He's Good- Through & Through

I shared this story today over on the Facebook page and it's just SO good that I wanted to share it here with all of you.

There's some great lessons to be learned in this story- which of course I outline below.  However what I feel is most important is as it pertains to the husband.  So many people are quick to dismiss him simply based on how he looks.  If you haven't noticed- the husband can be just a bit intimidating mmkay...something about the sheer size of him, the beard and the concert tees can put a person off.  I get that and so does he.  But here's the thing that most people would miss- his heart.  The husband has the most amazing, loving, loyal and PURE heart.  It's simply beautiful.

This story is proof positive that you can NOT judge a book just by it's cover.  The husband is most certainly "rough around the edges" but if you must know, that's just part of his charm.  He is good, through and through.

The husband has befriended a man who is down on his luck & pulls metal scraps for re-sale from the dumpster behind his work warehouse. If we ever have anything of value at home, he takes it to his work dumpster & leaves it for "The Scrapper" as the kiddo calls him.

Recently, the husband was there helping "The Scrapper" put some items in his van to trade in & noticed that his shoes are beyond need of replacement.

Husband- Hey man, what size you wear?

Turns out, he's the same size as the husband.

Husband- I've got some nice Timberland work boots at home, steel toe, only worn a few times. They're yours if you want them.

He wants them & was VERY grateful.

And now I'm bagging up several pairs of shoes including the PRACTICALLY BRAND NEW TIMBERLANDS for this sweet man who could desperately use it. We won't even mention the fact that the husband would still be wearing them or that they cost a buttload because this man needs them more. He NEEDS them more.

The lessons here are profound.

#1- Helping others is easy. Even for folks like us- who don't have a whole lot extra, we still find ways to give back. It truly isn't hard to find so many ways to help our fellow man.

#2- Your children are watching. Set an example & show them what it is to be kind & generous. They will remember & one day, they will follow in your footsteps.

#3- Don't EVER judge a book by its cover. I can't tell you how many times people look at the husband & view him with disdain. He is the man who will LITERALLY GIVE YOU THE SHOES OFF HIS FEET if you need them.

#4- In turn, don't judge those in need. We all have times in our lives when we need a little helping hand. Remember what it feels like to be in need.

#5- You create the world you want to live in. Yes, there is a lot of bad out there but you can create the good too. Give without expectation simply because it's the right thing to do.

‪#‎NotAllLessonsComeFromATextbook‬
‪#‎HesGoodDeepDownInHisSoulHesGood‬

Your Kid Isn't At Grade Level

Well crap.

I guess I'm just a total failure as a homeschool Mom then eh?  Yeah, no.  Sorry but I simply don't subscribe to this whole "grade level" business and in truth, have never really felt the need to be too concerned about it.

Crazy right?

So here's the story- the kiddo takes a math class through Edmonds Heights K-12, our homeschool program.  It's one of several classes he takes and it is simply a supplemental class to help support the schoolwork and learning going on at home.  It meets for one hour once per week- so yeah, clearly nothing too strenuous here.

We are about a month into this class and already the instructor has emailed me 4 times.  Sigh....really?  While I certainly appreciate her enthusiasm, it is a tad irritating.  Her latest email stated what a great kid William was, how focused he is in class, how he participates and stays on task....and I'm thinking "GREAT!  This is all good stuff right?  So what's the problem here?"  Well it turns out that these darn weekly packets that she sends home, he's just not completing them fully.

Math is some tricky business mmkay....

Since he's not showing his work and answering completely in the manner she wants- she's deemed him to be behind grade level and wants to have an "intervention" to discuss my homeschooling philosophy.  I should also mention that she previously told the kids in her class NOT to have a parent help them with these packets and it appears that she doesn't give very clear instructions on exactly what she wants done.  Either that or the kiddo is simply tuning her out....neither of which are good.

So next week I will be meeting with her to discuss the kiddo's struggle because we all know the struggle is real y'all and to talk about how we homeschool.

Ugh.  I'm just a bit over it all at this point.  I don't have to explain myself or how my family does things to anyone if I don't want to and seriously- I'm not even one little bit concerned that my child may or may not be behind grade level.  Who cares?  He'll get where he needs to be when he's ready.  He's paying attention in her class, he's focused, he's completing these same math problems correctly at home and understanding the concepts so really- what's the big friggin' deal?!?

Next week should be interesting y'all....

