High School Logic

What's Schoolin'?

This is not about a high schooler's logic, but rather about a Logic course for high schoolers :).  Actually, my high schoolers are very logical, for which I'm very grateful!

My senior is getting .5 credit on her transcript for Logic.  We decided to use the Logic: Fallacies and Paradoxes class from Homeschool Connections, an online course.  We subscribe to the recorded classes so any or all of my children can do any or all of the recorded classes for one monthly fee.  It is very affordable, relatively speaking for online classes, and offers the flexibility of doing what we want when we want. The teacher of this particular course teaches Philosophy at Benedictine College and she enjoyed the 6 hour class very much.

The recommendation for the online course was a 1/2 semester credit (or .25 of a full credit).  To bring it up to .5 she is doing 6 more hours of Logic work on her own using The Fallacy Detective.  She notes her start/stop time.  We chose this instead of the 12 hour course that would have counted for the full .5 that we wanted.

So, there you have it!  A pain-free logic course :).... And no, I'm not affiliated with Homeschool Connections at all - I just wanted to share what is working for us.  I should note that the recorded courses are recordings of the class webinar sessions, not just recordings of lectures, so there may be some pauses and you can hear other students' responses, etc from the original course.

So far we have only used the SAT prep course and this Logic course.  I plan on having my high schoolers go through some of the writing classes, even if they don't do the assignments, to make sure we don't have any gaps.  They are strong writers but my senior may try to CLEP out of College Composition to lighten her load next year.  We are also going to do one of the Spanish classes asap.  Latin is in our near future as well...



There may be affiliate links in this post. Your cost remains the same but I may get a small referral fee. That never affects my recommendations.

Gottatries

What's Green?

Homemade dryer sheets:
http://simplelifemom.com/2014/03/24/homemade-dryer-sheets-and-fabric-softener/

Soap making 101:
http://simplelifemom.com/homemade-soap/

What's Cookin'?

[I just updated with this recipe] French Toast Sausage Casserole (Mmmm.  Uses cooked sausage links, bread, eggs, milk]:
http://kouponkrazed.com/2014/03/french-toast-sausage-casserole-recipe/

English Muffins recipe (I can't wait to try it...):
http://www.lifelesshurried.com/2013/07/making-english-muffins.html

We used this cherry pie for daughter's St. Gregory the Great celebration.  She made the pie using Wholesome brand pie crusts, 1/4 C flour, and 2 cans of drained cherries:
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/cherry-pie-ii/ 

Raspberry Oatmeal Bars (uses 1/2 C jam).  Simple.  Easy.
http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/raspberry-oatmeal-bars

Sweet potatoes in orange sauce (need to get: 4 sweet potatoes; 1 apple; 1 C orange juice)
http://glutenfreewithjudee.blogspot.com/2014/01/easy-sweet-potato-recipe.html

I love that we can make homemade marshmallows (who knew??).  Here is another recipe:
http://eatplaylovemore.com/2014/01/26/diy-healthy-gourmet-marshmallows/

I'm intrigued with this homemade breath freshener idea:
http://www.wholesimplelife.com/diy-breath-freshening-spray/

Juicing 101 post:
http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/juicing-101/

Coconut Trailmix Cups [I will probably sub the coconut butter for real butter and use coconut for the melted oil]
http://paleokitchenlab.com/2014/03/22/coconut-trailmix-treats/

Another tortilla recipe:
http://simplelifemom.com/2012/09/10/tortillas/

Article about coconut oil and brain function:
http://blog.grasslandbeef.com//bid/89764/the-fat-that-boosts-brain-function-in-just-one-dose

Essential oil blend for menstrual cramps (using a roll-on)(I may put Pan Away in some oil in a roll-on or in distilled water in a spray bottle; or use Deep Relief):
http://www.greenlivingladies.com/2014/03/essential-oil-blend-for-cramps.html



My Young Living distributor number is 1634316 in case you would like to purchase directly from Young Living.  Give me a holler for a 10% blog discount through April, 2014.  The easiest way is to post a message in any post - they are moderated and I will get it quickly.


There are Amazon affiliate links on this blog.  Your price stays the same but I may receive a tiny commission if you go to Amazon through any links.

Deal Alert: Primal Pit Paste

What's Green?

