Games (and my front door)

Winter is the time for games. When the days are longer we are in the yard, at the park or in the pool. But dark days call for games.

Double Shutter is a dice/math game of sorts that can be addictive in the way solitaire calls you for one more game.  It was recommended by bloggy friends Mom and Kiddo in the post: Math Games We Love.  See also: Repurposing Older Kid Games for Toddlers and Preschoolers. Caroline loves to play this game, too.

Monopoly Deal is a card game similar to the board game but takes a fraction of the time.  We play about 10-20 times a day.  No lie.  Usually Sister is pacified by giving her a handful of cards.  She pretends to play.

And when we need to get some homeschooling done, I can pull out Connect Four for her fine motor skills.  Everybody wins!

Handmade front door decorations.  I love them.

How to make the cutest, cheapest, ghetto front door decorations:
1. cut out cardboard heart.
2. cover with newspaper. Affix with hot glue.
3. search your ribbon stash. Staple ribbon on heart. (Red boa was from Christmas clearance)
4. Need more color?  Give children markers.

Eagle Cruise

One of the many things I love about homeschooling is going on field trips. For three weeks we were scheduled to go on an "Eagle Cruise" but because of strong winds or rain we were postponed. The weather finally agreed.

A few weeks ago we studied about eagles and even watched a video about one that dropped a fawn on a power line.

Disclaimer: I wouldn't exactly call this a cruise and unfortunately we didn't see any eagles even though the previous two cruises spotted our national bird.  Arkansas is home to many migratory birds in the winter.  Since this has been a mild winter, not as many birds have been on Lake Maumelle this year as in years past.

On the first stop, the cruise director pointed out bufflehead ducks and passed around a few pieces of wood that had been gnawed by beavers.

bufflehead duck from Wikipedia 

On a later stop he pointed to loons that were diving for dinner.  They put on quite a show.

a Pacific Loon from wikipedia

The temps were in the 70s yesterday - my son wore shorts - but the wind chill on the lake was frigid!!  He came and sat by me for a few seconds (precious seconds of snuggling!)

Note to local homeschoolers: you can schedule your own private cruise for much cheaper than the advertised price (we paid $1 each).  Please note the website says to dress in layers for extreme cold and windy lake weather.  Just sayin'.

Simple Activity

Someone on the intronets gave me the idea. We copied and loved.

Mr. Intensity's Bull Whip

He has mellowed over the years. Occasionally I see glimpses of the boy that used to be constantly intense.  In the yard he was practicing cracking his homemade whip.

Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day

This is the bread that broke my stone.  It was delicious.  100% whole wheat with honey.

After posting that I was investigating Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, a few friends warned me that the high temperatures would crack my stone.

And it did.  Last night.

Tonight's dinner was supposed to be pizza.  I made the dough for the crust earlier in the week.  Being the stubborn engineer that I am, I decided to give the ol' cast iron skillet a whirl.  Other people have used them with great success.

The cast iron I used was a tortilla skillet (it has low edges) but you could most certainly use a regular walled skillet, just flip it over.  I also used a pizza peel and it was very effective.  If you don't have a pizza peel, you can use a cookie tray.  Use one without edges so that the pizza will slide off (and lots of cornmeal underneath).  I put the skillet on a cookie tray so it would catch the cornmeal crumbs.  After cooking 6 personal pizzas there was a lot of cornmeal on the cookie sheet; I'm glad I used it.

Because I heated the oven to 550* when the cornmeal got off the skillet it would burn, smoke and stink.  This is a small price to pay for delicious pizza.  I told my husband that this was the first time that I could honestly say my pizza was better than Papa John's.  He agreed and said, "Even if you had to make it?"

Yes - even if I had to make it. 

Because he would clean up the mess.  :)

I luv my hub.

Sewing a Dress

My best bud talked me into taking a sewing class. I hired a babysitter (wish you lived closer, Mom!) and the four hours in class zipped by!  Basically, we bought a shirt and cut it then added the skirt and apron.  I still need to hem it, and I'm thinking I will embellish the apron with gros grain ribbon.  It was really fun - I love having a little GIRL!!!

Last night I went to the mall to buy a shirt for the class and found these super adorable shoes for $6!  Caroline loves them.

HB is an amazing seamstress.  She made TWO dresses for her twins in the time I made one.

I learned some new techniques and grew more confident in my fledgeling sewing skills.  I will be making more of these dresses.

Monday Needs a Menu

I'll be eating out of the freezer a lot this next month - which brings me to the question: does anyone care that I post my menu plan?  I'm thinking of discontinuing posting it.

Monday
fish
fried potatoes (requested by my #1 son)
collard greens

Tuesday
Mexican chicken from freezer
rice

Wednesday
leftovers
enchiladas or red beans and rice

Thursday
frozen soup
Artisan Bread in 5 minutes

Friday
pizza

Outside!!

Sister has been incredibly clingy (read: cranky) the last week.  Thankfully the last two days the weather has been incredible.  Like 70* and sunny, incredible weather for January.  Just another reason to love the south. 

Being outside is what the doctor ordered.  It makes us all happy - especially when I have dinner thawing, or in the crock pot.  (Usually I don't want to go outside because I'm trying to do something in the kitchen.)

So, if you have cranky babies, children (or a bit cranky yourself) go outside.  Just GET OUT.  Take a walk.  Sit in the grass, climb a tree, pick up trash, visit a neighbor, make a new friend, pet a dog, look for leaves, insects, etc.  It will do you all good.  All y'all.

On another note (but probably of greater importance):  if you are a mother of young children, you must read this post.  Right now.  Click here.  Be encouraged.

Then go outside.

Pizza: How I Love Thee

I'm in love.  I went to a kitchen store today and bought a pizza peel.  Once home I did something I never do - I made pizza for lunch. (Yesterday I made dough from the book Artisan Pizza and Flat Bread in Five Minutes a Day watch the video.)

at one minute

three minutes

4.5 minutes

perfect!!

I made pizza in five minutes.  It took longer for the oven to heat to 550* than for the pizza to bake.  The crust is incredible.  Crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside - as if it had been made in a brick oven.

I highly recommend this method: heat a stone as hot as your oven allows then build your pizza on a peel and slide it into the oven.

Next up: whole wheat bread...from Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day. The authors have a ton of videos on YouTube - check 'em out.

Monday Needs a Menu

Yes, I realize it is Tuesday - but Hubby was home yesterday so today feels like Monday.

Sunday
(friends joined us for lunch)
Chicken pot pie - from freezer cooking day
mashed potatoes
green beans

Monday
burritos - from freezer cooking day

Tuesday
taco soup - from freezer cooking day

Wednesday
french onion soup  - from freezer cooking day
grilled cheese

Thursday
pizza - homemade crust*
sauce - from freezer cooking day

Friday
red beans and rice

*HB, my best gal pal, has been making bread via Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day.  It's delicious.  And easy.  I decided to borrow some books from the library by these authors.  I am trying the pizza dough from Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in 5 Minutes a Day as well as a (mostly) whole grain bread loaf from Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes a Day.