¡Holá! ...from Argentina

 

 Foodie Friday~Argentina
Don't cry for me, Argentina....

Okay, sorry- that was a cheesy way to start this post. It was Evie's turn this week and she picked the South American country of Argentina. Some things we talked about and researched while looking up recipes were Argentina's vast size and diverse geographical makeup; jungles, desserts, mountains, and glaciers. It is the second largest country in South America and has had a very interesting political history. Our menu consisted of Locro, Argentine grilled tri-tip, medialuna with homemade dulce de leche, and Argentine tiramisu. Argentina's food has a definite Italian influence along with other cultures.

My husband and 8 year old focused on the Argentine Tiramisu first so it could chill and set in the fridge. The thing that separates this from Italian Tiramisu is that it is made with dulce de leche cream (a caramel sauce) and sponge cake instead of lady fingers. We wanted to have pretty individual circular ones so in came the creativity. When we don't own the right kind of utensils for a dish, it can get interesting. The dishes usually flop with great sadness or it turns out great and our heads grow in size... These came out beautifully. My husband used mugs and lined them with wax paper. Layering twice the dulce de leche and mascarpone filling, between three layers of the cake poured with coffee. Then right before dinner, they slid them out, peeled off the wax paper and dusted with cocoa and added chocolate shavings. I will probably have to add our recipe with a later post because we really morphed the one found on Pinterest. 

 

Okay, here's the other thing we started right away; the dulce de leche. We found a recipe for real dulce de leche which only consists of sweetened condensed milk and kosher salt. You cook it for four hours though. You combine your ingredients in a pie pan and then put the pie pan in a water bath in a 400 degree oven. You stir your cream once every hour for the four hours. Simple, right? Just time consuming. I was excited to make our very own "from scratch" dulce de leche. Then we went to the store, and in the "Mexican" aisle they had the real Nestlé sweetened condensed milk and right next to it- a can of dulce de leche cream already made. My husband was like, "Cool.  Less work."

But I really wanted to make it from scratch because we could. So we compromised and bought one can of "dulce de leche" cream that we used in the Tiramisu recipe and one can of the regular Nestlé sweetened condensed milk to make our own cream, and we used that as the spread for the medialunas. It was neat to see the difference between the four hour process and the already made can. They tasted the same but the consistency was different. Our homemade one was grainier and slightly thicker and the canned one was smoother and had a consistency like pudding. Overall, it worked out perfect because ours was best as a spread and I think the smoother one was more easily mixed with the mascarpone for the Tiramisu. 

Now it was time to focus on part of the main course- Locro, which is a kind of stew... The recipe we chose to follow had pancetta, chorizo, osso buco (beef shanks), butternut squash, yams, tomato, onion, garlic, and some seasonings. It turned out wonderful; a nice little spicy kick and filling. It would make a great fall stew simmering all afternoon....

 We usually have each of the 'olders' be a 'point-person' on one dish, with everyone  pitching in to help them. My husband said, "Gabe's going to learn to grill today.  He needs to learn how to grill right." So they disappeared to the backyard with their root beers and tri-tip. And was it a successful lesson? Do you see the color of that meat?! It tasted ten times better than it looks even! Amazing. 

While the boys grilled outside, we girls finished up the medialunas.

 Ahh...that brings me to my favorite dish. In our research, we discovered that breakfast is not a large meal- it usually consists of coffee and a medialunas from a local bakery. Medialunas are an Argentine croissant. They are common and found at most little bakeries. It's what you pick up and take to a friend's house to visit and chat with a nice coffee and a medialuna or three. Or enjoy outside the bakery with a good book while chatting with all who pass by. They are a crescent moon (hence, the name, I'm sure) pastry that is light and sweet. Not as flaky as any croissant I've ever had but a sweeter taste with a light fluffy texture. There are typically two different kinds of medialunas. One made with lard and more savory, and the other made with butter (a lot of butter) and sweeter. Most of the recipes I found to be authentic should be started the day before and requires a process of preparing the butter which consists of putting the butter between sheets of plastic wrap and beating it with a rolling pin.

