Welcome to my blog - grab your favorite mug and fill it with whatever you like best to drink, pull up a chair, sit back and have a glimpse into my life ...
<><Becky
L.≈prayer that tumors won't return to her eye≈
******* L.≈prayer that he would stop being so angry towards his family≈
******* T.≈was attacked and is having a hard time with things right now≈
******* K.≈family is going through a difficult time right now≈
L.≈they now go to the Toronto Hospital EOM and the other months they go to the Hospital in their Province - PTL!!!!≈
******* M.≈found a home much closer to work≈
*******
Since today is a Mug Up day and we are not going, due to the weather, the kids have asked if they can have a Mug Up day here. I told them that they definitely could, but they had to 'play' on the PC first - they are each playing Quarter Mile Math, for half an hour and then they are playing Reading Blaster, also for a half an hour. I figure this way they still get some actual 'learning' in before they just go and play with their toys.
Today, I have decided that I am going to bake some cookies. I have had a craving for these cookies for a few days now, and have decided that today is the day that they will get made - might even get the kids to help me out .... more math, lol.
Cornmeal Cookies
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp lemon extract (can use vanilla)
2 2/3 cup flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup chopped raisins (can use craisins)
Preheat oven to 400˚F. Mix butter and sugar until creamy. Beat in eggs and lemon extract. Mix dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture. Stir in raisins. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from baking sheet while warm. Cool on rack.
Makes approximately 4 dozen.
There are a few things in this recipe that I need to change:
I need to use our Gluten Free Flour Mixture instead of the flour it calls for.
I'll use vanilla instead of the lemon extract.
Instead of putting in the nutmeg and raisins, I'll add 1 bag of milk chocolate chips.
I have made these before, using the changes that I have mentioned, and the whole family loved them .... maybe it was just the fact that I had actually made cookies that day (since Josh has gone Gluten Free, I don't bake near as much as I used to - I would like that to change, though).
Well, not exactly a full day of handcrafts, the kids did their Bible copywork this morning and then they each did one lesson from their Saxon Math books.
In the afternoon we all worked on our handcrafts: Joshua was continuing his crocheting on his Granny square that he is making (he has already finished the first ball of yarn and has started his second ball), I was working on the felted slippers for my Mom and Charlotte was finishing up her last five rows on the poncho that she is knitting for Taryn (her Canadian Girl doll).
She has finished all of the knitting and asked me to do the sewing of it for her - I told her that I would do it. Here are some pictures of the completed poncho:
This is pretty close (but not quite) to the real color of the blue that she used.
One side .....
And the other side.
We are really hoping that it fits over Taryn's head, Charlotte is sure that it will .... we'll see once we get her to our house.
I am very proud of both the kids for sticking with their handcrafts - Charlotte has been knitting 5 rows each day and Josh crochets until she is done her rows. My biggest worry with teaching Charlotte to knit, was that she is left handed - I wasn't sure if it was going to be an easy thing to do. We got her started with the Portuguese method, using afghan hooks instead of regular knitting needles, she took to it like a duck to water. She is now trying to figure out what she wants to knit next.
I wasn't able to get a picture of Josh and his crocheting because he put it away before I was able to get camera out. Hopefully next time he won't be so quick, lol.
I am very pleased to report that today has been the smoothest day for schoolwork - this week, lol. Both kids are finally understanding that math is not an all day event - they were both done by lunch time today.
Here is how today looked:
Bible copywork - they both did 10 minutes of this, although I think the amount of actual writing that Josh did was far less ... he kept staring off into space.
Math - both did one lesson in their Saxon Math books.
Language - they both finished 2 pages from their Total Reading books.
Novel Study - Joshua read one chapter from his novel "Call of The Wild" and then narrated to me what happened while I typed, what he said, onto the computer. Charlotte read two chapters from her novel "Tuck Everlasting", she also narrated to me what happened from her book.
Life Skills - both the kids are working on their handcrafts, Charlotte is knitting 5 rows on the poncho for her Canadian Girl doll and Joshua is crocheting on his Granny Square (he works on this until Charlotte has completed 5 rows of knitting).
Finished Crochet List of 2009:
≈ Wasp Nest - 2
≈ Double-thick Diagonally Crocheted Potholder - 8
Emergency Rations
≈ 3 cups rolled oats
≈ 2 1/2 cups powdered milk
≈ 1/2 package lemon or orange gelatin
≈ 1 cup sugar
≈ 2 Tablespoons honey
≈ 3 Tablespoons water
* Place oats, powdered milk and sugar in a bowl.
* Add water to honey and bring to a boil.
* Dissolve gelatin in honey/water mixture and add to dry ingredients.
* After mixing well, add additional water (a teaspoon at a time), until the mixture is barely moist enough to be molded.
* Shape into two bars.
* Dry the bars in the oven under low heat, wrap in foil & place them in a covered container for indefinite storage.
* Each bar contains sufficient food for one day.
* You can eat the bar dry or cook it in about a pint of water.
This is pretty close (but not quite) to the real color of the blue that she used.
One side .....
And the other side.
