Homeschool Memoirs~Winter Treats

THEME

This week I want to invite you to share one of your favourite winter treats. A treat you look forward to making when the snow falls and include the recipe for it so others can try it out.

This year I didn't make all of my favorite things that I like to but, I have made some. I enjoy making Peanut Brittle, Chocolate Mint Brownies, Fudge, Sour Cream Sugar Cookies, Peanut Butter Cups and Peanut Blossom Cookies.

Chocolate Mint Brownies

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 can (16 ounces) of chocolate flavored syrup

1 cup sugar

Filling:

2 c. confectioners' sugar

1/2 cup butter or maragarine, softened

1 tablespoon of water

1/2 teaspoon mint extract

3 drops of green food coloring

Topping:

1 package (10 ounces) mint chocolate-chips (I just use regular and put in a little mint extract)

9 tablespoons butter or margarine.

Combine the first seven ingredients in a large mixing bowl; beat at medium speed for 3 minutes; Pour batter into a greased 13x9 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. (top of brownies will still appear wet) Cool completely.

Combine filling ingredients in a medium mixing bowl; beat creamy. spread over cooled brownies.

Refrigerate until set.

For topping, melt chocolate chips and butter over low heat in a small saucepan. Let cool for 30 minutes until lukewarm, stirring occasionally. Spread over filling. Chill before cutting. Store in the refrigerator.

Yields: 5-6 Dozen

Peanut Blossoms

1/2 cup butter, softened

2/3 cup peanut butter

2/3 cup granulated sugar, divided

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 egg

2 Tbsp. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

1-1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup Planters Cocktail Peanuts, finely chopped

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

48 foiled wrapped milk chocolate pieces, unwrapped (Hershey Kisses)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Beat butter, peanut butter, 1/2 cup of the granulated sugar and the brown sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add Egg, milk and vanilla; beat until well blended. Combine flour, peanuts, baking soda and salt. Gradually add to butter mixture, beating until well blended after each addition.

SHAPE dough into 8 balls, each about 1 inch diameter; roll in remaining 1/3 cup of sugar. Place, 2 inches apart, on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake 9 to 10 min. or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate piece into the center of each cookie. (Cookie will crack slightly around edge.) Cool on baking sheets 1 minute.

Remove to wire racks; cool completely.

Homeschool Memoirs #17: Chores

Oh how often we either say it or hear it … “Too much to do, not enough time!”? I hear it and say it quite often. How do you manage all the tasks you have to complete in just 24hours? There are a lot of different methods on how to get chores and organizing done. Some have a strict schedule others just kinda wing it.


Theme:

This week I would you to share how chores are done in your home. How you order your day with school and getting housework done. How do you decide which chores should be done by which child, of which age? I’m looking forward to hearing them!

Our family routine is I usually get up before everyone else and tidy the house up and get things ready for school, I am blessed with a wonderful husband who also helps with fixing Pancakes or French Toast and then I usually clean the kitchen and we start school~sometimes while the kids are working on their subjects I will do a little house cleaning.

I think I have the kids on a pretty good schedule that keeps our House going well.

Lindsey 18~ Unloading the dish washer and vacuuming daily, she also does some of the laundry and takes care of other things, she is also a responsible driver and does errands for me when I need them.

Courtney 15~takes care of the inside cats, cleans the downstairs bathroom and helps with the Laundry and also keeps her room tidy.

Whitney 12~She has the responsibility of taking care of the puppies in the morning and also keeping her room clean, she has difficulty with keeping the room clean. She also helps me if I need her to help with other little tasks in the house.

Zachary age 9~has the responsibility of feeding our oldest dog Shasta in the morning and at night~I don't usually have him do alot, he does well for taking care of the dog at the moment although he does ask me how he can help me.

Homeschool Memoirs #12: Let’s Play A Game!

Homeschoolers are very resourceful people. They use what they have and use them to their best ability. I know in our home many times people ask us how we use this or that for learning, and we are happy to explain it’s value. I think the main thing that a lot of people miss is that life is learning, and you must use everything in your home for learning otherwise you won’t fully be prepared.

THEME

This week I want to invite you to share what different games you use for learning in your homeschool. Outside games, board games, or card games, and what purpose or subject you use them for.

We use Bingo, Scrabble game of life~we use these for spelling and word building as well as reading.

Homeschool Memoirs #11 Field Trips

I’m a dreamer. I dream of visiting all the historic places and foreign countries. Not sure if it’s in God’s plan that I will, but still I’d like to. Over the past few years, as homeschoolers, my family has thought of visiting quite a few different places. When we went on vacation last June we had planned on visiting the Roy Rogers’ museum as well as a few places in Texas and New Mexico. Things didn’t workout so we’re able to but it would have interesting to visit I’m sure.

