Pizza Pretzel Bites

I'm excited to be participating in the Schoolhouse Review Crew's "August 5 days of..." blog hop. You'll find over 90 varying subjects being talked about that no matter your walk in life, you'll be sure to find something you can relate to. 

This week here at TLB, I am sharing 5 mouth watering recipes! I can't help it, I love to cook and I am always on the search for new recipes to try as I'm sure many of you are as well. So keep checking back, the recipes I am sharing are ones I've found, adapted, tested and are loved by us!

Today's recipe is Pizza Pretzel Bites. You can't go wrong combining soft pretzels and pizza. They make a great snack or party food. You can change up the ingredients you stuff it with to make it work with what you like (though I am just showcasing this recipe with only pepperoni & cheese, but you could add anything). They also freeze well to reheat another time so you could make a big batch ahead of time to pull out when needed.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups warm water
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 package active dry yeast
3 ounces unsalted butter, melted
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
4 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour
Canola oil
Pepperoni slices, cut into small pieces
Shredded mozzarella cheese
5 quarts water
3/4 cup baking soda
1 whole egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water
Coarse sea salt
Pizza or spaghetti sauce for dipping

Directions:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, mix together the water, sugar, yeast, and butter. Let sit for 5 minutes. (or mix & knead by hand)

Add the salt and flour to the yeast mixture. Knead dough at medium speed until a smooth and elastic ball forms, 3 to 4 minutes. If dough is sticky, add 1 tablespoons of flour at a time until dough comes together. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled large bowl and turn the dough to coat with the oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 21 inch rope. Cut the dough into 3-inch pieces to make the pretzel bites.

Roll each bite flat with a rolling pin. Stuff with pepperoni and cheese.Fold over the dough and pinch the ends. Place on a baking sheet and continue until all pretzel bites are stuffed.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. In a large saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add the baking soda and lower heat to a simmer. Carefully boil pretzels in batches. Boil for about 30 seconds.

Remove with a large slotted spoon. Place pretzel bites on baking sheet (either spray with nonstick spray or use parchment paper), about 2 inches apart. Brush the tops with the egg wash and season liberally with the salt. Place into the oven and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown.

Serve with a side of spaghetti or pizza sauce for dipping!

Enjoy!!

Check out more of my recipes!

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Take a peek in our window

In our pjs, on the floor, on the couch, in a store.....we don't always use our books, oh how different each day looks!

Did I catch your attention?? Ha! I think I've had a bit too much of Dr Suess invading life lately, hence my goofy intro. You are probably scratching your head wondering what in the world is this post about? Today I am participating in a blog hop entitled "Show us your homeschool day in pictures".

As I sat down to brainstorm, I realized each day here in our house looks different. We don't have a set schedule for each day. Meaning, I don't say ok, at 8:30 we are going to do xyz for 30 minutes, at 10, we'll do this, etc. I like to allow as much time as each subject may take (or not take in some cases) as well as allowing for delight-directed learning. But we do have certain subjects that get covered every day and some that are a couple times a week. Outside of that, we are constantly learning no matter what we are doing.

 Mondays we are at our homeschool co-op for the full day so that really is our only day that is consistent. From there, the rest of our week could be super busy with appointments, swim & gym class at the rec, get togethers or pretty quiet and just hanging around home. We alter our schooling around what is going on each week. I print out a homework schedule for the kids of the work that needs accomplished that week and from there, they are good about spreading it out over the week once they know how busy or slow our schedule outside of the house is.

For the sake of this post, we'll just say this is sort of what a day at home with no outside plans looks like.

I have 2 kiddos that are early risers, we are talking between 6-6:45 at the latest. They get up and do their math lesson on the computer before even eating breakfast. All 4 kids do math on the computer and have to share 2 laptops so they like getting their math done & out of the way so they don't have to share a computer later on.

Once the others are awake, they do their math then as well.  Since the math curriculum we use allows them to do this on their own, it gives me time to get Olivia fed, tidy up around the house, etc.

From there, they look at their schedule of what needs done and they dive in. This could mean I go from the living room to the kitchen to the school room (since everyone often spreads out to different areas) answering questions about science, english, or music in the course of a few minutes.

Often times though, the older girls work pretty independently so I don't have to help them as much.

Of course, once in awhile I'll hear a "moooom" only to find one of our cats trying to lend a paw! Ha our animals like to get involved with school at times too. (we have 3 cats & a dog, all great animals & good with the kids).

To change things up, they like to check out the history channel as there are some pretty neat shows & documentaries on there. Though in the above picture, they are catching up on "The Bible" series.

