Learning in the Kitchen

One of the many blessings of having daughters is teaching them their way around the kitchen.  I have three daughters:  our oldest is 27, married and is expecting a fourth child in a few months, our next daughter is 23, at home and teaching or tutoring outside the home two days a week and our youngest daughter is 12...still at home as well. ; )

All of my girls (and my boys to some extent) have been free to experiment in the kitchen from a pretty young age and for the most part we have really enjoyed the "experiments" they have shared with the family.  While there most certainly have been some failures from time to time, our girls have really become accomplished cooks.  However, this didn't happen magically.  From the time they are young my children help in the kitchen and are slowly given responsiblities as they become more adept.  Making toast (no toaster needed) and scrambling eggs soon turns into making homemade breads and entire meals and experimenting with developing their own style of cooking and their own recipes.  Little by little the children have been able to take over more and more responsibility in the kitchen and, I have to admit, there are some days that I don't step foot in there!

My youngest daughter has taken on a new task of providing an easy to eat dessert for our Sunday luncheons at church.  Each week she prepares a simple cookie, brownie or cinnamon roll bite to share with the other families.  This past week she made these wonderful sugar cookies and I thought I would share the recipe with you today.  Perhaps you have a young aspiring cook in your home who would love to get in the kitchen to make a special treat for dessert this week.

Kaelan's Sugar Cookies 


2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 t. cream of tartar
1/2 t. baking soda
1 t. vanilla
1/4 t. salt
1 egg
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup shortening

In a large mixing bowl (or use your Bosch with the cookie paddles) beat shortening, powdered sugar, egg and vanilla at low speed for about 30 seconds to blend well.  Mix at high speed for a minute until light and fluffy while scraping the sides of the bowl.  Add a little flour at a hime and mix at a low setting until well mixed.  Use a small cookie scoop or a teaspoon to drop the dough onto ungreased cookie sheets.  Leave 2 inches around each cookie.  Flatten the cookies with the bottom of a drinking glass that has been lightly greased on the bottom and then dipped in sugar.  Bake in a preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or slightly less if you desire a soft cookie.  Remove from cookie sheets and cool on racks.  Kaelan added fall colored sprinkles to her cookies before baking.

raisinghomemakers.com

Best Ever Brownies from Bells Best cookbook

This is Kaelan, just so you don't get confused! :) This is a "chocolate post". 


Okay, I made a batch of B.E. brownies today, and Mom decided to let me blog about them. I've probably been making these brownies for about two to three years. Apparently, I make very good brownies. : ) Oh, there are no pictures because the camera was plugged into the computer, sorry! I'll tell you what the recipe says and then my substitutes. Okay, let's get started with the recipe:


                                           Best Ever Brownies 


            1 c. sugar
            1\2 c. butter
            2 eggs
            2 sq. chocolate, melted
           1\2 c. sifted flour 
            1\2 tsp. salt
           1 tsp. vanilla
           1\2 c. broken nuts


       Combine sugar and butter and beat well. Add eggs and beat again. Stir in chocolate, flour, and salt.  Mix until smooth. Add vanilla and nuts.  Pour into a greased 8x8x2 inch pan and bake in 350* oven for 25-30 minutes. (the secret is not to over-cook them).  


Okay, here are my substitutes: instead of hard chocolates, use (for a double batch) 1\4 c. cocoa powder and for the nuts, just skip them and add chocolate chips! : ) 


For a family of six, a double batch is perfect for each person to have two brownies, just use a 9x13 pan. My brownies are in the oven and the aroma is over-powering! When you add the chocolate chips, don't mix them in the batter, wait until you have your greased pan and pour your batter in, you can sprinkle the chips on your brownies, and I usually get a spoon and kinda mix them gently into the pan. 


I hope you make these brownies soon, and when you do, go all out with the chocolate!!! 




This post has been published by Kaelan Elizabeth Chamblee, age twelve, 4 months, and 3 days. Adios amigos! (and enjoy your brownies!) :) 

If You Give a Girl a Camera

She just might take a cheesy picture of herself.

And a picture of a sad looking tomato plant that should have already been pulled up.

And a pair of bare feet!

Drops of dew on blades of grass,

a spider web,  

and so much more. 

