In the United States, Memorial Day is a holiday set aside for remembering those who have died while serving in the US Armed Forces. First observed on May 30, 1868, and originally called “Decoration Day”, many families celebrate Memorial Day with traditional annual observances. In case you don’t have anything planned for your children this holiday, here are a few kid-friendly ways to teach them the importance of honoring our fallen heroes.

1. Visit a United States National Cemetery – There are 146 national cemeteries in the United States. Some cemeteries will hold “decoration days” on Sunday before Memorial Day where volunteers place an American flag on each grave. Even more personally meaningful is to visit and decorate the grave of a family member who died while serving our country.

2. Fly the American Flag – If you have an American flag, fly it at half mast (also known as half-staff). According to tradition, the American flag is to be “raised briskly to the top of the staff and then solemnly lowered to the half-staff position, where it remains only until noon. It is then raised to full-staff for the remainder of the day.”

If you do not have an American flag, have your children make one. Depending on the age of your child, a flag can be made from construction paper, popsicle sticks, or even burlap and acrylic paint.

Creating an American flag naturally leads to learning about the symbolism of the flag’s colors, as well as the number of stars and stripes.

3. Search Pinterest for Memorial Day Activities – Pinterest has a seemingly endless slew of ideas for Memorial Day, including FREE print-outs for word searches and crosswords, coloring sheets, crafts, and recipes (I’m salivating over this particular sandwich as I write.).

4. Pause in Memory – The National Moment of Remembrance established by Congress in 2000 asks all Americans to pause for 1 minute at 3 PM (local time) “as an act of national unity in which all Americans, alone or with family and friends, honor those who died in service to the United States.” Read President Clinton’s statement on signing the act.

5. Celebrate with Music – Many communities have festivals, parades, and various ways to participate in, or listen to, traditional Memorial Day music. Songs like “America the Beautiful” (Ray Charles is my favorite), “Anchors Aweigh”, “My Country ’tis of Thee”, “You’re a Grand Old Flag”, and of course, “The Star-Spangled Banner”. Extend your music selections to include some not-so-traditional tunes like John Mellencamp’s “R.O.C.K. in the USA” and James Brown’s “Living in America” to name a couple.

If you know of a place you can wrap up the day with a bugler playing Taps, I can’t recommend it enough. While there are no official words to the music, the Taps Bugler has some of the song’s more popular verses.

6. Watch a Video or Documentary – The History Channel offers a number of videos fitting for Memorial Day. Watch and discuss some of the famous battles in our nation’s history. Also, check The Military Channel’s guide for shows playing over the weekend.

7. Military Workout – Perhaps you have an older son or daughter who would like to experience what it’d be like to train like our military men and women? US Marine and Iraq War veteran Chris Goehner is offering a military inspired Ruck on Roosevelt Island. The course is designed to “simulate the rigors of battle.”

Think you know the details behind Memorial Day? Take this Memorial Day Quiz to test your knowledge. I was surprised at how little I knew of the history of this day of remembrance.

Our kids are out of the state and will celebrate Memorial Day with their grandparents this year. Jeff and I haven’t yet decided how we will celebrate ours, but believe it is an important and significant day to commemorate.

What are your Memorial Day plans? Do you have any traditions to remember and honor our country’s fallen soldiers?

Heather Sanders is a leading homeschooling journalist who inspires homeschooling families across the nation. Married to Jeff, Heather lives in the East Texas Piney Woods and homeschools her three children, Emelie, Meredith and Kenny.

Here are the winners of the mixers! Each winner may request the relief organization for 1/3 of the donation to be sent; however, if they do not have a preference, I will choose the charity myself.

NOTE: I will announce Monday morning exactly where the donation was sent. Thanks again for participating! Please keep prayin’ for the people who’ve suffered as a result of the tornado in Oklahoma. They’ll need help for a long time.

MIXER WINNERS

#901 Liesel: “We had Steak and Shake (burgers and fries) after a long Confirmation ceremony. Not my first choice, but it was late, we were all hungry and it was one of the few somewhat-decent places still open!”

#14496 Kelly: “Chicken with fettuccini alfredo.”

#55924 Jean H: “Appetizers for dinner (kid style)- apple slices, cheese cubes, crackers, carrots, and grapes. The kids love it and we can eat it at the park. Praying for all affected in Oklahoma.”

Congratulations, winners! Contact prizes@thepioneerwoman.com to claim your mixers, and when you write, please specify if you have a preference for a relief organization for the Oklahoma tornado efforts. (If you do not, I will select the best place to send the donation!)

Thanks again, everyone, for participating!

Love,
Ree

Note: For every entry received in this boot giveaway, I will donate 10 cents to Oklahoma tornado relief efforts on behalf of PW friends/readers.

Today I’m giving away three (3) pairs of these gorgeous turquoise/yellow cowboys boots.

For this giveaway, to keep the focus on the great need following Monday’s devastating tornado, I will donate a dime for every entry received to tornado relief efforts in Oklahoma. (If there are a thousand entries, it’ll be a hundred bucks; ten thousand entries, a thousand bucks…and so on.) The donation will be made on behalf of PW friends/readers and will be given to the tornado-related charity of each boot winner’s choice. (If winners do not have a preference, I’ll direct the entire sum to the organization where I feel it’ll be most effective.)

Nothing required on your part: Just enter to win the boots and your entry turns into a dime. There’s no cap on the amount; we’ll just see where it goes. This is just a small way we can all help together!

TO ENTER

To enter this giveaway, just shout out your shoe size (or the shoe size of your boot recipient!) in the Comments section.

THE RULES

Giveaway will end at midnight (Pacific Time) Friday.

Winners will be announced Friday, along with the donation amount and where the donation(s) will be made.

Community Question is a category inspired by you. Here and there readers write in with questions that are better served by the varied, experiential knowledge of those who read and contribute in the comments. Please respond to this post in the comments, but if you have a question for the community email it to Heather.

***********************************************

The following question is from Jack B.

“I am a recent parent/homeschool teacher of 3rd and 5th grade boys. I’m interested in adding inquiry based learning projects (students developing questions about a topic, instigating and finding answers to the questions, organizing findings, and presenting findings) into my student’s education process.

I’m looking into the pros and cons of this approach for homeschoolers. I know as students advance they will need these skills, but homeschooling seems so different, so I’m trying to figure out how to do this in a homeschool environment. I’m wondering how other parents help their students get these skills? I also don’t know of any resources that provide inquiry based learning (i.e. vendors or tutors) approaches or projects to homeschoolers and wondered if you might have any suggestions.”

Might you know of any examples of homeschool parents adopting this approach or adding projects like this to their program?

This is hard for me. You know how I like to talk.

But I’ll look at it as a spiritual discipline.

The Word of the Day: Surefooted.

Here’s what it means.

 
EXAMPLE A

 
EXAMPLE B

I love our ranch horses,
Their Mama

Spoilers ahead!! This post is full of spoilers!!

Do not read this post if you have plans to watch every episode of Call the Midwife from the beginning and don’t want to know what happens!!

At some point over the last two months I fell woefully behind on Call the Midwife. I’m not sure what I was so busy doing but it must have been terribly important given that I can’t remember it.

But then my husband and daughter left for a fishing trip and I decided to spend my free time in the most productive way possible. By which I mean that I fired up my DVR to get caught up on all my favorite shows.

I spent the next several hours falling in love with Call the Midwife all over again. I’m not going to go as far to say that I like it as much as Downton Abbey, but it’s close. And by the time I got to the end of the season finale, I was sobbing on my couch.

(I bet my husband wishes he’d been home for that. He loves big displays of emotion over things that aren’t even real.)

And since no one I know in real life watches the show, I feel the need for us to discuss some thoughts.

1. Weren’t you so relieved to see Chummy return? I was afraid we wouldn’t see her again. And when she had to be rushed to the hospital during labor? I didn’t breathe for like thirty minutes.

