Pear Bread

This is another favorite at my house - I rarely make it with the pecans though since my children won't eat it that way (not to mention organic pecans cost a fortune!). I personally think it tastes better with pecans, but that's just my opinion.

3 cups organic whole wheat pastry flour

1/4 tsp. aluminum-free baking powder

1 tsp. aluminum-free baking soda

1 tsp. sea salt

1 T. organic ground cinnamon

3/4 cup organic extra virgin olive oil

3 T. organic ground flaxseed meal PLUS 9 T. water (or 3 large organic eggs)

2 cups organic evaporated cane crystals

2 cups peeled and shredded organic pears

1 cup chopped organic pecans (optional)

2 tsp. organic vanilla

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Combine remaining ingredients in a separate bowl; blend well. Add wet ingredients to dry mixture; stir until just combined. Divide batter evenly between two loaf pans that have been sprayed with nonstick spray (organic olive oil Pam). Bake at 325 degrees for 60 to 65 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10-15 minutes before removing from pans.

Roasted Red Potatoes

This is great comfort food!

2lbs. organic red potatoes, washed, unpeeled, cut into quarters
2 tsp. organic garlic
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. organic dried thyme
2 tsp. organic dried rosemary
1/8 tsp. organic pepper
3 T. organic extra virgin olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a gallon-sized resealable baggie. Shake well to coat potatoes. Pour out into a 13x9-inch baking dish. Bake at 450* for about 40 minutes.

What did you read in January?

Since I'm on day 3 of a sinus headache that just will not go away (even with medication), I thought I would pose a simple question today rather than attempt to come up with some witty entry that no doubt would end up making the pain worse. What did you read, just for YOU, in January? Something fantastic? Something that bored you to tears and you gave up part way through? Something that changed the way you think or believe? Share with me .... I'm always looking for more wonderful books to add to my neverending "books I want to read" list.

As for me, I'm happy to say January was the month I finally sat down and read a few books that were completely unrelated to homeschooling in any way - in other words, I finally made a tiny dent in my list. Never mind I stayed up until 1am most nights to do so. I'm by no means a "reviewer" so I'll keep things to the point (and then go take even more medication to attempt to relieve this pounding nightmare).

* Shadow Of Colossus by T. L. Higley - I read this just as we were beginning our ancient Greece studies which was purely coincidental. I was reluctant to have to put this down each day - it's that good! If you enjoy historical fiction, consider reading this series.

* The Hidden Flame by Davis Bunn & Janette Oke - This is the second book in the Acts of Faith series ... definitely read them in order as it follows a time sequence, plus quite a few of the characters from book 1 have their story lines continued in this book.

* 10 Dumb Things Smart Christians Believe by Larry Osborne - This sums it up ... eye-opening! Scriptural reference and support is provided for every topic. One all Christians should take the time to read.

Riverwalk Nature Center

As a one income homeschooling family, I appreciate the tremendous value of a free field trip (especially in the current poor economy). Every now and then we find a freebie that absolutely blows me away. This past weekend we found such a place ... Riverwalk Nature Center (click on the Central Mainland tab) in Rockledge, FL. To say it's pretty awesome is an understatement.

The nature center offers several fantastic displays. This one contains shark teeth, shark vertebrae, a shark embryo, and stingray spines.....

Reading about sea turtle hatchlings in a book is one thing, but a great life-like display really brings understanding to the forefront.....

A touch tank offers the opportunity to meet horseshoe crabs up close and personal.....

A wonderful bottlenose dolphin and West Indian manatee display.....

Who's that peeking out of that shell? A hermit crab!.....

Another tank holds a couple of gorgeous diamondback terrapins.....

Shhhhhh! Don't tell him he's actually learning something while playing the computer games!.....

A sea bean discovery drawer filled with a variety of treasures (all sorted and labeled).....

A trilobite fossil! This was really fun to see since we just studied these extinct creatures recently.....

A discovery drawer full of Florida fossils.....

And yet another discovery drawer containing fossilized crabs.....

Take a leisurely stroll on the boardwalk to the Indian River Lagoon.....

Take note of the plants along the way, especially those you want to stay away from like this poison ivy.....

And what should we find washed up on the shore at the lagoon - a horseshoe crab!.....

The nature center also has many freebies you can take home such as an Indian River Lagoon coloring book, an Indian River Lagoon activity book, a sea turtle discovery activity book, and sea turtle bumper stickers.

Baklava

I seem to be finding myself in the kitchen a lot since watching Julie & Julia last month. It should come as no surprise then that the first project/activity we did to tie in with our ancient Greece studies was making baklava. I'm still in shock that my children were extremely excited about this ... you see, they don't really care for nuts and baklava contains a lot of walnuts. The recipe we used can be found in Tools Of The Ancient Greeks: A Kid's Guide to the History & Science of Life in Ancient Greece by Kris Bordessa. We are thoroughly enjoying this book as one of our primary study resources and this recipe is a winner! Our cuts went a bit wonky so they didn't look exactly like the diagram in the book, but that's okay ... the end result tasted fantastic.

