Menu Plan: The Lovely Month of May

 

Time for  menu flexing as we leave our options open for traveling to our mountain home. So weekends might be more of "What does Father R feel like making? Or maybe nobody wants to cook at all!"

Monday
This is a dish I had on the plan a couple of weeks ago, but I never got it made due to life's litle curveballs. Fortunately the only ingredient that spoiled was the cuke.

Moroccan Style Acorn Squash
Cucumber Yogurt Salad


Tuesday
Grilled Chicken Thighs
rice
sliced tomatoes with balsamic dressing


Wednesday. One of my favorites. An excuse to bake a ham for its leftovers. Not a lo-fat recipe, but that's probably why it tastes so good.
Ham and Asparagus Fettucine   

Sugar snap peas


Thursday
Take-out pizza for the road trip


Friday
Lemon Rosemary Salmon
New potatoes
Green beans


Saturday
Probably dining out while away from home


Sunday
Frozen Chicken Canneloni 
Salad
Crusty rolls 

"May" you find more recipe ideas at Organized Junkie.com . But use good table manners before you leave here: say "thanks" with a comment! :-)

Bird's-Eye View of the Week: If Spring Is Here, then the End Is Near!

As warm(er) weather arrives, I am reminded of end-of-year reviews and Closing Programs and approaching curriculum fairs, and I've gone into a sort of panic mode as I find us behind. What have we done?? What do I have to show for it?? Will my child be put back in public school where they do SUCH  a much better of record-keeping, a fact that clearly makes them better equipped at teaching??!! Does the following week sound like slacking to you?

HISTORY

Educating at 5 am. Yes, it's history.

We could call the AmblesideYear 3 schedule: Keeping Up With the Tudors ..and the Hanoverians. Mei already so gets the vast disparity and therefore horrific breach of class Prince William caused when he married Catherine the Commoner. See? History is relevant!
And about Jamestown. FYI, the original colony of Virginia wasn't confined to the mid-Atlantic, but extended south to the Carolinas and north to New Brunswick.. (see here) Save that for Trivia Night

GEOGRAPHY
"Marco!" "Polo!" She hates the water game but enjoys the subject. Here is an area that we've definitely dragged on. MP should've made it to Cathay two months ago, but onlyrecently crossed into Kashgar.
But we're catching up. Helping to focus us and "show what she knows", we are using In the Hands of a Child.com's "Marco Polo" lapbook unit combined with Jimmie's Collage "Ancient China" lapbook  and reading suggestions on Homeschoolshare.com . We're also cooking up tastes of the Middle East and creating blog post cooking lessons. Check out: Cooking Mei's Way: Chicken Tagine.

SCIENCE"Science in a Supermarket" continues to inform all of us humorously.  Lately it's been soap and detergents. We requested laundry detergent samples from all of our Easter guests (cheaper than buying four different boxes) and will be using them to critque differences--if any!--in cleaning power. Hmm.....


MATH
Mei was DISAPPOINTED when I announced we
would take a week off of math to catch up on other subjects since she had alreadycompleted Math-U-See Gamma. (At least we were ahead on SOMETHING.) But...woah! Excuse me? My child who "hates math" disappointed to take off a whole week? Turns out she couldn't wait to start the new level, Delta. Wow, Steve Demme, looks like another satisfied customer! You can quote her on your site if you like.
And having completed only ONE unit of division, she announces it, sagely, to be SOOOO much more interesting than  multiplication!

FIELD TRIP
Took in Theatreworks USA's new production, "We the People." What a raucous way to teach the complicated (and snoozable) Three Branches of Government, the Electoral Process, and How a Bill Becomes a Law. A highschool student runs for class president simply to pad her college applications, but the Fab Revolutionary Four show up to set her straight about being a public servant.
Don't know how Washington and Jefferson would feel about being portrayed as hipped-up rockers cranking on Fender Stratocasters painted in the Stars and Stripes, but if Mei came out of there understanding the Balance of Power (and she did), then I approve.

