bed.
I must get this 'plate thing' from Mama, but like her, I love using plates for decorating purposes. This way I can enjoy them, instead of having them packed away somewhere in a box! My sister has several of the same magnolia plates from our grandmother, but she hung them in a grouping in her sunroom and they look wonderful!
I've also been meaning to share some cards that Elisabeth made in the last couple of months. She uses Prismacolor colored pencils. The first photo shows the one she made for Chad on his birthday at the beginning of this month. The front cover looks just like him...in a 'cartoon' kind of way, of course. When Alexander saw her drawing it, he immediately said, "Da-da"!
Now, on the inside you can see various 'scenes' from our family. Daddy with all six of the children in different activities.
And on the last page of the card is a 'family portrait'. Chad and I both agree that Elisabeth made us look really good in cartoon form, as I wouldn't really call these caricatures. I think we look very young! And she labeled it 'The Whole Hee-Haw Gang'...'cause that's what Chad calls us! LOL
Elisabeth and Erin also made up the poem. It goes like this on front cover:
Dear Dad, Six times six is sixty, That's the number of Fingers on us all. We wanted to count The things you do for us Whether big or small! We began the list and weren't even A fraction of the way through, When we faced a little problem... We don't have near enough fingers To list all the things you do!
Then on the inside it says...
So happy, happy birthday! There's so much more we could add! Remember: you're more than just our father, You're our very special Dad!
Needless to say, the card was a HUGE hit with that very special Dad!
And here's another card that she did for my daddy whose birthday is the day before Chad's. I thought the depth of the colors was exceptional.
And last of all, here is the card that she did for Chad and me for our anniversary back in February.
And the inside made me smile. Notice the six tulips coincide with the sizes/ages of our children:
Thank you for visiting with me today, and do head on over to Kelli's blog for more great Show and Tell posts.
Apr. 14, 2008
Christa-Taylor Gift Certificat Give-Away at The Sparrow's Nest
Mrs. Wilt over at The Sparrow's Nest is hosting a great give-away opportunity to win some gift certificates for cute and modest clothing from Christa-Taylor. Here's the link to the give-away post at The Sparrow's Nest.
The first prize will be a $50 gift certificate to spend on your wish list, and the second prize will be a $25 gift certificate to use. . The winners will be drawn on Monday, April 14th...so hurry on over for the details!
Okay, children, today we are going to dissect this owl pellet and find out what the owl last 'dined' upon. Everybody ready??
Hmmmm...fur, fur, bones, bones. Make that teeny-tiny little bones!
More fur, more little bones....
John is very fascinated (or is that disgusted) with the whole activity!
More fur, more bones, and a teeny little skull, mandible, and obvious little rodent teeth! According to our chart, the owl had eaten a.....MOUSE! I know from the photo, the skull might resemble that of a bird. But if the thing was turned around, you would be able to see that the 'pointy' place is not a beak, but two long teeth. Plus, you can tell from the mandible that there are rows of tiny little teeth there as well. And of course, the fur is sort of a give away. LOL
If YOU haven't dissected an owl pellet, what are you waiting for???!!! LOL It was VERY interesting! We read several books about owls and also read an entry from the Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock. All in all a most delightful 'extra' science activity.
Today is Friday! Hmmm...what can that mean? Well, first of all...thank you, Lord, for the pleasures of enjoying a weekend with my family! Secondly, if today is Friday, then yesterday was Thursday. And on Thursday, two fantastic things occurred. First of all, our friend Angelica finished Erin and Elisabeth’s websites. They are AWESOME! You can check them out here if you are interested:
Angelica perfectly captured what the girls originally ‘envisioned’...and E/E were very excited and pleased! They are in the process of getting their blogs up, and then they will link to them from their websites. Thanks, Angelica and Beth, for such a wonderful and special gift for the girls!
Also on Thursday evening, we were the suppertime guests of Beth, Jabin, Lillie, and Becca for a delicious meal of spaghetti and meatballs, (homemade) butter/garlic toast, salad, and an absolutely unbelievable chocolate ‘cobbler’ dessert. It’s a good thing I’ve been walking every day, because the rich, gooey chocolate cobbler was heavenly! Thank you for having us! As usual, EVERTHING was delicious and the company was delightful!
Now...back to today being Friday! Yes...it’s time for Show and Tell over at my good friend Kelli's blog, There's No Place Like Home! It’s been a few weeks since I participated, so I’m excited to share! Today’s Show and Tell is one I’ve been meaning to do for quite a while. In fact, I wanted to do it back in October...then I lost my ‘Show and Tell’. I found it last week, so without further adieu...here it is!
