Monday, May 30, 2011

Pies in a jar

This was a recipe I have seen all over the Internet.  I have never been a pie baker...I guess it's because I always thought they were just too much work.  I'm more of a throw in the pan and hope it tastes good cook.  But when I started seeing these all over I thought hmmm that doesn't look that hard.  They were VERY easy and the kids loved to make their own.

Pies in a jar
1 recipe for pie crust (I used store bought)
2 cups of berries, or apples what ever you want in your pie
2 Tablespoons of sugar
2 Tablespoons flour
1 Tablespoon butter divided between the pies
6 (4 oz.) jars

Take your 4 ounce jar and some of the pie crust dough and press into the bottom.  I just started breaking off pieces and started pressing it into the bottom.  You do not need to grease the jar.

Take about 1/2 cup of filling per jar.  Place a small amount of butter on top of the filling in each jar.  Use your other pie dough to make little tops for your pies.  I just used the 4 oz. jar lid to cut out circles.  Cut out a vent hole.  Then used a fork to seal them.

Place on a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.

As I was typing this my husband and I thought these would also make great chicken pot pies!!  These can also be frozen before baking.

Weekend Tidbits...

What started out as a trip we all looked forward to was anything but.  I'll write about that when I'm able to.  Anyway our weekend turned out great!!  We got back Sunday with heavy hearts.  But we quickly realized that this was not how God wanted us to react or be.  God is in control of every moment!

Sunday we got the potatoes planted! YEA!!  We also planted 12 tomato plants...might get more later.  You can never have enough tomatoes.  By the time we were done with this it was pretty late.  I was physically and mentally exhausted.  We told ourselves...tomorrow was a new day.

We headed off to the Genesee Country Village and Museum...our favorite place as many of my readers know!

Spinning Wheel and yarn winder.  Reminders of days gone bye.  Simpler days.


We stopped in to see the newly remodeled Hosmer Inn.  The upstairs is now open for you to visit and see how travelers would of spent their time there.  Our "host" was very knowledgable and interacted great with the "guests". 

We visited with "Mrs. Jones" making the noon day meal of bean soup.  My favorite places within the village are the working kitchens.  We always stop in these houses.

We stopped in to the Livingston Backus kitchen and there we were able to sample asparagus soup...YUM!  She showed us the Chive Blossom Vinegar.  Oh my did this smell good.  So Hannah and I came home and made some up for ourselves.  I'll be posting about that tomorrow.

We completed our day with a yummy supper made by our oldest daughter.  She made Pork Chops with apples and potatoes in the crockpot.  Let me tell you this was SO good.  Andrew and I made pies in jars to round our our meal.  SO good.  What a great ending to the weekend.


These are so good.  Made with 4 oz. canning jars.

Download N Go~~Sunny Seashells


It's time for another great unit from Download N Go by Amanda Bennett.  This time we are heading to the ocean to look at seashells.  Although we do not live real close to the beach we are going to FL in December and hope to visit the shore then.  That is what I love best about Download N Go, we can go places without leaving our home.  Our week went something like this:

Day 1: Seashells--What Are They?
Today we learned about how to collect seashells and what exactly they are.  I was able to share with the kids my adventure as a kid visiting my grandparents in NJ.  We went clamming one year.  That was a lot of fun, walking in the mucky water using the scoop to get the clams out of the mud.

Day 2: Seashells and History
Did you know that shells were once used as money?! 

Day 3: Types of Seashells
We LOVED seeing a real scallop.  Who knew they were great swimmers?!  When we get a chance we are going to go to the craft store and get some shells to make some of the great crafts.

Day 4: The Science of Seashells
We learned a lot about how pearls are made.  This was VERY interesting.

Day 5: Seashell Party!
This is the day where you wrap up the week with a fun party.  We did not get to have our party because we were going out of town. 

Take a sneak peak below:

You can purchase this unit study HERE for only $5.95 for a limited time!!  Purchase this before June 5 to get this great sale price.  You will not be sorry!!  These are the best unit studies around. 

See what other review team members are saying:






Saturday, May 28, 2011

TOS Review~~Apologia-Read for the Heart


Apologia Educational Ministries is a name that many homeschooling families are familiar with.  They are best known for their science curriculum.  It is more than just science!



