This homeschoolers life

 Hi friends,  If you are looking for a yummy fall treat to bake for your family these pumpkin scones will be the perfect fit! This delicious recipe comes from my aunt J who is an incredible cook and loves to bake up yummy treats to share with family and friends. A few years ago I planned and hosted a surprise tea party for my grandmothers 85th birthday and of course a tea party wouldn't be complete without yummy food! My aunt happily baked up these amazing scones along with her exposition scones (recipe and more info about the tea party can be found on my instagram @thishomeschoolerslife.   ) for the party.  They are always a big hit & devoured quickly ;)  I knew I had to get her recipe to bake them with my kiddos  :)   Pumpkin Scones:  2 Cups Flour 7 Tablespoons Sugar 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder 1/2 teaspoon Salt 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon Cloves 1/4 teaspoon Ginger *Mix all the above ingredients & cut in: 6 Tablespoons Cold Butter * In a new bow

  Hi friends, This easy Devonshire Cream recipe is sure to be a hit that will delight your family while whisking you away to the English countryside, (even if it's only in your dreams ;) ). It pairs perfectly with these Pumpkin Scones:  https://thishomeschoolerslife.blogspot.com/2020/10/delicious-pumpkin-scones-recipe.html and these Exposition Scones (recipe found at #thishomeschoolerslife @ instagram and is a delicious topping for many breakfast/brunch dishes.  To make Devonshire Cream you will need:  8 ounces of full fat Cream Cheese 1 cup full fat Sour Cream 2 Tablespoons Cream 1  1/2 cups powdered sugar 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 2 teaspoons vanilla or 1  1/2 for more vanilla flavor *Beat cheese in a kitchen aid mixer or hand held mixer for 1-2 minutes & add in other ingredients one at a time. Stir in sugar gradually and beat for 3-5 minutes until whipped together well.  *Remove from Mixing bowl and place into a serving dish.  *If not serving immediately cover serving dis

 Hello friends, This is a fall favorite (but it's delicious any time of the year) in our home. My kiddos and hubby often request this hearty soup because it has great flavors and keeps their bellies full :) I'm always happy to oblige & we usually have all the ingredients on hand and it is a breeze to make this recipe.  What you'll need:   I'd suggest using an instant pot as this recipe was designed to cook in one. However, it could easily cook in a crock pot or big pot on your stove with the necessary time adjustments ;)  *Instant Pot *1 cup chopped or shredded chicken (could substitute with any meat you prefer. This is also very delicious with some added bacon bits) * 1 bag of yellow potatoes chopped (or any potato you prefer) *1/2 of 1 sweet onion (I like to use sweet Walla Walla onions) * 1 red bell pepper diced * 1 orange bell pepper diced (yellow or green also works) * 2-3 medium carrots chopped * 2-3 stalks of celery chopped * 1 can (drained) sweet corn (or a

   Hello friends, One of the questions I've received most often over the past year is what is duel enrollment and how does it work. Ever since we decided our daughter would participate in the program we have had many questions from family and friends. Mainly out of intrigue and interest, but I’m sure some curiosity about what the program is and how it works ;)  As most of our friends and family know, our daughter began her first year as a duel enrolled student at the beginning of this school year. She is both a junior in high school & enrolled as a freshmen at our local community college. The program she is enrolled in allows her to simultaneously earn both her high school credits and a years worth of college credits while she completes prerequisites at the community college. Depending on your child's interests and level of commitment to the program it is possible for a student that is enrolled to graduate high school & receive an AA degree at the same time.  While my d

 Hello friends, This yummy salad recipe is perfect for a light summer night meal, a side dish at a bbq or family gathering & can easily be a delicious addition to any meal all throughout the year. It has always been a huge hit when I've brought it to a potluck and I almost always leave with an empty dish ;)  My family loves when I make this and it is usually devoured, although on the rare occasion we have leftovers they don't last long. I'm sure your family will love this as much as mine & it will soon become one of their favorites :) Asian Chicken salad recipe:    * 1  3oz package of ramen noodles * 1  14oz package coleslaw blend * 1 1/2 cups cooked, shredded chicken * 1/2 cup unsalted peanuts * 1/2 cup of craisins (I like using regular or cherry) * 1/2 teaspoon of basil (optional) * 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper (optional) * Chopped green onions (optional) Add all ingredients to a large bowl (break ramen noodles into loose pieces) and mix well.  Dressing: * 1/2 Cup S

  Hi Friends, Today I'm sharing my favorite coleslaw recipe. I love that it can be adapted to your preference with just a few tweaks. One is rich and creamy and the other is a vinaigrette. Both are equally delicious and make an excellent side dish or as a topper to this yummy bbq shredded chicken slider recipe: https://thishomeschoolerslife.blogspot.com/2020/10/bbq-shredded-chicken-sliders.htm  . Coleslaw Ingredients: 3   cups   green cabbage   finely shredded ▢ 2   cups   purple cabbage   finely shredded ▢ 1   cup   carrot   finely shredded Vinaigrette Coleslaw Dressing: *  3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar * 4 tablespoons canola oil * 3 tablespoons white sugar *  1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard *  1/4 teaspoon celery seeds *  salt & pepper to taste Creamy Dressing: * 1/2   cup   mayonnaise/dressing *  1   tablespoon   white vinegar *  1/2   tablespoon   cider vinegar *  2   teaspoons   sugar *  ½   teaspoon   celery seeds *  salt & pepper to taste Instructions: Combine all dre

