Having a Mexican fiesta and need to kick up the wow and yum factor a little bit? Might I suggest you make homemade salsa? Fabulous homemade salsa is so ridiculously easy to make, and so delicious, you'll never want to use store-bought salsa again! Jarred salsa is definitely convenient, and there are even organic options available. But there's nothing like the flavor of homemade salsa, especially if you use fresh ingredients (better yet if you have home-grown vegetables!). Plus, when you make your own salsa it's infinitely customizable, since you can adjust the ingredients and amounts to exactly suit your taste and your ...Read More
No-Nonsense Spelling Curriculum -The Phonetic Zoo (Review)
One of the more tedious subject in our house has been spelling. It was often accompanied by much unhappiness. Spelling was a drudgery! We decided this school year to give the Institute for Excellence in Writings (IEW) spelling program, The Phonetic Zoo (Level A), a trial run. What's included in the program? When you purchase the starter set of The Phonetic Zoo you will get a number of different components. The program comes with: 5 audio CDs, zoo cards with the lesson's jingle, lesson cards which include the spelling words, jingle, and teachers notes, and a video seminar titled Spelling & the Brain. Each ...Read More
Creamy Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe
My family is currently in love with this creamy balsamic vinaigrette. Since we've been transitioning our family towards healthier eating, one of the things I've started doing is making all of our own salad dressing. Salad dressing from the store is full of all sorts of nasty things: high fructose corn syrup, sugar, soybean oil, and canola oil (just to name a few). But this creamy balsamic vinaigrette has none of the nasty ingredients and big BOLD flavor! This creamy balsamic vinaigrette recipe is enjoyed by everyone in the family, but it is currently Luke's favorite dressing. It's also a great way to use MCT ...Read More
7 Reasons I Like Teaching Textbooks Math Curriculum
Changing math curriculum this year was a difficult decisions for me. I've always been impressed with the comprehensiveness of Saxon Math, and I like the spiral approach for Bradley. I know spiral approach doesn't work well for all students, especially those who struggle to understand mathematical concepts, but for a child like Bradley, who seems to understand math quite easily, it had been a great fit. I had started using Saxon Math K for Bradley in pre-school, and by the 2010-2011 school year he was using Saxon Math 3. The 2010-2011 school year was a challenging one for me! I was pregnant with twins, miserably sick ...Read More
Why I have a bag of Brazil nuts sitting on my window sill
I have a Ziploc bag of Brazil nuts sitting on my kitchen windowsill next to my family's vitamins. Why do these inconspicuous nuts take such a prominent place in the kitchen? Why aren't they tucked away in the pantry with the rest of the nuts? Brazil nuts are, by far, the best source of selenium, supplying roughly 100 mcg of selenium per nut (this amount varies depending on the soil the nuts are grown in). Selenium is a mineral the human body requires in small amounts. The recommended daily allowance for adults is 55 mcg day, but many experts recommend for optimal health we consume closer to 200 mcg a day of selenium. ...Read More
We’re having TWO BABIES?!
Baby A and Baby B - 8 weeks, 6 days Early in October of 2011 I was thrilled to see a positive pregnancy test. It worked out well because the following week I had my yearly appointment with my OB-Gyn. I let the nurse practitioner know that I was pregnant. She looked at my chart and immediately asked if I'd like her to call a prescription in for Zofran right away. Though it had not begun, given my history of hyperemesis gravidarum (i.e. really awful all-day sickness brought on by pregnancy) during my first two pregnancies, we were both certain that I would once again be plagued with this challenge throughout my pregnancy. I ...Read More
Healthy Homemade Mayonnaise
I think I finally did it. I found a winner! I've been trying to make a homemade mayonnaise that tastes just like Hellmann's, or at least similar to Hellmann's. I have tried homemade mayonnaise recipes found all over the internet far and wide and my results...well, they were less than delicious. So, why not just open a jar of Hellmann's? Why bother with all of this experimentation in the kitchen? Three reasons: Hellmann's is filled with.. soybean oil, sugar, and nutrient deficient factory farmed eggs. YUCK. I don't want those nasty ingredients in my body, or my kids' bodies ...Read More
Creamy Purple Cabbage Recipe
Happy Friday! We're looking forward to a full weekend with friends, family, and our twinsies baptism on Sunday. I have a new recipe for you. I made this last night. It's one of our families favorite ways to eat purple cabbage! Creamy Purple Cabbage (with bacon) 1 lb bacon (reserve grease)1 head of purple cabbage8 oz cream cheese softened2 Tablespoons <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001I7MVG0/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B001I7MVG0&linkCode=as2&tag=intoonlife-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple ...Read More