Try a New Recipe Tuesday- October 1

Since we are driving home from Bethany Beach today, Sarah from My Joy Filled Life was so kind to offer to guest-post for me today!  I hope everyone gives Sarah some love by visiting her wonderful blog as well as leaving her comments here!  :-)
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In our home, Corduroy by Don Freeman is one of our favorite storybooks.  It’s probably the most read storybook on our shelf.  We recently pulled it out again and did several fun activities to go along with the book, and one of those things included making Peanut Butter Button Cookies.

Today, I’m happy to be a part of the Try a New Recipe Tuesday link up and share with you our little twist on peanut butter cookies.

Ingredients:

½ cup butter, softened

½ cup peanut butter

½ cup sugar

½ cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 ¼ cup flour

½ tsp. baking powder

¾ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

Instructions:

1.  In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

2.  In a large bowl, mix butter, peanut butter, sugar, brown sugar, and egg until creamy.

3.  Stir the dry ingredients into the peanut butter mixture until well blended.

4.  Chill the dough for 10-15 minutes.

5.  Roll the dough into 1 ½ inch balls and place 2 inches apart on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.

6.  Flatten each ball with your hand, a glass, or any other flat object so that the cookies are about 2 inches in diameter.

7.  With a toothpick, make 4 holes in the middle of each cookie.  Don’t be afraid to make them too big, as they will get smaller as they bake.  

8.  Wait patiently while they bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes are until they start to brown.  

9.  Cool for a couple minutes on cookie sheet before moving them to a cooling rack.  Let cool for about 15 minutes.  Then, ENJOY your cookies with a glass of cold milk and a good book!

Sarah is the JOYful wife of Jorge, the JOYful mother of 7 blessings, and a JOYful servant to the Most High God. She has been JOYfully homeschooling since 2007, using an eclectic approach. Sarah left her working-mom-of-2 mentality and plans at the door when the Lord came knocking on it in 2002. Now, as a born-again, stay-at-home, homeschooling mom of many, she couldn’t imagine life any other way! Sarah has a heart for moms, and uses her blog, My Joy-Filled Life, to minister to and encourage other mothers. You will find her writing and sharing about the joys of big family living, her faith, homeschooling, homemaking, and whatever the Lord lays on her heart. In her free time (what’s that?), Sarah enjoys baking (but not the clean-up), dabbling in photography, and running. You can also find her on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, and Google+, as well as contributing to Holy Spirit-Led Homeschooling and Breastfeeding Place.

Lisa here.  Thanks SO much, Sarah!  I know my kiddos will love making those cookies!  :-)

Here are today's features:

Bacon, Veggie and Cheese Crustless Quiche from Melding Magic

Homemade Breakfast Pockets at If you do stuff, stuff gets done

Light Cinnamon Strudel for One from The Fruit of Her Hands

Healthy Pumpkin Panckes at The Frugal Farm Wife

Linking up with the Gathering Spot, Kids in the Kitchen, Tasty Tuesday, Tempt my Tummy Tuesday, Domestically Divine Tuesday, Raising Mighty Arrows,Addicted to Recipes, Homemaking Wednesdays, Living Well Wednesday,NOBH, Judy H-J's Thoughts, Wisdom Wednesday , Favorite Things, Modest Mom, Full Plate Thursday and Melt in your Mouth Monday and Show Off Friday and Tuesday's Table and Look What We Did and Titus 2sday,  Mom's Monday Mingle, Monday Mingle, Crafty Spices, Better Mom,Create with Joy, Thursday's Treasures, Tasty Thursdays and Wonderful Food Wednesday and Mondays with Countrified Hicks and Tuesday How to Party and the Tried and True Recipe Party and Kids and Mom in the Kitchen and Family Fun Friday and Clever Chicks Blog Hop andAll My Bloggy Friends and Hearts for Home Blog Hop and Foodie Friends Friday and Family Fun Friday and TGIF Linky Party and Food on Friday andHip Homeschool Moms, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home andGood Tastes Tuesday

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Homeschool Mother's Journal/Weekly Wrap-Up September 28

affiliate links may be included

It has been a good and busy week at the Home to 4 Kiddos.  Early in the week, the kiddos were getting all of their work done in anticipation of us leaving on Thursday for a long weekend in Bethany Beach, DE.  I am proud of Kiddos 1 and 2 who got done a week's worth of Algebra assignments in just a few days so I could scan them in to their teacher before we left.  :-)

My favorite thing this week?  Apps!  I discovered apps.  My parents got me a Kindle Fire HD for my birthday (long story- but it is getting exchanged for the brand new one that has just come out), and I found a lot of apps that were fun for me and the kiddos including Learning Italian, Flight Simulators, Basketball and Animal puzzles (boy, are they difficult!).  Ok, we did play some educational ones, lol, including States and Capitals Matching Game, American History Quiz and the Oregon Trail.  And the best thing is that every one I downloaded was FREE!

