Lindy's Soon to be Famous Pumpkin Bread

I love it when I have success in mixing different recipes and have AMAZING results.  I had run out of canned pumpkin and wanted to make some pumpkin bread.  I did have some canned Libby's Pumpkin Pie Mix in the pantry so I figured I would go for it and see what happens.
It came out much better than the original recipe that I have been using.  So much better that I am blogging it so I don't forget what I did.

Lindy's Soon to be Famous Pumpkin Bread- Yes it's that good! click here for printable version

• 15 ounces of Libby's Pumpkin Pie Mix (It comes in 30 ounce cans)
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2/3 cup water
• 2 cups white sugar
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F . Grease 2 7x3 inch loaf pans.
2. In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin pie mix, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.
3. Bake for about 1 hour in the preheated oven. 
4. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Life Lessons

We are always teaching our children.  I have been convicted of this lately, that everything I do is a life lesson for my kids.  Sometimes I wish I could turn off the learning mechanism or hit rewind because some of the things my kids are learning from me are negative.

I am sure my kids won't remember all of the things they are learning in our schoolwork.  However, I am also equally sure they won't forget when I teach them poor behavior.  When I throw the tenth pair of shoes that I've picked up toward the shoe mat rather than carry them back into place.   When I am rude to the telemarketer who has woken up the baby from his nap.  When I say something negative about another person and my kids are listening....and learning.

Is this what I want my children to learn, no, no, no...ugh!!

I am praying and begging God to help me "grow up", to put childish ways away.  Please God make me the wife, mother and person you want me to be.

Thankfully, I am getting an opportunity to teach my kids repentance, forgiveness, grace and humility.  I am quick to apologize to my children and tell them when I have handled things poorly.  I ask them what do you think the right thing to do would have been?  Life lessons.....I think these are the ones that will be remembered.

Goals over our 6 week vacation

I am so thankful for a break from CC.  I love it, but we need a little down time to review and recover.

We have a family in our CC group who amaze me with the large volume of poetry they have memorized.   I am inspired to start having my kids memorize poetry.  We actually started about 2 weeks ago and I am really surprised at how quickly my children can memorize poetry.   My first goal for the next 6 weeks is to memorize as much poetry as we can.

My 2nd goal is to review all the CC materials for the last 12 weeks.  My son Ethan really wants to be a memory master this year and I want to help him prepare.

My 3rd goal is to work on Physical Education.  This is an area I feel that I have really dropped the ball...no pun intended.  I plan on having my kids do some basketball, soccer and baseball drills to help with coordination.   

Here is a video of How to teach your child to catch with a baseball mitt.    I thought this would be intuitive but after trying to teach Ethan how to catch with a baseball mitt and failing miserable I thought I do some research.

We will be doing some activities on being thankful this week.  And of course some Christmas celebrating!  I haven't picked anything particular out yet, I'm just at the goal setting stage.

What are your goals over the holidays?

Great Worksheets online to go with My Body

If you go on the CC website under foundations/file sharing/ science projects.  Someone made these GREAT worksheets to go along with the My Body readings we did the last 6 weeks.  I just found them and wish I would have found them six weeks ago.  We are going to do them over our "break"!
And review all that we learned about My Body!

Black Bean Quinoa Salad

Every time I make this someone ends up asking me for the recipe.  I make all the time especially in the summer, it's so refreshing and tasty!
Black Bean Quinoa Salad

History Highlights Q&A Week 11

Week 11 History Highlights Q&A pdf 

History Highlights Week 11 Q&A

1.  Did Lincoln side with the seceding states or the Union?_________________

2.  What famous book did Lincoln quote when he received the Republican nomination?_________________

3.  Did Lincoln win the race for the Senate? _____________

4.  True or False____________ Lincoln was our 4th president.  

5.  Which state was first to secede from the Union?______________

6.  What was the name of the Southern nation the seceded states formed?____________

7.  Which state had been undecided about which side to join?_________________

8.  Which city became the capital of the Confederacy?_____________________

9.  This war was mostly called the Civil War can you remember any other names this war was called?_________________________________

10.  True or False. ____________The Civil War claimed more American lives than any other war in the history of the United States.  
11.  What two main issues were resolved after the Civil War? _______________________________________________________________



