Menu Monday~3/27/17

  Sunday
      Breakfast~cereal with milk and fruit
      Lunch~Clubb muffins, with fruit
      Snack~cookies
      Supper~Pot roast with steamed veggies and salad
      Snack~homemade pretzel cinnamon pretzel bites
Monday
      Breakfast~Cheesy ham and egg skillet with fruit
      Lunch~Hot open faced ham and melted mozzarella cheese subs, chips and applesauce
      Snack~apples
      Supper~spaghetti with meatballs, salad and garlic bread
      Snack~Jello
Tuesday
      Breakfast~Overnight French Toast with Fruit
      Lunch~peanut butter, banana wraps, carrots and yogurt
      Snack~apple or oranges
      Supper~pork roast, spaetzle, green beans and salad
      Snack~cherry turnovers
Wednesday
      Breakfast~eggs with sausage links and toast
      Lunch~BBQ chicken sandwiches with chips
      Snack~pretzels
      Supper~pizza
      Snack~pudding
Thursday
      Breakfast~crockpot apple and cinnamon oatmeal
      Lunch~chef salads with italian bread
      Snack~grapes
      Supper~Baked chicken and herbs, carrots and rice pilaf, salad
      Snack~pound cake
Friday
      Breakfast~cereal with milk and fruit
      Lunch~grilled cheese
      Snack~yogurt
      Supper~fillet of fish, macaroni and cheese and broccoli
      Snack~Sliced apples
Saturday
      Breakfast~Chocolate chip pancakes with warm syrup, eggs and fruit
      Lunch~Toasted ham and cheese sandwiches, Herbed cottage fries and applesauce
      Snack~yogurt
      Supper~Lasagna with garlic bread and salad
      Snack~caramel popcorn

Bessie’s Pillow By Linda Bress Silbert~A Review Crew Review

                                Presents...

   

     Strong Learning, Inc. has published the book, Bessie’s Pillow.  Based on the true story of Bessie Dreizen, (Boshka Marksman) a Lithuanian immigrant to the United States, this story is beautifully written.  While reading the story I was pulled in to the story. This story captures Bessie’s moments..as she embarks on a new life here in America.  We experience her hesitations of leaving home, the place she knew well and lived with her family, her anxieties of starting over here in the unknown land of America, where things are different~including the language and her name!~ALONE!  The story starts with her leaving Lithuania where Jews are persecuted.  She travels here with the hops of earning enough money to bring her family here, mainly here brothers to escape the enlistment they would soon face into the Russian army.  As we followed with Bessie, she encounters or overcomes, language barriers and the differences from one place to another.   She explains, for example how the police in America are very different than the police back home.  We laughed and cried (okay I cried the kids not so much) as people died from common things today that we have cures from.  This is something that is hard to swallow and taken for granted. One of the hardest things for my kids to understand was that people died back then from things that today we have cures for!  Something we take for granted, the advanced in medical treatments since then.
     Bessie’s Pillow is a double love story.  The Parents Love:  The love the parents had for their child that they wanted her to have a better life, so at 18 they “pushed” her to go to a different country for a better life and future.  This story is so true for so many families.  Then you have Bessie’s love story how she met and married her husband, this is where the pillow comes in.  I won’t explain exactly how at this point.  You have to read the book!  However, the pillow provides great comfort, and connections.  
     The book encompassed her daily ups and downs, as she built her life here and became a successful American.  Of course it wasn’t easy at all.  She did have an older sister and some family friends that she stayed with when she first came.  However seeking them out in a new land wasn’t easy.  Finding her first job here again wasn’t easy. Times were not as easy as we know them to be today. 
           I started off reading the story to my kids.  I wasn’t sure how they would like it.  I read it in the evening as part of the bedtime ritual.  The next day I hear..“Mom, at lunch break will you read some more of the pillow story?”,  and again at bedtime "Are we going to read more of that book?"  They loved it as much as I did!  This book is a great read alone for an older child (I would say 8th or 9th and up)  or with you family (this way you can talk about some of the experiences that are brought up in the book).  I want to point out though that this is a real account of what happened and how immigrants were treated.  There are some parts that you may feel are not suitable for your younger child.  My daughter is 11 and the youngest to listen as I read this story.    I suggest you reading the book first, if reading to elementary school kids.
     Along with this book, when using this with middle and high schoolers, there are additional resources to help enhance the lesson.  I suggest you check out Bessie's America!  Here you can find links to radio shows that were listened to during this time period, recipes and photographs to help you really see and understand this time period.  Finally there is a study guide that you can use. With all the resources that come with this book, it could easily be used as a unit study!

