Homeschool Mother's Journal/Weekly Wrap-Up March 1

Lots going on during these cold, snowy, dreary days of February, albeit all indoors.  Lots of schoolwork and unfortunately, no field trips or outdoor play.  We keep hoping that Spring will come soon, even though there is another big storm forecast for Sunday into Monday.  :-)

We started our week with putting final touches on and review of our Olympics unit.  We really enjoyed the games-- not only cheering on our athletes, of whom we are very proud, but learning about geography, the Russian culture and Olympic history.

I made contraction matching cards as part of a grammar unit.  The kiddos enjoyed using them.

The older guys have continued their 4-H rifle club on Friday nights,

and during the day continue to work through Algebra II, World History and more.  They are also taking a tractor safety class and will be driving for the first time this Saturday.  I will be sure to take some photos.  In addition, Saturday is a big day for Kiddo #4.  She has a table at the township's craft fair and will be selling her beautiful bracelets.  I sure hope she does well.  She has worked so hard!  :-)

Lent begins next week and we will continue with our academic work, but will change our focus, as we do every Advent and Lent, to the meaning of the season.  We will read special books, attend and participate in Lenten services, make special crafts and try to do some meaningful activities, that not only stress sacrifice, but more importantly, doing good for others.  Keep tuned in.  I will share our Lenten journey with you on these pages.

Have a wonderful weekend!  May it be blessed and beautiful!  :-)



Some of my posts from this week include:

You're Invited
Triple Chocolate Cookies
Try a New Recipe Tuesday (a lot of delicious recipes were linked up.  Come and check them out!)
Hearts for Home Blog Hop (over 80 link ups about all things home.  Have you seen them?)



Linking up today with:  Homeschool Mother's Journal, Weekly Wrap-Up, 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 and This Week



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Hearts for Home Blog Hop- February 27

Welcome to another great week of sharing all about our homes- homeschooling, homemaking, recipes, DIY, crafts and more!

The post with the most views from last week's hop was:

Hands-on Learning About Space from Chestnut Grove Academy

Three of my favorites (they were all wonderful!) were:

Teaching Money the Fun Way from The Arrowood Zoo

Family Dinner Conversation Starters Cards from My Joy Filled Life

Robert Frost Study in Words and Crafts from Campfires and Cleats

If you were featured, feel free to grab the "I've been featured" button to place 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>

 

An InLinkz Link-up

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Try a New Recipe Tuesday- February 25

Welcome to another week of wonderful recipe sharing!  :-)

Thank you all for the kind words, wishes and prayers last week for my hubby.  He is doing much better and was back at work last Friday.  :-)

This week, I tried a brand new recipe and made some changes and tweaks..  I call them "Triple Chocolate Cookies."  I have them linked in the first spot below.  They are made with almond flour.  It is the first time I have used that in a recipe.  They were SO good.  :-)

Now for this week's features:

Going for the Gold Cookies from A Class of One 

(just love these.  how perfect to honor our athletes!)

Toffee Pecan Shortbread Bars from Tastes of Lizzy T

these look SO good!

King Cake French Toast from Lamberts Lately

I love breakfast any time of the day!  :-)

An InLinkz Link-up

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Triple Chocolate Cookies

Friday night we were invited to our dear friends' home for dinner.  Our older boys were all in a 4-H meeting making casseroles for a homeless shelter.

I wanted to make something special to bring to dinner.  I found a recipe that I had never made before.  I made some changes, tweaked a few other things and came up with the Triple Chocolate Cookies.

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt (I omitted)
2 1/2 cups almond flour (I used Trader Joe's 'Just Almond Meal')
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup mini white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degress Fahrenheit.
Sift cocoa powder into a medium bowl.  Stir in almond flour using a wire whisk.  Cream butter and sugar until very light.  Add egg and vanilla and beat until incorporated.  Add salt and baking soda and mix well. Mix in cocoa and almond flour mixture.  Stir in chocolate chips.

