Megan liked watching Katie's class. I did too. :)
We brought books and drawing paper, a magna doodle and magnet dress-up dolls to help pass the time.
Elsie likes to "watch the slideshow", which is really just looking through the pictures on my ipod.
Emma's beginning band and Joyful Sound choir class came last. Emma is learning the flute. I'm really glad we picked up a dvd for her. There is not a lot of time for individual instruction in band class.
I LOVE the fall! Especially the very beginning when it's still sunny but with a new crispness in the air. Another bonus is that after a long, although not very hot, summer it is finally soup weather again. Everyone in our family loves soup! All kinds. One of my favorites is Potato soup, so I was eager to try this new recipe I found on Steph's Kitchen.
.
4 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 small carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely diced
1-1/2 cups chicken broth
1 tsp. salt
2-1/2 cups milk
3 tbsp. butter, melted
3 tbsp. flour
1 tbsp. parsley
1 tsp. pepper
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
.
1. In a large saucepan, bring potatoes, carrot, celery, onion, chicken broth and salt to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until potatoes are just tender. Do not drain; mash slightly. Stir in milk.
2. In a small bowl, blend butter, flour, parsley and pepper; stir into potato mixture. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.
3. Remove from heat; add cheese and stir until cheese is almost melted. Let soup stand for 5 minutes. Yield: 6 servings.
Please don't be put off by the Swiss cheese. We did a taste test with a small bowl using cheddar and then swiss and actually preferred the swiss though we normally don't like that variety. We didn't have parsley so I just left it out and it was still yummy. I doubled the recipe the first time I made it because you can never have too much good soup. The next time I tripled it and that is just about right, leaving us enough for left overs. :)
Happy Fall!
.
Meanwhile, I have been spending my free time lesson planning, making new chore charts, and tweaking our MOTH schedule. Seth has one more week of swing shift and then he will be back working days and the girls will be back to school and the new and improved schedule. :)
I am so blessed by the homeschooling moms I know. They are a precious source of inspiration and advice. My friend Rachael told me about this christian US history curriculum for younger children called The Light and the Glory. I was able to find it on Amazon. It is just what I have been looking for. I am excited to start reading it with the girls!
The girls are most excited to continue The Travels with Aunt Laura series. We will be starting book two- Pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
Tina, another homeschooling friend, shared this lesson planning tip- she uses a daily planner for each of her children and writes in their assignments and chores for each day for the upcoming week. This way her children can check them off one by one and know when they are done for the day. My girls like the idea of having their own planners and checking things off. When their whole day is complete I am planning to let them put a stamp in their book (the girls like any excuse to use stamps). I am almost done with Emma's first week. She is in 4th grade this year and has a lot more on her schedule.
Today I made Three Cheese Chicken Enchiladas. They were a big hit. The recipe can be found here.
A couple of the new recipes did not get rave reviews. That is always a sad thing- all your hard work in the kitchen and then silence around the dinner table as your lovely family politely chokes it down. :( Oh well, at least I warned them that I was experimenting with some new recipes. I didn't think the Oriental Salad was so bad. I may make it again for myself sometime. I am the only one in my family who likes potato salad and coleslaw too. Have you tried any new recipes lately?