Of course, Olivia isn't exempt from doing some learning activities geared for her age. I have a curriculum I loosely follow with her that gives me some neat teaching ideas for her. Wish I had had it when my others were little. 

She loves doing "school" like her siblings and often wants to be included in what they are doing. Sometimes this is cute and works out great like when sitting down with Hannah to do Spanish, she's picked up on a few words already, and sometimes she falls asleep. Other times, her wanting to imitate her siblings isn't such a great idea. . .

. . . like when she gets a hold of sisters math book & starts doodling her own answers! The older ones have learned if they leave pencils or books laying around, there is no telling what they might find after she does her thing!

My girls enjoy cooking, so sometimes knowing they get to tear up my kitchen is the motivation they need to get all the other stuff done. It's great the things they can learn while being in the kitchen. In the above picture, Sarah had to double the recipe which meant adding fractions together.

The kids are also big into games. We have a large game closet for this very reason. Once the weather warms up though, they usually don't play games as much as they do in winter time (you can often find some or all of them outside doing their school work when it's warmer). It's easy to turn many games into learning. Clue has been a favorite lately for working on critical thinking skills.

Granted, I didn't get pictures of everything we do in a days time but this gives just a sampling of what you might find if you were to drop by unexpectedly during the day. The kids said they wanted to get pictures of me teaching them, HA, I said my readers would rather see their adorable faces! *wink*

Homeschooling in a Crisis

I'm joining in with the Schoolhouse Review 5 days of teach creatively blog hop. Today's topic is homeschooling in a crisis.

We've been homeschooling since the very beginning. Sure, we had had off days when things came up and we had to adjust our schooling. We also fostered for a number of years and had some challenging times as well but we learned ways to still get our schooling accomplished.

Learning how to ride the ups and downs of life when it came to homeschooling hadn't prepared me for what we faced in July of 2010, the death of my son Noah.

We were only a few weeks away from starting school when he died (we typically start beginning of August). Honestly, a lot of that time is a blur to me now.

I know we started our school year off in just keeping with the basics as I couldn't handle more than that for awhile. Our co-op started back up that September which helped take some of the burden off me. I learned to let go of the expectations of "typical" school as I realized what we were going through as a family was teaching my children far more than they could ever learn from a book.

No one ever wants to go through a major life crisis that brings them to their knees but I can see now how God was able to use one of the worse things we've gone through to help shape my children's character.

A year ago we were faced with yet another semi-crisis when my husband sustained a severe head injury and was off work for over 2 months. Again, we paired things back a bit as I didn't have help with the running of the house in addition to caring for my husband. While we kept to the basics for a bit until we got into a routine, my children made up for that in other areas like learning about their daddys injury, why he had to see certain doctors and the reason he needed to take it easy & heal (health lessons anyone?) They also helped me more around the house (home ec) and a whole host of other lessons they learned along they way.

Ultimately I had to keep in mind when we were in crisis mode, what is really going to matter & make a lasting difference in my children's lives? Those extra worksheets they did for history & learning how to diagram a sentence. . .or will the life lessons they learned in losing their brother that taught them compassion for others who are grieving, how to run a house when either parent becomes unable to and to realize life is out of our hands but in God's no matter what we do. . . will make a difference in their lives long after the book knowledge fades.

Some things to keep in mind if faced with a crisis in your home:

-Do what you need to do to survive- This will look different in each family. It's ok if you need to set aside your formal curriculum for awhile. Trust me, your children are still learning despite not having the math book open. Use this time to stay close as a family; read books together, play games, find something educational to watch either on tv or online. If your kids are older, let them do some things independently. I still have days where my grief hits me unexpectedly and my kids know on those days we only do what we need to.

-Let go of expectations & guilt- I can't stress this enough! It's so easy as a mom to fall into the guilt trap when things happen and we can't function 100%. Maybe God is using this time to rework things in  your life and is wanting you to just focus on the basics for awhile.

-Focus on one day at a time- Some days, it's all you can do just to put one foot in front of the other. The big picture of what you are going through may look scary and overwhelming. Remember, God is already in your tomorrow & knows what will happen. Let go of the worry and just focus on today and rejoice in what you got accomplished.

-Rely on others- I know not everyone has a support system (we really didn't outside of our co-op) but if you have those around who can help out, let them. Giving yourself a break even just for a few hours can give you a boost of strength to continue tackling whatever situation you are facing.

God uses these valley experiences for His glory, He is after all, the ultimate teacher!