Then putting that thin slab of butter on the dough and folding it in thirds on top of the butter. Chilling for three hours, rolling and refolding every hour. Since Evie didn't decide on this dish til Thursday night and we didn't get to the store til noon on Friday, we picked a quicker recipe. I'm not sure how authentic it is but it did come from a woman's blog who's Argentinian so there's that for authentic. And since it was the most amazing little thing I tasted, I don't really care how "authentic" it was. Literally melts in your mouth while it's still warm and then we spread that homemade dulce de leche on it- I'm not kidding you- A-mazing. While the boys grilled, we rolled up our medialunas and brushed them with the almibar, a syrup made by heating water and sugar. That way, they'd be warm and ready by the time the steak was done. The Tiramisu was done and had been chilling in the fridge for four hours and the Locro simmering for a couple hours on the stove. It was probably one of our top favorite Foodie Friday meals ever. Everything was delicious and we ate way too much.
One thing we learned this week? We are dying to travel to Argentina. It looks beautiful and from what we gather, the food's amazing. I want to sit in front of a little bakery, enjoying a medialuna. And soaking up a beautiful and very rich culture. Someday....

First Day of Co Op 2013

I wouldn't consider myself an avid homeschooler yet, but I've been at it for eight years now, minus one for the year we put the kids in public school. Through those years, I've realized that, for us, the support of a co op is essential! This will be our third year in our co op and it has encouraged us in our effort to homeschool tremendously.

Two years ago when we first joined the co op, it was new territory for us. The kids and I were excited and a little nervous to go, but hopeful to make lasting friendships. We had a good year and met some great people. We loved being able to take one day a week to get out of the house and be among others who were like-minded. Although we didn't necessarily get to know everyone on a personal level, just being there was an encouragement in knowing that we were all there with a common goal of teaching at home. It's good to know you're not alone in your efforts and struggles!

The second year of co op proved to be a challenge for us. We came back to our co op with excitement, but soon grew weary of the expectations that seemed to be upon us there. We talked at home about whether or not it was a good thing to stay or quit. We came to the conclusion that we needed to take a break from the co op, so we did. We pulled out about halfway through the year and felt it would good for us. It was a nice break and we were able to catch our breaths and not feel obligated to anyone other than ourselves and God. After a while, however, we missed our friends and our day out! So we worked out some things that weren't working for us before, and decided to rejoin the co op. I'm glad we did because coming back allowed us to continue making friends and being encouraged by others.

This summer, however, proved to be trying for our co op. Both co op coordinators stepped away from leadership for separate reasons, and the co op was on the verge of being no more! For those of us who wanted to continue the co op, this was bad news! We were willing to do whatever it took to keep our co op running. So to make a really long story short, with lots of prayer and consideration, a returning co op friend and I are the new coordinators this year, and we are able to continue the co op with many returning families and many new ones as well. So needless to say, we have been very busy this summer planning for the fall and getting ready for the new school year and our 2013-2014 co op families.

We are excited to learn and grow together in leadership and friendships and to experience what God has in store for us this year. I am praying that we will continue to seek God's will in our decisions at home and at the co op, and that we will follow His promptings in leading our children. As a leader this year, I do not want to lose perspective of why we joined the co op in the first place. We are seeking encouragement and friendships for our children and ourselves in our homeschooling endeavor. So here's to an awesome new school year!

 

(The kids are holding up the numbers of the grades they are going into this year. Jaxon doesn't realize he's only going into pre-k, not first.)

"Mâncare Bună (good food) from Romania"

Foodie Friday~ Romania

It was Gabe's pick this week and he chose Romania. He said he didn't really know much about it and he finished reading Dracula a while back and thought it would be interesting. I realized that I really didn't know that much either. Dracula, Mountains, Black Sea...that's about all I could tell you before.
We read about their government, history, currency and looked up tons of pictures. It looks like an absolutely beautiful country; green and lush, gorgeous mountains, and wonderful old architecture.  The top picture is of Bran Castle in the Transylvanian Alps...stunning.
Okay, back to the food...Gabe found some great recipes. One of 

