Odds and Ends

My kids think I'm crazy, but I've always celebrated Valentine's Day with pink, red, and heart-shaped food. I'm not usually a very crafty person, but I love to create food surprises on the holidays. In case you need some suggestions on what to make fo...

Read books by John Taylor Gatto, and be encouraged in your decision and ability to homeschool. A cornerstones of the modern homeschool movement, his eye-opening books were instrumental in motivating a generation of homeschoolers who began educating c...

This is a nearly-exhaustive look at student discounts available to college students. For most of these deals, the student will need to show their college ID or share their college email address in order to take advantage of the discount. While many o...

Games for teens can make summer more fun. Staying sane in summer requires a careful balance of structure (so the kids don't go crazy) and time away from homeschooling (so the mom doesn't go crazy.) How do you keep that balance? Educational games! Che...

I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you! I've been taking a look back on my 2017 year at The HomeScholar so I could add it to my " about us " page. What an exciting year! I am thrilled that we launched our new, beautiful website and live...

This recipe has been in my family for decades! It's easy to make, but time consuming to put together. Worth it though, because it looks just GREAT for a summer dessert! Fruit Tart Ingredients 1/2 batch of sugar cookie dough (or one store-bough refrig...

Leaders of homeschool groups are always looking for content for newsletters, right? Why don't you share this information with your support group ? They should know that I provide free articles for support groups that can be used in your homescho...

Probably once or twice a week I get a phone call or email saying " What did I buy , what am I paying for, and what can I keep forever?" I get this question so many times, we actually made a picture of it , so you can see what I'm talking about. ...

Hawaiian Holiday My husband and I had a wonderful Hawaiian vacation in January! It was a great time to renew, refresh, rejuvenate, and regroup as we start the new year. We stayed at the Ka'anapali Beach Hotel on Maui. It's a wonderful family-friendly...

Top 10 New Year's Resolutions

Happy New Year! No year will feel complete without a little self-reflection and commitment to improve in the coming year.

1. Lose Weight
Eliminate homeschool clutter.  No resolution appears more consistently on every list than losing weight.

2. Get in Shape
Get your transcript done. Getting in shape and losing weight always seem to go together.

3. Break a Bad Habit
Cover the core consistently.  Even acknowledging you have a bad habit to break can be embarrassing.

4. Get Organized
Keep homeschool records. Lots of resolutions seem to revolve around the broader topic of self-discipline.

5. Save Money
Earn grants and scholarships for college. One of the big motivations to keep great high school records is the financial reward.

6. Focus on Your Kids
Include delight directed learning. Homeschoolers are good at fulfilling this New Year's Resolution, and pouring their love into their children.

7. Find a New Home
Adapt your school choices. Moving is not a yearly resolution for most people, but when it does come up it can be very stressful.

8. Find Love
Search for a college that loves your child. It’s the topic of movies, and books; the eternal struggle to find a true love.

9. Travel More
Visit colleges in person. It is important to travel to the colleges you are considering.

10. Find a New Job
Prepare yourself for the empty nest. When your kids are grown and gone, your pets won’t need homeschooling and your husband may not be responsive to unit studies.

Starting the new year with a strong set of resolutions can keep you focused and on track for success!  Commit to doing those things that will bring you and your family health and happiness.  Happy New Year!

 

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Christmas Baking - Gluten-Free Holiday Recipes

Maybe you have friends that you'd like to gift a Christmas goodie to, but they are a gluten-free family?  Don't worry - I have you covered!  Check out these yummy recipes.

Coconut Christmas Cookies

1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1/4 cup agave or honey
2 tbsp virgin coconut oil
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
Christmas décor or colorful candies

Combine everything but the décor in a food processor. Add candy decorations, candies, or chocolate chips. Press into small container, about 1/4-1/2 inch thick. Refrigerate at least 1 hour. Cut into small squares. Make multiple recipes if you plan to share, this is a small batch. Modified from Coconut Crack Bars.

No Bake Coconut Snowball Cookies

Use the Coconut Christmas Cookie Recipe
Shape coconut cookie mixture into 1” balls
Allow the shaped coconut balls to firm up in the refrigerator
Melt  the dark chocolate in a small saucepan over medium heat.
Dip the coconut balls into the melted chocolate
Sprinkle with a little additional  coconut. Allow the chocolate to harden by placing the coconut balls back into the refrigerator for 5-10 minutes.
Complete recipe online.

Peppermint Kisses

2 egg whites
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 cup sugar
2 peppermint candy canes, crushed

Beat egg whites until foamy. Add sugar and cream of tartar, beat until soft peaks form.  Beat in sugar. Spoon onto foil-lined baking sheets. Sprinkle with crushed candy canes. Bake 225 degrees for 2 hours. Store in an airtight container. Do not package with moist cookies.   Modified from Taste of Home.


Chocolate Mocha Kisses

3 egg whites
¼ tsp cream of tartar
¼ tsp salt
1 cup sugar
3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa
1 Tbsp instant coffee or espresso powder
3 Tbsp semi-sweet chocolate mini-chips

Beat egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt until soft peaks form.  Ad sugar, a little at a time, and beat until soft peaks form.  Sift in cocoa and espresso powered, and fold together.  Fold in the mini-chips. Drop batter by tablespoons onto baking pan lined with parchment paper.  Bake 300 degrees for 40 minutes or until crisp. Modified from Relish.com/meringues.