Today I'd like to tell you about my elephant tail hair bracelet. No, that wasn't a typo! LOL First of all, let me share the back story. When I was still teaching second grade in a classroom in a small private school, one of my students came from a rather wealthy family. Her mother's family owned a hunting plantation somewhere in mid-Africa. It's been over thirteen years ago, so I can't remember the country. Oh well, anyway, the little girl's mother told me that she wanted Chad and me to visit the African plantation and do a little 'big game' hunting. Ha! Yeah, right. I could see myself leaving my two little girls (only two children at the time) to fly over to Africa to hunt kudu or chase around elephants, rhinos, etc. Um, sorry, not gonna happen! But still, it was nice of her to offer! LOL
Anyway, one day she contacted me and said that their bush hunting guide was in the States and would it be okay if he came and spoke to my class. How exciting...a real BUSH HUNTER! Now, I'm just a country girl from south Georgia, so please excuse my preconceived notions of what an African bush hunter looked like! LOL But what I envisioned, was not reality. Let me say that when a tall, blond headed young man named Doug wearing khaki pants and a polo shirt (and sporting a south African 'British' accent) stepped into my classroom, I was a bit surprised!
His presentation was unbelievable, and my students loved hearing all about his exciting adventures, his close calls with charging elephants, and escapades while hunting other wild beasts! Believe me, those children (and their teacher) were on the edges of their seats. Doug was one of the best guest speakers I ever met during my entire teaching career.
Before he left, he presented me with a little gift for letting him come to my classroom. It was this adjustable bracelet made from the coarse tail hairs of an elephant. It looks like plastic, and it's very smooth. It's made in such a way that you can slide the two 'knots' closer together to tighten it, or pull them apart to 'loosen' the bracelet to take it off. I must admit that when I've worn it and explained what it's made from, I've gotten a lot of comments. And of course, I always have to share about my visit from an African bush hunter!
Thanks for letting me share, and do head over to Kelli's blog for more great Show and Tell posts!
Added note: Once again, my margins WILL NOT cooperate, and parts of this post are right and others are NOT where I put them! Sheesh!
Eureka! I have found it! The perfect buttermilk biscuit recipe for eatin' AND freezin'! LOL As I said in a previous post, I was trying out different recipes so that we could have frozen biscuits for Chad to pull out and pop in the oven in the mornings. I can 'do' biscuits, but I'm afraid that I'm not a great 'morning person'. And the thought of mixing, patting, and cutting out biscuits at 6:00 or 6:30 am doesn't do a thing for me! So this is the next best option...Chad gets his biscuits, and I get a little more sleep. LOL
Before now, Chad has resorted to buying Schwan's or Pillsbury frozen biscuits for convenience, but I knew I could do the same thing for a lot less money. So yesterday, I mixed, kneaded, rolled, and cut out biscuits for the freezer. I did one test batch that we ate for supper, but I then doubled the recipe again to stock up. This morning we pulled out 10 biscuits from the Ziploc in the freezer, put them on a baking pan, and stuck them in the oven. They were exceptionally good! I was impressed with the texture and taste...and most of all...THE CONVENIENCE!
Here's the recipe I used:
BUTTERMILK BISCUITS FOR EATIN' AND FREEZIN'
Yield: Makes 16 servings
Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup shortening
1 cup buttermilk
Directions:
Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Cut in shortening with pastry blender or fingers until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in buttermilk until mixture forms soft dough that leaves side of bowl.
Turn dough onto a floured surface, knead a few times, then pat or roll out to 1/2 inch thickness. Using a round cutter, cut out biscuits. If planning to bake immediately, put the biscuits into a preheated 450 degree oven for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
Or if you choose, dough can be frozen for later use. Place biscuits on baking sheet lined with wax paper. Freeze about 3 hours or until firm. Remove biscuits; place in airtight freezer container or gallon-sized Ziploc freezer bag. Freeze up to 1 month.
When ready to prepare, preheat oven to 400°F. Place frozen biscuits 1-1/2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.
Every now and then I like to share our menu for a meal, and one of everyone's favorites around here is...breakfast for supper! So tonight's 'vittles' (as Granny from the Beverly Hillbillies liked to say) included:
scrambled eggs
bacon
fried potatoes with onions
homemade cinnamon raisin biscuits with brown sugar glaze
orange juice, milk, or coffee
Since we are trying to find ways to save money, and my husband loves his biscuits in the morning, I have come up with the plan to make and freeze my own biscuits for his 'convenience'...and I don't have to get up as early as he does! He's a VERY early riser. Anyway, I prepared and baked 12 of the 24 cinnamon raisin biscuits, and I froze the other half for later eatin'!
Tomorrow, I am planning a make-and-bake-a-thon for more unbaked biscuits (plain buttermilk), muffins (prepared in muffin liners but frozen unbaked as well), and homemade whole wheat bread for the freezer. After I see how all the recipes turn out, I'll share my results.
