Today we attended or classes at the village home school resource center . the best part about the school is all the amazing women i have meet from every style of life . I love hearing all that they have to say and learning from them. the coolest stuff i have learned from them is about all the style of homeschooling there is . Our family is still trying to figure out what "style " we are but in the end its doesn't matter . we are just happy being together . I love watching Chase having fun just by playing Lego's . I enjoy listening to Maddie read and pretend to play the drums every where we go .
Lets hope that someday we will have more answers on homeschooling but for now . we are just enjoying being a close family who loves to learn and be together !
WE were on the hunt for all things Green ... so we baked !
Today we made Zucchini Chocolate chip Muffins plus a cute loaf for Matt to take to work
The recipe is super simple and fun for the kids
Dry ingredients :
3 cups flour and be substituted for a gluten free flour mix 1teaspoon baking powder 1teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons cinnamon
Wet ingredients: 2 cups Shredded Zucchini 1 cup smashed banana 2 tablespoons vanilla 1 cup applesauce 3 eggs 2 cups sugar or substitute for agave 1 cup chocolate chips
pour dry ingredients in to wet . mix then pour 350F for oven cook for about 17 Min's or until light brown
Hope you enjoy this fun treat
We studied all things green today and part of our learning was making these muffins .. Don't forget all the green stuff you can see in a day .. we made a list of 20 items some included My Eyes , Our table cloth on our dining room table.
At this very moment my kids are outside chasing a rainbow with my hubby who is taking pictures of 2 huge large beautiful rainbows ... We live in the NW it is one of the most amazing places to live .
spring bring out the most amazing shades of pink and yellow and white . We will be driving and Bam its raining next you know its snowing then you next to a fabulous Rainbow.
I just had to post how excited we are to be living in such a amazing area I HEART PORTLAND
Fridays are a amazing day we are at the end of a week and Matt will be home soon. our Friday has been a slow one. I keep asking the kids to go on a walk but all they want to do is art today .So i start to think about what we have done this week as a home school family. Then panic sets in " have I done enough ,have they learned enough, what if they are behind, what if they are not doing a what the other kids are doing.Then I remember Dude I'm home schooling them so I don't have to worry about that sort of stuff. I calm down collect my thoughts and being to observe them painting, coloring, making stuff out of tape and sitting playing in there room. At this very moment I'm watching them teach them self's while learning on there own with out me. "sitting and teaching themselves" its a amazing site . I love that for me homeschooling is not just about the "school work" that has to get done. But more about watch the children understand and learn though life . To watch them learns and trust that they are learning is a crazy concept but a beautiful one. That is my Friday afternoon bliss knowing my kids are naturally learning.
as a side note the pic on this post was done by someone not sure who .. i loved it ! plus it seemed fitting. I love gnomes
Today we are back at the Village homes school resource center .I know that sound crazy " the Village" but its not . I find that this place was a very very important out let for me as a mom . plus a great social aspect for the kids .
Madison will be returning to her art class and starting a science one . Chase now that he is 5 he gets to be apart of the big kids classes . He will be be joins Maddie in art class .
The reason I'm going in to all of this is start teaching a Cooking class at the school for 9-13 yr Old . I'm so excited to be able to have this opportunity to help kids love being in the kitchen. I feel like I'm giving them a little bit of a Adventure in life to. be having them enjoy tasting the food they create.
Today my class will be cooking Vanilla cupcakes from scratch. I know that cupcakes are not hard or really excited to make. The reason i choose to have cupcakes as out first culinary creations is so i can see what level of cooking experience they all have. Lets be honest who doesn't love a good cupcake . :) i know i do here is the recipe we will be doing today . your all welcome to make them and send me your input
Basic Cupcake:
Makes about 30 cupcakes
1 3/4 cups cake flour
1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1. Preheat oven to 325°. Line cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt; mix on low speed until combined. Add butter, mixing until just coated with flour.
2. In a large glass measuring cup, whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla. With mixer on medium speed, add wet ingredients in 3 parts, scraping down sides of bowl before each addition; beat until ingredients are incorporated but do not over beat.
3. Divide batter evenly among liners, filling about two-thirds full. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 17 to 20 minutes.
4. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat process with remaining batter. Once cupcakes have cooled, use a small offset spatula to frost tops of each cupcake. Decorate with sprinkles. Serve at room temperature.
Heavenly Frosting:
Makes enough for 30 cupcakes
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 6 to 8 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Don’t forget Sprinkles for extra fun
1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter until smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. With mixer on low speed, add 6 cups sugar, milk, and vanilla; mix until light and fluffy. If necessary, gradually add remaining 2 cups sugar to reach desired consistency.
Pictures will be posted after class of our delicate creations of culinary Art .
The morning is slow but wonderful . We are watching the Wind make the trees move so fast that our bird feeder had to be taken down. Just like in nature the wind moves the trees. our life's move as well . I can't help but think about all that has happened in my life of 29 yrs .
I'm so blessed just be here. The Lord has blessed me and my family so much. I'm hoping this year I will slow down. Just take in ever moment and cherish what i get to experience as a mom and a wife. My biggest change this year is We as a family have choose to Homes School my 2 kids . Madison is 6 and Chase is going to be 5 next Friday.
The choose to make home where my kids learn and get educated was a hard long drawn out process. I was trained or society had trained me that you : get married , have kids ,you stay home with them until they are 3 , put them in preschool, then at 5 elementary school, then i go back to work full time. I didn't agree with that and new there had to be a better way.
Then on Nov 16 2003 my Journey started we had our first baby Madison 5 pound 4 ounces . That very moment i know i could never leave her . She taught me how much I loved being with her all the time . I learned to be patient from Madison . I learned that we only get to have our kids by our side for so long before they grow up and move out to start there own life.
So with that we made the decision to teach our kids . NOT only math science English and general fundamentals of "school" but also to teach them about LIFE . To be the one who shows them amazing life can be . By showing them how great the lord is . He created this earth and i want to be the one who shares that with my kids .
Life has so much to offer and the lord has given me the chance to be here. To teach my kids about all he has created for us .I'm sure this adventure called homeschooling will not be a easy one but I'm willing to dedicate my life to raising my kids. I realize a lot of people dis agree with me but that i may up set people with my thoughts but I'm not going to apologize . I'm allowed to have ideas and makes decisions that not everyone will love.
Its amazing how much we have all lost . 50 yrs ago people ate dinner together every night . As of today people eat dinner under 15 Min's and in 4 different rooms. My heart aches knowing that people don't enjoy eating and don't enjoy dressing up a table for a meal together . My goal along with so many I have to put on a list to do this year. Is to make full meals from scratch for dinner for my family . Its time for us to share food and enjoy each other . I'm not saying dinner will be 5hrs long and 19 course . I'm just wanting to invest time in to cooking together and sharing what we have created as a family .
So i have totally lagged at blogging for the past year .
My thought on blogging now is i want this blog to be all about the food i'm cooking with my kids and the experiences i have homeschooling them trough life .
my goal is to update twice a wk with pictures of out adventures and the food we have created together .
