Vacation and the Homeschool Catalog Season!

I broke my promise. My entries were supposed to be weekly, but as you can see from the picture, I was a bit distracted.  The family and I vacationed in the Finger Lakes last week.  It was FABULOUS! One week in the mountains and we did it for $450.  Not bad, if I do say so myself.  That total is for gas, lodging, food and forgotten items (I'll explain in a later post).  One of the yummiest parts of the trip was a Jalapeno Cornbread  I threw together.  Last night I poured it over chili and made something Slap Your Momma good.

Chili
1 med. onion chopped
2 Tbsp oil
2 cans of Black/Garbanzo/Red Kidney Beans (I used garbanzo/chick peas)
1 1/2 cups pasta sauce (preferably homemade, but that's another post)
1 Tbsp Chili Seasoning
1 Tsp salt

Place oil and onions in cast iron or other stove top to oven safe pan.  Cook until slightly golden.  Add remaining ingredients.  Cook at medium heat for 15-20 minutes.  While this cooks, prepare topping.


Jalapeno Cornbread Topping

2 Tbsp jarred Jalapeno (You can use fresh by finely chopping up one medium pepper.  No Seeds!)
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup corn meal
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tsp baking powder
1/2 Tsp salt
1 cup Rice Milk/Soy Milk/Chicken Stock
1/4 cup oil
1 egg, beaten
(This recipe, sans jalepenos, is from the Quaker Yellow Corn Meal Box)

Mix dry ingredients.  Stir in wet ingredients. Pour over chili. Bake until cornbread is ready.  20-25 minutes.

I left it on the stove thinking it would be whole when I returned.  Oops.  Where do I think I live?

Homeschool Catalog Madness

I have very few addictions.  One of them is homeschool catalogs.  It combines my love of window shopping, in catalogs, with my obsession with learning.  My poor son.  It is a good thing I have only assigned 7 hours from Monday to Friday for instructed learning, because I want him to learn everything.  Have you ever seen one of these books.  I will peruse almost any one, but I have my favorites.  Here are some of them with my reasons.

Christianbook.com -  They sell numerous boxed curriculum and individual subject titles.  They are also carry fiction novels at incredibly discounted prices.

Rainbowresource.com - This company sends out a yearly catalog that is over 1000 pages.  I call it my great big book of everything.  If I need it, they seem to have it.  It's the Sears catalog of homeschooling.  (You have to be American and of a certain age to get that one.) 

Visionforum.com - This is a very conservative Christian company.  They have a very distinct understanding of what boys should do and what girls should do.  What I love, is the toys!  Real bows and arrows, beautiful dolls and spy kits are some of my favorite items.  They also have a number of books that have helped me to understand and embrace biblical womanhood.

Veritaspress.com - This is a classical homeschooling company. Think the history of Western Civilization with a focus on Christianity.  We homeschool in an eclectic manner, but the classical curriculum is our foundation.  I'll talk more about this as we get closer to the school year (and I have figured out my lesson plan).

This year will be my third year of consistent homeschooling.  My son will be in 8th grade and looking toward high school; possibly out in the big world.  We will see.  Pray for me.

Tune in next time.  I'm going to explain that $450 vacation and how to make 1lb of ground beef last 3 meals.