Don't forget to check out the Huge Giveaway going on right now!!

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Homeschool Co-op

Today's blog hop topic is on homeschool co-op's. For those who are unfamiliar with what a co-op is, it is when a group of families come together to spend time doing school with one another. The moms all help teach so the costs are kept as low as possible. I know others definition of co-ops vary in that some places kids are actually dropped off for classes and those teaching actually make money but to me, that isn't a traditional co-op.

When we first started homeschooling, I didn't think we had a need for a co-op since my kids were little. So it took a few years until I searched around for a co-op to join. I had no idea where to start as I didn't know anyone who homeschooled to point me in the right direction. Long story short, I found an amazing co-op we joined and wished we had started a few years earlier. We are now starting our 6th year with this wonderful group.

Our co-op is made up of about 55 families and roughly 180 kids, from nursery to 12th grade. We have a variety of classes from electives to core subjects. Everyone has a different reason for wanting to be a part of a co-op. Some people just want electives and lighter classes while others want core subjects like science or english. No matter what the reason is for attending a co-op, I think it's a great opportunity for the kids to experience having someone else teach them in a safe environment.

Our co-op meets once a week for 30 weeks starting in September and ending in April. We meet in a church facility that has classrooms, a kitchen, a fellowship hall and a gym. Even though all the moms help or teach in the classes throughout the day, there are times when we have down time and get to enjoy the company of other moms. I'd honestly have to say my favorite part of co-op is the "me" time I get to spend conversing with my friends. While co-ops are great for the educational aspect of homeschooling, they are equally important in offering the friendship & fellowship so many of us desire. I consider many of these dear ladies family. We have vacationed together, watched each others children and since the death of our son  Noah 2 years ago, many of us have become even closer. Our co-op has been so supportive to us!

In addition to having classes once a week from 8:30-2pm, we also do projects together on other days. We've done field trips, picnics, we even have track & field day. Overall, being a part of a co-op has been a great experience for our family.

Our homeschool curriculum

We started our 8th year of homeschooling a few weeks ago. Yes, we start early. It was too hot to be outside with temps of over 90 degrees & sweltering humidity. Plus we like to end our school year early to enjoy the nicer weather. Believe it or not, it was at my kids insistence that we started (they wanted to try some of our new curriculum). We start out slow only introducing a few subjects at a time. My children get some of their core subjects at our homeschool co-op (more on that later this week). There are also some subjects we do together. Some of the read alouds (like Mystery of History, Zoology & Bible) we all read together.

We have learned through the years what works and doesn't work with each child. We use a variety of different publishers as I feel a boxed set lacks in some ways (for us). I've also discovered what works for one child might not always work for another, which is the beauty of homeschooling. I can customize their learning to not only what fits each child but also to incorporate specific things they want to learn about outside of our required subjects. (last year Susan had a passion to research and learn more about the Titanic which I made happen for her).

The easiest way to share what we are using this year is to just list them by grades so here ya go:

4th Grade:

Explode the Code (online)

Vocabulary Spelling City (online)

Bob Jones 4

A Reason For Handwriting

Teaching Textbooks 4 (math)

Apologia Zoology 1

Spotlight on American & real books

Thomas Jefferson Education-This week in history

Spanish in 10 min a day (CD) & Speekee (online)

GrapeVine Bible Study- Joseph

6th Grade:

Spelling/Vocabulary City (online)

Mastering Vocabulary

Bob Jones 6

Teaching Textbooks (math) 6

Apologia Zoology 3

Mystery of History 2

Thomas Jefferson Education-This week in History

Spanish in 10 minutes a day (CD) & Speekee (online)

Maps Globes & Graphs Level F

GrapeVine Bible Study Joseph

7th Grade: (the twins)

Spelling/Vocabulary City

Bob Jones

Teaching Textbooks (math) 7

Zoology 3

Mystery of History 2

Thomas Jefferson Education-This week in History

Abeka Civics Activity Book (Pa History & Civics)
Rosetta Stone (spanish) & Speekee

GrapeVine Bible Study Joseph

I also have a subscription to Schoolhouse Teachers.com where I receive some of our curriculum that I use for art, daily writing prompts for journaling and a lot of other things just to change it up so the kids don't get bored. We also do extra curricular activities besides our book work and of course frequent the library almost weekly. We even use some apps on the iPad for learning!

I've learned to keep an open mind when it comes to curriculum and what better way to get ideas of new things to try than to ask my friends (many of whom has directed me to some of what we now use). What is some of your favorite curriculum?