Homeschooling in Spanish

I've had several people ask me how Paco speaks Spanish so well. I'd like to outline what I do, as an English speaker with a 2nd grade Spanish ability.

I started this when Paco was a baby:

~ If the movie can be played in Spanish, it is. He doesn't get the liberty to listen to it in English if Spanish is an option.

~ Buy or check-out books that are in Spanish or bilingual. I don't buy books in English - everyone else takes care of that. If I get the boys a book, it's in Spanish or at least bilingual. Shop ebay for deals and a great selection on Spanish kid books.

~ Have Spanish music playing the car. Better yet, learn Spanish in the car while your kids are there. When they see you learning, they are more encouraged to learn it, too!

~ Learn all the words you can and say them for that object each time! For example:
water is ALWAYS agua
hair = pelo
milk = leche
bed = cama, etc.

~ Speak whatever Spanish you know and say it often. The more they hear the words, the more comfortable they will be speaking them! Don't worry about your accent, they will learn!!!

~ Have them around native Spanish speakers as often as you can - whether it's T.V., movies, Spanish radio, music, or books being read online in Spanish, let them hear it said correctly.

~ Find a mommy(daddy) and me Spanish class in your area.

~ Enroll in Spanish Immersion Preschool~

~ When you go to a Mexican restaraunt or store, ask the staff to speak in Spanish to your child. I do this at any business or bank. I ask the person, in Spanish, if they speak Spanish and then tell Paco to "Saludale in Espanol." Greet them in Spanish. It works!

These are just a few ways that you, as an English speaker, can teach your child another language. Whether it's Spanish, French, German.... the world wide web has made learning another language as simple as clicking our mouse.

It's not easy raising a bilingual child. English permeates every faucet of our existance. A huge effort has to be made to do this. The earlier you start the better! Check out Discovering Languages for more information.

Good Luck!

Organic Maple Syrup

I'm so excited to finally make the maple syrup my friend Heather recommended from here! I'm even more excited that I have everything I need to make this 100% organically! Hip Hip Hooray!

I store the surplus in the fridge in a plastic squeeze bottle I got for fifty cents. The flavor is uncomparable to that of bought. It's easy to make and fast!

If you've never tried homemade maple syrup, do me a favor and have pancakes for supper and make yourself a batch of syrup. You won't be disappointed and neither will your family! (YES, we have breakfast for supper.)

Food Waste Reduction Report #2 and MORE!

Another good week. I made a soup out of leftover rice and lentil beans that honestly was NOT my favorite. But, we ate it for supper TWO nights in a row. Before taking this challenge, we would have had it one night and I would have decided to let it mold in the refer before eating it again. It wasn't bad it just wasn't good! But we ate it. All of us. And we were respectful eating it without complaining (too much). So, no waste those two days. None at all!

I did toss to the worms & compost pile the last bites of a burrito from toddler. I just couldn't eat it after he had mashed it all up and slobbered on it. ;)

The refrigerator is still cleaned out as I am making a point of actually eating what is in there first! YEAH!

Good week for reducing waste. I'm not weighing the waste. I'm just conscious of reducing it! Onion peels don't count in my mind but I do compost them. I'm counting actual food that should have been eaten my me/my family and wasn't. If I'm peeling potatoes for mashed potatoes, we weren't going to eat those peelings so that's not waste. If we have baked potatoes and should eat the peel and don't then that's waste. This is how I'm rolling with this challenge.

I started my Amish Friendship Start for bread yesterday. Today it is sitting on my stove, where it will rise all day before I cook six loaves this evening in time for supper! YUMMY!

I'm going to make this soup for supper tonight and can't wait to see how it turns out.

I made a huge batch of ham and beans for church Sunday night and brought home my 8 qt pot. So, we will either eat those this week (had them for supper last night) or if our church dinner needs them for soup supper tomorrow night, I'll take them there. Yes, these freeze well but my family is not against eating leftovers. It's what we do around here. So, in other news,

We're on Day 5 of the Love Dare! It's amazing! If you haven't seen Fireproof, it's a Redbox for a buck now!! No excuses! If you don't have the $1 to rent it, I'll pay!!!! That's how bad I want you to see it. So, find your local Redbox and if you can't afford it, contact me and I'll rent it for you. If your marriage is great - see it. If your marriage is okay - see it. If your marriage is on the rocks - see it. If you are separated - SEE IT TODAY!!!!

