TaDa! Here it is. I am loving this blogging venue and have big plans for some blog designs. But, for now, if you are a long time friend or some of my family members that follow my blog, I hope you've found me.
In honor of my new bloggy home, I am hosting a giveaway. I have recently read some great books and will pass them on to you, my faithful readers, if you enter in the comments below. I have The Note by Angela Hunt, Truth Teller by Angela Hunt, and My Heart's at Home by Jill Savage.
Here is how the giveaway will work:
Points will be awarded for the following:
5 entries for leaving me a comment here
3 entries for subscribing to my feed
3 entries for letting me know how you found my blog (Were you my friend before, are you a family member, did you read about me on someone else's blog?)
3 entries if you pass on the word by sharing this giveaway on your blog and linking back here
On Wednesday, November 26 (which is my birthday by the way), I will enter your name as many times as you have earned and have one of my lovely children randomly draw three names. If you'd like to have a specific book, let me know that in your comment. Otherwise, I will randomly determine what book each winner receives.
Doesn't this sound like fun? So, enter and tell your friends. If you are my family members who read and don't comment (you know who you are), this should draw you out of the woodwork.
Dec. 2, 2008 - Tightwad Tuesday - Homemade Christmas Gifts
Here is a cheap, but classy decoration:
Here it is with the bathroom lights turned off:
One thing that is nice in the winter, when it gets dark so early, is that I can plug in this light and it gives off light into the dark hallway for us. With the potpourri, it even adds a nice scent. Once the potpourri loses its scent, I pour a few drops of essential oil into the jar. I usually replace the potpourri once or twice a year. (Honestly, the pictures don't do this idea justice.)
I bought the jar for a couple of dollars at Dollar General. I got the lights and the potpourri for $1.00. I used a doily I already had for the top, so no extra money spent there. I also used some ribbon I had here to loop through the lace to help the lace stay in place.
This is a Christmas gift idea that even the kids can help make. 
Here are some gifts in a jar I made. One is cappuccino and the other is ginger spice muffin mix:
I got these mugs for 15 cents each and put scented massage oil in a bottle and stuck in one mug. In another container, I have candy cane bath salts, stuck down inside the other mug:
Here are two completed gift baskets:
Here is a picture of some Christmas plates I got really cheap. I bought 4 and paid only 55 cents each. I went back to the place a couple of days later and they had them marked down to 25 cents a plate, so I got two more. I just love them!
~~ Stacy ~~
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Dec. 1, 2008 - Homeschool Spotlight - The 50 States
Thank you, Robyn, for sharing this tip on an earlier Tightwad Tuesday post.
Go to Our 50 Great States. After signing up to receive their e-mails, you will receive two states every week. The e-mail comes complete with links for printables, fun things to create in the kitchen from that state and a printable quiz!!! And the best part... It's all free!!!
~~ Stacy ~~
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Nov. 30, 2008 - Snow!
We have snow! When I checked the Weather Channel, they were saying snow, freezing rain, and sleet. I opted to stay home from church since our church is on the other side of town. We have to travel the local highway to get there, and early on Sunday mornings, there is not a lot of traffic. I thought the lack of traffic may lead to the roads being a bit more treacherous and didn't want to risk our safety. Plus, I knew dd would want to be home to play in the snow! By 7:30 this morning, I had my bed stripped and had cleaned the room, as well as washed the nic-nacs in there. I figured if I'm going to be home, I might as well be productive! Next, I made whole wheat cinnamon waffles and fried eggs. With the snow, it just seems like one of those mornings where you should eat something hot instead of cold cereal. On Friday, I got most of our Christmas gifts wrapped. I have a few more to dig out of the closet, but just haven't wanted to tackle that one yet. Friday evening, I took dd out to see about getting her some new boots. I got her a pair of $75 boots for less than $28. I also got a mini hand sanitizer and an 11 oz. thing of vanilla bean body cream from Bath & Body Works for only .69! Saturday, I took my mom out to do some of her Christmas shopping. It was so much fun to spend someone else's money! One thing we noticed while shopping is that our Target store is MUCH cheaper on toys than Walmart. We were shocked by that. So ladies, be sure to watch those prices! Dd wants to make some Christmas goodies. We have been brainstorming on what to do. We are thinking about making pumpkin bread, dipping small pretzels in white chocolate, making Reese peanut butter tarts (that is dd's favorite), cookies, and chex mix. My next thought was to invite dh's side of the family over about a week before Christmas so we could fellowship and enjoy dd's treats. She is really getting to that age where she likes to decorate and bake special things. Though money is tight right now, I do think it is a worthy investment in her to allow her the opportunity to do this, especially since she has mentioned it several times. Dd recently attended a candy-making class, so that is all she's talked about lately. I'm thinking perhaps I should investigate doing my own candy-making class for some of the homeschoolers. It seemed to be a real hit at the class they took, but they didn't get to take much home or make very many items. Have a blessed Sunday! I'll post my Monday Meme sometime later this afternoon. I decided to add some pictures of our snow. The first one was taken while looking out our front window:
That is my kind of shopping! Thank you, Linda, for keeping R for me while Mom and I went shopping. We had a great time. (Though my back isn't quite sure about that. I have a feeling I'll be seeing the chiropractor this week.)