   You can find Bessie's Pillow here:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BessiesPillow

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BessiesPillow  @BessiesPillow

    Bessie’s Pillow is the first novel written Linda Bress Silbert.   

  You can check out what my crew friends are saying about this book as well:


Thank you to Strong Learning Inc., and the Homeschool Review Crew for the opportunity to review this book.

Menu Monday~3/20/17

    Sometimes it is so hard to answer the question:What's for supper?.  I find it so much easier for us {okay me really since I am the one pulling it off :)}, when I have a plan already laid out!  Here is what we are fixing this week!
Sunday
     Breakfast~Cereal with fruit and milk
     Lunch~Ham and cheese roll ups with chips and fruit
     Snack~pretzels
     Supper~Pork Schnitzels with spaetzle and green beans
     Snack~yogurt
Monday
     Breakfast~cereal with milk and fruit
     Lunch~salad and potato bar with fruit or yogurt
     Snack~fruit or yogurt
     Supper~Chicken Ranch Pasta with tossed salad and home made garlic rolls
     Snack~pound cake with berries
Tuesday
     Breakfast~Crockpot Breakfast Casserole with fruit
     Lunch~Chef salads with yogurt and rolls
     Snack~yogurt
     Supper~BBQ Chicken Sandwiches with chips
     Snack ~ cupcakes
Wednesday
     Breakfast~Cereal with fruit and milk
     Lunch~Clubb McMufins
     Snack~Fruit or yogurt
     Supper~Oven Fried chicken with green beans and mashed potatoes
     Snack ~Peanut butter pie
Thursday
     Breakfast~Cereal with milk and fruit
     Lunch~Skillet black bean,chicken and corn fajitas
     Snack~pretzels
     Supper~Baked Mozzerella Chicken rolls with salad
     Snack ~Apple dumplings
Friday
     Breakfast-Overnight French Toast Bake
     Lunch~Grilled Cheese with yogurt and chips
     Snack~cookies
     Supper~Fish sandwiches with fries
     Snack~Fruit
Saturday
     Breakfast~Pancakes and waffles
     Lunch~Toasty Ham and Cheese sandwiches with fruit and yogurt
     Snack~Carrots
     Supper~Pizza
     Snack ~Brownies

Chicken Fettuccini? Yes Please!

    

I love Fettuccini! With us living an hour from my favorite Italian restaurant and our busy schedules, I don’t get out there very often at all.  I have tried several recipes at home to make it and I haven’t been very crazy about any of the recipes until now.  We were invited to a friends house for supper and she served Chicken Fettuccini.  It was delicious!  My son then wanted this dish for his birthday dinner, so I had to get the recipe!  This recipe is super easy and SO DELICIOUS! You will want to add it to your menu!

    The recipe is from FabuLESSly Frugal.

  What you need for the sauce:

• 1 pint heavy cream
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
• 2 Tablespoons cream cheese
• 1 to 1-1/2 cup fresh Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• salt and pepper, to taste
• parsley for garnish

  That is all!  I would recommend doubling that and making a double batch.  With Lent in full swing in our house this was our go to Friday meatless meal as well on Friday when left the chicken off! There were no complaints about the sauce being reheated either!

