Chicken Salad

Tasty Chicken Salad

4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded or cubed
3 green onions sliced thinly
handful of pecans, chopped
craisins to taste (if desired)
2 or 3 celery stalks, chopped
3 Tbsp mayonnaise
3 Tbsp plain yogurt
Season with 1/4-1/2 tsp curry powder, salt and pepper.

You could just do the mayo and curry if you're not into the extras!

Taco Soup

This is a pretty standard taco soup recipe, but I'm posting it for those following some of my other posts.

1lb ground beef
1 onion, chopped
(brown those two in a skillet)
Add a packet of taco seasoning or make your own
(at this point you can put this and the following ingredients into a crock pot, or you can cook stove top)
Add:
1 can pinto beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can hominy
1 can Ro-Tel (diced tomatoes with chiles)
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 package of Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing
1 cup water

Let this simmer on the stove or in a crockpot for a while.  It will taste great for a few days.  Serve with many garnishes such as cheddar cheese, sour cream, chips, hot sauce, cilantro, or cornbread.

A few meal amendments in March

I didn't make a monthly meal plan in March on purpose.  I had a lot of overflow from January and February that I hadn't gotten around to making, so I was loosely using those meals as guides. 

In the meantime, I've come across a really neat website which has given me so many new ideas!!  All this access to information is great and tiresome at the same time.  I want to try new things, I try to fit them into my busy days, I compare them to other things I used to make and do.... sometimes "simpler" might be better!  So here are a few new things I've tried that have also improved the supply and quality of food in my home.

* boil a couple of dozen eggs on a Sunday and keep in the fridge for snacks or breakfasts

* bake 8-10 chicken breasts plainly seasoned.  shred 3-5 of them and make a chicken salad.  slice the rest or cube and freeze or keep in fridge for casseroles, fajitas, or soups.

* make a pot of chili with 2lbs of beef. freeze half and keep the rest for lunches or dinners. this also works for taco soup for a variety.

* wash a few head of the romaine hearts, dry, and keep in ziploc to make salad prep easier.  you could also slice up some veggies, just not too many in advance.

These few ideas helped me a lot in the last two weeks, and that along with some meal planning have kept things moving along smoothly.  I might try to simplify the actual cooking for the month of May, so I will hopefully make a thoughtful post on that later on. 

This is the great website from where I've gotten ideas, recipes, and inspiration!  I follow her on facebook and love to see what she packs for her kids' lunches!  I even bought some lunch boxes like the ones she uses because they're just too cool.  This recipe for granola bars lasts very little here.  Over half of it will disappear within 24 hours, masha'Allah, and the rest soon follows.  I've made it 3 times just this month.

I hope I can pass along just some of this excitement in making food planning easier on those of us who are in the thick of it.  My growing children need the benefit of wholesome foods, and of a good balance of protein vs. carbs.  It takes planning and dedication, but I do believe it is very worth it!

Seasons

Here we are again with the changing of seasons.  It gets me every time.  As if I weren't expecting it.  As if it were a party I forgot I was going to, but somehow I arrived there and found myself not ready.  Not ready, but I'm still glad I'm there, and not to worry, I can just be ready in a minute.

A new season comes and I wonder how I can let go of the way I've been living day in and day out for a whole new way.  Will I get used to the longer days?  Won't I miss the cozy, dark days I've grown accustomed to?  After all, I had to get used to that a few months ago and feel quite happy about it right now.  How can we shift our activities and routines suddenly?? I'm not ready!  This means digging out different clothes, shoes, and accessories of all sorts.  It means putting away the snow clothes, snow boots, gloves, and hats for wind breakers, gardening gloves, bike helmets, and flip flops.  It means eating dinner when it is still light outside... heck, it means doing EVERYTHING when it is still light outside because by June, it will still be light at 9:30 at night!

