Hymn Study: Just As I Am

This hymn may be best known from the Billy Graham crusades but it was written in the 1800’s by Charlotte Elliott. Elliott wrote over 150 hymns but this was the first time I recall hearing of her and her story. She was a preacher’s daughter and granddaughter who became ill in her early 30s and was sick and considered ‘invalid’ for the rest of her life.

She became bitter due to the pain and the story goes that she made a rude comment to a preacher (who became a mentor for her) when he was talking with her. After she apologized, he told her that Jesus loved her just as she was. This conversation is what later inspired the now famous hymn.

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Just as I am, without one plea,
but that thy blood was shed for me,
and that thou bidd’st me come to thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

This hymn is one that really resonates with me because so often I have heard people talk about needed to ‘get their life together’ so they can go to church or come back to Jesus, but Jesus wants us just where we are. He doesn’t leave us that way, he changes us to be more like him, but he wants us to come just as we are. There are many scriptures that could be used when studying this hymn, but one of my favorites is Mark 2: 17. ^“On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.””

As we study this hymn there are some really beautiful versions to enjoy, everything from Alan Jackson’s county sound to Mahalia Jackson’s strong gospel voice. It is a wonderful opportunity to talk with our children about how God can take us where ever we are and bring us back to him.

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If you would like to add some art to your study this month, Nana has this wonderful chalk pastel painting of the Apostle Paul shipwrecked to match this Just as I am hymn. Verse three says, “Just as I am, though tossed about with many a conflict, many a doubt”. Paul was literally tossed about in his ship, but we can often relate to feeling like life is tossing us about.

I pray you enjoy time with your children studying this hymn this month. I would love for you to share your thoughts on this hymn in the comments.

Hymn Study Resources:

Just As I Am (Lyrics and Music)

Just As I Am ( Alan Jackson)

Just As I Am (Selah)

Just As I Am (acappella)

Just As I Am ( Willie Nelson)

Just As I Am (Mahalia Jackson)

Just As I Am (sang with stringed accompaniment)

Just As I Am (piano instrumental)

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Hymn Study Fact Sheet

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When you sign up for the Schoolin’ Swag free resource library you will get a link and password to the library, we are adding to the library each month with new items. You will also get a bi-weekly newsletter email to keep you up to date on what we have going on.

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This post may contain affiliate or referral links, including Amazon affiliate links. As always I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.

Deals and Freebies

If you have not tried SchoolhouseTeachers.com, you don’t want to miss this sale! I have multiple reviews on the blog about different courses we use from them. This is an amazing price for an entire year for your whole family and lots of really neat bonus gifts! Simply click on this link and use code: 19GIFTS

If you are looking for a fun way to encourage reading this summer, check out the FREE summer reading materials from Your Morning Basket with Pam Barnhill. The passport and reading bucket list are a great way to encourage reading!

Homeschool Complete is offering a special 10% off discount to my readers! Just use code: SWAG

Evan-Moor is offering their Daily Fundamentals book FREE right now to help out during this time.

Get a FREE Literature Kit from LitWits using Code 11READ4FUN. We are currently enjoying the Heidi kit but have also previously loved the My Side of the Mountain kit.

IEW is offering some great free resources right now.

FREE Baby Yoda Art Lesson from Nana!

Illustrated Would You Rather Book (Free on Kindle)

Simple Strawberry Turnovers

The Review Crew is sharing summer recipes this week and I decided to share the Strawberry Turnovers that I made last week because they are super simple, tasty, and perfect for this strawberry season.

A friend of mine shared a picture of some she made a couple weeks ago and I decided I wanted to give them a try. She gave me a general idea of how she made them and I decided to try my hand at making my own. It took me a couple weeks because I needed to get fresh strawberries and puff pastry in the house at the same time and with grocery ordering and social distancing, I am limiting my trips. However, I was able to get them added to an order and we went and picked some fresh strawberries last week.

