Summer Garden Ratatouille

This is one of those easily adaptable recipes. Throw in whatever amounts or types of the vegetables you have.

This recipe is from Simply In Season, a wonderful little cookbook to help you start cooking with the seasons.


Summer Garden Ratatouille
2 onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
Saute in 3 T olive oil about 5 minutes.

1 med. eggplant, chopped
1 1/2 T fresh basil, chopped or 2 tsp dry
1 T fresh rosemary, chopped or 1 tsp dry
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh marjoram, chopped or 1/2 tsp dry
Add, cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until eggplant is soft, about 15-20 minutes.

2 summer squash, chopped
2 peppers (green or sweet - red or orange), cut in strips
2 c tomatoes, chopped
Add and simmer until peppers and squash are tender, about 10 minutes. Serve over pasta or polenta sprinkled with chopped fresh parsley, black olives or freshly grated Parmesan cheese.


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Whole Wheat Peach Kuchen

The original called for peaches, and I intend to try it with peaches soon, but I had blackberries that needed to be used up, so I decided to try it with those first. The results were quite delicious!

From Simply In Season:

Whole Wheat Peach Kuchen
3/4 c. whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 c. flour
2 T sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
Combine in a large bowl.

1/4 c. butter
Cut in until crumbly. Pat mixture over bottom and sides of baking pan or oven-safe frying pan.

4 c peaches, halved and peeled (I substituted 4 c. blackberries that had been sprinkled with sugar)
Arrange in pastry, cut side down.

3 T sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Mix together and sprinkle over top. Bake in preheated oven at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes.

1 c plain yogurt
1 egg, beaten
2 T sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
Combine and pour over peaches and bake 30 more minutes or until set.

I'd suggest putting the baking pan on a cookie sheet. I over cooked the crust just a bit trying to get the custard set. Serve with a little ice cream or a bit of cream on top!

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Cucumbers with Yogurt and Mint

This is a great salad to keep on hand in the summer for a quick lunch. It is very refreshing. Again, I don't really have a recipe for this.


Cucumbers with Yogurt and Mint

3 cucumbers peeled, halved and sliced
salt
1/3 c. of plain yogurt
2 Tbsp of fresh, chopped mint (don't even try to use dried mint - it really won't be as good)

Salt the sliced cucumbers and place in a colander to drain. Leave them for at least half an hour - more is better. An hour is plenty. This pulls out the excess water. They'll get a little limp, but still have a nice crunch. Place in a bowl and stir in 1/3 c of plain yogurt. (Use more or less depending on your taste.) If you have a mortar and pestle give the mint leaves a little crush in that before adding them to the yogurt and cucumbers. If you don't have a mortar and pestle, just give the leaves a good scrunch with your hand. This will soften the leaves and help release the oils and flavor. Mix the crushed mint into the yogurt and cucmbers. Stir well and refrigerate.

Sometimes I find that I like to add a dash or two more salt to the mixture before I refrigerate. It should have a slightly salty taste. I know that sounds weird - salt, yogurt and mint, but it really is yummy and refreshing!

In many Eastern Mediterranean/Middle Eastern cultures there is a drink with yogurt, salt and mint (and water to thin out the yogurt). It is surprisingly delicious - tart yogurt, zippy mint and that slight saltiness. If anyone has a good recipe for that, I'd love to have it. Otherwise I guess I just need to experiment with it.


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Rosemary and Lemon Baked Chicken

This smells absolutely divine while it cooks! It is perfect to throw in the oven when you've got a busy day and no time to stand at the stove. All you need to have is a couple of sides (veggies or salad and bread) and you are done! Now, I don't really have a recipe, so bear with me.


Rosemary and Lemon Baked Chicken

1 whole roasting chicken
2 lemons
a few springs of fresh rosemary (fresh is important, the resin in the fresh leaves is very aromatic!)
garlic powder or cloves
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Rub your pan with a little olive oil. Place two springs of rosemary on bottom of pan and place chicken, breast side up, on top of those springs. Put a spring or two of rosemary in the cavity of the chicken. Cut lemons in half and squeeze the juice all over the surface of chicken. Place two lemon halves into the cavity and lay the other two in the pan around the chicken. Drizzle more olive oil over surface of the bird. Sprinkle a touch of garlic powder OR put a clove or two into the cavity. Salt and pepper the bird to taste.

Roast bird until it reaches an interior temp of 180 degrees F. The time this takes will vary depending on the size of the bird and your oven, but generally, 1 hour and 1/2 or so. (Start checking at 1 hr.)

When bird comes out of the oven remove it from the pan and let it sit (on a tray or cutting board) for a few minutes to let the juices be absorbed into the meat.

