Tropical Sorbet

Yes, not the best pic I know but it was delicious ;)  We had sorbet with our lunch today.  I was running low on fresh fruit so I decided to make the kiddos a treat....mushed fruit (lol!)  

Tropical Sorbet

3 cups Organic frozen fruit of choice    (Ours had mango, papaya, pineapple and strawberries.)
Water                                                       (However much needed for desired consistency.)

That's it, 2 ingredients.  Put the ingredients in the blender and blend until you reach the consistency you are looking for.

Delicious and healthy.....enjoy!

Cinnabun Baked Oatmeal....Delish!

This was an awesome warm breakfast on a cold morning.  Quick and easy!  The kids said it was a "Do Again" recipe and I agree!

Cinnabun Baked Oatmeal

• 1 cup oats (50g)
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 Tbls unsalted sunflower seeds 
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tbsp maple syrup 
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce 
• 1/2 cup milk 

Optional Ingredients: Fresh berries, extra splash of milk, sprinkle of brown sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine raw oats, spices, applesauce, and liquid. Pour into greased small ramekins. Add the sprinkle of brown sugar before baking if desired.  Cook for 15-20 minutes, or more until it’s firm. Finally, set your oven to “high broil” for 2 more minutes (or simply just bake longer, but broiling gives it a nice crust). 

After baking, top with a splash of milk and fresh berries. There are so many different variations that can be done with this.  Remember to keep it healthy with whole foods ;)

4 Servings

Recipe Adapted from http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com

A New Year! 2012 - 2013 Curriculum

2nd Grade and Kinder!  Can that be true?  They are growing up so very fast and we are going into our 3rd year of homeschooling.  Who would have ever thought? ;)  We have been so very blessed learning, exploring, and growing together.  It really has been amazing!  We continue to be an eclectic homeschooling family.  Classically Charolette Mason?

Daily….

Bible  We are so excited to be using the Grapevine curriculum “Stick figuring your way through the Bible” along with their bible verses for Awana.

Math Saxon 3 & 1  Crew is half way through the 3rd grade book so I need to decide whether to stay with Saxon for the upper grades or to continue researching our options.  Saxon 1 for Goose.

Phonics/Grammar  First Language Lessons by Jessie Wise 2nd Grade, Explode the Code 5 & 6 for Crew.  Goose will be doing Explode the Code 1 & 2 and Parents Ordinary Guide to Teaching Reading 

Picture Study/Narration/Copy work  Language Lessons for the Very Young  and Language Lessons for Little Ones by Sandi Queen

Literature and Poetry  Charlotte Mason Help 

Daily Free Reading  Book lists found on Charlotte Mason Help as well as Read for the Heart by Sarah Clarkson.  We will also continue to use Book Adventure for reading comprehension.

Piano 

Weekly…..

History   A Child's History of the World by VM Hillyer  World History Overview (Ancients, Creation-100BC)

American History (Exploring America, Colonies)

Spanish In addition to the Spanish course they are taking at a local charter school, Crew will be using Mango Languages offered free through our local library.

Writing We are trying out Write Shop Primary Book B.  Goose has also been able to join us using this book so far.  We are on their 3 day a week schedule.

Geography We will be studying both local and world geography using a number of different resources.  Mostly books and maps :)

Nature Study  Charlotte Mason Help's schedule.

Art/Music  For music we will be studying Orchestra, Ballet and Opera.  Our artist study comes from Erica @ Confessions of a Homeschooler.

Handicrafts  Things we will work on:  Habits/Life Skills - Polite Moments by Plain Path Publishers, Cooking, Finger knitting, & Sewing

Computer  Typing & Carrot Sticks for math facts practice.

PE Gymnastics, yoga/Pilate's videos 3 days a week and of course lots of biking & running training for races.

The kids take a Science & Spanish class through a local program 2 days a week,  piano lessons with Ms. Rebekah and Awana.

Okay, I think that is everything.  We don't have a rigid schedule but more of a routine or flow to our day.  I am sure things will be added and maybe even removed as we go through the year.

We are 5 weeks into this curriculum and are really having fun and enjoying our time together.  Crew loves having his sister "really" (as he puts it) schooling with him this year.

.

Junior Page Turner Book Club–Diary of a Worm!

We really do live in a wonderful town.  Okay, my heart is a bit sad that it is growing so quickly and I fear it will loose the small town charm soon but, there is so much to be thankful for.  Crew participates in a monthly kids book club at our local library for 1st – 3rd graders.  It is such a great program.  It is a small group limited to 12 kiddos and they meet once a month to discuss the book they are working on, do a craft and have a snack together.  Crew loves it!