them being their national dish which is Mititei- they are basically little sausages without casings. But better. I found this great little blog where we found two of our recipes from- Romanian Mum and family...a bilingual journey through life. We used her recipes for Mititei and Baked Stuffed Peppers (Ardei umpluti la cuptor). And our third major recipe was for Romanian Cozonac, a sweet bread filled with nuts usually served at Christmastime or other holidays. We found something somewhere that listed Romanian salads and one of them was basically a light salad that just consisted of tomatoes, sliced onions, peppers, thyme & dill, and salt & pepper, so we added that in as well. All the recipes can be found on my board Successful "Foodie Fridays" Recipes. We had to convert a lot of the recipes from metric and change a few things. Changes we made was 'halfing' the bread recipe and only making the nut filling version.

We started with the Cozonac, the sweet bread, because it had to have time to rise. but knowing all the recipes now, we should've made the meat mixture for the Mititei the night before and let it set in the fridge. It all worked out though.

 

The stuffed bell peppers had ground meat, rice, onions, garlic, dill, and other spices inside. Then a tomato sauce poured on top and a tomato slice to hold it all in. They usually serve them with sour cream on top. The combination was super yummy, the peppers were sweet, and the dollop of sour cream was a great addition. Gregg kept saying all day, "My Patty Grandma used to make these, hers were a meatloaf mixture inside and no sour cream, but I remember having them all the time." Then we tasted the sweet bread, he said, "I remember her making something like this too! Maybe she had a Romanian friend she got recipes from!"
We really enjoyed all the food and I think some of these may become a staple in our family's menu. Overall, a very Successful Foodie Friday!

Whew! What a first homeschool day!

by Jenny (and Jamie weighing in...)

 

 

Monday was our first day back to 'school at the table'...we decided to have a pajama day. I mean, why not? Isn't that one of the perks of homeschooling?! Really, most days are pajama days, but we made this one official. We started off with a special breakfast of bacon, eggs, and toast. Then got our coffee and bibles to start our day. Juliet, our almost 17 month old, was really challenging while we sat at the table...I can see that that will be my biggest struggle this year- but we shall overcome. For bible today, we read Deuteronomy 5 & 6 focusing on 6:4-9. We talked about how our school, family, and life can look different if we love the Lord our God with ALL our heart, soul, and strength. Then we all took time to journal. I really just wanted to set a tone for school this year and what our focus will be. Last year we did a bible curriculum but I felt like it just was a 'thing to do' and I really want God's Word to sink in. I think I'd like to really study and focus on the fruits of the spirit and journaling...if anyone's got any (free would be prime) suggestions for a Fruit of the Spirit study, please let me know.

Then we dug into the rest of the morning, with a rotating schedule of one kid playing with Juliet (Juju Duty), one working independently, and one working with me. This worked okay for the rest of the morning, then we broke for lunch. After lunch and with Juju down for a nap, we started our new history curriculum. I've done "Story of the World" for 8 years, gone through several rounds but wanted to simplify my year by doing history with all three of my 'olders' together. We're trying History Revealed: Romans, Reformers, Revolutionaries by Diana Waring. I've heard her speak several times at our yearly homeschool conference and decided to give it a try. Some things that really appeal to me are the fact that it can be taught to multiple ages and that each unit covers multiple learners- she uses the four learning styles, the three learning modalities, and the eight intelligences. I'm really hoping all my kids love it. They are very different learners from one another. After we listened to history from the cd's, I did math with the girls.
By then, six hours had passed, and I was exhausted! They were able to really fit in a lot of independent work while I worked individually. I must've been more tired then they were because my 11 year old pulled out one of her American Girl magazines and decided to make mini pies. She asked if we had pie crust in the fridge and I told her we didn't and she decided to look to Betty Crocker and just see if there was a recipe in there- she whipped out pie crust from scratch with no help! I was amazed! And I proceeded to enjoy her talents from the comfort of my cozy chair!
Also, we created a "Pyramid of Importance" (I'm sure I'll create a post on that soon) and that helped us to stay on tasks that were beneficial. Some of our subjects won't start for a couple more weeks until we meet with a small study group of other students.
What a day! Tiring but fruitful!

