Blogging with Molly Green

Hi all,
So along with my personal blog here I also blog for a great magazine called Molly Green.  Check out this homeschool blog I wrote for Molly Green!

http://mollygreen.com/blog/homeschooling-around-the-world-america/

"Vacation Mode"

Our long awaited news has finally arrived and we will traveling in less than 2 weeks to bring home our son and daughter.  I will post much in coming weeks, but for now I just simply need to let you know that The Vintage Burlap Barn Etsy Store will be in "vacation mode" until we return to the states.  

The store will be in "vacation mode" starting September 15th, so if you have been wanting to place an order please do so ASAP!  Thank you so much!

In His Love,

Jenny

Mom = Hard Work

Hi Friends and Mommies,
I sit writing with a "to-do" list that is longer than Niagara Falls todays, floors that need to be mopped, a side dish for a bbq tonight that I haven't made - let alone planned, a husband who is fighting a cold, and kids who need some squeezes, love, and direction today.  

I don't write any of this to bore you with my life, but simply to say it's a lot.  This job of wife, mom, homemaker, homeschool teacher, and daughter of Christ is a lot to carry.  It takes work - exhaustive work at times and in truth it is should take a lot of work and energy. This job we are called to is not for the faint of heart.  When we read about the Proverbs 31 woman this is not a passive, laid back, unorganized woman.  No, this woman wakes up with a plan ready to fight for her day, her home and her family.  I love this woman - though I fail miserably at what she does with ease (maybe someday it will come a little easier!?!)  

But my favorite part of Proverbs 31 is the very end - 
Proverbs 31:31 
Give her the fruits of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates.  

Friends, right now we are in the thick of work, maybe it's diapers and baby food, maybe it's toddlers and temper tantrums, maybe it's teen attitudes, maybe it's a special needs child, maybe it's messy floors and sinks full of dishes.  Right now it is work, but make no mistake we need to focus on the end goal!  

Our works will praise us someday.  That day we see our children leave to go on a missions trip, the day our babies walk down the isle having chosen a Godly spouse, our children walking with Jesus, and GRAND BABIES - these will be our rewards someday.  We do not work tirelessly day in and day out for today or even next month.  No friends, we are building a legacy, a heritage, and an eternity.  Do not grow weary in doing good.  Push hard and rely not on your own strength, but on His - for it is only in His strength that we will ever be able to keep our head above water.  

Love you friends,
Jenny
vintageburlapbarn@yahoo.com

Delicious Sliders - Bulk Cooking

I'm a huge bulk cooker, if I'm going to make a mess in my kitchen better to make the mess once and have enough food to last a while!  One of my kids favorite recipes are my slider burgers.  These take little time and freeze great.  I also love them because they make a quick meal for when you've got a packed schedule.  Here is the recipe!

Ingredients: 

• 3 pounds of Ground Beef 

• 1 cup of cooked rice or cooked quinoa

• 1 white onion chopped fine

• 2 Tbs. garlic salt

• Sliced Cheddar Cheese (or whatever cheese your family likes best)

• 2 - 24 packs of hawaiian sweet rolls

DIRECTIONS: 

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees

• Mix all ingredients together

• Split mixed ingredients in 2 - 9 x 13 glass pans

• Cover pans with tin foil

• Bake for 30 minutes

• Remove foil and place sliced cheese over cooked meat

• Let the sliders cool a few minutes while the cheese melts

• Now comes the brilliant part!  Open your hawaiian sweet rolls (can I say YUM!).  Take them out of the package still connected together, and slice the rolls in half horizontally.  Take the sliders from the 9x13 pan, and set the entire patty on top of the bottom slice of sweet rolls.  Put the tops of the sweet rolls on top of the sliders.  Using a knife cut along the sweet rolls lines!

• Top with burger toppings of your choice.  My kids are pretty simple, they like pickles and ketchup!

• Freeze the leftovers for another meal!

Homemade Pancakes

Hi Friends,
Hope you are having a great week!  Today I'm talking pancakes!  We love making pancakes, and specifically pancakes for dinner on Sunday night!  

I make my pancakes from scratch, which sounds more fancy then it is!  Pancake mixes from the store are packed full of too many ingredients and yucky chemical and that you don't want to be feeding your family.  Just look at the list of ingredients listed on your box, if you don't recognize them you shouldn't be eating them!  Homemade pancakes are simple and full of basic yummy ingredients!  