Slice and enjoy!

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The Simple Woman Daybook - Aug 4, 2008

Recently, I came across this "Daybook", which is a meme of sorts, but different. It appealed to me as a way to record a bit of my life on a more regular basis on my blog.

Each Monday, bloggers share their Daybook entries. Add your own or just enjoy reading what other ladies are up to this week. Visit Peggy's blog: The Simple Woman and enjoy the other Daybook entries.

FOR TODAY August 4th, 2008

Outside My Window... It is hot and hazy. I've done my errands for the day and now I'm staying IN!

I am thinking... about a new landscape plan for our boring suburban lot. We want to reduce our lawn, set up a nice play area in the backyard, and incorporate a vegetable garden (and fruit plants).

I am thankful for... a friend's call this morning to invite my middle son over. Our kids' best friends are getting ready to move, so I'm trying to help ease that transition by encouraging some other friendships to blossom as well. (Remember the rhyme, "Make new friends, But keep the old; One is silver, and the other gold.")

From the kitchen... yummy Chicken and Rice soup simmering away and Cucumbers with Yogurt and Mint.

I am wearing... my favorite stretchy jeans and my most unfavorite top (basic cotton T-shirt in a grass green color - not my most flattering color)

I am creating... some baked delights for the week ahead (cookies, raisin bread, and a fruit kuchen)

I am going... to bed early tonight.

I am reading... Gilead, a stack of landscaping and garden books, In Defense of Food, and the Iliad

I am hoping... to find a good podcast to listen to while I bake this afternoon. I'm also hoping the kids will find something to occupy them while I enjoy my time in the kitchen. This is one of my favorite things to do - something good to listen to and a pleasant afternoon making tasty treats.

I am hearing... two of my kids planning and talking while they play with new Model Magic that I picked up this morning. It is a little pricey, but they are so creative with it. I'll post some of their creations later.

Around the house... there is a lot of laundry that needs to be finished and put away. This is one of those chores that I just HATE. For some reason, by the time I'm done with my mountain of laundry I putter out and the clothes languish in laundry baskets for the rest of the week. I'm trying to get all caught up today and then get back into the long-forgotten habit of doing a load at least every other day.

One of my favorite things... the quiet of the house in the early morning. I sit with my bible, planner, laptop, and a nice cup of coffee or tea as I read and plan my day. There is something so lovely and relaxing. I will admit that it is tempting to not get the rest of the day started, though.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: I have a couple of blog posts to work on and a new blog to launch - I'm trying to squeeze that in this week. Some time during the week, I'd like to have some friends over who have been gone most of the summer. We've missed them and want to catch up a bit. Tomorrow, I'm taking middle son to a friends house. Thursday, I have my "Wives In Prayer" Group. On Friday, we are going to ejoy a Chinese celebration as we watch the Olympics Opening Ceremony. My husband is taking the kids away for a long weekend to the beach, so I need to spend some time thinking about what I want to use that time to accomplish (school preparations, a household project, blog work or just some relaxation...or a little of each).

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

Yummy fresh figs from our fig tree. We planted it about 3 years ago and it looks like we'll be getting our first real harvest in this year! Hubby and I LOVE fresh figs. We've been looking forward to these ALL summer.

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7 Brilliante Bloggers

Not sure that I'm a brilliant blogger, but I've been given an award that says so. I feel a little like the Scarecrow from Wizard of Oz when he gets his "Diploma" stating that he DOES have a brain.

Actually, two bloggers who are fairly new to me have sent me this award in the last week or two: The Gour Family - an awesome family and adoption blog and Beth from Pages of Our Life - who blogs about homeschooling and the Classical model.

So, according to Blog rules, I should:

Put the logo on my blog
Link to the person you received your award from
Nominate at least 7 other blogs
Put links to those blogs on your site
Leave messages on the blogs you've nominated

My nominees are:

1. Dad2Three - this guys is really quite funny. He blogs about life with three kids, home education, southern life, and his faith. I especially love hearing about his life in East Tennessee!

2. Two Square Meals - a fellow anglican, mom-blogger. The stories about her two young boys are funny, sweet, poignant. You'll enjoy her honesty and excellent conversations.

3. MoziEsme - missionary baby blogs from Mozambique. Talk about a niche blog - how many blogs do you know that are written from the perspective of a baby? And a missionary baby at that? Then throw in the life in Mozambique...lots of interesting stuff there!

4. OhBeCareful! - Jamie is a funny homeschooling mama! Don't miss her website - she has a great sense of humor that shines through her writing.