And for those of you asking the big fat question- "Why even have him in a math class to begin with?" well here's your answer-  I suck at math.  The husband is equally suck-tastic at math.  And because we both suck, we want to make sure the kiddo doesn't suck as well.  Yep.  That about covers it.  Our thinking here is that these math classes give him a little extra help and push in an area that his parents do not excel at and because he's expressed interest in being an engineer when he grows up, he's going to need all the help in math that he can get.  But I'll be honest and say that at this point, I'm seriously reconsidering these math classes.

So for those of you currently knee deep in the "grade level" struggle please know this- your kid will learn at the pace that is right for them.  They will excel in some areas and at other times, fall behind in other subjects. This is 100% normal.  Your kid is fine and you are doing a good job- you are not a failure.

I repeat, YOU.  ARE.  NOT.  A.  FAILURE.

It'll all be OK, I promise you.  Just hang in there, keep at it, relax a bit and just enjoy the process.  This is the true beauty of homeschooling.  You got this.

PS- I'll post a follow up story next week about my "intervention".  Should be good y'all....should be good...

Grief Is a Strange Place to Be

You may have noticed that I've been missing from the blog this last month.  It would appear that my light has dimmed just a bit since the passing of our beloved Lucky Dog on September 3rd.  He was my first baby and I am very clearly still grieving.  Six weeks later and the grief is still pretty raw and new- I am not my normal self and the sadness is eating its way inside.

I'm not sleeping.  At times not eating anything and then at other times, I can't seem to eat enough.  I'm laughing but it's not the same.  Most noticeably, I'm not writing.  Writing is my therapy and I have yet to be able to formulate my thoughts on Lucky Dog's death.  I just can't.  Not yet.

I put forth some effort- mainly to try to get back to "normal" here.  But let's face it- a measly four posts in September and nothing yet for October.  Yeah, this is hard.  So much more then I thought it would be and sadly, I'm not sure when or if it will ever get easier.  I've heard it will but I don't believe it.

Grief is a strange and weird place to be caught in.  Trying to hold on and be "yourself" again for your family and yet- so very much, a changed person.  So I have this to say to all of you currently in the midst of it-

Take your time.

There's no rush.

It's OK to laugh and smile.

You can cry too.

There's no "right" way to grieve.

You might have to give yourself a little push.

Work on you.

Don't stop being a Mom/Wife but it's OK to take a little timeout.

You can fake it until you make it.

One day, you'll make it.  For real.

The sadness will linger.

Sometimes you'll cry for no real "reason" but we all know the why.

Let it be.


Please know, that I think you all are so very brave.  I am no stranger to grief, having suffered many losses throughout my 30 plus years.  But this one, yeah- this one was different.

I also want to acknowledge that the death of a beloved family pet is obviously very different from that of a spouse or a parent.  I'm not here to "compare" levels of grief but to simply state that grief is grief.  Loss is loss.  And we will all deal as best we can.

In closing, I am going to try to be a bit more present and active here on the blog.  Perhaps some day I will write a full post dedicated to the loss of Lucky Dog but for now, I just can't.  This grief, it's a strange place to be.

We Love Teachers!

Why?

Perhaps the most asked question rivaled only by the "socialization" issue when it comes to homeschooling.  So really- why did we chose to homeschool?

I've talked a bit about it before but the truth is that there's really no one single answer.  We homeschool for many different reasons.  We value our time as a family, flexibility, we believe the educational system is flawed, less homework or none at all, no early wakeups or late nights, we wanted control over the content of our child's education, the ability to shelter our child, more time to spend on things that are of interest, not worrying about conforming or following rules we don't agree with...see- told you there's lot of reasons why.  And that's not even the whole list!

But no where on this list did I mention that we chose to homeschool because we don't like teachers.  Not for one single moment has this ever factored into our decision to homeschool.

You see- we LOVE teachers in this house mmkay....we firmly believe that the majority of teachers are doing the best they can in a difficult situation and continue to plug along day in and day out because they care SO much about our children.  Tell me- who wouldn't love someone that dedicated?

Teachers are the unsung heroes of our world.  They sacrifice, they love, they provide, they heal, they support, they encourage but most importantly- they teach.  In an educational system that has not worked for decades, with parents who now rely on schools to parent their children, under extreme financial hardships and the hideousness that is common core- they teach.

Just because we don't personally send our child out into this system doesn't mean we can't understand and appreciate all that you do.  So teachers- please hear me when I say this to you:

Our decision to homeschool has nothing to do with you.  To the wonderful and dedicated teachers out there we simply say, Thank You.

How to Make the Most Perfect Pie Crust

I debated calling this post, "Pie Crust for Dummies" because, well....I didn't want to offend anyone.  But that's exactly what this post is- a step by step guide in how to make the most perfect pie crust in the entire world for those who want to learn.

