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life{in}grace

live with more presence, passion, & purpose

homemaking

The BEST thing about homeschooling teenagers is…..

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So, you’ve probably heard.

I’m homeschooling again.  Sort of.  I mean, my girls are in 11th grade and taking classes at the local community college (dual enrollment) along with taking a few classes at home, so technically we are doing an independent study year.

And Y’ALL.  It’s AMAZING.

First off, let me explain why we decided to come back home after spending several years at an awesome classical school.  I think part of the journey for us has always been really paying attention to what the girls need.  The only reason I ever decided to homeschool initially is because one of my daughter’s needed one on one attention.  After being home for a few years with me, she began to THRIVE and eventually wanted to try “real school” again.

So we did.  We went to “real school” for 7th-10th grades and it was wonderful.  They made some great friends, they learned so much, they were challenged in ways I could never have challenged them at home and it was a great decision for the time.

But these two sweetie pies are mature for their age and were kind of “done” with high school. They were having hours of homework every night and not having any down time.  Between a heavy load at school and dancing 2-4 hours at night, they were exhausted.  And my Elea complained that she had no time to read. (She’s her mother’s daughter!)

And listen, I feel like after you homeschool for any amount of time and have your kids home with you, it’s hard to let them go. It’s hard to give up all that time with them and we were THRILLED when they mentioned they might want to finish high school with independent study.

So, they take 3 classes at Walter State Community College (10 minutes from our house!).  They have Spanish, English Composition, and US History there.  Then, they do Algebra 2 (teaching textbooks, so mama doesn’t have to try to relearn Algebra!) and Chemistry (Apologia) and then later this semester, we’re adding Dave’s Ramsey’s Financial Peace course.  And we are all LOVING IT!!!  The best part is having them around so much!

The girls are so much more relaxed and happy and we see each other throughout the day all day.  I can’t even tell you how much I love having them around during the day again. It’s been such a gift.

And given the fact that I know how fast this all happens, I’m so glad that they get to spend their last two years at home like this. It’s really a WIN WIN.

They were telling me last night how prepared they feel for their college classes.  They are both very self motivated so I don’t have to worry about them doing their work and assignments.  And college classes have been VERY eye opening.  Their history professor told them the first day not to come in hung over or stoned.  YES, HE DID.  So, that led to some interesting conversations but overall, they love their classes and are enjoying the little bit of freedom it gives them!  They were ready for that and honestly I think it’s made them even more mature and responsible.

I am so glad they wanted to try this. It’s been a huge success so far!!

Do you veteran homeschoolers have any advice for homeschooling high school?

I feel like a newbie again!!

Weekly Planning: What I’m Cooking, Reading, Working On, Etc

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I’ve been a planner junky for as long as I can remember and I love that it’s now ALL the rage.  Have you ventured over to YouTube or Periscope to see all the planner videos you can watch? Heavens to betsy.  Trust me, I’ve watched my share of them too. The whole thing is fascinating to me.

Speaking of planning and fellow planning friends, I love my friend Sara’s new etsy shop and her canvas bags. Aren’t they adorable?!)

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I spend an hour or so every Sunday night planning out the week, writing a master to-do list that I then pick from everyday when I’m making my daily list.  One of the things I love and hate to plan is meals. I’m so much happier and so much less stressed when I head into the week with an idea of what I’m feeding the peeps.

It saves so much stress and time and money.

I tend to jot down a list of meals and then make them in the order that it makes sense for us, depending on what’s going on at night, etc.  I wrote a whole series about meal planning if you want more ideas & check out my Pinterest boards on food. I’m pretty obsessed. Follow at your own risk.

Here’s what we’re having this week in no particular order:

In case you’re not sure about pizza bianca, let me make your acquaintance.

 

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Other goals I have this week:

Get my tax stuff in order and to my accountant. #blesshiseverlovingheart

Remember my motto THERE YOU ARE from this FB post.

Make serious headway in my current read, All the Light We Cannot See (it’s taking me forever but the writing is SO GOOD, I want to savor all the words and all the metaphors) and finish my f

Teach two classes. (One of them is in my town tonight if you’re local?!)

Run 3 times, weight train twice.

Post my book list for 2016 (it’s daunting to decide!)