After some reflecting, I was able to tie in to this cycle a different cycle.  It's the cycle of prayer times in one day.  Similar to the seasons, the times of prayer change with the amount of sunlight hitting the earth.  So, in the shorter days of the year the prayer times are very close together.  In the longer days of the year, the prayer times are very spread out.  Just as I feel I'm not ready for spring, I feel like I'm not ready for the widely-spaced prayer times.  I wonder how I can let go of the way I've been living day in and day out for a whole new way. Will I get used to the longer days? Won't I miss the cozy, dark days I've grown accustomed to? After all, I had to get used to that a few months ago and feel quite happy about it right now. How can we shift our prayer times so drastically??

But we do.  The seasons change and the days change.  And our routines and activities change.  And this is a good thing.  It makes us pay attention.  Old routines need to catch up and adjust.  Hopefully it's a chance to refresh, to ditch a bad habit, to start a good habit, or to just enjoy the variety that God has given us in bounty. 

I think this kind of change is testimony to the fact that while humans are in need of change, we are also in need of rhythm.  The seasons, mercifully, are only four, and they do cycle back.  We can anticipate what is to come (rhythm), and we can benefit from its going (change).

Now let's hope I can wake up on time tomorrow since we moved the clocks forward!

My Uses with Coconut Oil

It's no secret that coconut is a great oil and fat to have in your diet.  A simple google search will yield enough articles and blog posts to support and affirm the goodness.  I had fun this afternoon going through this lady's blog reading how she makes lotion bars and deodorant bars.  (I personally just apply the coconut oil directly on my skin for deodorant and am not sure why I'd need the baking soda and arrowroot powder).

I've been trying to have a teaspoon or two daily, and I'm mostly only able to get it into my coffee.  And one batch of popcorn. 

I've bought mine from amazon.com and it is this kind.  That is a good  price and better than what I found locally.  I keep one in my bathroom and one in the kitchen.  I've also scooped some out into a little container to keep next to a bathtub. 

So here's my short list of how I've been using it and how I hope to use it in the near future:

1.  as a deodorant straight out of the tub
2.  as a facial moisturizer
3.  on my hands, arms, and legs as a moisturizer
4.  a tiny bit on my palms and then smooth down frizzy hair
5.  one teaspoon in cup of coffee
6.  use to pop popcorn
7.  spread on toast
8.  stir fry vegetables
9.  fried an egg in it (not so good)
10. one teaspoon in a cup of tea
11. oil pulling see here for tips and sources

How are you using it?

Free Grammar Texts: all grades

If you're looking for a school book style of grammar, here are some links to two well known textbooks.   Pick your level and print... voila.  Free.

Scott Foresman Reading and

McGraw-Hill

Easy Peasy Free Homeschool Resource

I like to pass along useful freebies when I can...

http://allinonehomeschool.wordpress.com/

You can use this resource in so many ways, even if you do not homeschool.  There are reading lists and words of guidance and encouragement. 

Have a look! 

Carrot Soup (or Sweet Potato)

Here's the recipe to a delicious, invigorating, nourishing soup.  I thank my mom for the recipe.

Carrot Soup (or Sweet Potato Soup)
1/2 of a large onion, chopped
1" fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 tsp curry powder
1/4 cup rice
2T oil
3-4 sweet potatoes or 2lbs carrots, peeled and cubed
10 cups water or chicken broth

Saute onion and ginger till translucent. Add rice and curry; stir one minute. Add carrots (or potatoes) and broth. Simmer for about half an hour and then puree till smooth.

I wish I had a picture. 

A huge boost to morale

As many of my readers know, I am a 'regular' on the Well Trained Mind forums.  It is there I've learned about new curriculum, new tricks, how to better manage my time, energy, and meals, and how to be a better homeschooler.  It's the book of the same name that gave me the confidence I needed to commit to homeschooling, and the forums have provided tremendous support.  The other day I opened up a topic that quickly caught my attention and brought tears to my eyes.  It was just exactly what I needed to hear at that moment in time subhanAllah.  I asked the poster if I could quote her, so here are her words... and she prefaced this all by talking about how 'not-perfect' she is, the normalness of her daily life.  She goes by Valerie.  Here is what she said:

"So now that we've established the "don't think I'm a supermom" context, here's my point: the "grunt work," the mind-numbing repetition of the essential skills, the patient and kind persistence in correcting until a skill is mastered, the effort put forth to ensure that their mental banks are well-stocked with needed facts, dates, and contextual data--all that effort is worth it for the eventual pay-off.