THEME:

This week I’d like to invite you to share your favourite field-trip that you’ve been able to go on since you’ve started homeschool. I’d encourage you to include photos, but you don’t have to.



We have gone on alot of fun field trips but, the most recent field trip we went on was to a farm in a nearby city that is surrounded with alot of different farms, we went with the cub scouts group, the kids got to go through the corn maze, ride a train around the farm and pick out some pumpkins, of course they wanted a bigger pumpkin so we got one, I enjoyed looking at all that they had there. One of the favorite things we got were hony crisp apples, those were yummy!

Here are a few pictures I am sharing!
















Zachary and Whitney in the corn maze.















Whitney and Zachary on the train ride.














Mom going through the corn maze with the kids.















Zachary in the pumpkin patch picking out a "special"
pumpkin.















Whitney picking out the "Big" Pumpkin

Homeschool Memoirs #10: Ten Timely Facts

THEME

The time will be changing again. I think on Sunday but not sure. Anyhow this is our 10th Homeschool Memoirs so this week it’s going to be about 10 timely facts about you! Write 10 interesting, crazy, weird, fun facts about you! Include facts about you as a woman, a wife, a mommy, a homeschooler, a homekeeper, a taxi-driver, a cook, etc . I only put 10 facts because I didn’t want to overwhelm you, but you’re welcome to do more! I just posted 101 Facts about myself on my blog, which you can take a look at if you should like.

Ten timely facts about me. Nothing to impressive about me lol..

1. I am not an early riser, I like to sleep in (love my sleep)

2. I break my little toes often (I don't wear shoes so my little toes get alot of abuse lol)

3. I have painted my childrens feet before to get their foot prints.

4. I am always trying to capture a kodak moment.

5. I always seem to rhyme when I talk (kids think thats funny)

6. I am very protective over my kids (often driving my 18 year old daughter insane) I told her its a mommy thing.

7. I have 2 yahoo groups I lead.

8. I went to a class at the college when I was younger to learn how to play the guitar.

9. I used to work as a Certified Nursing Aide Assistant

10. I broke my arm helping my daughter sell girl scout cookies (don't ask ) Lol

Homeschool Memoirs #9 Our Homeschool Family

THEME

This week’s theme is about your family. Don’t worry. I’m not going to make you write a long essay about all the great things your family does. Just something little diddy that I know everyone will have fun with!

Watch the youtube video below and then take this song and add your own words, about your family. The end of the first three lines should rhyme. Can’t wait to see what you come up with!

Okay I finally got this done, it sounds kind of stupid but, I did it anyway lol..This took alot of thought.

I also added the video because I have some readers that come to visit and thought it would be cute to have on my blog for them to listen to.

Lryics to “A Homeschool Family“

Some people say were strange

They think we lost our brains

Our neighbors think were looney

Our Homeschool Family

We drive a blue caravan
We learn about our Land
Our kids are in a band
Our Homeschool family.

We learn about one another
And how to love our brother
Were encouraging each other
Our Homeschool family.

(Thrifty)

(Nifty)

(Gifty)

We give lots of love

and often lots of hugs

we like to show our love

Our Homeschool Family

Our daughter is a scientist

she wants to be a biologist

she knows more then all of us

Our Homeschol family.

We like to learn about nature

and all about our Creator

It just in our nature

Our Homeschool Family

Homeschool Memoirs #8: Study Spot

THEME:

This week share your favourite spot to study with your kids. There are many places you can sit down to teach, learn, and work, but where do you prefer and why? You’re welcome to include a photo of your study spot! Looking forward to seeing everyone’s!

Our Study spots are in the Kitchen, Living

Room and Our Bedroom, like if my husband is teaching my son and reading to him, I will find another quiet room to do a test or have my daughter read in her room. Our main area where we teach is around the kitchen table.

I prefer teaching in the Kitchen because it is just a place where we can do things together, It is the place where I have our desktop too-so if we need the computer for anything..

Here is a picture of my son working on his Math, don't mind the dirty dishes in the background lol.

My daughter working on her Science

(learning about Africa)

Homeschool Memoirs:#7~Snack Foods

There are so many different kinds of snack foods, store-bought and homemade, and I would like to invite you to share what snack foods your family usually snacks on throughout the week. You’re welcome to make season lists too. I know there are different meals we eat during the colder seasons than we do in the warmer ones, and I imagine there are also seasonal snack foods as well.

I really don't do anything different with snack foods, we usually eat apples or chips and sometimes I will make a batch of cookies, but other then that..I don't do anything different.