What’s for dinner Wednesday

Nana’s Taco Soup

3 pounds ground chuck

2 large onions, chopped

6-8 ribs celery, chopped

2 buttons garlic, minced

2 cans stewed tomatoes (Mexican style)

1 can Ro-tel tomatoes

2 cans pinto beans

2 cans white shoe peg corn

2 envelopes taco seasoning

1 envelope Ranch buttermilk seasoning

Brown meat, onions, celery, and garlic until tender.  In a large pot, add meat mixture to tomatoes, beans, corn, and rotel.  Add seasonings.  Simmer about 30-45 minutes.  Serve with tortilla chips.  Garnish with sour cream and sharp grated cheese.

Delicious!

Happy Birthday Jesus Party – What’s For Dinner Wednesday

I threw a Happy Birthday Jesus party for our homeschool co-op class last week.  This is a party that I usually plan every year.  It varies from year to year and sometimes I have it at my house.  This year we blew up lots of balloons….sang Happy Birthday Jesus…..we made “gospels granolas”  and studied the different symbol meanings of Christmas.  I made this cake and it turned out really, really well.  I have done several versions and this is my favorite!  We had hats, steamers, horns, hot chocolate with candy cane stirrers and the cake.  It was such a great birthday party!  Here is the recipe for the cake:

A Birthday Cake for Jesus

From The Rush’d Lady Birthday Cake for Jesus 1 chocolate cake mix 1 white cake mix white frosting yellow, red, & green liquid food coloring 2 (8 or 9 inch) round cake pans large red candle taper box of small birthday candlesMix and bake chocolate cake mix according to box directions. Cool & flip out both. Wrap 1 layer and freeze for later use. Mix white cake according to box directions. Divide batter in half. Put several drops of red food coloring in one half and mix to desired shade. Pour in one round cake pan. In the other half of batter, drop in green food color & mix. Put in other cake pan. Bake, cool, & pop out. Stack first chocolate layer, frost with white frosting, next red layer, frost, and last green layer. Frost whole cake with white frosting. Decorate. To Decorate Jesus Birthday Cake Red & yellow food coloring or plastic decorations or stencils & red and yellow piping gelCake is round = because Jesus was born into a world that is round. 1st layer of cake = is brown for our sins. 2nd layer = is red for Jesus’ blood shed for our sins. 3rd layer = is green for life = ours in our new heart. Frosting is white = stands for Jesus’ purity & righteousness. Border of Hearts around cake sides = represents each one of us standing as witnesses for Jesus around the world. Gold Star in middle of cake top = star of Bethlehem = led wise men to Jesus. Star is 6 pointed =Star of David = Jewish nation in which Jesus is born. Yellow border around Star = Grace of God encircles us. Big Red candle in middle of star of David is Jesus. Light candle then read Christmas story out of Bible. Light each person’s small candles out of Jesus’ candle & carefully stick in cake. Let our lights shine before men! Sing Happy Birthday to Jesus. Take photographs for scrapbooks. Merry Christmas and a Very Happy New Year! ~The Rush’d Lady http://oldfashionedliving.com/holidays/cmascake.html

Walk Through Bethlehem

A friend of ours invited us to this event at their church.  It was so nice and meaningful for everyone!  There was a live nativity and even a place to dress as shepherds and men and women of Bethlehem and have pictures made!  The church served delicious  “shepherd’s stew” and potato soup.  The town of Bethlehem was so great….as we entered the gates we passed Roman soldiers and then stopped to sign the census….after that there were about twenty booths…olive oil pressing, potter’s wheel, dying cotton, wood chopping, bread baking, candle dipping, weaving, and more…..We had a great night!

What’s For Dinner Wednesday – Holidays

This is my late post from last Wednesday!:)  This is one of our favorite Christmas side dish recipes.  It is a very southern dish and I believe originated in the Junior League cookbook in Baton Rouge in the 70’s.  We have had it every year I can remember for Christmas.

Spinach Madeleine

Serves:   6 servings

Ingredients

• 2 packages frozen chopped spinach
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons chopped onion
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• 1/2 cup spinach liquid
• 1 (6-ounce) roll jalapeno cheese, cut into small pieces
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon celery salt

Directions

Cook spinach according to directions on package. Drain and reserve liquid. Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add flour, stirring until blended and smooth, but not brown. Add onion and cook until soft but not brown. Add evaporated milk and reserved spinach liquid slowly, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Cook until smooth and thick; continue stirring. Add the cheese, Worcestershire, black pepper, celery salt, garlic salt, red pepper, and salt, to taste. Stir until melted. Combine with cooked spinach. This may be served immediately or put into a casserole and topped with buttered bread crumbs. This flavor is improved if the latter is done and kept in the refrigerator overnight. This may also be frozen.

