The Wedge Trail Mix
2 c raisins
2 c dried cranberries
1 c unsweetened flake coconut
1 c dark chocolate chips
1 c raw sunflower seeds
1 c raw almonds
1/2 c pepitas
Where the Blacktop Ends |
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'Tis the season for portable snacks to take on spring-y walks in the woods with little boys.... simple and delish!
The Wedge Trail Mix 2 c raisins 2 c dried cranberries 1 c unsweetened flake coconut 1 c dark chocolate chips 1 c raw sunflower seeds 1 c raw almonds 1/2 c pepitas
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I'm re-posting from an old blog again. Enjoy! There's nothing quite like the smell of fresh baked bread. Mmmmmm..... We invited a lovely local bread baking expert to our TBG meeting; she showed us a few tips and shared her love of baking. We learned all about the grain of wheat and what the different parts of it are used for. We learned all the nifty tricks and tools to use for mixing, kneading, and baking bread. We made a basic loaf as well as a no-knead sweet loaf she called Challah. She showed us how to make a beautiful braid on top of our sweet loaf by folding over slices of dough to cover up the sweet sticky jam. The church kitchen smelled amazing! We were sure to share with the passersby in the hallway :) Here and here are two titles she recommended for further learning and more recipes.
And a kids book about the history of bread in other cultures (with recipes.) Doing a handicraft that you can eat too! is a big hit with the kids. And there's just something wholesome about kneading a loaf between your hands. With the current temp at -11 and windchill at -37 we've mostly been entertaining ourselves indoors this Christmas and New Year, with the exception of visits with friends and an occasional abbreviated jaunt through the woods or down to the mailbox. The new child-sized snow shovel is already lost in a drift somewhere, sigh. Along with the stories, stories and more stories and a few new presents to play with, here's what's been filling the little minds and hands and tummies at our house. "Mom, can I please learn to finger knit?" He picked some chunky rainbow yarn out of my stash and sat on my lap. We watched and paused this video several times. It was a lovely way to spend a frigid afternoon. He's been making 'scarves' and fake beards and moustaches for imaginative play ever since! Singing Noche Buena and cooking Bunuelos (Mexican Christmas cookies meaning 'puffs of air') We drizzled ours with honey. Learning to weave with a similar kit to this. After this read aloud, since we couldn't go in person, we went to the Nutcracker Balet via youtube with popcorn and everything. Even the little one still asks me, "Mom-mom, I want it, honey bees." Slightly different version then the story, but very beautifully done ....and there are dancing bees! The tree and ornaments had an expedited removal thanks to the curious and
oh-so-busy two year old, so now it's back to regular school and on to more wintery adventures here at home! ...we were snug inside the house ... ...preserving tomatoes! “Children want to start helping in the kitchen at a very young age. So many mothers pass up this opportunity for the sake of time (‘I can do it faster myself’). What shortsightedness! Take the time to teach your children what they can and want to learn at each age. This will pay great time dividends for you as they gain these skills and can perform them independently. Don’t be a supermom who does it all; be a smart mom who liberally engages the assistance of well-trained children. They will ‘rise up and call you blessed.’ And you will be!” -quote from a recent homeschool email I recieved My oldest likes to work alongside me for a while. I have him wash, sort, help peel, count, measure and even use the jar lifter to put them in the warm water- a special treat. The 1 yo. likes to stir, once in a while and munch all the while, but is mostly occupied with his own little pots and pans in his play kitchen nearby. He heads over my way so I can 'taste' his creations. This particular morning he sweetly serenaded us with Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. We took a break to wrap up in blankets and stand on the front porch to listen to the rain and thunder storm outside. The little one's mouth was 'O'-shaped much of the time out there. Here's our tasty tomato recipe: Roasted Tomato Sauce
25 roma tomatoes, halved 2 cloves garlic, halved 1/2 medium yellow onion, sliced olive oil coarse sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste Cover a baking sheet with the tomatoes cut side down. Tuck in garlic and onions. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with s&p. Roast in 350 degree oven for 40 minutes until skins turn brown and soft. Transfer to blender and puree. Pour through a sieve to remove seeds/skins. Place in small jars adding 1 tsp lemon juice to each jar before putting on the lids. Process in hot water bath for 35 minutes. We add spices and use ours as pizza sauce sometimes. "...Aladdin with his wonderful lamp had no more power than the modern woman in her kitchen." -Laura Ingalls Wilder, West From Home I will be doing a series of posts this spring/summer that are re-posts from an old blog a few years ago. It's fun to go back and see what we did when we were younger and how we've grown since then! In honor of finishing the last chapter of Winnie-the-Pooh (In Which Christopher Robin Gives Pooh a Party and We Say Goodbye) today, we decided to have our very own Pooh party and make a yummy Honey Cake. (What else would Pooh eat!) We topped it with edible wild violets found in our very own Hundred Acre Wood (ok. It’s really only 6 acres but if you use your imagination it could be a hundred.) My son had so much fun
helping make this a special celebration. He helped get out the honey (makes me wish we had bees & fresh honey of our own), mix the ingredients, and go searching for wild violets. At at his 2yo level, I believe this is the beginning of learning the handicraft of baking. It's a slow learning process. It has to start somewhere. One of my favorite parts of our party was that Pooh even sat at the table with us and in a two-year-old way, Pooh told us "Hey! Don't eat all my cake!" Honestly this was my first time reading the entire original Winnie-the-Pooh story. I had only read parts before. After working at Walt Disney World for a semester in college I had the movie version of Pooh in my head. After all dont they own Pooh!? Sigh. The original is so much better! Charlotte Mason was right. Leave behind the twaddle and start with the good stuff. Its worth it! Cake recipe can be found here. I am smitten with this kitchen and I love the blog name! (We added milk instead of rum like her recipe calls for.) The glaze was from allrecipes.com 1 c powdered sugar ¾ tsp orange zest 4 tsp orange juice Winter is starting to feel really L.O.N.G. around here. We decided encourage spring thoughts and add a little bit of fresh and green to our table. I had been reading in these two books how this quick, easy and yummy little project is a great thing to do with kids. I have to agree. My 5yo thought it seemed like magic! We purchased seeds at a local food co-op but they came from Johnny Seed Catalog. We didn't buy a special container or lid, but just used leftover cheesecloth that came with our cheese making supplies and a mason jar. These homegrown alfalfa sprouts are tastier & more crisp than store-bought. We began sprouting them on Thursday morning and had our first taste by Monday. Yum! "...the function of education is to put the child in the way of relations proper to him, and to offer the inspiring idea which commonly initiates a relation."