Below is the recipe I used for the cinnamon raisin biscuits that is very similar to Hardee's famous version. But I didn't have white powdered sugar, so I improvised with a brown sugar glaze. Delicious! Enjoy!
Cinnamon Raisin Biscuits
4
cups self-rising flour
3/4
cup shortening
2
cups milk or buttermilk
2
teaspoons baking powder
1
teaspoon salt
1
teaspoon baking soda
1/3
cup granulated sugar
3
teaspoons cinnamon
1
cup raisins
Mix flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda and sugar.
Blend in shortening with a fork until mixture is fine.
Add milk and stir until just mixed. Add raisins and mix.
Add cinnamon and mix until swirled through batter. Do not mix batter any more than you have to.
Scrape batter onto well floured surface. Flour top and pat down with hands until 1/2-inch thick.
Cut with 2-inch cutter and place on greased baking pan.
Bake at 400°F for 10-15 minutes until golden brown.
Frost with powdered sugar glaze icing or use brown sugar glaze (below).
Brown Sugar Glaze:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
Combine ingredients in a heavy saucepan, stir, and bring to a boil. Boil about two minutes, stirring occasionally. Let cool to lukewarm and spread on warm biscuits.
Erin enjoys trying new things with her camera. Yesterday, she had the idea to use the magnifying glass in my parents' greenhouse. I thought the results were 'magnificent', beautiful...and extremely 'focused'! LOL Enjoy!
We had a wonderful Sunday worshipping at church, and then enjoying a delicious lunch and delightful afternoon with my parents and my sister and her family! What precious memories we make each year! I thought I'd share just a few photos from our yearly traditional 'family photo shoot'! I pray you'll all have a blessed week!
I'm on a roll for great recipes! Here's another one I think you'll like. I got the idea from Tina at Cherry Hill Cottage, and decided to give it a try. Below is my recipe for Buttermilk Pound Cake, but I followed Tina's directions for making the candy bird's nest complete with eggs to sit atop the cake. However, her nest was much better and more realistic than mine...I think I used more vanilla almond bark than Tina's directions called for. Sort of a blob shape, but oh well, it still tastes good! LOL Plus, I think you can get the idea and catch the vision here despite my over-coated vanilla nest!
Buttermilk Pound Cake
1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
3 cups sugar
5 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 Tbs. vanilla
Cream butter, shortening, eggs, and sugar. Add flour, salt, and baking soda alternately with buttermilk. Mix in vanilla. Pour into a greased and floured bundt pan. Bake 1 hour and 20 minutes at 325 degrees. Let cool and transfer to cake plate.
Bird's Nest:
Melt 16 oz. Candi-Quick (almond bark), and stir in 1 large can Chow Mein noodles. Stir to coat noodles, then form into a nest shape.
Set 'bird's nest' atop the cake and fill with with 'Whoppers' chocolate robin eggs. Yummy. Enjoy!
Added note: I have no idea why my margins are so wacky...I've tried and tried to left align everything except the photo...and it WON'T work! Grrrr!
My cousins own a local strawberry farm, and the strawberries have just started 'coming in' over the last week. On Monday afternoon, I made a quick run over to their place to pick up five pounds of berries for us to enjoy. Ellie helped me make a delicious Strawberry Shortcake for a special treat...a bit of springtime and sunshine in every single bite! This is a very good recipe! Try it out and you'll agree!
STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE
INGREDIENTS:
3 cups flour
Scant 1/2 cup sugar
6 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
dash of nutmeg
2 eggs, well beaten
1 stick of cold butter, cut into small pieces
1/3 cup milk
1 quart fresh strawberries
3/4 to 1 cup brown sugar
small carton of whipping cream, whipped
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Sift. Work in butter with pastry blender or fingertips; add eggs and milk. Mix just until dough is moist. Spoon and spread batter evenly in a buttered and floured 9x13 baking dish. Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes in a 400° oven, or until golden brown.
Let cake cool, then slice into large squares. Put one 'cake' on a serving plate. Split it open, spoon prepared strawberries between layers, add a dollop of whipped cream, and replace top layer. Put another dollop of cream and more strawberries on top
To prepare strawberries an hour to two ahead of time...wash, hull, and slice strawberries into a large bowl. Add brown sugar, stir to coat, and place in refrigerator until time to serve.
Our four-year-old John is a character, and he comes up with some funny stuff! The other day when he had gotten just a little bit out of sorts about something, I said to him, "John, you lost your temper...that's not good." He paused for a minute, gave a little apologetic smile, then said, "That's okay, Mama. I'll find it!" LOL A true 'Art Linkletter' moment!
