so, how's home school going? + granola revamp

Big, fat disclaimer before I begin: I realize that home schooling is not for everyone. It is not for every kid, every parent, or every family. I am also aware that some parents may wish to home school, and are not able. I realize that this is a special blessing for our family, and I am so grateful. I also believe there are seasons for everything, and this may not last for every child in our family through their entire education. We are taking it year by year and kid by kid.

Since September, friends have been asking me how home school is going. Which is a very reasonable question. I just never really know how to answer.

There is all the logistical information- curriculum, schedule (spoiler alert: we don't have one), co-ops, etc.
And then there is the academic: how are the kids doing with their studies? Which I think the answer would be: just great!

But what I believe people are actually asking is: are you surviving? Are you going crazy? Do you wish you had not made the decision to home school, or are you seriously happy about it?

And the honest answer is this: I truly love it. I love being home with my kids, I love teaching them, I love having a flexible schedule, I love watching the relationships between them deepening, I love getting to choose what they learn and learning along with them- I love it all.

Of course, we have difficulties. They are not perfect kids, and I am a looooooong way off from perfection as well. It can be hard to stay on task, or to even convince them to begin their work, and I have second-guessed myself quite a bit (am I really qualified to do this? am I out of my mind?); they become frustrated with me, and I with them. Consequently, so much of this year has been working on character- theirs and mine. And it has been so, so good.

But anyway, here is a granola recipe I posted originally almost eight years ago. It has been adjusted to serve our family for two meals, plus maybe a snack for a couple kids, and also I have made the baking instructions slightly less finicky.

Feelin' the Love Granola
Makes a lot. But only enough for about 2 or 3 servings for our family of 6.

8 cups old fashioned rolled oats
2 tbsp whole ground flaxseed meal
2 tbsp hemp seeds
2 tbsp chia seeds
1/2 tsp cinnamon*
1/4 tsp nutmeg (freshly ground is best, of course)
pinch of sea salt
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup pecans
3/4 cup vegetable oil (I like avocado best, olive oil and canola work here too)
3/4 cup real maple syrup
cooking spray
3/4 cup unsweetened coconut shavings (I prefer the large shavings over the small shreds)
1/2 cup craisins (or chopped dates, or raisins), optional

Preheat oven to 300. Combine oats, seeds, spices, salt, and nuts in a bowl and sir. Drizzle in oil and syrup, stir to coat. Spread mixture evenly over two non-stick rimmed baking sheets (if you do not have non-stick, just coat the pans with cooking spray beforehand). Bake for 20 minutes, then remove and stir, making sure the edges that are getting crisp are mixed in, and the raw oats in the middle are getting their chance to bake. Bake another 15 minutes, stir. Add coconut. Bake 7 minutes. At this point, you can remove the granola if it is done to your liking, or stir and bake in 5 minute increments, so that it doesn't brown too much or dry out, but also gets crisp enough.
Remove from the oven and add dried fruit.
Sprinkle over fruit and yogurt, eat with milk, or just plain. Enjoy!

* pretty sure I use way more than this, I never measure my spices (really helpful side note, huh?)

 

a hazy day breakfast and activity

Over here in the greater Portland area, we have been experiencing some nasty smoke blowing up from California and down from BC.

It breaks my heart thinking of how bad it has been in the areas affected by the dreadful fires and all the people who have lost their homes.

Sorry, not such a cheery start to a post...

Anyway, we have not been taking the warnings about unhealthy air conditions too seriously, but after a park play date yesterday morning that left me with a sore throat and headache, I figured its time to quarantine us inside the house for a day.

Perhaps it was similar ailments (or perhaps just the two bottom molars that have been cutting through her gums for the past few weeks) which plagued Natalie last night, and woke us up for good around five this morning.

Lane finally got out of bed to shower and head to work at 5:30, and I rolled out when I was sure Nat had fallen back asleep for good around six.
Thankfully, this gave me time to myself to make breakfast, listen to the Bible, drink my (first) cup of coffee, and prepare a little activity for the kids.

And by "prepare" I just mean that I unfolded a big cardboard box, took out our bin of small toy cars, and set out some crayons, markers, and colored pencils. When the kids woke up we made a town, complete with roads, a coffee shop, BurgerVille, gas station, police office, houses, etc. (Judah contributed "dino statues" around the town)

The best part is that it starts out as an art project that takes imagination and creativity, and then turns into a big game of cars (usually involving "bad guy cars" and all the emergency vehicles).