Them's fighting words lady!

But trust me, I'll deliver.  I've been making homemade pies since the husband and I first started living together, way back in the 2000's.  Holy Bucket but that was like 15 years ago!!!  Trust me when I say that I've had some seriously epic fails.  EPIC.  You see- my Mom doesn't cook or bake and while my Dad is an expert cookie maker, I have never actually seen anyone bake a pie.  From scratch.  So I had NO idea what I was doing.  Yikes!

This guide will give you the basics as well as my tips learned over the past 15 years.  If you follow it, you will have the MOST PERFECT PIE CRUST and seriously WOW your friends and family.  My apple pies are legendary y'all!


Pie Crust Recipe
*makes 2 pie crusts

2 1/4 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
2/3 cups unsalted butter, cold
10-12 tablespoons cold water


Step 1:

Combine dry ingredients in large bowl & make sure they are mixed well.

Step 2:

Cut your butter into small cubes (doesn't need to be perfect) and add to the dry ingredients.  Use a pastry hand mixer and mush away.  Do NOT use a fork.  Yes, you can use one but an actual pastry cutter works so much better.  Invest the $10 bucks already....

Tip- I leave my butter in the fridge until the last possible moment.  The colder your ingredients are, the better!

Step 3:

Once your butter and dry ingredients are combined, you'll add in your cold water.  I immediately begin by putting in 10 tablespoons but most times I end up needing all 12.  Start with the 10 and see what happens.  You do NOT want things to end up watery.

Tip- Your water should be ice cold.  If you want to, you can even make a cup full of water and ice and take your tablespoons from here.  The colder the better!

Step 4:

Mix until combined and just beginning to clump together.  You will have flour down at the bottom of your bowl but as long as the majority of your dough combines, that's good enough!

Mix until this point- just when it starts to
clump together.

Now use your hands to quickly form the clumps of dough into a ball.  STOP when you get a ball formed- for the love of God, do NOT over mix!

Your dough should now look like this.

Step 5:

Cover your dough in plastic wrap and stick it in the fridge.  This is the step most people don't do but I do this for a few reasons-

#1- It keeps my dough nice and cold.  Which if you've noticed, is the true secret to the most perfect pie crust ever.

#2- I am typically prepping the inside contents (ie apples, fruit etc) for the pie while my dough is hanging out in the fridge.

#3- Many times I prep my dough ahead of time and leave it in the fridge for 24-48 hours.  Let's face it, I'm busy and sometimes I simply don't have the time to make an entire pie from scratch that day.

Step 6:

When you are ready to assemble your pie, remove the dough from the fridge and roll out.  This recipe makes 2 pie crusts, so cut in half before you roll if you need a top crust and a bottom crust.  Or if you're using this for a larger pastry and need the double pie crust, then just roll out as one.

Tip- be liberal with the flour so your dough doesn't stick and roll it as little as possible.  The more you "work" your dough, the less flaky it will become.


So there you go.  The MOST PERFECT PIE CRUST ever.  Keep the ingredients simple, touch it as little as possible and keep everything cold.  If you do all this, you'll have seriously the very best pie ever!

Enjoy!

Lentil Chili Cornbread Casserole

A vegetarian twist on a classic southern dish- chili and cornbread.  We LOVE us some chili in this house mmkay!  But what we don't love is the meat and fat associated with this unhealthy meal.  So you just know that I had to lighten it up a bit and do this dish MY way!

Lentil Chili Cornbread Casserole

For the Lentil Chili:

1/2 cup lentils
1 carrot
1 green bell pepper
1 onion
6 cloves garlic
1- 15 oz can diced tomatoes
2- 15 oz cans pinto or kidney beans
2 tablespoons chili powder (less if you don't want it too spicy)
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
pinch cayenne pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar

For the Cornbread Topping:

1 1/4 cups cornmeal
3/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
1 1/4 cups milk
2 tablespoons oil, I use coconut

Let's start by making your lentil chili filling.  Put your lentils on to boil in a separate pot with a ratio of 1:2.  So for the 1/2 cup of lentils you'll need 1 cup of water.  I actually add in a bit more water because we like our lentils a little on the softer side, so this means I let them boil down a little more.  This should take approximately 20 minutes for your lentils to cook.

I use dried lentils, from the bulk
bins or the little baggy at the store.

While your lentils are cooking, saute your veggies in a little coconut or olive oil.  Once your veggies are cooked, add in the diced tomatoes, beans and spices.  Continue to cook on low for flavors to combine.