Our Curriculum 2013-2014:
Bible, Shurley English, RightStart Math, History Revealed: Romans, Reformers, Revolutionaries, Typing Web (a free online typing class with games!), A Reason for Handwriting & Spelling Workout for my 8 & 11 year old, a combo of Writing with Ease and IEW between home and our study group, The Discovery of Deduction & Apologia General Science for my 13 year old. I have workbooks; Diagramming Sentences and How to Write a Poem, and a plethora of art books, that they weave in and out of their day and regular subjects. They are also taking piano lessons. And if they are in need of an art project and just can't come up with anything, I created a Pinterest board for them "Crafts(Art) for My Kiddos" that they can look up. For science with my 8 & 11 year old this year, I just created a sheet that they look at to guide them on picking library books and then projects to do based on the topic they picked. We needed something less 'formal' and more 'fun' than what we did in the past because we're really needed to simplify and the thought of adding one more 'curriculum' just about did me in...(especially science, since that's definitely not my area...) I feel like I'm forgetting something but this looks like a huge list- so I've impressed (and overwhelmed) myself!

Sounds like you had a much more productive day than I did! I've been so pre occupied with leading the new co op that I wasn't nearly as prepared as I should've been. The kids wandered around the house most of the day asking me what they were supposed to do while I worked on some co op things that needed attending to. I've realized that when I'm not focused or prepared, they are not either! That really stresses me out! So last night I stayed up late and got our daily schedule hammered out and written down. I only made one day's worth, but I feel it will be much better today! I am trying to learn how to balance it all...

As far as bible, I have actually wanted to do a study on the fruits of the spirit for a while too! I had planned on reading through 1Corinthians, and memorizing 1Cor 13:4, but I may want to hop on your band wagon! I've thought about starting with Love, and searching scriptures about love. What is Love...1Cor. 13:4 Love is patient and kind. Or God is Love, etc. and researching and studying scriptures with each word as it comes up as a fruit. Am I making sense? Haha! I think it's awesome when we can do some of the same schooling together even though we are miles apart. It makes me feel like we are homeschooling at the same table!

I guess I will have to blog about balancing my crazy days sooner or later. Jenny, I would love for you to post pictures and details on how you make your kids' weekly to-do charts for school. I need some help in that area! Happy Homeschooling!

Hey! :)  I will post about how we keep track of subjects and stay on task....
 I think it's funny that we are thinking the same thing for bible! Great minds think alike...
Hope your day was productive with school...it's always changing and never dull, isn't it?!

Hipsters and Fashionistas

So there's this new term I keep hearing my kids say...hipster. "She's a hipster, I'm a hipster, everywhere a hipster!" I'm only 34, but I feel so old when I hear all these words I'm not familiar with. "Scene, Troll, Dubstep..." My twelve year old daughter had to give me a lesson on these terms so I am going to try to pass the information along as "non-nerdy" as possible.

So a "Hipster" is someone who dresses trendy. In my day, we called them "trend-setters." They know all the latest fashions and can totally pull them off. Scene is someone who dresses "Emo," or in my day, "Goth," but who is not depressed; they are actually overly happy and excitable. A "Troll" is someone who plays pranks on people. Wasn't that called a prankster? And "Dubstep" is "A series of awesome electronic beats and music."-Jaden's definition. That's all I know so far, and I'm pretty sure that came out pretty nerdy, but oh well! I'm officially a nerdy, old mom and I love to embarrass my children!!

Anywho, my girls, Jaden and Rebekah, are complete opposites when it comes to just about everything including fashion. Rebekah is my girly-girl who loves to wear skirts and leggings with lots of accessories. She has to have her hair done and is picky about shoes while Jaden, the older one, is my non-girly gamer girl who doesn't particularly care what she looks like, if her hair is brushed, or what she is wearing...until recently that is. I had told her about a year ago that she was not able to dye her hair until she turned twelve. Well, she held me to my word! So for her birthday, her dad and I took her to get her tips dyed blue! And since then, she has made quite an effort to be fashionable. She recently asked me to buy her a beret and some white Converse shoes that she could decorate with permanent marker. (If you look closely at the photo above, you will see Jaden wearing her beret, and Rebekah sporting her hipster glasses. Also pictured is their nerdy hipster friend and her dready momma photo bombing!)  So my girls, the hipster and the fashionista, are growing up. Tear!

