Try a New Recipe Tuesday- December 30

I hope everyone had a beautiful and blessed Christmas!  It is almost Tuesday again!

The most viewed post from last week's hop was:

Peppermint Holiday Floats from Faith Filled Food for Moms

An InLinkz Link-up

Don't miss a thing! Subscribe to Home to 4 Kiddos by Email and get our posts sent right to your inbox!

A Blessed Christmas!!!!

I wish all of you a blessed Christmas!  Let us never forget the true meaning of Christmas-- the most precious Gift ever given, the Miracle of the Incarnation, the Word becoming Flesh and laid in a manger in Bethlehem.  Let us always sing with the angels "Gloria in Excelsis Deo!"

I shared this poem last year and so many enjoyed reading it that I thought I would share it again.

"Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the town,

St. Joseph was searching, walking up roads and down;

Our Lady was waiting, so meek and so mild,

While Joseph was seeking a place for the Child;

The children were nestled, each snug in their beds,

The grown-ups wouldn't bother, there's no room they said;

When even the innkeeper send them away,

Joseph was wondering, where they would stay;

He thought of the caves in the side of the hills,

Let's go there said Mary, it's silent and still;

The moon on the breast of the new fallen snow,

Made pathways of light for their tired feet to go;

And there in a cave, in a cradle of hay,

Our Savior was born on that first Christmas Day!

The Father was watching in Heaven above,

He sent for His angels, His couriers of love,

More rapid than eagles God's bright angels came;

Rejoicing and eager as each heard his name;

Come Power, Come Cherubs, Come Virtues, Come Raphael,

Come Thrones and Dominions, come Michael and Gabriel;

Now fly to the Earth, where My poor people live,

Announce the glad tiding My Son comes to give;

The Shepherds were watching their flocks on this night,

And saw in the heavens an unearthly light;

The Angels assured them, they'd nothing to fear,

It's Christmas they said, the Savior is here!

They hastened to find Him, and stood at the door,

Till Mary invited them in to adore;

He was swaddled in bands from His head to His feet,

Never did the shepherds see a baby so sweet!

He spoke not a word, but the shepherds all knew,

He was telling them secrets and blessing them too;

Then softly they left Him, The Babe in the hay,

And rejoiced with great joy on that first Christmas Day;

Mary heard them exclaim as they walked up the hill,

Glory to God in the Highest, Peace to men of good will!"--Sr. St. Thomas, BND de N

"My Week in Review" will return next week.  :-)

Don't miss a thing! Subscribe to Home to 4 Kiddos by Email and get our posts sent right to your inbox!

Try a New Recipe Tuesday- December 23

It's time again for our wonderful recipe share!  :-)  To my Jewish readers, hope you are having a wonderful Hanukkah.  To my Christian readers, I wish you and your families the most blessed and merry Christmas!

In the first spot below, you can find our homemade hot chocolate.  It really is quite good.  Kiddo #4 sampled some the other day and gave it an enthusiastic thumbs up!  :-)

There was a tie for the most viewed post from last week's hop.  They were:

Amazing Cranberry-Pomegranate Vinaigrette from Gallimaufry Grove

Betty Crocker Cheesy Hashbrown Turnovers and Cheesy Meatballs from B is 4

CAN I ASK YOU ALL A FAVOR?  Home to 4 Kiddos was nominated in the "Best Homemaking or Recipes Blog" category of the Homeschool Blog Awards.  Would you kindly vote for us?  Just click on the circle to the right of "Home to 4 Kiddos" and click VOTE.  You can vote once per day per device.  Thanks SO much.  Click HERE to bring you to the voting page. 

An InLinkz Link-up

Don't miss a thing! Subscribe to Home to 4 Kiddos by Email and get our posts sent right to your inbox!

Homemade Hot Chocolate

This is an old favorite in our house.  I shared this recipe last year and thought with the cold weather and Christmas almost upon us, that I would share it once again!  (The photo of Kiddo #3 is from last year's batch.  You can probably tell that he looks much younger!)  :-)

The Kiddos and I like to make this up and place it in a festive mug for Christmas gifts.  Kiddo #4 is giving one to her sewing instructor this year.

Ingredients

1 1/3 cups powdered milk

1/8 cup cocoa

1/3 cup sugar

mini marshmallows (optional)

Directions

Mix the ingredients together and store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.