Dh peeking around the garage:
DD ducking a snowball from dad: (Notice the snowball in her hand.)
And the snowball fight is on:
Dh preparing to throw a shovel of snow at dd:
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Nov. 28, 2008 - Show & Tell -- Christmas decorations
Welcome to our home! I hope you enjoy viewing our Christmas decorations.
Dd did most of the decorating this year. We always keep a nativity under the tree as a reminder of why we celebrate the season. Here is a close-up shot of our nativity:
I got these holiday pictures several years ago for only $1.00 each! I was quite happy with my bargain because they really add a cozy touch to our family room.
My mom bought this fiber-optic Christmas tree for me for my birthday a couple of years ago. (My birthday is December 6.) The Santa and Mrs. Claus used to be my mom's. She gave them to me because I thought they were so cute. I know a lot of people don't like the Santa idea, but I've taught dd all about who St. Nicholas was and how he was added to the Christmas season. She understands that Christmas is not about Santa.
Close-up view:
I got these coasters last year for only $3 at Big Lots. I love the Santa basket because we can easily put pens and pencils in there and have easy access to them for school.
Here is another tree I've had for many years. I got it at an after-Christmas sale. It has some really neat things around the base of the tree.
Here is our kitchen table, decorated with a centerpiece that dd made at her Keepers at Home class last year:
I think dd enjoys adding the magnets to the fridge the most!
Here is another shot of our kitchen:
This is dd's fiber-optic tree that she bought several years ago:
On the cedar chest where the above tree is, I have a village:
DD wanted me to show you what we put on top of the church:
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Nov. 27, 2008 - Happy Thanksgiving!
I wanted to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving.
We will be heading over to my parents' house today to join the extended family. I doubt that we will be staying too long because we think dd has a cracked rib. She has been in constant pain since late Tuesday afternoon.
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Nov. 25, 2008 - Tightwad Tuesday - book sale & menu planning
One way I try to cut down on homeschool expenses is by visiting the annual library book sale. This year, our library let educators have first pick of the books -- even home educators!
I found a steal while I was there! We just started using Beautiful Feet Medieval History, which can be quite pricey. I found:
for only a quarter! I was quite pleased!
I also found the Fix-it-and-Forget-it Cookbook, plus the video of Anne Frank, Get Out of that Pit by Beth Moore, and a whole lot more! Plus, I found a couple of books that are loaded with tips to use in future Tightwad Tuesdays! 
So be sure to come back for more tips!
So be sure to come back for more tips!Another thing I found that will make a great gift for dd's hope chest is a couple of recipe books that were in mint condition. They are actually church cookbooks -- the kind done as a fundraiser. In fact, one of them is from my old church, and the recipes I submitted were under my MAIDEN name! That was over 20 years ago! I plan to save them as Christmas gifts for this year. 
I plan to save them as Christmas gifts for this year. MENU PLANNING:
One thing that has helped me save money is to have a menu plan. I make out my grocery list at the same time I make my menu plan. I "plan" by looking at the meat sales. Since I have a grocery list, I am focused on it, rather than the tempting items the stores place in prominent locations, and that helps me to spend less money.
Here is a photo of my menu. I only plan our evening meal, and I usually only plan the main dish. I have a separate list of "cheap" meals that I use to fill in 2-3 meals each week. Also, when I have used a meal, I "X" it. When I don't use a meal, I circle it so that I knew I can use it later.
Here is another tool I use. I have listed all the types of meat I use. On the left side, I stroke tally how many of that item I have. As I plan my menu, I cross off each time I use one of the items on my menu. On the right side, again, I stroke tally how many I have of each item. Each time I pull one of those items from the freezer, I cross it off so it helps me to always know what I have on hand, without needing to take a frequent inventory of my freezer.