Thursday afternoon, we headed down to Bethany Beach.  Kiddos 2, 3,4 and I were in one car.  Kiddo #1 and hubby followed behind a few hours later, as Kiddo #1 was flying with his RC club and Civil Air Patrol on Thursday evening.

After we unpacked, we headed to the dock and beach that are here on the base.  It is literally a minute or two walk from our "home."  

Friday was such a busy day!  I will write a separate post elaborating all about it, (stay tuned) but will give just an overview.  :-)  We first visited the Bethany Beach Nature Center.  What an amazing little treasure right in the heart of downtown.  It has a lovely indoor learning area as well as acres of trails.  The kiddos were given nets to be able to look more closely at different creatures as well as a scavenger hunt checklist to work on.  

We had a nice lunch at a nearby restaurant, played in their arcade and headed to the beach/boardwalk area.  Of course, we had to indulge in some delicious treats from Candy Kitchen.  :-)

After strolling on the boardwalk a bit, the kiddos (minus Kiddo 1, as he and hubby headed to the evening's NASCAR festivities) asked if we could walk on the beach.  You just have to love spontaneity!  Clothes and all, all 3 of them jumped in the ocean.  We did more laughing and had so much fun.  Sometimes, you just have to roll with the punches and enjoy and cherish every moment in life, the crazy ones and all; because sometimes they can become the most beautiful memories of all.  :-)

(they ended up getting pretty soaked, but they each have told me that it was the "best day ever."  Makes it all worth it!)

Our evening ended with a round of miniature golf

My posts this week:
Make your own Taco Seasoning (a good and healthy recipe!)
Try a New Recipe Tuesday linkup
Review of VideoText Algebra
Cherry Crest Adventure Farm
Hearts for Home Blog Hop
Field Trip Friday blog hop

What we are looking forward to in the next few days:
More exploring of the Bethany Beach DE/Ocean City, MD area
Going to visit Assateague Island
Visiting the Dover AFB museum
and lots more spontaneous adventures!  :-)

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!  God bless!

Linking up today with:  Homeschool Mother's Journal, Weekly Wrap-Up, NOBH, Show-Off Friday, Learn and Link and It's a Wrap, Friendship Friday and Friday Connection and Family Fun Friday and T.G.I.F. Linky Party and Let's Homeschool High School



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Field Trip Friday- September 27

It is time again for Field Trip Friday!  I love seeing all of the wonderful places that you visit with your families.  :-)  I am happy to be joining my friend Jen at Chestnut Grove Academy for her wonderful linkup.  Also co-hosting with me is Misty from Mimi's House.  Be sure to visit their blogs, as well!  :-)

I was SO impressed with the posts last week.  Wow.  The posts included a myriad of amazing and educational field trips from delightful movies made in their own neighborhood, to a cross-country National Parks adventure, to participating in an archaeological dig!  What amazing memories you all have made with your children!

I look forward to seeing what trips and outings will be shared this week!  :-)


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Hearts for Home Blog Hop- September 26

Welcome to the Hearts for Home Blog Hop!  I am thrilled to be a co-host!     :-)


The most clicked on post from last week was:

30+ Apple Sensory Tubs from Living Montessori Now

A few of my favorite posts were:

Fall Activities: Ideas for Fun and Learning from The Measured Mom

When the Love of Learning Starts to Fade at Water on the Floor

Fall Unit Studies at Learning Table

Were you featured this week?  If so, congratulations and help yourself to one of our "I was featured" buttons to display on your blog.

<div align="center"><a href="http://www.upsidedownhomeschooling.com/hearts-for-home/" title="Hearts for Home Blog Hop" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1169.photobucket.com/albums/r505/upsidedownhomeschool/HFHFeature_zpse5060e68.jpg" alt="Hearts for Home Blog Hop" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Are you ready to share your posts this week?  Let's go!  Use the form below to enter your links.  Posts can be anything that shows your heart is for your home: homeschooling, homemaking, parenting, marriage, faith, family, crafts, etc.  Please just kindly link back to this blog or display our Hearts for Home button in your post or on your sidebar.

<div align="center"><a href="http://www.upsidedownhomeschooling.com/hearts-for-home/" title="Hearts for Home Blog Hop" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1169.photobucket.com/albums/r505/upsidedownhomeschool/HFH150_zpsf22ef64f.jpg" alt="Hearts for Home Blog Hop" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

 
Happy Hopping!