Get my email Lenten devotional series ready to go again. I think I’m going to do it on the blog this year but still working on the details. I’ll also be reading Grace Upon Grace during Lent this year and doing some discussions about it on Periscope. (Periscope is a free live streaming app, my name there is lifeingrace!)  Lent begins February 10th so order your book soon is you want to read along with me!

Launch my new (and free) 14 day E Course on essential oils and how to use our starter kit oils to keep your family happy & well.  (It’s actually now live!)(This is different than my paid course, in that it’s not nearly as comprehensive and doesn’t cover the same material. But it will give you an idea of how you would integrate eo’s into your family’s daily routine, for those who are interested but not ready to dive in just yet.

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Happy Monday!! What goals do you have this week?! Are you a planner?!

And, I’d love to know if you’re a meal planner and what tricks/apps/etc you use to get dinner on the table. Also? How about if you link to one of your favorite recipes in the comments. Then we’ll all benefit from your generosity!

Pizza Bianca, Homemaking & Seasons

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Thanksgiving table top ideas and Pizza Bianca via lifeingrace

I’m in a season of BUSY. I’ve got no lies to tell.

Probably the busiest season of my whole adult life, I think, save the med school years.  I didn’t really see it coming either, but in so many ways, it’s been so good for me and good for our family.

And in some ways we’ve suffered—the laundry has piled up, the eggs have run out, the collard greens have gone bad, (note to self, for the love of all things pleasant smelling, DO NOT EVER LET THE COLLARD GREENS GO BAD) and the running shoes are a little stiff.  All that to say, it’s been wonderful but it hasn’t all been unicorns and butterflies.

All in all we’re better and different. We keep learning and adapting and finding news ways to be there for each other.  Otherwise known as, Stevie made dinner last week.   #cuethehallelujahchorus

Birthing a book and a new business has its cost and sometimes you just gotta do whatcha gotta do, i.e., #hustle and #gitrdone  You have no idea the degree of full on HUNKERING DOWN I’m about to do when cold weather gets here.  It will be an inspiring season of knitting, netflixing, soup stirring, and book reading. You mark my words.

But what keeps my feet firmly planted on the ground is the ongoing date I have with my kitchen. We are food people so no matter how crazy life gets, we find a way to make a fuss come supper time.

I’m always yammering on about soup so I thought I’d share an oldie but goodie and a favorite with so many of my soups—pizza bianca! I canNOT tell you how much I love this simple little tasty treat. I have

I’m not 100% sure what I’m serving it with this week—maybe Italian Sub Soup, or Cheeseburger Soup, or even Cheese Tortellini).

I make it a point to get the dough and the soup going early in the day and then finish it closer to dinner.

Thanksgiving table top ideas and Pizza Bianca via lifeingrace

Just FYI:  It tastes better when you’re table looks like a party.  Just walk outside and gather up some pine cones and acorns, and snatch  a few maple branches from the trees.  Sometimes I steal some pumpkins from the front porch.

I’ve used this exact set up for the teens table at Thanksgiving day, so keep them handy and none of the pretty things will go to waste!

Thanksgiving table top ideas and Pizza Bianca via lifeingrace

 

Thanksgiving table top ideas and Pizza Bianca via lifeingrace

For the Dough:

  • 3 1/2 cups of flour (I usually start with 3 cups and then add more flour as needed to make a dough that isn’t sticky)
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 T. sugar
  • 1 cup of cold water
  • 1 package of yeast

In a standard mixer (fitted with a dough hook if possible), (preferably a kitchen aid standing mixer so it can do all the work), add 3 cups of flour, the yeast, oil, salt, and sugar. Slowly add the water, until all the flour is incorporated. Mix the dough for 2-3 minutes or until the flour all pulls away from the side of the bowl. The dough will most likely be sticky to the touch. Slowly add more flour, (probably another 1/2 cup but potentially up to 3/4 cup) and continue to mix, until the flour is all incorporated and the dough is no longer sticky at all. Mix for a total of 8 minutes. Place the dough in a well oiled bowl and let rise until it doubles in size. My oven has a proofing setting (about 170 degrees) so I always proof my breads in the oven. It significantly shortens the rising time but at least find the warmest spot in your kitchen, free from drafts, and let rise a couple of hours. I cover my dough bowl with a damp flour sac and then it rise for a couple of hours, until it’s doubled in size.