This 384-page book is full of information about how to make reading a part of your everyday life.  The first few chapters talk about how the author, Sarah Clarkson, came to have a love for reading.  The rest of the book has reviews of books that she recommends for us.  What I liked best was that each review included the author, date of publication, general age group for the book, and a short review.  She even gives us a caution should the book contain something that is not appropriate for certain readers.  I love that it's from a Christian viewpoint.  It's like having a librarian right in your own home.

I really like this book and the way it is put together.  It's nice to have a book like this in our home.  It will save you time searching for certain books.  There is nothing like curling up on the couch with pen and paper in hand searching through the lists of books.  In this day and age when computers do everything for us.

You can read a sample chapter HERE.  You can see the table of contents HERE

This book sells for $17.00 you can order that HERE.

To see what my other crew member have to say you can visit them HERE.


Wednesday, May 25, 2011

TOS Crew Review~~Eagles Wings


Eagles Wings has been providing materials to the homeschool community since 1987.  With products for math, science, history and phonics there is something for everyone.  The product we were given to review is Considering God's Creation, a hands-on science curriculum for grades 2 through 7.  Don't let the "hands on" scare you off...these are very easy hands on activities.  Notebooking is a big part of the curriculum, that is a big plus for us.  By the end of the book students will have a full notebook ready to look back on and teach others a thing or two about God's Creation!

You can visit their website HERE to view samples of this great product.  The book comes with a CD full of 23 original fun songs to go along with the lessons.


For only $29.95 you get the student text, teacher text and the CD.

OUR THOUGHTS:
This was another hit in our house.  Although we are technically done with school...but are homeschoolers ever really done??...the kids enjoyed going through these lessons.  They are already planned out for you..the teacher...that all you need to do is make a couple of copies (if you want).  In the teachers manual everything is planned for you.  Right down to the glue you would need for that day's lesson.  I love curriculum like that.  I also like that it is for a wide age group.  We have 3 different ages here.  Two have learning disabilities and require a little different way of learning.   Songs are something that just really get the kids to remember facts.  Due to the current weather conditions all over the US the kids have been singing the song "Rainbows Over You" over and over.   Each day doesn't have the same activities.  One things our children get tired of is the same thing over and over every day.  For example, Vocabulary..we have used science curriculum before that just over loads the children with vocabulary.  That might be ok for some children, certainly not ours.  This is a WINNER in our book.  We will be adding this to our list to complete in full!

To see what other crew members are saying go HERE.

Friday, May 20, 2011

TOS Review~~Wordy Qwerty (Talking Fingers)


WHAT IS IT?
The overall purpose of this program is to help the student develop a better understanding of how words are constructed in English.  This program will also work with the student on reading and comprehension in reading and writing.  There are 20 lessons with 6 activities per lesson.  There is a unique writing-to-read approach with this program in order to provide feedback directly to each student.

There are two fun "hosts".  Midi the musician and Qwerty the word coach.

There are 6 steps within each lesson:
Step 1: Patterns

Students will separate words into two lists according to the spelling rules that are being learned.  If the student does not know how to spell it they will be assisted by Qwerty.

We used this program with just Hannah and Andrew.  It was too low for Katrina who is a great reader and speller.   They really liked this part.  They enjoyed learning how to type better!  This program really has a bit of everything.

Step 2: Karaoke

In this section of the lesson, students will learn catchy songs to go along with the spelling rules being learned.  Children can read the words on the screen and sing along if they like.

I have to say this was the children's favorite part of the program.  They love to sing, and they are singing all around the house.  Most of the time they wanted to skip right to this part....um no you need to go to the beginning.

Step 3: Recyclers

In this step, students learn different vowel combinations that can make the long vowel sound.   They learn pretty quickly real words from those that are made up.

This part was a bit of a challenge for the children.  But I'm very happy with the way it is set up.  I love programs that challenge children but do not frustrate them.  Then I can see the joy on our children's faces when they finally "get" it. 

Step 4: Pop-a-word


In this game students have to "pop" the students need to pick out the correct word from a 4 word phrase.  The faster they pick out the correct words the more points they receive.