 I actually sent her out to take pictures of mushrooms which we are studying this week in biology.  She did take a couple of mushrooms, but took 78 pictures in all.  Some are quite good, but Blogger is loading too slowly for me this morning to share more.

I'll share more tomorrow about getting back into our multi-level learning/teaching!  Back to what is most comfortable to me as a homeschooling mom and is bringing back some creativity and productivity to our academics!

12

Last week we celebrated Kaelan's 12th birthday.  She is such a blessing in our lives and is growing up to be a hard worker who is  very thoughtful of others.  Kaelan and I spent the afternoon together for her birthday.  We went out for lunch and then did lots of shopping.  We spent a good while at a local bookstore selecting a handful of good collector quality books.  She chose two Anne of Green Gables books and Heidi.  Then I surprised her with a trip over to Walmart to get a personal CD player so she could listen to  some audio books and teachings on her own.  We also threw in a little grocery shopping and shopped for a bridal shower.  It was good to have that one-on-one time with Kaelan.  It can be rare in a busy large family!

Devin treated Kaelan to a new outfit, Lauren gave her some perfume and the boys gifted her with money that she is determined to save.  She also received cards and monetary gifts from her grandmothers and a friend.

Our birthday celebrant gets to choose the dinner menu and Kaelan requested a meatless pasta dish that Devin created a while back using jarred (!) spaghetti sauce and alfredo sauce.  We also had a salad from the garden and garlic bread.

My baby girl is growing up!

All of the girls started making their own birthday cakes starting at about the age of 10.  They also do the cakes for the boys, Jeff and I and even the grandchildren at times.  Kaelan made a two layer white cake with a layer of chocolate mint ice cream.  It was delicious!!

Delicious cake!

Kaelan also got a watch that she had picked out the week before.  Now she has no excuse to be late!

Happy birthday, Kaelan!  We love you so much and are so thankful for the wonderful woman that you are becoming!  We pray that you will continue to seek the Lord in all that you do!

Learning Adventures with Dad

Don't forget The Homestead Blessings DVD giveaway here!!

Jeff recently took Aaron, Kaelan and Jackson on an overnight camping trip at the state part just a mile from our house.   The boys and Jeff have been camping several times with former Contenders for the Faith group, but Kaelan has missed out on those adventures and has only gone a couple of times. 

Kaelan made a list of all the items that they would need to take plus a shopping list of foods for her dad to purchase.  The day of the camping trip found them hustling to gather up sleeping bags, pillows, tackle and rods for fishing, filling jugs with water, loading the tents and many other needed items.  With the exception of hooking the boat to the truck and shopping for the groceries, they did most of the planning and the work.   Planning, packing, organizing, building fires, cooking, boating and fishing....all great learning activities.

I thought I would let Jackson tell you about their camping adventures today.  Jackson used the pictures to tell me what happened.

In this picture, I (Jackson) was chopping wood for the fire.  

I was still chopping wood when I saw Dad come up to take a picture.

So I stopped and smiled for him!

Aaron and Kaelan were boating.

I was fishing with a stick because my pole wasn't ready yet.  It was tangled and Dad had to untangle it.

Kaelan and Aaron love boating.

I am drinking coffee.  (not a every day thing, I assure you!)

I was still drinking coffee.

Aaron and Kaelan are cooking breakfast.  

Dad took a picture of Aaron cooking breakfast.

Aaron is flipping the pancake on Kaelan's plate.

I am drinking coffee because I like coffee.

Wrapping Up the Week

This has been a good week on many levels.  I was able to sit down with Kaelan on Sunday afternoon to go over her school work from last week and make out lesson plans for the next two weeks.  Yesterday we were able to go over everything from this week and with the exception of our science lesson we are on target.    Aaron is also on target for this week with the exception of those dreaded science lessons.  Hopefully today he can finish up his study guide and be ready to take his test on Monday instead of today. Jackson's new math curriculum came in yesterday and he is eager to get started.  We may go ahead and do several pages this morning as it will mainly be review.  Jordan is studying independently with the exception of history that we do together as a family.  Aside from history and literature, most of his studies are interest led.  Thankful that his interests are sound...economics, photography, writing and homesteading.