5. Do you think Nurse Jenny is going to end up with that photographer friend of Jimmy’s? And, most importantly, how are we going to live without new episodes for a year?

I’d love to hear what you thought about the rest of the season. And now I’m off to catch up on Mr. Selfridge. So much British television, so little time.

Note: For every entry received in this mixer giveaway, I will donate 10 cents to Oklahoma tornado relief efforts on behalf of PW friends/readers.

 
Today I’m giving away three (3) KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixers…in the color of each winner’s choice!

For this giveaway, to keep the focus on the great need following Monday’s devastating tornado, I will donate a dime for every entry received to tornado relief efforts in Oklahoma. (If there are a thousand entries, it’ll be a hundred bucks; ten thousand entries, a thousand bucks…and so on.) The donation will be made on behalf of PW friends/readers and will be given to the tornado-related charity of each mixer winner’s choice. (If winners do not have a preference, I’ll direct the entire sum to the organization where I feel it’ll be most effective.)

Nothing required on your part: Just enter to win the mixer and your entry turns into a dime. There’s no cap on the amount; we’ll just see where it goes. This is just a small way we can all help together!

TO ENTER

To enter this giveaway, just answer the following question in the Comments section of this post:

What did you have for dinner last night?

Did you feast on pepperoni pizza? Steak and potatoes? Apple Jacks? Tacos? Quinoa salad? Just shout out what was on the menu last night and you’re automatically entered to win a mixer…and your entry will turn into a dime.

THE RULES

Giveaway will end at midnight (Pacific Time) Thursday.

Winners will be announced Friday, along with the donation amount and where the donation(s) will be made.

Giveaway sponsored by Pioneer Woman.

Note from PW: Yesterday I posted a list of organizations that are helping Oklahoma tornado victims. You can see that list here if you’d like to help, or check out this page on NewsOK’s website for a regularly updated list including local organizations and drop-off centers. Please continue to pray for those who are hurting in Oklahoma.

 
Post by Marlboro Man. Photos by Paige.

 
We got a heavy rain Sunday night that completely filled our ponds, which had gotten very low over the past two years. After just a few hours of rain, this pond level raised over 15 feet.

 
 
On this pond, you could walk to the island just last week.

 
 
 
Here’s a pond from Ree’s post last week.

 
 
 
Here’s the same pond, from the same perspective, after Sunday’s rain.

 
 
 
Here’s another picture from last week. The cattle were crossing on dry ground between the pond and the fence.

 
 
 
It’s a little fuller now. It’s funny how the ponds can be so low for so long, then one night of rain can fill them up.

 
Because we had so much rain so fast, there was a lot of run-off. This was great for filling the ponds and creeks, but it knocked out the water gaps (the area of a fence that crosses a creek or draw.) This usually requires us to spend a good amount of time over the next day or two working on our water gaps.

 
So Monday morning, Bryce, Paige and I set out to check the damage. This is the first water gap we checked. The two top wires were in tact, but the rest—including some of the posts—was wiped out.

 
 
 
The first thing you have to do is get your broken wires cleaned off.

 
 
 
The dead grass and logs like to get tangled up in the fence.

 
 
 
Once you get the wires straightened out, you splice them together using fence stretchers.

 
 
 
While I’m splicing, my son is working on the next wire.

 
 
 
After we drive a few t-posts, we add a few wires…

 
 
 
And 45 minutes later, this gap is done. Better than new, almost.

 
 
 
Then it was on to the next one. My daughter really liked this waterfall. She wanted to get on a tube and ride it down.

 
 
 
But we had another water gap to fix. This one had about a 90′ area where the fence was completely taken out.

 
 
 
Fortunately, we beat the cows to it.

 
 
 
Around the corner, we found the problem. This tree had obviously washed down the creek and took the wire with it. The first order of business was to untangle the wire from the tree…

 
 
 
Then pull the wire back to where we could splice it back across the fence opening.

 
 
 
It’s a good workout, it’s just not much fun.

 
 
 
“I think I have water in my boots.”

 
 
 
“Yep.”

 
 
 
After getting all the wires stretched back across the creek…

 
 
 
We need to drive some t-posts.

 
 
 
To do this we use a post driver (basically a pipe with a weight on top of it.)

 
 
 
It’s not complicated—you just slip the pipe over the post and use it to pound the post into the ground.

 
 
 
Then you clip the wires to the posts…

 
 
 
Spacing each wire evenly on the post.

 
 
 
Then we drive to the other side to drive a few more posts. Instead of packing our stuff on foot, Bryce and I decided to see how the Polaris handles a full creek.

 
 
 
You have to have a little fun while you’re fixing water gaps, otherwise it can get pretty monotonous.

 
 
 
I don’t like working around brush piles like this because I just know a snake is going to sneak out and bite me.

 
 
 
And wouldn’t you know, just about the time I was clipping a wire to the t-post I had just driven, my daughter yelled “SNAKE!”

I just about jumped out of my skin.

 
 
 
But he wasn’t in the brush pile—he was down in the water we’d just been in.

 
 
 
It doesn’t really give you a warm, fuzzy feeling about wading around in there.

 
 
 
Fortunately, we were done with this gap so we didn’t have to fight him for his water hole.

 
 
 
On to the next one. Only ten more to do.

 
 
 
“Stupid trees.”

Oklahoma is strong and will recover, but I wanted to ask for your prayers today.

- For those who are suffering in Oklahoma today. Many have lost their homes.
- For those who are grief-stricken. People have lost loved ones.
- For the rescue and aid workers who are trying to assist as many people as possible.
- For those who feel hopeless or helpless. They need hope. And help.

The need is so great right now. Thank you for your prayers.

If you are able, here are some other ways to help. Most of these are the “standard” avenues of assistance, but are very effective. I’m continually looking for the best ways to get help to the affected areas and will keep you posted as I hear.

UPDATE: NewsOK has a great page of many local organizations and drop-off centers. Check these if you live in Oklahoma! NewsOK: How to Help Tornado Victims

Salvation Army
Supporters are encouraged to give online at www.SalvationArmyUSA.org or by calling 1-800-SAL-ARMY (1-800-725-2769). You can also text the word “STORM” to 80888 to make a $10 donation through your mobile phone; to confirm your gift, respond with the word “Yes.”

Samaritan’s Purse
Samaritan’s Purse has deployed a team to Moore, Oklahoma and will respond to the current needs in any way they can.

Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma
The Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, in partnership with Oklahoma Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, is asking that the public support all rescue, recovery and disaster relief efforts with donations of cash to your favorite responding charity. Financial donations will allow disaster relief agencies to purchase whatever items are deemed necessary without resulting in the additional burden of securing warehouse space and volunteers to work donated product.
To make a tax deductible donation to the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, go to www.regionalfoodbank.org or call 604-7111 or text FOOD to 32333 to give $10 to relief efforts.

Feeding America
Feeding America will deliver truckloads of food, water and supplies to impacted areas through its network of more than 200 food banks and 61,000 agencies. The organization’s food banks will also set up additional dropoff sites.

Convoy of Hope
International humanitarian relief organization Convoy of Hope is responding to the Moore, Okla. area this morning. Immediately after the devastating tornadoes struck, a Convoy of Hope assessment team was in the area and tractor-trailers were loaded with emergency supplies at Convoy of Hope’s World Distribution Center in Springfield, Missouri.
Those wishing to make a contribution to the OKC and Midwest tornado relief efforts can make a secure online contribution by visiting: http://www.convoyofhope.org. To place a $10 donation on your cellular bill, text the word CONVOY to 50555. Standard text and data rates apply.

UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief)
100% of Oklahoma-directed donations will go toward relief efforts.