~~ Stacy ~~
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Nov. 24, 2008 - Homeschool Spotlight - Books
I am posting this really early because I took a hard fall on Saturday. As the day progressed, the pain increased. My lower back, my right wrist, and right foot/ankle have been in pain all day. Now that evening has set in, the rest of my body is beginning to feel sore. I wanted this to be up early, just in case I don't feel like getting online for a few days.
Instead of spending so much money on books to read, use your library! Here are some links to reading lists from actual homeschool curriculum to give you some ideas on what kinds of books are appropriate:
- 100 Picture Books
- Newberry Medal and Honor Books
- Caldecott Medal and Honor Books
- Sonlight Curriculum Readers
- American Historical Fiction
- World Historical Fiction
- College Bound Reading List
You can also look at the table of contents in reading textbooks to see what stories the text contains. Then, borrow the entire book from the library.
For high school literature:
Let your student read one chapter of several books that are recommended for high school, then let them pick which books they would like to read in their entirety. This way, they will feel they have some control over what they have to study. Plus, they will be less likely to pick a book that is so terribly boring to them. You could also try to find some online study guides to the books your student picks.
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Nov. 22, 2008 - New Contest
There is a contest taking place on the blog in the link below. I am posting it here for others who may be interested in it. Please click on the link below to be taken to the blog where the contest is taking place. (Just to clarify -- it is not a contest I am running.)
Open House and Giveaway
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Nov. 21, 2008 - Friday Show & Tell - More Bracelets
DD and I made some more bracelets last weekend. It was so much fun! I love being creative like this!
DD's bracelets:
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Nov. 18, 2008 - Tightwad Tuesday - cutting expenses
Here is a website where you find the grocery deals for your area:
http://www.menus4moms.com/kitchen/my_grocery_deals.php
On another forum I visit, we were discussing ways to cut the grocery bill even more. I found the discussion quite enlightening. I picked up a few hints I hadn't thought of. I wanted to share it with you in hopes of giving you some new ideas.
Here are my own ideas:
Dh and I discussed ways to try and cut the grocery bill even more. I was surprised that he was OK with my suggestions. Here is what I suggested:
-- a night where we eat grilled cheese or grilled peanut butter sandwiches and a baked potato or canned veggies,
-- "breakfast" night -- it is still cheaper than doing a typical evening meal: pancakes, waffles, eggs and pepperoni brunch (I'll have to post that recipe later), omelets,
-- tuna sandwiches - Here is my recipe: Take some canned tuna and drain it. Add some seasonings to it. Mix in a little mayo. Spread open a small sub bun and add the tuna mixture. Top with mozzarella cheese. Do not put the top piece of the bread on it! Bake in the oven at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. They are really good -- very similar to the tuna sandwiches from Mancinos.
-- We are already doing salmon patties at least twice a month. It makes two meals for us. Again, a very inexpensive meal.
-- Here are some other ideas for cheap meals: canned soup (if you already have it in the pantry, beans. I recently decided to cut the meat I add to my beans in 1/2. It will save me even more money. Homemade pizza, hot dogs (we get turkey hot dogs for .99) and sauce (I use my homemade version - click on the recipes category for the recipe.), tuna helper - you can often find coupons and the stores frequently have them on sale, so you save even more money.
And now, here are tips from some other ladies:
#2:
I take from the meal before I serve it. If I have chicken, I take one breast and cut it up and use it in a couple of days with cream of chicken soup over mashed potatoes and rolls.
#3
I used to be very wasteful with left-overs, but not anymore. If we don't eat it we freeze it for another time.
#4
I cut out coupons, print coupons from the web.We are limited in what we can eat due to dietary limitations of dd,but there are cheerios coupons....I also use mygrocerydeal.com to compare sale prices. I did do a baked potato night, grew some veggies, have lots of herbs that I will dry for the winter. We save off ALL meat broth. DD can't have the commercial stuff anyway. I also save the fat separately, after they freeze. I will use the fat to make pie crusts for quiche or other savory recipes. I used the broths tonight to make chicken soup. It's good. Broth, leftover pasta, leftover chicken and frozen veggie bits and red pepper from our garden. yummy. I also go to couponmom.com for great sale ideas from rite aid and CVS and Walgreens. I have made bean burgers before. Not a great hit with hubby though. I save all bread heels and make croutons of them. Bread crumbs, from slicing homemade bread are saved and used in cooking at times.