  To pull this together… In a saucepan combine heavy cream, butter and cream cheese. Simmer this until all is melted and mixed well. Add the Parmesan cheese and garlic powder. Simmer this for 15-20 minutes on medium-low heat, just until it thickens enough to coat a spoon. Serve over hot pasta noodles, in place of red pizza sauce, or for dipping.

   With said busy schedule I purchased already cooked, all you need to do is heat Grilled chicken found in the freezer case.  (Not the norm around here but he waned this dish so I used the quick version).  The chicken that I used didn’t go over as well as I thought, not being fresh the family could tell the difference!  However overall there were not complaints, every plate was clean (as in almost licked clean!), and the double batch was gone by Friday!  Hope you enjoy this super easy, extremely delicious Alfredo as much as we did!

Home School Adventure Co~Creative Freewriting Adventure~A TOS Review

     Home school Adventure Co.has created a Creative Freewriting Adventure writing program for your most hesitant writers!  It is a program that allows you to grab a pen, a piece of paper, a timer and your imagination to create great stories in just 15 minutes!  Yes you read that correctly.  It only requires 15 minutes a day! Great for those kids, who like mine, dread writing.  
    So how does it work?   
The program consists of 10 short stories like :Thales, The Ancient Greek Philosopher, Democritus, The Laughing Philosopher and The Gallery.  You will start off by reading the short story to your child.  After each story comes the writing part.. There is a page that says what their assignment is...  In one story you are a princess who steps through a picture frame into a different world, describing your actions and experience leading up to a big party, or riding a winged pony!  Each assignment offers a list of questions to consider to help you write your story.  Some of those questions:
     Background:
           Who is your climbing buddy?
           Have you encountered anything unusual in previous climbs?
           What, if anything, do we need to know about your climbing                   background?
     The Dialogue:
           Do you meet anyone in this parallel universe?

   Incorporate your senses into your writing:
          What do you see?   
          What do you hear?
  
  When the child is having trouble these question may jar their imagination and help them.
       The main approach and what I loved about this program is that your child is encouraged to become the character that the short story is about.  For example, in one of the stories, it’s main them is a girl who steps thru a beautiful picture.  The scene in the picture comes alive with the vivid details (blue summer sky, white fleecy clouds).  Using the senses gives your child at least 5 things to write about in describing the story!  The possibilities are endless and with two kids using the writings their stories were never the same!
  To help them visualize and get into the mood, knowing that they only had 15 minutes, I would have them relax and close their eyes while I read the short story.  Then with their eye still closed I asked them the sense questions. What are you seeing?  What do you smell?  What can you touch? 
    My kids have always had great imaginations when it comes to playing with their Lincoln Logs, Legos, cars, dolls etc.  As they got older and I would ask them to put it on paper, they would freeze!  It always amazed me that they could play for hours creating this little world, but I say write me a paragraph about the town you just created, or the farm you are playing on, they were like a deer in headlights. 
     I picked up a book on story story starters and we gave that a try.  I got maybe a paragraph.. (SIGH).  I get it. Not everyone will be a novelist!  But I have tried many curriculums that would maybe pull something out of my kids when it came to writing a story.  As of right now, sadly, I have been unsuccessful in that area.  Given the opportunity to review this curriculum was exciting!  I thought maybe this would be it!  I eagerly waited for the information and was happy to get started.
     I also had the opportunity to review the coloring book edition.  I think this was a great addition because it helped to shape the story when the kids colored the scene.  For my kids it helped to get those juices flowing!  They did write more on average than before and I think the main drive for that was the questions.  My son in particular felt he had to answer all the questions.  He wasn't as crazy about having them there.  However, my daughter really enjoyed it!  I think it is easier for girls to write..in general.  They seem to have a great imagination.
    There are several story starters in this list!
Creative Freewriting story starter examples:
       *stepping thru a picture into a different dimension
       *A winged pony
       *cliff climbing with a buddy!
   This program can be used as a stand along program or in conjunction with Philosophy Adventure.
  