American Red Cross
People who wish to make a donation can support American Red Cross Disaster Relief, which helps provide food, shelter and emotional support to those affected by disasters like the recent tornadoes in Oklahoma and Texas as well as disasters big and small throughout the United States by visiting redcross.org, dialing 1-800-REDCROSS or texting REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

Central OK Humane Society (For the pets left homeless and injured.)
Currently greatest need is financial donations to help treat and house lost and injured animals. Current in-kind needs are: Towels, paper towels, bleach, gloves, and crates. All donations can be taken to either Central Park Dog Daycare location (2905 NW 70th and 5420 N. Classen Blvd.) Pet food donations may be taken there as well.

Thank you for sending your love and prayers to Oklahoma. This is our home and it’s hard to see the suffering.

Love,
PW

By Heather Sanders

It has been two years since our homeschool cooperative began its Preteen and Teen luncheons on the first Friday of every month. While I cannot claim the idea as my own (it actually came about following a reader’s comment here on The Pioneer Woman), I can attest to its monumental success. Not only do the students look forward to getting together with their friends, they are also learning and practicing valuable life skills in the process.

The luncheons are a time for parents to drop-off their Preteen (Ages 10-12) or Teen (Ages 13 and up) for the purpose of hanging out with friends and eating a lunch together. The luncheons always take place between the hours of 11:00 and 12:30, and students are expected to bring their own money, and if applicable to the restaurant, a tip.

While parents are always welcome to stay and eat, a chaperone is available for both age groups, and most of the kids openly express that they like the independent time alone with their friends.

Having served as a chaperone one of the two years, I see 3 very strong reasons for planning Preteen and Teen Homeschool Luncheons, and those reasons can be wrapped up in a simple alliteration: peers, propriety, and payment.

Peers

Of all the questions I get asked about homeschooling, socialization is always in the top three. Many parents feel homeschooled children lack opportunities to create meaningful bonds while socially interacting with their peers on a daily basis.

The Preteen and Teen homeschool luncheons hosted by our Co-op are designed to give students an opportunity to meet with their peers outside of their Monday academic Co-op classes. While the students who attend are primarily members of our Co-op, the luncheons are open to any of the families in the community who may be interested in learning more about homeschooling, or just want an opportunity for their child to spend time with other homeschool students.

The schedule is set at the start of the year and posted on the website, and throughout the year email reminders are sent out to our Co-op membership. The Preteens and Teens meet in separate restaurants, so there are always a minimum of two chaperones.

When we first began the luncheons, we knew the older kids (Teens) would enjoy time away from their younger siblings, as well as the younger Preteens who they are grouped with for field trips and other Co-op activities. Both age groups thoroughly enjoy the time as is evident by the continued attendance and growth.

Propriety

Getting together for lunch in a restaurant requires students to align with accepted standards of behavior. While this is not as much an issue with Teenagers, Preteens often need specific reminders of what is deemed appropriate dining behavior; most specifically, NOT to pour salt, hot sauce, pepper, or ketchup (seriously, name your condiment) into another’s drink when they sky off to the restroom.

Obviously, these proprieties are typically taught by parents, but when Preteens are out with their parents they are usually the only Preteen at the table, and so, there is no temptation to act foolishly. When the Co-op first implemented these luncheons the chaperones had to sit directly at the table with the Preteens. Now, they are able to give the Preteens a bit of autonomy, sitting in the same area of the restaurant, but not at the same table. The Preteens have learned they get more independence when they are respectful, and behave accordingly.

In addition, they are also responsible to read the menu (some of the Preteens look at the menus online with their parents before coming), determine what they want to eat, consider the price (and whether they have enough money to cover it with tip and tax), and convey their order clearly to the waitress or waiter. Again, this is easy enough for Teens, but great practice for Preteens.

Payment

The luncheons are planned at various restaurants, so the kids get to navigate different methods by which the establishment expects payment to be handled. For instance, they learn that chains like Schlotzsky’s and Subway take payment when the food is ordered. When they go to Denny’s, the check is brought to the table, but the students must go up to the register to pay. And of course, the various sit-down restaurants (like Chili’s) take payment at the table. While this may seem clear to adults, kids don’t always know the routine because there is usually an adult present to handle the details for them. These luncheons allow them to walk through the steps of eating out on their own.

Those students who get online to figure out what they will eat, may come with meal, tax and tip already sorted, while others figure it out at the table. Teaching kids the importance of honoring another’s work by tipping sufficiently is an important life skill. It is also a quick division or multiplication Math lesson, of which they are not always very thankful to have the chaperones implement.

If you are part of a local homeschool cooperative and/or you have considered starting up a social activity of some sort for homeschoolers in your community, luncheons are a great place to start. They are like mini field trips, and take significantly less planning and manpower to implement.

Can you share any quick and easy activities for homeschooling families to participate in or plan?

Heather Sanders is a leading homeschooling journalist who inspires homeschooling families across the nation. Married to Jeff, Heather lives in the East Texas Piney Woods and homeschools her three children, Emelie, Meredith and Kenny.

Dear PW:

I am 26 and got married last July to my closest friend from college. He’s an amazing guy. Unfortunately I was in love and in a relationship with someone else but marriage was not in our cards for various reasons. In the end I was forced to give up on it and move on. It’s been terribly hard. Because what we shared had been special to both of us.

I am learning to move on but sometimes I get lost and I wonder how it would’ve been being married to the other person. I know this might sound like some stupid teenage relationship thing but its not. I am very family oriented. I haven’t had any other boyfriend. I’m just a born mothering soul who loves the intricacies of being a wife and a future mom. Sometimes being torn makes me feel guilty…like I’m being unfair to the wonderful man I am married to, who loves me very much.

I realize you haven’t been in my shoes but do you have any advice at all?

Love
Torn

 
Dear Torn,

You don’t say the circumstances that caused you to leave the first relationship and marry someone else, so I’ll have to just answer in general terms. I do think it’s normal to occasionally remember relationships in your past. They were part of the building blocks of who you are and how you love now, and provided the relationships were good, they shouldn’t be the cause of any regret. On the flip side, I don’t think it’s a good idea to think too much about “what-ifs.” You have to remember that there were reasons you and your previous boyfriend did not get married. They must have been good reasons—good enough to bring the relationship to a halt. So maybe a more helpful exercise would be for you to turn your what-ifs toward the potential problems that would have come about had you married him—had you pushed through whatever the obstacles were and married him anyway. Again, I don’t know the circumstances. But it’s easy, now that those obstacles and problems are no longer in the forefront, to remember only the good feelings you had when you were with him. But next time they come up, make yourself go one step further and remind yourself of the reasons you’re not together in the first place.

Then go hang out with the amazing guy (your description!) you’re married to. I’ll bet he’d love it.

Love,
P-Widdle Diddle

Dear Pioneer Woman:

I do not like my sister-in-law. If it were up to me, we would only talk at family gatherings, which occur every other month or so when we get together for birthday parties for the kids and holidays and such. My reason for disliking her is that she loves to gossip and tell lies. She LOVES drama, and if there is no drama going on she will make some up. I can tolerate her at the family gatherings, because she cannot gossip there because everyone is there together. In spite of my efforts to keep contact with her to a minimum, she constantly calls and texts me to tell me how my sisters or mother said nasty things about her or how my brother (her husband) is a horrible person and then she will say something like ‘don’t tell anyone I said this’ and ‘I just had to tell you this because you are the only person I trust.’ I will not go in to detail about the lies she spreads, but I know my family, and I know they are lies.

Now, I was raised to be polite, and I answer the phone when she calls, but I do my best to cut the calls of short by claiming I cannot talk at the moment, or that I have plans when she invites me over. I tend to just ignore the text messages, which means she calls more. I thought about simply ignoring her calls altogether, but as her youngest son was very ill recently I answer in case it is an emergency. My sisters and I have discussed her, and she does this to each of us, she calls each of us to tell lies about the others, and although we know they are lies, the situation is getting rather old. My question is, do you have any advice on a polite way to ask her to quit calling me and telling me lies about what awful people my family members are?