So that's a quick recapping of one of our waning weeks in Ambleside Year 3. How about you? Feeling pressured or do I have to hate you because you're so well-organized, maybe even ahead of schedule??

Check out more slackers hard-working homeschoolers at Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers AFTER you leave me a comment. ;-)

The Homeschool Mother's Journal: Frogs and Princesses

.In my life this week…
(caution: whining ahead.) I'm getting more and more frustrated with the chronic pain which is now in BOTH feet due to "plantar fasciitis". It is really affecting my lifestyle and I am praying for healing. I broke down and began wearing the "splint" (medical word for "open-air ski boot") that I am supposed to be able to SLEEP IN, being forced to choose between its supposed therapy and getting rest. Hard to effectively school with your eyes closed. :-P

History class: The Royal Wedding

On the OTHER HAND, I really got a kick out of watching Kate and Wills' wedding! I got up before dawn thirty years ago to watch Di and Chuck tie the knot the same summer as I did, so how could I refuse to do it again?
Mei wanted to be a part of it too and I figured, after spending three years reading British history from
An Island Story, how could I ignore the fact that this too was educational? 
(She really preferred the horses.)

In our homeschool this week…

 It seems to be the "hurrier I go, the behinder I get." I spent hours two weeks ago completely revamping our schedule to make up for time that somehow slipped between the cracks this winter. I wasn't going to allow for more than Good Friday off, but Mei's P.S. friend needed watching during a family crisis so of course I said "yes." It cut into another day, but it ended up a real blessing even for "education" (see "my favorite thing this week.")

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…

Theatreworks USA on Monday to see "We the People", a musical lesson in civics and government! If you've ever considered a Theatreworks production, GO! They are worth it!

My favorite thing this week was…
Our spontaneous one-day frog unit! On Monday, I got the call from our neighbor making good on the promise to alert us when there were tadpoles in his pool. Perfect! Mei had her friend over who loves that kind of thing! We grabbed nets and buckets and collected a few dozen in no time (let most go into a pond later.) To enhance the activity (and get a little school in), I found a Frog Lapbook on Homeschoolshare.com . I chose just enough to get done in one day and it kept the girls busy for hours. The friend's dad was so impressed he asked if he could send her to our school every day! :-) (Sure, for a fee?)

What’s working/not working for us…

A look inside the Plague. Eww!

 Lapbooks are working! My "reluctant writer" (which may just be a euphemism for "lazy")  has finished her lapbook on "The Plague". Now she can demonstrate knowledge without too many hand cramps and I have something else to show for our efforts at the end-of-school Closing Program and review. We all learned a lot too, even if it gave us nightmares...

Homeschool questions/thoughts I have…
What to add to our curricula for next year.   Ambleside Online and Charlotte Mason would have foreign language added around Year 4, but I have this "reluctant writer/learner" who does not beg for more work. (Oh, well. Who does?) Torn between: French, which I speak; Spanish, which will be more and more useful in the States the way our country's demographics are headed;  and Latin, which is the root of both and a boost to English vocab. (A friend gave me her Latin for Children, Primer A Teacher guide and CD's. All I need is the Student Text. That is swaying me.)
I welcome your thoughts.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share…
/Frog Lapbook slideshow /
Plague Lapbook slideshow 

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Menu Plan: Almost Easter including Egg Directions

Easter is falling one day short of the latest possible date, and yet it's still chilly, windy, rainy, whatever. Easter is at our house this year and I'm praying for at least a sunny afternoon for our egg hunt.
Meanwhile, in our year-long study of the travels of Marco Polo, our hero has finally reached Cathay. To celebrate, we'll be serving up some Asian inspiration.