He really loves this months book….Diary of a Worm.  This is right up Crew’s alley with silliness.  Throughout the month we have done some different activities with the book here at home too.  Both Crew and Goose are super familiar with worms because we have a Vermicompost bin with hundreds of worms so we didn’t do much science, but I did find some great Language Arts activities here…. Diary of a Worm.

One of the reasons we love homeschooling…..best friends!

Cause and Effect, Sequencing, Narration and more!

Need additional ideas?  Check out Pinterest by searching Diary of a Worm =)

Snowshoe Training Without Snow?!

Yes, I will be competing in my first snowshoe race this coming weekend and some have asked how I am preparing.  Well…I am running!  Not usually on snow either.  I have been out a couple times after the few storms we have gotten so far but for the most part I am running on the roads, trails or treadmill.  I am one of those slow and steady runners…you know the tortoise and the hare   I really need to get faster!!  Those of you that are not YET runners….keep reading!

For those that have a running base, I came across a training plan in my Sept./Oct. 2011 issue of Women’s Running titled “Perfect 5K PR”.  You can access the 1st plan online but the other two are print only. 

Perfect 5K PR

Not up for these plans yet but need a plan and would like to start walking or running?  Check out Couch to 5K or Beginner Triathlete's Couch to 5K.  A great book to encourage you this new year… Courage to Start by John “The Penguin” Bingham.

Leave a comment or e-mail me if you need the plan e-mailed to you for larger/clearer print.  Also, leave a comment so we can encourage one another in the new year!

Citrus Strawberry Green Smoothie!

I know looks very green and scary to some of you I am sure, but it was delicious!  Exciting Mom moment tonight when the kiddos didn’t even flinch at the color, and Crew immediately said “This is soooooo good!  What did you put in it?”  Well here it is….

Citrus Strawberry

• Chard (filled 3/4 of blender)
• banana (1)
• strawberries (approx. 6 – 10_
• fresh orange juice (1/2 to 1 cup)
• water (to desired consistency)
• chia seeds (2 Tbls.)

Yummmm!

Crockpot (Healthy)Refried Beans & Homemade Whole Wheat Tortillas

 

Quick, easy, healthy and so delicious!  Nothing like the canned stuff.  You will never go back  

Okay, I must be honest…the beans are quick and the tortillas take a little work but are well worth it, and for us make extras for breakfast burritos in the morning and quesadillas for lunch.  You can even freeze them.

Easy Crockpot Refried Beans

(It’s no secret I love Lisa @ 100 Days of Real Food…thanks for more great recipes!)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 onion, peeled and halved
• 2 cups dry pinto beans, rinsed
• ½ fresh jalapeno or other hot pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ¾ teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• One big pinch of cumin
• 6 cups water

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker.
2. Cook on high for 8 hours or overnight while you are sleeping.
3. Remove the bigger onion chunks and drain the excess liquid. If desired, save excess liquid until the final product is desired consistency.
4. Mash remaining beans with a potato masher and voila! You have homemade refried beans.

 

Whole Wheat Tortillas

YIELD: 12 TORTILLAS

INGREDIENTS

• 2 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour (I used King Arthur’s white whole-wheat flour)
• 1/2 cup oil (I used avocado oil)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup warm water (heat in the microwave for 1 min)

DIRECTIONS

1. Looking for an easy way out? Throw all ingredients at once into your bread machine to kneed (like I do) or in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer set with a dough hook, pour in the flour, oil and salt. Beat with the paddle until crumbly, about 3 to 5 minutes. Scrape the sides as needed. If your hand-held mixer comes with dough hooks those can be used as well.
2. (Skip this step if you used your bread machine) With the mixer running, gradually add the warm water and continue mixing until the dough is smooth, about 3 minutes.
3. Take out the dough and divide it into 12 equal sized pieces. I do this by rolling out a log shape that is about 8 – 10 inches long. Then I cut it in the middle. Then I cut each of those pieces in the middle and so on until you have 12 pieces.
4. Roll each piece into a ball and flatten it out on a baking tray or board. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for at least 15 minutes or up to one hour.
5. Heat a cast iron skillet, griddle or 12-inch skillet over med-high heat. The pan should be fairly hot before you begin cooking the tortillas.
6. On a lightly floured board or countertop, roll each ball into a 8 to 10 inch circle. Be careful not to use more than a teaspoon or two of flour when rolling out each ball of dough because too much excess flour will burn in the pan.
7. Place one tortilla at a time in the pan and cook until puffy and slightly brown, do not overcook or they will be crunchy! Eat within an hour, refrigerate or freeze.

I separate mine with wax paper after I roll them out.

Quesadilla for lunch!

Breakfast burrito with eggs, cheese and green chile sauce!

