Homeschool Humor

Tips for Frugal Grocery Shopping

Something new I learned:
"Weigh everything. A ten-pound bag of potatoes might actually weigh up to 12 pounds and a three-pound bag of apples might weigh four to five pounds. You get more for your money. "

I love learning new tips!Too bad my daughter isn't taller(or the scales lower); she'd like weighing the bags to compare weights.

Read more tips here.

Printable price book for comparison shopping(PDF)

Free Thanksgiving Children's Activity Print-outs and Stories

See more activities at Kaboose

Children's Thanksgiving Crafts

Cardboard cut-out of Miles Standish

Grow a yam.

See here for directions.

Inexpensive Company Pork Roast Recipe

Pork Shoulders are one of the least expensive roasts due to toughness; however they have a fabulous taste and texture when slow roasted. The outer layer will be deliciously crispy with a tender center. This recipe uses cream sherry; however cider vinegar is very good as well:

Slow-Roasted Pork Shoulder from Sunset Magazine.

Image from site

Homeschool in Transition

We have had it so good for these past seven years. My son has sailed through the Rod & Staff curriculum, loving most of it. We also used Climbing to Good English and the Pathway Readers. There is something about those Amish/Conservative Mennonite texts and workbooks that really appealed to him. All were very much to the point, yet thorough and without a lot of distracting color or illustrations. Topics flowed well and were logically organized. It also blended well with our vintage Catholic texts because of it's generic Christian tone. Once he learned to read well, he was able to work through these books with minimal instruction. Rod & Staff texts are good for independent learners - they pretty much self teach, each grade builds upon itself in a fluid manner.

Rod & Staff texts only go through eighth grade(full curriculum), and the last grade begins to lean heavily toward Mennonite doctrine and history. So, I've been exploring options for eighth grade and beyond. We'll most likely transition to mathematics with Christan Light Education, similar to Rod & Staff. We may even use their Bible study if it's free of doctrine. Rod & Staff Bible study(K-7) has been excellent - so interesting with many bits of ancient history and culture. Since my son has been leaning in the direction of self directed learning for a while now, I've decided on the Robinson Self-Teaching program. He's an independent learner who likes to research things which interest him. He also loves to read, so I think this reading heavy curriculum would be a good fit for the rest of his schooling.

Robinson uses vintage texts in public domain. We have used these sources for ancillary learning. He seems to prefer the mature tone of the older books. We will probably be reading most of these on our mini lap top as we have in the past with public domain texts. I download them to a Sansdisk compact flash memory card(AKA: Thumbdrive) stick for easy access. We don't have the Kindle ebook Reader; however, I think you can use this device to read the books as well. Best of all, it's a very good value with only a one time purchase for all twelve grades(doesn't include math).


Robinson Self-Teaching main website

From phonics to physics, these 22 CDs and a set of Saxon math books are all that you need to give your children a superior education. You can use this curriculum to supplement your children's current schooling or as a stand-alone education using the included self-study methods.
The Robinson children teach themselves (as do the 60,000 children now using this system) ­ so well that their 11th and 12th grade work is equivalent to high quality 1st and 2nd year university instruction in science, history, literature, and general education.
They also teach themselves study habits that do not depend upon planned workbooks, teacher interaction, and other aids that will not be available later in life.
They teach themselves to think.
Dr. Robinson has spent less than 15 minutes per day teaching all six children...
Many home schools are limited by the burden of teaching that is placed on parents. Dr. Robinson has spent less than 15 minutes per day teaching all six children ­ ages 6 through 18. Yet, both of his oldest students scored over 1400 on the SAT (over 1500 on the new SAT) and received two years of advanced placement in college. The younger children are doing as well.
Teach your children to teach themselves and to acquire superior knowledge as did many of America's most outstanding citizens in the days before socialism in education.

Independent Robinson Resource Site - freebies, tips, links, etc.
Books Sorted by Reading Level 

Happy Hearts Homeschooling Library

Reviews:
Personal review
HomeschoolReviews.com 

An Old Fashioned Education has a similar approach using public domain books, only all the lesson plans and helps are free.

Samizdat Express has a mind boggling amount of books by subject on CD. I purchased the children's set for my niece years ago. His prices have gone up quite a bit; I think he has realized the value of his collections, especially with the popularity of Amazon's Kindle. Samizdat lists all the books in each CD collection, all are in public domain, so it's a good reference as well. If you'd like to pair this will some auditory learning of a dramatic flavor,  OTR Cat offers old-time radio show collections on CD at a very low cost, a super time saver. Some are live recording of wartime coverage, others are historical shows. Free downloadable versions here at Internet Archive, Old Time Radio. Also see: Librivox Free Audio Books.

A huge archive of children's history books organized by reading level and historical period. Free to read online, or order collections of CD. Some of these books may be found online in public domain as PDFs - try a Google search as well.