Thank you,
Dreading the Drama

 
Dear Dreading:

First, and you probably have already figured this out, it might help for you to realize that your sister-in-law is likely coming from a place of insecurity and, perhaps, unhappiness. Not that that is an excuse for her behavior (which is, understandably, a real burden for you), but it will help you to understand where she’s coming from.

I think you answered your own question in the last sentence of your question: “Do you have any advice on a polite way to ask her to quit calling me and telling me lies about what awful people my family members are?” I believe you definitely need to be up front with your sister-in-law that you want to be there for her, but you simply can no longer listen to her disparaging your family, whom you love very much.

Often, these types of behaviors quickly become habit with some folks—it certainly seems like it has become a habit for your sister-in-law to deal with stress and anxiety by unloading on anyone who will listen. So what you need to do is short circuit that habit by showing her, in a polite way, that she can’t go there with you. What may happen over time is that your friendship with her might have a chance to develop in a healthy way. Once she begins to understand that you aren’t interested in hearing the negative, she might direct more positive conversation your way.

Love,
PW

Dear Pioneer Woman,

Hi! I have a question about cooking and life. I’m a 16 year old home schooled girl who loves cooking. I’ve learned so much on your blog and by experimenting and trying new recipes. I really want to expand my cooking skills (and I do everything from scratch, btw! no cake mixes, or canned soup in my house!) Eventually, I want to be a stay-at-home, wife/mom and raise and homeschool my kids. However, in the meantime I really want to grow my cooking skills. I have considered a culinary arts school but since I’m not going to spend my life as a chef I would like to get training somewhere that would be cheaper and where I wouldn’t have to commit to spending so much time at the school.

Do you have any suggestions on how I could grow my skills but not spend years of my life at a culinary arts school?

Love,
I Heart Cooking

 
Dear Heart:

I think a culinary education can provide an amazing knowledge base and opportunities, but it isn’t the only way to learn how to cook. My number one piece of advice for people wanting to become better cooks is this: Just cook! Cook every day, every chance you get. Cook for yourself, cook for your parents, volunteer to cook at a local soup kitchen (bonus: You’ll get to help someone else in the process!), volunteer to “cater” the next family holiday that involves a big meal. As is the case with writing, dancing, or pretty much any skill, doing is the only way to get better. And with cooking, it’s the range of real-life situations that gives you great experience.

That said, some of the culinary institutes do have published manuals and (in some cases) apps that provide very helpful culinary instruction. That might be a nice thing for you to look into if you’re looking for the basic building blocks that culinary students go through. Also, look into culinary schools in your area and see if they offer one-day classes or workshops. You’d be surprised at how much you could learn in a day!

But above all else, just cook. Over time, you’ll develop your own tastes and style. That you’re starting at age 16 gives you a great head start!

Go get ‘em!
Ree

Hey P-Dub!

I thought you would have an interesting view of this question since you have 4 kiddos of varying ages. My husband and I just had our first sweet baby girl, Shelby June, in January. (I’m typing you this email with one hand while I’m feeding her. TMI?) I would like to have another baby sooner than later. We want two and my rationale is that we could do the whole diaper, teeny tiny baby phase all at once (which I am loving every minute of as a full time mommy) and then move on to the next phase- instead of growing out of one phase to repeat it again several years later. What do you think about that?

Love you more than my luggage,

(Temporary) Mom of One

 
Dear Temp,

I’m going to answer from both my heart and my reproductive system. Sorry. That made no sense.

My short answer is this: Don’t be afraid of the unpredictability of your child bearing years! To put it another way: I encourage you not to fall into the trap of thinking that life can be planned in such a precise manner. Let me explain.

When I married my husband, I wanted one child. Maybe one-and-a-half. So I had a baby. And I remember, even up until the time she was one, thinking that I could be content with just her forever. Then I made the mistake of visiting my sister-in-law in the hospital after she’d had a baby. I took one whiff of my nephew’s head, then I left the hospital, called Marlboro Man, and said, “If I don’t get pregnant tonight, I’m going to die.” So I got pregnant that night. (TMI?)

Then, in the weeks after 9-11, I vowed never to bring another child into this world. I got pregnant that December.

Then a few years later, I started homeschooling my oldest daughter. Once we started school that fall, I resolved that my childbearing days were definitely over. I needed to commit myself to raising them, schooling them, and it was a good thing my (then) baby boy was sleeping through the night, because this homeschooling thing was going to be a doozie.

I got pregnant with my fourth a month later. Oh, how I cried. But oh, how I cherish that child.

I have a point, and it’s not just to illustrate my level of fertility. It’s to remind you that you really don’t know where life will take you. You may have a second child, then want another one. You may have two close together, then five years from now, wish you’d spaced them out a bit so you could savor each one’s baby stage. You may decide to have a second one now and conceive twins.

So that wasn’t a short answer. But in summary, I can’t answer the question for you about when your second one should come. I just want to encourage you to realize that there really is no right or wrong answer when it comes to having more babies…and the truth is, there’s no right or wrong time. They’ll come when they come, and your life (and abdominal muscles) will adapt accordingly.

(Just don’t go visit your sister-in-law in the hospital if you aren’t prepared to give birth nine months later.)

Love,
PW

Dear Pioneer Woman,

My husband and I have been married for three years and were blessed 2 months ago with a baby girl. He is a police officer that works in the evening and I have a traditional “day job”. We hardly ever get to see each other anymore due to our schedules and when we do we are exhausted from baby wrangling and work. Do you have any advice on keeping the romance alive for new parents, specifically those that can’t always be in the same place due to schedules?

Thanks!

Working Woman

 
Dear Working:

Oh, I know this must be tough. Baby exhaustion is a profound phenomenon, and if you throw in two diametrically different work schedules, it can make things even more complicated.

First of all, keep in mind that your baby won’t be a baby forever. While life will always be busy for you (welcome to parenthood!) there will come a time when she’s sleeping better and is easier to care for.

That said, it’s still important for you and your husband to maintain a connection during this time of exhaustion. You don’t say whether you’re together at night or whether he works all night. But if so, I think the best thing you can do is to find small ways to let him know you’re thinking about him and that he’s important to you.

Example: Tuck a note into his wallet (use colored paper so it’ll be noticeable) so that when he pulls it out, he’ll see it. And it doesn’t even have to be an elaborate love letter; just a simple “Love you, honey” will go a long way. “I’ll miss you tonight,” “Hurry home,” or (not to bring my own issues into this) “I love your muscles” are some other ideas.

I know you’re just as busy as he is, but if you ever have a window to whip up some cookies, you could wrap up a few and stick them in his vehicle so he’ll have something to take with him when he’s on duty. (Or, if he’s more of a health nut, homemade granola bars would work.)

Another thing to consider is the importance of making the most of your time when you are together. Turn off your computer, put down your phone. Talk about work, talk about current events, talk about the things you talked about when you were dating and falling in love. In other words, don’t let your conversation be dictated by diapers and spit-up and bathtime. You can change diapers and clean spit-up and give your baby a bath, just talk about interesting things with your husband while you do it. It’ll remind you both that the world is still spinning out there.

(Note: If your husband had written me, I’d be giving him his own set of tips and pointers for how to keep the romance alive. It goes both ways, but if you start taking steps in that direction, chances are he will too.)

Hang in there! I get it. Big time.

Pee-Dubya

Hi, Ree:

Where did you find that flat whisk you use so often? I’ve looked everywhere. Thanks.

Whiskless

 
Dear Whiskey:

Here’s one at Williams-Sonoma: Flat Whisk at WS

Here’s one at Amazon: Flat Whisk at Amazon

Here’s one at Bed, Bath, and Beyond: Flat Whisk at BBB

And here’s one at Sur La Table: Flat Whisk at Sur La Tawbluhhhhh

They’re the best!