Answers
1.  Abe Lincoln supported the Union.
2.  The Bible was the book Lincoln quoted.  
3.  No, he lost the race for Senate.
4.  False, Lincoln was our 16th president.
5.  South Carolina was the first state to secede.
6.  The Confederate States of America was the name of the nation that left the Union.
7.  Virginina hd been undecided about which side to join.
8.  Richmond, Virginia became the capital of the Confederate States of America.
9.  The Civil war was also known as the War Between the States, the War of Rebellion, the War of the Secession, or the War for Southern Independence; it has even been called the War of Northern Aggression.
10 True, it is widely accepted that the Civil war claimed more lives than any other war.
1.  The main issues that were resolved were the end of slavery and the right of a state to withdraw from the Union.   

Washing Feet

My kids were running around in our yard today barefoot and their feet were filthy.  After I brushed their teeth, I sat each one on the edge of the sink and told them the story of Jesus washing his disciples feet, as I washed their feet.

I told them how the disciples only wore sandals and their feet got really dirty.  I explained how Jesus decided to wash the disciples feet. I explained briefly how that was the worst job, but Jesus wanted to do it for his friends.  
I explained that when Jesus washed the disciples feet it was a symbol of what He can do to our hearts.   I told my children that I could wash their feet but Jesus could do much better he could wash their hearts.  

After washing Ethan and Hannah's cold dirty feet in some water and drying them, their feet were clean and warm.  I was reminded what an gentle loving God we serve. I am so grateful that He sent His Son to wash away my sins away!

Week 13 Science Worksheet

I made a science worksheet to go along with week 13's experiment.  Here is the link if you want to print it out.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TtojGVTloZMcZda1FYygGZPD1HQyfOltwhhTj8ElCI8/edit

11/28/11 Weekly Menu Plan

Breakfast
1. Cereal with fruit
2.  Pumpkin bread with fruit
3.  Pancakes with nitrate free sausage
4. Waffles with nitrate free sausage
5. French toast with fruit
6.  Smoothy- egg whites(pasteurized), yogurt, banana and strawberries

Lunch
1.   Deli Meat, BBQ Chicken rolls with cheese stick and fruit
2.  PB&J with hummus and crackers
3.  Mac and Cheese
4.  Pizza at CC
5.  Tuna fish Sandwiches and Kids choice
6 .  Left Overs

Dinner
1.  Frozen Ravioli with home-made spagetti sauce (I'm saving left over sauce for next week)
2.  Cheese and Fresh Bread, hummus crackers and fruit
3.  Grilled Chicken Salad
4.  Omelets and toast
5.  Debdozzie's Blue Ribbon Chili- This is the 1st time I've tried this recipe
6.  Sushi take-out
7.  Texmex Bean dip

Do you all know about librivox.org ?

I just finished reading Ethan the very long book The Patchwork Girl of Oz.  I figured I would search to see if the library had an audiobook for him to listen to because he really loved the story(and I'm not willing to read it again)!    It turns out our library doesn't have it, so I thought I'd search online to see if I could find it and low and behold, it's online for free!

This website has many of the Classics on audiobook, wahoo!!  And best of all it's FREE!!!  I am so excited!

Ethan is in my room right now reading along with the recording!

This won't replace my reading time with him, however, it's another way I can keep him busy and learning!

I also found a link on http://halfahundredacrewood.blogspot.com/ to this website with free audiobooks -http://www.booksshouldbefree.com/

Play Alone Time

I recently resumed "Play Alone Time" at my house.  I don't know exactly how we got off track, I think it happened about 20 months ago when I had my son Noah.  Life becomes very unscheduled when you have a newborn.

So we started "Play Alone Time" this last week and I had forgotten what a huge blessing it is!  

If you don't know what I mean by Play Alone Time, it is a time when your child or children go in their rooms for a certain amount of time and play by themselves.

We just started with my son Noah (20 months old) and this is how I've been doing it.  I put Noah in his crib, with toys that I reserve only for play alone time.  I put in a cd with classical music for him to listen to.  I started with 10 minutes, since he didn't really know what was happening.  He squawked and then proceded to throw every toy out of his crib on day 1.  The next time I bumped the time up to 15 minutes, then 20 minutes.  He is getting used to the idea, we are on about day 5 and he stayed in his crib playing happily for about 40 minutes before I heard the toys crashing to the floor.