This was another favorite of our children.  Not only does this work on reading skills, it also works on hand eye coordination.  Something they all need to work on.  Like I said above, this program fit into every aspect of Language Arts.  All wrapped up into a fun and easy to use program.

Step 5: Write Stories
Here the students have to type out a story.  The first line is done for them, then they have to type out the second line after it is dictated to them.  These stories use words they have just learned.

This one was another step that was difficult for the children.  Not because of the program, but because our children need work in this area.  They had to really work on their listening skills right along with there spelling.  We found it best for the children to use headphones during this step, to block out back ground noise.

Step 6:

In this section students will read a story, again using the rules they just learned.  From time to time there will be missing words within the story.  They need to choose what fits best in the story.

By the time our children got to this step of the program they had the confidence and just flew right through this step. 

COST:
Wordy Qwerty is available as an online subscription.  This is based on how many children will be using the program.  You can see the cost HERE.  You can also order it in CD format HERE.  If you are still not sure you can try a FREE demo of Lesson 1 HERE.

This is definitely a program we will continue using.  I am really amazed at how much I'm starting to like online/computer learning curriculum.  I always thought of myself as an "old fashioned" type with using only books.

To see what my other crew mates have been saying go HERE.  I was sent this program free as a part of the TOS Homeschool Review Team, in exchange for my honest review.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

TOS Review~~Mad Dog Math


Mad Dog Math was developed by a third grad teacher, Julie Kotoff.  She knew the importance of memorization of math facts.  The components of Mad Dog Math are:

Daily Paper/pencil drills
Facts broken down into bite size pieces
Nightly practice to prepare for the next day's drills.
Competition against self
Building blocks to higher levels of math
Successes build self confidence

This program is designed to be used 10 minutes a day in addition to any math program.  It is intented for Kindergarten thru 5th grade, but can be used with older children who need additional practice.  Each child progresses at their own pace.  Once they miss 2 or fewer problems they are able to advance onto the next level.  There are three levels built into the program.  Each level has a series of steps the child will do to build up to the next level.

OUR THOUGHTS:
Until this year we have stayed away from online/computer curriculum.  Not really sure why we just thought books were better I guess.  Anyway, we were given a copy of this software for review purposes.   I was pleasantly surprised that our children really enjoyed doing their daily practice with Mad Dog!   What I liked the most was that the problems on the screen are very well spaced.   They were easy to read and the colors on the screen are great!  This is something we will defiantly be interested in continuing with. 

You can get a one year license for $19.99, a two year license for $29.99, or a perpetual license for $39.99.  All of these are available for instant download! 

To see what my other crew members are saying go HERE and read them.

**I recieved a copy of this free in exchange for my honest review.**

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Download N Go Review~~Chocolate Challenge


This review was anticipated by our chocolate lover Hannah!!  Although we are technically "done" with school this year, we learn all year long!!  That is what I love most about Download N Go.  These studies can be used as a stand alone study or as a extra in your home.  I think these are great for any family...not just homeschoolers.  This is a great way to combat the "I'm bored" things that come from kids after about 2 weeks of summer vacation.

Click HERE to purchase Chocolate Challenge.
Here is a sneak peek of the pages you get with this study.  There are pages you can print for the children to do through out the study.  You will also love the many links of videos, extra activities to accompany your study.  Although, these studies are made for ages K-4 we have used them for months with our children that are older.  They have a more active roll in their learning.  They go through the studies day by day and learn how to do independent study.  Then I have our children "teach" me the lesson. 

The week looked something like this:
Day 1: Chocolate-What is it?
Day 2: Chocolate-The Story
Day 3: Chocolate-The Types of Chocolate
Day 5: Chocolate-Have a Chocolate Party!

With this study we traveled to South America, learned fractions, how to say chocolate in different languages, learned about all the different "chocolatiers", how chocolate bars are made (we hope to visit Hershey PA very soon!!) and sampled different types of chocolate.  Since I do not like chocolate I skipped this activity.  Yes it's true I do not like chocolate...LOL!

This is what other reviewers have to say about this study:





Monday, May 16, 2011

Happy Homemaker Monday!


