Happy Ressurection Day Muffins!

Traditions are so important in families. They tie memories together and create regularly and a sense of predictability. As any family our family traditions have developed over the years. On Easter we always have a breakfast of eggs and homemade, fresh out the the oven oatmeal muffins. But, these muffins have a slight twist. The eggs and the muffins are in one tidy package, baked together at the same time making a memorable portable breakfast to take out on a morning sunrise service or just enjoyed at home. Every year we color raw eggs and pop those in the muffins or mark some Easter message on the tops of the whole white eggs once they come out of the oven. Either way they make a pretty picture and we plan on taking them to church with us tomorrow for some friends. Enjoy!

Nestled Egg Muffins

2 1/2 cups whole wheat (or other) flour
2 c flaked oats
1/2 cup brown sugar (I use honey)
5 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 eggs (to go in the batter)
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 cup oil coconut is best- but olive works well. (Other oils should never be heated)
1 cup raisins
18 small whole white eggs. I have used large eggs but if you can find medium or small eggs they work best depending on the size of your muffins tins.

In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients.

In a mixing bowl, beat 2 eggs well and blend in milk, oil, and raisins. Add to dry ingredients, stirring till just moistened.

Spoon into 18 greased muffin tins equally-(they should not be very full) Press 1 egg, colored or not, but still raw into each cup and let sit about half or 2/3 deep into the dough.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 min or till done.

The eggs will probably be cooked to perfection, maybe better than you have ever done them on the stove top - not grey lined which seems to be the risk on the stove. Serve with butter and jam for the muffin and salt for the egg.

Happy Easter!

Classical and Lifestyle of Learning compared.

Many new homeschool parents are confused and overwhelmed by the multitude of terms used to describe the different approaches to Home education. A thorough understanding is not necessary to start a wonderful education in your home but a reasonable scanning of the terms used and their major belief premises are very beneficial to parents as they try and hone their own style and belief system. There is not one right way, but as you learn and grow you will be able to focus on what works for you and your particular family.

Below is an brief comparison of Trivium (Classical), Public school and Lifestyle of Learning "methods". Notice the variances of activities at different ages and readiness emphasis in both Trivium and the LOL approaches as compared to Public School.

Birth to 5
Trivium says - nothing (other than real life experiences and building of character)
PS says - Preschool
LOL says - readiness activities.

5-7 years old Preoperational
Trivium says - Basic skills, (reading writing, math)
Public school says - kindergarten through grade two
LOL says - preparing phonics, learning to write, copy work. Establish the use of identification books, field guides. Begin collections,with simple notebook collections. 20 min table time (pencil in hand-focused)

8-10 years Concrete operational
Trivium says - grammar stage
Public school says - grades 3-5
LOL says - collections, compositions, and grammar use. Library skills, more references and special projects. Begin journaling and independent reading. Continue copy work.
30 min table time

11-13 years Formal Operational
Trivium says - dialectic stage, deductive reasoning.
Public school says - grades 6-8
LOL says - thinking, logic, reasoning. Begin math studies. Increase detail. Initiate bible study independently. Continue journaling, encourage goal setting.
45 min table time

14-15 years
Trivium says - rhetoric stage, expressing yourself
Public school says - 9 -10th grades
LOL says - speaking, writing, in depth Bible study, writing projects, eg, family newsletter. Continue studies in areas the student is most interested in. Core subjects as appropriate. (a computer programmer needs little biology)
60 min table time

16 - 18 years
Trivium says - quadrium subjects, university studies, very focused.
PS says - grades 11-12 still general and compulsory studies.
LOL says - functioning at an adult level in areas you have been pursuing already and intend on spending a lifetime learning new and wonderful things daily. It's all in the heart. Table time varies as per study and goals.

Baked Oatmeal-Yum!

Stephanie (my daughter in law) made a wonderful baked oatmeal breakfast while we were at her house last weekend. What I really liked about it was she has adapted it to presoaking so the phylates are minimized (increases digestablilty) I've posted it below for you to try. This is directly quoted from her Keeper of the Home Blog.

A new dish that we've been thoroughly enjoying lately is a variation of the Baked Oatmeal that Crystal posted a little while back. I wanted to adapt the recipe for overnight soaking, so this is how I do it:

1 cup oil (I often do this 1/2 butter and 1/2 oil- you can use coconut oil as well, instead of olive)

1 cup sugar (I use honey- about 1/2- 3/4 cup. Because we also add fruit, this seems to be enough sweetness for us)

4 eggs

6 cups oats

4 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon (a bit more cinnamon is good, too!)

2 cups milk (I substitute this with about half and even up to all yogurt, kefir or buttermilk if I have them, for better soaking results, although I have used milk with added whey or apple cider vinegar in a pinch)

Variations: Adding chopped apples or raisins (or both) before baking is a
wonderful addition, almost like eating dessert for breakfast!

1) Prepare (oil) a 9x13 pan. Mix oats well with milk/yogurt mixture (or whatever substitutions you are using). Let soak in pan overnight. Since I
usually use about half milk, I leave it to soak in the fridge (rather than just
on the counter). This isn't quite as good as the soaking process, but it's much,
much better than not soaking it at all.