Also, there was breakfast.
I usually start my day with a protein shake, and the kids have oatmeal or pancakes, or half shakes and toast. But this morning I had extra time, and I needed to use up the bread heels that had been accumulating in our fridge.

The great thing about French toast casserole is that it is super forgiving- you just throw in some ingredients, bake it, and it usually turns out great! It is also really filling. Like, really filling. Almost uncomfortably-full kind of filling (clearly, I ate too much of it)...
Here is the version I made this morning:

10 or 11 slices of bread (I used almost all whole wheat heels, plus a half hamburger bun thrown in for good measure)
1/4 cup butter + a couple more tablespoons for dotting the top
1 1/4 cup frozen blueberries
6 eggs
generous sprinkle cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cup milk (maybe another 1/4 cup, depending on the heartiness of the bread you use)
2/3 cup brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place butter in a 9x13 casserole dish and stick it in the oven to melt. While it melts, cut bread into cubes. Take the dish out of the oven and swirl the butter to coat sides. Then place bread and remaining ingredients in the dish, mixing to coat everything well with wet ingredients.
Dot with remaining butter and bake until the egg is cooked through in the middle, but bread is not burning, about 30 to 40 minutes.
Enjoy!

Update: the haze has lifted! Now, I have to pack for camping this weekend!

PS seven years ago
Also, if you want an outdoor car activity.

simple make ahead egg sandwiches

We recently bought three dozen gorgeous local eggs laid by happy chickens, so we have been all egg crazy over here, making all sorts of yummy egg dishes with these colorful eggs and their bright, huge yolks that sit so high...

Anyway, I was telling my egg dealer (hi, Amy!) about this super simple casserole that I pre-made and we heat up one little square at a time to make an egg sandwich out of and she wanted the recipe. Unfortunately, I don't really do recipes, I just kind of wing it. So, for her and for myself I decided to make it again and write it down this time.

16 eggs
splash milk (2 tbsp?)
1/2 cup bacon bits (maybe 4 slices? I used turkey bacon)
2 chopped green onions (chives would also be delicious)
plenty of freshly ground black peppper
tiny pinch of salt (the bacon and cheese will already make it salty enough!)

Whisk all the ingredients together and pour into a 9x13 glass dish sprayed well with cooking spray.
I baked it in a 375 degree oven (convection setting) for about 20 minutes. Then I cut it into squares (I think I got about 15), set a slice of cheese on top of each square, and wrapped them individually in saran wrap.

I keep them in a bowl in the fridge next to the english muffins. Any time anyone wants one, they simply toast the muffin and microwave the egg for about 30 seconds, then make their little sandwich. They are perfect for an easy breakfast, but my kids also love them for snack.

And the best part? My five-year-old can make his own!

the best oatmeal ever (yes, ever)

Strangely enough, I was never served oatmeal as a kid. At least, never any memorable oatmeal.

It was in college that I really fell in love with oatmeal. So filling. So versatile. So cheap.

 About once a year I overdose on oatmeal and vow to never eat another bowl. But then, usually about a week later, I remind myself how easy and inexpensive it is, and how, if you make it correctly, it tastes just like dessert.

 The Best Oatmeal Ever

5 cups water
pinch salt
2 cups old fashioned oats
1/3 cup 10-grain hot cereal (I use Bob's Red Mill)
3 tbsp coconut oil
3 tbsp brown sugar
1 heaping cup frozen berries
1/2 cup greek yogurt (or Nancy's vanilla, oh yum)
nuts (such as almonds, pecans, or walnuts) and ground flax meal for serving

Heat water over the highest heat you have, adding the pinch of salt when it gets close to boiling. Stir in oats and hot cereal. Turn heat down one click (on my stove I turn the "10" down to a "9")

Cook oatmeal, stirring frequently, until water is dissolved, about 20 minutes. Turn the heat to low and stir in coconut oil until it has melted. Stir in brown sugar, then berries; then remove from heat and stir in yogurt.
Spoon into bowls and sprinkle nuts and flax meal on top, if desired.

Enjoy!
Ashley

strawberry lemon oat muffins

Over the past couple years, my free time for baking has been drastically reduced.

When James was a baby I would clean, cook, and bake during his nap times. Once he actually started (kind of) going to bed at a decent time at night I could stay up late and bake every once in a while. Then came Eleanor.