 

Christmas Baking - Sweet Bread Gift Recipes

I love giving sweet bread treats to our neighbors and friends, and bringing them as hostess gifts. These can be made in advance and frozen.  They travel well, too!  You can find wrapping suggestions from Martha Stewart Crafts and from Wilton available on Amazon.

Pistachio Bread

1 package yellow cake mix
1 package pistachio pudding mix (3 oz.)
4 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1/8 cup water.
Cinnamon-sugar mix: 3 Tbsp sugar, 1 Tbsp cinnamon

Mix in a bowl until moist. Grease a loaf pan, and dust with 1/2 the cinnamon-sugar mix.  Pour batter in pan and top with remaining cinnamon-sugar mix.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, or until done.

Lemon Bread

1 lemon: grate 1 Tbsp peel and set aside 4-1/2 tsp lemon juice
2-1/4 flour
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1-1/2 cup sugar
3/4 melted butter
3 beaten eggs
3/4 cup milk

Mix dry ingredients. Add the moist ingredients and lemon peel.  Stir until just moistened.  Pour into greased loaf pan.  Bake 350 degrees for 1-1/2 hours until done.  Cool 10 minutes before removing from pan. Make glaze: over medium heat, cook the 4-1/2 tsp lemon juice with 2 tbsp sugar until slightly thick, about 5 minutes.  Brush over the top of loaf.

Pumpkin Spice Bread

1-3/4 flour
1-1/2 sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup pumpkin
1 beaten egg
1/3 cup water

Sift dry ingredients. Mix butter, pumpkin, egg, and water.  Mix in dry ingredients until moist.  Pour into greased and floured loaf pans.  Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Zucchini Bread

3 eggs
2 cups finely ground zucchini
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup oil
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Mix moist ingredients together.  Mix dry ingredients together.  Combine all and stir until mixed. Stir in nuts, if desired. Pour into a greased and floured loaf pan until 1/2 full.  Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour.

Banana Bread

2-3 large over-ripe bananas
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup buttermilk (or milk mixed with 1 tbsp vinegar)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1-1/4 cup sugar
1 cup whole wheat flour
1-1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Cream the butter and eggs with sugar.  Mash in the banana.  Add remaining ingredients.  Pour into one loaf pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour

Cranberry Orange Bread

2 cups flour
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 teaspoons grated orange peel
1/2 cup orange juice
2 eggs
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh cranberries
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts (optional)

Mix dry ingredients. Beat sugar, butter, and vanilla until fluffy.  Add eggs and orange peel and juice. Mix in dry ingredients until moistened.  Gently stir in chopped cranberries and nuts. Bake 350 degrees for 1 hour, until done. Make glaze if desired. Mix 1 cup powdered sugar with 2 Tbsp fresh orange juice. Wisk until smooth and drizzle over cooled bread.

Do you gift the gift of sweet bread during the holidays?

Newbies Make EXCELLENT Homeschool Parents

Parents new to homeschooling, listen up! You and your spouse can be EXCELLENT homeschool parents, regardless of your skills, because you LOVE your child. That's what ensures your success. You want them to do well, and if you have a weak area, you can find resources for that. But because you love your child, you will be motivated to find those resources. A school teacher might not be as motivated to see an individual child succeed, because they have to focus on the entire group of children.

Christian parents, consider scriptural reasons why you can be an EXCELLENT homeschool parent.
Psalm 139:13-16 - Your child was given to you and was made for your family, so God knows you are the perfect person for this job.

Philippians 4:13 - You are capable. You can do ALL THINGS, even this.

1 Peter 4:8 - Love covers a multitude of sins. Even when things go wrong (and it will) your child will still be OK.

John 2:7-8 - Jesus gives step-by-step instructions for doing hard things. He doesn't command the end results (He will take care of that) but gives us nice, small, manageable steps.

Your abilities will not necessarily limit your ability to homeschool. Homeschoolers can be successful regardless of their culture or academic background. If you want to see statistics, and scientific reasons why this is true, you may want to look at this free class.

 Homeschooling - Why Homeschool Works with Dr. Jay Wile

Cyber Monday with The HomeScholar!

My Cyber Monday sale is geared to helping you!  Finding the Faith to Homeschool High School will give you a refreshing perspective on homeschooling.

When you homeschool high school, sometimes the only thing separating success from failure is faith and a friend. This book will give you both! Imagine sitting across the table with a dear friend at your favorite coffee shop, sharing struggles and scriptures with each other. Let Lee Binz, The HomeScholar, be that dear friend who can lift you up with scriptural hope and encouragement.

Order your print or Kindle version today!  Finding The Faith to Homeschool High School

This BRAND NEW book is on sale in print format and in Kindle format.  Order your copy today and be encouraged each day of your homeschool journey!  A devotional that you can read over and over, each time gleaning a new perspective on God's word and the important tasks you are facing.

This weekly devotional covers the challenges parents face while homeschooling high school. Finding the Faith will support and encourage you along the way, throughout the year!

Let me help you "Find the Faith" as you work your way through your daily homeschooling journey.