Taco Pizza

Pizza and tacos are two of our family's favorite meals. So, I thought I'd try to make Taco Pizza. Everyone in the family thought it was yummy. My son actually said, "Mom you can make this tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day, and the next day, and the next day...." You get the point. We eventually asked him to be quiet. We got his point!

I made my basic pizza dough crust and pre-baked it for 8 minutes in a 450 degree oven. Then, I added one can of refried beans, then put the seasoned taco meat on top, some cheese, and stuck it back in the oven for a few more minutes. Then, I set out toppings on the kitchen counter (lettuce, salsa, sour cream, and crushed taco chips). Everyone got to add their own toppings to their pizza, just like they would to a taco.

I'll definitely make this again.

Spelling

When I remember what spelling was like in September with the children, it does not bring back happy memories. There were lots of tears involved. Tears of frustration, anger, and sadness. It just was not fun. Honestly, I don't think the children were ready for it. We needed to gently slide into this new item added to our schedule. So, I eased up a bit, and I investigated ways to make spelling more FUN! Hey...I had NEVER taught spelling (as a subject) before with the children. Spelling isn't something covered in Preschool and Kindergarten curriculums. I hope some of the things I've learned this school year will help another family. I think when our children get anxious, upset, and are moved to tears over a spelling TEST, it's truly time to relax, take a step back and re-evaluate things.

Fun online resource

Spelling City

• You can enter your spelling list for the week, and the children can play a variety of different games to help them learn the words, and they can even take a test when they're ready.

Spelling without Pencils

magnetic letters, plastic letter tiles, and/or Scrabble letter tiles

• The children can practice building their words using magnetic letters, plastic letter tiles, or the wooden letter tiles from a Scrabble game. The children look at the word on their list, say the word, and then build the word using the tiles.

Peek and Spell

• Say the word you are about to spell on a white board. Then, break the word down by each sound.  Write the sounds as you say the sound. Then, say the word one more time, and let your children take one last PEEK before you ERASE the word and they then SPELL the word on their papers. 

Now, our spelling lesson plans for the week look like this:

Monday: introduce new words and write each word one time.

Tuesday: spelling without pencils

Wednesday: peek and spell

Thursday: spelling test

*Spelling city is used as a fun activity from time to time when children need it or ask for it.

*We occasionally will quiz the children during dinner for extra practice, but always try to make it fun!

Look what we won!

Run the Earth, Watch the Sky hosted a giveaway for this great Storybook Bible. I entered, and I was one of five fortunate winners! Our book arrived in the mail today, and we are so excited to start reading through it. 

Take a moment and visit Run the Earth, Watch the Sky today. It is a blog that includes posts on Bible studies and devotionals, homekeeping, homeschooling, womanhood, and motherhood.

Menu Planning Monday ~ April 20th

Monday: Biscuits and Gravy 

Tuesday: Tacos

Wednesday: Leftover Tacos

Thursday: Chicken Breasts and Oven Roasted Vegetables

Friday: Leftover Chicken and Vegetables

Saturday: English Muffin Pizzas (everyone will make their own), fruit, veggies, and dip

Sunday: Roast, mashed potatoes, and green beans

Do you have a menu planned this week? If so, go over to "I'm an Organizing Junkie" to link up and share.

How Vikings Prepare for a Raid

by T and K

March 31, 2009

The Viking raids began around 793. First, the Vikings make a boat called a long boat. Once the longboat is made, they put supplies on their boat. Supplies like animals, weapons, food, and fresh water. The vikings set sail and look for land to raid. When they find a place to raid they take jewels and bring slaves back to their home to sell. They also kill people.  When the Vikings get home they have a feast to celebrate their return and their success. Christian missionaries told the vikings about Jesus. The Vikings stopped being so fierce and stopped raiding by 1066.

Menu Plan Monday * April 13th

Last week I tried TWO new recipes, and they were HUGE hits with my family. We really liked the Cheese Tortellini dish, and the Panini sandwiches!

This Week's Menu

Monday: French Toast, Bacon, and Fruit

Tuesday: Burrito Bake with lettuce, salsa, and sour cream

Wednesday: Children's Request  - Cheese Tortellini and broccoli

Thursday: Cheeseburgers and French Fries

Friday/Saturday: My husband is in charge of the food while I'm away at a Pastor's Wives Conference! I bought a bag of frozen chicken strips he can cook for Friday's dinner, and they're going to order pizza on Saturday. I'll remind him to serve fruits and veggies while I'm away:)

Sunday Lunch: 20 to 40 Cloves of Garlic Chicken

Sunday Supper: Crockpot Fried Rice with Leftovers (I'm going to use the leftover chicken from lunch and any leftover veggies in the fridge to make this supper). I'll just throw all the leftovers and additional ingredients back in the crockpot after lunch, and it will be ready by Supper time:) I LOVE my crockpot!!!!

Do you have a menu planned this week? If so, go on over to "I'm an Organizing Junkie" and link up and share. If you don't have a menu planned, it's a great place to go and get some ideas!

Rome

Below is a picture my 7yo son drew. At first glance, his drawings look cluttered and chaotic. But, once you ask him about his drawing they truly come to life! Every section of this drawing tells a story. He drew about how the Romans captured slaves and sold them at a market. He also drew about chariot races and the Gladiators fighting in the Colloseum. He drew Romans making a mosaic and building a statue. This drawing alone is evidence that he listened well and learned a lot about ancient Rome!



The children also learned that Romans didn't treat the poor very well. Below is a narration the children shared after reading about the Romans from the Usborne Time Traveler.