Love,
P-Dub

Dear P Dub,

My son transitioned from college wrestling to MMA Fighting, to being a pro MMA fighter. He’s had some good fights and some not so good, and has enjoyed fighting internationally in addition to his USA fights.

Here’s my question. How can I encourage him to give up fighting for good, now that he has graduated from college and has a good job? I am afraid that some day, he will get walloped and will really be injured. I have supported his fighting career since he began 3 years ago, but now he’s working full time in the “real world” and picking up a few fights a year in his spare time.

Do you think that I should tell him my wishes for him to quit, or do you think that would backfire?

Thanks,
Supportive Mom, but nervous for son

 
Dear Sup:

My husband wants our baby to be a pro MMA fighter. Just thought I’d throw that out there.

I can absolutely understand your reservations. And I don’t think there’s anything wrong with your being honest with your boy about your concerns about his safety. But you should also be prepared for the possibility that he will continue fighting anyway.

Your son is an adult, after all, and has a job. It sounds like he is pursuing his MMA interest in his spare time. I think you should tell him you love him and because of that, you have concerns about him fighting. And if he decides to keep fighting anyway, don’t take it personally! He’s not trying to defy you or make you worry; he’s just pursuing something he enjoys.

Just smother the kid with prayer every day. Sometimes that’s the best thing a mom can do.

Love,
The Mama of a Future Fighter

Dear Ree,

It’s probably too late, but I’ll try with my question. I’m from Texas, but I left the states to continue my studies in Europe when I was 21. Several years into my time there, I got together with a friend of a friend, who is French. We are a bit of an odd couple, with a strange height difference (I’m taller), but we get along well and have enjoyed our time together (we’ve now moved abroad together). Four years into our relationship — last summer — his mother came to visit for the first time, and it was the first time I had ever met her. His (female, dramatic) cousin came to visit at the same time.

As an American, I don’t do so well with guests, as I think culturally, we like to have our space. In my family, no one really ever comes to stay in our home, and instead relatives would stay in a hotel. I am particularly “bad” about this, as socially my energy just dies out after a certain time of the day (I’m more introverted), and I just simply shut off and want to be alone.

His family couldn’t be any different. They make themselves perfectly at home wherever they are and have a very communal attitude towards sharing things and space. So when, a day into his mother’s visit, his college brother showed up and asked if he could have a towel and clean t-shirt to shower at 10pm, I got really upset with them. His brother never asked or even said that he was going to stay with us, and on top of that, from previous experience I don’t like how the brother helps himself to everything in our home as if it’s his.

It was a bad start, and my partner was upset with me for how I treated them. I really withdrew during this visit. In the end the mother exploded at me and said some rather horrible things, including imploring my partner to break up with me and that we don’t love each other. Thankfully, I am pretty level-headed and I did my best to calm the situation, but it was horrific to say the least. After she left, I emailed her twice to try to explain the situation. No reply.

My partner has no backbone with dealing with this situation, even though nearly a year later it bubbles up and upsets me (and him). He will not address this issue or me to her at all. What’s worse is that I dread the day when his family wishes to visit again, and it makes me sad that they only get to know me in the context of being a guest in my own home. To them it’s unacceptable to stay in a hotel. Recently, while considering going back to my partner’s home town for a wedding, he said that his father now wouldn’t want me staying in their home. I thought this might be a good opportunity for *us* to stay in a hotel so they could get to know me in a different context, but my partner finds it too strange to stay in a hotel in his hometown.

How should I deal with this major cultural difference that is having a negative impact on my otherwise healthy relationship? How do you think I could approach his mother to help build a better relationship with her? (Visiting her is at the moment out of the question.) How could I encourage my partner to help rectify the situation?

Any advice would be very appreciated!

Kind regards,
Perplexed

 
Dear Perplexed:

First of all, let me tell you the ways I understand and sympathize. I totally understand the “social energy” thing, as I love retreating, sucking my thumb, and watching Real Housewives. I think I’ve established that. I do understand that it’s difficult to be with people 24 hours a day for the length of their visit—and the first time you’ve ever met them, no less. Second, I do think that in many situations, it can be better (if the finances allow it) for in-laws (or parters’ parents) to opt for hotels—particularly on first-time visits. It just allows more room for everyone to get to know one another.

And now. Assuming you’re younger than me, I’m going to put on my big sister hat and talk to you as I would my own kid sister if she’d presented the same situation to me: I think you could have handled your boyfriend’s family’s visit much better. When you look at the big picture, your boyfriend’s family’s visit was a tiny block of time in the grand scheme of things, and, especially since it was the first time you’d ever met them, it would have been an appropriate time for you to be extra accommodating, extra welcoming, and more engaged than you normally would. And when his college-age brother requested shower supplies at 10 pm, it probably would have been better for you to chalk it up to him being in college rather than allowing it to set you off. (For college students, 10 pm is like three in the afternoon!)

The bottom line is, whether or not you were in favor of their staying in your home, it was incumbent upon you to be a gracious hostess—not just for his family, but for your partner, to whom family is clearly important. Unfortunately, what’s happened now is that you’ve not only made a bad first impression, you’ve also wedged your partner into the middle of it all. I think it’s unfair for you to expect him to put the pieces back together; that’s something you’ll need to do yourself. And I think you can do it!

So to turn this back into a positive direction, my first suggestion would be to try to put aside all hurt and resentment you may be feeling toward your partner’s family. Literally banish it from your being. From there, you’ll have a stronger foundation on which to build.

Next, I would apologize to your boyfriend’s mother. Tell her you aren’t used to having guests in your house, there was a lot of pressure because you were meeting them for the first time, and you realize now you weren’t as gracious and welcoming as you wish you’d been. Tell her you’d really like to start over, and that you’d like to have the chance to get to know her better. Attach no conditions or expectations to your apology—just lay it out there. And I think sending this note with some beautiful flowers or some kind of gift (anything but a towel and a t-shirt! Ha ha.) wouldn’t be a bad idea. Probably flowers would be best.

This will probably not fix the situation instantly, but it’s a start. And if she doesn’t respond right away (or doesn’t respond at all) just keep taking deep breaths and wait for the next opportunity to make amends. If you keep a humble heart about it and have patience, things can get better! And someday, if your relationship with your boyfriend has lasted, that’ll be good for all of you.

I’m pulling for ya.
Ree

Howdy, PW:

I tried making the pie crust and then freezing it and it was hard to handle and kind of dry. What is your secret to freezing a pie crust?

Thanks,
Pie Hungry

 
Hi, Pie!

First, make sure the pie crust is nice and supple before you freeze it. If it seems overly dry and crumbly after mixing, mix in a tablespoon of water at a time until it comes together. Then divide it in half or thirds (depending on whether you want standard or generous crusts, form them into discs, and press them slightly flat in a ziploc bag. Seal it, squeezing all the air out, and store in the fridge!

I usually take the crusts out 20-30 minutes before I need to roll them out, and they usually behave really well. If they’re in good shape when you put them in, they should be good to go when you take them out.

Love,
Pie Hungry, Too

Dear PW:

I just moved from the city to the country and I have an important
question. What kind of boots do real cowgirls wear?

Love,
Bootless in Birmingham

 
Dear Booty:

The best boots for real cowgirls…are the ones they’re wearing! Boots are so personal: square toe, round toe, pointed toe, knee high, mid-calf, ankle, rubber soles, wooden soles, and every color and design under the rainbow.

Sometimes you have to try on a hundred pairs of boots before you find the right one. But once you do, it’s like you were meant to be together your whole life.

Love,
P-Widdle Diddle

Dear PW:

I’m a newlywed and I’m sure I love my husband as much as you love Marlboro Man. We have never argued but I’ve thought about something my aunt told me. She cautioned me to always guard against sharing things with others that should be kept private between the two of us, never to fall into the trap of talking about our issues and irritations with my girlfriends, and always to speak positively about my husband. You and MM seem to share so much respect with one another, do you have someone you talk with when you just need to test your perspective?

