Kitty in the Spring Garden...

his favorite place.










Sharing a public domain vintage paper cut-out. Just click on image to enlarge and save:

Spicy Ginger Chicken Stir Fry Recipe

This came out very nicely tonight with a deep spicy flavor. This is my own recipe, so measurements may be approximate.

Make a pot of rice flavored with some Adobo, or some other seasoned salt. I like to use chicken stock in lieu of water. One cup(dry) will do, but two will stretch the meal. 

In a pan stir fry the following together over medium heat:

• One medium onion(sliced) and a spoon full minced garlic(jar). Caramelize these first in oil and little butter. 
• About half a bag frozen pepper stir fry(chopped green, yellow, and red peppers with onions)
• A cup of cooked shredded chicken
• A good helping of frozen broccoli(chop into smaller pieces while cooking in pan)
• A splash of apple cider vinegar
• A good heavy helping of powdered ginger, to taste
• Garlic salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• Sugar(or honey), about a tablespoon. I used a squirt of agave nectar.
• A dash of Spice Islands' Spicy Pizza and Pasta Topper, Hot and Spicy(on sale at Save-A-Lot, great stuff!!)

When above ingredients are thoroughly cooked, stir in the cooked rice, top off with some good quality soy sauce(the real stuff), and serve.

Layered Collard Greens Casserole

This came out delicious. I had a bag of frozen chopped collard greens and added layers of various items in a casserole dish. Layered as follows:

• 1/2 a bag of frozen collard greens(one pound Save-A-Lot brand)
• One cup shredded chicken(from .59 cent a pound chicken quarters)
• Jar of mushrooms(drained)
• Caramelized onions and garlic(minced from jar)
• Can of seasoned diced tomatoes(Italian or with green chilies: Senora Verde brand - Dollar General)
• Cup of homemade chicken stock and 1/2 a cup of milk
• Remaining half of collard greens

(Poked holes throughout to let soup seep through )

• One 12 ounce bag of shredded cheese( Save-A-Lot brand pizza mix shredded cheese)

Cooked in oven for about 25 minutes at 375 degrees covered, then 20 minutes uncovered. It would have cooked faster if the collard greens were unfrozen. This tasted even better the second night as a leftover.

I cooked this again, and used seasoned black eyed peas(can) in place of the mushrooms, and 1/2 the cheese. Delicious! 

"Like kale, cauliflower and broccoli, collards are descendents of the wild cabbage, a plant thought to have been consumed as food since prehistoric times and to have originated in Asia Minor. From there it spread into Europe, being introduced by groups of Celtic wanderers around 600 B.C. Collards have been cultivated since the times of the ancient Greek and Roman civilizations." Read more here at Tea at Trianon. Collards are an excellent source of vitamins and minerals, especially calcium and folate.

Classic Children's Short Stories Online

"STORY LOVERS WORLD SOS: SEARCHING OUT STORIES
from Fairy Tales, Folklore, Fables, Nursery Rhymes,
Myths, Legends, Bible and Classics• BARE BONES STORIES
for Storytellers, Teachers, Librarians,
Parents and Grandparents
100 Years of Story Skeletons from Around the World.
Adapted and shortened for easy telling or reading." Click here

HT to Tea at Trianon .

South America Geography Quiz

I found this twelve question online quiz, a nice supplement to Rod & Staff's Understanding Latin America, grade six. Click here.

Make Your Own Tangrams

Primer of Industry
Author Austin Craig
Publisher World Book Company, 1912
Length 80 pages
Overview(see chapter on Tangrams, scroll down at link to table of contents.
Free to read online and download, and in public domain .

Refashioning a Thrift Store Dress

MJ got this dress off the "Free" rack at a thrift and with a
little ingenuity, she made a custom dress with personality.
See here.

15 Healthy Foods to Have in Your Kitchen

"...Are you stocking your fridge and pantry with the right healthy foods—as in, the ones that give you optimum nutrition for your buck (and shelf space)? Here are the foods to put on your grocery list—and keep there—for a healthy diet." See here.

Sewing for Less

Links to tutorials, free clothing and gift patterns, and money saving tips.

Kitchen Garden

I am working on this little garden a bit at a time. A few of the baby plants that I grew from seed withered and died while I was sick. Most of them recovered after a good watering. I planted the Roma tomatoes today. Tomorrow, I'll plant the squash.

Homeschool Lesson Plans: 19th Century Lesson Plans for One Room School Houses

I listed this book over at my ebook homeschool library, and thought I'd share it here as well. *Many of the references mentioned within can be found online, and are free to download or read online. I primarily use Google Books to find vintage texts due to the ease of searchability. We use vintage books for elective reading. So many books, so little time! This resource is chock full of ideas for study.

