Making Rice in the Crockpot

Today I decided that I would try making rice in the crockpot.  I buttered the inside of my crock pot and I added in one cup of rice and two cups of water with a little bit of salt.  I'm going to let it cook about 2 hours and 15 minutes on high stirring it about 45 minutes into cooking!  Can't wait to see the final product!

This turned out great.  I will definitely make rice this way again!

Time4Learning

What is Time4Learning:
An online educational curriculum for home school students or for added enrichment for students in classrooms.

 The highschool curriculum correlates to state standards and is organized into courses that cover the subjects of language arts, math, social studies and science, plus two electives. Courses are parent-supervised, student-paced, and designed to help students achieve college and career readiness.

A few weeks ago I was given the opportunity to use Time4Learning in our homeschool.  As a mom of a 9th grader I thought that would give me a perfect opportunity to try out some new curriculum and see how it would fit in our school time.  For a low monthly price  your highschooler will be able to take 4 courses.  Since we had already started our homeschool year I thought it would be interesting to try a few subjects.  Our first week we tried Algebra, US History, Economics and Health.  We decided to drop Economics after our first week since she was already taking an Economics course at the co-op.  For the rest of the month we continued on with Algebra, US History, Health and then we added Biology.

My daughter enjoyed her time using Time4Learning and I am sure that we will continue on for the rest of the school year.  It made my planning time so much easier and I am looking forward to continuing on with this program.  

The only two cons I can think of is I would like the opportunity for my daughter to be able to go back and take a test again if she misses a lot.  And other people have told me that you need to make sure that you keep your own records and not depend on Time4Learning to keep your records.  That is not a problem for me as I do keep my own records.

If you are thinking about trying time4learning, just go to their website and sign up for one month.  You don't have to make a long term commitment and the price is great!  
www.time4learning.com

 
 This opinion is entirely my own and I am not an employee of Time4Learning,  but I was compensated for my time.
 




 

Flake Pie Crust

4 cups flour

1 3/4 cup shortening, lard, or coconut oil

1 Tblsp. sugar

2 tsp. salt

1 Tblsp. Apple Cider Vinegar (You can use white vinegar, but I prefer apple cider in baking)

1 egg

1/2 cup cold water

Mix flour, sugar, and salt. Cut in shortening, lard, or coconut oil

Add liquids and then chill for at least 15 minutes.  Take out dough and divide into four equal balls.  Dough can be frozen to use later.  Bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes.

If you’re not baking today, take unbaked dough ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Toss in freezer. When ready to use, thaw in fridge overnight or on the counter for a few hours. Lightly flour surface, flatten dough ball with hand, and then roll to desired thinness.

 

Church Bulletin Board

Planning High School Part 2

Well, yesterday was finally the day to get some of my plans down on paper or should I say computer.  Last year I discovered homeschool tracker.  I have opted to use the free version of homeschool tracker and so far it does everything I need it to do.

On their website this is what they say about the basic homeschool tracker:

• Basic Edition Never Expires
• Upgrade to PLUS at any time
• Easy Setup
• Track Attendance and Hours
• Manage, Copy and Reschedule Assignments
• Track Resources
• Generate Reports

I love how easy it was to set up and after you have put in the books you will be using for each subject and determined your school year it is really very easy and quick to plan out for each week.  I also like the fact that I can print off the assignment sheets for each week.  Every Saturday I check to see if I need to add anything to the lesson plans for the next week and then I print off the assignment sheets.  Abbie will put this in the front of  her notebook and then everyday check off her assignments.  I will then take the assignment sheet to the computer and after I have graded all of her work I will put all of this into homeschool tracker.  It is easy to generate reports and also keep up with her attendance record.

I-Pod Arm Band

 I discovered Pinterest and I found the best thing that I can't wait to try.  Here's the link to the amazing design to hold my i-pod while I jog.  I-Pod Armband

Planning High School Part I

In just a few short weeks our youngest daughter will begin high school!  Okay, first of all I have to say where did the time go????  And then after I have a small little breakdown I have to sit down and start planning 9th grade.   Back in April I joined The Homeschool Magazine and let me say that was one of the best decisions I ever made!  I was able to download a planner for the high school years which looks like it will be great and very user friendly!

 I also have access to so many e-books from The Homeschool Magazine website which have proved very helpful.  I had actually signed up to receive a tote bag as my free gift when I joined The Homeschool Magazine but they were out of stock and they graciously offered to let me have all of the e-books in their library as a gift instead.  It took me just a little bit of time to figure out how to download the e-books from my computer and put them on my Nook Tablet but it really wasn't that hard and if you want to know how just leave me a message and I'll write a post on that.

The Homeschool Magazine also has lots of different teacher led courses ranging from sewing to Hebrew to geography and many many more.  I can't wait to utilize many of these classes during the next year.

I have only scratched the surface of what The Old Homeschool Magazine website has to offer.  But I do know that joining this year has been one of the best decisions I have made so far in our high school journey.

Please stay tuned to my next post on how I planned 9th grade.