Place a teaspoon full of batter at a time on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until puffed and cracked.

Allow to cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack to finish cooling.

Enjoy!  They were SO good!  :-)

Linking up with the Gathering Spot, Kids in the Kitchen, Domestically Divine Tuesday, Raising Mighty Arrows,Addicted to Recipes, Homemaking Wednesdays, Living Well Wednesday,NOBH, Claire Justine, 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  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 and Thriving Thursday and Friday Flash Blog Hop 


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Hearts for Home Blog Hop- February 20

Wow, February is almost over!  Time is flying by.  We have had some record cold and snowy weather here in Southeastern PA.  Looking forward to spring.  :-)


The most viewed post from last week was:

Studying Geography with Regional Foods: Russia from Education Possible

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>

 

An InLinkz Link-up

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Try a New Recipe Tuesday- February 18

This is very late going live.  As many of you know, my husband was rushed by ambulance to the hospital yesterday with chest pains.  Thank God, it was not cardiac.  He has an inflammation of the cartilage around the rib cage and organs.  Not great with everything going on with the Lyme's and other co-infections, but we are very, very grateful that it is not his heart.  It, like his other organs, are very susceptible with the Lyme's disease.

Thank you all for the prayers and good wishes.  And, a special thanks to a very dear friend, who was truly sent from God, who came to be with me in the ER.  You know who you are, and please know that I thank God for your friendship and support.  So thankful, too, for my family, who are always there for us.

I am sharing a delicious and easy recipe for a Vanilla Cake in the microwave.  you can see it linked in the first spot.  :-)

Ok, that being said, it is time, better late than never, for our recipe share.  Please understand that there are not features this week.

An InLinkz Link-up

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Microwave Yellow Cake

I found this recipe on Cooks.com, and I was glad I did.  With just a couple of little changes, it was just delicious!  We go through two of these at a time!  :-)

1 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1/8 tsp. salt (I omitted)
1/3 cup butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla (we increased to 3/4)
2/3 cup milk

Combine flour, baking powder and salt.  In a mixer bowl, beat butter for 1/2 minute. Add sugar and vanilla.  Beat until fluffy.  Add egg.  Beat until combined.  Add flour mixture and milk alternately to beaten mixture, beating well.  Pour in greased microwave dish.  Cut a piece of wax paper or parchment to fit bottom of pan.  Pour cake batter on top.

Cook cake layer uncovered on 50% power for 13-14 minutes.  If not done, cook on 100% power in 30 second increments (mine needed several of these) until the surface is nearly dry.

Cook cake on wire rack for 4 minutes.  To loosen, run a narrow metal spatula around dish edges and slightly under waxed paper.

Top with your favorite frosting.  My homemade frosting is as follows:

3 cups confectioners' sugar

5 1/3 tbl butter, softened

2 tsp. vanilla

2 tbls milk

Frost and ENJOY!  :-)

Linking up with the Gathering Spot, Kids in the Kitchen, Domestically Divine Tuesday, Raising Mighty Arrows,Addicted to Recipes, Homemaking Wednesdays, Living Well Wednesday,NOBH, Claire Justine, 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  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 and Thriving Thursday and Friday Flash Blog Hop 

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Homeschool Mother's Journal- February 14

Happy Valentine's Day!

I have not done this post in so many weeks.  :-(  I have just been so busy with homeschooling and our 4-H activities, but I promised myself I would do one this week.

Here are some photos of the last few weeks.  My older boys have started a .22 rifle class with 4H.

From 50 feet away, they both hit the bulls eye many times!  :-)  The instructors, as you can see below, are helpful and assist each student.

We had a fun Super Bowl party.

(I made Broncos and Seahawks toothpicks for the cheese)  :-)

 My daughter and husband attended the Father-Daughter Square Dance at our church.

 We have participated in the Iditarod Trail Mail Project

and we have played in the snow over and over again.