  Hi friends, Today I'm sharing one of our favorite chicken recipes: BBQ Chicken Sliders. It is super simple and can be prepped ahead so you can take with you anywhere or prepare in a hurry to feed your crew.  1) Start by adding 6-8 frozen chicken breasts (I purchase a big bag of individual flash frozen chicken breasts at Costco) into my Instant Pot and line them side by side. (If chicken will be used only for this recipe create a delicious bbq shredded chicken with: 2 cups of bbq sauce, 1/2 cup of italian dressing, 1/8 cup brown sugar and 1 cup of water to the I.P.) 2) Add 1 1/2 cups of water to the bottom of the I.P. add lid and seal to venting.  3) Cook on manual for 14-15 minutes and let sit for another 5-10 minutes before doing a quick release. 4) Remove from I.P. and shred chicken while still hot (it should shred easily) * I like to use tongs to shred the meat by lightly twisting the meat apart.  5) Set meat aside  6) Prep sliders by slicing your chosen rolls (we like to use

 Hello friends,  If your family is anything like mine they will love this super simple & delicious hearty casserole. I love that it is filling, healthy and can easily be made ahead of time or frozen to keep on hand for the busy days we just don't have a ton of time but I still want us to eat a homemade meal. :)  *Check here for link to another yummy meal I think your family will love and that can easily be made out of left over shredded chicken you didn't use for this recipe: *Preheat oven to 375 degrees 1) Start by adding 6-8 frozen chicken breasts (I purchase a big bag of individual flash frozen chicken breasts at Costco) into my Instant Pot and line them side by side. (Also can be made with lean ground beef/lean turkey/sausage or ground elk). Cook on manual for 14-15 minutes, let sit another 5 minutes before quick release. 2) Dice 1/2 of 1 onion * (while chicken is cooking) 3) Drain one 15oz can of sweet corn 4) Add first three ingredients to a large mixing bowl & co

  Hello friends,   Are you looking for a quick, easy and delicious recipe for dinner tonight, or wanting to make a special breakfast perhaps?  Then you will love how versatile and simple this recipe is! My family loves it and it is a breeze to whip up in a hurry. I think you will love how delicious & fun and how easy it can be altered for allergies and health restrictions.  Dutch baby recipe came from a small restaurant owned by Victor Manca in Seattle during the 1900's. He was an immigrant from Germany who coined the name for this recipe they served in their restaurant. The actual type of German pancake originated in Germany & has served as a staple breakfast dish throughout Germany. Dutch Baby: 1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees 2)Place  2 tbsp. butter (or coconut oil) into a cast iron skillet or Dutch oven and place into oven while it is preheating.  3) Batter In a medium or large mixing bowl combine: *1 cup flour (all purpose, gluten free, coconut, almond etc) *It can be a

Hi Friends,  Today I'm sharing one of my families all time favorite, go to delicious desert recipes.  My kids love a warm cookie that's fresh from the oven as much as anyone but this special recipe for cookie & cream cookies is one of their most requested cookies any day of the week ;)  My hubby isn't a huge chocolate fan so chocolate chip cookies area  rarity in our home. The first time I tried this recipe my family was in cookie heaven and I knew we had found a winner. I'm sure it will  quickly become one of your favorite go to desert recipes as well. :)  Recipe: ** Preheat oven to 350 degrees * 1 cup butter, softened * 1/2 cup brown sugar * 1/2 cup sugar * 1 (4.2oz) package of Oreo Cookies & Cream pudding mix * 2 large eggs * 1 tsp. vanilla extract (I love to use my homemade pure vanilla extract) * 2 1/4 cups flour (I use organic unbleached flour, but any all purpose flour will work) * 1 tsp. baking soda * 1 cup white chocolate chips * 15 Oreo cookies coarsel

   Lets chat curriculum options: First things first, I feel like it needs to be said that there is no perfect curriculum that will fit every child's needs. We've tried multiple curriculum's during our homeschooling years, the best advice I can give is to try some out and see which your kids respond to. Don’t be afraid to take your time learning which are the best fit, seek lots of advice from other friends and fellow homeschoolers as well as check out curriculum in person before you buy whenever possible because it is the best option to really know what you're purchasing. Also, it is important to know that there will be times you will have to chuck things that just don't work. They may not work for a lot of reasons such as: not fitting what you need or you and/or your kids may just hate it. Don’t fret or worry though as we’ve all been there and it's really not the end of the world, it will all work out! Take your time and try a few things out before you decide t

  Our journey to homeschooling: I've always heard that a journey begins with a single step, well for me it was more like a giant leap of faith... Where to begin... it’s a bit of a long story; so we should start at the beginning. A little back history: My children and I are survivors of domestic violence, so our story and what led us to homeschooling is very different from most families. Initially I hadn’t thought too much about homeschooling mainly because I was married at 20, had my daughter at 22, my son before I was 27 and had been very focused on my babies. Unfortunately life at home was not peaceful for the kids and I. It was chalk full of chaos, turmoil, tension, stress, abuse and life living with an addict. My children's bio-logical father chose his addictions to alcohol and meth over his family which left me in a lurch just trying to survive and keeping the kids safe. It was a nightmare and I am truly so thankful that God helped me escape from a life of domestic abuse,