Weather in my neck of the woods...
Rain, cold and just plain not nice at all.

Things that make me happy...
Sunshine!!  I really need to get things planted in the garden and get the lawn mowed!

Book I'm reading...
How to Be God's Little Princess by Sheila Walsh
Gardening books
Canning books

What I'm enjoying on TV...
Nothing much...I might watch one of my Homestead Blessings DVD's later.

On the menu for dinner...
Enchilada Casserole

On my To Do list...
Gardening
Get rid of a bunch of stuff!!

New Recipe I tried or want to try soon...
Enchilada Casserole (It was GOOD).  I'll be posting it on Thursday.

In the craft basket...
Autograph books for the kids.  They are for when we go to Disney in December.

Looking forward to this week...
More Disney planning!! 

Tips and tricks...
I have nothing for you!  :-)

My favorite blog post this week...
Since blogger was down for sometime this week...I didn't get to any.  Our Internet was down from Monday until Wed.  You never realize how much you depend on it until it's gone.  But it's also VERY nice without it from time to time.

Blog Hopping...
The Homesteading Wife...this is a great blog.  Full of information, especially on gardening!!

Favorite Picture...
While searching through old pictures I found this one.  The kids were playing with the camera.  Not a bad picture at all!  My little country boy!
Lesson learned the past few days...
When I started back to college the word "theology" scared me to death.  I thought it was just for "smart" people or those who wanted to be a Pastor.  It was not for me.  I had to take the course as one of the requirements.  You know what I found out?!  I really enjoy that in depth study of God's Word!!  So much so...I'm taking another one this semester.

On my mind...
My husband and I are praying about something that will bring on change into our lives.  Hopefully I will be able to say more soon.  Just please pray for us as we work through God's direction in our life.
Our ministry direction
Family
Church
Personal Growth
Weight Loss

Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses...
Proverbs 3:5-6
"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."

To see other Happy Homemaker posts visit Diary of a SAHM.


Friday, May 13, 2011

TOS Crew Review~~GoTrybe

Trying this again!!  Blogger deleted my post during it's troubles.  GRR!


I'm sure you have all heard of the epidemic of obesity in children.  There is an astounding 1 in 3 children that considered obese.  It is very scary.  Fighting obesity is something near and dear to my heart.  I've been overweight since I was a child.  I had it under control (sort of) in high school mainly because of sports.  So when this came up for review purposes I jumped at the chance.  Physical Education is sometimes forgotten in Home Schools.  This year we have tried to make it a part of our everyday.

WHAT IS IT:
GoTrybe has programs available for different age groups:
ZooDoos is for the elementary ages, K-5th grade
Trybe180 is for middle school ages, 6th-8th grade (the one we used)
NexTrybe is for high school ages, 9th-12th grade

GoTrybe is a web based program that you can access anywhere you have access to the Internet.   With this program you have not only workouts, but nutrition, wellness, everyday.  You can customize your own or use one of the pre-planned workout.

COST:
You can go HERE and try GoTrybe for one day FREE!  If you decide to continue using gotrybe.com after the free trial period, the cost of a one year membership is $19.95 (regularly $39.95). You can upgrade to a paid membership at any time by visiting the SIGN UP page, located under the HOME menu.

OUR THOUGHTS:
We really enjoyed using this.  Getting our children off the couch, off the computer, away from the TV ect. is a bit of a challenge at times.  This really made it fun for the kids.  They were able to stay on the computer while getting the exercise they needed.  The cost is very affordable, and you do not have to worry about video tapes or DVD's lying around the house.  Not only is this a PE class it can also be used as a Nutrition class as well.   There is a motivation section as well.  One of the first videos we watched was about eating breakfast....now our children will not let me skip breakfast.  LOL!  This is defiantly something we are considering adding to our list of programs for next year.  The price is very affordable.  This is great for everyone not just homeschoolers!

To see what other crew members are saying go HERE.

**I was given access to this website free of charge in exchange for my honest review.**

Friday, May 6, 2011

TOS Crew Review~~Circle C Beginnings


WHAT IS IT:
Children can join 6 year old Andi, her baby horse Taffy, and her family and friends on the Circle C  ranch in 1874. These new stories include fun illustrations and easy to read text, for kids who are ready for first chapter books.
 