5. A Telling Place - an American woman married and living in Scotland. Kate is also a fellow Anglican. Lately, she's been dealing with infertility - and a pretty sobering diagnosis - sharing honest evaluations of her emotions, thoughts, experiences. But, she'd want me to say, that isn't all she blogs about!

6. On a Joyful Journey - Amy blogs about home education, special needs children, and life. If you have a special needs child in your life, be sure to visit Amy. Even if you don't, be sure to visit Amy.

7. Palm Tree Pundit - Anne blogs about home education...from HAWAII! Do I need to say more?

These are all blogs I read very regularly - and look forward to seeing updated in my RSS reader. I think you will enjoy reading them, too! Congratulations, friends!

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After a week of early rushed mornings, days filled with paint/glitter/clay/ giggling/running/singing, and tired, hobbled-together dinners, VBS (or VBC - Vacation Bible Camp as it was re-christened this week) is OVER.

**Satisfied, tired SIGH**

I've not always been a huge proponent of VBS (I'm not necessarily, still). There are issues of expense, laying more work on already busy moms/volunteers, stewardship follow-up with attendees, and some concern with the "amped-up", crazy-fun mentality. But, growing up I had two particularly meaningful experiences at VBS (really the only two I attended), so I still think some great stuff can occur during these wild weeks!

All that said, this was the best VBS we've had at our church. Yes, it was hectic and draining...and a bit "amped-up", but it was really wonderful - all-in-all.

The question is, "Why was this week so successful?" And secondly, "How can we 'top' it?"

The first reason this week was so successful is, of course, that the Lord blessed it. And we could certainly stop there - what more needs to be said? But there were some definite aspects the Lord used to bless our VBS week.

• Dads: Our VBS leader didn't just wait for the Dads to volunteer, she specifically asked a few dads to come serve in a very specific way. Realizing that most dads work during the day (we still do mid-day VBS), she found dads that were able to take off a few hours just one morning during the week. Each morning the "dad of the day" served as our Science Lab leader. Of course doing a simple science experiment is right up a dad's alley - and having the added authority of a "DAD" kept the science room under better control than it might have been otherwise. The dads seemed to really enjoy serving in this way and it was so valuable for the kids to see the example set by them!

• Having an energetic and gifted drama leader: 'nuf said.

• Volunteers from the "older" set: We had a number of volunteers whose children are all grown (many with grandchildren) join us to serve as group leaders, time-keepers, kitchen crew, and set-up/take-down. This has been something we've done in the past as well, but this year the number of volunteers from the "older" set was quite a bit higher. I'd say half our volunteers had no children of VBS age - or even close!

• Keeping it SIMPLE: We do not have our own building any longer, so we were at the mercy of our kind church hosts (and very kind and gracious they were). This necessitated that we keep the decorations pretty simple, which many of us discovered was a GREAT blessing. We also kept the craft room simpler than ususal, too. The kids had so much fun, I doubt they noticed any difference!

• Sharing resources: Wisely, our VBS leaders struck a deal with our host church to share some of the VBS expenses by sharing a curriculum package (which allowed us to also share the expense and work of making decorations, too). This left money to have a family pool party after the close on Friday for all the attendees' and volunteers' families. It was a great way to meet some of the parents of kids who were visiting our church via VBS and it gave them a chance to get to know our church family. And it was just plain, FUN!

I was asked at the end of the pool party, "So, how do we top this next year?" To which I replied, "We don't have to top it, we just have to do it again!"

See, this is how much fun we had:



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Anticlimactic Adoption Moments

So, I seemed pretty excited yesterday, didn't I? I was...in a way, but in another way I wasn't. Really I was more just relieved. Because I was quite wiped out from our week at VBS and then a concluding pool party (all of which was wonderful - our best VBS ever), I was assuming that my lack of enthusiasm was from that...but while talking with my neighbor (an adoptive mother)today, I realized that, in fact, it was just the nature of the adoption process.

Things are pretty anticlimactic in this adoption deal. All the stress and activity that goes into producing some piece of paper that is just one small stone (albeit an inportant one) in the pyramid that is the adoption process, well, it is quite anticlimactic. Maybe a better analogy would be hurdles - it is hard to get REALLY excited by the hurdles when your eye is on the finish line. You accomplish a hurdle and you MUST continue on to make the next one. Not much time for celebrating while in the race.

And so, we are on to the next hurdle...

Every day our Junebug gets a little closer to us.

Peter Piper's Picks: August 2

So, you are going on vacation and you want to get a great group shot, right. Check out these tips!

Journaling - 5 ways keeping a journal can change your life.

California continues to try to limit freedom in education.

Spunky's wondering about " preschoolers as human capital".