2) Bake at 375° for 30-40 minutes until lightly browned.

3) We pour raw milk or cream, and add raisins or other fruit (if not added during baking) before eating.

Enjoy!

We have just returned from a wonderful family trip up north to see our two married children and their families just over the Canadian border. It is always such a delight for me as a mom and grandma to visit my children and to see the newest developments in Abbie (3) and the two babies, Caden, 10 months, (Ryan and Stephanies second), and Gabriel, 7 months, (Tim and Amy's first) I had a great time just watching and holding my two babies learn new things and progress in their development. How I miss them all.
Caden- a spittin' image of his Daddy at that age-(My son) He is 10 months now and really cutting some sharp teeth but we did manage to get some smiles out of him this time.
Gabriel ( 7 months) is a going concern. He never stops moving, ever. Even if it is just his hands or his feet while nursing. Whenever he is not so preoccupied he is rolling and twisting and just about crawling. He has a lovely smile but he just kept hidding it that day.





Okay, enough boasting in my grandchildren. Back to work on a really good post coming up next!

Raw Passion to Learn

The passion to learn- It is born in each one of us and yet for some reason it seems to mysteriously disappear somewhere around the teenage years or before. Well, isn't that just to be expected? After all he/she is a teenager now and it's expected to go through a hard time, even rebellion because ...well, they are teenagers now.

I challenge you to think again.

Perhaps the expected passages of time may just be a predictable reaction to the injustices and dysfunction of our culture. Parenting is not what it used to be and certainly schooling is not either by any stretch of the imagination. In years gone by parents expected to teach and train their own children, in discipline and morals and even in 2+ 2 =4. But today, we have all learned or been taught to let experts do it for us, so it can be done right! They have been to school (dead giveaway) for many years to learn how to teach and so therefore since we as parents have not, (probably) we simply cannot know how to teach or, better put, get out of the way and let our children learn.
We are all born with that innate desire to learn. Just look at a baby. Have you ever seen a teenager just starting to learn to walk because he just didn't have the desire to learn or that no one taught him in the art of walking properly? How ridiculous a thought? Parents, you are the best, God ordained, teachers and trainers of your children. Once understood and fully grasped, this concept can revolutionize your perspective.

My daughter has a unique blog about her love of learning in the area of art,
I create because I must and a recent post about her baby's raw passion which I thought was insightful. You gotta read it.

Between each line is a mother's pride and a grandma's joy in a really cute and bright baby!

Remember ladies, you are not only raising your children, you are also raising your grandchildren. Your grown children will parent in your grace and style - if it is honorable - and someone else's if it was not. Either way, your influence can be enormous.... for generations to come.

PS My daugher sketched the picture in this post. Pretty good, eh? (The Canadian in me comes through everyone once in a while!)

Grace Based Parenting

I believe in grace based parenting but in my many attempts at explaining exactly what I mean by that, I fall short in my meager explanations.(maybe because I have not mastered it myself) Until now. I came across a marvelous example of what grace based parenting is through a wonderful living book called Little Women by Lousia May Alcott. If your daughter has not read it she should and if you have a chance to read it aloud, even better. Chapter 8 has a marvelous example of how a loving mother tenderly leads her daughter, who is quick-tempered and unforgiving, through listening to her, validating her, sharing honestly before her, loving her, and leading her to relationship with her Father-God.

Lord, help each of us moms (me in the formost) to learn how to parent with grace and lead our children to relationship with You... AND thank you Lord for my friend, Linda,for bringing this book to my attention. Thanks Linda, you are a never ending source of inspiration!

Rainy days on Monday's always get me down.

Do anyone of you ever have those rainy day Monday blues? A day of uninspired apathy? After having a great week last week and really making some headway on routines, then enjoying a busy weekend and all seemed to come unglued today. Everything seemed to crash. Nobody wants to do anything except curl up and watch TV all day (not that we ever do that)

I have noticed this phenomenon occur time and again at our house and I have come to "not expect much on Monday." It kind of bothers me accepting this lackadaisical attitude and quite honestly I have fought it with a vengeance in the past only to make matters worse in the end. But lets face it, Mondays are back to routine, and for most of us that means work, an uphill climb in discipline and after having a lot of fun enjoying sweet fellowship on Sunday, Mondays just seem to be a let down. So why fight it?

Today, we got up a little late due to the time change in the clocks and after quiet time and then morning devotions we read three chapters of, Whatever Happened to Justice from Bluestocking Press, and then curled up and watched a movie/documentary called Darwin's' Deadly Legacy. Afterward I started sewing a period costume for Jonathan and he in turn read aloud to me, "Are you Liberal, Conservative or Confused." Graydon worked on his blog and in the evening the boys worked on their Mission Impossible movie that they are producing. That is not entirely a write off day and we should not feel like a day has been wasted. Rainy days on Mondays can allow for a day off and productive free time can still produce much learning. A true free lifestyle of learning can embrace the occasional rainy day Monday as long as it doesn't get you down. Tomorrow we'll be better equipped to get back to the routine. Have a great day on Terrific Tuesday.