*Some of the links in my posts may be affiliate links see below for more information. *

Strawberry Turnovers

I took half a block of cream cheese and let it come to room temperature, added about a quarter cup of sugar and mixed them together. Then I diced up about one cup of strawberries and added them to cream cheese mixture. I think you could probably sub in peaches, blueberries, or blackberries depending on what was in season.

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Putting it All Together

Next, I laid out the puff pastry (you could make it but easy is the name of the game these days) on my sheet pan and cut it into six squares. Then, put a spoonful of filling in each square and fold it over into a triangle. Press the edges down with a fork and bake using the directions on the back of the puff pastry (it varies a bit depending on the brand). You can also use an egg wash, and a few sprinkles of sugar in the raw, to give them a more brown finish if you would like.

While they bake, mix a quarter cup of powdered sugar with about a tablespoon of milk to make a glaze. You could also use strawberry juice for the glaze if you wanted a pink glaze. Once the turnovers are done drizzle on the glaze and serve. These are good hot or cold, expect your glaze to ‘run’ a little if you pour it on piping hot pastry.

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Strawberry Turnover Recipe

Ingredients

1/2 block cream cheese
1 cup cut up strawberries
1/4 cup sugar
1 pack puff pastry
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 TB milk

I hope you enjoy this simple treat and encourage you to click on the link below to check out all of the other fun summer recipes!

https://www.linkytools.com/thumbnail_linky_include.aspx?id=297726

Resource Library and Affiliate Disclosure

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Deals and Freebies!

Tuttle Twins is currently offering a HUGE sale of 75% off their books, workbooks,and audios. This is a great series for teaching about economics and government.

Homeschool Complete is offering a special 10% off discount to my readers! Just use code: SWAG

Evan-Moor is offering their Daily Fundamentals book FREE right now to help out during this time.

Get a FREE Literature Kit from LitWits using Code 11READ4FUN. We are currently enjoying the Heidi kit but have also previously loved the My Side of the Mountain kit.

IEW is offering some great free resources right now.

FREE Baby Yoda Art Lesson from Nana!

Illustrated Would You Rather Book (Free on Kindle)

Boredom Busters Round-Up

I know many folks are starting to feel the strain of being at home and are looking for creative ways to keep their children engaged. We have honestly been so busy at home that bored is not a word that comes to mind. We have been spending some extra time getting our school year wrapped up, gardening, riding bikes, and going to zoom meetings.

Most of our extracurricular activities didn’t entirely cancel, they just switched to zoom. I can’t say that I recommend the zoom meetings as a boredom buster but I have found that many of the other activities work great for keeping everyone engaged. I am sharing a few general ideas for keeping boredom at bay and will also include some links to other ‘themed’ posts that have more specific ideas if one of these areas appeals to you.

*Some of the links in my posts may be affiliate links see below for more information. *

Outdoor Time

The recommended amount of time for children to be outside is four to six hours a day. Sometimes this seems a little unachievable with everything else that is going on but during the slower summer months you may be able to get some extra time outside. You may be wondering, what would they do outside for three to four hours a day? There are many options depending on the ages of your children and your location.

My children love to ride their bicycles and scooters, color with sidewalk chalk, play ball, and work with their animals and garden. Gardens have the double benefit of providing science lessons and food for our family in addition to the outside time. In the past we have also enjoyed sprinklers and kiddie pools. As my children were getting older, we decided to get a larger pool this year and they plan to spend many summer days swimming.

Homestead Homeschool: Gardening

Our Summer Bucket

Take a Child Outside Week!

Our Hiking Adventures

Books

When the weather is poor or during the heat of the day you may not want to be outside. That is a great time for reading (though we also take our books outside for reading when the weather is nice.) You can read aloud to younger children or have older children read independently. I have also found that audiobooks are a great choice for younger children that cannot read fluently, or struggling readers.

For audiobooks there are three resources that have been very beneficial to our family. First, we love audible! I can purchase the books with credits or at a discount throughout the month (always use your credits on the more expensive books and pay directly for the cheaper ones for the best deals), then we can listen as a family or I can send them directly to my children’s kindle libraries so they can listen on their own time.