My goal is to make it up to an hour.  This buys me sometime to get some schooling done with my other kids without interruption.   It is also very good for Noah because it gives him time to concentrate on what he is doing.  No one is grabbing toys from his hands or "helping" him.  He also is babbling a lot during this time, I guess because no one else is talking :)

Ethan and Hannah have already been trained in play alone time.  Since Ethan and Hannah share a room, I have Ethan go to their room and Hannah plays in the living room.  I give Hannah play dough or a coloring sheet or stickers to play with and Ethan is content to play with Legos.  I have their Play Alone Time during Noah's afternoon nap.  

If you are going to try this make sure it's not near nap time for a younger child.  I've been putting Noah in his crib about a hour and a half after breakfast.  

Classical Conversations Week 11 Supplements.

History
Abe Lincoln Animation
Abraham Lincoln Reading Comprehension Sheet Q&A
Abraham Lincoln Coloring Page
Mount Rushmore Jigsaw Puzzle
Modern Marvels Mount Rushmore 
Mount Rushmore Coloring Page
Little Log Cabin Craft
Abraham Lincoln Printable Book Time line
Explanation of Succession- Reading


Little Log Cabin Craft
I am all over crafts that don't need a lot of different supplies, so this one was just right.  Sticks, a box and a glue gun.  

Hannah carefully using a glue gun.  

Ethan trimming off the excess.

Ethan's turn with the glue gun.  

Abe Lincoln's Cabin.  I hope his looked better than this but I'm not a very "crafty" mom.  So that's about as good as it gets.
My only recommendation if you try this craft is that you choose a small box.  My kids were over it about 3/4 of the way thru.   


Next week we are going to try the craft A Pioneer Wagon we saw posted on http://halfahundredacrewood.blogspot.com/
We have all the supplies for that craft too!  Thanks Brandy!

Science
Once Upon A time...The Hormones-  I haven't watched this yet either, I don't know if it goes into puberty.  
Endocrine System Kids Your Health- I haven't read this so please check it out first, unless your ready to explain puberty.  
In a Beehive Magic Schoolbus-  I'm posting this because we had a presentation on Bees in our class this week.  






Reading Supplements

What Lincoln said -Thomson, Sarah L. -K-3rd grade

Lincoln and his boys -Wells Rosemary ( I think this is the same author as Max and Ruby)

The Gettysburg Address in translation : what it really means -OlsonAges 8 and up

Abe's fish : a boyhood tale of Abraham Lincoln-Bryant- PreS-Grade 3

Honest Abe Lincoln: easy-to-read stories about Abraham Lincoln -Adler Gr 1-3

Abe Lincoln: Log Cabin to Whitehouse, North.

Just a Few Words, Mr. Lincoln, Fritz.

The Yanks are Coming. 

If You Lived ... Civil War, Moore. 
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, Taylor. R:3-6 
Great Civil War Debate (DVD), Marshall. 
 Iron Scouts of the Confederacy, McGiffin. 
The Red Badge of Courage, Crane. R:5-6 
Freedom Train: The Story of Harriet Tubman, Sterling. RA:1-7 

Menu Plan for this week

I am really proud of myself getting my weekly menu planned out so early in the weekend.

Breakfast.
1.  Pumpkin bread clementines and bacon :)
2.  Frozen Pancake and nitrate free sausage
3.  Frozen French toast and some fruit
4.  Waffles and nitrate free sausage.
5.  Cereal with fruit
6.  Omelets with toast
7.  Pumpkin bread with clementines


Lunch
1.  PB&J with fruit and sunchips
2.  Turkey Rolls, cheese sticks and fruit
3.  Mac and Cheese
4.  Pizza at CC
5.  PB&J with fruit and sunchips
6.  Turkey Rolls, cheese sticks and fruit

Dinner
1.  Tacos
2.  Grilled chicken with rice and plantains
3.  Stoffers frozen lasagna
4.  Grilled cheese and tomato soup
5.  Tex-Mex bean dip with tortillas
6.  Chipotle Burritos
7.  Pollo Tropical Grilled chicken thrown over a spinach salad.