[Note:  This sale only lasts until Jan 29, 2014 11:59 PM EST]

[Another Note:  I am in no way affiliated with this company.  I am simply sharing this info about a product that I have tried have enjoyed.]

Primal Pit Paste uses only safe ingredients in its deodorants and other products.  I got their Body Whip when they had a sale around Christmas and I absolutely love it!  I actually like it better than my plain virgin coconut oil that I've been using for years for my face cream.  The children have used it on their dry winter skin and really like it.  I got the sample tiny jar of deodorant and it didn't work as well as my homemade version so I'll hold off on getting that until the "strong" is in a stick (since I already have my own for home, I only need a stick for travel).

Anyway...

In their newsletter that I just got yesterday they announced the following:

Buy 2 Pucker Paste and get 1 free
Buy 1 Body Whip and get 2nd one 50% off
Buy 1 Primal Pit Paste STICK and get 2nd one 50% off

The sales didn't show up on the homepage but it took it off when I put some in my cart to verify it before posting.  Double check your totals before confirming your order just to make sure.

http://www.primalpitpaste.com/

[One last note:  I am, however, an Amazon affiliate so if you miss the sale you can find it at these links below as well - or at this page - and I'll get a few cents.]

Chicken Spaghetti

What's Cookin'?

Well, not much, actually, since I'm not in my own kitchen!  However, I made this the other night and the children loved it.  I didn't actually measure while I made it so I'm guessing approximate quantities :).

What makes this so easy is having the chicken cooked ahead of time.   The chicken can be boiled or baked - a great use for leftovers!


Ingredients:

- 1 pre-cooked chicken breast, shredded in big chunks or diced however you like it.  Mine was huge.  Use 2 if they are regular-sized (Sprouts had boneless/skinless on sale for $1.69/pound). Approximately 2 cups of diced chicken.  You could use 2 cans of chicken if you wanted, but I recommend fresh.

- 2 "cans" of cream of something soup.  I avoid MSG so I suggest either making your own or getting a clean brand.  Again, not at home, so I use Pacific Organic Cream Of Mushroom Soup and Pacific Organic Cream of Chicken Soup .  I used one of each but will only use 2 of the cream of mushroom next time.

- 2 ribs of organic celery, diced.

- 1/2 onion, diced.

- 1 package of preferred spaghetti noodles (12-16 oz)(these could be regular, gluten-free, etc).

- 8 oz shredded cheese.  I've been using Tillamook because it's hormone-free.  You can get the 2 pound block at Wal-Mart for less than $9.  One block lasts me about 2 weeks (depending on what we're eating that week).  I usually get 2 blocks per month.

- Approximately 1/2 cup water to thin the soups.

Directions:

Cook the noodles al dente and drain.  Don't overcook because they will be going into the oven later.

While the noodles are cooking, sauté the onions and celery in a small saucepan with plenty of real butter.  [When they were done I added the drippings from the chicken pan.  If you do that, omit the water in the recipe.]

Mix the 2 soups, the diced onion/celery, and the water/drippings in a bowl and mix well.

Pour the mixture into the cooked, drained noodles and mix well.  Add the diced chicken and mix again.  Add the shredded cheese last and mix again.  Pour immediately into a 9x12 baking dish.

Topping:  You could reserve a bit of the cheese for a topping.  I toasted 2 pieces of bread to make some quick bread crumbs and sprinkled it on top before baking.  Oldest daughter especially liked that touch.

Bake at 350F for approximately 20 minutes, covered (until bubbly).  Remove cover and bake another 10 to firm it up a bit.

To freeze:  You could freeze before baking or after.  I would freeze before for a ready freezer meal, but I froze 1/2 the casserole after baking as leftovers.

Serve with a fresh salad and a smile :)

Servings:  This recipe made 2 full meals for 5 people (and my kiddos had seconds!).







This recipe is a part of Real Food Wednesday

This post has some affiliate links that may possibly generate a few cents income.

Back online!

Wow... It's been quite some time since I've even been able to check my own blog!  I've been out of touch since November 8th (to be exact!).  That's the day our house closed and we moved in with my mom.  My husband got a router and hooked it up this weekend so now I'm back in the saddle :).  Right now I'm letting my olders sleep in to hopefully keep them well for the SAT this Saturday.  Since we've moved out of our house they are constantly fighting off something or
catching something (sigh!!).