 

 

Making Peanut Brittle Was a Battle, and I Lost...

We needed to take food to something and my 13 year old and I were scouring the cabinets for ideas on what to make. Our cabinets were so bare and I still hadn't gone to the store from the last post....he spotted peanuts and suggested brittle. I don't think I've ever made brittle and I knew candy can be a finicky thing but it was just a few ingredients and we happened to have them so the brittle story begins...
The girls helped in the beginning, gathering the few ingredients and measuring everything. When we had to constantly watch and stir the pot with the water, corn syrup, and sugar, they ditched us. We don't own a candy thermometer so Gabe and I watched that pot and marveled at the change it made as it heated up. We talked, "I wonder who discovered that these ingredients put together and heated just right make a carmel-y-like thing..." That started the two of us on a fun tangent... It took longer then I thought to get it to the right point. The recipe told us that if we didn't have a thermometer, we would know it was at the right temp if a small amount dropped in cold water, balled up and flattened when taken out of the water. We probably tested that thing eight times. Finally, we added the peanuts and butter, then had to get it to a point where a small amount dropped in water would become stringy and brittle. Then it said, "Immediately, take it off the heat when it reaches this point, add yada yada, spread quickly...."  I didn't take my eyes off that pot. I was getting tense. Constantly stirring and smelling it to make sure it didn't smell like burnt sugar. (I have a super-sniffer and can usually cook better by smelling than tasting, but enough about my weirdness...) Gabe was sitting on the counter, watching my craziness and anxiously watching that pot. I had originally said he could make whatever by himself, but whose kidding, at this point, I had taken over. I mean, my nose was practically in the pot so what could he do?

Anyway, after we stressed over that concoction for just the right amount of time, everything came together like Betty Crocker said it would, we poured it in the pan. I gave Gabe the spatula to spread it "quickly" but then "quickly" grabbed it back when he wasn't "quick" enough. I mean, Betty said spread that thing quickly or it would be ruined and he's moving like a turtle! Come on, boy! So we had done it! We made brittle! I thought, "wow...come on, what can we not do?!" But then I had to let it set...
A few hours passed and we needed to get to our thing so Gabe and I decided to break it up into brittle and get going. We tried to gently lift it from the sides. We tried to pry it from the sides. We'd get a little lifted up and need to wedge the knife under and a piece would fly up. We were flinging shards of sharp brittle all over the kitchen. I even hit the ceiling a few times. If it weren't for my glasses, I would be wearing an eye patch. Gabe even stabbed me at one point. (He didn't break skin, just felt horrible, and then we decided only one of us at the time should be chipping away at that beast.) It really had become a beast. We were late and trying to scarf down some dinner and chip away at the beast of a brittle. There were shards all over the place. The two girls were running around in the kitchen like mad crazy women trying to catch the flying pieces and eat them. We chipped off what we could and left.
When I returned home, there was the brittle. Still stuck. And my kitchen floor had little small flecks of harden brittle peppered all over. I had to take a scraper to the floor and pick at each one...if you come over, your socks will probably stick to the floor, because, frankly, I gave up.  I even spotted a tiny remnant on the ceiling. I would've probably felt defeated except for one fact. It was good. Everybody enjoyed it and it was good.

But I still think I lost because I have to wash the pan...
~Jenny

Homemade Tortillas Because I Refused to Drive to the Store...

 

 On a whim we decided to make tortillas from scratch. We had everything for tacos for dinner but the tortillas. I avoid going to the store with four kids at all costs. Even if it means making something from scratch. And it was an excuse to use this awesome little tortilla press I got in Memphis the last time I visited Jamie. She took me to the strangest, but coolest, store ever. But that trip to the store could be a post on its own...Okay, back to the tortillas- we pulled out the ingredients and got started. Speaking of ingredients, don't be all judgy with my unhealthy shortening- remember, this whole venture was because I was out of groceries. I have made them with butter instead of shortening- they were just as good. I have lowered the amount of butter or shortening and they were okay.