Focus on the Family has some wonderful free streaming options. Their radio theater productions are some of our very favorite audio dramas. We also enjoy Adventures in Odyssey and the Pond.

Finally, while our family does not normally take advantage of our local library, my six-year-old has been loving listening to the Boxcar Children on audio using overdrive and his library card.

Read All the Books: Free and Discounted Online Literature Resources

Our Summer of Reading!

5 Days of For the Love of Reading

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Hobbies

Finally, I think hobbies are great ways for children (and adults) to increase knowledge and skills while keeping themselves engaged. For our children they spend an hour or more most days practicing their music lessons. There are many resources to help them get started with music.

We also enjoy a variety of crafts, from coloring and painting to weaving and sewing projects. These can be lots of fun for a variety of ages. You can start with basic art supplies and their imaginations, use online art lessons, or purchase fun kits to put together. There are also a variety of online resources to teach most any craft your child would like to pursue.

Finally, there are many other hobbies from coin collecting to square dancing. With the internet at our fingertips we can help our children research and get started on a new hobby that will keep them interested and engaged.

Adding Fun to Your Homeschool: Incorporating Hobbies

Adding Music To Your Homeschool (When You Aren’t A Musical Mom)

Keeping Children Engaged and Active During COVID 19

Exploring Hobbies on a Time and Money Budget

I hope these ideas will help you through the rest of these days at home and through the summer. If all else fails, you can always offer chores and a remedy for boredom. You would be amazed at how quickly boredom disappears when dishes are the antidote. I would love to have you share your favorite boredom busters in the comments and you can check out ideas from other Review Crew members here.

Resource Library and Affiliate Disclosure

Resource Library

Deals and Freebies!

Tuttle Twins is currently offering a HUGE sale of 75% off their books, workbooks,and audios. This is a great series for teaching about economics and government.

Homeschool Complete is offering a special 10% off discount to my readers! Just use code: SWAG

Evan-Moor is offering their Daily Fundamentals book FREE right now to help out during this time.

Get a FREE Literature Kit from LitWits using Code 11READ4FUN. We are currently enjoying the Heidi kit but have also previously loved the My Side of the Mountain kit.

IEW is offering some great free resources right now.

FREE Baby Yoda Art Lesson from Nana!

Illustrated Would You Rather Book (Free on Kindle)

No-nonsense Algebra (Review)

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

Normally, when I agree to review a product, I am not really sure what to expect or what I am getting, but this review was a little different. My oldest son was already working through No-Nonsense Algebra by Math Essentials and I was excited to get the newest edition for my daughter to use.

$No-Nonsense Math Pinterest$

If I am being completely honest, I NEVER liked algebra. Not when I took it in eighth grade, not when I took Algebra II in high school, not when I helped tutor it later. I just never found it to be easy and I was not looking forward to teaching it in our homeschool. I would much rather sit and read aloud or do a science experiment. However, I know that algebra is an important part of my children’s education so I set out to find a curriculum that would help me through this process as painlessly as possible.

My son is very bright but struggles with the attention to detail needed for upper level math. He does not like a lot of frills and wanted a basic laid out approach. I needed something that could help teach him the concepts each day. No-Nonsense Algebra is a text book that provides written instruction and a short video tutorial (typically about 3-5 minutes) for each lesson. Then there are 12 to 18 problems for the student to complete related to that lesson and four review problems covering concepts from previous lessons. This provided enough practice and review to ensure understanding of the concepts without feeling like there was a lot of ‘busy work’. Often in math curriculums I see every practice problem similarly worked in an example. With Non-Nonsense Algebra the practice problems tended to be of increasing complexity, forcing the learner to ‘take the next step’ in solving the problem.