Here are some goodies:

100% Pure has free shipping on all orders right now.  I recently got some nail polish and some creamstick (lipstick) from them when they had a great sale.  I haven't tried the nail polish yet, but the creamsticks are good:
http://www.100percentpure.com/

Chronological History Reading List.  This is so, so awesome:
http://4real.thenetsmith.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=45096

I can't wait to have a minute to delve into this.  This blog has Western Civilization/World History/World Literature/British Literature/British History/Classics/I've run out of tag words but it has a lot.  I wish I had seen it before doing Dante - I skimmed that section and there are some online resources [Of course that was the middle of our move so I'm thrilled to have gotten through it at all!]
http://abandonhopefully.blogspot.com/

Sourdough Bierocks and Empanadas [I will try without the sourdough starter since I'm not at home and it should work great with fresh milk]
http://axiomathome.blogspot.com/2014/01/sourdough-bierocks-and-empanadas.html

Homemade hand sanitizer:
http://www.wholesimplelife.com/homemade-hand-sanitizer/
[I'd like to know more about whether the dosage of 30-40 drops for the amt of ingredients is strong enough to work...]
Here's another:
http://www.homemademommy.net/2013/05/homemade-disinfectant-spray.html

I cannot wait to try this chocolate cheesecake recipe - mmmm!
http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/chocolate-cheesecake-pie-real-food-ingredients-make-real-good-treats

I know I just posted this link but when I re-opened up my blog page this jumped out at me and it was the same day I got online to search for how to get a bunch of coconut oil out of my daughter's clothes.  Ha, didn't remember that I had linked it myself!  I went to the link and have the jeans running in the wash right now.  First I just dusted it with baking soda.  The jeans had already sat for several days and I didn't have access to my mom's laundry machines at the time.  So, I dusted them and they had to sit for 2 more days.  Today I finally have access so they are in the washer after having been rubbed with dish soap.
http://wegotreal.com/remove-grease-stains/

Caramel Coloring may have cancer causing 4-methylimidazole, or 4-MEI.  Consumer Reports found it in sodas.  I wonder if they will check other foods with caramel coloring.
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2014/01/23/shock-study-some-soft-drinks-contain-cancer-causing-chemical/

I'm considering selling Young Living Essential Oils.  Anyone sell it and have feedback for better or worse regarding selling them?  Please answer me offline (or if it's just a positive you could comment below).  Actually, since all comments are moderated you could post a comment either way and it will just go private.  Thanks!

Also, a big thank you to any that have gone through my Amazon affiliate links while I've been in no-man's land.  I earn a few cents through those purchases and really appreciate it.

It's so good to be back!

Free Montessori 3-Part Cards

What's Schoolin'?

Liesl has shared these wonderful cards that she has made.  I have her biome map laminated and on foam board for a pin map and for a control for other works.  We had it out the other day as a control for a biome globe.  I took pictures and hope to put them up soon.

http://www.parents.com/blogs/homeschool-den/2013/10/18/freebies/various-free-montessori-3-part-cards/

Gottatries ~ Safe Lipstick

What's Green?

Removing grease stains... naturally:
http://wegotreal.com/remove-grease-stains/

Homemade non-toxic general cleaner:
http://brownthumbmama.com/2013/09/natural-homemade-all-purpose-cleaner.html

Peppermint Cleaning Paste:
http://wholenewmom.com/recipes/green-cleaning-from-down-under-diy-peppermint-cleaning-paste-baby-laundry-powder/

Cold and Flu Master Tonic.  Would be great to keep handy!  Much safer and healthier than many over the counter drugs.  Garlic and Oil of Oregano are our go-to helps when we're fighting something but this has a much better kick.
http://www.realfoodrn.com/cold-flu-master-tonic/

Healing balms.  We really could have used the Ouchie Balm this week!! [bases of coconut oil and beeswax with different essential oils][note: oil of oregano and frankincense for warts]
http://mylampisfull.blogspot.com/2013/10/make-your-own-natural-healing-balms.html

What's Cookin'?