SO what did we think?   
    The reviews are in from our house:

      From the kids perspective:  We had two kids using the program.  One boy (7th grade) and one girl (5th grade.  The 7th grader wasn’t a fan of the question.  He said that the questions made it hard to answer and then put in paragraph form.  The 5th grader liked writing the story but would rather answer the questions and be done.Spoken from a true “non-writer”!Overall kid grade: Okay.
    From the mom/teacher perspective: 
       I really liked the program.  They were fun and different. So each time you were not continuing the same story. I think for kids who are reluctant to write this is a good thing. You stick to it for 15 minutes, then you don’t have to write  about  that topic again! I think that reading is like writing in the sense that the more you do it, the easier it comes to you.  Not all of us are going to be born novelists, however with Creative Freewriting, you have the opportunity to try different scenarios, and with "limited" direction or the outcomes of each story will really depend on your child and where they feel like taking the story that day.    Using the senses to set the background or tell the story is a great habit for kids to get into when writing.  I think this is a great skill to help kids develop into vivid, descriptive writers.  Overall mom grade: Great! 
Thank you to the School Review Crew and Homeschool Adventure Co.  for the opportunity to review this product!

            Check out what my Review Crew Friends are saying!

You can find Homeschool Adventure at:
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/HomeSchoolAdven  @HomeSchoolAdven
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/HomeSchoolAdventureCo
Pinterest:  http://pinterest.com/homeschooladven/
Google+:  https://plus.google.com/b/115241518288669984312/+Homeschooladventure
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/HomeSchoolAdventure

Menu Monday~Week of 3/12/17

Sunday

         Breakfast~Donuts
         Lunch~Cheesy ham and egg burritos with fruit

     Snack~yogurts
     Supper~Oven baked ranch chicken on salads
     Snack~popcorn

Monday

        Breakfast~Eggs muffins with strawberries
        Lunch~Pizza
        Snack~pretzels

    Supper~Spaghetti with rolls and salad

    Snack~yogurt
Tuesday
     Breakfast~Cereal with milk and fruit
     Lunch~Toasted ham and cheese hoagies with potato salad

                                and sliced apples

     Snack~yogurt
     Supper~Tacos

     Snack~Pudding

Wednesday

 

     Breakfast~ham egg and cheese croissants with fruit 

         Lunch~Chicken quesadillas chips and salsa

     Snack~Apple Slices
     Supper~Pork Roast, Spätzle with gravy, green beans and

                               salad

     Snack ~popcorn

Thursday

         Breakfast~Cereal

     Lunch~Club Sandwiches on Toasted bread with chips and

                            applesauce

     Snack~yogurt
     Supper~BBQ Chicken, macaroni and cheese and broccoli

                             with salad

     Snack~Cookies

Friday
     Breakfast~Cereal with milk and fruit
     Lunch~Egg salad sandwiches, with potato wedges and

                                     applesauce

     Snack~peanut butter/cheese crackers
     Supper~Cheese pizza

         Snack~fruit

Saturday
     Breakfast~Pancakes with eggs
     Lunch~Grilled Cheese sandwiches, yogurt and fruit
     Snack~Apples with peanut butter
     Supper~Deer Chili with corn bread

         Snack~”No Box” Brownies

Homeschooling Multiple children, Multiple Grades~All at one time!