One issue we had with the older edition were occasional mistakes in the answer key (which is located in the back of the book). These simple mistakes were causing us a lot of problems, because I was not working out the problems and thus would not realize that it was wrong until he had tried it again several times and my husband would work it out later. However, when we received the 2nd edition, I was pleased to find out that those mistakes had been corrected. There are also some extra chapter quizzes included in the 2nd Edition to help with review and retention.

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No-Nonsense Algebra did not make my son fall in love with algebra. He would have still rather letters have never been included with math. However, he did like the way it was laid out and I feel like it was an effective program for him. Many days, especially once he started following the directions and writing down the practice problems with the video lessons, he was able to work through the lessons independently and understand the concepts. Other days, my husband would sit down and help him with the concepts that challenged him. The video lessons were still beneficial for those lessons because it gave my husband a quick review of concepts he hadn’t seen since middle school.

I think this program is great for student that wants to work independently and has a fairly good grasp of basic math concepts. A student that doesn’t need lots of extra practice and instruction can do very well with this program. It is also beneficial for parents who need a quick review. If you have a student that really struggles with math, enjoys long(er) lessons, or needs lots of detailed explanations, this might not be the best fit.

Be sure to check out No-Nonsense Algebra over at the Math Essentials website to get more information. Don’t forget to click on the graphic below to check out the reviews from other Review Crew members who reviewed this program and some of the other math products from Math Essentials.

Beyond the Stick Figure Art School (Review)

When the opportunity to review Beyond the Stick Figure Complete Drawing Course PLUS 3 Bonus Courses by Beyond the Stick Figure Art School came available, I decided to show my daughter to see if she was interested. We watched the sample video and she was very excited to give it a try.

This program included a three-part drawing course, a pen and ink course, acrylic course, watercolor course, and a 3D design course. Over the last month or so my daughter worked through the first level of the drawing course. This consisted of 15 short video lessons (about five minutes each). While it is designed to be done one lesson a day, we decided it fit best into our schedule to do art 2-3 days per week and do several lessons each day.

beyond the stick figure

The program starts with the very basics of understanding lines, dots, and circles. One thing that seemed insignificant but proved to be really helpful, was that the instructor had the students cut their papers into small sheets. This made the assignments less overwhelming because you had a smaller space to fill. To complete these lessons, we needed a nice set of markers that had both narrow and wider tips and paper.

beyond the stick figure

When I asked my daughter what she thought, she shared, ” All in all, I like the program. She went through each video quickly and it was easy to understand. However, it did take a lot of videos to get to where it felt like we were really drawing.” She felt like it would be a good program for people that are interested in learning to draw but do not have much of a drawing background and recommended it for ages 8 and up. She also mentioned that she was disappointed that she never got to draw something like what was in the sample video, however, she plans to continue the lessons over the summer to see what else she can learn.

We took some time to look through the rest of the drawing program and take a look at the pen and ink course. She is excited to give that course a try and likes the fact that it takes fewer days to have what she felt like was more of a ‘finished product’ than the geometric designs she did in the drawing course.

beyond the stick figure 2

As a parent, I loved that the lessons were done via video (art is not my strong suit) and they were short and simple. The fact that it started with the very basics and went step by step meant that we didn’t feel left behind or like it was too complicated. However, I do think it might be a bit too simple and broken down for some students. I am excited to try more of her other courses including the 3D design; however, I dislike that I have to mark each of the lessons in the other courses complete before I can move to that course. Once you have marked them complete you can still go back and view them but you cannot move onto the next lesson or course until each one has been marked complete.

If you are looking for a step by step drawing program that is very easy to implement and does not require a lot of parent involvement you might enjoy this program. If your child does well learning one step at a time in small chunks this might be a good fit, however, if you have a child that will be frustrated to not jump right into a big art project this might not be the program for you.

Be sure to check out Beyond the Stick Figure Art School to get more information about Beyond the Stick Figure Complete Drawing Course PLUS 3 Bonus Courses. Don’t forget to click on the graphic below to check out the reviews from other Review Crew members who reviewed this program and see what their artists created. Some of those reviewers also focused on other parts of this course.