In a recent comment, Panda Mom asked me a question about Classical-Charlotte Mason homeschooling. I thought I'd include my reply to her in a post just in case it might help someone else. I'm certainly no authority, but at least you can get a better understanding of why this is the 'path' we've chosen to homeschool our children. There is soooo much more than what I've touched on, but it's a start! When I have time, I'll try to come back to this topic again. As I told Panda Mom below, we fall more into the Charlotte Mason camp, but there are certain aspects of Classical learning that I really like. I guess we'd be considered more 'eclectic' homeschoolers than anything! LOL Okay, here it is....
****************************************************************
Hello,
Thanks so much for your comment and question...and please forgive me for just now getting back to you. I've finally found a quiet moment to sit down and get my thoughts together! LOL I applaud you for doing your research on C-CM! Even after eleven years and two children approaching their Senior year, I still like to research/read/review all kinds of homeschooling methods, books, and curriculum. No matter how many years you do this, you will always be learning!
As far as Classical-Charlotte Mason, let me tell you first off that one of the best books on combining the two methods is For The Love of Learningby Jenny Sockey. Subtitle is: Information and Resources for Combining Charlotte Mason and Classical Education. This is a great little book and chock-full of wonderful information and resources. I highly recommend it!
I'll be honest enough to say that we fall more into the Charlotte Mason camp, but there are several things about Classical Education that I like and implement. I love CM because of the 'gentle' style of learning. CM had much wisdom and insight into the minds/learning styles of children. And her emphasis on whole or living books is right-on in my opinion. There is nothing better than letting our children learn from an author who is passionate about his/her subject, instead of little snippets here and there of a greater work. Plus, I like the addition of nature study, art, music, etc. I think those things get pushed aside too often, but they bring much joy and inspiration to children and adults alike. How can we really see the awesome hand of God in creation if we don't spend time 'seeing' and 'learning' what He has done or what He has inspired others to do?! Although our more 'core' subjects take first place in the schedule, I do try to bring in the fine arts/nature study as much as possible!
With Classical Education, I definitely see the benefits of acknowledging the stages of the trivium. With six children, I've seen the natural progression of learning stages too many times to doubt. By knowing this, I've not been too upset (usually-LOL) if one of my children is not 'ready' to 'conquer' a certain idea/concept when *I* think they should. Perhaps they're not ready yet! It WILL come...when it's time! And as a dear friend once told me, it's all about exposure! Sooner or later, all those little bits of information will 'come together' to form the bigger picture...again, when it's time!
I also really like the chronological study of history which is the way we've done it for years. Some of the best resources for this have come from Christine Miller. We love the H.A. Guerber history books that are available on her Nothing New Press website. We also do Latin, and I've seen great benefits from the study of classical languages when it comes to my children's vocabulary! Also as a key component in Classical Education, I do believe that 'mastery' of certain things is very important!
Many people believe that CM probably used (or at least acknowledged) the trivium in her method of education...perhaps not as rigorously as Classical 'purists', but it was still definitely a big thing (and an old path) in her day! She did, however, suggest shorter lessons...but ones that were disciplined, effective and focused on excellence. She also believed that good habits and a rich home learning environment were absolutely key for a stable and well-rounded education. I whole-heartedly agree...but often easier said than done! LOL
Overall, both methods emphasize great books, great minds, and a goal of self-education (mastery)...in my mind, C-CM go hand in hand in this arena! Plus, both methods utilize narration or 'telling back' to aid in retention and comprehension. I love this! If a child can tell you about or write about what he/she has learned while reading, it becomes 'theirs'...and they KNOW it! I've often heard that the best way to learn is to teach. If my child can 'teach' or 'share' with us what he/she has learned, so much the better!
I know I've not done C-CM justice, but it works for us! As I said above, I really love the 'gentle' style of learning 'Charlotte Mason' style. We do A LOT of reading aloud in our home, and even though I do start a formal grammar program around 4th-5th grade, I implement copywork every day...and I've seen benefits from having the children copy the works/words of great writers. When they are exposed to great writing, they will 'pick up' a lot!
Once again, I know I've not done justice to your question, but I hope I've helped in some small way. I think I'll post this answer on my blog...just in case it will help someone else as well. May the Lord bless you as you research and seek His will...and set out on one of the greatest journeys you'll ever experience!
I'm a very happily married pastor's wife, former schoolteacher-turned-homeschool mom of six wonderful blessings, and freelance writer--and we live in the great state of Georgia! I'm a southern girl through and through...but most importantly, I'm a child of the King! This is my place to record thoughts about homemaking, our eleventh year of Classical-Charlotte Mason based homeschooling, writing around the fringes of family life, and more...so welcome to my little corner of the world!
~Planning Time at the Kitchen Table~
~A Mother's Day gift from my children several years ago~
~Buttermilk Biscuits...mm mm good~