Then, you divide the dough in half and form each dough ball into a crust. This is a little tricky, in my humble opinion. If you use a rolling pin to roll it out, then you don’t get the taller outer edges. So, I take my time and do this part by hand, leaving the outer lip a little higher, so that honey and other ingredients aren’t spilling over the edge. I use a liberal amount of flour to roll it out and then make sure you use a very liberal amount of corn meal underneath the crust so that it doesn’t stick to the pizza peel.

For Pizza Bianca: Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with course salt and dried thyme.

Here’s what mine looked like after the drizzle and sprinkle.

 

Thanksgiving tabletop ideas and Pizza Bianca via lifeingrace

Bake at 475-500 for about 15 minutes, until lightly brown on top.

Thanksgiving table top ideas and Pizza Bianca via lifeingrace

Today and tomorrow only, get this fantastic deal on SO MANY awesome books for making your house a home. I bought this a few years ago and cannot even believe how many awesome resources are in one place.  Go here to read more!  You get:

  • ✔ 63 eBooks
  • ✔ 6 eCourses
  • ✔ 1 audio download
  • ✔ 2 online conferences, and
  • ✔ 14 printable packs

86 resources in all. (A total value of $913.88.)

Project Organize Your Entire Life – Is your house slowly being taken over by clutter? Do you stare at that pile of papers on the kitchen counter and wonder how they seem to multiply overnight? This eBook will show you how to get organized and stay organized with simple systems that are easy to manage and grow with your family.

The Pregnancy Companion – Is a new baby in your future? In this eBook, you will learn how to experience more glowing, wonderful pregnancy moments without all the stress and fatigue. You will get quick tools and tips to sleep better, eliminate morning sickness, reduce stress, and give your baby a healthy start in life. Everything is here for you.

Simply Clean Home – Is it time to get your house back on track? Keeping a clean home doesn’t have to be complicated or a struggle. And your house certainly doesn’t have to look like the cover photo of a magazine all the time! This eBook will teach you how to develop simple cleaning routines that support your life.

The Steady Mom’s Freedom Guide – Are you looking for a life-affirming way to relax, let go of stress, and be the best mom you can be? This eBook will teach you all the cool tips and tricks that successful moms use to strike a balance between steadiness and blissful freedom, so that you can enjoy your parenting journey (and inspire your children to become their best).

Become a Frugalista – Have you ever seen a beautiful dress in the store and thought, “Who are they kidding?!.” This eBook will give you all the core personal finance skills you need to give your family the very best… on a limited budget. There’s no need to do without. Once you have a few simple money management skills, you can create the life of your dreams on a shoestring budget.

How to Blog for Profit Without Selling Your Soul – Have you ever wanted to run a business from home? Something small, on the side that can grow as your children grow? This eBook will jumpstart your journey of profitable blogging that honors you and your family. Create a blog that works perfectly for you, your family, and your goals. Then share it with others for fun and profit.

Marriage, Intimacy & Sex: Moving from Blah to Blazing – Are you ready to bring the fun and zest back into your marriage? This audio download inspire you to strengthen your connection with your spouse, create a safe place to share your deepest feelings, and start acting like carefree honeymooners again.

Easy, Oven-Free Dinners – Are you tired of being stuck in the house waiting for dinner to finally pop out of the oven? Are you ready to break free from tired old recipes that bore you to tears? This eBook will show you how to make healthy dinners, faster, easier and completely oven free!

Let me know what you think of the PB if you make it!!

And tell me what season you’re currently in?  I’d love to know!

My VERY Favorite Fall Dinner Trick {And 7 Must Have Recipes}

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All the anxiety that dinner making can cause quickly slips away when fall is here.

Why?

Because SOUP dear friends, our most beloved SOUP is officially back.

Some of you who are new around here don’t even know that I like to call myself the soup whisperer. Fall is EXACTLY my jam, not because I can finally make soup, but because I can make it without my family rolling their eyes and turning down the AC.

Soup often means bread so they don’t fuss for long.

