Cookie Fractions

We did a little math activity today from A Collection of Math Lessons by Marilyn Burns. I gave each kid 6 "cookies" (paper circles) and a math problem: "If you had to share these cookies with 6 people how many would each person get?" That was an easy one. Then they had to figure it out for 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 people and draw/write down their results. That was enough for most of the kids, but Braedi and I took it further. We talked about how to write the fractions, we looked at patterns, added a few fractions together (discussing least common denominator and stuff like that), divided cookies between different amounts of people and made a fraction chart and put it in order of least to greatest. It was neat for me. I'm not a big math person. I like math, but I don't GET a lot of it. It's hard for me to visualize a lot of it. But today I was getting it and it was fun! I'm not sure if Braedi felt the same. . .

This Week's Menu Plan

I'm just going to post the menu ideas. If you want the recipes post a comment and I'll share. But it's too much work to just do it for me.

Sunday--Chili and corn bread
Monday--Chicken and Dumplings
Tuesday--Ham and Cheese Calzones
Wednesday--Hamburger Noodle Bake
Thursday--Tuna Noodle Casserole
Friday--Date Night
Saturday--Pasta Salad

Christmas from New Zealand

Auntie Ko has been in New Zealand for a few months and the kids miss her tons. They just got a late Christmas package from her and Matt. The oldest 4 got a set of pencils, Braedi and Corbin got a journal, Dyllan got some earrings and a necklace, Ephram got a T-shirt with a Mauri war chant, and Faythe got a little stuffed animal with a purse. The earrings and journals have a cool shell on them. Kosette also sent some shells for all the girl cousins to make into jewelry. Neat stuff!

More Dinner Ideas

Thursday's dinner wasn't very good. It was supposed to be BBQ pork sandwiches, but I wasn't in the mood for a sandwich. I already had the shredded pork defrosting so I had to find something to make with it. I kind of improvised and that is probably why it didn't taste good. I found a recipe for Mexican Style Shredded Pork that was served with a yummy sounding rice dish. So, I made the rice, added the pork and topped it with some left over enchilada sauce. I think the rice was the bad part. If someone has a better way to make this kind of rice, please share.

1 1/2 c. rice
1/4 c. lime juice
1/4 c. cilantro
2 3/4 c. water

Bring rice and water to a boil. Add lime juice and cilantro. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes.

For dinner on Friday we had Chili-Beef Tacos. These were much yummier than meal the day before.

2 T. chili powder or Mexican seasoning
1/2 t. cumin seed
1 t. olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz uncooked lean ground beef
8 oz canned tomato sauce
8 oz canned kidney beans, rinsed and drained (I used pinto)
8 small store-bought taco shells
4 T. reduced-fat sour cream
4 t. cilantro, chopped

Toast chili powder and cumin in a medium skillet over medium heat until fragrant. Add oil to skillet and heat; add onion and cook until tender,. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add beef and cook until cooked through. Add tomato sauce and beans, cook until heated through.

To assemble: fill each taco shell with 1/4 c. beef mixture; top each with 1/2 T of sour cream and 1/2 t. of cilantro.

Yield: 2 tacos per serving.
Points Plus 7 (more with cheese)

I made mine into a salad. I added lettuce and tomatoes and a little bit of shredded cheese and some salsa. Instead of taco shells I baked a tortilla that I cut into strips until crispy.

Sorry, no picture.

Tonight's dinner was even a hit with the kids--Ravioli Primavera.

4 c. frozen cheese ravioli
1 package frozen Italian vegetables, thawed (I used a fiesta package--I'm sure almost any type of frozen veggie will work)
1/4 c. olive oil (I omitted--I just sprayed the pan with Pam)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c. vegetable of chicken broth
2 T. fresh minced parsley
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper

--Prepare ravioli according to package directions.
--Meanwhile, in a skillet, saute vegetables in oil for 3 minutes or until tender. Add garlic, saute for 1 minute or until tender.
--Stir in broth. Simmer, uncovered, for 2 minutes.
--Stir in the parsley, salt and pepper; cook 2 minutes longer or until vegetables are tender.
--Drain pasta. Add to vegetable mixture; toss to coat.

Yield: 4 servings
Points Plus: 10 with oil, 7 without

When Life Gives You Lemons. . .