This is too cool!  50 States, 50 Sandwiches.
http://www.zagat.com/b/50-states-50-sandwiches?utm_source= taboola&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=desktopbuzz

http://tinyurl.com/kd5fwob

Mozzarella Cheese Tutorial - perfect timing!  I got extra milk to try one of my printed moz recipes.  This is a good tutorial:
http://frugalfarmwife.com/article/how-to-make-mozzarella-cheese

I already have this printed and waiting... Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
http://fairywingsandpixiedust.blogspot.com/2013/10/pumpkin-whoopie-pies.html

I love this idea:  Make stuffed peppers in orange bell peppers for Fall (they look like pumpkins).  We celebrate All Hallows Eve (Eve before All Saints), All Saints Day, and All Souls Day (Day of the Dead or Dia de los Muertos) instead of Halloween but I LOVE Fall and pumpkins!  PS: I usually use precooked ground meat for stuffed pepper and it works great.
http://www.eatyourbeets.com/recipes/stuffed-peppers-with-ground-turkey/

Apple Rose Pastries.  Organic apples have been going on sale for $.99/lb.  The perfect time to try this recipe!  I will probably use the yogurt dough from Nourishing Traditions (only with buttermilk instead of yogurt since I usually have that on hand more than yogurt).
http://catholiccuisine.blogspot.com/2013/10/heavenly-garden-apple-rose-pastries.html

Pumpkin Chip Bread or Muffins:
http://queenofthereddoublewide.com/pumpkin-chip-bread-or-muffins/

Apple Pancake Rings:
http://www.foodrenegade.com/grainfree-apple-pancake-rings/

This post reminded me to make chimichangas :):
http://practical-stewardship.com/2013/08/01/crispy-chimichangas-vegan-option/

Low-Carb Peanut Butter Granola [nuts, pnt bttr, coconut, honey]
http://practical-stewardship.com/2012/07/14/crock-pot-or-not-lower-carb-peanut-butter-granola/

"KIND" inspired bar [nuts, honey, coconut, ground flax, chocolate to drizzle]
http://practical-stewardship.com/2012/10/17/homemade-kind-inspired-bars-recipe/

Chocolate almond butter (sort of like nutella?):
http://mysisterspantry.wordpress.com/2013/10/10/easier-chocolate-almond-butter-a-winner/

Banana crepes:
http://mylampisfull.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-banana-dog.html

Welsh cookies (cooked on the stovetop)(these look easy and delicious):
http://learningandyearning.com/sprouted-wheat-welsh-cookies

Healthy gummies (gelatin, tart cherry juice, elderberry syrup, honey):
http://www.realfoodrn.com/healthy-gummies-cold-flu-sleep/

Butternut squash recipes:
http://www.frugalorganicmama.com/butternut-squash-recipe/

Lipstick:

Weird topic, I know, but I have spent a lot of time looking for safe lipstick.  It's my one vanity.  These are the places where I checked to verify that they do NOT use nano-sized mineral particles in their lipsticks.  Some use minerals and some don't.

http://www.lovetruenatural.com/

http://www.eccobella.com/

http://www.gabrielcosmeticsinc.com
[This is also for Zuzu which is at our local Health Food Store]

http://www.100percentpure.com/


These are mostly organic but the website does not say anything about non-nano mineral particles.  These are at our local HFS but I'm hesitant to try them without confirming with the company.
http://www.ecolips.com/store/category/5-tinted-lip-balm.aspx

Dante: Inferno

What's Schoolin'?

The olders and I are going through Dante's Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso.  I checked several translations out from the library but my favorite, and the one we are reading for all 3, is by Allen Mandelbaum. It is not translated in rhyme, but rather goes for a clear and pleasant prose translation.  We are studying a little bit (just one page!) in the original Italian to see how Dante brilliantly used poetry for this epic work and to see the pattern.

Here are my loose 'lesson plans' for Dante's Inferno:

~ Read aloud selected text from p.126-135 of Reading the Middle Ages: An introduction to Medieval Literature by T. Steinberg [you can see a preview of the chapter here]

~ Read the following sections and pages from CliffsNotes aloud and discuss:
   p.5-11 Life and Background
   p.11 Figure of Virgil
   p.11-12 Structure of the Comedy (to appreciate it)
   p.12-14 Interpretation
   p.14-18 General Synopsis

~ Read Inferno Cantos I-XI independently.

~ Read the last part of Inferno aloud to them [line 100 to the end of Inferno].