   One of the biggest challenges as a homeschool parent is teaching different grades.  Obviously, you can’t do that all at one time!  So how do we manage at our homeschool?  Having 4 kids with at least 2 years in between them, they are not on the same grade level!  So how do you manage?  There certainly are not enough hours in the day to do all the subjects individually with each, unless you don’t want to sleep or get anything else done!
  How have we managed?  It doesn’t matter what grade you learned things, as long as you learn them.  For example, if your child learned their times tables in 2nd or 5th grade, or cursive in the 1st or 4th!  Have you ever had an application at any point ask at what age/grade you learned something?  Good thing for that!  So we have combined lessons!
    We have always used separate math and Language Arts, while we used the same for Bible, History, Science and Art,until the kid reaches high school.  Once they are a Freshman, they are on their own!  You will find that there are several curriculums out there that offer multiple grade enhancements or tips to teach multiple students, like My Fathers world or Trailguide to Learning.  We have used both of these in the past and have had great success with them.  To the right, is a page from My Father’s World Countries and Cultures page.  This not only works for multiple ages, but multiple subjects!
  Along with using all inclusive curriculum I also have put together planners for the kids.  Their planner will show them what work they are to complete for the day.  I am pretty flexible with their work for the week.  By the end of the week they need to have complete that weeks assignments, however I don’t care if they do more than on lesson in one day of a particular subject.    This allows some flexibility for me as well.  Say if someone needs a little more help with a lesson, then the rest can move on with a math or art lesson, for example.  Then when I have finished with the first child I can move on to the next (even if it happens to be the next day!) It has taken some stress off of me implementing the planner pages!  They were super easy to create in Excel!   The kids can highlight, or mark off the lessons they have complete so everyone stays on track!
   Homeschooling multiple children at one time is an adjustment.  However, it is one that isn’t too hard to accomplish.  The biggest thing for me was a schedule.  The older I get the more I realize I need that schedule for me!  You may not need to be as structured.  When the kids were younger, I had a poster board that I would have the times of the day listed by the half hour.  Then I would place their subjects on at different times.  With this schedule, kid one would be doing language arts, kid 2 math, kid 3 art and kid 4 reading.  By staggering the subjects I could better help one with something they were struggling with.  This system isn’t perfect!  There have been times when someone has had to wait for me to help because I was helping someone else.  Now, we have “graduated” to full page planners!  I purchase them in bulk!  
     The bottom line is that you need to find what out what works best for you.  It may be a schedule or not.  It may be “family curriculum” or not.  One of the joys of homeschooling is working it the way that works best for the family!  Scheduling your day/classes shouldn’t be any different. Take a deep breath, pray and enjoy teaching your children at home!
  Happy Homeschooling! 

DampFnudel~A Tasty German Side Dish

   

         I will never forget the first time I ever ate this bread side dish.  It was at my now Mother-In-Laws.  She made a pork roast, green beans and this bread dish, Dampfnudel.  As everyone piled their food on their plates the gravy was passed around.  I was not a gravy eater.  “SAY WHAT” was the first response..okay that may have been a little exaggerated.  They, the whole family couldn’t believe that I didn’t eat gravy.  It wasn’t that I didn’t like it, I hadn’t really tried it that I could remember.  So, mom poured the gravy on and said that you had to eat it with gravy. I thought well I guess I better at least try, right? 
     Fast forward a few years and we have had this delicious side dish many times.  I get the recipe and attempt to make it myself.  I am not Betty Crocker and my MIL is an awesome cook.  So I figured that it wouldn’t turn out like hers, but I was willing to try.  This was a dish that my hubby grew up eating and I wanted to be able to pass it along.
  First, you will need to purchase the frozen bread dough. (I have tried to make the bread dough myself and it doesn’t work out well for me). It is found the the freezer section of your local grocery store by the garlic bread.  Each loaf will make 8 pieces so you will need to decide how many loaves that you will need each time you make it.  I am up to 4 loaves with my crew!  In the morning you want to take loaves out of the freezer and wrap them in saran wrap or a dish sprayed with Pam.  This is to keep it from sticking as it defrosts. 
     Once defrosted you want to take a dish (size will depend on how many you are making.  I used a lasagna pan) and lightly sprinkle it with flour.  Then taking each loaf  cut each into halves (and continue halving each half until you have 8 pieces).  Next, you want to pull the dough from the bottom, so to speak, and fold it into itself (or go from the top down whichever is easier), making like a dumpling or “dough ball”.  You want to place them in the floured dish.  Next you will need to wait until they rise, about double in size.  Timing on this will depend on all the factors that are considered when making a loaf of bread.
     Once risen, take the pan that you are going to cook them in.  I first used a large soup pot, now I make too many at one time and I use a roasting pan.  You will want to melt butter. I used a half a stick when got to the amount that I use.  You want to make sure there is a generous amount on the bottom of whatever you are going to cook them in.  This is one time when I don’t think you can have too much butter, within reason. 
     Once the butter is melted, you want to  take one dough piece.  Lightly shake the flour off the bottom, dip the top in butter then turn and place in the cooking pot/pan.  You will want to repeat until you have dipped each dough piece.
     Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30-45 minutes.  You will know they are done when they are golden on the top and crunchy on the bottom.  Serve with gravy (or they are also delicious on their own), great with beef, pork or chicken recipes!
   