When you are ready to use, scoop out 1/2 cup of the mix and place in an empty 12-ounce mug.  (My daughter used  about 3 tablespoons for about 8 ounces) Fill the mug the rest of the way up with boiling water, but leave room for a few marshmallows!  Or, if you prefer, add whipped cream.  Enjoy. 

We love it here.  Hope you do, as well!  :-)

CAN I ASK YOU ALL A FAVOR?  Home to 4 Kiddos was nominated in the "Best Homemaking or Recipes Blog" category of the Homeschool Blog Awards.  Would you kindly vote for us?  Just click on the circle to the right of "Home to 4 Kiddos" and click VOTE.  You can vote once per day per device.  Thanks SO much.  Click HERE to bring you to the voting page. 

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, 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 the Chicken Chick

Don't miss a thing! Subscribe to Home to 4 Kiddos by Email and get our posts sent right to your inbox!

My Week in Review #17

Can't believe Christmas is in one week!  Wow.  Where did the time go?  Speaking of time, however, it is definitely time for you to share all about your week!

Linked in the first spot below is my post all about the 3rd week of Advent in our home.  I hope you enjoy!

CAN I ASK YOU ALL A FAVOR?  Home to 4 Kiddos was nominated in the "Best Homemaking or Recipes Blog" category of the Homeschool Blog Awards.  Would you kindly vote for us?  Just click on the circle to the right of "Home to 4 Kiddos" and click VOTE.  You can vote once per day per device.  Thanks SO much.  Click HERE to bring you to the voting page. 

An InLinkz Link-up

Don't miss a thing! Subscribe to Home to 4 Kiddos by Email and get our posts sent right to your inbox!

My Week in Review/Weekly Wrap-Up December 20

We finished up school this week and have continued to focus on Advent.

Our tree is decorated

Our Advent chain is getting shorter and shorter (I can't believe Christmas is literally days away!)

The Jesse Tree continues to fill as we learn about the geneaology of Christ

I have put up the memory tree (a tree I made with photos of loved ones who have passed away)

And Mary and Joseph are getting closer and closer to "Bethlehem" (I found that beautiful little state on Ebay, believe it or not)  Our church has as beautiful display with a similar (but a bit larger) making its way through the hilly 1st century streets to the manger.  It is stunning.  I will try to remember to take a picture of it this weekend.  Until that display went up, I had never seen a statue of Mary expecting and being led on the donkey by Joseph.

Not Advent related, but worth mentioning nonetheless, lol--  one night I picked up a pattern and some elastic for Kiddo #4.  By the next afternoon, she was wearing her Winnie the Pooh pajamas.  She amazes me!  :-)  In class, she is working on a dress.  In another week or so, it will be done and I will be happy to post a picture of it.

We have also baked, attended an Advent prayer service at church and the kids went on their annual shopping trip with their grandmother.  She takes them to a store (actually several stores!) where they can pick out gifts for each other and for my husband, parents and I.  They so look forward to it.  It is something very special they do together and I love how excited they still get over picking out (and then wrapping and actually giving) the gifts to each other and us.

CAN I ASK YOU ALL A FAVOR?  Home to 4 Kiddos was nominated in the "Best Homemaking or Recipes Blog" category of the Homeschool Blog Awards.  Would you kindly vote for us?  Just click on the circle to the right of "Home to 4 Kiddos" and click VOTE.  You can vote once per day per device.  Thanks SO much.  Click HERE to bring you to the voting page. 

I hope you and your family have a wonderful last weekend of Advent!  God bless!

Linking up today with:  My Week in Review,  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 and Collage Friday

Don't miss a thing! Subscribe to Home to 4 Kiddos by Email and get our posts sent right to your inbox!

Try a New Recipe Tuesday- December 16

I can't believe it is Tuesday again and that it is almost Christmas!  Where did the time go?  :-)

The most viewed post from last week's hop was:

Rolo Pretzel Turtles from My Sweet Mission

CAN I ASK YOU ALL A FAVOR?  Home to 4 Kiddos was nominated in the "Best Homemaking or Recipes Blog" category of the Homeschool Blog Awards.  Would you kindly vote for us?  Just click on the circle to the right of "Home to 4 Kiddos" and click VOTE.  You can vote once per day per device.  Thanks SO much.  Click HERE to bring you to the voting page. 

An InLinkz Link-up

Don't miss a thing! Subscribe to Home to 4 Kiddos by Email and get our posts sent right to your inbox!