Most importantly I'm a follower of Christ. After that I'm a wife and mother to 5 amazing kids. I also homeschool my kids, blog, craft, teach about essential oils and love all things green, holistic and thrifty. You can follow me or contact me on my blog www.greenandgrateful.com.
This is atypical for me, but I’m TRYING to off load these books and make some mullah for my school needs for next year. I’m also in PURGE mode and having these boxes of books sitting in my living room is MAKING ME CRAZY!!!!! I’m not counting these in my purge numbers since they didn’t really originate in my home…I organized the homeschool curriculum book sale for our church this year, and there was a table of donated books that didn’t sell and were on their way to the thrift store for a donation…. I couldn’t let it happen!!! Continue reading “Curriculum Sale”→
YAY! More delicious food! Some repeats and some new! I have to say I like how it isn’t the same veggies each week. Or a box full of 3 heads of cabbage and 15 green and red peppers! I love the variety, the colors and the flavors! Ah! As I said a few weeks ago… it’s about as good as Christmas each week! And I don’t have gifts to buy and wrap! I just get a HUGE gift each week!Continue reading “CSA Week #5”→
YAY! More fresh veggies have arrived! I was so sad not to have received my box last week because of the holiday. I’m so glad we are back up and running! I was getting bare fridge and needed a refill! I’ve also heard the same echoed from you as well! Continue reading “CSA Week #4”→
I’ve been encouraged by how much we have been able to clean up and weed out! Our home is only 1000 square feet with two bedrooms and 6 people living here… And hardly any closets. We did partially finish the attic so that we could use part of it for storage, but even that isn’t that big. I’m not sure where all this stuff is coming from, but each time a bag leaves my house a breath of fresh air enters! Continue reading “2014 Purge {Update}”→
No CSA delivery this past week because of the 4th of July holiday. Many of my friends were wondering why… this isn’t a big holiday… however… it is a big holiday! Our Nation’s birthday! And our farmer has been working hard for us to eat delicious foods! So shouldn’t he get a day off? By cutting out deliveries for the week maybe he can have a few hours off to enjoy good food and good friends and family! I think it’s worth it!!! Continue reading “Raw Vanilla Lime Cookies”→
Enjoy this day of celebrating our Nations birthday! Have fun with your family and friends, enjoy good food, watch fantastic firework displays and rejoice in our freedom. Also, remember the cost of that freedom that our forefathers paid and the many families through the ages who have paid with the high, high cost of life. Men and woman have died so that we can enjoy this freedom and watch our fireworks in peace and safety. Many are still fighting… Remember the cost and thank a military service man or woman for their sacrifice.
Another week of veggies has come and time for more ideas and recipes for our ingredients! I hope this last week has treated you well!
Here are the veggies and some ideas I had of how to use them this week! As always I’d love to hear what you are planning to do with them too!
Beet Tops – I gave some recipes on this last week, but if you don’t have the email or need the recipes then check out my recent blog post that has the same recipes! Last week I cut them up and added them to our kale salad and they were great. I also made a salad with only beet tops and it’s wasn’t that great of a hit. They weren’t super crisp by the time I served them and I think that was more the ‘concern’ from my young voting contingent (think 3-6 year olds). Crisp/crunch factor is important to them!
Lettuce – I don’t think any of us really need instructions on how to use lettuce and I think we are all quite familiar with it! This lettuce though, I must say is perfect for tuna salad wraps or egg salad wraps or hamburger wraps if you are gluten or grain free! Even my kids enjoy eating it this way! We’ve had LOTS of salad last week, so I think the kids are ready for a new method of eating greens this week!
Bok Choy – Sweet and spicy Asian pork shoulder is by far our favorite way of eating bok choy! It adds so much to the dish! This dish also doesn’t taste like a typical crock pot dish and is one of our preferred “guest” or “company” dishes. It’s easy, allergy friendly, simple and always a huge hit! We also saute it over high heat with a little lard and salt and pepper, sometimes garlic and onions as well! MMMmmmm!!!
Spinach – Another ingredient that doesn’t need much instruction, but definitely a huge favorite here! A few days ago I made a quick recipe with beans, pork, balsamic vinegar and mustard and served that hot over a bed of spinach. I’ve got to type up the recipe yet, but that will be posted on the blog before too long. Sorry I don’t have the exact recipe finished yet. If you are interested, email me and I can probably email you the ingredient list, otherwise stay tuned to the blog!
Kohlrabi – I can’t say I’ve ever cooked with this, but I’m super intrigued! I’d definitely love to know what you’ve done with it! In my reading and research I’ve found that before cooking or eating raw it does need to be peeled because the outer skin is tough. I’m thinking of trying this recipe from Nom Nom Paleo of just pealing, slicing and tossing raw with olive oil, lemon juice sat and pepper. Brian also found this recipe for fries that looks interesting as well!