However, I do love the convenience of store bought pancake mix.  To solve this problem, I premix my dry ingredients for pancakes and put them in a large glass container.  Then when I'm ready to make pancakes all I have to do is add eggs, butter, vanilla, and milk or water.  This pancake recipe is delicious and a favorite for my family!  

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of flour (you can use any flour: white, whole wheat, or whatever you prefer.  I do a mix of half and half)

• 7 tsp baking powder

• 2 tsp salt

• 2 tbs white sugar

• 3 cups of milk or water 

• 2 eggs

• 6 tbs melted butter

• 2 tsp vanilla

Directions:

• Mix all dry ingredients together

• Add wet ingredients

• Mix well

• Cook on griddle or frying pan, I use this recipe in my waffle maker too!
• If you want to pre-make pancake mix simply add 3 1/4 cups of pancake mix to the wet ingredients for perfect pancakes every time!  

• Extras: We love to add in extras to this recipe - chocolate chips and blueberries are my families favorites to add to this recipe.  I simply add the berries or chocolate chips directly to the pancake on the griddle.  

• Freeze:  These pancakes freeze great too!  They can be reheated in the toaster oven or on the griddle.  

We're on Facebook

Hey Everyone,
Just wanted to make sure you all knew Vintage Burlap Barn is on Facebook!  If you are on Facebook come and like our page.  The Vintage Burlap Barn is where I post quick tips and tricks with Essential Oils, recipes, and other fun stuff.  A lot of what I post on the Facebook page eventually makes it to a blog post here, but you'll get a sneak peak if you follow our page!  Come check us out, Like us, and share us with your friends!
https://www.facebook.com/VintageBurlapBarn
In His Love,
Jenny

Homeschool Room Open House Day 5

Hi Friends,
Today I'm showing you a few basic ways I keep my kids on task during the day without having to repeat myself 800 times! (that makes me crazy!)

Here is Cole's bulletin board, I have one for each of the kids.  On the board you will see our memory verse for the week, his sticker charts, spelling words, and a small whiteboard.

Details:

• Memory Verse: This month our memory verse is Colossians 3:12-17.  I put the verse on his board to use for handwriting practice throughout the week.
• Sticker charts: I'm a big fan of sticker charts, especially with BOYS!!!  My son needs to see big picture.  He needs to know the point of all this math is to get to the end of the year!  Sticker charts help him see the end goal.  A couple of the curriculums we use come with sticker charts and a couple don't.  I made a template for the subjects that don't have sticker charts, if you would like my sticker chart you can download it by (Click Here)
• Spelling Words: We practice these throughout the week in different ways and I've found having the words pre-printed for him to use really helps.  We write the words on the white board, with magnet tiles, and as handwriting practice!  
• White Board: This is without a doubt one of my favorite things in our homeschool room and something that keeps the entire family sane!  I write 2 groups of things on the board each day.  First, I write what individual homeschool work that is expected of Cole for the day and second, I write what chores are needing to be finished for the day.  My kids love knowing what they need to do and feel like they have accomplished things when they can wipe an item off the board.  We also have strict rule that if the whiteboard isn't cleaned off then free time isn't happening.  It's a simple little thing to have in the room and it makes a world of difference in the smooth runnings of our home!

I LOVE my maps!  I bought these at Costco for $24 and it was a United States and World map and the best part: it's laminated so we can white board marker all over them!  I only have up the United States map in our room because there isn't enough space for both - eventually I'll figure out how to stack them and roll one up when I need the other, but for now the World Map will have to wait.

I have 2 desks, these are Ikea desks and they are super simple - no drawers, just a great spot in the back that can hold a file holder.   The desks are left empty so that any of my kids can sit at any desk when they need a place to work.  

Since my children don't have a desk to keep there individual work at, we instead keep these individual file holders with their work.  They pick it up and take it with them to whatever location they want to work at - a desk, the kitchen table, even their bedroom if they are needing some quiet space!  Works really well for my family and I never hear "I can't find my notebook!"

So there you have day 5 in my homeschool room!  Questions or comments feel free to email me - vintageburlapbarn@yahoo.com

In His Service,
Jenny