My two biggest linguistic pet peeves: eXpresso and IRregardless. A list of other commomonly mistaken phrases. Down here in the south there's another phrase that is often used incorrectly: Often people us the term "chester drawers" instead of the correct "chest of drawers". I've even seen ads in the classifieds for "Chester Drawers"! Oh, my...

What does your sleep postition say about you?

After you do a confessional examination, consider these forward-thinking questions to ask yourself on a Sunday.

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Peter Piper's Picks: July 26

Get your email inbox undercontrol.

An article in the New Yorker - Big Foot The author discusses carbon footprints, the green movement, the food industries: "Possessing an excessive carbon footprint is rapidly becoming the modern equivalent of wearing a scarlet letter."

Want to try making your own laundry detergent ?This mom will show you how!

A Summer Picnic resource page: checklist, inspiration and recipes!

The HeadMistress at the CommonRoom has to something to say about keeping a lawn.

Oooo - this looks fun: a video tour of a LEGO factory!

On the serious side - a great post from Jennifer of Conversion Diary: Is belief in God the only thing that keeps Christians from doing evil? Are non-believers more moral because they are "good" without needing a god to tell them to be?

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Helping the older child learn to read

This was originally posted last year, but I've updated and added links.

My eldest child went to public school for kindergarten and 1st grade. Which means that someone else really taught him to read. Conversely, my second child, now 8, has always been homeschooled (he was 4 when we started homeschooling his big brother). So, I've gotten to teach him to read. This has been both a blessing and a challenge. He is what you'd call a "late blooming reader".

For a long time I thought I'd failed him in some way, but then his younger sister (who has never been in an institutional school - not even preschool) is learning to read with no problems. So, I hope that indicates that I'm not a bad teacher! :)

A friend of mine is in a similar situation and her son is having a tough time with reading (our boys are just a few months apart). Just like my middle boy, he is a bit older than most starting readers and he probably isn't the "perfect" student. (By that I mean the type who wants to sit down and spend lots of time practicing their phonics sounds.) Their older age and temperment/learning styles combine to make for some frustration for both mom and child. We begin to feel like "something is wrong", which can lead to feelings of guilt for Mom and feelings of inadequacy for child.

Here are some of the ideas we tossed around together. If you have an active, school-allergic, late-bloomer student like ours, you might find some of these ideas really helpful.


A curriculum we've enjoyed
Let me start by telling you about Starfall, a free, internet-based reading program. The program is comprised of phonics-controlled online games and interactive "books". These are high-quality learning activities which kids really enjoy. There are various levels from kids just learning their letters to kids ready to write creatively. We choose a few activities each day to try.

One of my favorite aspects of Starfall are the online interactive read-along books. Your child reads the book and if he comes to a word he cannot read, he can click on it to hear it sounded out. Each phonogram-based book is coordinated with learning activities.

Starfall also provides printables that go along with each online book. In fact, you can download the whole set of printables for your own workbook. Again, these are high-quality materials covering phonics and some simple grammar and punctuation.

There are also some fun "play" activities based on seasonal themes, including calendars to print.


Fun and games
My son balks at anything remotely "schoolish". He melts down and seems to regress to preschool (he's 8) when presented with a workbook. While he is learning that being educated by me means he has to do some stuff that is "boring", I am learning to provide as many learning games as possible.

A very simple, but favorite game for us has been Sight Word Bingo. This is a little boxed board game by Carson-Dellosa Publishing. I started by calling out the word and showing him the card, then he would find it's match on his Bingo board. Now I call out the word, but don't show it to him unless he's stumped. He's gotten so fast, I often can't call out cards fast enough. One tip with games: play with your child (don't just call out the bingo cards)! Kids love getting a chance to beat Mom!

There are other games you could try, but I have had great success with this simple bingo game.

Here are some other ideas:

• Melissa and Doug See & Spell- they make great, durable wood toys, puzzles and games. This one reminds me of the Playskool Learning Desk I had when I was a little girl.
• Chunks - A Word Building Game - A Word Building Game
• Snap It Up! Phonics and Reading Card Game- We've used the math version of Snap It Up! and really enjoyed that.

Readers for older kids
One real issue for us has been finding readers for older kids. Most readers today are written with very young kids in mind. These bored my son and me right out of our minds! But finding something more interesting (and more appropriate for his comprehension level) has been difficult. I recommend finding non-fiction books to use as readers. Science books are particularly interesting to kids and come in many reading levels. Biographies are another good idea.