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I’ve written about my best trick for getting dinner on the table before but honestly, soup is my best trick.

So, I thought in honor of the first day (it is the first day, right?) of fall I’d give you a list of soups in ORDER THAT I LOVE THEM.  Which is like picking your favorite child and then telling the whole world. So don’t tell the other soups please. They all think they’re my favorite.

If you’re a novice to soup making, let me change your life by teaching you how to make the world’s easiest suppers that taste like you’ve been slaving away all day.

You might first want to read about my favorite kitchen tools.

Then about how I stock my pantry.

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Once you have a good soup pot, a good knife, a cutting board,  an apron, and a stocked pantry, there’s no soup frontier we can’t conquer together.  Also of note? I like to make EVERY HARD recipe into a soup because then it’s not so hard and you look fancy because you just made lasagna soup.

(Mic Drop in the kitchen, that’s what that is.)

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 Please also see my chocolate chip pumpkin bread recipe!

I kinda feel like I need a drum roll as I give the family recipes.

Okay, here goes.  My favorite soups IN ORDER THAT I CHERISH THEM.

Okay, it’s really a tie between the first three.

1. Pumpkin Chipotle Soup with Chicken & Barley

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I made this last week with GROUND CHICKEN and I must say that I think I like it even better, if that’s possible.

2.  Italian Sub Soup

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3.  Cheese Tortellini Soup

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4.  Swedish Meatball Soup

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5.  Creamy Tortilla Soup

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6.  Broccoli Cheese Soup

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7.  Best Ever Beef Stewbeefstew

Okay friends, that’s my top 7 or the FAMILY JEWELS as I like to call it.

For more soup, go here!

 

5 Ways to Bring the Magic Back To Your Kitchen

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Last week, I spent two days working in my kitchen wondering if the greasy film that covers certain parts of my stove can ever be clean again.  Then I remember what I say all the time, “You can have a  clean kitchen or you can cook in it a lot, but you can’t have both.”  I know that to be a fact at my house.  I’ve cooked in this kitchen for 3 1/2 years and by my rough calculations, I’ve made over 1500 meals here.  It’s a hard working space & although I love it when it’s shiny and unsullied, I like it better when the wreckage from dinner reminds me that this is the place where I take care of my people.  Feeding people is hard work but one of those things that is so worth the time and effort you put into it.  

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So, if cooking more is on your list of things to do this year, let me offer a little encouragement and a few tips for bringing the magic back into the kitchen.

1.  Start wearing an apron

It just makes you feel like you should be cooking.  My morning routine looks something like this—shower, brush teeth, put on cute outfit, put on apron.  Every single day I wear an apron. Something simple with pockets, like this one.  When you walk into your kitchen in an apron, you naturally want to saute an onion and as I confessed on tv the other day, sometimes cooking an onion in some olive oil will inspire me to make dinner even if I don’t know what I’m making.  You will think to yourself, what a shame that I have on an apron and haven’t cook anything yet.  I dare you to try it!

Kitchen

2. Listen while you work

I love being in my kitchen with my hands in bread dough but I also love it when I can work with my hands and use my brain at the same time.  I listen to oodles of hours of podcasting every week while I’m doing my other chores and especially while I’m in the kitchen.  It actually makes me look forward to kitchen work, which can sometimes feel dull & repetitive.  You can listen to my podcast archives or try out Issues etc or find a podcast related to what you’re interested in and listen to that.

3.  Start early & stock up

I’ve written a fair amount about meal planning and I will gladly give you  free access to meal plans in my monthly newsletter, but honestly, I often don’t follow a meal plan very closely.  But I do have one trick for getting dinner on the table most nights and that is—start early in the day.  I wrote a whole post about some of the tricks I use to get dinner started early.  If I don’t follow my own advice, we scramble and then eat bad food, unless we’re lucky enough to have ample leftovers.  If I have an onion sautéing by 9 am, good things are bound to happen!  But this only works well if you’re pantry is well stocked so that you have what you need to get meals started & on the table.

