Grilled Peanut Butter, Banana, and Chocolate Sandwich

I told you I would try to take a picture!

This sandwich is RICH. Pair with salty items or a nice big dill pickle (neither of which i had, so here i ate it along side some summer squash and green peppers, and some figs on romaine hearts with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese). This also makes a good afternoon snack for kiddos. Make as directed below, except cut into thin sticks and pair with a nice tall glass of milk. Your children will wear delightful chocolate joker grins and milky mustaches too cute for wiping.


Grilled Peanut Butter, Banana, and Chocolate Sandwich

2 slices whole grain bread
1-2 tablespoons peanut butter (i used creamy, but chunky would be just as tasty)
1/2 of a semi ripe banana, sliced (bright yellow with no brown spots--maybe even a little green on the tips--over ripe bananas make this sandwich a bit too rich)
10-12 semi-sweet chocolate chips
itsy bitsy pat of butter

Heat a non-stick skillet on medium high. Spread peanut butter on one slice. Top with sliced banana and evenly disperse chocolate chips. Cover with other slice of bread. Smear a teeny bit of butter on the outside of both slices and grill about 3-4 minutes on each side, or until outside is a nice golden color and chocolate chips have melted.
Eat immediately.

*for anyone that i have told my dieting woes: you will kindly disregard this post and nary mention it again

Toasty Salad Sandwich

if i could devote an entire blog to just sandwiches...sigh........
well, you get the idea.

i have stated in the past that i am unequivocally in love with and adore sandwiches.

this, pictured at top, is my favorite sandwich that uses up leftover salad toppings. we usually have a "build your own salad night" at our house 2-3 times a month, and there are ALWAYS some toppings leftover.
my favorite way to use up said toppings is smushed between two exquisitely toasted bread slices. Salad toppings can vary and change the sandwich dramatically. Any salad theme would work (greek salad toppings, taco salad toppings, cobb salad, ceasar salad....)


Toasty Salad Sandwich
2 slices multi-grain or whole wheat bread (or, my fav, ezekial 4:9 bread)
sliced cheese (try munster, sharp cheddar, or pepperjack)
salad veggie toppings ; pictured above: summer squash, green pepper, roasted red pepper, apple chunks, thinly sliced pears. (also try: avocado, tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms...your options are hardly limited)
sunflower seeds (or other small toppings like dried cranberries, sliced almonds, and crispy rice noodles)
regular or low fat cream cheese (or, better yet, goat cheese)
good quality dijon mustard

with sliced cheese on one piece, toast bread until lightly browned in a toaster oven. once removed, slather a frugal amount of cream cheese (or goat cheese if you have it) on the slice of bread without the cheese. spread mustard on the melted cheese side and sprinkle with sunflower seeds (this is to give the seeds something to adhere to or they will all topple out as you take bites). place veggies on the cream cheese side and top with the mustard and cheese slice of bread.
enjoy!


i am thinking grilled chocolate, banana, and peanut butter sandwich for tomorrow. if i don't immediately gobble up the sandwich, and can bear to take a picture before consumption, i will gladly post the recipe.

Marinated Grilled Tempeh in Pita with Sprouts, Tomatoes and Vegan Chili Spread

Tempeh is a mild tasting soybean product, with a slight nutty crunch and texture. Here it works perfectly grilled and snuggled inside a warmed pita.


Marinated Grilled Tempeh in Pita with Sprouts, Tomatoes and Vegan Chili Spread

1 package tempeh (try Lightlife Organic 3 grain)
1 pita

for marinade:
1 lime
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tbs brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ginger paste
1 small clove garlic, minced
fresh ground pepper to taste
teeny splash of olive oil (you can omit for lower fat version)

sliced tomato
alfalfa sprouts

for Vegan Chili Spread:
Vegenaise (or regular organic mayonnaise)
Chili Sauce ( try Huy Fong Chili Garlic Sauce)


For marinated tempeh, zest and juice one lime and mix well with other ingredients. Slice Tempeh into thick strips and place in a shallow dish. Pour marinade over and let sit in refrigerator for 1-3 hours, turning occasionally. Heat grill (I used my indoor George Foreman grill) and cook until sear marks appear and tempeh is heated through. Keep warm.