Fermentools Starter Kit (Review)

Most of the time when you see a review here on the blog it is for homeschool curriculum or books, but I have a real treat for you today. I had the privilege of trying my hand at fermenting using the Starter Kit from Fermentools. This great little company is run by another homeschool family and offered wonderful customer support and service.

Through no fault of the company, the timing for getting the Starter Kit was not ideal. It arrived shortly after our state was put on social distancing restrictions and when grocery stores were still a little short on fresh produce. This limited my options for our first trial, but thankfully my son had some cabbage in the garden ready to be picked. The kit included an air lock system, a stainless steel lid, pink salt, a glass weight, 2 rubber stoppers, and instructions for using the kit as well as making sauerkraut (other recipes are located on their website).

In my excitement to get started, I used the wrong attachment in my food processor. That head of cabbage turned into finely chopped pieces instead of nice pretty strips. I was concerned that this would not work correctly, but since it was all I had, and I wouldn’t be getting groceries again for another week, I decided to give it a try. Following the directions that came with the kit, I put my shredded cabbage into a bowl. Then I added the salt that came with the kit and mashed it until it was soft and I had gotten some of the liquid out of the leaves.

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Next, I put the cabbage into a jar and because I did not have enough liquid, I added a brine to finish covering the cabbage. The next step should have been to place a glass weight on top of the cabbage to keep it under the brine. However, because I had shredded the cabbage so finely it actually sank down into it. Then I set up the air-lock and put the jar into the cabinet (to keep it out of the sun), to wait and see what happened. I had to keep a watch on it through the week to make sure it stayed submerged because of the weight not working properly but at the end of the time, I had some salty but tasty kraut! Perfect for serving alongside grilled bratwurst and some of my husband’s German potato salad.

I let the first batch ferment about two weeks, and by the time that batch was done I was able to purchase more cabbage at the store. This time I remembered to use the right attachment and the weight set perfectly atop my cabbage and kept it below the brine. Also, because I had shredded it correctly it made enough of its own brine and I did not have to add any more.

Now that fresh vegetables are becoming more plentiful at local farms and in the grocery store, I am looking forward to trying other fermented vegetables and fruits. It is strawberry season here and they even have a recipe for fermented strawberry preserves. I think this will be a fun way to add in new recipes and store some of our garden produce, in addition to the health benefits of fermented foods.

Be sure to check out the Starter Kit from Fermentools to get more information or to purchase your own kit. Don’t forget to click on the graphic below to check out the reviews from other Review Crew members who reviewed this kit and see how they used it with their families and what recipes they tried!

Perfect Reading, Beautiful Handwritng by Everyday Education, LLC (Review)

perfect reading cover

Last year, I really enjoyed an opportunity to review Transcripts Made Easy by Everyday Education, LLC and so I was excited to get the opportunity to review another one of their wonderful products. I received the Perfect Reading, Beautiful Handwriting ebook for review. This book contains both phonics and writing, but we used it mainly for writing. The author asserts that students could learn to read and write in as few as 60 days using this book, though she does explain that some students will need longer.

The most obvious use of Perfect Reading, Beautiful Handwriting ebook is with lower elementary students that are learning to read and write. However, I chose to try it out with my eighth-grade son, who needed some work on his handwriting. We had done handwriting in the past, but somehow his writing seemed to be getting messier as he got older and I wanted to make sure that he had the practice he needed to write legibly. I felt like the beautiful italic style of handwriting was great practice for him and that he showed improvement in his everyday handwriting after consistent practice.

perfect reading combo

In addition to having my son use the handwriting portion, I spent some time looking over the reading portion of the book. It is an older style phonics program that is set up very basically. First, students learn their letters and sounds. Then students learn short vowels sounds, consonant blends, and so forth getting into gradually more difficult phonics. For the short vowel sounds there are pages of words for each sound for the student to sound out and a story using those words that the students can both sound out and copy for handwriting practice.

perfect reading

I loved that the program was very simple to use. Since it was an ebook, I simply printed out the pages that we wanted to use. The first few pages of the chapter showed him what to do and then he was able to do a page a day independently. I think that even a younger child could work on the handwriting portion without much assistance. The reading would require more parental assistance (as does most any reading program) but is still very open and go without a lot of parental preparation.