*3 1/2 cups flour plus extra for dusting (I have used all purpose, wheat, or a combo of both-this time, just all purpose)

*1/2 cup plus1 tablespoon of shortening

*1 1/2 teaspoon salt

*1 cup plus 2 tablespoons lukewarm water

*a generous sprinkle of garlic salt mix (it's just for fun. I added this in at the end because it seemed a little bland the last time I made it and I thought it could use more salt...)

1.  Place flour, shortening, and salt in a bowl and lightly rub the ingredients together with your fingers until evenly mixed. Pour in the warm water and knead a few times by hand until a smooth dough is formed.
2. Divide the dough into 12 (I usually do about 16 because my tortilla press is smaller) equal size pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and place on a tray. Cover with a tea towel and let rest at room temperature for at least 15 minutes, or up to an hour.
3. If you don't have a press: roll each ball out to about an 8 inch circle. You can use wax paper to separate them until you're ready to cook. (You could refrigerate for up to two days or if you wrap tightly, you can freeze) I just cooked them right up as the kids were pressing them to save the wax paper. If you have a press: we use a plastic grocery bag cut in a long rectangle to cover both sides of the press, then set the dough ball in between the plastic and just press. I usually give it one 180 degree turn and press again, then peel it off the plastic.
4. To cook, heat a griddle over medium heat. Carefully, peel off wax paper or plastic, and cook until slightly puffy and browned.

They came out great- the kids would press three, I watched over the griddle, they'd press three more...it was great system with three helpers and in no time flat (we only waited 15 minutes to let 'em rest) we had warm tortillas.

My from-scratch-because-I-don't-wanna-go-to-the-store recipes don't always turn out. But this one did, so I thought I'd share. Enjoy!  ~Jenny

 

Help! My Homeschool Room is a Mess!

     The first step in starting a new year of schooling is getting organized, right? Well, if you're anything like me, that does not come easy. Unlike Jenny, organization is a skill I must work at, and I think I get a little better at it every year. So I'm here to tell you that there is hope for us scatter-brained-homeschool-moms! I am going to share with you a few things I've learned along the way...

1. Less is more. I have realized that the more things I have out, the more overwhelmed I become, and the less I accomplish. So the first step is clearing out your space, and deciding what is really necessary. For me that's the basics: our curriculum books, paper, pencils and office supplies. Sell or toss the rest! Just do it! And what about those keepsakes your 12 year old made in kindergarten? Take pictures of them and display those instead. For important keepsake papers, get a file box and store it in your closet so that it is not bulking up your work space. Remember, less is more.

2. Get "label-happy!" Don't be afraid to put that label maker to use. I used to think I would remember where I decided to keep things, but I was fooling myself. I now have accepted the fact that if I don't label, I will put the scissors where the glue belongs, and the permanent markers with the washable ones. And at first it will not bother me because I am "scattery" like that. But near the end of the school year, or maybe even by Christmas, I will be going crazy because I can't find the tape! And I will be blaming my children even though it is really I who have misplaced it. And after running out and purchasing more, I will find that tape in the crayon bin. It's the terrible truth of scatter-brained-homeschool-moms. So take my word for it, label! Label! Label!
                                                                                                                                                                                                         

3. Sometimes just a little rearranging can do the trick! When I began to look at my craft shelf, I realized that most of the clutter was actually where it was supposed to be. I surprised myself! There were, however, quite a few books and items on the shelf that didn't belong. My intention was to keep only crafty books on that shelf along with homeschool craft supplies. What I found were devotions, self-help books, preschool books and some of my personal crafting supplies. I moved the books the proper shelves and put my personal crafts in another room. I am trying to keep strictly homeschooling supplies in this area with one exception: I used the top shelf for my bible, devotions and studies. I hope to be more inclined to read more while the kids do table work. So after some quick rearranging, the job was complete!

 

 
 
 

 
 
4. Lastly, keep your table clear. After a book or supply has been used, promptly put it away. This is a discipline which must be practiced daily. Training ourselves and our children to do this takes effort, but it is well worth it. If you can go to bed with a cleared table, you will wake up more willing to take on the day!
 