Rich vs. Poor
If I was a Roman I would hope I'd be important and rich so I would not have to be a slave. Rich Romans did not treat poor Romans very well. Rich Romans buy slaves at the slave market. Then, the slaves have to do all their owner's work. If I were a rich Roman during this time, I'd treat my slaves with kindness.
At parties, the less important people sit at a different table, and they don't get the best food. The most important people get the best food. The slaves make sure there's enough wine and food for the important people. People are there to play music and read poetry. The Romans do not sit in chairs, they lay down on beds around the tables. Romans treat less important people well, and unimportant people not very well.

A Big Hit!

I made an easy, inexpensive recipe last night and it was yummy! I just bought a bag of frozen cheese tortellini, and a jar of Vodka sauce. I added sliced green onions, and a couple handfuls of baby spinach!

Cook the tortellini according to directions and drain. While the pasta is sitting in the colander, add some olive oil to your pan, and cook the onions. Put the pasta back in the pot, add the sauce. Then, stir in the spinach. Let everything warm up, and let the spinach cook down a bit!  My lovely sis-in-law made this for me last summer. She likes to add mushrooms to her dish. 

Menu Planning Monday ~ April 6th

Monday ~ Pancakes, Sausage, fruit, and milk

Tuesday - Cheese Tortellina with vodka cream sauce and spinach

Wednesday - Panini (Turkey, Provolone, and Raspberry Preserves). I got my idea after reading this in my RR magazine.

Thursday - Grilled chicken, mashed potatoes, and salad

Friday - Eat leftovers before we leave for our Easter Contata @ Church.

Saturday - Tacos

Sunday - Easter dinner at a friends house.

Do you have a menu planned this week that you'd like to share? If so, go to I'm an Organzing Junkie, link up, and share. If you do not have a menu planned, it's a great place to go get some ideas! Around 400 ladies share each week!

Pizza on a Bun

Most days for lunch, we have sandwiches or leftovers. A couple weeks ago, I had some leftover hamburger buns. So, I decided to make pizzas on them. I shared with my children how my mother used to make pizzas like this for me when I was a kid. After tasting one my son said, "Your mom sure was a good cook!" All of you who knew my mother KNOW that is an understatement! She was an AMAZING cook!

What do you like to serve your children for lunch?

Egypt

This is a sample of what the children learned about Egypt. The artwork included was done by my 6yo daughter. The report below was the narration that my 7yo son and 6yo daughter did together after reading about Egypt in The Usborne Time Traveler book, and Tut's Mummy by Judy Donnelly. To read more about narration, go HERE.

Egypt Life...How Pharoahs turn into Mummies

by T and K

January 2009

Preparing a Mummy

When a Pharoah dies, men called embalmers make them mummies. They take out the heart, the brain, and other organs. The embalmers use a special salt to dry out all the moisture from the body. They pour the salt all over the body. This takes many days. Next, they wrap the linen around the dead body. The Egyptians believe if you tuck charms and jewels into the mummy cloth it will keep evil spirits away. A golden mask is placed over the mummies face. Then the body is wrapped again. It takes 70 days to make a mummy.

The Funeral

The Queen follows and prays to the gods loudly. The priests dress-up like animals. Servants follow. They carry the body of the Pharaoh that is a mummy now. Some are worshipping their gods and crying. Some servants carry the King's treasure, and statues they believe will turn into magical servants for the King in the afterlife. Some Pharaohs were buried in the pyramids the Egyptians built. Some, like King Tut, were buried in a tunnel they dug out in a place called "The Valley of the Kings."

Egyptians believe the Pharaohs need all these things in their burial tomb for his afterlife.

We know the Egyptians were worshipping false gods because when these tombs were discovered nothing had been used.

WeE-book Review

I was given the opportunity to download three WeE-books from TOS's Magazine's Schoolhouse Store. I chose Simplifying Classical Education by Andrea Newitt , Writer's Workshop by Maggie Hogan, and Building Strong Arithmetic Thinking by Dr. Ruth Beechick.

These weE-books are well worth the $1.95 for each download. Honestly, it was difficult to choose ONLY three. I have compiled a list of other books I will be downloading very soon!

I appreciated the wealth of information wrapped in a well written and concise package. Let's face it, homeschool families often do not have a lot of extra time to read hundreds and hundreds of pages. This entire line of WeE-books contains a wealth of information that is sure to support, encourage, and inspire a busy homeschool parent!

Please take a moment to go and check out all 30 of the WeE-books sold at the Schoolhouse Store. I'm sure you'll find a few you simply must read!

Click HERE to find a coupon code. If you buy 5 weE-books you will get 3 FREE!!! Hurry, this coupon expires April 2nd!

Recipe Request

Last week I shared my menu, and someone asked about a recipe for Reuben Casserole. My mother-in-law gave me this recipe. I will share the exact recipe she gave me, and then share the little tweaks I've made to it.

Reuben Casserole

1 cup sour cream

1/2 onion, chopped

16 oz. sauerkraut, drained

1 can corned beef

8 oz. mozzarella, shredded

1/2 loaf rye bread, cubed

1 stick butter, melted

Mix together sauerkraut, onion, and sour cream. Layer ingredients in a 9x13 baking dish. On the bottom, place the sauerkraut mixture, then crumbled corned beef, and then a layer of mozzarella cheese. The rye bread cubes go on top. Finally, drizzle melted butter over the top of the bread cubes. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

My Personal Changes

I use 1/2 cup sour cream and 1/2 cup Thousand Island dressing

I omit the onion.

I prefer to use Bavarian sauerkraut.

I prefer to use shaved turkey pastrami from the deli instead of the canned corned beef. 

I use whatever bread I have. Sometimes I will purchase rye bread, but usually use homemade bread or whole wheat sandwich bread. 

I never use an entire stick of butter.

Enjoy!