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"I just wanted to take
the time to thank you for The Homeschool Minute. I try
to read it every time it comes to my inbox. The most
recent issue on reading was very timely for my family.
Having just started back to school a few weeks ago, I was
struggling with how to make my boys love reading. I am
so glad I received your newsletter today. It had so many
wonderful ideas and links that I know will be helpful for my
family.
Thanks again!"
-Sharon, THM
Reader
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"I love The Homeschool Minute! It is the
equivalent of a homeschool round table. I love all the
opinions and the variety of them."
- CC, THM
Reader
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"Thanks for
the Minute! Also for the
magazine, which I received this week.
You folks are doing a great job!"
- Meghan, THM
Reader
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"Just a quick thank you to all the contributing writers
for TOS Magazine and the weekly email, The Homeschool Minute. I
really enjoy the weekly newsletters and the "real" advice that
each writer gives about the joys and struggles of
homeschooling in our homeschoolers. It makes this path that we
homeschoolers have chosen to go down seem a little more
populated as we walk."
-Carrie, THM
Reader | |
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The Old Schoolhouse
Magazine
Home Where They
Belong
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September 5, 2007
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 I thought
of titling this week's newsletter: Cooking - Labor
of Love or Just Plain Labor! I've got to admit that I don't
really *enjoy* cooking. In fact, God blessed me with a husband
that actually does enjoy cooking, so between him and our
oldest boys, I usually don't have to do too much of it.
I wish I enjoyed it more and felt more competent at
it. Truly I probably get discouraged before I even start with
the whole meal planning and shopping part. And it's really
taking a lot of courage for me to admit this in this
newsletter because sometimes I feel like such a failure for
not being a better cook and meal planner - it's that whole
homeschool mom stereotype thing.
But fortunately God has surrounded me with
wonderful friends who love to cook and don't look down on me
even though I don't. I learn a lot from them. Most of them are
also blessed with the gift of hospitality so they kind of pick
up the slack for me in that area and I answer their computer,
curriculum, child, or animal questions. It actually works out
quite well.
I'm still striving to make sure that my
family has a healthy diet. I can even whip up a lovely loaf of
freshly ground wheat bread at times, but I don't always have
time and I'm learning to be ok with that.
I really
admire those of you who have this cooking thing all
streamlined and organized. Have mercy on the cooking
challenged moms around you and don't give up on them. We're
all still learning!
Enjoy every
minute!
THM Editor
PS - Check your inbox
later today for a special subscription offer from TOS. We've
got even MORE gifts than ever
before!
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 Mercy Every Minute
Deborah Wuehler, TOS Senior Editor
I
love to eat, but I don't enjoy preparing all the meals. That's
why I train the kids as young as possible.
Cooking
isn't only about making a healthy meal, it's also about
following directions, using fractions, learning to serve, and
learning to clean up, so that when they leave my house, no
matter the gender, they will be self sufficient and ready to
serve others. Even though it takes time and patience when they
are young, the reward is that they will someday be serving the
family regularly.
In order to cook, I need to know
what's on the menu. Here's where I slack. Every so often, I
print out a menu and a shopping list and it works great. Then
life happens and I don't have a plan, so I rush around the
store wondering what to put in the basket, only to get home
and wonder what I can cook with any of it. Better planning
does make for less stressful days.
Stress comes not
only from lack of planning, but also lack of spiritual
food. Is yours a scramble for sustenance or a daily plan
of action? What kind of food are we providing for our own and
our children's souls? If we stick to our Bible reading plan or
quiet time, or family devotions, we are being fed spiritual
health food and are satisfied. When we let things go, we all
end up being spoon-fed (once a week at church or bible study
or a radio sermon) with a fast food spiritual meal and end up
not feeling satisfied and sometimes feeling sick.
Ask
God to place a hunger and thirst for His Word in your own and
your children's hearts and you will all begin to feel
satisfied with the good food provided by God Himself.
"Blessed are
those who hunger and
thirst for righteousness, For they shall
be filled." Matthew
5:6
~Deborah
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Schoolhouse Spotlight
Dena Wood, Schoolhouse Store Manager
If you're like me, finding the
time to cook healthy dinners can be a challenge once school
gets started and all the outside activities begin. I've found
bulk cooking to be an excellent way to insure that I always
have a quick meal that I can pop in the oven.
If
you're not familiar with the concept of bulk cooking or just
want to know more about it please check out Lisa Taylor's E-Book: Grande Cooking!
I've read and own many bulk cooking books and Lisa's is right
up there with the best. She gives detailed info complete with
excellent step-by-step pictures. If you can meet with a few
friends and work together to implement this concept you'll all
be happier for it.
Other books you might be interested
in include E-Book: Fast & Healthy
Recipes for Busy Homeschool Moms (also available in print format), E-Book:Sensational Summer
Salads, E-Book:Secrets to
Supermarket Savings, E-Book: Simply Centsible
Breakfasts, and E-Book: Simply Centsible
Suppers. If you desire help in making delicious bread with
your Bosch mixer, Marmee's Homebaker's
DVD will be a delight and Marmee's Kitchen Primer
is an excellent resource for girls ages 7-17.
Happy
Cooking!
~Dena
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It's Just Common
Sense
Ruth Beechick, Curriculum
Specialist
My mother, maybe the original
homeschooler, let us girls do anything we wanted to in the
kitchen. So we made lots of cookies, cakes, and pies. One day
a friend came in as we were deep in flour, and she exclaimed,
"Oh! Do you get to do things in the kitchen? I'm not allowed
in our kitchen." I tried to imagine a house like that and I
couldn't.