We have been able to keep up with our Bible and history studies this week which have included beginning several new books.  We read one chapter of Proverbs each morning and one or two chapters of the Psalms.  It is a joy for me to have my children gather in the den and enjoy reading and learning together.  Kaelan's and Aaron's copywork this week has come from our reading in Call of Duty:  The Sterling Nobility of Robert E. Lee by J. Steven Wilkins.

           -Lee's favorite hymn was How Firm a Foundation (today they will copy all stanzas and last night    we sang it in family worship

           -I would rather see you unlettered and unnoticed, of virtuous in practice as well as theory, than see you the equal in glory to the great Washington.   Henry "Lighthorse Harry" Lee to his sons

          -You cannot be a true man until you learn to obey.  R. E. Lee

          -Obedience to lawful authority is the foundation of manly character.  R. E. Lee

          -Never marry unless you can do so into a family that will enable your children to feel proud of both sides of the house.  R. E. Lee's advice to J. B. Hood

          -"Charity should begin at home."  So says _.  No, charity should have no beginning or ending.   R.E. Lee

          -Fame which does not result from good actions and achievements for the good of the whole people is not to be desired.  Nero had fame.....Who envies him?   R.E. Lee

          -Hold to your purity and virtue.  They will sustain you in every calamity.  R.E. Lee

This week in the kitchen I was able to put several main dishes in the freezer, made and froze several pounds of butter, learned to make cultured sour cream and mozzarella cheese.  My new canner came in  yesterday and I am eager to learn how to can milk and other foods using the pressure canner.  It's a little intimidating to me!

The weather has warmed up considerably (high's in the upper 80's this weekend) so more plants can go outside.  Hopefully the extra table full of plants in my dining room can be put away this weekend. ; )

Kaelan, Aaron and Jackson worked extra hard on school work yesterday so they wouldn't have as much to do today.  They are planning a tent camping trip with their Dad tonight.  They have made lists, hooked the boat up to the truck, got out tents, sleeping bags, fishing poles and flash lights.  I think all they need now is to load up on food and cooking utensils.  All that to only go 1 1/2 miles from home!  We have a wonderful state park with a lake just around the next bend!  Jordan has decided he prefers his own bed now and will be the "man of the house" while the others enjoy sleeping on the hard ground and cooking over an open fire.

Devin has been painting up a storm and is considering selling some of her canvases.  She made a door hanging for our front door with a "C" on it and has painted many canvases with crosses.  Perhaps I can post pictures of her work later.

Caedmon's potty training has been put on hold as he seems to have a stomach bug this week.  Disposable diapers handle THAT much better than the training pants.  ; )

That pretty much sums up our week around here.  What's been going on in your home?

Homeschooling Update

Yes, we are still homeschooling!!  Even though I (we) have been busy with early gardening and milk production the book learning is continuing.   I thought I would give you a run-down of what is going on in the homeschooling arena at Busy Hands Busy Minds.

Together we are studying the War Between the States.  In our group time we begin the day reading a chapter of Proverbs and a chapter from the Psalms.  We review our Latin or Greek root for the week from English from the Roots Up.  I have then been reading through Facts the Historians Leave Out A Confederate Primer by John S. Tilley.  We finish that up today and will begin Walt Whitman's Civil War Poetry and Prose.  We had started Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe, but just couldn't stand it.  I decided it was fine if the children just had a small taste of it and knew the history of this fictional story written by Stowe using second and third party sources.  It is said that upon meeting Stowe in 1863, President Lincoln said, " So, this is the woman that wrote the book that caused this war."  We are also reading Two Little Confederates by Thomas Nelson Page and Call of Duty:  The Sterling Nobility of Robert E. Lee by J. Steven Wilkins.  We are using All American History Volume 2 by Celeste W. Rakes as our spine for our history studies and hope to finish up our two year stretch of American history this fall.   The older two boys and I are also studying the rather hefty volume The War Between the States:  America's Uncivil War by John J. Dwyer.  This is a fascinating book and has lots of great quotes that you most likely have not read in any other modern day textbook.  Devin (22) is taking the children through A Young Scholar's Guide to Composers by Melissa E. Craig and Maggie S. Hogan.  She meets with them once a week for this and we are supposed to listen to the music selections throughout the week.