That's all I have to say on the subject for now. I am by no means an expert at organization and probably never will be, but hopefully I can help a few people out there one step at a time...

Confessions of a School Supply-aholic...

 

 

I really love school supply shopping- It's my Christmas!  You may not want to know this about me but I love the smell of scotch tape and my level of happiness goes up just seeing large packages of color organized markers! I think I have passed on this passion to my children.  They were dying to go buy school supplies but before we could even make a list, we needed to figure out what we could reuse from last year.  Because, in all honesty, if I can avoid purchasing everything new, it justifies the glitter gel pens that I really want. 

To get started, we took everything out of the closet...wow, we had a lot of stuff. And by the end of the school year, none of it was really in the bin it was supposed to be in...



 

While the three older kids helped me sort through everything, test all the markers, and throw away A LOT, baby Juliet had her own fun in the closet....

A few hours later and a trash bag full, the cabinet was back to it's happy organized self. Ok- so maybe a cabinet can't feel happy and organized, but this momma can. And I was. Although, we almost had a fight break out over who got to use the label maker but I controlled myself and we moved on...

 

Now, I think it's time to head to the store for those well deserved glitter gel pens. Oh, and maybe I should get the kid's school supplies too.

 

Foodie Friday~Israel

Foodie Friday- Jewish Style

    

Our family started a new tradition a while back that we call Foodie Friday.  Each week whoevers turn it is gets to pick a country or culture or theme.  We take turns by age.  So yes, I got to go first.  We cook new recipes, try new ingredients and learn A LOT along the way!  As we're cooking and preparing, we talk about the country, look things up we didn't know and before we eat we pray for their country.  Missionaries that may be there, struggles the people have, their government, and for those that can be a light of Jesus' love to be able to shine bright.
This week, hubby's choice was Jewish culture.  We found as we did some research that it really depends on what region they're in as to what they traditionally eat.  Our final menu choices this week were Beef Brisket, Matzah Ball Soup, Israeli Salad, and Cheese Blintzes.  We also tried our best to make sure the meal was kosher.
The Beef Brisket recipe is actually Gregg's grandma, Patty Grandma's recipe. Boy, could she cook! This brisket takes three days. You smell that aroma and your mouth waters for three days. It's been known to turn a vegetarian.  It should probably be a secret but I'm feeling generous.
     2-3 lbs of beef brisket
     liquid smoke
     1/2 cup ketchup
     1/2 barbeque sauce
     2 tbl Worcestershire sauce
     salt and pepper to taste
Day 1: Sprinkle both sides of the brisket with the liquid smoke. Maybe 3-4 tablespoons. Salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate overnight. 
Day 2:  Sprinkle again with liquid smoke.  Bake for 3 hours at 350 degrees covered.
Day 3:  Slice thin (tip- cut against the grain).  Mix the rest of the ingredients with 2 tablespoons of liquid smoke and cover brisket, making sure it gets between every slice. Bake 2 1/2 hours at 275 degrees covered. And enjoy!

Everything was very easy this week and you can find all the recipes on my Pinterest board 'Sucessful "Foodie Friday" Recipes'



 

I'm Blogging! WHAT?!

     Well, here we go! I can't believe we've actually started a blog! Jamie and I have talked about this forever and then I didn't want to be trendy and then I didn't think I had the time (which I still don't) but then we came to realize that maybe through our experiences, successes, and failures we could possibly encourage someone else, or make them laugh at us at least. I've also been 'encouraged' to share about our family's Foodie Fridays. For the past few months, we have taken turns picking a country, culture, or theme and then cooking dinner together as a family with new recipes. We've tried all sorts of new things like fish sauce and star fruit, to rose water cheese balls from India. We learn about the country, their customs, and then pray for them before we dig in! At least, I can count it as homeschool!
     My experience starting a blog as a perfectionist non-techy? It's a bit rough. I see beautiful blogs that are all custom and have buttons and logos and images and such. But then I try and can't seem to figure out much. Thank goodness for youtube tutorials! I'll learn eventually! I may have to start paying my 13 year old since he seems to be able to design this thing better than me! Well, cross your fingers for me as we get this thing going!
~Jenny