Scholastic has a nice series of biographies at great prices (about $5.00 US). We've been reading The Story Of Thomas Alva Edison . He reads about a paragraph ot two each day. I help him when he gets stuck on a word, but for the most part, he reads on his own. There are some "big" words in the text, so I just jump in and tell him those. No sense getting him frustrated. He gets a mark on his reading chart and when the chart is complete a reward! (I'm giving him $10 to go buy more books.)

Another source for readers is DK Readers. These come in 4 levels, so you can easily choose the best level for your child. The readers in this series cover all sorts of fascinating subjects: history, science, LEGOs, sports, literature and more. They have DK's excellent pictures, too! We will start a Level 3 book called Spies! next.

Here are some suggestions:
I Want To Be a Jedi (Level 3)
Journey Through Space (Level 2)
Ready, Set, Podrace! (Level 1)

You'll need to guage your child's level and give them the help they need so as not to frustrate them. I'd suggest starting out with reading the text and having them read a few words in each line. Or alternate reading: you read a sentence (or paragraph), then she reads a sentence (or paragraph). Because my son can be a slacker, I've taken a different approach. We read as much or as little as he wants, but I will NOT read to him other than a bit of assistance when he gets stumped. (Just this book - we have lots of other read alouds) However, he only gets a mark on his chart if he reads atleast a 1/2 a page. His curiosity to see what happens next is my "hook"!

Another book that has been a hit at our house is the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series (there are 3, I believe). These are funny little books with pencil-like drawings on most every page, but they are laid out like chapter books. So, there is less print on most pages than an average chapter book, which gives developing eyes a break and discouraged kids a confidence boost (when they zip through the pages).


Read Along
When I was little I fairly taught myself how to read by using "read along" books and my record player. Now, you can find lots of great books on audio tape or CD. My son has particularly enjoyed the Magic Tree House Collection read along books. (The CDs come in 4 book sets.) These are great stories in simple prose. And your kids will learn at the same time! Most of their titles are history-based.


Out and About or Reading on the Fly
Another fun thing to do is encourage your child to read words they see while you are out and about. Billboards, advertisements on trucks, store signs, merchandise in the store, signs in the store or building, etc. You get the idea! Just make it fun. I bet you could even make this into a game. If you have an idea for a game like this, I'd love to hear about it! Post a comment or link to your blog.

I'm pleased to say that my son has really gained a lot of confidence in his reading in the past 3 or 4 months. I don't think it is solely due to the programs and ideas I shared above, but they have been a big part! He has a long way to go, but he's well on his way.


Give them a delight in GREAT stories
My husband is our read aloud guy. He has spent countless hours reading aloud to each of our kids before bedtime. This has especially helped our late-bloomer develop a love of great stories (hubby reads good, good books with them, not "twaddle"), which encourages him to want to learn to read even more. This has also given him a fantastic vocabulary - he tests at a 6th grade level in vocab (he's entering 3rd)...just don't ask him to spell those words!

Another thing my husband does during these read alouds is spend a little bit of time letting our late-bloomer practice his reading. They choose a simple book or a few simple sentences from the book they are reading aloud. This gives him almost daily practice in addition to the other instruction/practice he's had with me during "school".


Other ideas for the older kid learning to read? Love to hear them! Got a game you love, or a website - please share!


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Peter Piper's Picks - July 19th

How to motivate yourself to do those things you hate.

100 Unbelievably Useful Reference Websites.

A year of Crockpotting? Oh, Yes!

If you are a classical educator, don't miss this. She's gathered some great resources for you.

If you are married, here's an article to read all the way to the end.

And with the Olympics coming soon to Beijing, here's an interesting article: Is Beijing like New York City a century ago?

Latin for mommies

**Long breath out**

I've just finished my homework for my first class of Latin (and emailed it off to my instructor for grading - yikes). This is sort of a "crash course" for homeschool moms (most of whom are getting ready to teach latin). Some of the ladies in our class have studied Latin before (lucky devils) the rest of us are first-timers.

While I knew it would be hard work, I am pleasantly surprised to find it is actually...dare I say it... FUN! Here are some of my favorite sentences from this week:

Agri belli agricolam satiant.
Agricola magnus pecuniam multam habet.
Viri Romani sapientiam habent.

Anyone want to take a shot at those? :)

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Slip and Die

Here's my favorite - I think because it is obviously a "family affair". "Dad" is a hoot! This one is family friendly. :)

Ron's Slip and Slide Extravaganza (FULL VERSION)

This is why I will NEVER leave my boys home alone. I know they could and would do this in a heart beat. And I'm a bad mom - I laugh every time I watch this. This is why I love boys.

There is one bad word in the middle (at about 3 minutes when one guys has a slight accident), so turn down your speakers if that will bug you (or your kids are watching). But, you'll miss the music and the funny banter.