Parents who are fairly confident in teaching phonics and want a simple, open and go program may really enjoy Perfect Reading, Beautiful Handwriting ebook . However, if you are looking for a program with lots of explicit directions and step by step scripts this is not the program for you. There were suggested schedules and teaching tips, but it was not a scripted program.

Be sure to check out Perfect Reading, Beautiful Handwriting ebook at Everyday Education, LLC to get more information or to purchase the book. You can also check out my review of their Transcripts Made Easy book from last year. Don’t forget to click on the graphic below to check out the reviews from other Review Crew members who reviewed this book and see how they used it with their families.

‘Stay at Home’ Mother’s Day Ideas

For many folks, Mother’s Day comes with a variety of traditions. It might be that you go to church that morning and then out for a nice lunch. Some people like to go visit the grandparents on Mother’s Day, or maybe there is another local event that you like to attend.

My mom, daughter, and I have attended a local tea party for Mother’s Day several years and we have also attended a Mother-Daughter banquet on other years. This year might have to look a little different, but there are lots of ideas that can make the day special while still following governmental restrictions.

*Some of the links in my posts may be affiliate links see below for more information. *

stay at Home Mother's Day

Restaurant Delivery or Pick-Up

So, some folks have more options for this than others, but lots of restaurants are still offering delivery or pick-up. For our family, prior to this situation, only one pizza place would deliver to our house. Now, I can order pizza, Panera, and even Outback delivered to my house. Not to mention that many of our wonderful local places are offering curb side pickup. This is a great way to keep mom out of the kitchen on Mother’s Day.

Family Picnic

Sometimes it is hard to really relax in our homes where we see all of the work and chores on our list. Getting outside for a family picnic can help mom relax and enjoy some fresh air. This might be in your own back yard, or if your local guidelines allow it, you could venture out to a park or the beach. As a bonus, picnic tend to not make the kitchen as messy so there is less to clean up.

Family Zoom Call

Many mothers will be missing that family time with their own mothers or grandmothers this year. One fun way to encourage that connection, even at a distance, is to schedule a family zoom call. You can get a free zoom account and set up a time for everyone to hop on and see each other while you chat. It isn’t the same as in person, but it can be a great option during these times.

Date Night on the Porch (or back yard)

Normally, I am all about spending Mother’s Day with those loud but adorable people that made me a mom. However, this year I am really missing time alone with my husband. We appreciate all the time we get to spend together as a family, but I would love a date night with my husband.

I suggested to him that we might could have a front porch date, where the kids stayed inside and ate (I have teens that can watch the younger children) while we enjoyed a quiet dinner for two on the front porch. If your children are all too young to be left unattended for dinner, you might wait until they are in bed and enjoy dessert on the porch or in your back yard. Some quality time alone can be really beneficial to your marriage.

Family Hike or Strawberry Picking

I know this one will vary a great deal from State to State, but in our state, strawberries are ripe, and the farms are all open for picking. This could be a fun safe outing to get the whole family involved. Our local trails and parks (not playgrounds) are also all open and getting outside with a bit of different scenery can be a great way to make some fun Mother’s Day memories.

A Few Easy Gift Ideas (that can be ordered online or provided with things you have on hand.)

If you need to purchase a gift for a mom in your life, or if you need to send a few ideas to your husband, I came up with a few things that can be ordered online (or given without purchasing anything).