Handel Unit Study

 

This month in our homeschool co-op I have been teaching a unit on Handel.  We started off the program learning and reviewing the instruments in the symphony, the placement of the instruments, and the instrument families.  We listened to Peter and the Wolf and began to identify the different instruments.  I brought in my laptop and we listened to each instrument and to various pieces of Handel”s.  We focused on Messiah and Water Music.  We mapped Germany and England and made some Christmas crafts from both of these countries.  We learned that advent calenders originated in Germany and we made our own version using Hershey kisses. We also made some English crackers.We also had some snacks related to the Baroque period and England and Germany.  I also came up with a great BINGO game to help them learn all the great vocabulary words we learned.  They loved this activity!  We also made this stand-up symphony…it is best to use tag board.  This is a great individual activity.  Our family is actually going to the symphony to see Messiah this month.  We are all so excited!  These are some great links which we used in the study:

http://www.oklahomahomeschool.com/handel.html

http://www.sfskids.org/templates/event_list.asp?pageid=2

http://www.classicsforkids.com/

http://www.gfhandel.org/messiahlibretto.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Abcgpn2UTV8
http://www.dsokids.com/listen/InstrumentDetail.aspx?instrumentID=8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riFjgptO1Mc&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS3vpAWW2Zc&feature=related

I would love to hear your unit study or homeschool co-op ideas!

Oh Christmas Tree….Oh Christmas Tree…..

The Christmas tree is one of my favorite parts of Christmas….I love selecting the tree and putting up……stringing lots of lights and then sorting through all those wonderful decorations!  I love the way the house smells with a live tree!  After Christmas the tree goes off to be recycled and turned into mulch by the town.  The ornaments are a very fun part of our tree.   We have collected lots of special ornaments over the years and it is so fun to pull each one out and remember where we were when got the ornament.  We started a tradition a while back where we give each girl an ornament for Christmas and then when they leave and have their own home we can pass their collection of ornaments to them.  I always get one for myself too where I will be able to more easily part with ornaments!  We are planning to drink hot chocolate this year as we pull all our Christmas decorations for our “holiday” closet! 

Here are some interesting facts about Christmas trees:

Christmas Tree Facts

• Christmas Trees provide pleasant experiences filled with fun and fine spirit!
• Over 36 million American families enjoy the holidays with the fragrance and beauty of a real Christmas Tree every year.
• Choosing a real Christmas tree is a fun outing for the whole family and easy to do.
• Real Christmas trees are an all-American product, grown in all 50 states, including Alaska and Hawaii. Most artificial trees are manufactured in Korea, Taiwan, or Hong Kong.
• Real trees are a renewable, recyclable resource. Artificial trees contain non- biodegradable plastics and metals. Christmas Trees are the ultimate recyclable: Dead trees provide mulch, bird feeders, fish refuge and shore-up material for beach fronts.
• For every real Christmas tree harvested, 2 to 3 seedlings are planted in its place.
• There are about I million acres in production for growing Christmas trees. Each acre of farmed Christmas trees provides the daily oxygen needs of 18 people.
• There are about 15,000 Christmas tree growers in the US, and over 100,000 people employed full or part time in the industry.
• There are approximately 5,000 choose and cut farms in the US.
• It can take as many as 15 years to grow a tree of average retail sale height (6 feet), but the average growing time is 7 years.
• The top Christmas tree producing states are Oregon, Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, California, and North Carolina.
• The top selling Christmas trees are: Balsam fir, Douglas-fir, Fraser fir, Noble fir, Scotch pine, Virginia pine, and White pine.
• Christmas Trees enrich our earth, our hearts and our souls.
• Christmas Trees give us plenty of fun!

“Oh Christmas Tree“

1. O Christmas tree. O Christmas tree,
Thou tree most fair and lovely.
O Christmas tree. O Christmas tree,
Thou tree most fair and lovely.
The sight of thee at Christmas-tide
Spreads hope and gladness far and wide.
O Christmas tree. O Christmas tree,
Thou tree most fair and lovely.

2. O Christmas tree. O Christmas tree,
Thou hast a wondrous message.
O Christmas tree. O Christmas tree,
Thou hast a wondrous message.
Thou dost proclaim the Savior’s birth,
Good will to men and peace on earth.
O Christmas tree. O Christmas tree,
Thou hast a wondrous message.

3. O Christmas tree. O Christmas tree,
You glow with Christmas brightness.
O Christmas tree. O Christmas tree,
We sing with joyful lightness.
The radiance of this happy night,
To all of us gives hope and light,
O Christmas tree. O Christmas tree,
You glow with Christmas brightness.

We always like to read this book about Christmas trees.

Here is an ornament project we are going to do this year.  It has several different ornaments such as candy cane, wreaths, bows, bells, candles, and stars and then has a story to go with each one.  For example, the bell stands for ringing bells to guide lost sheep back to the fold and the candy cane, represents the shape of the shepherd’s crook which is used to bring lost lambs back to the fold.