"His little bit of knowledge is real science, because he gets it at first-hand..." "All the time he is storing up associations of delight which will come back for his refreshment when he is an old man." -C. Mason Preschool math has been on my mind lately. Last week a friend borrowed me a little book. It's got me thinking more about how the brain learns math and what I can do with my son to foster his math learning as we go about our daily rhythm here at home. In the book Beechick says there are a few modes of thinking that our brains move through as we learn math concepts. They are Manipulative (hands on), Mental Image (like a drawing on paper or in your head), and Symbolic (1+1=2). "Piagetian theory says this [Manipulative Mode] thinking predominates up to about ages six or seven." She also says that we can't expect kids to do something in the next modes before they are ready to move on, and that they will let us know by certain things they do. For example we can't expect kids to write and understand the meaning of 1+1=2 until they've had sufficient time to learn that one apple in this hand and another apple in the other hand makes two apples all together, and then they have to be able to imagine the apples in their head. Only after both of those are firmly in their minds, will they be able to understand the symbols with complete understanding. I keep thinking of those kindergarten math workbook pages that have a picture of 3 apples, and the kids are supposed to circle 2 and then write the numeral 2 at the bottom. This shouldn't be. It's not really helping them learn. They need hands-on, real life examples of things to touch and manipulate in order to understand. And we need to allow them ample time in this stage not trying to rush them. She gives a good list of ideas how parents can foster this kind of learning (playing games, at the grocery store, in the dining area, yard, garage, workshop, kitchen, car or even by the TV.) I can't help but ponder my Math Methods courses in college. I never considered myself a math whiz, and maybe I missed something, but this book has laid it out most clearly for me. I now have more confidence in teaching my son math and am excited about learning alongside him! I invited him to help me make supper the other night. We peeled 8 tomatoes for our soup. As I put them in the sink I'd say, "Here's one more. How many are in the sink now?" I tried very hard to keep it fun and not get too preachy. For a while I just kept quiet and watched him concentrate and work. I don't think he's ever peeled tomatoes before. As he set the table he said, "When Daddy gets home there will be four people, and if Grandma comes it would be five. That's my whole hand!" I am trying to make a mental habit to be conscious of the little opportunities throughout our days to inject some simple mathematical thinking. Here's our recipe. Mmmmmm.......
Fresh Tomato Soup (from this cookbook, which I love!) 8 medium tomatoes, peeled and seeded, if desired 4 cloves of garlic, minced Combine in saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes are soft. 3 c. water or vegetable stock 2 chicken boullion cubes 1 tsp. sugar 2 sprigs of fresh basil, chopped Add, bring to boil, simmer 5 minutes. Run through a blender, if desired. I served ours with Ultimate Grilled Cheese Sandwiches (with bacon and 3 cheeses), tall glasses of milk, and homemade Granola Bars. One more thing, I'm also excited about this Pre Math-It program/game my friend borrowed us too. Dominoes are always a hit here. Got any fun math ideas you'd care to share? |
Welcome!
"I am recording this so that future generations will also praise the Lord for all He has done." -Psalm 102:18 I am a mama to 2 sweet brothers who aspires to a "thinking love" toward my children.
Take a peek into our journey towards a living education inspired by the writings of Charlotte Mason. Be sure to leave me a comment if you're inspired! I prefer to keep my text and images right here. Please don't copy without permission. Thanks! Categories
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August 2018
I Participate"In this field small efforts are honoured with great rewards, and we perceive that
the education we are giving exceeds all that we intended or imagined.”
- Mason “It may be that the souls of all children are waiting for the call of knowledge to awaken them to delightful living.”
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