Menu Monday~Week of 3/5/17

Sunday
     Breakfast~Cereal
     Lunch~Egg, bacon and cheese burritos
     Snack~Yogurt
     Supper~Salad, garlic bread and potato soup
     Snack~Popcorn
Monday
     Breakfast~Cheesy Ham and Egg scramble with fruit
     Lunch~Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches with chips and fruit
     Snack~Homemade Pretzels
     Supper~Spaghetti, Salad and crusty bread
     Snack~Fruit
Tuesday
     Breakfast~Cereal
     Lunch~Egg salad sandwiches with fruit salad and pretzels
     Snack~Carrots with ranch
     Supper~Tacos
     Snack~Jello
 Wednesday
     Breakfast~”Clubb Muffins” with a side of applesauce
     Lunch~Grilled Cheese, yogurt and cottage fries
     Snack~Fruit
     Supper~Chicken, green beans and potatoes, salad
     Snack~Apple Crisp
Thursday
     Breakfast~Cereal
     Lunch~Ham and Cheese roll ups, Applesauce and yogurt
     Snack~popcorn
     Supper~Deer chili with cornbread and salads
     Snack~Brownies
Friday
     Breakfast~Cereal
     Lunch~Pancakes and waffles with eggs
     Snack~Fruit
     Supper~Cheese Pizza
     Snack~cookies
Saturday
    Breakfast~Oatmeal with fruit
     Lunch~Mac n Cheese with broccoli, Ham rolls
     Snack~Granola Bars
     Supper~Ranch chicken and pasta, salad
     Snack~Jello

The Jesus Storybook Bible-Every Story Whispers His Name~Sally Lloyd-Jones-A ZonderKidz Review

   


    Sally Lloyd-Jones has done it again!  Beautifully written and illustrated (by Hugo), this book is soothing and easy to understand.  I love the hardbound cover with the gold foil.  This book is a must have for your little ones bookshelf!  It would make a great bedtime storybook and introduction to the stories of the Bible on a level the younger ones can understand.  I think this book would be great to read to preschool age or a reader for a 5-8 year old. 

What are it's features:

   *Presentation Page

  *Sturdy Hardbound

        *Vibrant illustrations 

*Silk Bookmark

   *21 Stories from the Old Testament

   *23 Stories from the New Testament

You can check out this book and other great titles from ZonderKidz HERE!

Thank you to ZonderKidz for the opportunity to review this book!

Disclaimer:I received the above mentioned product for free, in exchange for a frank and honest review.  A positive review is not guaranteed.  All opinions are my own.  Your opinion and results may differ.

Found By Sally-Lloyd-Jones~A ZonderKidz Review

       Psalms 23 is one of the themes of my whole year as a second grade Sunday School Teacher.  We are constantly enforcing God’s love for us even when we are not following what he wants us to do.  I don’t think that we can emphasize this enough with children, and this book takes that down to an even younger level!
      Written by Sally Lloyd-Jones this chunky cardboard book is a great book for the toddlers in your life!  Based on Psalms 23 it explores God’s love and protection as well as how special we are to him. 
From the back cover:
    God is my Shepherd. And I am his little lamb. 
With lyrical text from The Jesus Storybook Bible and new, engaging illustrations, Psalm 23 comes alive for young children like never before.  Snuggle up with your little one as you both discover God’s Never Stopping, Never Giving up, Unbreakable, Always and Forever Love.
    
