Cloud Nine Jewelry Giveaway

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If you like pretty things {and really, what mom doesn’t?} you might want to head over to my homeschool blog to check out the lovely giveaway for a $50 gift certificate to Cloud Nine Jewelry that is going on right now!

You might just have a little extra something for Mother’s Day this year!

Stripes and Camouflage?

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There are some days when the fact that your child is dressed, and did it independently, is more important than the fact that they do not match.

Either that or being the fourth kid factors into it somehow.

I’m just sayin’.

 

Sue Gregg & Whole Grain Baking

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A few years ago a stack of cookbooks showed up under the Christmas tree for me courtesy of my husband. At the time, I was super thrilled they were a gift…although I was happy to get my hands on them. There was, however, one book missing that I REALLY wanted to use ~ An Introduction to Whole Grain Baking.

Over the last three years we’ve slowly {but surely} been changing things in our diet and using whole grains in just about everything that we make. Bread was the first step and little by little we’ve replaced enriched products {rice, sugars, etc…} with a healthier counterpart. Much of the information that I’ve gathered and based our decisions on has been because of Sue Gregg’s Cookbooks. Her cookbooks contain

“…over 800 recipes using wholesome ingredients as whole grains instead of refined flour, honey instead of white sugar, olive oil, coconut oil, and butter instead of hydrogenated fats along with fresh wholesome fruits and vegetables…  Tested, tasty, appetite appealing whole foods recipes with allergy alternatives are her specialty. These recipes will help you ease your family into healthier whole foods fare.”

~ from SueGregg.com

An Introduction to Whole Grain Baking introduces the two-stage process ~ a process of soaking, sprouting, or fermenting grains before baking that helps release more nutrients so that our bodies can better absorb them. It helps reduce sensitivity to certain grains, food digest better, and overall makes for healthier cooking.

In addition to providing help on the two-stage process, Sue also gives detailed comparisons on products that we use in cooking along with their benefits and other health information: fats, whole grains, and sweeteners along with allergy alternatives and MANY wonderful recipes for quick breads and yeast breads. The book also includes a powerpoint CD with 30 step-by-step demonstrations of recipes and is the main book for Baking With Whole Grains, a course for high school homeschoolers.

Here’s a peek at the some of the topics covered in An Introduction to Whole Grain Baking:

~ Should We Eat Grains?

~ Quick Shopping Guide for Quality Ingredients

~ Equipment Check List

~ Understanding the Two-Stage Process

~ Evaluating the Importance of the Two-Stage Process

~ Liquids for Baking

        Coconut Milk for Baking

        Almond Milk for Baking

~ Eggs

~ Whole Grains

~ Fats

        Butter

        Coconut Oil

        Olive Oil

        What about Canola Oil?

~ Sweeteners

        Honey

        Sucanat

        What Happened to Crystalline Fructose?

        What About Xylitol?

~ Leavenings

         Homemade Baking Powders

~ Spices & Flavorings

~ Salt

~ Nuts & Seeds

~ The Wonder of Flax Seeds

         Flaxseed Egg Alternative

~ Allergy Alternatives

~ Measuring Techniques

~ Accuracy, Convenience & Safety Habits for Recipe Preparation

~ Getting Started Bibliography

We use numerous recipes from Sue Gregg’s Cookbooks, including a variation of the Blender Batter Pancakes as well as the Parmesan Chicken {from another cookbook}. You can view both of those recipes on Sue’s website where she offers sample recipes as part of Whole Food Cooking Lessons. You can also get a peek at the book with a 46-page excerpt of An Introduction to Whole Grain Baking {$23.00} by clicking here.

Overall, Sue Gregg’s Cookbooks have been a wealth of information for our family {mainly the head cook, really} and have helped in our transition to olive oil and coconut oil, whole grains, using kefir, and discovering alternative grains and seeds to use when cooking. Be sure to check out Sue’s story on how the cookbooks came to be.

Click on the Homeschool Crew banner to read other reviews about this and other products from Sue Gregg Cookbooks.

This product was given to me for review purposes, and I do not have to return the product to the vendor. I was not paid for this post. All opinions expressed in this post are mine.

May I Vent?

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I’m not one that generally purchases magazine subscriptions, but last year one of the neighbor kids was doing a fundraiser and I caved and bought a subscription to Better Homes and Gardens. I figured it was a fairly safe choice and I might get some good ideas over the next year.

Today, I’m just irritated because I feel that NO magazine is safe from smut. Advertising smut that is.

The LAST thing that I want to see in any of my magazines is an essentially naked woman advertising a brand of lotion. Not just one lovely full page ad, but two. Because apparently one picture isn’t enough.

Not only is it the last thing that I want to see, it’s the last thing I want my kids OR my husband to see. Yeah ~ I’m picky like that.

Today I’m making a point to call the magazine, cancel my subscription and never make the mistake of subscribing again ~ thus ensuring that I do have a BETTER HOME!

What Do Plants Give Us?

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McKenna’s science lessons have been focused around plants and the different things we can do with plants. The particular lesson she was studying talked about cotton and how we could used cotton to make clothing.

After she had finished her reading, I sat down with her to ask her some questions about what she had read.

Me: “What are some things that plants give us?”

McKenna: …………………….ummmm

Me: “Clothing? Remember how….”

{McKenna interrupts}

McKenna: “Oh yeah!! Adam and Eve wore leaves in the garden of Eden!!!"

{not exactly the answer I was looking for…}

 

Head on over to Mary's at Not Before 7 for some more Tiny Talk Tuesday!!

Convenience Wins

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I’m sitting here just taking a breather right now from running back and forth with the kids, doing school, cleaning up messes, making messes, and wondering if a certain 3 year old is finally getting the whole potty training thing.

This morning Kaleb decided on his own to wear underwear. A fact which I discovered midway through our trip to Target when he stood up and yelled he needed to pee. NOW!!

And although I know I should be thrilled that he is actually using the potty, I am currently of the mindset that diapers are worth their weight in gold. I know I’ll be happy when we’re done and over with the diaper stage, but sometimes convenience is a lovely, lovely thing.

Especially when a certain little someone pees in the middle of his siblings PE class and then wants to sit on your lap while wearing his wet clothes.

I’m just saying.