For Vegan Chili Spread mix 2 tbs Vegenaise with 1/8 teaspoon Chili Sauce (or more if you like a lot of heat).

Warm pita bread (in the picture above I did not cut mine or open the pockets--I served it gyro style) and spread with a little bit of Vegan Chili Spread (you will have some spread left over to put on other sandwiches or smear on crackers or dip veggies in later). Top with cooked tempeh, sliced tomatoes, and sprouts (or you can add any of your favorite veggies). Makes about 3 pita-wiches.

I served mine with a fresh fruit salad and some homemade iced peppermint tea.

The What and Why

***links have been fixed. let me know if any other links don't work and i will get on it!!***

Many have asked what I am using this year for homeschooling, and I thought best to go ahead and just post all my "what and why".

Preschool (Cohen, my 3 yr old):
What: Rod and Staff ABC series and Toddler Activity Books, and a bazillion manipulatives (anticipate my ultimate Preschool post in a few days/weeks--it may even be a week long event!)

Why: Rod and Staff still ranks high on my list of fav publishers. Pros: a simple biblical approach, uncluttered and easy to follow teacher manuals, and are uber inexpensive. I have used their preschool books with my older two and loved them as did my children. Also try their Math, which is very simple to follow, and their Grammar which is, in my opinion, VERY thorough (will have to supplement with a writing curriculum). Cons: (for grades above Preschool) colorless, redundant at times, my children HATED the phonics, but were both reading by age 6, so...it worked, but your children may hate it.

Math:
What: RightStart (level E) and BJU (grade 2, 3rd edition)

Why:
RightStart--I was sold on Rightstart from the moment I researched it. Pros: different and ingenious approach to teaching math concepts, uses hands on manipulatives and games, easy and short lessons. I only wish I had known about this sooner so I could have started it early on with my daughter, who really struggles with math. Cons: some of the lessons lack a little in organization, colorless and a teeny bit bland, price (most kits cost well above $150-- BUT once you buy the manipulatives and games, using it with your younger children will only cost between $9-$20), some days there is a lot of teacher prep.
BJU (3rd editions)-- BJU is my fallback in a lot subjects if I do not find what I am looking for after many tedious hours researching. Pros: flashy, lots of color, teacher manuals are organized VERY well with color and are spiral bound --which I prefer, thorough and slightly challenging without being overwhelming, my children loved the stories and workbooks. Cons: you need all the components sold online if you plan on teaching from the workbook as scripted, quite a few lessons are not homeschool convenient (lessons use a lot of "put 12 students in one line, and 4 students in another line" examples when teaching a concept).

Reading:
What:
Ashton-- The Chronicles of Narnia and Guide, Black Ships Before Troy and Guide, The Twenty-One Balloons and Guide, Prudence and the Millers and Guide, and Beorn the Proud.
Keaton-- Rod and Staff Reading grade 2,

Why: no real rhyme or reason for my choices for Ashton, except I thought she would like them and I liked them...and she needed some lessons in Prudence and the Millers. Keaton's is going to be Rod and Staff because their Reading is straight from the bible and he needed to build some biblical knowledge. And the R&S workbooks include vocabulary and phonetic skills that he needed to work on (and I can combine his Reading and Bible conveniently this way).

Bible
What: Ashton-- Christian Studies by Memoria Press.
Why: I love the use of the Golden Children's Bible and the studies seem to be very thorough so far.

Latin
What: Prima Latina by Memoria Press
Why: Latin is huge for me. I have a 6 year plan for studying Latin and we decided to start off with Prima Latina because I had heard many good things about it. It has been easy to teach so far (I have no background in Latin AT ALL).

Spelling
What: A Reason for Spelling (level B and D)
Why: Pros--my children like the tie-in story, different activities to tie in the spelling words, teacher manual is easy to follow, once you get the groove it is easy to teach with minimal to no prep work, no complaints from the children. Cons-- lacking color, some exercises are not easily implemented in a homeschool environment.