You can check out this book along with other great titles from ZonderKidz HERE!

  Thank You to ZonderKidz for the opportunity to review this book!

Disclaimer:  I received a copy of the above mentioned product for free, in exchange for a frank and honest review. A positive review is not guaranteed.  All opinions are my own.  Your results and opinions may differ!

The Plans I Have For You Holy Bible~A ZonderKidz Review

 

      The Plans I have For You Holy Bible is the newest release in the series of books and devotionals by Amy Parker.  It has the signature fun cover of the kids that the other have, illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton.  This NIV version is I think my favorite so far. This is probably true because Jerimiah 29:11 is one if not my most favorite verse.  {I think that I have said this before!}
        Targeted for kids ages 8-12 year of age, this hard bound Bible is the perfect bible for your tween.  This is the Bible they can call their own with it being easy to understand the translation.  The fact that can and should seek God in all our decisions, questions and concerns is evident and a great lesson reinforced with the prayers and plans highlighted. Kiddos in this age range are at such a pivotal place in their life.  This Bible provides an example of the people that God has used as well as the plan that he has even for their life!
     So what makes this Bible different?
                                       * Presentation Page
    *50 God’s Big Plans
        Stories that show where God had big plan for different people
               in the Bible like David, Moses or Esther..even the reader!
      *25 Promise Prayers
             Highlighted verses including  God’s promises as              well as hopeful and uplifting verses
       *Table of Weights and Measures
       *Index to God’s Big Plans
       *Index to Promise Prayers

     From the cover:
           God has great plans for you.  It’s true!  The NIV Plans I Have For You Holy Bible will inspire you to dream about your future and trust that God is ready to begin using your unique traits to make the world a better place.
About the Author:
     Amy Parker has sold more that 30 books for children, teens and adults.  She has also collaborated with authors ranging from New York Times bestsellers to her very own son.  Two of these collaborations are recipients of Christian Retailing’s Best Awards, and she has also won three Mom’s Choice Awards.  But Amy’s greatest reward is being a wife to Daniel and a mom to their amazing sons, Michael and Ethan.
  About the Illustrator:
      Vanessa Brantley-Newton is a self-taught illustrator, doll maker and crafter who studied fashion illustration at FIT and children’s book illustration at the School of Visual Arts in New York.  Vanessa currently makes her nest in Charlotte, NC with her husband of 20 years, their daughter, and a very rambunctious cat named Stripes.
       You can check out this Bible and other great titles here from ZonderKidz.
  Thank you to ZonderKidz for the opportunity to review this Bible!
Disclaimer:
  I received the above mentioned product for free, in exchange for a frank and honest review.  A positive review is not guaranteed.  All opinions are my own.  Your results and opinions may differ. 

Angels in the Bible For Little Ones~by Allia Zoebl Nolan~A Zonderkids Review

    
     Angels in the Bible is a chunky board book, great for little hands.  It tells the story of 8 different Angels that God used.  The 30 page were beautifully illustrated by Alida Massari.  
    God uses different people and Angels to accomplish the work that he wants done.  This book is a great introduction for little ones to see how God used angels. 
      From the back of the book:
     Jesus put his arms around the children.  Somewhere nearby, the angels danced and sang.
  Angels in the Bible for Little Ones is filled with vibrant illustrations and engaging text that bring eight beloved Bible stories about angels to life for little ones.  Children get a fascinating look into how angels interacted with Bible greats such as Abraham, Daniel and Mary.
  Recommended for ages preschool-3 this book makes a great addition to any little ones library!
  
     You can check out this book or other great titles from ZonderKidz here! 
   