~ Briefly read through possible essay topics at the end of CliffsNotes; Re-read #3 and #6.

~ They choose from #3 or #6 to write their essay for Inferno.

It took us 2 lesson periods to go through the intro items.  They read Cantos I-XI in one sitting the next day.  I read the last section of Inferno to them and assigned the essay the next.  Dante was more 'daunting' before we got into it (The book is 2 inches thick! Plus, they were expecting it to be as gory as The Aeneid).  One daughter asked, "Why can't we just read the whole thing?"  Yeah!

Next:  Purgatorio...




Any purchases through affiliate links with the same cost to you help to support our homeschool and are much appreciated! 

High School Vet Science

What's Schoolin'?

My 2 olders are jazzed about pursuing their veterinary assistant certification and have started the 4-H Vet Science curriculum.  Our goal is for them to have it before they leave home for college but I'm not sure my senior can get in her 500 clinical hours by then (gulp!).

[Update:  I am thrilled that up to 200 hours can be outside of the vet clinic under the supervision of the instructor (me!) when the program is done as a high school program (not the 4-H route that we were considering).  Supervised work with live animals qualifies for these hours.  At least 300 hours have to be under direct supervision of the vet or vet tech.  With their work, hours, and hands-on workshops with chickens, goats, horses, and livestock they have waaaaay more than 200 hours within the 1-3 year program time frame.  They have done plenty of direct animal care which includes administering medication.  Now I just need to verify hours from our records.]

Here are some links that have been helpful all in one spot.  I keep jumping around online and seem to be clicking in circles.  This will just put it all in one place.  Hopefully this will help others as well.

This is the book we are using for the lessons.

Veterinary Science:  Preparatory Training for the Veterinary Assistant [student book and teacher answer key]

These are recorded lessons (audio with power point).  The one I tried worked fine on my computer:
http://aevm.tamu.edu/4-h-veterinary-science/handbook-information/online-schedule/downloads/

There are new and revised lessons (with answer key) here but they look like what is in the book.  I would need to compare them better to say for sure.  They would need to be studied before the test.
http://aevm.tamu.edu/4-h-veterinary-science/handbook-information/new-lessons/
http://aevm.tamu.edu/4-h-veterinary-science/handbook-information/revised-lessons/

http://aevm.tamu.edu/4-h-veterinary-science/handbook-information/forms/

http://tvma.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=13

Questions and Activities for each lesson.  I think these are the same as in the book; just in hand-out format:
http://aevm.tamu.edu/4-h-veterinary-science/handbook-information/lessons-new-book/

Power points for each lesson:
http://aevm.tamu.edu/4-h-veterinary-science/handbook-information/powerpoints/

The time log sheets are here:
http://aevm.tamu.edu/4-h-veterinary-science/handbook-information/forms/

Certificates to print out are here:
http://aevm.tamu.edu/4-h-veterinary-science/completion-of-project/certificates/

This is the regular Texas Veterinary Medical Association website:
http://www.tvma.org/

This page has information regarding Continuing Ed to maintain the certification [5 hours of CE are required each year].
http://txvma.affiniscape.com/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=13

On the side bar are links to the applications and checklists for the 3 different types of programs (high school; 4-H; hospital).  I decided to use the high school route instead of the 4-H route.
http://txvma.affiniscape.com/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=13

The same forms can be found here (applications and checklists):
http://aevm.tamu.edu/4-h-veterinary-science/certified-veterinary-assistant/

Basil Butter

What's Cookin'?

I sliced a French baguette and wanted something to fancy it up for our spaghetti dinner.  This was the perfect companion and everyone seemed to enjoy it (one daughter in particular!).  My basil was dried from my garden a few years ago and is not finely crushed.  I usually crush it as I add it to my cooking.





Ingredients:

1/2 stick butter [if unsalted then add 1/8 teaspoon UNrefined salt]
2 large pinches of dried basil (mine were "3 finger" pinches)

Directions:

Shortly before serving, melt the butter over low heat.  As it melts add the basil and stir.  Turn off the heat and let it steep until serving time.

I used a tiny enamel pan to make it and served it in the same pan.  We put the baguette slices on our plates and drizzled the basil butter over them (stir before serving each time).  Mmmmm!

This recipe is part of Real Food Wednesday .