Saw the movie Twilight yesterday and wondering if anyone really wants to hear my review of it. Do you? My short review is.... I was terribly disappointed in the evil undertones through out the movie with nothing of God, Truth or Hope. It reminded me of addictions and desires of the flesh (literally). Should I do my whole review? Would anyone like to hear it?

Love and Logic Class starts this Thursday! Am excited to get some new parenting tools under our belts.

Stay tuned! More coming on Green living, Meal Planning and Life!

Kirk Cameron Will Only Kiss His Wife!!!

"Christian actor Kirk Cameron forced movie bosses to cast his wife Chelsea as a smooching stand-in for his new film Fireproof, because he refused to kiss his onscreen wife.

In the movie, Cameron plays a firefighter battling to save his marriage
to his wife, played by Erin Bethea. However the 37 year old had made a vow to Chelsea - his wife of 17 years and the mother of his six children - that he would never kiss another woman on or off-screen, so she was brought onto the set for a romantic scene.

Cameron, a partner in evangelical Christian ministry, The Way of the Master, explains, "In Fireproof, there is a romantic and touching scene where he (character) kisses his wife. Because I have a commitment not to kiss any other woman, my wife Chelsea came in to the set and wore the dress my character's wife wore. We shot the scene in silhouette, so when I kiss my wife, I'm actually kissing my wife and honoring our marriage." "It's a personal commitment I have made to my wife."
(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)"

I did a search and you wouldn't believe the kind of flack that Cameron has received over his committment to his wife! Can these people possibly think that if more of hollywood actors made this big of deal over their marriages that perhaps they'd still be married today? I mean, married to the same person they were 10 years ago?

Lust, sex and intimacy are a huge part of movies and personally, it doesn't bother me if they're kissing their own spouse during the movie - in fact, I think it's better!

Just my two cents - I just read so many sites of people bashing him for taking this stand. It really made me sick. It was crazy. Mean. It was sinful. The name calling and swearing they were doing to show how he ended Growing Pains with his "fanatic beliefs." You know what?

He's still married - to his FIRST wife!!! We need more actors like him. We need more people like him to show our children and US that it's not hollywood who makes the rules - we do.

Fireproof

It's been a week since DH and I saw Fireproof with my parents. I can't stop thinking about it. The ideas, the thoughts, the work. The miracles.

I bought the Love Dare book for DH and I to do together but then we decided it wasn't for couples but since have changed our minds.

Can I just say if you haven't seen this movie that you MUST!

Here is an interview with Kirk Cameron that is worth reading. He's the main actor in it and you'll remember him from Growing Pains...if you're old enough, that is!

If you want to see some clips from the movie, go here. I still can't figure out how to make a video show here from youtube - sorry. :(

Have you seen the movie? What did you think? Are any of you going to do the 40 day Love Dare? We are. Be sure to Fireproof Your Marriage!

Update - here's another couple doing the Love Dare. I'd love to add a link if you are, let me know!

Sunday Supersize It! Foodwaste Confessional

I signed up for the Food Reduction Challenge and I'm pleased to report a GREAT first week!!!

Monday we had leftovers from Potluck and Superbowl. No waste.

Tuesday - we ate supper at my parent's house after my day from the bad place. She made the best comfort food Biscuits and Hamburger Gravy!!! We ate all the biscuits and eggs and drank all the O.J. and what little gravy was left, she sent home with us and we ate it for lunch on bread the next day - delicious! No waste.

Wednesday - Soup made with Potlcuk and Superbowl leftovers. No waste! Superbowl and Potluck food almost gone!

Thursday - Pulled Pork (from Superbowl) enchiladas, Spanish rice and lentil/blackbean beans. Put leftover enchiladas, rice and beans to be used for future lunches. No waste! (Pulled pork is gone, now. That was the last of the Potluck and Superbowl food!!!)

