Make Flashcards on the computer

I get a newsletter from Kim Komando several times a week. She sends free downloads, some of the greatest things I have on my computer. I love my sticky notes, my desktop calendar, etc.

I found this one and thought it might be helpful for homeschoolers.

Have a great day, get ready for the next blast of snow! (got your generators ready?)

http://www.komando.com/downloads/category.aspx?id=8127

Learn better and faster using flash cards

Real learning takes a lot more than rote memorization. But it’s essential to start with the basic rules, facts and vocabulary. That’s true for whatever it is you happen to be studying. And those things do require memorization.
But it can be so boring. Playing the guitar is cool. Learning to find each note is tedious. Speaking French makes you look suave. But you have to build up a vocabulary first.

You’ll want to get that baseline knowledge quickly. Using flash cards is a tried and true way to do it. But writing them out on actual cards is so last century. Pauker is a simple flash card program.
You can create your own flash cards or download lessons from the site. The program will test you on your flash cards. And it will keep track of what you’ve learned. It’ll help you get past memorization quickly. Then you can start having fun.
Cost: Free
Link: pauker.sourceforge.net
System: Windows XP, Vista and 7, Mac OS X

Teaching kids about where their food comes from

This book is awesome in the adult version but now I am reading the Young Readers Edition to see if I want to use it for homeschool...and I DO!

This book is great and it has Q and A in the back. Its a great book for middle school and high schoolers to read to learn about health and food.

Search in this book on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Omnivores-Dilemma-Kids-Secrets-Behind/dp/0803735006/ref=bxgy_cc_b_img_a#reader_0803735006

I loved the info in his other books. This will be great for my kids!

1000 Year War in the Middle East

Richard Maybury really has some super educational books.

I love his "Whatever Happened to Penny Candy" and "Are you Liberal, Conservative, or Confused" and now I want to highly recommend "The Thousand Year War in the Middle East". This is classified as "World Politics, Middle East History" for your homeschool kids. I would say it is not for small children, they won't understand. Middle and High School kids should not have a problem following it, as it was written for them.

It was written before 9-11 and unbelievably, he predicted an attack on the US and what we did to cause them to want to attack us and why the government calls retaliation, "terrorism". He does not justify their attacks, he just states why they want to attack us, what we did to them first and how we broke the laws of civilization in the last century, which made us a target.

This book really explains why the war is going on and how our forefathers warned us not to get involved, and just this past century, we did not heed the warnings. This book is an incredible eye opener, and my kids are going to start reading it this week! Most people do not have clue why this 1000 year war is going on and how and why we got involved. They don't even know the half of it.

I could go on and on, but you should read it for yourself. It was an incredible eye opener for me. Even if you do not homeschool, its a great learning tool for you kids.Not only can your children benefit from reading this book, but most adults can too.

Who am I?

I saw this poem in the book: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey.

I am your constant companion.
I am your greatest helper or heaviest burden.
I will push you onward or drag you down to
failure.

I am completely at your command.
Half of the things you do you might as well turn
over to me and I will do them - quickly and
correctly.

I am easily managed - you must be firm with me.
Show me exactly how you want something done
and after a few lessons, I will do it automatically.
I am the servant of great people,
and alas, of all failures as well.

Those who are great, I have made great.
Those who are failures, I have made failures.
I am not a machine though
I work with the precision of a machine
plus the intelligence of a person.
You may run me for profit or run me for ruin -
it makes no difference to me.

Take me, train me, be firm with me, and
I will place the world at your feet.
Be easy with me and I will destroy you.

Who am I?

I am Habit.

Keeping food safe in an emergency

I got this email today on food safety in light of the hurricane that is about to hit Florida.
See my other blog for details. http://margaritastewart.blogspot.com/2009/11/keeping-food-safe-in-emergency.html

I don't have time to cross post right now, but wanted to share the info.

Items that frequent McD's Asian Dollar Menu: McSquid, McSpam and the McAloo Tikki Burger.

Mc Donalds in Moscow

This is great, odd things they sell at Mc Donalds in other countries...Seaweed shaker fries, Mc Squid...check it out...tooo fun. When I was in Hawaii as a kid, we had Ramen Noodles at McDonalds there. http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2009/11/weird-stuff-mcdonalds-sells-around.html

Homemade Ricotta Cheese..cooking with kids

Don't forget to take the kids into the voting booth today! Set a good example for them!

My kids and I have been cooking all sorts of things lately...(I think my son made cookies four days last week lol) We made Biscotti last week too. It was really good.


Sunday, we made ricotta cheese, it was sooo easy, fast, and tastes better than any I ever bought, specialty store and all.

Last night I made pumpkin lasagna with it and it was soo good (didn't taste the pumpkin but it added vitamins, the ricotta was surely the star)

Pics on my other blog along with more info. I promise if you make this, you will wonder why you ever bought Ricotta Cheese!
http://margaritastewart.blogspot.com/2009/11/homemade-ricotta-cheese-its-easy-try-it.html

Homemade Ricotta Cheese

8 C Whole Milk
1 t citric acid
¼ c water
2 T half and half
1 t kosher salt (I used course sea salt, it worked)

Put the milk in a pot on the stove, and put a candy thermometer in it (don't get scared off, this is so easy, clip it on and relax). In a measure cup, put the water and add the citric acid and stir it up...dump it in the milk give it a whirl and turn on the heat to medium. Let it go, don't' touch it again, resist the urge to stir it anymore, the initial stir is the only one you will do...and in about 15 min the temp should come up to 190° F...turn off heat and let the thing sit 10 min while the curds separate from the whey.

While you wait for it to go up to 190......

In another bowl, put the half and half and salt so you are ready when it is.
Put a fine mesh strainer (window screen size mesh is fine) over a bowl or another strainer in the sink.When it hits 190°... let it set, turn it off and let it set 10 mins to separate curds and whey.then dump it right into the strainer and let it sit (recipe book doesn't state how long, I left the first batch sit 10 min)..then dump in bowl of half and half salt mix and fold to combine.

That's it. This keeps one week in the frige. I put it in a canning jar, it said you can cover in the bowl and put it in frige, but I need room in my frige for other things and I love my canning jars. Oh yeah, this is two batches in this jar..each batch makes about 1¼ c of Ricotta cheese...one gallon of milk makes 2 batches.