History
What: A History Odyssey, Level 1

Why: This is our second year using this curriculum. It is a 3 year course (for us, since we study it twice a week) and uses Story of the World and The Usborne Internet-Linked Encyclopedia of World History. Pros: has done most of the organizing of lessons for you, maps and map work included, the use of Story of the World and The Usborne book (which are WONDERFUL!). Cons: some lessons are out of order with the Story of the World and may lead to some confusion, would not purchase anything else that they say are recommended (not worth the $$ spent). I would not recommend this curriculum, instead I would get the Story of the World and the Study Guide that goes with it. We are using A History Odyssey because I spent the money on it and am too stubborn to purchase anything else.

Science
What: Apologia Zoology III- Land Animals
Why: because I had to...this is what our Co-Op is using. I am not sold on it yet (at least for younger grades) but it may grow on me.

Devotions
What: Draw to Learn: The Book of Proverbs
Why: Pros-- my children love to draw, the reading is simple and short, my children whine when we DON'T DO IT. We completed Draw to Learn: The Life of Jesus last year and LOVED it. Cons: not flashy, sometimes the drawing assignments seem redundant and too simplistic.

Grammar
What: Montessori R&D: Language Arts and BJU Grammar 4 (2nd edition)

Why: I love the Montessori approach. It is hands on and uses manipulatives and cards to teach basic concepts. I really had to search high and low to find this curriculum and am still working my way through it to decide if it works for our home. Pros: uses cards, games, and manipulatives to teach the basic parts of speech and sentence structure, affordable teacher manual. Cons: website does not list materials needed to complete each lesson, materials can be VERY pricey or you have to make them yourself, lesson layouts were not organized the way that I thought they should be (but that is just nit-picky-ness). BJU was my fallback for Ashton. I couldn't find what I wanted for her, and she finished her 3rd grade Grammar early so I had to purchase something early. The Montessori Language Arts is actually compatible with 6-9 year olds, so I may end up shelving the BJU for Grammar and only use its writing assignments.

Poetry
What: A Child's Treasury of Poems and Poetry for Young People: Seasonal Poetry
Why: My children have memorized 4 poems per year for every year that I have homeschooled. I try to make them seasonal and they have 3-4 months to learn and constantly recite them. Keaton started out with simple haiku, but will this year graduate to a few more lines. I will list the poems they are learning:

Ashton--
To Autumn by John Keats
Velvet Shoes by Elinore Wylie
What is Pink by Christina Georgina Rossetti
The Wind by Christina Georgina Rossetti

Keaton--
Bed In Summer by Robert Louis Stevenson
Dust of Snow by Robert Frost
Depression Before Spring by Wallace Stevens
The Owl by unknown (old folk poem)


Well, that's it! Enjoy your school year as much as I hope we will.

in which the day met me

i spent the day to myself, at home, this very day. alone. what a glorious word to type. just saying it. ALONE. that word is something that a wife, a mother of 4, and homeschooler RARELY knows exists.
this was my time, spent doing what I like.

i sweat myself silly, toiling in the garden, getting dirt under my nails, and ingesting the ripe cabbage smells of late summer gardening.

i turned the AC as high as it would go, curled up with a blanket and book, and read for hours.

i ignored toys and laundry that were strewn about in rooms and under tables and chairs.

i didn't pull my chair up to the table to eat, deciding instead leave the chair askewed and placed one foot up on the seat of the chair, letting my knee curl up to my chin. and the other foot i let dangle above the floor in a willy-nilly erratic sort of way. there was no one to see. no one to tell me to show more propriety whilst dining.

i took a bath. a really long bath. and not because i needed one. but just because.

i changed out of my pajamas and got into a clean pair of pajamas, at 2 in the afternoon.

i did not look at school books or my calendar, or wash my dishes, or answer emails and texts.

i read some more.

i let myself get distracted watching butterflies court and twirl among the leaves of our fig tree.
i closed my eyes and tried to hear their love making. it sounded similar to the little pit-pat-pat that the rain gives just before a big ole downpour.