A Course of Study for the Eight Grades of the Common School /Google Books
Excerpt:
The work of the studies in sixth grade consists of a body of closely related materials from literature, history, natural science, geography, and language. Each teacher in this grade should examine the whole course for the year, and, as far as time permits, make a closer acquaintance with the material of the different studies. There is a certain unity which binds them all together and makes them dependent upon one another. On the principle of concentration the topics in the different studies are selected along parallel lines. The history stories of the fifth grade and the colonial history of the sixth grade are closely associated with the literature of the colonial period used as reading matter in the sixth grade. The geography of Europe is intimately linked with the stories of the pioneer explorers in the fifth grade, with the colonial history, and with the literature of Scotland, England, and other countries of Europe used as reading matter in sixth grade, and even earlier. The science lessons at many points touch the geography and history of the same grade closely. The language and composition work should be brought into touch with the most interesting topics in literature, geography, and natural science, so as to make it more real and less formal. Keep in mind always the fitness of the material for the children.




*I've begun working off the lesson plans for each grade, listing available books online in my homeschool library. Just use the search engine on that blog to find particular books.

Eco-Friendly Household Bug Killer

Spring means the ants come marching into our kitchen via the window and through our front door. By chance I sprayed them with some Green Works multi-surface cleaner, and they stopped crawling instantly. Now I spray the counters and door threshold before I go to bed, and they have not come back. Last night a large garden roach made its way into the kitchen. Those things are so big! It took a few sprays, but it took down the huge roach as well. It feels safer using this around children and pets. I need to clean the floors and counters anyway, so I get a head start spraying this on surfaces in the evening.

I buy my Greens Works at Family Dollar. I got a huge stock pile of the stuff when they had a clearance sale, 50% off. A large dilutable bottle usually runs about $3.00.

Printable 50 cent off coupon here.

Catnip and Lemon Mint Tea

Our lemon mint is coming up everywhere this year, and our small patch of catnip mint came back. Both lemon mint and catnip make wonderful natural cups of hot tea. The catnip is best drunk in the evening as it can make you quiet sleepy and relaxed.

I use freshly picked leaves, at least seven large ones, and simply pour hot water over them in a cup. Steep for about a minute and a half. Remove leaves and serve.

I've made tea combining both mints, just double the recipe for the leaves(seven each). They are compatible, and the flavors complement one and other.

For a garnish, add some lawn violets (from a chemical free lawn) to your cup.

Edible Plants

Printable Spring Paper Doll

Click on image to enlarge and print.

HT to The Paper Doll Collector

Homeschool Freebie: Vintage Butterfly Study

Common Butterflies( elementary school) - Teacher notes, reading suggestions, and student stories. Free and in public domain, published in 1893. To print, simply right click on the image of the page at the link, and save. Entire book is downloadable:

The first butterflies of the spring are those which have hibernated in their winged state—Vanessa Antiopa, Comma, Semicolon, and Atlanta. They are sometimes tempted out by warm days in March, and in April are quite common.

Here are some hints from Wm. H. Gibson, that sharp-eyed observer and charming chronicler:—

" The butterflies are now frequenting the tender foliage of the willows by the brook, and in a few weeks the first brood of their black, spiny caterpillars will literally weigh down the slender branches as they strip the leaves and leave their cast-off skins fringing the twigs. Hundreds of the caterpillars may be gathered in a few moments, and the walls of your collecting box will soon be hung closely with chrysalids, nearly all of which will have been transformed into butterflies within a period of a fortnight. Read more here, pages 302-312. A section about caterpillars follows.

More:

The Story-book of Science, Butterflies(young children)

For older children - adults, A History of the Earth, by Washington Irving, butterflies.

Many more here in my Google Books Library.

I saw this vintage cut-out pantin butterfly over at The Paper Collector. Free to download.

Free Vintage Spring Border Designs

These where originally meant for the classroom, but they could be used for any paper or digital art project. Free and in public domain from School Arts, 1915. Go to link, right click on image of page and save, or click on image below to enlarge and save.

Early Elementary Spring Story and Lesson

By Agnes Quish

A Legend of the Pussy Willow

(Adapted)

One bright day in spring, a little gray kitten ran away from her mother.

She was lost and did not know where to go.

She ran on and on until she came to a stream. It was getting dark and the kitten was hungry and tired. So she sat down under a willow and began to cry.

A fairy loved this willow very much. The willow was sorry for the kitten. She bent over it and said, "Do not cry. I will keep you safe.

"Oh, how soft and warm your fur is!"

"I am sorry I ran away from home," said the kitten. Then she began to cry again.

"Do not cry any more," said the willow, "I will bend over you and keep you safe all night. I like you. Now sleep."

The willow liked the kitten's soft fur. "I wish I had fur like that," she said.

Just then the fairy came. She heard what the willow said.

"You are a kind willow," said the fairy, "and I will give you what you wish. You shall have fur every spring, and all people shall love you. Good night, Pussy Willow."

Next morning the kitten awoke in her own bed. The willow found herself covered with soft balls of fur.

The people love her and call her Pussy Willow.

Find the missing word:

Free to copy and paste to your own document. I will add it to Google Documents for easy printing soon.