Spinach & Artichoke Stuffing/Dressing

In the kitchen on November 14 I posted a recipe idea for a Spinach Artichoke Dressing. Well I made it. I liked the flavor, but then I love that dip. I think one small tray was to much for one box of Stove Top. I think it might have been less "gluey" if I had used more stuffing mix, and/or less broth. All in all, I'm glad I tried it. But I'll stick with the dip with chips/Triskets.

Notebooking page

I am trying my hand at making notebooking pages. Here is one for you.

For some reason the lines don't show up on the "preview" but they are there once you download.

Weekly Menu Nov 24-28

Monday- hamburgers
Tuesday- chicken
Wednesday- dining out because I spend all day Thursday cooking
Thursday- Turkey, mashed potatoes/gravy, sweet potatoes, tossed salad, garlic green beans, dressing, cranberry relish, pumpkin pie, millionaire pie
Friday- leftover and pizza

Send a card!

We will be participating in Holiday Mail for Heros this year!

For other great traditions from families check out the Online Christmas Party!

Filling Shoeboxes

We filled our shoeboxes Sunday afternoon for Operation Christmas Child.
Each box was filled to the brim. We included a bandana, washcloth, bar of soap, toothpaste, toothbrush, 1 pack of pencils, pencil sharpener, 3 ink pens, crayons, a small notebook, hair goodies, 1 book, 1 pair of socks, lip balm, stickers, gum and candy, tote bag, travel lotion, 1 small container of play-doh, 1 mini ball, comb, 1 small stuffed bunny, sunglasses.

We really enjoyed doing this project. For more great family traditions check out the Online Christmas Party!

Weekly Menu- November 17-21

Supper plans for this week, in no particular order:

Oven Chicken
Roast
Chicken and Dumplings
Beef Sandwiches
Pizza

I'm also going to be making a gallon or so of chicken broth for the freezer.

OH WOW!

After gathering some advice I figured out how to make PDF's available!
I'm pleased so far with how it is working!

Holiday Countdown Calendar

A Holiday pocket countdown calendar. Print 25 pockets onto colored paper, fold and glue to a poster board. On gingerbread boy cut outs write a holiday activity to do each day. Include the normal holiday prep that you need to do anyway, like signing cards, decorating the tree & home, and different baking days. Other things to include might be riding around looking at lights, going caroling, making gifts, wrapping gifts, reading Christmas books, watch Christmas movie(s), donate food to a food bank, “adopt” an angle tree child, participate in your church Christmas program, or attend a church Christmas program.

Since this is a daily calendar you can easily include daily advent readings, and/or Jesse tree reading/ornaments in each pocket as well.

I’ve not made mine yet, we started last year but I never got my poster made. For more great ideas to make your holiday special check out the Online Christmas Party.

Click here for PDF 2 small pockets per sheet of paper.

Christmas Craft Time

Using The Christmas Stencil Cards, card stock, colored pencils, hole punch and ribbon.

Trace the stencil of choice, color it in and cut it out to make gift tags. Other fun ideas for these cute festive cards include: Trace shapes onto Shrinky-Dink paper and make tree ornaments & holiday charms, create holiday bedroom door signs, or let your children make their own greeting cards.

Check out other great ideas at the Online Christmas Party.

Recipe Idea

I have this bright idea for a new kind of stuffing/dressing. I love that Spinach & Artichoke dip, I get it frozen and after warming eat it for lunch a few times a month. I just love that stuff! Anyway, I thought I wanted to make a Spinach/Artichoke stuffing and found this Emeril recipe ( Personally, I can't stand to watch him, but the food looks good)

This recipe is time consuming, and I just don't have time to spend an hour on dressing. So I thought why not just add a tray of that frozen dip to my stuffing/dressing mix? Sounds good to me. I'll let you know how it turns out....stay tuned.

Today's Freebie

Homeschool Journey is offering 3 free coloring PDF books.
Audubon,Medieval and Modern (Van Gogh)
These items are free until November 19th Only.