my family is due to return any minute. i missed them, in a way that any mother would. they are a constant part of my life, ever present. their little souls, even with the nasty bits that come with raising little children (and i hear even the grown ones), i missed. my head and body needed this rest today, though. a little windex clean for the brain does a mommy good.

ahhh, here they are. their tiny faces greeting me.....
and so, with that, i resume my former life. rested and content.

simple pleasure

Ah, Sun-flower, weary of time,
Who countest the steps of the Sun,
Seeking after that sweet golden clime
Where the traveller's journey is done:

Where the Youth pined away with desire,

And the pale Virgin shrouded in snow
Arise from the their graves, and aspire
Where my Sun-flower wishes to go.

~By WILLIAM BLAKE~

we grew mammoth sunflowers this year, hung and dried them in our faithful school room, and today, under the sun - with sweat bees tickling our skin - we plucked the seeds from their clutching heads. hot work, but oh the bounty.
our plan is to bag them and sell them for 25cents this fall, that is if i can convince the littles to not nibble them all away...

where have i BEEN?

or did anyone notice?......

yeah, so, 6 months. 6 months we had no personal internet service at home. in that time, my husband and i built and concreted and steel rodded (and any other structurally sound additive you can think of) our already awesome relationship. it was so good for us on so many levels. but that would be a different blog, for a different time (i once promised no "emotional fluff" on this blog, and i think that personal diatribes on family philosophy and dynamics count as "fluff" --- not that there is anything wrong with that, in any sort, i just wanted to only do a nifty tricks and recipe blog and not too much personal life....junk).

let's just jump right back in, shall we?

two easy homeschool projects:

1. when studying julius or augustus caesar (or anything in ancient rome) , my curriculum suggested sewing a toga with a purple trim. to save time and energy, i went out to the back yard and picked some vines and made "laurel crowns". two minutes and some clear packing tape later:



*lesson learned long ago..."you don't always have to follow the project in the book, especially when kids really don't care either way, and as long as they can make or wear or play with SOMETHING!"

2. when studying the human body, try making these easy brain models. my curriculum suggested cutting a tennis ball in half and hot gluing items onto it (have you ever TRIED cutting a tennis ball....?). i had some styrofoam balls, which are much easier to cut, some quick drying gray paint, some yarn of two different colors, and some paper clips. voile! model brains.


step 1. cut styrofoam ball in half
step 2. coat top off each half with gray paint (or just one half if using for one child)
step 3. while the paint dries, cut 3, 12 inch strands of yarn to braid into one piece for each child (this will become the brain stem). i chose an off white yarn.
step 4. tie strands together at the top with a knot and braid the strands together. knot the end.
step 5. once paint is dry, pull one knotted end of the "brain stem" through one of the loops in the paper clip and shove the paperclip into the bottom of your brain along one edge, far enough to where the loop will hold the "stem" in place against the styrofoam. you might want to put it in at an angle so that the top part of the paper clip doesn't poke through the top of the ball.
step 6. cut one extreamly long piece of pale greenish yarn (about 1 yard long) for each brain.
step 7. on a paper plate, pour white school glue out in a large puddle and have the child soak the long strand of yarn from top to bottom.
step 8. have the child swirl the yarn all around the top of the ball. these will be the wrinkles on the brain. press the yarn firmly and let dry.

this project holds up really well over time, for when you need to review the different parts of the brain several weeks or months later.


posts to look forward to:
my curriculum picks for 2010-2011
yummy recipes
and a week long view of our daily homeschool routine

building a model ziggurat

history.
and somewhere...off in the distance...a child yawns.

for some people, history is a big ole snore fest subject. i feel likewise about math. no. scratch that. i have a hatred beyond earthly realms towards math. but HISTORY....i like meself some history.