Enjoy!

Our favorite Green Smoothie Recipes

For those of you that don’t know, Mike and I completed a 3 day Green Smoothie Cleanse a few weeks ago with a group of people from the Vegalicious Blog.  Elena @ Vegalicious has a great testimony, a wonderful wealth of information on nutrition and is gifted with her coaching ability in this area.  I am very thankful for her as I see wonderful things happening to my body and mind.  My prayer is that I can soon be off my thyroid medicine once and for all!!

The immediate results of the cleanse were a 3 lb. weight loss for both of us …..in other words getting the toxins out of our bodies =), energy and a clear mind for me.  Clear mind? Sounds strange I know, but that is the only way I can describe it.  I have never felt better in my everyday tasks…..homeschooling, housework, training and just being a Mom and wife.

Long term…..Well, I had made a promise to Elena that we would still drink 1 to 2 green smoothies a day and we have!  We always have one in the morning and one again before dinner.  The kiddos too! What I love the most is that it has really helped continue to change our diet.  Many of you know that we started off with the 10 Days of Real Food Pledge which helped drastically change our pantry.  You can read more about it here 10 Days of Real Food...Come & Join Us! 

So thank you Elena for helping us continue to learn about how to fuel our bodies!!

Here are 2 of our favorite smoothies!

(Measurements below are all approximate as I tend to just throw things in the blender .)

Strawberry Blueberry Blend

• Chard (filled 3/4 of blender)
• Banana (for sweetness)
• Strawberries (6 to 8)
• Blueberries (1/2 c.)
• Flax or Chia Seeds (2 tbls)
• Water (to desired consistency)

Berries & Greens

• Spinach (fill 3/4 of blender)
• Banana (for sweetness)
• Mixed berry blend (blueberries, blackberries & Marion berries)
• Flax or Chia Seeds (2 tbls.)
• Water (to desired consistency)

I will post on some other ingredients I add such as aloe very juice, Maca Root powder, Dulce, etc. another day.

I just had to throw in this picture above with our sassy new (environmentally friendly) straws   Love our glass straws!

I generally just have a large mason jar of smoothie and my coffee (Yes, haven’t broken the habit.) for breakfast.  Below is a typical breakfast for the kiddos.  Small mason jar of smoothie with a bowl of oats, nuts, dried cranberries or some other toppings they love.

Elena is starting another 3 Day Cleanse New Years Day.  What is your New Years Resolution?  Hint, hint!! 

Not ready for a 3 day cleanse?  How about trying 1 green smoothie a day for starters?

How we spend our Winter days!

Ice Skating…..so fun!  One of our favorite things to do is to go ice skating at one of the many outdoor rinks here in the Denver area.  Here is a link with different rinks, hours, prices etc. Denver Area Outdoor Ice Skating or Downtown Denver Ice Skating

Crew & Goose were so excited to have Big Sis visit!

After ice skating, we were headed to eat at one of the many downtown restaurants in Denver.  That is until Crew spotted a piano.  He had to stop and play some of the Christmas songs he has been learning.

Well, as he continued to play people walking down the street began to gather to stop and hear him play.  It was so cool.  What a talented 6 year old!  Yes, a proud Mom moment

Santa!  We did go and visit Santa.  I don’t have a pic to post because the new photography company would not allow personal cameras.

Sledding!  The most recent storm dumped about 16” of snow.  So, our days were filled with shoveling and sledding. 

Snowshoeing?! Snowshoes for Christmas!  So, after opening presents and breakfast (Which was a new recipe that was a hit.  I will post the recipe soon!) We headed out to try our new snowshoes.

Seriously a beautiful place to live!  This trailhead was approx. 5 miles from our house.

Taking a break to have a Lara Bar

Crew was nicknamed “Survivor Boy” today. He really enjoyed walking alone and exploring.

The kiddos snowshoed 3 miles today and we are so VERY proud.  When we headed out we weren’t sure what to expect since they had never snowshoed before and the snow was deep in some places.  They were amazing!  I hope that we have started a Christmas day tradition.  We had a wonderful time together as a family enjoying God’s creation!  Merry Christmas!

So….ice skating, sledding, and snowshoeing, what are your favorite winter activities?

Soft, Yummy Whole Wheat Sugar Cookies

I found a whole wheat sugar cookie recipe we all loved….thanks Katie!

Whole Wheat Sugar Cookies

• 3/4 cup ww pastry flour
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt 
• 1/4 tsp. plus 1/8 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 cup Evaporated Cane Juice (Sucanat) or coconut sugar
• 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 and 1/2 tablespoons milk
• 1/4 cup butter or coconut oil

Combine dry ingredients and mix very, very well. In a separate bowl, melt butter, then stir in vanilla and milk. Pour dry into wet and mix again. Form balls or roll out (not too thin), then use a cookie cutter to make shapes.