(it has been quite the winter here.  Last week's storm had over 800,00 without power).  We are due again tonight/tomorrow for another big one.  Guess more sledding is in order.  :-)  But, boy has it been beautiful.  Winter Wonderland Beautiful.

and we are LOVING the Olympics.  Go Team USA!  :-)

(there are more medals since then!)

Here are some of my posts from the last couple of weeks:

Try a New Recipe Tuesday- February 11
"Skinny" Chocolate Candy Treats
Try a New Recipe Tuesday- February 4
Casseroles for the Homeless
Hearts for Home Blog Hop January 30
Try a New Recipe Tuesday- January 28
Marble Cake
5 Days of Homeschooling Essentials- Day 5
5 Days of Homeschooling Essentials- Day 4
5 Days of Homeschooling Essentials- Day 3
5 Days of Homeschooling Essentials- Day 2
5 Days of Homeschooling Essentials- Day 1
Visit to the PA Farm Show


I hope you have a wonderful weekend!  God bless!

Linking up today with:  Homeschool Mother's Journal, Weekly Wrap-Up, 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 and This Week


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Try a New Recipe Tuesday- February 11

It's Tuesday, so that means it's time for our recipe share.  My children and I look forward each week to your recipe submissions.  :-)

I made a delicious and easy chocolate snack yesterday.  Come and check it out in the first spot!

Here are the features from last week:

Low Carb Philly Cheesteak Casserole from Grassfed Mama

Hot Chocolate with Peppermint Schnapps from Words of Deliciousness

Valentine's Dinner- Lemon Shrimp and Greek Orzo from The Legal Shrimp

An InLinkz Link-up

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"Skinny Chocolate" Candy Treats

What a delicious surprise.  An online friend shared this recipe with me from her THM cookbook.  We all enjoyed this as a treat/snack after dinner.  And to think it is a "diet" recipe is really nuts, because it is so good and chocolatey. (is that a word?  lol)

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup melted coconut oil
3/4 tsp. Truvia all-natural sweetener (we used a bit more. adjust it to your taste)

Put the cocoa into a small bowl.

 Add the coconut oil.  Add Truvia and blend well.

Line plastic plate with wax paper and pour on top.

Freeze until solid (about 10 minutes)  

                                                           ENJOY!


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Try a New Recipe Tuesday- February 4

It's Tuesday and it's time for our wonderful recipe share!  :-)

Hope you are all keeping warm.  We here in PA are getting slammed with snow.  One storm yesterday, another on its way tonight and a "big" one on Sunday.  My kids love it!  :-)

Speaking of my children, they participated in a casserole-making project for the homeless with their 4-H group.  It is linked in the first spot below.  I know they would love for you to take a look.

Now for this week's features:

Chicken Milano from The Desk of Adena F.

Best Super Bowl Dip Ever from Corner of Park and France

Brownie Brittle from One Tipsy Chick

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Casseroles for the Homeless

Our 4-H club is doing a service project.  We are making casseroles for a homeless shelter in Philadelphia.  Especially on these cold and snowy days, they can serve upwards of 300-350 men a day. The shelter depends on the donations of casseroles to survive.  A dear friend's son has spearheaded this service project for many years now.  What an amazing 16 year old young man with a servant's heart.

As we were making the casserole, I read to my children from Matthew 25:31-46 when Jesus was asked "when did we see you hungry Lord and give you food? and Jesus replied: "what you do for the least of my brothers, that you do unto Me."

My children made a "Franks and Beans Casserole" and here is the recipe:

EASY FRANKS AND BEANS CASSEROLE:
2 lbs hot dogs
1 53 ¼ oz Campbell’s Pork & Beans
1 40 oz can red kidney beans

Layer ½ pork and beans, ½ red kidney beans and 1 lb. sliced hot dogs into casserole pan. Repeat with second half. FREEZE.

If you would like more information about St. John's Hospice, or how you can help, click here to bring you to their website.

This painting is entitled "The Christ of the Breadlines" and can be found on the hospice's website.

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