Jordan (18) is studying Biblical Economics by R. C. Sproul, Jr. which he is greatly enjoying.  He has edited several programs for The Homeschool Channel on economics and many of R.C. Sproul's talks as well and finds them very interesting and beneficial.  He is also studying American literature through Learning Language Arts through Literature, doing an algebra review using VideoText and is doing lots of research on homesteading topics.  He is pretty much in charge of our gardening endeavors this year and has started hundreds of plants indoors and out and has built all of our raised beds and some planters by himself.  He is quite the handyman.  In addition to his film editing responsibilities at The Homeschool Channel, he spends a few hours a week taking and editing photos of his own.  He also has a huge stack of homesteading, theology and historical works that he is reading through.

Aaron(14)  is plugging through Apologia's Physical Science.  This has been a stretch for me to prepare and keep up with as most of our science studies have previously been through unit studies as a family.  Aaron feels led to study medicine, so we felt he needed to have a more formal science curriculum.  I am interested in looking at other science curriculum to see if I can find a better fit.  He has recently started VideoText algebra with Jeff and is finishing up Learning Language Arts through Literature (green).  He also using Daily Grams for daily grammar review. He is also using Building Thinking Skills Book 3 and doing some spelling review through Natural Speller.   Typing and Quarter Mile math drills are done on the computer.  He does Spanish independently using PowerGlide.  I hope to move him to Rosetta Stone this next year.  He also greatly enjoys reading through the Ballantyne books of world wide adventure stories and is reading some theological works, historical fiction and biographies.  Practicing piano, drawing, painting, chores,  and editing audio programs for his dad's home business round out his days.

Kaelan (11) is studying plants through Answers in Genesis God's Design for Life series.  Jackson is tagging on this study at times. She started a pressed flower collection and will be doing some identification of plants as well.   She is working through Teaching Textbook 6, typing and Quarter Mile math drills on the computer.  She also likes to email extended family members frequently.  ; )  She keeps up with family members all over the world!  She is studying Learning Language Arts through Literature (purple) with Daily Grams for daily grammar review.  Spelling lists come from Natural Speller and she is also using Building Thinking Skills Book 2.  Kaelan also has a tall stack of books that she is reading from based on our history studies, but usually pulls some old favorites from the bookshelves to read as well.  I think she is now reading Little Women...again!

Jackson(6) is finishing up the primer level of Math U See and will be starting MUS Foundations (the old version) as soon as it comes in.  I decided to put him in the older version because we already have the teacher's edition and I have already gone through it myself, ummm, like three other times and it won't be something that I have to relearn. ; )  We are s l o w l y making our way through Alphaphonics.  Little by little, bit by bit, I am seeing progress.  One of the great advantages of  homeschooling is that we can go as slow or as fast as we need to.  Right now, for this child and his phonics studies it is slow going.  And that is OK!!  He is using the Italic Handwriting Series as have all of my children.  I think I like it much more than any of them do.  Jackson participates in most of our group time and usually enjoys coloring a page from a historical Dover coloring book while he listens in.  I am trying to have some time each week where he is listening to audio books like Charlotte's Web or programs such as Your Story Hour or Jonathan Park.  He is read to daily by either me, Jeff or one or more of his siblings and he "reads" books by himself several times a day.  His favorite right now is  David Macaulay's The Way Things Work.


Two year old Caedmon is now enrolled in Potty Training 101.  He is now 2 1/2 (as of tomorrow) and as the weather is warming and he can now go half dressed without getting too chilled, big sister Devin has declared it TIME!.   We have been putting him on the potty for several months before bath time and he has had some success.  We are now going into full mode with training pants (no pull-ups here).  Diapers are still going on at nap and bedtimes.  Caedmon enjoys books, puzzles and most of the activities in his daily boxes.  Some of my favorite resources for this age come from Lauri and Melissa and Doug.   Some of the activity bags and folders have become too easy for him and I need to reorganize his materials.  He is a genius, I tell you, a genius!