A book AND time to read ( I have lots of books, but I always love more, and the time to read uninterrupted would be such a wonderful gift.)
Fit2B (Fit2B is offering a 30% off sale( see below for code), and this wonderful at-home fitness program is a great gift for a mother that is looking to get into shape or might be missing her regular gym.)
A Hot Relaxing Bath (This is a great gift because all it really requires is time and hot water. I know I’m not the only one that loves the luxury of soaking in a hot bath with quiet music or a good book.)
Breakfast in Bed (With a two-year-old that is up with the sun, sleeping in is a luxury that I don’t often enjoy. How nice it would be to have someone else watch him and fix breakfast on this special day.)

I hope that you have a wonderful Mother’s Day. I would love to hear your ideas in the comments, and you can check out other great Mother’s Day posts by members of the Homeschool Review Crew.

Resource Library and Affiliate Disclosure

Resource Library

Deals and Freebies!

Fit2B Fitness is offering 30% off their already great prices from May 1-May 12. Just click on this link and use code: Mothersday30off

Homeschool Complete is offering a special 10% off discount to my readers! Just use code: SWAG

Evan-Moor is offering their Daily Fundamentals book FREE right now to help out during this time.

Get a FREE Literature Kit from LitWits using Code 11READ4FUN. We are currently enjoying the Heidi kit but have also previously loved the My Side of the Mountain kit.

IEW is offering some great free resources right now.

FREE Baby Yoda Art Lesson from Nana!

Illustrated Would You Rather Book (Free on Kindle)

Healthy and Easy Lunch Salad Ideas

Several folks from the Homeschool Review Crew decided to get together and share a variety of recipes and information about healthy lunches. I thought I would share about how we use a variety of different salads to provide quick and easy lunches that are healthy. I try to fix a salad for lunch once or twice a week and switch up the types of salads to keep them from getting boring and to utilize whatever local produce is in season. One of the things I have found to be really important when planning salads for lunch is to make sure they have enough protein and good fats to keep us full until the next meal.

*Some of the links in my posts may be affiliate links see below for more information. *

Grilled Chicken Salads:

When we make grilled chicken salads, I use a couple of chicken breasts that I cut up into strips and cook on the stove top. You can also use pre-cooked chicken strips that you purchase from the store or left-over chicken, cooking one or two extra while using the grill is a great way to plan ahead and save time.. We put that on top of spinach or whatever greens you like or have on hand and then top with a variety of veggies (tomatoes, cucumber, carrots) that we have on hand. The chicken adds a lot of protein to help keep you full longer, a small serving of bacon, nuts, or sharp chesses also go a long way towards building character and body in a salad..

Strawberry Pecan Salads:

During strawberry season we love to do strawberry pecan salads. We slice up strawberries, chop up pecans, and add a bit of feta cheese to our greens. For protein I sometimes add boiled eggs or a little bit of chicken. Avocado also does well in these salads.

Taco Salads:

Taco salads are a great way to add variety to your meal salads. We like to use a little bit of taco meat, left over pinto or black beans, or for those last minute salads a can of beans from the pantry, over top of mixed greens. Then we crumble up corn tortilla chips for a bit of crunch. You can use a vinaigrette or salsa as the dressing. Fresh tomatoes, avocados, cheese, and sour cream also do well on taco salads.

Apple Pecan Salads:

During cooler seasons we love to do apple pecan salads. We dice up apples, chop up pecans, and add a bit of feta cheese to our greens. For protein I sometimes add boiled eggs or a little bit of chicken. Avocado also does well in these salads. These are great when other produce is less available or not as fresh.

Chef Salad:

When we fix chef salads, we take our greens and add boiled eggs and sliced up ham or turkey. Then we add whatever vegetables we have on hand, such as, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, sprouts, mushrooms, or olives.

Greek Salad:

One of our favorites is our take on a classic Greek salad. Romaine, spinach, boiled egg, artisanal olives, a little humus, and Tzatziki make for Mediterranean excursion. Fresh tomatoes and cucumbers top this off wonderfully, and you can also add chicken if you want a little more protein.

