cookies for kimberly

Random.org says the cookies and school supplies go to number 4. Kimberly, I am emailing you now. Enjoy!

i am not a mime (or, notes from the crazy house) and a giveaway

My hands are getting better now – after a trip to the allergist and lots of medicine that I hate putting on or in my body. I have battled my worst eczema outbreak in decades and I can’t pinpoint a specific reason why. I think it was the perfect storm of physical and environmental factors, but in any event, my hands are on the mend. White cotton gloves are awesome, by the way. (I look like a deranged mime, or Michael Jackson circa 1985.)

• Method hand soap is the greatest thing since sliced bread. It is the only fragranced product I can use with eczema impunity. I heart you, Method.
• Seventh Generation Free and Clear dish soap is equally wonderful. (Sadly, I can’t say the same for their dishwasher detergent. I want to love it, really I do, yet I can’t abide dirty dishes. If I have to run the dishwasher twice, it ceases to be environmentally friendly.)
• In my ongoing quest for natural, homemade floor cleaner, I think we have a winner: water, white vinegar and washing soda. I want to give it one more test run before conferring the championship title upon this latest concoction.

Want some free stuff? Tell me the best thing about back-to-school -- homeschool or otherwise. The folks at MyBlogSpark will send one of my readers a super cool gift box with a reusable lunch bag, a ruler, a pencil sharpener, a pencil case and a coupon for a free package of Pillsbury Shape cookies. (They sent us a package as well. My son loves the school supplies and I love reusable stuff! My local grocery stores aren’t carrying Shape cookies yet, but soon…) Please comment by noon eastern, Sept. 2.

when little people come to visit

the quarter mile math

As part of the TOS Crew, we were asked to review The Quarter Mile Math. It’s a game, er, a math program. I know there are horses there somewhere, but I haven’t actually seen them. That’s because I have a boy and Quarter Mile offers a race car option. Other options are ignored around here.

The boy is using Quarter Mile’s Deluxe Bundle, which allows him to accelerate as he correctly answers math problems. As he races, he competes against his previous best times. (Children race as cars or riderless horses – no harnessed and numbered critters for those of us who avoid animal-centered sports.)

The program is the software equivalent of sneaking carrots in spaghetti sauce – kids learn while playing a game. For my son, especially, the competitive aspect clearly works to my advantage as he wants to answer problems faster. It has been perfect for reviewing concepts that he has “almost” mastered and because it spans counting through fractional coefficients (hey, maybe I need to use it…), this is a product that will have great longevity in our homeschool. Practice produces speed which results in mastery. And this is much less painless than the timed math tests my son endured in pre-homeschool days.

Though this program is widely used (and is used in all Sylvan Learning Centers in the US and Canada), homeschoolers have their own niche with Quarter Mile since a new homeschooling section was added to the web site recently. Check it out and download a free demo of the program. A variety of purchase options are available, including CDs and online subscriptions, but in my opinion, the subscription program makes the most economic sense for homeschoolers. Obviously, the subscription program requires Internet access, but if you are reading this...

Costs:

CDs are available by level or as bundles. A really affordable option is the subscription program. Current costs are $2.95 per family per month, $19.95 per family for one year or $34.95 per family for two years. This includes access to more than 70,000 problems and up to 12 family members can use the subscription. If you have high speed Internet access at home, kids can compete against each other in real time on separate computers. (I only have one homeschooled child, so we didn’t test this out. Maybe I will race the boy….)

 

From Quarter Mile:

The homeschool tab on the Quarter Mile site includes

--- “Getting Started” (Information that will help you understand the basics of the Quarter Mile Math quickly and easily and help your kids jump right in to using it.)

--- “Tips & Info” (This will be an ongoing series of emails to help you make the most effective use of the program. Once emailed, they will be posted on this page. Anyone can sign up to receive these emails.)

--- “Printable Progress Chart” (Helps you keep track of students’ progress in The Quarter Mile Math.)

--- “Users’ Forum” (A place for homeschoolers to see how others are incorporating The Quarter Mile Math into their curricula.)

cheater empanadas

Warning: There is nothing authentic about this recipe. I make it because my kids inhale it like candy.

 

Cheater Empanadas

1 pound ground turkey

1 small onion, chopped

1 t. Kosher salt

3/4 t. ground cumin

1 package rolled pie crusts or 1 recipe homemade pie crust (depends of how much time I have – rolled crusts have lard, which is gross for vegetarians who cook for carnivores)

1 egg, beaten with 1 T. water

Remove crust dough from fridge. Warmth equals pliability.

Brown the turkey with the onion. Mix in salt and cumin. Drain fat. Cool. (I’m serious. Otherwise, you cook the crust dough unevenly and prematurely. Ask me how I know.)

Cut crust into fourths or sixths. If you don’t care about wasting the excess, you can cut it into cute little rounds for easier shaping, but who does that?

Spoon cooled turkey mixture into dough. Fold and seal. (Use a little water to seal the edges if necessary. Place on a well oiled cookie sheet (again, ask me how I know) and brush tops with egg wash. Bake at 375 for about 15 –20 minutes, or until golden brown. (Timing depends on the size of your cheater empanadas.)

Serve to hungry children.

how to freeze 75 pounds of tomatoes and live to tell about it

You will need this:

That’s three of these, people:

Next, express buyer’s remorse when you realize that you bought 75 POUNDS OF TOMATOES. Proceed through the stages of grief until you find 1. acceptance, 2. extra virgin olive oil and 3. sea salt.

Wash, core and quarter those babies until you get assembly line hypnosis. Place them in a single layer on a sheet pan with a lip (important for catching juices – otherwise, prepare to clean your oven). Thankfully, I have a double oven, so I had four pans going at once. Toss them with a drizzle of EVOO and a dash of salt and roast at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Soon, they will look like this:

 

Cool, bag and freeze. In November, take as needed for winter blues.

You’re welcome.

Purists will take issue with the fact that I didn’t remove the tomato skins. Did I mention I bought 75 pounds? Some battles are not worth fighting.

We also canned two batches of salsa. Info to come.

brainiac