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TOS Review- Video Text Interactive Algebra

Today I am reviewing Algebra: A Complete Course from VideoText Interactive.

On of the first things that people ask when they hear that I am homeschooling 2 high schoolers is "how do you teach the math?"  Being a homeschool mom, I tell them, isn't about teaching every subject necessarily, it is about finding the best ways for your children to learn and the best programs or offerings to accomplish that successfully.

VideoText Interactive's Algebra program is a complete course that encompasses Pre-Algebra, Algebra I and Algebra II.  They explain it very well or on the website, but I will paraphrase and say that it is a mastery approach rather than a spiral one.  Their material is presented logically and the student is taught the hows and whys.  When the program is completed, the child can be issued credit for all 3 courses. (Pre-Algebra, Algebra I and Algebra II)  I would strongly suggest reading the rationale for the development of the course in such a way.  The research and experience of the developer is quite impressive.

The complete course looks like this:

• 176 video lessons (5-10 minutes each)
• Course notes - reiterate what was in each lesson
• Student Work Text - examples and exercises
• Solutions
• Progress Tests
• 
  

The program is user-friendly and interactive.  It is meant to be a full curriculum, but since Kiddos 1 and 2 were already enrolled in and taking an online Algebra II class, we used it as a supplement, reinforcing the material they were already learning. 

Each day, the boys would watch the video and do problems from the worksheet that I printed from the site.  They checked their work and were ready for a quiz the next day.  The videos were well-done, with the sound and visuals easy to understand.  The course notes and even the solutions give step by step explanations as to how a particular answer is achieved, not just the right and wrong response.

The product made life much easier for me, providing packing guides, scope and sequence and progress checklists (these were enormously helpful!)  I even printed graph paper from the site.  :-)

The program is recommended for grades 8-12, but if your child shows readiness a bit younger, than I would watch this video by the developer of the program:

Each child (the purchase price includes an account for 2 children for 3 years.  Additional students can be added at a later date for $49) has their own account and login, as does the parent.  The parent can view progress, quizzes, and even the answers at any time.

The online price (we used the online version) for the complete course is $299, but keep in mind that you would be purchasing a 3-year math program for that cost.

VideoText Interactive also offers a complete Geometry program (which includes Geometry, Trigonometry and Pre-Calculus!).  Some of my colleagues reviewed the Algebra and others reviewed the Geometry. Click below to read their reviews.

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Cherry Crest Adventure Farm

As I promised, I am sharing about our trip to Cherry Crest Adventure Farm this past Friday.

What an amazing place!  If you are anywhere within commuting distance, do try to get yourself and your family there next year.  They even offer a "homeschool week," where you can get admission at the school group rate of only $9 per person.

There is just so much to see and do.  When they boast that there are 50+ activities for kids to do, they aren't kidding! (and I think my kids tried almost every one of them, lol!)

(notice kiddo #2 on the left is literally in the air bouncing and waving to the passengers on a historic steam train going by.  How cool is that?)

They pride themselves (and rightly so) on providing an environment for families to engage in wholesome and fun activities, games and educational opportunities.  There was everything from sports to trains to baby chicks and everything in between.

(the go-karts were pedal-powered!!)

(including a 5 acre corn maze.  yes, 5 acres, complete with a cafe, games and port-a-potties nestled in it!  Unbelievable!)

(Yes, this is inside the corn maze!) 

We learned on the tractor ride that the property was given to its original owner back in the early 1700s right from William Penn and many of those structures built by her family still stand today.

Being on 350 acres in the middle of Lancaster County, PA is an experience in itself, but to have so many fun and engaging games and activities for children makes it all the more beautiful.  My kiddos, even the oldest, were asking to play the games over and over again.  We can't wait to visit again next year!  :-)

Linking up with: Judy H-J's Thoughts, Mama to 4 Blessings, Create with Joy, NOBH, Musings from a Stay at Home Mom, Tina's Wordless Wednesday,Judy @ CoffeeJitters and Wordless Wednesday at Wordless and  Living Well Wednesday, Modest Mom,  Homemaking Wednesdays and Crafty Spices, Look What We Did and Do Small Things With Love and Wordless Wednesday Bloggers and A Sorta Fairytale and Field Trip Friday

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Try a New Recipe Tuesday- September 24

This week, I am sharing my own recipe in a separate post and have it linked up below.  :-)


Here are the features from last week.  All of the recipes shared were wonderful!

Kid-Friendly Green Juice from juicingmomma.com

Grilled Peaches with Cinnamon Honey Butter from Farmer's Wife Rambles

Easy Peach Cobbler from This Sweet Life of Mine

It Smells Like Olive Garden from Lorraine's Resources

Peach Cobbler Cheesecake at Cook with Sara

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