Newborns really never allow any down time to bake. Pretty much any time Elle is sleeping I am frantically trying to catch up on house work or sleep. But, as Elle is moving out of the newborn stage and starting to take (slightly) more regular naps, I sometimes plop James on the counter and have him "help" me with my baking.

Now that I am expecting baby number three, I often use Eleanor's nap times as a "rest time" (aka Chuck the Truck) for James and nap time for me. I am just so exhausted all the time.

The other day was an exception to the norm, however. James had been a crank all day long and hadn't slept well the night before, so I had him take a nap. Of course, the kiddos didn't coordinate their naps because that would have been too convenient, so Elle was up with me while brother slept.

I decided to bake anyway.

I plopped Eleanor on the counter, gave her some measuring cups, and let her cover herself with flour and oats. It was great. Unlike James, my high-maintenance baking buddy, we didn't have to spend ten minutes deciding which apron to wear, she didn't notice when I poured almost all the ingredients in myself, and she didn't even try to eat the batter like James always does.

         

     

Best of all, I didn't have to stay up late into the night making these muffins that I had dreamed up.

Strawberry Lemon Oat Muffins
makes one dozen muffins

1 1/2 c flour (I used 1 cup whole wheat and 1/2 cup all-purpose)
1/2 c oat flour (I just whirl up some oats in my food processor)
1/2 c old-fashioned oats
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
zest of 1 lemon
1/2 c coconut oil
3/4 brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 c yogurt*
1/3 c freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 very juicy lemon, or 2 small lemons)
1 1/2 c diced strawberries
a couple tablespoons turbinado sugar

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray or grease with coconut oil.
Combine first seven ingredients (flours through lemon zest) in a medium bowl, set aside.
Melt the coconut oil and place in a large bowl. Whisk in the brown sugar, eggs one at a time, yogurt, and lemon juice. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Gently fold in strawberries.
Scoop batter into the prepared muffin tin. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Let sit in the tin for a couple minutes before running a knife around the muffins and removing them from the tin. Let cool completely on a wire rack, or eat them while nice and warm.

*plain, vanilla, or lemon should work; if it is sweetened you may want to reduce the brown sugar by a couple tablespoons

Enjoy!
Ashley

the perfect dutch baby pancake

When I was a kid my parents sent me up to Washington to see my relatives every summer.
I stayed with my aunt, uncle, and two cousins. My girl cousin, Joscelyn, is just a few years younger than me (I?). We would run around outside on imaginary horses, play with our American Girl dolls, and eat "powdered sugar breakfast" for breakfast.

It was not until high school that I learned the true name of this dessert item that you can eat for breakfast (the best kind) is actually a dutch baby pancake.

I was feeling a little nostalgic about this treat a few weeks ago and tried a few recipes. They all fell flat, literally. They would not puff up like they are supposed to. Suddenly a ingenious idea came to me: call my mom and ask her for Aunt Terre's recipe. It never disappoints.

The original recipe called just for "vanilla and sugar" so I came up with the amounts, which can be adjusted of course. Aunt Terre's recipe also called for 1/3 cup of butter, but I reduced it by half to 3 tbsp. (Sorry, Aunt Terre, but I didn't inherit the super-thin gene that everyone else on my Mom's side of the family has, apparently. Blast.)

The Perfect Dutch Baby Pancake
3 tbsp butter
1 c flour
1 c milk
4 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla
1 tbsp sugar
powdered sugar (for topping)- not optional, this is a must
berries (for topping)- optional, but highly recommended

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Put butter in a ten inch (or the closest you have to it) oven-proof skillet and place it in the oven to melt the butter.
Combine the next five ingredients (flour through sugar) in the blender and blend until light colored and frothy (a couple minutes).
Remove your pan from the oven and swirl the butter around to coat the bottom and sides. Pour egg mixture in.
Return pan to oven and bake 15 minutes. Slice like a pizza, add toppings. Enjoy.

*a note on 4/15 (can you tell I've been into these lately?) I substituted 1/4 of the flour for whole wheat and it still puffed and tasted great. I would probably do up to half whole wheat. Also, amount of butter can be reduced or it can be substituted for coconut oil. Really, the adaptations are endless. I would love to hear what you think in the comments! Thanks!
*yet another note (this one on 10/16)... I have been making them with coconut oil and half whole wheat, and they are still amazingly delicious. Also, when made this way, I feel slightly better that a toddler, baby, and I can polish off the whole pan in one sitting.