#5
Have beans at least once a week -- they're great protein, full of soluble fiber and very, very inexpensive. 
Use meat as a condiment rather than a main dish and you'll get the flavor you love without spending nearly as much money.
#6
Use meat as a condiment rather than a main dish and you'll get the flavor you love without spending nearly as much money.
#6
We have bean or potato soup very often in the spring or fall. I serve some sort of hot bread with it (muffins, biscuits, whatever I feel like making). This is really filling, really inexpensive, and easy to make lots of . . . so there are leftovers for the following day's lunch. It's my family's favorite type of meal.
It's a good way to stretch a little of leftover meat, too. Just chop up whatever meat you have and toss it in there. It will be good, whatever it is!
If I'm out of baking powder or short on time, I make parmesan toast to serve with soup. I spread margarine on one side of a slice of store bought bread and sprinkle it with parmesan cheese. (Use lots and sort of press it into the margarine.) Then, I grill it for just thirty seconds or so . . . just until it starts to brown. I don't cook the opposite side. On my big grill, I can do eight slices of this at a time, so I can have sixteen slices of parmesan toast on a platter, ready for the table, in no time at all.
It's a good way to stretch a little of leftover meat, too. Just chop up whatever meat you have and toss it in there. It will be good, whatever it is!
If I'm out of baking powder or short on time, I make parmesan toast to serve with soup. I spread margarine on one side of a slice of store bought bread and sprinkle it with parmesan cheese. (Use lots and sort of press it into the margarine.) Then, I grill it for just thirty seconds or so . . . just until it starts to brown. I don't cook the opposite side. On my big grill, I can do eight slices of this at a time, so I can have sixteen slices of parmesan toast on a platter, ready for the table, in no time at all.
#7
If your family doesn't like beans, or if it takes too long to cook them, try lentils! They only take half an hour or so to cook and don't have such a "bean-y" taste. (I think they are technically peas?) A couple of strips of leftover bacon or ham chopped up in there tastes good, but we like it best with a handful of browned ground beef tossed in.
#8
One thing I used to do was keep a container in the freezer and put leftover veggies,potatoes,pasta and even roast and gravy in the container. When it gets full you can add some canned tomatoes and have delicious homemade vegetable soup. You can even put in leftover mashed potatoes and they will thicken the soup.
#9
The More With Less Cookbook has some really great ideas for stretching meats. I can get 2-5 meals out of one whole chicken. The first meal might be roasted and we eat the breast. Then I boil the carcass and pick off the meat. The broth and some meat go into a container for soup. I will keep one container of just broth. And then if there is enough, I'll put enough meat into a container for chicken and biscuits - sometimes I'll throw another chicken breast in to make enough meat for that one. Or I use the remaining meat in stir fry.
#10
We often make chili for supper and the little bit the next day (it's always better the second day isn't it?) we add rice or whole grain pasta. The flavors are still awesome.
We eat beans and rice made in the slow cooker. That too is like meat flavored rather than a meal of meat with side dishes.
I take some chicken and cut it up like you would for chicken salad and put it in the pasta sauce for making chicken quesidillas. (sp?)
We eat beans and rice made in the slow cooker. That too is like meat flavored rather than a meal of meat with side dishes.
I take some chicken and cut it up like you would for chicken salad and put it in the pasta sauce for making chicken quesidillas. (sp?)
My sister gave me a bunch of containers from her Gerber baby food and my daughters have been loving making the store brand pudding and their own versions of parfaits with yogurt and fruit. It's also helping them with portion control and makes the snacks go much further.
#11
A friend of mine who lives in the country said they recently got some 
and a rooster just so they could quit buying eggs at the grocery store. Chickens don't eat much, from what she said. In fact, she doesn't even have to give them "feed' until winter. They find the food they need just walking around the property.
and a rooster just so they could quit buying eggs at the grocery store. Chickens don't eat much, from what she said. In fact, she doesn't even have to give them "feed' until winter. They find the food they need just walking around the property. #12
One thing that I found helped me a lot, was to buy larger packs of ground beef and as soon as they come in the door divide them up. I use saran wrap and make patties of approximately 1/4 pound each wrapped. Then I put them into a gallon sized Ziploc bag. When making spaghetti sauce or chili, if I would ordinarily have used a pound of ground beef--I began using 1/4 pound instead. It makes very little difference in taste and dividing the meat up like that means that it makes a lot more meals and keeps down temptation to use more than is needed.