Please, oh please, do whatever you need to do to get through that part and move on with your day.
If you need to, set a timer and agree to book (i.e., run, sprint) through that skill-building work, and then when the timer is done, you're done: JUST DO IT. It will be enough if you do it consistently and with enough of a good attitude to enable learning. Take small steps day after day after day, month by month, year by year, and you'll get the job done.

Make time, too, for joy in your day: 30 minutes of a read aloud, 15 minutes of a tickle fight, making a habit of drawing a quick "I love you" on a small palm, a popsicle together, falling asleep with the toddler's sweaty head in the crook of your arm--find your joy with your children each day. Do that for yourself and for them. You'll be teaching them the essence of love: we're in this together, the good and the bad, the hard and the fun, the work and the play.

When you get to have big kids, even teens, you will reap the reward. Yes, some will have to "go their own way", whether it is related to academics or not, and they'll cause us to develop callouses on our knees.
 
But if you are still homeschooling, you may get the reward of studying George Herbert poetry together and watching your strapping 17 year-old man-cub get a bit misty at the mystery of Christ's righteousness enfolding us. The reward might be watching the lightbulb moment when that same teen studies Clarence Carson on economics and exclaims, "Mom, have guys really been talking about the free market since the 1600s?" He's beginning to understand in a visceral way--not just head knowledge--what it means to join The Great Conversation. And, if you have an early bloomer, you might have three or four years of that kind of mind-to-mind engagement, watching a beautiful, inquisitive young mind unfold and mature into something unique and delightful. Just as young parents can't bear the thought of having someone else be there for their baby's precious firsts, I can't imagine missing out on the joy of this journey with my teens. I'm privileged beyond measure.

Dear moms engaged in the trenches with little ones: I wish you peace and strength for today. I know you will need it. But I'm going to go all Stephen Covey on you: please reserve one ounce of strength for yourself to remember your dreams for your journey with each child. Or do it in your dreams after you've collapsed into bed. : )"

February Meal Plan

 

It worked so great in January that I cannot go without it in February.  I did mostly follow the order on the list.  On the weekend I'd look ahead at the next 5-7 meals on the list and make a grocery list to match.  If there was anything I wanted to skip or replace I could easily do it.  A few dishes didn't get made in January, so I put them in February.  A couple of others were such hits that I'll be making them again.  I noted certain days of the week because those are days I'm out of the house and need dinner to be ready when I get back.  I picked foods that are either crock pot or easy to make ahead and reaheat.
Side note: I always make sides, so just because they're not listed doesn't mean we don't eat greens. 

February Meal Plan

1.      Hamburgers  Friday

2.      Koshari

3.      Grilled Salmon, veggies, rice

4.      Shepherd’s Pie

5.      Broccoli Soup w/ Cornbread   Tue

6.      Broiled Chicken, Veggies

7.      Crockpot: BBQ Zesty Chicken  Thurs

8.      Lentil Curry  Friday

9.      Kafta Waraq

10.   Roast Leg of Lamb  Sunday

11.   Whole roasted chicken in crockpot, salad, rice

12.   Molokhieh (when Abed is travelling)  Tuesday

13.   Mujaddara

14.   Chicken Paprika  Thursday

15.   Kafta Balls with veggies  Friday

16.   Chicken Nuggets in skillet  Saturday

17.   Malfoof  Sunday

18.   Musaka

19.   Fasulia, Rice  Tuesday

20.   Chicken Burgers

21.   Broccoli Rice Casserole  Thursday

22.   Baked potatoes  Friday

23.   Roast chicken pieces, potatoes, carrots, any other veggie  Saturday

24.   Spaghetti and Sauce, Salad

25.   Roasted veggies over pasta

26.   Italian chicken with rice (crockpot)

27.   Sloppy Joes

28.   Curried chickpeas, rice

this is a picture of my rice cooker with an attempt at making makloobeh in it.  i cooked the meat separately, oven-fried the eggplant separately, then combined everything in the rice cooker to cook.  it turned out great!  (makloobeh wasn't even on my january meal plan)