Love,
Newly Wed

 
Dear Newly:

There’s something to be said for avoiding the trap of griping about one’s spouse to others. It can become a habit, for one, but it can also start to seep into your heart and mind and actually negatively affect the way you feel about him/her—a self-perpetuating cycle, if you will. And the truth is, for every gripe you have about your spouse, he/she probably has a whole list they could rattle off, too. So in normal relationships, I always think it’s best to give your love the benefit of the doubt and not fill your friends’ or family members’ heads with your everyday complaints.

Now, that said, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with laughing about the differences between men and women. My sister and I could not have married more different men—mine is a cowboy, hers is a technology guru—but we marvel (and crack up) at some of the gender-driven similarities between them. But the “griping” we exchange is more lighthearted, and—here’s the kicker—we wouldn’t mind if the guys overheard what we were saying (and they have here and there!)

Another disclaimer: My advice does not apply to those who have real concerns or problems, or if there is abuse, addiction, or something serious going on. The term “griping” does not apply to those situations, so one should never, ever stay quiet if they are in real need of guidance or help.

Love,
PW

Dear Pioneer Woman:

I’ve grown up in a West Texas town so I’m familiar with some ag culture. However, I’ve recently started dating a rancher (Thank you God!) and I’m completely overwhelmed with parts of the lifetstyle/job, mainly the hours. 3 or 4 a.m. is absolutely ridiculous.

Any words of wisdom on how to deal with it? Or just any words of wisdom for my budding romance with my own cowboy?

Love,
In Love with a Cowboy

 
Dear In Love:

Lamenting the 3 or 4 am thing is like lamenting the sun rising in the east: It just is what it is. The best piece of advice I can give you about assimilating all the wacky agricultural schedules and demands is this: No one is doing it to inconvenience you or make your life more difficult. The schedules are driven by the needs of the animals and the season you’re in. It’s not a conspiracy to drive you crazy.

(I speak from experience here. I had to go through all the stages of grief to arrive at this place.)

Love,
Haven’t slept past 6:00 am for ninety years

Dear PW:

Do you have any advice for someone who is about to be married or a newlywed?

Love,
Betrothed

 
Dear Betty:

To put it in a nutshell, I’d say this: Marriage is not 50/50. It is 100/100. There will be times when your spouse can’t give you what you need, and there will be times when you can’t give all your spouse needs. In those times, the other person’s commitment will carry you through.

Love,
P-Diddy-Dub-Diddy-Diddy-Dub-Dub

To ask a question about love, life, toenail polish, cooking tools, or anything else, email advice@thepioneerwoman.com.

Very, very seriously.

No, I’m serious. Don’t even joke about it. I’m not even kidding.

I’m being serious here.

Dead serious.

Actually, no I’m not. Just kidding!

See? That right there is the perfect example of why I’m terrible at prank calls. I can’t keep it going. My sister Betsy could keep a prank call going for hours if she ever had the chance. She never cracked. Not once. But me? I’d deliver the first line or two, then I’d either become crippled from laughing or I’d say “Never mind, just kidding” and hang up. Honestly, my middle name should be Just Kidding. It’s what I always say when I lose my nerve.

What I’m saying is, we really do love nachos in our house. And while my husband and kids prefer a more pared-down, simple approach, I like to load mine with everything I can get my hands on.

Here’s a version I made last night! It straddles the fence between what they want and what I want.

That pretty much defines everything I cook around here.

 
Dice up half the onion…

 
 
 
And throw it into a skillet with a little olive oil over medium-high heat.

 
 
 
Cook the onions for a minute or two, then throw in the ground beef…

 
 
 
Break it up…

 
 
 
And let it cook until the meat is totally browned.

 
 
 
Drain off the fat…

 
 
 
Then add the chili powder, paprika, cumin, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper.

 
 
 
Stir it around to mix in the spices…

 
 
 
Then crack open the beans. I like Ranch Style beans because they’re just so ranchy (not to be confused with raunchy) but you can use any ol’ bean you like.

 
 
 
Pour ‘em right into the skillet.

 
 
 
Stir it around, then pour in the hot water to make it a little more saucy. Reduce the heat to low and simmer away while you get the rest of the ingredients ready.

 
 
 
Next up…

 
 
 
Dice the rest of the onion.

 
 
 
Lop off the tops of all the tomatoes, then cut them into slices, then cut the slices into strips…

 
 
 
And cut them in the opposite direction to dice them.

 
 
 
For heat, lop off the top and bottom of a jalapeno…

 
 
 
Then cut it into thin strips and cut the strips into a fine dice.

 
 
 
Throw the onions, tomatoes, and jalapeno into a bowl and tell ‘em you’ll be right back.

 
 
 
Tear the leaves off of half a bunch of cilantro and give it a rough chop…

 
 
 
Then throw it into the bowl.

 
 
 
Slice a lime in half…

 
 
 
Then squeeze in the juice.

 
 
 
Sprinkle in a little salt…

 
 
 
And stir it together. Pico de Gallo, baby!

 
 
 
I actually prefer pico de gallo chunky like it is in the previous photo, but I wound up dumping it out and chopping it up a little more finely for the more persnickety people in my household.

I’m not going to name any names.

 
 
 
Slice a couple of avocados in half, then pit them and scoop out the good stuff.

 
 
 
Slice the avocados into strips…

 
 
 
Then dice ‘em up.

 
 
 
Finally…the cheese! I grated both cheddar and Monterey Jack, but I didn’t mix them up.

I’ll show you why in a minute!

 
 
 
To assemble the nachos, make a single layer of chips on a platter or plate.

 
 
 
Grab a big scoop of the beef/bean mixture…

 
 
 
And sprinkle it all over the chips. Don’t be afraid to get some juice on there and really make these messy!

 
 
 
Sprinkle on a layer of cheddar…

 
 
 
Then throw on another layer of chips…

 
 
 
Another layer of beef and beans…

 
 
 
Then a nice layer of Monterey Jack.

 
 
 
I couldn’t resist a final layer of chips.

 
 
 
And another layer of beef and beans.

 
 
 
And another layer of cheddar.

 
 
 
Next, I nuked the nachos at 45-second intervals until the cheese was perfectly melted.

I would like to get a t-shirt that reads “I Nuked the Nachos.”

 
 
 
I’m naughty.

 
 
 
But I had to do this.

 
 
 
And then I had to do this. Hey, they’re veggies! So that makes the whole platter of nachos healthy.

Maybe.

 
 
 
I know for sure it makes them delicious!

 
 
 
I have firsthand experience with this.

Enjoy these, guys! They’re totally yummy. And you can add whatever extras you like: Sour cream, chopped black olives—anything. And what I love about these is that the chips toward the bottom start to soften a bit under all the gooey ingredients, while the top ones stay more crisp. So the bottom ones are like mini enchiladas or soft tacos after awhile. Divine!

Here’s the handy dandy printable.

Recipe

Loaded Nachos

Prep Time:

10 Minutes

Cook Time:

15 Minutes

Difficulty:

Easy

Servings:

8

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 whole Yellow Onion, Diced
• 2 pounds Ground Beef
• 1/2 teaspoon Chili Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon Cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Pepper
• 1 can (14-5 Ounce) Pinto Beans, Chili Beans, Or Ranch Style Beans
• 1/2 cup Hot Water
• Tortilla Chips
• 1-1/2 cup Grated Cheddar Cheese
• 1-1/2 cup Monterey Jack Cheese
• 6 whole Roma Tomatoes, Diced
• 1 whole Jalapeno, Diced Finely
• 1/2 bunch Cilantro Leaves, Chopped
• Juice Of 1 Lime
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1 whole Avocado (pitted And Diced)
• Sour Cream (optional)

Preparation Instructions

In a skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and half the onion. Cook it until starting to soften, then add the ground beef. Cook the meat until it's totally browned, then drain the fat. Add the chili powder, paprika, cumin, crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper and stir to combine. Add the beans and hot water and stir. Reduce the heat to low and simmer while you prepare the other ingredients.