Update: I just noticed that Robinson files are actual scans of book pages(not PDF or plain text), so we may go another route, but still using the vintage texts. They are serious about not wanting the curriculum to be read on a computer screen.

Horseradish, Pork, and Potato Dish Update

This casserole was fabulous! My husband especially liked it - it's all gone.

A few changes:

• Shredded pork instead of diced(about 6-8 ounces)
• Added caramelized onions and garlic(one onion and two spoons of chopped garlic from a jar)
• Added hot sauce, sage, and allspice to taste
• Used a little bagged shredded cheese - sprinkled on top

I had some frozen pre-baked(skin on) potatoes - forked down(lightly mashed). This went in the bottom of a small casserole with the onion and garlic, then came my pre-made shredded pork(crispy top pieces), a small jar of horseradish, and lastly some milk poured over the top. I mixed it lightly with a fork, seasoned it, and baked uncovered for about 30 minutes at 375 degrees. I added the shredded cheese, and baked for another 10-15 minutes until it was melted and crispy.  My version of the casserole served four.

It has got a slight kick - a twang and some heat, but really tasty. The ingredients were frugal as well. I get a pork shoulder for .99 cents a pound, and cook it down to shredded pork. It gets frozen in 6-8 ounce packages. I do the same with the potatoes - buy many bags of them on sale, steam them, and freeze.

Horseradish Ham and Potato Casserole Recipe

Somehow I ended up with two bottles of horseradish, and I only use it sparingly. I'll be using it up with this recipe for Horseradish Ham and Potato Casserole. I just prepared a huge pork shoulder and have a few bags of potatoes(on sale) to bake and freeze. Although not a part of the recipe, I'll toss in some sliced radishes for a little color and taste. Hopefully this will be good.

Here is another for chicken which sounds very good: "Flat" Chicken. It uses balsamic vinegar, orange juice, and the horseradish - yum!

DIY Grout Fixes

This is on my list of things to do soon: Fix Minor Grout Cracks This idea using latex will fix the cracked grout caused by the moving floor issue in my bathroom. Other fixes also mentioned.

Make Your Own Acorn Coffee

See here for recipe. Just watch out for your competitors.

Advice for Student Writers from John Steinbeck: Write Freely, Edit Later

John Steinbeck's "rudimentary suggestions for the beginner":

"Don't start by trying to make the book chronological. Just take a period. Then try to remember it so clearly that you can see things: what colors and how warm or cold and how you got there. Then try to remember people. And then just tell what happened. It is important to tell what people looked like, how they walked, what they wore, what they ate. Put it all in. Don't try to organize it. And put in all the details you can remember.

You will find that in a very short time things will begin coming back to you, you thought you had forgotten. Do it for very short periods at first, but kind of think of it when you aren't doing it. Don't think back over what you have done. Don't think of literary form. Let it get out as it wants to. Over tell it in the manner of detail--cutting comes later. The form will develop in the telling. Don't make the telling follow a form."

More here.

DIY Greenhouse Window

Grow herbs, salad greens, etc. all year round. See here.

Recycling and Reusing - Bottle Top Bag "Clip" Food Saver

See here.

The Swallows of Mission San Juan Capistrano

Each year on October 23rd, the Day of San Juan, thousands of swallows leave their mud nests at the San Juan Capistrano Mission and head south[Argentina] for the winter. Amazingly, the swallows return each year on March 19th, St. Joseph's Day[The Miracle of the Swallows], and rebuild their nests for the summer.  ~ About.com Homeschooling 

The Swallows of Mission San Juan Capistrano Coloring Page

See here for more information about Mission San Juan Capistrano(Franciscans).

Also see:

The Swallows, The Character Building Readers: Industry(sixth grade), 1910, free and in public domain.

Saints in the New World, Stories of Saints, 1908

Swallows, Handbook of Nature-study, 1918
The Swallow's Nest, The Boston Collection of Kindergarten Stories, 1913

The Swallows, Bancroft's Third Reader, 1883

Printable story of St. John of Capistrano, namesake of the mission

Nature Stories by Grades- Sixth Grade, Migratory Birds

More later...

Books are downloadable, readable online, and printable. To print, right click on the images of the pages at the links.

Before and After Laundry Room

I could get lost in that Chinoiserie wallpaper! Click on pictures to enlarge. What a fabulous transformation, one that I need to do, although ours will probably be limited to a new paint job. Seen at Design Sponge.

Federal Energy Star Tax Rebate Due to Expire this Year

We are finally getting new windows. We purchased our home in 1999, and I believe the windows are original to the house built in 1972. It's time to update, and we are going to take advantage of the Energy Star Tax Rebate which if not renewed, will expire at the end of this year. I'll post pictures when they go in next month.

Details for our replacement windows:

Tax Credit: 30% of cost up to $1,500
Expires: December 31, 2010
Details: Must be an existing home & your principal residence. New construction and rentals do not qualify.