If you can find a nice ham for about $10...cook that up for Sunday dinner. Resist the temptation to put that lovely looking hunk of meat on the table to dress it up--instead slice it up and leave just enough for each person to have a nice slice. Before it goes anywhere...divide it up. Think meals. Put a bit in saran wrap for lots of meals. Put all of the bits in a Ziploc bag and put in the freezer. You can take out just what you need for a meal! Sunday night put beans on the stove to soak. Monday...add one pkg of the ham, an onion, bell pepper, salt and pepper and cook slowly until the beans are tender. Serve with corn bread for a delicious meal. SAVE THE LEFTOVER BEANS. Tuesday...use leftover beans and add 1/4 pound of hamburger and make chili. Use leftover chili the next day for lunch served over baked potatoes. Other uses for leftover ham: chopped and sprinkled on a quiche, added to veggie soup, make a pizza crust and place ham onto half of crust, add broccoli or spinach and onions and cheese of choice fold over, pinch sides and bake. That one ham can provide 10 or 12 meals for your family!
If you find a corned beef on sale.....instead of placing entire roast on table...divide out portions and freeze. A nice corned beef can also make many meals (not as many as a ham...but still fairly cheap.
Buying a whole chicken and cutting it up yourself is much cheaper than buying one pre-cut.
If you can find a nice ham for about $10...cook that up for Sunday dinner. Resist the temptation to put that lovely looking hunk of meat on the table to dress it up--instead slice it up and leave just enough for each person to have a nice slice. Before it goes anywhere...divide it up. Think meals. Put a bit in saran wrap for lots of meals. Put all of the bits in a Ziploc bag and put in the freezer. You can take out just what you need for a meal! Sunday night put beans on the stove to soak. Monday...add one pkg of the ham, an onion, bell pepper, salt and pepper and cook slowly until the beans are tender. Serve with corn bread for a delicious meal. SAVE THE LEFTOVER BEANS. Tuesday...use leftover beans and add 1/4 pound of hamburger and make chili. Use leftover chili the next day for lunch served over baked potatoes. Other uses for leftover ham: chopped and sprinkled on a quiche, added to veggie soup, make a pizza crust and place ham onto half of crust, add broccoli or spinach and onions and cheese of choice fold over, pinch sides and bake. That one ham can provide 10 or 12 meals for your family!
If you find a corned beef on sale.....instead of placing entire roast on table...divide out portions and freeze. A nice corned beef can also make many meals (not as many as a ham...but still fairly cheap.
Buying a whole chicken and cutting it up yourself is much cheaper than buying one pre-cut.
#13
Ham can be sliced an pulled out in little amounts to put in split pea soup, Cheese potatoes and ham(small cubes and not very many) used for Chef's salad, and mixed in a potato salad. I also like to have a little to throw on my homemade pizza.
#14
#14
I use powdered milk when a recipe or boxed meal calls for milk. Add 1/3 cup powdered milk per cup of water. It is cheaper and again it saves me time because I use hot water from the tap and that gets my stuff going faster than having to heat up a cup of cold milk in whatever I am making.
We like a package of cooked hamburger added to brown gravy and then pour over cooked rice. That is pretty cheap eats.
When we make taco meat for tacos I add canned corn and some beans to the mix to make it go farther.
I made meatloaf out of frozen turkey last week and it was a big hit. Hide some canned vegetables and use up the dried up biscuits from the day before and that makes it pretty inexpensive.
We like a package of cooked hamburger added to brown gravy and then pour over cooked rice. That is pretty cheap eats.
When we make taco meat for tacos I add canned corn and some beans to the mix to make it go farther.
I made meatloaf out of frozen turkey last week and it was a big hit. Hide some canned vegetables and use up the dried up biscuits from the day before and that makes it pretty inexpensive.
#15
Last week I cooked up two bags of pinto beans on the stove. When they were close to being done, I added a pouch of onion soup mix for flavoring. After cooling, I put about 1 1/2 - 2 cups of beans in sandwich bags, labeled, placed all in a gallon freezer bag and froze them. I did the same with some brown rice. Last night I heated up 2 bags of rice, 1 bag of beans and a bag of cooked sausage I had in the freezer. I added some taco like seasonings and a couple of beef bullion cubes for flavor.