What’s for Dinner Wednesday …. Holidays

Russian Tea

16 cups water

whole cloves (enough to fill a tea steeper)

4 small cans frozen orange juice

6 small tea bags

2 cups sugar

3 cinnamon sticks

1 large can pineapple juice

1 small can lemonade

Boil the water, sugar, cinnamon sticks and cloves on stove for about 5 minutes.  Turn off stove.  Add tea bags and steep for 5 minutes.  Remove the bags.  Add the juices and the lemonade.  Serve hot from the stove. If storing left over tea, remove steeper of cloves and cinnamon sticks before placing in refrigerator.

Festive Eggnog Punch

1 quart eggnog

2 pt. peppermint ice cream, softenend

1 cup ginger ale

Blend ingredients together.  Pour into a punch bowl.  Hang candy canes around the bowl.

Friendship Tea Mix

18 ounces Tang drink mix
1 cup instant iced tea
2 cups granulated sugar
1 package powdered lemonade mix
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Mix and place into a covered jar or other container. For hot tea mix 2/3 tablespoon to 1 cup of hot water. For iced tea mix substitute cold water and pour over ice

Christmas Plans

The anticipation of Christmas is the most fun!  Going along with my “list making and idea planning” in my 101 in 1001 days.  I am going to write out a list of all the things I would like to do this Christmas season.  Starting November 30 – Jan 6.  This list is in random order.

1.  Put the Christmas lights on the tree before we decorate it together!

2 Put Christmas lights up outside.

3. Wrap all the Christmas books up and let the girls open one everyday to read before Christmas.

4. Have a Christmas color day where everything is Red and Green. 

5. Make granola gospels.

6. Throw a “Happy Birthday Jesus” party.

7. Memorize Luke 2: 1-14.

8. Read through Handel’s Messiah Family Advent Reader.

9. Send Christmas Cards with Christmas picture.

10. Feed the birds…Make bird food….string cranberries and popcorn and hang outside on trees.  Read Eve Bunting’s The Night Tree.

11. Take husband out to dinner and to Laminaria Event at Botanical Gardens.

12. Make Friendship tea mix.  What could use instead of Tang?  Let me check at Whole Foods for some alternative! 😉

13. Decorate Gingerbread House.

14. Make reindeer food to spread on lawn.

15. Study six names of Jesus.

16. Take someone a “meal in a basket”.

17. Operation Christmas Child

18.  Read Jotham’s Journey.

19. bake cookies and ice with confectioners sugar icing.

20. Go to Night in Bethlehem at a church.

21. Go to Candle light Handel’s Messiah at Phoenix Symphony.(purchased tickets :))

22. Go to Christmas lights walk through neighborhood.

23. Do family service project.

24. Get a picture with Santa...

25. Go on hotel date with hubby…

26. Ride around and look at Christmas lights

27. Have a hot chocolate night and watch Christmas movie..

28. Make Starbucks cranberry bliss bars.

29. Listen to Christmas music..Add Christmas music to playlist

30. Attend Christmas Eve service.

31. Zoo lights

32. Go to the movies (Christmas Carol)

33. Go to the town Christmas parade.(missed this again this year….)

34. Go to Hometown Christmas at library. (missed this again this year!:()

35. Make Hershey Kiss advent calendar.  Lisa Welchel’s Adventures in Christmas has some great ideas.

36.  Kiss hubby underneath the mistletoe! 😉

37.  Make and take gifts to neighbors.  Maybe the Friendship tea this year or Hot Chocolate mix.

38. Plan and buy the Christmas outfits.

39. Grow an Amaryllis. (force bulb)

40. Put out the Nativity and the lumanaries Christmas Eve.

41. Make snowman soup and deliver as gifts.

42.  Start a new tradition ….. Elf on the Shelf! :0).  Check this blog out for fun Elf on the Shelf ideas.  Love this ….. so fun!

Thirty Days of Thanksgiving

Today I am thankful for the Thanksgiving holiday!  A day of good food and rest and family.  My little one was sick today so we sent our food off to grandma’s and grandpa’s with the rest of the family and we just stayed here together and watched movies.  I am so sorry my sweet little girl is sick but she was able to rest all day with popsicles and Gatorade!  We watched the old Freaky Friday, Secret Garden, and Sleeping Beauty!  Hopefully, she will be feeling better tomorrow!

I just enjoyed the most wonderful dessert with some good Starbucks Thanksgiving coffee.  It was pumpkin bread pudding with a caramel bourbon sauce ….yummy!  It definitely is worth a try if you like bread pudding.

Day 24 – Thanksgiving

I am very thankful for the trees and for nature!  I love the world God has designed for us!

Isaiah 61:3-4

They will be called oaks of righteousness, trees planted by the Lord to reveal his splendor…

What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving season?

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