Friday - lunch was leftover enchiladas, rice and beans.

I think I finally embarassed my husband last week. We went out to dinner before a basketball game. There was a special that we could get to feed all 4 of us, deluxe fajitas. So, DH and my parents and I ordered that to share. Oh my! TONS of food on the hot plate! We ate til we were full and all the meat was gone. There were still many grilled delicious veggies on the plate.... so I asked for a "doggy bag." Not for Zorro, but for us! I put all the leftover rice, beans, salsa and veggies in the container and I really think DH was caught a little off guard. They couldn't fathom what I would do with that food..... next night - SOUP! I mixed up some vegetable broth and pureed the veggies. Then I added in the rice and viola! supper for pennies!!!! He knew what it was, liked it and so did everyone else!!! Score! And NO WASTE!!!

Friday supper - spicy shrimp and pasta for date night. Ate all the shrimp had pasta left over. Saved it for...

Saturday Breakfast - DH's delicious pancakes - leftover pancakes saved.

Saturday Lunch - PB&J pancake roll-ups! Creative and delicious!!! NO WASTE!

Supper - Made some extra pasta to make a complete meal, added last night's noodles to the batch, topped with Alfredo Sauce - YUMMY! No waste!!!

I am loving this challenge! We're are so much aware now and I've really made an extra effort not to throw food out! The children are more aware, too! YEAH!

I don't have a picture but one day Javi didn't eat all his oatmeal and there's a few spoonfulls that went to the worms. The other morning though, when the two little boys didn't eat all that I had given them, I saved it the fridge and they'll eat it in morning for breakfast. ;)

Great first week!!!! Thanks!

Comfort Food

Tuesday was not a good day. My mother took pity upon us and made me, okay us, a comfort food meal. I choose Biscuits and Hamburger Gravy! She hasn't cooked like this on a regular basis since her kids were at home and the boys were there to "put away food." My dad does NOT to eat this kind of food as he is uh.... "on a diet." Okay, he's not on a diet but perhaps he should "watch what he eats." (LOVE YA, DAD!!! We just wantcha around for a LONG LONG LONG time!!!!!)

Anyway, my Mom came through and ended my day delightfully:

Fluffy, from scratch, biscuits for us to devour!!!

And my favorite, HAMBURGER gravy. I have always preferred hamburger gravy over sausage - always!!!

And the bowl that the gravy is in is called: "The Gravy Bowl." You may think that fairly un-original but that's just what it is. This gravy bowl was used by my Grandma (Mom's mom) for GRAVY. And it's used by my Mom for GRAVY and I know that someday, years and years from now, I will have it in my kitchen to serve GRAVY in. (Unless one of my brother's get it, I guess...) Anyways, it doesn't matter how much gravy you need to serve, you serve it in this bowl and then just refil the bowl. That's the way it's always been and there is no need to change it generations later.

Thanks, Mom. Let's do this again soon, okay? I love you!

Food Substitutions

I use many substitutions when cooking or baking. I do this for a few different reasons:

1. It's healthier
2. It's more economical
3. I don't have the ingredient on hand so I substitute something else.

One of my more recent items that I will not buy ever again is corn syrup. It's chemically grown and made. It's really bad on the food scale of the ways it's grown and what's actually in it. (Major GMO!) So, what I use instead is Sorghum! Molasses can be used, as well, but I buy black strap and it's too strong for baking recipes that call for corn syrup. Sorghum is lighter flavored and you will find it is much better on the scale of how it's grown and processed.

A new favorite find for me is Blue Agave! I use it in place of sugar and most definitley corn syrup. Especially when it's a sweet thing, like making granola - it is SO yummy!!! I get it from Azure Standard and love that it is organic, GMO-free AND fair trade!

There are many websites with substitutions. I like this one as it lists amounts of ingredients to make a mix, like baking mix. It is a nice site to save to use istead of buying a bunch of different items, you buy the staples and then make your own! Talk about economical!!! And there's no rule that says you can't make some up and store it in a container to have on hand if you use it more often than other items!!!