. . .make lemonade! A few weeks ago, my friend's grandma needed to get rid of some lemons. We were happy to take a bunch off her hands. Today we finally got around to juicing them. We like to make a concentrate and freeze it so we can have "fresh" squeezed lemonade through out the year.

To make concentrate:
1. Squeeze the lemons
2. Add 1 cup sugar to 1 cup warm water and dissolve.
3. Stir in 1 cup lemon juice.
4. Pour into a ziploc bag, lay flat on a cookie sheet and freeze.

To make lemonade:
1. Defrost bag in fridge.
2. Dump contents into a 1/2 gallon picture.
3. Fill picture with water and/or ice until full.
Opt. Add strawberries or raspberries.

Dyllan and Ephram were my helpers with this project.

Wednesday Dinner

This recipe is for individual servings. Just increase it for how many people you want to serve.

Oriental Beef (or Chicken) and Broccoli

3 1/2 oz beef (or chicken) in chunks
1 Tbl. soy sauce
1 Tbl. vinegar
1 Tbl. brown sugar
1 clove minced garlic
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper

1 Tbl. water
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch

1/4 med. carrot, sliced
1 c. broccoli

--Stir together first 5 ingredients (after meat) then add meat. Cover and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
--Cook meat and sauce in a skillet until meat is no longer pink.
--Add veggies and cook until tender
--Stir cornstarch and water. Add to skillet and stir until thickened.

Option: Serve over rice.
Points Plus: 5 (with out rice)

The Crusades

Our kids were sick the end of December/begining of January so we had to miss attending our history co-op. Instead we read the book at home and did our own activity. We learned a little about the Crusades--the Muslims and Christians and Jews all fighting for Jerusalem. Corbin wanted to act out the fighting. He is a Muslim (notice the turbin) and I was a Christian (but I didn't have a cross to hold) and I guess that makes Braedi a Jew.

Mother/Daughter Service Project

A while back I talked about how Braedi and I spend one night a week working on activities for her Faith in God book. Our most recent activity was to plan and hold a parent-child activity. Some ideas were a picnic, hike or service project. We chose to do a service project. We decided tying fleece blankets for a shelter would be easy and fun. Braedi picked a few girls from her activity day group and invited them and their moms to attend. We bought the material and prepared it by cutting strips (fringe) on the edges. Tonight was the big night. We got together at the church, visited and tied. It was fun. I enjoy the one-on-one time I get to spend with Braedi working on these goals. Corbin can't wait until he's 8 and he gets to work on his Faith in God book with me.

I forgot to take pictures of the activity tonight, but here is one of Braedi cutting the strips.

Tuesday Night Dinner

We had a spin on the traditional sloppy joes for dinner tonight.

Southwestern Sloppy Joes
1 T. oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded, chopped (I omitted)
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp oregano
3/4 pounds uncooked ground turkey breast
7 oz canned corn with red and green peppers (mexicorn), rinsed and drained
1 1/2 c. salsa
1 T. brown sugar, packed
4 light hamburger rolls, split

--Heat a large skillet over med-high heat. Swirl in the oil, then add the onion, garlic and jalapeno. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes.
--Add the chili powder and oregano, and cook 1 minute more.
--Add the turkey and corn, and cook until the mixture is nearly dry, about 4 minutes.
--Stir in the salsa and sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and the turkey is cook through, 4-5 minutes longer.
--Spoon over the opened rolls and serve.
Servings: 4
Points Plus: 8

I forgot to take a picture of it on the bun and the leftovers don't look too appealing, but it was really good and easy.
On Monday we just had hamburgers and veggie burgers. They were from a package so I don't have a recipe to share. I like the Morning Star brand the best. A few months ago when hamburger was on sale, I borrowed one of those cool hamburger patty masher things from a friend a made a bunch of hamburger patties to freeze.

Menu Idea

Yesterday I was complaining on Facebook about how I hate to plan menus, but having a plan makes cooking dinner so much easier. I'm always complaining about this and it doesn't seem to get any easier. I don't really like to cook, so simple recipes are the best. My kids are picky and Jonathan doesn't like to eat the same thing over and over. I've tried to have a plan of certain types of foods on certain days--Monday is chicken, Tuesday is pasta, etc. That helps a little. Anyway, my Facebook friends agreed with my plight, saying that they are in the same boat, and asked that I post some of my menu plans to help them. So here is my plan for the week. I'll try to post recipes daily with pictures (a recipe always sounds better when there is a picture to go with it). I will usually include a veggie and/or salad with dinner, but you will be on your own for that part.