we are studying the ancients right now. we just covered the fertile crecent, the sumerians, and ancient mesopatmia. our curriculum, History Odyssey, gives some craft projects to look up. among those was one for a model ziggurat. zigga-what? oh yes....ziggurat. a temple for worshiping gods. the reference model given in my curriculum used plaster, clay, waiting...and waiting...and painting. ummm......not me. not now. not EVER. i have FOUR kids, one being an infant. so we improvised. i knew my stock of empty boxes that cluttered a cobwebbed corner of our schoolroom would come in handy someday.

try these websites/books for references of study:

The Story of the World: Volume 1, Susan Bauer

Ancient Egyptians and Their Neighbors: an Activity Guide , Marion Broida

http://mesopotamia.lib.uchicago.edu/



simply stack and glue or tape down large to small boxes, cut openings in each level, tear some strips of a box top to make stairs, have the kids make little men and food offerings on leftover scraps of boxes.

this went together in 12 minutes flat and the kids played with it for the next four days. but, of course, it is made with boxes...so don't expect it to withstand kid fingers and drooley two year olds.

p.s. bonus mommy points if you stand over the ziggurat while the kids are in mid play, and using your best mock "god" voice say, "INFIDELS! YOU HAVE ANGERED THE GODS! ROOOOOOARRRrrrrrrr," and tickle them silly.

food club: december

i started a local food club among my friends in september. a host picks a food and we all gather to chat, prepare food, and share recipes. like a well yeasted loaf, our small group has grown and multiplied and we have made a hodge podge of delightful goodies.

our first meeting we made small, freezable pizzas. month two brought meatballs and meatloaves, again a freezer staple. for november we got a head start on the christmas baking season and made bounds of cookies. oh, how i wish my newborn foggy brain would have let me remember to take pictures at those meetings!

but i was of right mind at this month's food club.

we made christmas candy. everyone brought their own supplies, recipes, and merry moods. there were 9 of us and about a million kids and the chatter and noise and good cheer was just what i needed to help boost me through this unfortunately stressful holiday season.

there were peanut butter balls, pretzels, and crackers that were given oozing heapfuls of chocolate. one brave soul made peppermint patties and i've no doubt her hands still smell like mint today. i even discovered a mother's secret recipe ingredient for her fudge....velvetta! i brought my mother's candy molds and made almond joys and mounds, along with almond studded white chocolate and some peppermint bark.

these treats won't last long if kept around for busy hands to snatch and toothy smiles to gobble.


i give you some "recipes". i am not a measure cook. i hate and despise to pull out my cup and measure anything, unless in the necessary case of baking. so these are guesstimations at the recipes i used. i encourage you to step out of your measuring spoon and make the knightly leap into willy-nilly chefing. you may have some pitfalls along the way, but i assure you that you will come out richer...

store all these candies in a covered container in cool, dark spot. do not refrigerate.

almond joys and mounds bars

candy molds
milk chocolate or dark chocolate for melting (you can use chocolate flavored almond bark or milk
chocolate hershey bars)
sweetned flaked coconut
confectioners sugar
corn syrup
whole almonds

melt chocolate in a double boiler or the microwave until smooth (if using the microwave, cook for short increments and stir between each cycle--it will burn very quickly if let cook too long). using a small spoon to help, take a bit of chocolate and drizzle it in the bottom and up the sides of your molds. if you are making almond joys put an almond in the bottom and push it gently into the bottom chocolate. tap your mold against the counter to release any bubbles. freeze for a few minutes to harden. while your first molds freeze, mix your coconut (i used about 2 cups) with confectioners sugar (about 1/4 cup) and corn syrup (about 1/4 cup). it will be sticky and thick. pull the molds from the freezer and fill the cavity with your coconut mixture, leaving a bit of room on the sides for the top chocolate to fill in. cover with melted chocolate and tap again to let chocolate settle around the mixture. freeze again to set, just a minute or two.
makes about 20-25 candies.



for both the white chocolate with almonds and the peppermint bark i used the same chocolate mixture, and seperated it out into two equal portions.