The Odyssey

We're currently in the midst of an awesome ancient Greece study and used this wonderful set of books by Mary Pope Osborne as part of our supplemental reading. They are suggested for ages 8-11 - as with anything, review them first to make sure nothing would disturb or upset your child. My oldest is very fond of mythology and found these to be a great introduction to the story of The Odyssey.

French Toast

Here's another great way to use the french bread I posted earlier this month - french toast!

Cut bread into slices (about 3/4-inch thick each) and place cut side down in a 13x9-inch baking dish (fill dish completely).

Combine 4 large organic eggs, 1 cup organic skim milk, 1/4 cup orange juice, 1/2 tsp. organic vanilla, and 1/8 tsp. sea salt; mix well. Pour mixture evenly over bread slices then turn each slice over to coat all sides completely. Cover the baking dish and refrigerate for 12 hours - this allows the bread to soak up the egg mixture. To prepare: Melt a bit of organic unsalted butter in a skillet and cook bread slices until golden and browned on both sides. Repeat until all bread slices have been cooked. Serve warm with organic maple syrup.

Turkey Creek Sanctuary

This post has been a long time in the coming - I completely forgot about this beautiful field trip we took back in October! If your travels ever take you near Palm Bay, FL, take some time to stop by Turkey Creek Sanctuary and enjoy the boardwalk and trails. Bonus ... it's free!

Waffles

I promise I'm not turning this into a recipe/cooking blog, but that seems to be all I've taken photos of recently! Waffles are another huge favorite at my house...

4 cups organic white whole wheat flour (freshly ground)
4 T. Rapadura or organic evaporated cane crystals (or sugar)
2 T. aluminum-free baking powder
1 tsp. sea salt
6 T. organic ground flaxseed meal + 18 T. water (or 6 large organic eggs)
3 cups organic skim milk
1/2 cup organic unsalted butter, melted

Combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly. Cook in a preheated waffle iron according to manufacturer's instructions. (It takes about 5 minutes per batch in mine.) This makes about 2 dozen waffles (they freeze well). Serve warm with organic maple syrup.

Cinnamon Rolls

For years I've wanted to make cinnamon rolls from scratch, but one ingredient held me back ... powdered sugar. When we made the switch to organic foods almost 8 years ago, using powdered sugar just didn't seem a good fit with attempting to live a healthy lifestyle. (That's not to say I haven't enjoyed my fair share of organic junk food over the years!) Last month one of our local grocery stores clearanced out their stock of Wholesome Sweeteners products in favor of stocking only their store brand organic products. I found several bags of organic powdered sugar at an amazingly low price and took the plunge not really having any particular dishes in mind to make. The recent frigid weather that has blanketed most of the country in ice and snow parked itself over Florida as well and brought us record breaking lows in the upper 20's with some daytime highs not getting past the mid-40's. What better way to spend an afternoon warming up in the kitchen with my little one (my baking assistant) than making cinnamon rolls?

Dough:
1/2 cup organic skim milk
4 T. organic unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 1/4 tsp. yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup organic evaporated cane crystals (or sugar)
2 large organic eggs
1 tsp. sea salt
3 3/4 cups organic whole wheat pastry flour

Combine milk and butter in a small glass bowl; microwave until butter is melted and set aside. Combine the yeast and water in the bowl of a stand mixer and let sit for 5 minutes (mixture should be foamy). Attach dough hook to mixer. Add sugar and eggs to bowl; mix on low speed to blend. Add milk and butter mixture, salt, and about half the pastry flour. Blend to thoroughly combine then slowly add the remaining pastry flour. Blend well then allow the mixer to knead the dough for about 10 minutes (dough will pull away from the sides of the bowl). Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand slightly. Place dough in a well-oiled large bowl (I use organic extra virgin olive oil), cover with a clean towel, and allow to rise for 2.5 hours (should be double in size).


Filling:
1/3 cup organic cane crystals (or sugar)
4 tsp. organic ground cinnamon

Punch down dough and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Butter a 13x9-inch baking dish then thoroughly mix filling ingredients in a small glass bowl. Roll dough out into a large rectangle (about 12x18 inches), brush with organic skim milk and sprinkle evenly with filling mixture. Roll the dough up into a log starting from one of the long sides. Pinch dough to seal the seam, but do not seal the ends. Cut the dough into twelve equal portions using a serated bread knife; place in the prepared baking dish cut side up (4 rows, 3 rolls in each row). Cover with clean towels and allow to rise for 1 hour. Bake for 25 minutes at 350*. Remove baking dish from oven and allow to cool for 20 to 30 minutes.


Icing:
2 T. organic skim milk
1/2 tsp. organic vanilla
1 cup organic powdered sugar, sifted

Combine and blend well. Carefully flip rolls (they will all be attached) out of pan and place upright on a large cutting board. Drizzle icing over the top of all ... pull the rolls apart and enjoy!