Sunday--Turkey (chicken) tetrazinni
Monday--Veggieburger with cheese
Tuesday--Southwest Sloppy Joes
Wednesday--Chicken and Broccoli Stir-fry with Rice
Thursday--BBQ Pork sandwich
Friday--Chili Beef Tacos
Saturday--Ravioli Primavera

Turkey Tetrazzini
8 oz uncooked spaghetti, broken into pieces
3 c. turkey, cubed (I used canned chicken)
20 oz (2 cans) reduced fat cream of mushroom soup
1 c. low-fat milk
2 2/3 romano cheese, grated
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 c. bread crumbs (I used cornflakes because I was out of bread crumbs)
2 Tbl. butter, melted

--Cook spaghetti according to package directios. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine turkey, soup, milk, cheese, and spices. Add cooked spaghetti and toss well.
--In a seperate bowl combine melted butter with bread crumbs .
--Transfer to a greased 8-in. square baking dish. Sprinkle with bread crumb mixture.
--Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
Yield: 8 sevings at 1 cup each
Power Points: 9 each serving

PS It was yummy!

Corbin's Beta Fish

Yesterday Jonathan took Corbin to buy the beta fish that he's been waiting for. They found a small bowl at Goodwill and bought the fish at Pratt's Pets (one of the best pet stores). The first day it was named Blue Beard, but today he changed the name to Blueberry. We'll see what it's name is tomorrow.

Square Dancing

Today for PE one of the moms taught the kids how to square dance. My kids were a little shy and apprehensive at first, but they got into it. The mom (Nikki) lined the kids up by height and paired up the boys and girls. Corbin and Dyllan refused their partners so they became each others partner. Braedi was fine with her partner until they had to "bow to your corner" and do other stuff with another partner. When it was time for Dyllan and Corbin to "swing your corner" they were comfortable with the whole thing that they didn't flinch. The whole thing brought back memories of PE in high school. It was cute to watch.

Service Project

For the past 3 Christmases, Jack and Lola (Jonathan's parents) ask for a service project instead of a gift. This year Christy's family and my family joined forces. Our inspiration came from our experience at Time Out for Women this past October. We listened to a sister from Sierra-Leone, Africa tell of her experience in a war-torn country. She talked about how she got a hygiene kit from the church and how it helped her. Her story inspired the Deseret Book people to do a service project. They enlisted the help of the people attending the conference. We were asked to bring specific items (depending on the first letter of our last name), then we put together kits to donate to a women's shelter. When Christy and I were shopping for our items, I (we) complained about how much it cost and unfortunately only donated a small amount. After hearing the African lady talk I was ashamed of how grumpily I donated. It also made me very grateful for what I have. I wanted to make up for what I had done. Christy and I decided to donate to a women's shelter that her ward sponsors. We found out about their needs and did what we could to fulfill them. One of the things they needed was toilet paper. I sent out emails to friends and posted on Facebook and got lots of rolls. Christy had a party and people had to bring toilet paper if they came. We also put together gift bags for the women at the shelter and Great-Grandpa Jones donated some homemade cars for the kids. We loaded all the stuff in the back of my van and delivered it to a "secret spot". I was very glad to be able to help the people at the shelter. I love the opportunity that we have to do a service project every year.

We Love Our Swing Set

My dad and I had been scouring craigslist for wooden swing sets. We'd find a good deal on one and call and it would already be gone. This happened a couple of times. On this particular set, I called on it and the guy said that someone said he was going to buy it sight unseen, he just needed to get a hold of a trailer. I asked how long he was willing to wait for that guy? He took my number and said he'd call if the guy didn't come get by that evening. When he didn't call the next day I figured it was sold. But then I got a phone call later that evening and he said he wasn't willing to wait any longer and the first person to come by with money could have it. We went by the next morning, liked it and bought it. YEAH!!! My dad and Jonathan spent all day taking it apart and putting it back together. Too bad it was the day that snowed. They were champs to stay out there in the freezing weather. The kids have been waiting for some warmer weather to play on it and had a little chance today.