To make the pico de gallo, combine the other half of the onion with the tomato, jalapeno, cilantro, lime juice, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir it together and set it aside.

To build the nachos, place a layer of tortilla chips on a platter or plate. Top with a layer of the beef/bean mixture, then all but 1/4 cup of the cheddar cheese. Add another layer of chips, another layer of the beef/bean mixture, and the Monterey Jack cheese. Add a final small layer of chips, then a small layer of beef and beans, then a final sprinkling of cheddar.

Microwave in 45 second increments until the cheese is melted and bubbly. (You may also place the platter into a 325 degree oven if it's heatproof. Just leave it in until the cheese is melted.)

Immediately sprinkle on the diced avocado and plenty of pico de gallo.

Optional: Add dollops of sour cream here and there!

Serve immediately!

Posted by Ree on May 20 2013

Community Question is a category inspired by you. Here and there readers write in with questions that are better served by the varied, experiential knowledge of those who read and contribute in the comments. Please respond to this post in the comments, but if you have a question for the community email it to Heather.

***********************************************

The following question is from Susan D.

“My five-year-old son is enrolled to start kindergarten this fall. Currently, he attends a private, half-day pre-school five days per week. Because of several different factors, including special needs and severe anxiety on his part over beginning school, we are considering home schooling him in the fall.

So my question is, where do we start? What, exactly, is he supposed to learn and know by the end of his kindergarten year? And how do I teach him these things – as in, what are the different teaching methods? Are we deciding too late to homeschool or do we still have time to get a game plan? We are truly novices at this and have no clue where to begin, only the desire to help our son love learning and reach his full potential. We don’t know anyone who homeschools so you all are my only resource – please help!”

Susan does not know any homeschooling families, so she needs your recommendations. Where would you advise her to start?

Your Suggested Books and Additional Resources

Just like last year, thank you for all the effort and time you put into contributing to the American History Readers Part 2 of 2 (1850s and on) Middle School Readers list I began compiling in my last post.

It took a couple of days, but I read each comment, and carefully considered all the books mentioned. Using the majority of your recommendations, I compiled a list of 116 readers to share with everyone. As I mentioned before, the primary focus was on Middle School (5th & 6th grade) readers, but in some cases I included books geared toward students beginning age 8 and up, and there are even a couple of instances where “Children’s Books” were added for light and humorous reads.

Any high school level book recommendations were tucked away to post in another few years when we can work together to build a solid high school level American History Reader list.

I am excited about the specific books I chose for Kenny this upcoming year (I’ve provided that list below if you’re interested.). In addition, I listed some of the other age-appropriate suggestions and resources made in the comments.

********************************************
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD the full compilation of recommendations for American History Part 2 of 2 Middle School Books.
********************************************

Thank you for contributing to this collective resource. If you are working through American History Part 1 (Native Americans to the 1850s), a separate download is posted here.

————————-

OUR FINAL 2013-2014 AMERICAN HISTORY PART 2 of 2 MIDDLE SCHOOL BOOK SELECTIONS

————————-

The following books are what we purchased (and borrowed) for Kenny’s 6th Grade Year of American History Part 2 of 2 (1850s and on):

Freedom Train: The Story of Harriet Tubman – Dorothy Sterling

Jip: His Story (Puffin Modern Classics) – Katherine Paterson

William Wilberforce: The Freedom Fighter – Bingham Derick

Across Five Aprils – Irene Hunt

An Acquaintance with Darkness – Ann Rinaldi

Behind Rebel Lines: The Incredible Story of Emma Edmonds, Civil War Spy

Lincoln, A Photobiography – Russell Freedman

The River Between Us – Richard Peck

By the Great Horn Spoon! – Sid Fleischman

Letters from Rifka – Karen Hesse

Lyddie – Katherine Paterson

Uprising – Margaret Peterson Haddix

They Called Themselves the K.K.K.: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group – Susan Campbell Bartoletti

Witnesses to Freedom: Young People Who Fought for Civil Rights – Belinda Rochelle

A Long Way From Chicago – Richard Peck

Esperanza Rising – Pam Munoz Ryan

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry – Mildred D. Taylor

Years of Dust: The Story of the Dust Bowl – Albert Marrin

A Boy at War: A Novel of Pearl Harbor – Harry Mazer

Bat 6 – Virginia Euwer Wolff

Dead End in Norvelt – Jack Gantos

Hiroshima: The Story of the First Atom Bomb – Clive A. Lawton

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas – John Boyne

The Devil’s Arithmetic – Jane Yolen

We are Witnesses: Five Diaries of Teenagers Who Died in the Holocaust – Jacob Boas

The following are a few other valuable resources suggested by readers:

————————-
VIDEOS/DOCUMENTARIES:
————————-

Amazing Grace – Amazing Grace is a movie based on the life of antislavery pioneer William Wilberforce, who, as a Member of Parliament, navigated the world of 18th Century backroom politics to end the slave trade in the British Empire.

History.com’s Civil War Videos – Short video clips on the Civil War are available for free at History.com, including the Civil War’s Greatest Myth, technology, Abraham Lincoln, Confederate vs. Union Soldiers, and so on. There are also extensive photo galleries (Google Images is good for this as well) to show everything from soldier’s uniforms to Lincoln’s profile (heh heh).

Newsies – This musical is based on the New York City newsboy strike of 1899. When young newspaper sellers are exploited beyond reason by their bosses they set out to enact change and are met by the ruthlessness of big business.

Mary Poppins – It was suggested it might be interesting to watch Mary Poppins and talk about the underlying messages, for example, why the wife promoted women’s suffrage when seemingly unhappy in her marriage, but as soon as her husband was “nice” she didn’t feel the need to vote anymore. Couldn’t she both be happy in her marriage and promote a woman’s right to vote?

————————-
GAMES
————————-

Professor Noggin’s Civil War – Professor Noggin’s educational game encourages kids to learn interesting facts about the Civil War! Each of the thirty game cards combines trivia, true or false, and multiple choice questions. You can see a list of card topics here. A special three-numbered die is included which creates interaction and promotes communication between players. Easy and hard levels keep kids interested and challenged – while of course having fun!

Black Heritage Underground Railroad Game -In this game players will “relive” the African American struggle for freedom and the courage it took for the slaves to trek their way all over the United States. Pieces are moved along the game board map of the Underground Railroad.

————————-
WEBSITE RESOURCES
————————-

Accelerated Reader (AR) BookFinder US – Use this site to search for books at your child’s reading and interest level. Each book is assigned AR points that give parents an idea of the length or difficulty levels of the books.

BrainPop.com – BrainPop is a subscription based online program with many different animated areas of study available, including history (social studies). To get a feel for what they have to offer, check out their FREE Civil War animated video.

DBQ Project – DBQ stands for Document-Based Question and was started in 2000 to help teachers help students read with understanding, think straight, and write clearly. Utilized as a document based writing program, it can be used to stir up discussions, debates, as well as walk your student through research based essay writing in MLA format. A US History Mini DBQ is available here. These short units of study help students progress while encountering more complex tasks and challenges along the way.

The Best American History Books for Kids – This website offers book lists for students in Kindergarten through Eighth Grade. Site visitors select a time period from the provided lists and can review book descriptions for “Interest Level (Grade Level)” and “Difficulty Level”.

————————-
DISCOUNTED BOOKSELLERS
————————-

Half.com – Enter your search term, browse through results, add it to cart and pay up to half the original price on new and used books. Great place to start searching for your textbooks and/or readers at at least 1/2 the cost.

Library and Educational Services – This is a wholesale book distributor who allows homeschool educators to register and purchase at wholesale prices (30 to 70% off) as long as the following requirements are met

Paperbackswap.com – Here you can save money by swapping used books you no longer need or want for used books you do need and want.

