LIFE IN MY HOUSE

Nathan's been makng some yummy things lately! Here are our favorite chocolate chip cookies! They're thick and chewy! Usually, I prefer chocolate chip cookie dough over the cookies, but these were the best chocolate chip cookies I've ever tasted!! {Nathan will be the first to tell you that I'm his toughest critic-seriously. If I think that something doesn't taste good, I'll tell him. How can he improve on something if he doesn't know the truth about it! Afterall, I'm his teacher!} Then you see Herb Wine Chicken (a dump chicken recipe). With dump chicken, you just whisk up a few ingredients in a bowl, place chicken {we use 8-10 bone-in thighs} in a zip lock freezer bag, pour whisked ingredients over the bagged chicken and freeze! When you're ready to use, thaw for a day or two in refrigerator, DUMP into a baking dish--we use a 9 x 13 large glass Pyrex baking dish and bake at 400 degrees for about an hour. Your baking time will change, of course, with boneless chicken. If you have a larger baking dish and want to use 12+ pcs. of chicken, the liquid ingredients should be plenty!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Herb Wine Chicken

We're back to homeschooling--starting out slow. I'm working into our social studies subject of New York State History. I'm still collecting books from the library. (yes, I know I should've already done that. Sometimes I have to wait for books, if they're not in the libary that we regularly go to) I think I have enough to started. I'm looking forward to some field trips. I'm considering the Iroquois museum and Fort Ticonderoga. I welcome any suggestions!!

Below are some photos of how we've used these inexpensive bookcases from Big Lots! I just bought another one yesterday to keep my books close by me. I sit at the desk a lot, and I like to have things at my fingertips: Teacher guides for correcting work and tests, unit study guides, devotionals, homeschool books, library books about homeschooling, etc. All of our library books have been in a basket in the livingroom, and I was never reading the books that I took out for myself! Now, I have them right next to me, so I'll remember that they're here!

I'm looking for function--we're a homeschool family, so matching, beautiful [expensive] furniture isn't a priority. This is our former dining room. We gave it up YEARS ago for a homeschool room. We bought a "school table" for Nathan and Jared when they were K and pre-school age. It ALWAYS had stuff on it, and they hated to clean it! So they gave up the school room, so they didn't have to clean it! It's since been a playroom and now the office. It also houses my scrapbook supplies and work area. (the playroom is where the office used to be). It's important for us that the computer and desk are in the main area of the house. That puts me and/or Jim in the center of daily life. And when Nathan and Jared are on the computer, they're right where I can see them. And where my scrapbook area is, I can look up and a tiny bit to the left and I can see what's on the computer screen.

My new bookcase!

desk with bookcases used for hutch

scrapbook area with book cases used as hutch

My 5 yo cutie after a cider donut

Owen playing on swingset

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Until next time...

blessings, joie