Blueberries – Mmmm… just cold, wet and in a bowl please! That is exactly how Xanthie likes them and so do the rest of us! That was dessert for tonight! I will often go to a blueberry farm close to my Mom and pick LARGE amounts and freeze them for later use each summer. One of my favorite recipes is Brittany’s hypoallergenic blueberry coffee cake from Real Sustinance. It calls for cherries but I always use blueberries and it turns out fantastic!
Sugar Snap Peas – These are a favorite raw here as well with a bit of hummus or just some salt and olive oil. The kids frequently ask for them ‘because they are sweeter than your other veggies, Mama!” They say! Thankfully they see them as a treat! Crazy kids! I also like to add them to a quick stir fry or fried rice. If you are grain free I have a fantastic recipe for using cauliflower instead of rice that is delish!
Broccoli Leaves – I’m not 100% that is what these leaves are, but I’m 99% sure! 😉 Another great set of greens to boost iron and calcium! Eat up! I found this recipe for stuffed broccoli leaves which looks yummy, and may give it a try. And then there is this recipe!!! Watch the video below for another great way to have these nutritious greens and for a good laugh! Take a guess where he is from… I don’t know and a 30 second investigation came up with nothing!!! Check it out!
We made it through first grade and it was a great year! Tonchi did a great job and it was so much fun to see him grow and learn throughout the year! We worked hard and tried to stay on schedule, but there were some days we skipped school and had catch up days on Saturday or just skipped all together.
We did actually finish all that I felt was really important to complete. We will have some carry over into next year, but I’m really not worried about it. Since I posted what we were planning on doing, I wanted to come back and post what we did and how it worked out for us. So read on and hopefully you will find some of it helpful!
Community Bible Study on Thursdays – We attended every week in which classes were held! With all the snow we had this year a few of the classes were cancelled, but most Thursdays we were there. Both of us learned a lot and grew spiritually and together memorized ___ verses. Now hopefully we will be diligent to review them and not forget them after all the hard work we did!
Math U See: Alpha – I am still in love with this curriculum! I just love the way Mr Steve Demme teaches concepts instead of just memorizing facts. Tonchi has really done well with it and completed the entire book. He has even done division and multiplication based on the concepts he has learned.
We read through all of the Hooked on Phonics easy readers set 1 and 2. We also read some other easy readers that were handed down to us and then started on some of the Cat in the Hat books. Go Dog Go is still one of his favorites! I think we are getting over the hump and he is starting to pick up simple things to read on his own.
[amazon_link id=”0838814603″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ][/amazon_link] Explode the Code: Tonchi completed book 1 this year and it was easy for him, but re-enforced reading skills and also helped him realize he can read and he is able to spell. It was very empowering and encouraging to him.
[amazon_link id=”B00FDX1YCW” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ][/amazon_link] Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons – We didn’t use it at all and I don’t think we will use it for the other kids. I have another book that I think will be more effective. So I will probably look to sell this one in the coming year.
Story of the World: Book 1: Ancient Times Civilizations – We LOVED this! We didn’t come near to completing all of the activities or extra reading, but it isn’t designed to be completed, just used as a resource. There were LOTS of fun activities and hands on learning ideas to go with each lesson and we had so much fun with them. We also enjoyed reading each chapter, which were only a few pages and perfect for short attention spans. There are 40 chapters and we only made it to chapter 25, so we will just start next school year where we left off.
Apologia’s Exploring Creation with Zoology 1 – We completed this book as well and we also used the Junior Notebooking journal. I really liked the lesson planning and all the extra ideas of projects and experiments to do. I think this book would be better for a 2nd or 3rd grader as it had a lot of terminology over his head and A LOT of information… however, the exposure was good and I didn’t stress memorizing all the info. I hope to use it to continue learning more about insects and birds this summer as we see them in their habitat while we are out and about!
Draw.Write.Now: Book 1: I do really like this book a lot. Tonchi used it a lot at the beginning of the year, but hasn’t done too much with it since. I hope to do a better job of having it scheduled out instead of just for fun. I like how it helped him learn to do simple drawings and also encouraged hime to write about what he drew.
Write About Me/Write about My World – I still have this and am going to keep it but we didn’t use it at all. Since Tonchi was just learning to read this wasn’t a good fit for him. We will start working more on writing next year.
Handwriting without Tears for 1st grade – We completed this books as well. It didn’t take us long to complete. I really like the way each letter is taught with a way to remember how to write each one. He did well with it and I think it helped him remember how to write each letter with conformity. The only thing I didn’t like about it, was the fact that each page only had one line of practice. I’m sure that has a lot to do with the “no tears” part of the title of this book, but we needed more room to practice. We still need practice!!!