Saute onions, garlic, carrots &
green bell pepper until soft.

As soon as your lentils are soft to the touch, add them into this veggie and bean mixture.  Let them simmer away on low while you prep your cornbread topping.

Combine cooked lentils & veggies, beans
 & tomatoes.  Don't forget your spices!

The cornbread topping is SO easy to make.  Simply combine the dry ingredients first then add in the wet.  Duh.  Told you it was easy!  PS- it will be a little running and look "thin".  Not too worry, it will cook up nicely!

Now it's time to build your casserole!

I use a glass 9X13 pan that I've sprayed with Spectrum organic coconut oil cooking spray.  Love this stuff!  Then simply dump in the lentil chili mixture and sprinkle on your shredded cheddar cheese.  You can leave the cheese out if you're wanting to make your dish even healthier.  Then pour the cornbread topping evenly over the top of the lentil chili mixture.

Dump lentil mixture into glass
9X13 & sprinkle with cheese.

Then evenly pour on the cornbread topping.

Bake at 350 for approximately 25-35 minutes.  You want your cornbread topping to be golden brown and cooked all the way through.

Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes then serve with a spoonful of sour cream and diced green onions.  Yum!  And because it's full of veggies and legumes, I consider this a complete meal.  Healthy, homemade AND vegetarian and all in less time than it takes to order a pizza.  Seriously so easy!

All done!  Now doesn't that look SO good!

Homeschooled Housewife's List of Must Watch Documentaries

I love a good documentary!  Seriously, I wait for a new one to be released with more anticipation then an N'SYNC concert back in the day.  No joke.

Recently I found myself re-watching several of my favorites and of course recommending a few over on the Facebook page.  A fan reached out to me and asked what documentaries I thought everyone MUST see and so of course, this list was born.

Now, a few words on this list of mine....foremost being that my list is of course centered around my passions, which are food and health.  The majority of the films are about making better choices and lifestyle changes for yourself and your family.  If you can't find them on Netflix/Hulu/Amazon (or you simply don't have these) then most of them can be checked out through your local library or even found online for free.  No need to pay for this business mmkay....


The List


Food Inc.  I'm putting this one at the top of this list because it is literally the documentary that started IT ALL for me.  I watched this film way back when the kiddo was just 3 years old, shortly after it was released circa 2008.  It is as poignant now as it was then.  If you watch nothing else on this list, watch this one.  Trust me.

This movie made me stop buying factory farmed meat.  No joke.  I watched this movie and NEVER as in NEVER, EVER bought a bag or box or container of any factory farmed meat ever again.  Best thing I ever did.  Hands down.

Please know that there are points in this movie that are very graphic in nature.  Hang in there, fast forward if need be but keep watching.  This movie is quite honestly- life changing.

Food Inc.

Vegucated.  I love how this film follows three normal folks as they begin a journey of health and veganism.  My most favorite thing about this is that they were hardcore meat, cheese & dairy lovers before and after just six weeks, their lives are transformed.  It's so encouraging.

After watching this documentary, I decided to start moving my family towards a more vegan lifestyle.  We now eat vegan dishes at least once per week and many times we are at 3 or more.  For my red meat and potatoes lovin' man- that's HUGE!  It's been a challenge but I'm firmly convinced that it is worth it.

Vegucated

Fed Up.  I could NOT wait for this movie to come out!  This one is all about the food industry and focuses primarily on refined sugars and processed foods and how they are making us fat.  Well- they use the word obese but you guys- fat is fat mmkay.  The direction of this film is clearly stating that this generation of children will not live as long as their parents because of their poor diet.  It's intense and very powerful.

Fed Up

Forks Over Knives.  This documentary changed the way my family eats.  Plant based vegetarian diet is what this film is all about.  But there's so much more to it!  Lots of science here too and the claim that almost all degenerative diseases we suffer from can be controlled or fixed through this plant based veggie diet.  So, wow.

After watching this film, we started eating more veggies.  Like- WAY more veggies.  Then I started getting rid of the meat at our table and incorporating more legumes and grains.  We are now eating what many would call a "forks over knives" diet and it feels SO good you guys!

This film also introduced me to the China Study.  If you've never heard of the China Study it was a massive study conducted throughout all of China in the 70's that focused on the correlation between proper nutrition and heart disease, diabetes and cancer.  What I took away the most from hearing about the China Study was that the milk we are drinking might actually be the CAUSE of our health problems with an increase in bone fractures and a higher mortality rate.  Whoa.  But I thought calcium was supposed to be good for you?