So, that is what is going on in the homeschooling department of Busy Hands Busy Minds.  If things weren't so busy around here I would have linked all these wonderful resources so that you could look at them and purchase from my affiliate links, but my children need more time from me than this blog does.  If you have a question about any resource, please leave me a comment and I will get back to you ASAP.    Thanks so much for stopping by!

 

Creating

There is still time to add your recipes for milk products here!

While we've been busy staying on top of all the milk coming in we haven't let school or extra activities slide too badly.  The bedrooms could use a good hour or two of work and reorganization and some floors need to be mopped, but sure and steady wins the race.  In spite of the extra work I am enjoying filling the freezer with fresh homemade butter, making yogurt and yogurt cheese and making all kinds of breads and treats with buttermilk and milk.

I found a recipe for making cream cheese in the Nourishing Traditions cookbook, but I am not sure it turned out right.  I need some help to determine whether this is indeed cream cheese and just needs to be whipped up some or needs to be dumped.  This is what I got after draining in a bag overnight.  The lighting is kind of dark, but the cheese is white.

The children have been busy creating as well.  Jordan has been faithfully tending the seeds that have sprouted in our dining room.  I will be glad when they can go in the ground and my dining room can be cleared of the extra table and plants. ; )  He is as always busily editing photos and writing.

And outside we have seven raised beds full of little sprouts.

Aaron and Kaelan have been spending lots of time practicing for piano and violin recitals.  Kaelan has been helping me in the kitchen a good bit and has also created a large hanging collage of the solar system that is suspended from above her bed.   She wouldn't let me post a picture, though.  She has been working on this project with Jackson.....and used up all our styrofoam plates. ; )  She also created a beautiful table arrangement of blooming dogwood.

Aaron has been experimenting with oil painting.   He is combining his love of music with his love of art. Above is an incomplete painting of Tchaikovsky.

Faure

Mozart

And this is a drawing of Gulliver from  Gulliver's Travels.

Jackson has been doing lots of drawings and composing his magnum opus.  It's not important that his staff has more than five lines....he is having fun and always has one of us sing his latest composition.  The drawing in the lower right is Bill the Sheriff  with a "cactapus" in the background.  ; )

Creating does tend to mean that messes are being made, but it is very important to let the children discover the gifts and talents that the Lord has given them.  It is my prayer that my children will use their many gifts and talents in building up the Kingdom of God.  

Making Granola-Large Family Style

 We were totally out of granola and as that is a favorite breakfast and snack dish in our home, Kaelan and I set out to remedy the situation.

24 cups of rolled oats

I find a large metal bowl indispensable for preparing mega-batches of food.

Kaelan measures out the oils (olive and coconut), the honey, vanilla, maple flavoring, and cinnamon.

We find heating it in the microwave helps us mix the ingredients easier.

Pouring the honey/oil mixture over the oatmeal.

Trying to get every last drop!

Now to mix it all up.

I added a little more honey.

Thoroughly mixed

A close up--Kaelan couldn't resist sneaking a few bites.

Spreading the mixture out on wax paper lined racks for the dehydrator.

My hand...the only shot you will see of me in this post!

Almost finished!

The dehydrator is ready to go!

a countertop full of granola

2 1/2 gallons of granola ready to eat!  The smaller canister has crushed walnuts and dried blueberries added.  Yummy!

Granola-from Sue Gregg's More Than Breakfasts 

Each recipe makes 8 cups.  Preheat oven to 300 degrees. 

Blend together in a large measuring cup:
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil
2 t vanilla
1 t cinnamon
2 t maple flavoring

In a large mixing bowl, mix:
 8 cups of regular oats
 1/4 cup of protein powder (I use rice protein powder from the health food store)

Pour honey-oil mixture over oat mixture until coated thoroughly.

Spread evenly in two 9 x 12 baking pans or rimmed cookie sheets.

Bake for 20-30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.  Let cool and store in a tightly closed container in refrigerator or freezer.


 I always triple this recipe and I add dried blueberries and crushed walnuts to a third of  the cooled mixture.   This granola is great  cold and served with milk or heated in the microwave with milk. Some of my kids eat it dry.    I now make this in my food dehydrator and it is even better than before!

Also linked to The Nourishing Gourmet

http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2011/03/pennywise-platter-thursday-33.html/pennywiseplatter-11

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