Music:
We didn’t do anything with this really. I found some free online piano videos and we did one of them. He really liked it and still frequently plays what he learned, so maybe he is interested. I definitely want to keep music fun and enjoyable and not a chore, although I do feel it is important. I hope to do more with this in 2nd grade.
Rosetta Stone – I didn’t purchase it and we didn’t do anything. Another subject I hope to pick up with in this coming year, but I’m not sure what I’m going to do. We don’t do much “screen time” as I don’t want the kids in front of the TV/computer/ipad, etc, but I know they also really enjoy it, so I want to use it to my advantage. I think a computer program for spanish may work well and they may be motivated to use it since they will be allowed to use the computer. I just have to figure out what I’m going to do!
Extracurriculars: I also planned in a field trip once a month and we also went to the library once a month to get new fun books to read and also to pick up some books that went with our history lessons. We also had a homeschool playgroup that met once a month and usually had something to do with a celebration that would occur during that month, like a Valentines Day party. All the kids really enjoyed these!
I tried to make time for people and relationships instead of hunkering down to all books and work. I think I did an OK job. We accomplished what I felt was necessary and we also had fun doing it. So there you have it! What we’ve done in the last year and how it worked for us!
I’d love to know what you’ve done and what you thought about it!
I think I posted a while back that I was going to host a CSA drop this summer. Well, it’s started! This is the second week and our fridge is FILLED with yummy veggies! The kids are even enjoying the variety and change in meal plans!
For the group who pick up at our home I’ve been sending out emails with a list of what they have in their box with a few ideas for dinner or snacks, or just how to use or preserve their produce. After spending all the time to type it up and email it out I thought, “There are probably a lot of other CSA participants out there who are receiving the same veggies and would like ideas of how to use them as well.” So I figured I would just share most of that email here, (y’all wouldn’t find all the drop details of interest!). So read on and enjoy some new ideas for your summer veggies!
I have so much fun opening my box and I hope you do too! I almost feel like it’s Christmas! I can’t wait to see what we get! And as soon as I start peeking I start to salivate and imagine all the good food I’m going to make this coming week! Ohhh!!! I can’t wait!
So… here are some ideas and recipes that I’ve thought of for using our veggies for this week. If you have other ideas or if you try one of these and really like it please share with the group so that we can all benefit!
Aisling with a green smoothie mustache!
Kale: I REALLY like making Kale chips which are easy in a dehydrator. Just toss with salt and oil and massage it in to the leaves. Then dehydrate until crispy! We can tear through A LOT of kale that way! We also have green smoothies at least once a week and we will add kale, or the beet tops or spinach. We also really like a sweet poppy seed salad dressing over a kale, craisin and almond salad. Sometimes I throw in some grilled chicken to make it a full meal!
Cabbage: I grew up eating cabbage and Spam… I know… Spam… GROSS is what a lot of people have to say about that. However, there is a sweet spot in my heart for Spam even though I know it’s terrible for you! It is one of my grandfather’s favorite foods and all the grandkids LOVE it just to be like him! So I’ve a new recipe that we like almost just as well which is cabbage and HAM. Much better, I know… Here is how to do it. Super simple and quick dinner prep, and I LOVE it!
Beets: I LOVE me some beets! My favorite way is with a quick pickle. Just be careful! Those beets, even though they are a beautiful color… they stain EVERYTHING and you can’t get it out! I made some eye shadow with beets last year… crazy right! But it worked… although it was hard to get off… but I digress. Beets, carrots and apple smoothie is fantastic! You can also add the beet greens to salads or in a green smoothie or however you like to eat greens!
Onions: Those are easy! I’m sure you don’t need any help with those… although… I will say, toss them whole on top of the grill and roast them and they have a toasty caramelized flavor that is spectacular!
Asparagus: Who doesn’t like asparagus! I like it roasted on the grill next to the onions! Drizzled with a little olive oil and coarse salt! For a treat, a while back, I wrapped some Asparagus in prosciutto and broiled it…. Oh man!!! that is my new favorite treat! SO SO SO tasty! ALL of us enjoyed that even the kiddos… they were begging for more!
Spinach: – Most people are familiar with spinach too, so I don’t have much to say about this one. However, if you can’t get through all of your greens before they go bad you can preserve them. Spinach is one of the easiest. I throw it in a dry frying pan and heat it enough to wilt it completely. If the pan is too hot, or it starts to stick, just add a bit of water. Once completely wilted, freeze it. Our favorite way to use it out of the freezer in a sausage spinach quiche.
So there you have it! A weeks worth of recipes for your delicious box of veggies! And even if you aren’t getting a CSA box, go visit your local Farmer’s Market, pick up some veggies that are in season there and give some of these recipes a try!
This book was very different than I expected. I thought it was going to be about God and suffering and how God doesn’t sleep when we go through trials. And while it was about that it took a different path than I expected. Continue reading “God Can’t Sleep”→
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Green & Grateful 