This time, a year ago: Wooooo hooooo!

coconut encrusted french toast + cowboy hat easter baskets

Today it was supposed to be rainy and nasty. We had no plans, nothing to do, no where to go. But excitement must be made, right?

So we started the day with coconut encrusted french toast. I didn't even google it because I am sure there are a million recipes, but here's how I made ours:
Make the usual mixture of eggs and milk (or buttermilk, which is what I used).  Two eggs and a large sploosh of milk seems to be the right amount for three pieces of bread (I used ciabatta for James' toast and whole wheat for mine... guess whose was way better). Add vanilla, cinnamon, whatever you usually like. Heat your skillet to about medium. Melt some butter over it, then sprinkle it with coconut. Dunk the bread in the egg mixture, then lay it over the coconut. Sprinkle the up-facing side with coconut also. Cook as usual, making sure the egg gets fully cooked and the coconut gets nice and crusty. Serve with a light drizzle of real maple syrup and, if you're like our family, a pile of peanut butter for dipping. Enjoy!

After breakfast I decided I should spice up the day by giving James the Easter basket my mom (his Ya-ya) had left at our house for him. This was not your average Easter basket, however. My mom loves traditions, but can never, ever do them traditionally (she brought a lime-lemon grass rice dish to my first Thanksgiving with my in-laws). So the kid's Easter baskets were in cowboy hats.

 I set up a scavenger hunt for James with little clues all around the house. I was actually surprised how much he enjoyed it, and I think he was almost a little disappointed when it was over.

But he soon was tearing apart the "basket", playing with the toys and eating Easter egg gummies.

Eleanor received one as well with a little music box in it.

As for the day, well, it turned out exciting and sunny. Win-win.

Hats and toys from Finnegans, gummy treats from Trader Joe's

blueberry lime scones

The last 24 hours have been a bit chaotic around here because, as you may know since I keep bringing it up, we finally bought a house after our crazy house hunt, and I was informed Tuesday afternoon that a potential renter is coming to look at our rental house tomorrow morning.

Our landlords have been so amazing to us that I want the house to look perfect and be absolutely spotless when the possible renters come to take a look at it. Unfortunately, due to recent illness (and the fact that one of the current renters is a toddler) our house is the opposite of spotless. My list of "to-dos" for today was about a mile long and included, but was in no way limited to: "deep clean bathrooms, deep clean kitchen, sweep and scrub all floors"... on and on it went. I had plans to go visit my dad, but cancelled so that I could stay home and clean. By about dinner time I decided that the house was actually probably in worse shape than if we had been gone all day. I have been trying to think of something witty to write on our chalkboard that would explain the mess to the people who will be touring through our home, but all I can think of is simply writing "I wish I could say it doesn't always look like this."

I am definitely the type of person that adds things to my to-do lists that were not there originally, but I need the satisfaction of crossing them off. Over the last two days it has been things like: "play at the park, stay up way too late watch episodes of Monk when I should be cleaning or sleeping, make scones a third time in less than a week to make sure the recipe I made up is actually good"... which brings me to the real point of this post: the scones.

After making three batches, James and I have deemed the recipe "blog worthy" and so here it is. And, honestly, I'm not too sad that we had to experiment by making three batches (he helped with every one of them) when we should have been scrubbing the floors.

Blueberry Lime Scones
makes 8 good sized scones

2 cups flour (I used 1 all-purpose and 1 whole wheat pastry)
1/3 cup sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
zest of 1 or 2 limes
1/2 c butter, cold and cut into cubes
1/2 c milk (anything from heavy cream to soy milk will work)
1 egg
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 c blueberries (I used frozen and tried to remove excess moisture)
1 tbsp turbinado sugar (sugar in the raw)

Place dry ingredients (flour through lime zest) into a food processor and pulse until mixed well. Add butter and pulse until a mixture resembling course sand has formed.

Beat the egg into the milk and pour into the dry ingredients, pulsing to incorporate. Add lime juice, mixing the  entire time. Gently stir blueberries into the dough.

Turn the dough out onto a well greased baking sheet and form into a round, flat shape, about 1 inch thick. Cut into 8 wedges and attempt to separate the wedges. (If this doesn't work, you can also remove after baking about 15 minutes and separate the wedges then.) Sprinkle evenly with the turbinado sugar. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until the scones are light brown on top. Serve warm. Enjoy.