4.  Get a good dutch oven

I did a segment for our local television channel on cooking & decorating the other day and lugged my 9,000 pound soup pots FULL OF SOUP to Knoxville and back.  Because having a good pot to cook in is a game changer.  Maybe you have some Christmas money lying around and even if not, you’ll make your money back in less than a month by eating at home.  You don’t have to get Le Creuset but get a good pot and you won’t be sorry. (Sometimes TJ Maxx has them for a steal!) I use mine every single day for nearly everything I cook and it’s the best investment I’ve ever made in my kitchen and in my family. I have fed them well from my dutch ovens.  And  January is SOUP SEASON if ever there was such a thing.  It couldn’t be a better time to get in the kitchen and make a big pot of soup. Here’s a list to get you started!

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5.  Be patient with yourself

It takes a while to get good at anything.  You have to do it over and over again and fail a lot and make lots of messes.  Don’t get discouraged when the veggies are soggy & the meat is tough and the bread is burned.  I still mess up but we are doing something so profound when we feed people.  This is how Christ chose to take care of us too, by feeding us.  And when we partake in the mystery of food, we are partaking in the mystery of life.  It’s deeply satisfying and humbling and rewarding.  But it’s not easy.  Nothing worth doing is.  So go slow and be good to yourself.  Order out when life is chaotic but you will find that getting into a rhythm of cooking will ground you and will give your family untold comfort and security and nourishment. It’s so worth it.

Tell me how you bring the magic back to your kitchen!!

Yarn Wrapped Wreath

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We are so enjoying Advent and a very SLOW move toward Christmas. In other words, I still have pumpkins in my kitchen and on my front porch.

I’m obsessed with all things yarn right now so as we speak, I’m knitting some cool bracelets and a cowl or two.  I made these wreaths last Christmas and I love them SO MUCH!  This project is so easy and takes a little over an hour.  I love to craft during the holidays because it forces me to slow down, to SIT DOWN.  I can listen to music or podcasts or I can eat Grannie’s fudge but I can’t run myself ragged while I’m doing it.  It’s a great way to teach yourself how to relax.  Or at least it is for me.  Yarn bracelets coming soon!  I also made a pom pom wreath last year which I then converted to a  pom pom garland, so check it out too!

What you’ll need:

  • Foam/Straw/Styrofoam wreath (sold at craft stores for $2-$3)
  • Yarn – any kind, I used a #4 medium weight
  • Felt or linen flowers or your choice of embellishments
  • Spray adhesive
  • Scissors
  • Ribbon/string for hanging

 

What you’ll do:

  • Do not remove the plastic wrapping from the wreath, especially if you’re using the straw kind.  It’s easier to just wrap the yarn right around the plastic wrapping.
  • Cut four strips of yarn the same length, about two yards.
  • Hold those four pieces together and after spraying a little adhesive onto the wreath form, begin wrapping.  Wrap it in such a way as to cover up the ‘tails’ of the four strands of yarn.
  • When you’ve wrapped those four strands, make sure you leave the ‘tails’ of those strands on the back side of the wreath.  You’ll use the next set of four strands to then cover the ‘tails’ of the previous strands.  (I illustrate this is the video, if that’s confusing!)
  • Continue spraying and wrapping, until your wreath is covered and full.  It took me about an hour to finish one wreath.  The reason I use four strands at a time and cut them to a manageable length is because a) it’s way faster and b) you can avoid trying to wrap a whole skein of yarn through the wreath form.
  • When you’re finished, use a piece of coordinating ribbon to hide the last set of ‘tails’ from your yarn.
  • It looks wonky from the back unless you’re a perfectionist which I AM NOT.  But it only shows from one side, right?

And may your crafting force you to slow down dear friends!

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p.s—I’m joining my friend Myquillin’s wreath party so head on over for more homemade wreath goodness!  And in case you’re in need for some colorful quirky Christmas cheer, head over to my Christmas tour from last year.  And by the way?  The crazy mannequin with the evergreen bough is coming back!!

 

MY NEWEST BLOG SPONSOR:

 

This post is generously sponsored by my YL. I am into natural choices for my family, and this is the main way I help boost our immune systems and alleviate lots of minor aches, pains, and injuries.  Read more about how we are using them everyday! My Young Living essential oils are also my newest business venture, and the oils are so well loved that they sponsor my blog!!! Thank you, friends!  Enroll by clicking here.