Katie says…..If you want soft cookies, you’ll need to get the dough very cold. (So roll the balls first, then fridge until cold.)  We couldn’t wait!

Cook in a 325F preheated oven for 5 minutes. They will look very underdone when you take them out, but that’s ok. Let cool…..enjoy!

Makes about 1 dozen cookies depending on size.

Yes, I brought sugar back into our home!  So if I am going to use sugar, what kind should I use?  Well, we used Organic Evaporated Cane Juice.  Yes, it comes from the sugar cane just like your regular sugar.  However, it is NOT heavily processed and does still contain some amounts of vitamins and minerals.  Calories?  Yes, the same but that is not what I am concerned with.  We do now own one small bag of the Organic Evaporated Cane Juice.   You can read more about Organic Evaporated Cane Juice and other sugars here…. Wikipedia - Evaporated Cane Juice.

They really were delish!  Do you have a (somewhat) healthy cookie recipe to share?

Green Smoothies & Snowshoe Training!

Mike and I are on Day 2 of our “Green Smoothie Cleanse”.  Why?  Well, we are continuing to strive for healthy changes in our lives and diets……so, out with the toxins!! 

A blogger (with a pretty cool story) I follow was calling all to join together in a 3 day cleanse.  She provided an e-book with recipes and information on how, when, why etc.  Thanks Elena!  Call to Arms 3 Day Green Smoothie Cleanse

We are basically spending 3 days blending greens and fruits to detox.  In with the good and out with the bad!  Now I am not a diet, cleanse, fasting kind of person.  I am an eater!!  You know, my blood sugar drops, I get irritable, etc., etc.  I can say that I am feeling pretty good on Day 2.  So if I can do it, so can you   I will report full results after tomorrow. 

Today’s favorite recipe to satisfy your sweet tooth…

Blueberries, banana, chard, spinach, water, organic aloe Vera juice, and flax

Training???  It’s off season for triathlons isn’t it?  Well, as most of you know I wasn’t able to race this past season due to a mountain biking accident resulting in a separated shoulder and knee surgery so I need to get back into shape!  So, why not take up a new sport for the winter….snowshoeing.  Apparently there are a bunch of crazies out there who enjoy running/racing in snowshoes.  Yes, running!  The first time I tried to run in snowshoes I needed oxygen after the first 100 yards.  So naturally, I want to race.  A new trend with me….if it is hard or pushes me to my limits, I want to try it.  It's kind of fun. You know, makes life interesting.  My birthday present has arrived……

Red Feather Vapor Cross Country Snowshoes

My first race will be January 8th. Goal: to finish while enjoying the outdoors!   Now, many of you might be thinking that we don’t have enough snow down here to train.  Well, you are partially right.  After much research, I have learned that many snowshoe racers that don’t live up in the mountains simply follow a running training plan and strap on their snowshoes whenever a storm comes through.  So that is exactly what I am doing.  Sound interesting?  Here are a few links with racing calendars and info…. Snowshoe Magazine Calendar, US Snowshoe Racing Association, CO Racing Underground Snowshoe Calendar.

Try something new!  Don’t you love that feeling after you have accomplished something new or pushed your limits?

Jesse Tree….A History of the Season!

I learned about the Jesse Tree last year and we loved the tradition.  Very Catholic (at least all the websites with info are anyway)….who knew.  I grew up going to Catholic school.  The Jesse Tree is very similar to perhaps an Advent calendar/wreath but focuses more on the history behind this time of year. So we have both an Advent Calendar and a Jesse Tree!  The kids love it =)

Our Jesse Tree looks a bit different this year…..yes sticks !  We have been doing so much hiking that I thought we would make our tree of sticks in one of the many mason jars we have at home.  I did paint a few of the sticks white because they are recycled from our Thanksgiving centerpiece.  (The bird hanging is not a part of the Jesse Tree tradition but represents a friend going through a rough pregnancy.  Just a daily reminder for us to pray for her, baby and their family.)

Yes, and once again I opted out of the sewing of ornaments and went the easy route.  The kiddos are coloring the ornaments each day as we go along.  They actually love that part.

December 1st….our first ornament and devotion.  We are using the same book we used last year The Advent Jesse Tree by Dean Lambert Smith. I found many fantastic blogs & sites with ideas and free stuff.  Here is the one we used to print the ornaments to color Jesse Tree Printable Ornaments.

Hope you too are starting or continuing wonderful holiday traditions.  And of course please do share!  After all, where do you think I get all my ideas from