St. Patrick, Mosquitoes, Ginger Ale, and more!

We have renewed vigor and are moving forward with momentum! There were many days I didn't feel like doing any work... and so we didn't! But now, with the end in site, we press forward!

We got a slow start with history this year, and it took us awhile to cover Ancient Egypt. I just wanted to be thorough and incorporate a timeline with Biblical history and figures as well. They completed a lapbook, which you see here in my pictures.

In March, for the first time ever we studied St. Patrick. With the help of library books and a literature unit study, St Patrick's Day in the morning. They all enjoyed this one as we played Sweetshop (involving treats and money), tried ginger ale from real glass bottles, and made charts from the math we did with jellybeans!

Aside from our regular Math and English studies I plan on doing some fun, less structured, unit studies mostly involving science and nature study.Spring is such a great time for getting outside and doing nature study with note booking and journals.

As you may have guessed, we studied seeds, parts of the seed, and the young plant. As part of studying plants, we learned more about the Sun, its parts, and how it affects our world.

I am excited to start the Outdoor Hour Challenge: Crop Plants. It has activities related to Clover, Corn, Strawberries, Pumpkins, Tomatoes, to name a few. I have purchased notebook pages to go along with this challenge. Here is a sample, in case some of you are interested.

Maybe I am being too ambitious, but I also want to do this lesson from the Outdoor Hour Challenge Summer series: Mosquitoes and World of Smell.

We only have about 5 weeks left of school, so I better get a move on!

Seedlings wk 3

As you can see, one of our bean plants has taken off!! I don't know what to do with it... Should I replant it in a bigger pot?... as its too early to be outdoors. Maybe I should take a small wooden dowel and stake it? Would it start to climb the dowel? I don't know... My starter pots are shallow, they cant possibly make for a good root system? Then we have our newest additions... Aren't they so cute? We have pumpkins seeds in them. I saw it in the Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Comstock and fell in love with it! (As a side note, I follow another homeschooling mom's blog which uses that book for the Outdoor Hour Challenge and many other activities such as nature journals! ) I really hope the seeds do well in my sweet egg pots. A friend of mine asked me what the benefit was to them... I'm not sure. She wondered if it added extra calcium to the soil once you transplant them. I saved the shells one morning when I was cooking eggs for breakfast. Carefully I cracked each one. Then took a needle and pierced the shells along the crack lines. That made it easy to take the tops off. If anyone has any helpful hints on raised gardens, Id appreciate the suggestions! Mike has staked out the area and is beginning to price lumber. Its the fill that will be expensive we feel, and are trying to cut down on cost. I suggested we look into the town soil and get a truckload dumped. What have you done?

Seedlings- wk. 2

I was behind in my blogging, so week 1 and 2 got posted a day from each other! No, I don't have miracle grow plants...

I promise I wont post this weeks growth till after next Friday:)

Our Bean, Squash, and Cucumbers have taken right off!

We already decided to increase the size of our garden this year, but now are debating if we want raised beds or not?...

Mike has been very encouraging, and really wants me to have a nice crop this year.

(Mostly in his efforts to save money, I think;)

Seedlings- wk.1

Eggplant,

Beans,

Tomatoes,

Cucumbers,

Sweet Peppers,

Broccoli,

Zucchini,

and Snap Peas currently growing.

We put 2 seeds in each pot and after the first true leaves appeared, cut back the shoots that were not the strongest.

Spring!

Spring is a busy very time in our home school! We are busy trying to fit in anything important we might have missed. I feel the crunch, as do most hs moms to squeeze in as much as we can before NYS mandatory testing in April. William is being tested at the fourth grade level this year. I'm a little anxious, trying not to let it show.

Every Friday we go to group lessons with our LEAH home school support group. William is taking Art, Wiggle cars, and Recorder/ Music class. Griffin is taking Gym, Music, and Cup Stacking. Breanna and Matthew are both in the PreK classes. Involving Games, Fitness and Movement, and Dough. Each family is to volunteer their time and teach a class when able. I usually am in the nursery, have taught Art in the past, but this session I am leading one of the Pre K classes. Dough, Dough, and more Dough. Each week they will work with a different homemade play dough. In the line up we have: Oatmeal, Nutty Butter, Rubbery, Chocolate and Kool-aid Play dough. Most are edible. Doesn't that sound like fun?

This year for the first time ever, we started our garden indoors from seeds. My friend Lauren came over with her 3 kids and we had a seed planting. I bought a starter kit for cheap at Walmart, but she is more thrifty than I (and I mean that in a good way!) and uses newspaper wraps for her pots. Really a neat idea and they were so cute! Our plants have taken right off! I will post our progress weekly.

Tomato Soup sans msg or milk

I have been on the look out for tomato soup at the store that doesn't have MSG or made with milk. Its hard to find! So I made my own alternative...
Using tomato paste as a base, you can make just about any soup you want!
I tried a plain Tomato Basil last week. After simmering for a while I pureed the diced tomatoes I had added, then returned it back to the pot. It was nice, but I wanted something with a little more substance.
This week using the tomato paste as a base again I made
Vegetable Garden Tomato soup.
tomato paste
(hint- you don't need very much of it, I used one 14 oz can for both recipes)
left over brown rice
kale
spiral gluten free noodles
carrots
2 vegetable bouillon cubes
1 tbls brown sugar
garlic
5 cups of water

Cooking the noodles in the broth gives this soup a nice 'creamy' texture that I was missing from the plain tomato basil recipe. The kale holds up when cooked and doesn't get too mushy, and adds a nice touch of green color.
I served my self some topped with shredded rice cheese and fried polenta today for a mid morning snack. Delicious!

Ice cream, salads and more...

There are certain foods I am definitely addicted to now!

Rice Dream Organic (non-dairy frozen) Mango coconut is to die for!
And I cant seem to put the Cocoa Marble fudge down till its too late...
For being a rice milk product they are surprisingly creamy and flavorful.
It uses agave as a sweetener, which is so much healthier for you.

I make a salad every day! not just any salad...
Field Greens
Baby Spinach
strawberries or raisins
avocado (a must!)
tomatoes (mostly Roma's)
radishes (not always)
bean sprouts ( Mike likes those better than I...)
chick peas
black olives
I actually crave these salads now, and feel so good after eating!
Sometimes that is my meal!
I top them off with olive oil, red wine vinegar sprinkled, coarse sea salt and finely ground pepper.
A special thanks to my mil who gave me the idea for the salad dressing.
Also to Betsy for the avocado and Roma tomato.

Gluten free- Vegan Cornbread made with banana is a recipe I stumbled on.
My brother got me a great gf cookbook a couple years ago and I noticed it also has a 'V' by some of the recipes. The cornbread actually calls for 1 egg but I substituted a banana instead and it is so moist and stays moist! It doesn't dry out like most gf baked goods. I make it in a round 8x8 pan and it reminds me of johnny cake! This morning I took a section and split it in half making it thin enough to toast. After buttering ( yes I use butter..shh) I used peanut butter to bring out the flavor companion of banana. I enjoyed every bite, as it was my last piece... Time to make more! I don't always have a ripe banana on hand as an egg substitute with my vegan recipes, so Ive learned to put them in the freezer when they have gone ripe. Pulling one out as needed.

I remain mostly vegan with a few exceptions... I feel better when I leave out the dairy and meat. go figure!