Thank you to ZonderKidz for the opportunity to review this book!
  
Disclaimer:
  I received a copy of the above mentioned product for free in exchange for a frank and honest review.  A positive review is not guaranteed.  All opinions are my own.  Your results and opinions may differ.

The Investigator’s Holy Bible~Uncover The Truth of the Bible

                             

    The Investigator’s Holy Bible was written in the NIV version.  
       What makes it stand out? 
           *Sturdy hardbound cover
           *Friendly illustrations

           *Special areas of each book:  
        
        The evidence:  an intro to each book that tells the “who, what and where “ of the story. 

       The Scene:  Tells you about where the events took place.  Drawing a better picture in you mind knowing what the land looked like when the story took place.
        
                        Breakthrough:
            Helps the reader understand what they are
                       reading.
                             
      The witness:
  Explains the meaning behind the names that of the people in a particular story.
    
      Check the Facts:  
    This is a quiz!  Well really just a question to check that you are comprehending what was said in the book that you read.

      Case Closed:
   Closing summary.  This will tell the reader how they think we can all use what we read to be better Christians!

    Recommended for ages 6-10 this Bible is a great choice for a child reading the bible on their own.  As you can see it has many areas of explanation for the reader to fully understand the who, what where and when’s within the cover of this edition.
     
     You can check out this Bible and other great books from ZonderKidz HERE!

Thank you to ZonderKidz for the opportunity to review this Bible!

Disclaimer:  I received a copy of the above mentioned product for free, in exchange for a frank and honest review.  A postivie review is not guaranteed.  All opinions are my own.  Your results and opinions may differ.

Boston Cream Pie Cake ~The Birthday Treat

     Each time there is a birthday at our house, the person of honor gets to pick what they want for supper as well as what kind of cake they want.  I know that for my hubby and my oldest it will always be an ice cream cake!  For the other three it varies.  We have had Snicker Cakes, Swiss Cake Rolls {yes as in Little Debbie}, cheesecakes, pineapple upside down cakes and store bought variations. 
     USUALLY the cake is made.  I say usually because we have 3 birthdays in 11 days around here in Feb/March and there have been years where well, it just gets crazy, to say the least!  This year we have had a cheese cake, now a  Boston Creme Pie cake and we will see for the final one on Friday! 
     I was going to make the cakes last night and sadly, that didn’t work out as planned.  SO when I was out with today's appointments and errands I stopped at my local Krogers and purchased 2 8” white cake rounds.  Yet they do that, un-iced and all!  For future reference you can get cupcakes that way as well. Want a fun kid friendly activity?  Pick up a dozen of those, icing and toppings and have a cupcake bar!  Kids love to decorate their own cupcake!
  So, with my cakes in hand, I went to the baking isle and picked up some vanilla pudding (2 packs) as well as a bag of Ghirardelli melting wafers. 
  To put together:
     First you want to make your pudding.  If you chose the cook and serve you need to give it time to cool completely.  My daughter grabbed it this time and I realized it was instant when I went to make it.  I personally think the cook and serve makes a better product, but that is my opinion.  I used two packs that each called for 2 cups of milk, however I wanted a thicker consistency so I only used 3 cups of milk and 1 tsp of vanilla for a little extra flavor.  Whisk until smooth and place in the fridge until set.
     About an hour and a half before you are ready to serve your cake you want to melt the chocolates in a double broiler.  I added 2T of milk to the top of the double broiler.  I then added the bag of chocolate and melted it all together.  Once smooth you want to spread over the top layer of the cake and let “cool”.
    Since I used the instant pudding this time, I set it out of the fridge for about 20 minutes before I assembled the cake. This will let it "Soften" a bit.  You can also make a mousse by adding Cool Whip to the pudding.  So, when you are ready to serve you just spread the pudding on the top of the bottom layer, then place the top layer on top of the pudding and viola!  You have an almost homemade Boston Cream Cake!