At times Mother might say, "How about making
some stuffed green peppers for tonight?" She knew I loved to
eat those and I was flattered that she thought I could make
them. I had seen enough work in the kitchen that it wasn't a
big problem, and help was near if I needed it.
Later,
in Home Ec class we did the same things all over again. I did
wonder why the best amount always was said to be one-half or
one-quarter of a spoon or cup. Surely it must sometimes be
17/31 of a cup but the recipe writer rounded it off. So what
damage if I rounded off my cup? In class I carefully leveled
the top with a knife, and demonstrating for 4H-ers I did the
same. But otherwise I like to save that time. Somehow I got
through my own family years. The cookie jar was never empty.
And I handled the moose and mountain goat even though my
cookbook said nothing about them.
I used the same
"kitchen freedom" system with my sons. They began with popcorn
and moved next to chocolate chip cookies. One of them now has
a reputation for baking the best bread around.
A
clipping inside my cupboard door says to reduce baking powder
by one-half at 5000 feet and by one-third over 5000 feet.
What? A lot of difference between 5000 feet and 5007 feet. And
what should I do at 6992
feet?
~Ruth
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The Familyman
Todd Wilson, Familyman Ministries
I
know you're just dying to see what the Familyman has to say
about cooking. In all actuality, I'm kind of cooking
challenged. About all I can cook is PB&J and macaroni and
cheese (from the box). So, although I can't cook, share
helpful recipes, or tell the difference between paprika and
cilantro, I do have an opinion on cooking.
It's
actually very simple. Cooking should bring joy not guilt. I'm
not suggesting that everyone has to love cooking. Some people
just don't find great pleasure in cooking, but I do know that
cooking was never meant to be a means of heaping guilt upon
the cooker. But, that's what it has become in some
circles.
I am continually amazed at how many articles
about cooking a certain way fill Christian/homeschool
magazines. They're mostly about herbs, organic foods, baking,
grinding, squishing (all natural of course), and overall, a
more spiritual way to cook.
The more I talk to moms and
observe their conversations, the more I see the huge weight of
responsibility that is being dished out and served with
heaping amounts of guilt. Moms are being pushed into baking
their own bread (because what kind of mother would serve her
family store bought evil bread?). A mom buys a breadmaker,
only to find out that good moms don't use breadmakers; they
knead it with their own hands. So then she sells the
breadmaker on Ebay, and buys 50lbs of wheat flour, only to
find out then that real moms don't buy their flour, they grind
their own wheat. On and on it goes.
The mom tries
harder, only to find out that there's still more she could do,
until she throws in the towel and buys bread from a store
again but forbids her children to ever mention it around
certain people.
Does that sound like joy? Hardly. Now,
hear me clearly. I'm not against healthy or organic eating,
baking, grinding, or squishing. If you love to do it, great!
Just don't make others feel like they have to do it
too.
But if trying to cook that way just brings about
guilt in your life or if you only do it because you think it's
more spiritual, then you've believed one of the lies that
homeschooling moms believe - and you need to stop it. Because
-- it's OK to buy bread from a store, pop a frozen pizza into
the oven, or even eat cereal that turns the milk
blue.
Be Real,
Todd
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 Homeschool Freebies
Jamin!, Freebie
Finder
I am really excited to introduce you all to
Jamin! She's one of my
very favorite unit study, lapbook, creative homeschool mom
bloggers and she just happens to be fascinated with finding
low cost - no cost ways to supplement homeschooling through
the internet. She's stepping in for Julie this week with a
great entry on all things ice cream. What a fun way to *cook*
with your kids! ~Nancy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Okay, it is REALLY hot where we live so my thoughts have
turned to ice cream! Here are some fun and educational
things to do with your kids regarding ice cream!
If you don't have an ice cream maker, fear not you can make
Ice Cream In A
Baggie.
Nothing says Summer to me more than Smores...How about
trying this recipe for Frozen Smores?
How about a Cookie Crusted Ice Cream
Pizza?
Fried Mexican Ice Cream
anyone?
And while you are eating your ice cream you might as well
teach a lesson!
Fun Fractions From Hersheys - A Sweet Math Lesson
Here is a site where
you can learn about Ice Cream History and Folklore.
Why does salt make ice cream cold? Click here to find
out.
Click here to visit a
website that will tell you the importance of calcium in your
diet.
Want a list of books to read about ice cream? Click here and scroll
to the bottom of the page.
How about a religious lesson? Find out here how Ice Cream
Sundaes are connected to the Sabbath.
Have fun and keep
cool!!!
~Jamin |
Meet Some of Our
Friends
In the Hands of a
Child is your Premiere Lapbooking Company offering Project
Packs in Geography, Literature, Reading, Science, History,
Math, and Bible studies. We also offer kits, crafts,
memberships and more! Let us Bring Laughter and Learning
Together in the Hands of Your Child Today! Visit us at
www.handsofachild.com.
Homeschool Buy,the
online auction alternative for homeschoolers, invites all
homeschoolers with cluttered garages, crowded curriculum
closets and an excess of book to join us for the Homeschool Buy Garage
Sale!! Beginning September 17th and ending September 28th,
you can set up a free "Garage Sale" to be featured on the
Homeschool Buy Neighborhood Garage Sale Page. Sell off the
stuff you don't need anymore and find the stuff you do need at
bargain prices. Basic Homeschool item listings are free. Just
pay for any optional features. No end of auction
fees!
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