Snack Time

We melted some chocolate peanut butter, with 2 "wrapples" and a bit of evaporated milk for a yummy apple dip.
This is so good, you have to try it!

School Time

Gathering 'round the table for school.

Educational Quilts

We did this Educational Quilt last year. This is a study on plants and flowers.

UPDATE
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pdf directions: Educational Quilt

Freebies

Check out the new freebies at To Teach What is Good.

Weekly Menu- November 10-14

Monday- Korean Ribs
Tuesday- Spicy Chicken Strips, mashed potatoes, salad, apple slices
Wednesday-Beef Roll ups
Thursday- some sort of chicken
Friday- weekly Pizza Night

I try to have chicken 2-3 times a week. I have one daughter who isn't much of a beef eater. OK, let's be honest, actually she is just REALLY picky!

What's Cookin'?

The crock-pot has started cooking our supper. What a wonderful "servant".
I really enjoy the Year of CrockPotting blog and so far everything I've tried has turned out great!

A couple weeks ago I tried the Korean Ribs but with pork instead of beef. ( I couldn't find beef ribs) Well I found some yesterday so was looking forward to making this for a second time.

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Update

This is CrAzY good! I like it so much better then the pork. Lindy I and licked the bowl clean.

Christmas School

Here are some FREE Christmas Unit Studies for your Christmas School.

A Blessed Christmas

The Names of Jesus

Good Christian Men Rejoice

A Christmas Unit Study

Amazing Grace- A Christmas Unit Study

Christmas Symbols

Be sure to check out Homeschool Share for Literature Based studies, many with Free lapbooking elements. Combine with the Christmas Book Basket idea and your all set to make many lasting memories

To anyone out there!!!

blog question here. Is there anyway to make a picture into a clickable link? I can add pics to the blog posts and add links but can't seem to figure out how to make the picture the link. Understand?

Christmas Book Basket

I collect all our Christmas and Winter themed books and read one each day, leading up to Christmas. Some years I would wrap the books and place in a basket under the tree, letting the girls pick one to open each day. That way the book is a surprise and they get to open something which is always exciting.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that I have plenty of Christmas and Winter books to use. If you need to supplement with library books, I wouldn't wrap them. Save on those overdue fine. :) Or I suppose you could just keep renewing them until they get picked.

Online Christmas Party 2008

Classic Christmas

A few links to get you started on your Christmas School...

Christmas Radio Programs
CInnamon Bear
Classic Christmas books

Christmas School

For the month of December we stop our normal curriculum and do what we like to call "Christmas School" There are several free online Christmas unit studies out there that we we rotate each year. We also include some sort of craft, or make a memory activity.

This year the girls have their own Holiday Journals, a combination of several different journals, including Our Christmas Journal by: Sheri Graham of Graham Family Ministries
www.school4jesus.com

This year we will do an Inductive Advent Study

Online Christmas Party 2008

Online Christmas Party

The second annual Online Christmas Party is gearing up for another fun and memorable year. So grab a cup of cocoa and your favorite fuzzy slippers and visit us at the Online Christmas Party 2008!

Last night's chicken

I have 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts marinating in Lite Soy Sauce, Orange Marmalade, crushed garlic, and red pepper flakes. I plan on grilling if I have time before AWANA, or baking in oven. I'll let you know the results...............

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::Later that same day:::::::::::::::::::::

Well, this combo smelled good, and I think would have tasted better if I had time to cook down the sauce to thicken, and basted the chicken while it cooked.

The girls made my birthday cake this afternoon, chocolate cake with little Milky Way candy bars.  Yummy!

Here I am!

My wonderful husband and I have been married since 1988. We are the blessed parents of 3 lovely jewels. Emilie~1995; Olivia~1998; Isabella~2001

We are eclectic homeschoolers, if it is weird and/or unsual that’s what we do. Although unit studies, Living books, Charlotte Mason, notebooking, lapbooking doesn’t seem so different these days. I guess the rest of the homeschool world finally discovered there is a lot more out there than Abeka, Bob-Jones, and A/O.