I'm always keeping my eyes peeled for gluten free stuff and the site I listed has an easy tomato soup one. This would be great for a recipe that you would add a CAN of tomato soup to but can't because it is not gluten free.

I also like that this site has substitutions for alcohol; which we don't have in our home, for obvious reasons. This helps me when cooking and I need to know what I can use in place of..... wine for example!

Here's a good article on GMO, if you want to read more.

Anyway, I know that my food budget has gone WAY down since I don't buy every little mixture but make my own. I try and use the substitutions that I have that are Non-GMO and then use organic or all-natural as much as possible.

Don't forget that February's challenge is Food Waste Reduction! See the button on my sidebar.

What substitutes do use? Applesauce for oil - YES! Plain yogurt for sour cream - YES!

Quick Oatmeal

My friend, over at Simple Makes, has a great instant oatmeal recipe, using regular oats! I can't wait to try it! Since I bought 25 pounds of organic oats, I will help the kiddos out by making some nice flavors up.

Thanks, Lori Ann!

My Pantries are NOT Convenient

I feel the need to tell you that my pantries are NOT in a convenient location. They are downstairs, away from the kitchen. I go down two landings of stairs and through doorways before hauling whatever I need from the pantry UP to my kitchen.


Please don't get me wrong - I LOVE my pantries and I am NOT lazy. They are however, not close to my kitchen. And when I need one thing, it's a bit of a pain to run down, run up and repeat the cycle since I'm not as organized as you might think when it comes to WHAT I am going to cook.


One thing that saves me some trips is my lazy susan. Now, talk about lazy! All she does is spin in circles!!! Okay, there are more days than I'd like to admit that I am spinning in circles. But I'm sure none of YOU do.


Okay back to susan. I have a couple gallon size glass jars stored there for convenience. I keep a jar of oatmeal, sugar and white and wheat flours. Plus, things like oil, vanilla, maple flavoring and spices. She, susan, may be lazy but she sure makes my life easier!


I also keep a cupboard of spices that I use fairly often, like my taco seasoning that I make and save money by not buying it already made. Would anyone like that recipe? Anyone? It's so easy and I betcha you have what you need to make it in your house.


Yes, my pantry is large. But I haven't always had a huge space. I've only lived here nearly 2 years. Before that, I had a normal sized pantry. What I did then, was make use of our garage by having my DH make shelves! I stored things that wouldn't freeze there and used the space they vacated in the house for food.


I bought 25 lbs of oatmeal. I haven't bought cereal from the store since... well a few months ago. I cut down the options and the kids eat oatmeal. Or toast.


I don't care of oatmeal as a cereal. GASP! But I eat it. Enough so I can make it to lunch, anyway. So, I figure it I can eat it - anyone can. I used to gag on it. Then I had to eat it while nursing/pumping/working and now I can eat a small portion and be okay. I could toast every morning, though. And I did growing up. That and a glass of chocolate milk, made by my sweet mommy. Thanks, Mom! We'll talk about feeding me the same thing for lunch everyday another time. I was a "brown bagger."

My point is, you don't have to have a "pantry" to store food. Use any space you can to store the surplus! Under beds, closets and garages all work to store the excess and then bring in what you can store to your kitchen pantry space, cupboard, etc.

What other ideas do you have?

No Way!

When you buy a new computer, a good HP computer, and you spend the money to upgrade to the new Quick Books program, you should be able to reconcile your checkbook. Seriously!!!

But no. DH has been on the phone with Quick Books working on some, "merging issues we're having with Vista...." for TWO HOURS! This is insane. I need to reconcile the account(s) so they can get sent off to the accountant because corporate taxes are due March 15 - not April 15!!! And all I can see is...

RED!

I doubt we need to ask DH what he sees. I just know that after the amount of money we have spent on our system and upgrades, this should not be happening. Not now. Not ever.

And my brain is fried. And what should have been done at noon is has not even begun. And I'm running on borrowed time. And I don't like this - not one bit.

So, if you know Quick Books, inside and out, just stop by and catch me up a bit, okay?

And don't forget to PRAY!! I've been doing lots of that today. :)