DIY Salad Bar:

Some days I simply make our own home salad bar. I lay out all of the salad ingredients that we have and let each person make their own salads. This might include: a variety of greens, a variety of nuts/seeds, micro greens, fruit or veggies, pickles, olives, a variety of dressings, feta or blue cheese. I also try to make sure there is protein available in the form of some kind of sandwich meat, boiled eggs, chicken strips, or pepperoni.

By varying the types of salads that we have each week, I am able to keep them from feeling boring and the variety or produce provides different vitamins and minerals. I am always looking for new ideas and would love to have you share in the comments what types of salads you enjoy. Also you can check out this link, for more healthy lunch ideas.

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The Hidden Message of the Great Seal (Review)

The Hidden Message of the Great Seal is a book that delves into the history of the seal of the United States, the signers and writers of the declaration whom also created the seal, and the symbolism of the seal. With almost 300 pages of historical information, 295 images, and interpretations this paper back book by Micheal Kanis is rich with history and research. Published by Hidden Message, LLC the book is a treasure trove of pictures and images relating to the founding of our nation.

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The book begins with chapters discussing the significance of the seal, discussion of the values system, and information about studying the seal. Then he goes into chapters that discuss some of the key players in the creation of the seal. Then he goes into the various elements of the seal, before finishing up with research-based interpretations. Throughout the chapters it is clear that he is writing from a Christian perspective and he includes various scriptures in a few places, as applicable.

My thirteen-year-old son is an avid reader and has been reading this book over the last several weeks. He said that it was a good book, but it had a lot of information and was not one of those books he could just sit down and quickly read. He had to stop and think and digest what he was reading. While he does not mind reading fiction books of this length, he found the length combined with the depth of the information to be a bit daunting. He was reading about one chapter per school day and is a little over half way through the book. My husband will be helping him work through the rest of the information a little bit at a time.

20200428_092249 — A few of the beautiful images included in this book.

My husband, our resident history buff, also read part of the book and shared his opinion.

“The Hidden Message of the Great Seal is well researched and supported, yet not too academic in nature. Riding a fine line between broad history and specialist style evaluation and assessment of some of the most notable public symbols of the United States and her government, focusing the majority of the work on the Great Seal. Author Michael Kanis delves into the past, exploring the “foundational truth” during the first nine chapters and setting the stage for Francis Hopkinson’s work on finalizing the seal in 1782. Hopkinson is of course closely associated with several early American symbols, perhaps most famously the flag, likely creating the 13 star and 13 stripe flag authorized by congress by the June 14, 1777 Flag Act. Kanis points out that the 1782 seal revision, which resulted in our current seal, was influenced by the new American flag.

Popular fiction aside, symbology is a deep and meaningful subject, well explored and easily subject to conspiracy theory. Kanis steers clear of conspiracy and tends to walk a rather conservative path, building the symbology of the seal piece by piece. Exploring the history and inspiration for dozens of symbols incorporated into the nation’s seal.

I believe, Kanis’ ultimate message to be one of inspiration and hope. Echoing a theme from the scientific community. We can advance our society and improve our civilization by understanding the past and striving to improve ourselves as well. Kanis’ closing chapter focuses heavily on virtues and their importance in maintaining our freedom as a nation and a people.”

Overall, I think this is a well researched and written book, but it is a pretty dense piece of research, it’s not light reading and it definitely has a specific message and objective, the “rescue [of] a republic in peril”. From an educator’s standpoint I think this book would make a great unit study for something like a high school history club. Or perhaps as a component of an advanced civics class. I would not consider it light reading and for any student younger than high school it would probably need some guidance. I see our family using it again when we do high school civics in a couple of years as a component of our study of American government.

Be sure to check out at the book The Hidden Message of the Great Seal at the The Hidden Message, LLC website to get more information or to purchase the book. You can even get a 50% off discount if you purchase by May 30, 2020. Simply go to the website and use the code: HOMESCHOOL. Don’t forget to click on the graphic below to check out the reviews from other Review Crew members who reviewed this book.