Forks Over Knives

Race to Nowhere.  I recently watched this one and I'm so glad that I did.  We are taking a little detour here in "the list" and talking about a film that delves into education.  This documentary focuses on the pressures put upon today's young students to succeed and get into a good college.  The idea that we are no longer teaching our children how to think constructively but rather to regurgitate information in the pursuit of a passing grade.

This film really gets to the heart of the issues here and follows normal families as they struggle to find the balance.  It also isn't afraid to discuss sensitive issues such as depression, eating disorders and suicides among today's youth.

If you aren't homeschooling yet, this film might just help you take that leap.  Our educational system is flawed and our kids are suffering.

Race to Nowhere

Hungry for Change.  This one is about exposing the diet and weight loss industry.  There's some valuable information here and I love that they are pushing folks towards more veggies and less processed foods.  You'll learn some shocking (or perhaps not so shocking) secrets and how deceptive this industry really is- but where this film really shines is through the star studded interviews.  Big names in the food revolution.  While it's not my most favorite on this list, it is most definitely worth your time.

Hungry For Change

Farmageddon.  Loved, loved, loved this documentary.  The premise is "the war on family farms" and while it does delve into this, there's so much more going on here.  It's about a food revolution.  Co-ops, farming practice, politics, red tape- yeah, good stuff.

This film introduced me to this thing called Raw Milk.  The idea of drinking milk straight from the source and by simply doing something so many have done for generations- this makes you a rebel?  Crazy business!  Who knew drinking Raw Milk was illegal is so many states?  It's just milk....

Farmageddon

Food Matters.  Well this film is about uncovering the sickness industry.  You heard me correctly, the sickness industry.  This was where it all clicked for me- that these doctors, labs, scientists, big pharma etc are NOT in the business of making you well.  Because if you weren't sick, they wouldn't be making any money.  They are in the business of keeping you sick because in your sickness, they profit.  Big time.

After watching this film, I spent quite a bit of time researching more homeopathic remedies and we started seeing a naturopath instead of our family care physician.  Our previous doctor (while perfectly nice) simply didn't have the time to devote to our care and too easily dolled out the prescriptions.  I promise you that this film will encourage you to have a more proactive and natural approach to your health.

Food Matters

The Human Experiment.  Following up on the last film, this one is all about chemicals.  Good Lord but chemicals are EVERYWHERE.  In the makeup you so carefully apply, the toothpaste you use when brushing your teeth, the plastic containers you store your leftovers in and even the comfy couch you rest your tired behind on.  Chemical are simply everywhere.  And that's not even taking into account the chemicals you are actually eating on your food.  

This film exposes the health risks for us surrounding all these chemicals.  It also features some pretty amazing people doing BIG things to produce change.

While I knew all this before watching this film, it was definitely the push I needed to make even more changes at home.  This movie forced me to acknowledge that I have no more excuses left when it comes to the cleaning and beauty products I'm using in my home.  Easy changes that everyone can make.

The Human Experiment

Food Chains.  Where does your food come from?  Do you even know?  Who touched it, who picked it, who grew it, how was it transported, etc?  I'm talking- the chain your food has travelled to reach you- do you even know?

This film focuses mainly on the labor worker and the exploitation of this labor industry by the major food corporations, specifically supermarkets.  It is very eye opening and I promise you that you'll never view a tomato the same way ever again.

Food Chains

Bought.  Exposing the truth behind big pharma, your food and vaccines.  So much good stuff here you guys!  This one delves into the idea that your family's health is not nearly as important to these major corporations as you think it is.  It's all about profit for them- you are literally being bought.

For this film, it's all about the holy (or unholy) trifecta of Big Food, Big Pharma and Big Government.  While I acknowledge that some of you may be turned off to this film based upon its issues with vaccinations- it is still very much worth watching.  Listen and watch as a Mother tells her story of hope and heartache and tell me that doesn't move you to produce change.

Bought

A Place at The Table.  Have you ever had a time in your life when you were NOT able to feed your children?  This film explores the heartbreaking and very big reality for many of our nation's families- hunger.

While I knew hunger was a problem, I truly didn't realize the volume and magnitude of this issue.  This film is very eye opening and will leave you in tears.  Babies going hungry?  Yeah- I just can't handle that.  Children not developing physically and mentally as they should because they don't have proper nutrition?  Sweet Jesus.  It's just not right.

A Place at The Table


That's my list for now.  I hope you all have enjoyed reading through my list and I will do my best to keep it updated as I find new films worth adding.

Enjoy!