Many more items qualify: Federal Energy Star Tax Rebate

Find Rebates in Your State, various expiration and start dates.

Ramblings of Frugal Grocery Shopping Strategies

During the past few years I've seen food prices rise at least 30%. I found myself having to redefine dollar stretching frugality. I thought myself frugal before prices rose, but it's amazing how one can adapt when challenged. I could not have done it without the help of all those wonderful cooks who share their ideas and recipes online. Everyone is having to cut back, and they generously share their methods of coping with higher prices, so here is mine.

The new normal means that the Dollar Tree, *Dollar General, and Save-A-Lot are my usual shopping places for the lowest priced foods, personal care products, and cleaning items. I rarely set foot in Food Lion anymore, not since the food prices rose. Once a month I visit Big Lots and Walmart in the hopes of picking up some random deals. It's hit or miss at these stores. I'll visit Family Dollar if I find a coupon(off total purchase) in one of the mailed advertisements.

I like to visit the Dollar Tree first because they usually have the best deals for staples like large cans of diced tomatoes, dry beans(some), cleaning items, shampoo, tooth brushes, and spices. It's also on the way to my other shopping places, so I save gas.  At the Dollar Tree I look for the lowest price per unit as compared to similar items at my other shopping places, and in the case of things like shampoo, the highest ounces I can get for a dollar. Then I visit Save-A-Lot where I buy the bulk of my groceries, and Dollar General which is just next door. If I find sale prices on items that I usually purchase, I'll stock up and buy a dozen.

I used to keep a price book, but now I have memorized the prices of items which we regularly purchase. And in case my memory fails me, I usually have last week's receipts in my wallet for comparison.

Meats could be our most expensive price per unit purchase if we didn't sacrifice good cuts. Every other month I'll purchase a five pound bag of chicken quarters for about $1.00 a pound, sometimes less, and once in a while, a pork shoulder for a dollar a pound. I'll slow cook both to make shredded meat for stir-fry, Mexican/Latin American recipes, hearty soups and stews, Sloppy Joes, and casseroles. I get about seven 6-8 ounce portions of shredded meat from each which I freeze in plastic wrap. As a bonus, I glean some seasoned chicken stock from boiling the chicken. I purchase a pound of ground turkey every month for $1.49 as well. This doesn't go as far, but adds variety.

I've also been preparing more and more meatless dishes lately, at least three times a week. Instead of meat, I'll substitute beans, tuna, cheese, and/or eggs while going heavy on the vegetables. This kind of cooking can be very nutritious and healthy if you limit the fats and starchy carbs(rice, potatoes, and pasta), and make the meals vegetable heavy. Portion control is important for health and budget as well. I eat no more than 6 ounces for my main meal. If I get hungry later, I'll eat a salad. Bagged salad mixes at Save-A-Lot are only $1.29, and I make my own salad dressing with a little soy sauce and balsamic or rice vinegar.

I keep quite a bit of frozen and canned mixed vegetables on hand. It's a healthy inexpensive filler for dishes. My favorite frozen vegetables are chopped collard greens, mixed peppers and onions, and stir-fry. Save-A-Lot has these for about $1.50 a bag. Their canned vegetables are less than a dollar. The least expensive canned vegetable at Save-A-Lot is .49 cents for peas. I use these in old fashioned tuna casserole as their canned Starkist tuna has only been .59 cents a can for the past few months.

All this hunting and gathering is a lot of work, and I'm all about efficiency, but it has been worth the time and effort for the lowered shopping costs.

In the warmer months I keep a small garden. We had a good number of cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, and herbs this year. If we had more sun, I'd grow more.

A website, and two cookbooks that got me started:

Hillbilly Housewife Recipes(from scratch), the More-With-Less Cookbook, and the Extending the Table Cookbook.

These are all about cooking from scratch which is healthier in terms of the absence of additives and preservatives, and the ability to control, customize, and substitute healthier ingredients. It can be very inexpensive as well, if you keep it simple. Two cups of rice, some shredded chicken, and a bag of stir-fry costs us no more than $2.25 to feed four people, and we usually have leftovers because the little one and I don't eat much.

Dollar General, Save-A-Lot, and Family Dollar all take coupons. They also have printable store coupons at their websites. In addition to printable coupons, I purchase groups or "lots" of coupons from ebay. Usually the cost of buying a "lot" of ten coupons is the price of two or three coupons with free shipping. This is a great deal for me because I don't purchase many name brand items, so I only need a few very specific ones in larger quantities( for stocking up).

What have you done differently in the kitchen since the recession? Have you changed your meals or shopping habits?


*Coupon Alert: Dollar General has another $5.00 off a $20.00 purchase.  It came out my receipt yesterday good for this Thursday - Saturday. I'll  be using this for their clearance on coffee - $4.00 for two pounds of  coffee(largest tin). These coupons seem to be a regular offering lately.  This is the fourth $5.00 off coupon I've received in the past few  months.