white chocolate or almond bark
peppermint candies, crushed
whole almonds

melt your white chocolate or almond bark as directed above. chop mints and mix in with the peppermint bark batch. pour each batch onto seperate cookie sheets lined with wax paper and smooth out to about 1/4 inch thickness. gently press the whole almonds onto one batch, and gently press crushed peppermints onto the top of the peppermint bark batch. place cookie sheets in the freezer for a few minutes to set. break off into chunks.



my friend, kim, also made these cute little pretzel sticks. they were a huge hit with the kids.


pretzel sticks
colored melting chocolate
peppermint candies, crushed

melt chocolate. dip one end of the pretzel sticks into the chocolate and lay on a sheet of wax paper. sprinkle peppermints onto the chocolate before it cools. let cool in the freezer or on the counter.


i wish you all a happy holiday season and a merry christmas!

harry meets his uncle

my brother visits from california. he and harry meet for the first time.

thanksgiving in tennessee

my contributions to this years thanksgiving feast


pecan pie

chocolate cream pie

both recipes are from Martha Stewart's Baking Cookbook.

i hope your thanksgiving was as splendid as ours!

loving harrison

cohen and harry.

dinner on sunday

some might say quiche is best suited for old ladies luncheons or tea banquets. but not me. tonight, as i settle back into my old--very pliable--skin, and also resume my vegetarian ways, i craved this eggy delight.


to cut calories, i made this quiche crustless. and, seeing as though i am the main grocery buyer and have.....you know....been birthing a baby and all.....our pantry was bare. so improvise i did!



typically i would make quiche with an assortment of specialized soft and hard cheeses. i had only cheddar and parmesan and sour cream on hand. i also added a dab of bottled dressing (i really don't know where i discovered that this added just the right zip to the quiche, but i have done it for the past 10 years and i like it...so there!).



this makes 2 small or one large quiche:

10 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup sour cream
1 cup cheddar cheese, divided into halves
1/3 fresh grated parmesan
2 tbs ranch dressing (or green goddess, or blue cheese)
diced yellow and red peppers
diced red onion
shredded carrots
salt and pepper to taste
butter or no stick spray



beat eggs. add all ingredients to eggs except 1/2 cup cheddar cheese. mix well. pour into well greased glass baking dish. sprinkle cheddar on top. bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes until center is set.



you can easily substitute the veggies for any that you like, or make a bacon and sausage one.

i served this with a simple fruit topped salad with nuts and a banana chocolate chip loaf . there is something deeply embedded in my palate that makes it a necessity to have a sweet bread when i make quiche or cheese grits. it is just a must.



3 over ripe bananas
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup wheat flour
1 cup white flour
1/3 cup milk
1 cup chocolate chips
butter or cooking spray



mush bananas in large bowl. in small bowl beat sugar, egg, and butter until creamy. add sugar mixture to banana along with the baking soda, flours, and milk. mix well but don't over mix. add chips. pour into well greased bread pan and bake at 350 for one hour to one hour and 15 minutes, until center is done.



and this morning, my harrison sleeps.


how sweet it is.

harrison arrives

welcome baby harrison.

affectionately called harry. or, as my daughter refers to him, "the reason we didn't get to go to the beach this year".

mothering resumed almost immediately as my two year old decided his eye would apply itself nicely to a bed frame after i had been home from the hospital exactly one hour.

family life resumes. but for now, rest.......

an easy sew nursing cover

my days of late have been spent doing the bare minimum. just survival around here at this point.

school is down to basics.

meals are made as easy as possible (or not homemade at all for that matter).

we are down to days until baby arrives. hours if i really obsessed over such things (and i do).

i have been doing little things with my hands to keep me occupied. knitting a few hats, hemming and mending. my frazzled brain could not handle much more.

but i did manage to make my last project today. a nursing cover. i mulled and fought and battled over a previous design. finally, this morning, i chucked the old and just whipped out an easy one instead. i like the bright bold peonies, the easy tie straps at the top and the reversible orange side when i don't feel so flowery.

this whips together in under an hour, which is right up my alley for any project.

now i'm just awaiting a little body to hold and cuddle and nurse under my new cover.

my next post will undoubtedly be pictures of the new baby. see you soon!