Monday
Mongolian Beef
over Cellophane Noodles with Stir-fried Snow Peas



Tuesday
Leftovers from Father R's Homemade Lasagne
He starts with the recipe on the No-Boil noodle box using Hunt's Spaghetti Sauce (comes in a can, cheaper and every bit as good as the expensive jarred stuff), mozzarella, riccota, and parmesan. Then, instead of boring ol' ground beef, he kicks it up a notch by cooking up sweet Italian sausage links, slicing them and using them between the layers of other ingredients. After each group of layers, he sprinkles his own combo of Italian seasonings. Bakes it in our Pampered Chef stone 9x13 dish uncovered for about 45 minutes. When done he lets it rest for another 15 minutes to set up.
Serve with a green salad and crusty bread.


Wednesday: Cook While the Cook's Away
Baked Slow Cooker Chicken
Roasted New Potatoes in the Slow Cooker
Microwaved Asparagus


For the potatoes, partly pare 2 lbs new potatoes and place in slow cooker with a 1/2 cup of water. Cook on low for 3-4 hours or until done. Pour off water. Stir together 1/4 cup melted butter, 2 T. chopped fresh parsley, 1. T chopped dill (or 1/2 t. dry), and juice of one lemon, about 3-4 T. Salt and pepper to taste. Pour over the potatoes and toss. Serve warm.


Maundy Thursday
A Soup and Salad Supper at church--something new!


Good Friday: Vegetarian Night. Another Middle East meal. (I know Jesus had lamb at that Supper. But something like this could have been served when Passover was over, right?)
Moroccan-Style Stuffed Acorn Squash
Cucumber and Yogurt Salad


Saturday: Light and Simple before a Big Day
Linguine with Seafood and Sundried Tomatoes
Spinach Salad


Easter Sunday Pot-Luck Buffet
The guests all pitch in so who knows? There will at least be lots of hard-boiled eggs cuz the adults all love 'em and cuz of the egg hunt (outside , PLEEZ!)
There are instructions at the end of the post for perfect hard-boiled eggs.
We'll provide the Spiral-sliced Ham. It would have been Grilled Leg of Lamb, but the economy has put the pinch on. We'll also put out an appetizer, bread, and probably a dessert. I'm thinking of making the Lamb Cake with the old 2-piece Wilton cake pan I grew up with. It's a big challenge to make everything come out of the pans whole. THEN, you have to stick the pieces together with icing and skewers, decorate it and get it to remain sitting up! If I succeed , I'll be a hero to Mei Wei who is a huge fan of the Cooking Channel show, "Cake Boss."
One of these years, I'm going to dare to break with family tradition, and do a Brunch menu starring quiches! And Mimosas. Aaah.

And now the egg tips. Considering I absolutely hate hard-boiled eggs, I know an awful lot about cooking them. That's because I married into an egg-loving family. But that doesn't mean I sleep with Father after he gorges on them. Sorry for that image.
                                   
                                   Here's a recipe for Perfect Hard-Boiled Eggs
These directions are similar to the ones in Joy of Cooking which I've used for 30 years. (Gosh, that makes me sound like a Grandma!)
A couple of tips for no-fail eggs:
1) You want them to peel easily and prettily. Use OLD eggs near to the Best-Used-By date.
2)You want YELLOW centers, without that Dr. Seuss greenish edge. Cook in a stainless pot.
3)You want the yolks to be centered. Turn them gently every few minutes. One lady commented to secure the carton of raw eggs with rubber bands and place sideways in the frig over night. Sounds like an Urban Legend, but I might try it.
4) You want the shells intact. I DO NOT recommend the recipe's cooling instructions; I think the eggs will crack if subjected to a blast of cold water. Mom always took the whole pot to the sink and started running cold water over them WHILE THEY WERE STILL IN THE HOT WATER. They would slowly cool. Keep running the water until the eggs themselves feel cool. If you want to conserve water, then just make a few water changes.
5) You want your eggs to fit in those stupid cardboard Easter Egg decorating  stands. Buy small eggs. 

This reminds me I didn't purchase eggs two weeks ago. Hope they peel :-(. 
Have a blessed Easter!
What are your traditions?