We were sent Andi's Indian Summer to review.  This is the second book in the series of 6 books so far.  The Circle C Beginnings website is stuffed full of extra activities to go along with the books.  You can print the actual illustrations from the book.   There is also a "Free Activities" section on their website to go along with the books.  IF you enjoy creating Lapbooks with your children there are also resources for that as well.
 
OUR THOUGHTS:
We are 19th century junkies!  So when our daughter Hannah saw that this story took place back in that time era she was thrilled.  The book was very easy for her to read.  She has struggled with reading.  It held her attention throughout.  I even caught her reading in bed with a flashlight because she just had to see what happened to Andi and her horse.  PRAISE THE LORD!!  That is one time I was not upset for her being up past bedtime! :-)  Another added bonus of this book was the "New Words" list at the beginning of the book. 
 
Like I mentioned before the website was full of extra fun stuff.  There is a PDF file you can get for free...yes free to go along with the book, full of activities.  You can print the illustrations for your children to color.  This was a great added feature for us.  Our daughter has trouble with story recall and we found that these really helped her.  She has been bugging asking me to get her some more.  Her birthday is Sunday and we will be ordering these books for her!!  SHHH don't tell her.  :-)
 
HOW TO ORDER:
There are 4 books in this series.  Two more will be released this summer (August 2011). 
 
You can order them HERE.
 
Order books 1-4 for $15.96 (+ $3.00 s/h)

OR

Books 1 and 2 for $9.98 (+ $2.00 s/h)
Books 3 and 4 for $9.98 (+ $2.00 s/h)

You can also purchase the books individually for:
$4.99 (+ $2.00 s/h)

To see what my other crew members are saying about these books go HERE.

**As a part of the TOS Review Crew we were sent this book free of charge in exchange for our honest review.**

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Gratituesday~~Another School year done!


We have completed our 2010-2011 school year!  There is nothing like the feeling of relief knowing that our children completed the school year.  I'm very grateful on many levels....and for many things. 



We are very fortunate to be able to homeschool our children.  Although many days we struggle, we know we have them where they belong...home.



We have grown so much as a family unit this year.  I have to say this has been our best year since we began homeschooling.



I am grateful I am able to be a part of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine's Review Crew!  It has been such a blessing to try out many different curriculum's.  Many of which we would of never thought to try otherwise.


Thankful for days spent on the couch doing our schoolwork.


AND we are thankful for gym class at the spray park not far from us!!

To join in on the Gratituesday meme go on over to Heavenly Homemakers.




Monday, May 2, 2011

Happy Homemaker Monday

The weather in my neck of the woods...
Finally spring like with rain today

Things that make me happy...
Quiet days at home

Book (s) I'm reading...
Bible
Journey into God's Word
The Lightkeepers Ball (review) I'm loving this one!

What I'm enjoying on TV...
Nothing much...perhaps some of the Waltons later and Wind at my Back

On the menu for dinner...
Stuffed French Toast
Sausage

On my To Do list...
Homework
Update Matt's resume for him (he has started searching for a ministry job...If you know of any entry level ones please let me know!)
Housework
Lesson plans for next year...the TOS Schoolhouse planner makes that SO easy!

New Recipe I tried or want to try soon...

In the craft basket...
Nothing

Looking forward to this week...
Quiet week...my favorite!
Birthday party for Nephew and Niece
Mother's Day and on the same day Hannah's 14th birthday!

Tips and Tricks...
Nothing new

My favorite blog post this week...
I did not get to many blogs this week.

Blog Hopping (new discovered blog)...

Favorite Picture...
I love open windows with curtains blowing in the breeze!
Lesson learned the past few days...
It feels good to tell other Christian Women about my struggles.  Most of the time they struggle with the same things.

In my prayers...
Our church as we reach out to the community.
My husband as he seeks God's direction in Ministry.

Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses...
Psalm 17:8
"Keep me as the apple of Your eye; Hide me under the shadow of Your wings, From the wicked who oppress me, From my deadly enemies who surround me."

To see other Happy Homemakers visit Diary of a SAHM.