And one final one: PRAY before going shopping. Ask the Lord to help you find the best deals in the store. If you are wanting meat that isn't on sale, pray to find some that has at least been marked down.
Also linked to Ship Full of Pirates.
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Nov. 17, 2008 - Homeschool Spotlight - Unschooling websites for high school
FREE HOME SCHOOL CURRICULUM:
http://www.booksamaritan.com/
http://www.booksamaritan.com/
Home/unschooling -- home/unschooling high school and college.
http://www.nheri.org/
http://www.hslda.org/
http://ulfaq.home.comcast.net/~ulfaq/ULfaq.html
http://info.nbtsc.org/schoolfree/
http://www.homeschool.com/advisors/McKee/default.asp
http://homeschool.lifetips.com/
http://sandradodd.com/tv
http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/
http://www.youcanhomeschool.org/starthere/default.asp?bhcp=1
Home school curriculum companies and discount suppliers:
http://www.angelfire.com/or/mtdewbydo/secularcurric.html
http://www.nheri.org/
http://www.hslda.org/
http://ulfaq.home.comcast.net/~ulfaq/ULfaq.html
http://info.nbtsc.org/schoolfree/
http://www.homeschool.com/advisors/McKee/default.asp
http://homeschool.lifetips.com/
http://sandradodd.com/tv
http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/
http://www.youcanhomeschool.org/starthere/default.asp?bhcp=1
Home school curriculum companies and discount suppliers:
http://www.angelfire.com/or/mtdewbydo/secularcurric.html
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Nov. 15, 2008 - Please sign this petition!
Please sign the petition against the Freedom of Choice Act. One of Barack Obama's first moves is to remove all restrictions on abortions, plus make tax payers pay for abortions. We need to bombard Congress to let them know we do not want this.
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Nov. 14, 2008 - Show & Tell Friday - bracelets and my mug
Here are some bracelets I made recently:
Here is one dd made:
If money and space were no object, I would collect mugs for every season. There are so many neat ones out there. I found this one at the Salvation Army store for 59 cents:
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Nov. 11, 2008 - Tightwad Tuesday - Apple Recipes
Since I featured our apple orchard field trip on Friday, I thought I would follow up with some terrific recipes for using apples:
Apple Dumplings
1-1/2 c. sugar
1-1/2 c. water
1/4 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg
Combine those ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
Once it starts to boil, add 3 T. margarine and set aside.
2 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
2/3 c. crisco
1/2 c. milk
Stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut in crisco. Add milk and stir until flour is moistened. Roll out on floured surface to form a rectangle. Cut into squares. Place apples in center. Sprinkle with cinnamon, sugar, and nutmeg. Dot with margarine. Pull up the corners and seal. Put in an ungreased pan. Pour syrup over the top. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes.
Apple Pizza
Pastry: 2-1/4 c. flour, 2/3 c. + 2 T. crisco, 1 t. salt. Mix with pastry blender until crumbly.
Add: 5 T. cold water and mix with a fork and form a ball with the dough. Roll out to a 12-13 inch circle. Ease onto round, greased pizza pan. Flute and seal edge.
Peel , core, and slice 5-6 green apples. Spread apples over the dough.
1/2 c. sugar
1 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg
Stir together and sprinkle over apples.
Crumble topping: 3/4 c. flour 1/2 c. sugar 1/2 c. firm margarine or butter. Mix until crumbly and sprinkle over apples. Bake at 450 degrees for 40-45 minutes.
Swiss Apple Pudding
4 lg. apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
1 c. flour
1 c. sugar
3/4 t. baking powder
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. ginger
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/8 t. cloves
1 egg
1/4 c. margarine
1/2 c. water
Place apples in a greased casserole dish. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and spices. Add egg. Mix until crumbly. Cover apples with this mixture. Dot with margarine and sprinkle with water. Bake @ 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Can serve with ice cream or whipped cream.
Caramel Apple Dumplings
Sauce:
1-1/2 c. water, 1 c. packed brown sugar, 2 T. margarine, 1 t. vanilla, 1/2 t. salt
Dumplings:
1-1/4 c. flour, 1/4 c. sugar, 1-1/2 t. baking powder, 1/2 c. milk, 2 T. margarine (melted), 1 t. vanilla, 1 c. diced, peeled apples
In saucepan, combine sauce ingredients; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. For the dumplings, combine flour, sugar and baking powder in a large bowl. Add milk, marg., and vanilla; stir just until moistened. Gently fold in apples. Drop by heaping teaspoons into the boiling sauce. Cover and cook over low until a knife inserted comes out clean. (8-12 minutes) Yield: 6 servings.
Here is another tip I have recently learned: I know many of us don't care for vaccines because of the ingredients in many of them. My friend Kate suggested taking vitamin D3. Take at least 2000 IUs, but it's better to increase it to 4000 IUs during flu season. It will boost your immune system, and hopefully, keep you from getting the flu. Investing in this tip can save you a lot of money, especially those who have large families. Once one person gets it, it quickly spreads to the whole family, and often leads to more serious things like bronchitis and pneumonia. So take your D3 vitamins!
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Nov. 10, 2008 - Homeschool Spotlight - High school helps
HIGH SCHOOL HELPS
Free transcript:
Free SAT help:
Online SAT study guides:
Diplomas online:
CLEP:
Free periodic table software:
http://www.qualitysciencelabs.com/estore/product.php?productid=10&cat=6&page=1
Homeschooling through high school kit from HSLDA:
http://www.hslda.org/highschool/before.asp - You can also sign up for their email newsletter on homeschooling through high school
Free help with algebra, American government, biology, calculus, physics, etc:
http://www.in.gov/ssaci/programs/21st/21cs_how.html
Helpful ideas
For a health credit, you could do the following:
1 - Complete a scholarly research paper on a health topic
2 - Developed a brochure and flyer on "Bird Flu Prevention"
3 - Take a Red Cross CPR class.
A few ideas for fine arts credits:
graphics/visual arts, photography, film, crafts, music, dance, drama, theater, clogging
Algebra acronym:
To remember the order of operations in algebra:
Please
Excuse
My Dear
Aunt Sally
(Parentheses, Exponents, Multiply and Divide, then Add and Subtract.)
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/psat/about.html
http://www.collegeanswer.com/index.jsp
http://www.washington.edu/doit/Brochures/Academics/cprep.html
http://www.ribghe.org/choosing.htm
http://www.globallearningstrategies.org/default.php
http://www.studentloanfunding.com/index.html
Algebra and geometry
http://www.algebasics.com/index.html
http://www.wtamu.edu/academic/anns/mps/math/mathlab/beg_algebra/index.htm
http://www.mathleague.com/help/algebra/algebra.htm
http://www.purplemath.com/internet.htm
http://www.algebrahelp.com/index.jsp
http://www.math.com/practice/algebra.html
http://math.usask.ca/emr/menu_alg1.html
http://library.thinkquest.org/J002441F/index.htm?tqskip1=1&tqtime=0217
http://www.saab.org/mathdrills/md.cgi
http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/p_test/pro_test.html
http://www.freemathhelp.com/geometry.html
Driver's Ed:
http://www.dmv.org/drivers-ed.php
http://calbar.ca.gov/state/calbar/calbar_extend.jsp?cid=10581&id=2174
http://www.statefarm.com/insurance/claim_center/auto/ins_claims_auto_afteraccident.asp
http://www.dmoz.org/Kids_and_Teens/Teen_Life/Driver%27s_Education/Manuals/
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Nov. 7, 2008 - Apple Orchard
I have several things to show today.
Apple Orchard Field Trip:
This first photo is of the apples, just after they have been washed by the machine. They go down to an area where someone looks through them, pulling out any that are damaged.
This next picture was taken in the store:
Next, he showed us a fake beehive and demonstrated how it works. When there are too many bees in the hive, the queen knows to lay a "queen" egg. When that queen hatches and grows to maturity, the two queen bees fight over the hive. Whoever wins, keeps the hive. Whoever loses, leaves. Half of the bees will leave with the losing queen. The other half stays with the hive. Isn't our Creator God amazing in how He made the bees?
Also, in the winter, the drone would eat too much food in the hive, so they kick him out. But in the meantime, the queen has laid another drone egg so the hive will continue on the next spring.
During the winter, there is a tiny opening at the bottom of the hive. This is so the bees can discard any dead bees. The bees are very clean and they don't want any carcasses defiling their clean hive.
In this next photo, we were on a hay ride. The gentleman took us all around the apple trees, as well as showing us the live beehives.
The real beehives:
Just an FYI on using honey. If your honey crystallizes, do NOT put it in the microwave. It will kill all the nutrients in the honey. Instead, put it in a pan of heated water and it will soften the honey so you can use it again.