Rainbow Resource Center Catalog – Receive the current Rainbow Resource catalog in the mail or delivered electronically. In business since 1989 this was one of my first homeschool resources and it continues to provide the best educational products to homeschoolers, parents, and educators at the low prices. With over 40,000 quality educational products in all subjects area, Rainbow Resource is invaluable!

OnceUponATimeBooks.com – This shop is a locally owned brick & mortar used bookstore in Northwest Arkansas that also sells online. Site visitors can browse through over 250,000 titles.

********************************************
Don’t gorget to CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD the full compilation of recommendations for American History Part 2 of 2 Middle School Books. Thanks again for all your help!
********************************************

Heather Sanders is a leading homeschooling journalist who inspires homeschooling families across the nation. Married to Jeff, Heather lives in the East Texas Piney Woods and homeschools her three children, Emelie, Meredith and Kenny.

Even without all the other things, we’ve always gone through seasons on the ranch where everything seems to converge and we have two to three weeks of little sleep and little interaction beyond grunts and goodnights. As the mother and the wife, I try to remember to step up my prayer life during these times of hard work, long days, and exhaustion. Everybody needs an extra dose of strength, protection, purpose, and perseverance until this figurative storm passes.

However, because I’m a glass-is-half-full type of homo sapien (it’s my mom’s fault) I would like to point out the positives:

1. Since everyone is out working all the time, the house has stayed really clean!
9. The kids are finished with both soccer and school. Ahhhhh.
A. Today I cook my last cookbook recipe. It’s a Christmas miracle!
2. The weather has been beautiful and glorious. I have carrots in my garden.
7. I just heard that 24 is coming back for a limited run.

Jack Bauer to the rescue!

 
Our morning started early yesterday. Marlboro Man and I got up before five, and by 5:45, everyone was down at the barn saddling their horses.

 
 
 
Then the horses got loaded in the trailer…

 
 
 
And we drove about a mile and a half down the road to unload them.

 
 
 
Then they rode out in the pasture to gather some cattle and drive them back to our house.

Well, the pens beside our house.

There’s a difference. Well, on most days.

 
 
 
Josh was in front of the herd with the feed truck, sooking them along.

I’ve lived on a cattle ranch for seventeen years and I still don’t know how to spell sook.

 
 
 
Meanwhile, the Bassets rode with me.

 
 
 
This pasture of cattle gathered pretty easily and went through the gate just as they were supposed to.

 
 
 
Then my family went through the gate just as they were supposed to.

 
 
 
That’s usually not a problem, though.

 
 
 
After that, it was a short ride to the pens.

 
 
 
But there was a pond along the way, which always proves to be a distraction.

 
 
 
But Marlboro Man kept them moving along.

 
 
 
Good morning, honey! See you tonight when we touch feet again.

 
 
 
Before we knew it, the cattle were in the pens—easy as pie!

 
 
 
Then Marlboro Man handed his reins to our older daughter…

 
 
 
And he and I drove the Razor back to where he’d parked his pickup and trailer so he could go back to the house, load up the kids and horses, then drive out about two miles further down the road than the first time.

 
 
 
I drove on down there and waited while Marlboro Man went to get the kids. And I may or may not have put my head on my hand and fallen asleep for a few minutes.

 
 
 
Not long after, Marlboro Man and the kids showed up and startled me out of my REM sleep.

 
 
 
Then they hopped back on their horses and went after another pasture of cattle.

 
 
 
All the while, the Bassets wondered why they had to ride along in the Razor with the rest of the wusses.

Hey! I take offense to that!

By the way, this is what I’ve been reduced to. I speak for my dogs, then I get into an argument with myself over what they didn’t even say.

I need a nap.

 
 
 
They rode out a ways…

 
 
 
Then Marlboro Man pointed all the kids in the directions they needed to head…

 
 
 
Then they hit the ground running!

 
 
 
“Hey, can I tag along?”

No, Charles. It’s a little too far. Your DNA won’t allow it.

 
 
 
Around that time, my brother-in-law Tim, his two kids, and my father-in-law rode in from the south. They’d parked their trailers closer to the highway and had ridden in toward us.

 
 
 
There’s my nephew.

 
 
 
There’s my boy.

 
 
 
There’s my father-in-law.

 
 
 
There’s my niece. All grins!

 
 
 
And there’s my boyfriend.

 
 
 
“It sure is a good thing I’m riding in this motorized vehicle and not out there actually running…and being a ranch dog…and having fun. Because that would be a total drag.”

Charlie’s sarcasm was a little biting yesterday.

 
 
 
Fine, Charlie! Knock yourself out! And don’t come crying to me if you get winded!

Actually, do come crying to me. You know I’ll scoop you up in a New York minute.

And that’s because I’m a sucker.

 
 
 
Of course, he runs straight to Marlboro Man.

 
 
 
“I can’t help it, Mama. This is where the action is.”

I get it, Charlie. I get it.

 
 
 
Actually, it was a really good time to let the dogs run free.

 
 
 
It gave Charlie a chance to take a nice, quick bath.

 
 
 
I’d much rather him smell like a pond than what he actually smells like, which is Hades and rotten Fritos.

 
 
 
There’s my baby. Look at him go!

 
 
 
This was a long haul back to the house.

 
 
 
But all in all, it was pretty seamless. At one point, we had to make a turn and head straight east in order to push them along a fenceline…

 
 
 
But the cattle stayed together really well.

 
 
 
One challenge of following in a vehicle rather than on a horse is that you have to sometimes search for a good place to cross.

 
 
 
Sometimes you’ll run into this sort of situation, and you have to drive down the creek a ways to find a spot you can pass through.

If you’re on a horse, you can pass through anything because they’re surefooted and strong.

 
 
 
Before we knew it, we were at the same gate where we’d been a good hour-plus earlier.

 
 
 
And we were pushing the cattle down the same fenceline.

 
 
 
And trying to keep them moving when we passed the pond.

 
 
 
Then we made it to the pens…

 
 
 
And my father-in-law was all smiles.

And that made me smile, too.

The winners of the Le Creuset braisers are:

#202 Alaina: “Honestly, it would be Mary, the mother of Jesus. I think she would have some fascinating stories to tell.”
#2151 LRae: “Wing night with my little brother is something I’ll always miss…just one more would be nice!”
#9856 Melissa in Texas: “Jacqueline Kennedy.”
#16433 Kristen M: “I would love to have a nice meal with my grandparents, all of them! Sorry, can’t just pick one.”

Congratulations, winners! Contact prizes@thepioneerwoman.com to claim your braiser—and please specify the color you’d like!

I’ve been cooking like crazy to finish up my holiday cookbook, so the percentage of my life that’s spent in the kitchen is even higher than it normally is. I’ve pretty much set up a cot right next to the stove. It’s nice and cozy during the cool May nights.

 
 
 
Today, because I love ya, I’m giving away three (3) of these fabulous 3 1/2 Quart Le Creuset brasiers. I have one of these, and I find myself using it more and more. It’s shorter than Le Creuset’s traditional French ovens, and it’s perfect for stews, roasts, and anything you want to cook that doesn’t need all the space of the dutch ovens.

Also, from a foodblogging perspective…it’s a lot easier to take photos of food cooking in one of these shorter-sided braisers than the big pots.

I’m in love!

Well, as in love as one can be with a pot.

The winner can choose between the orange/red “Flame” color above…

 
And this gorgeous turquoise color known as “Carribbean…”

 
 
 
Or this bright yellow “Dijon” color.

 
 
 
Or Cherry…

 
 
 
Or Fennel…

 
 
 
Or Indigo…

 
 
 
Or Ocean (pretty, dusky color!)…

 
 
 
Or…Spinach!

I love these colors. Gorgeous.

TO ENTER

To enter this giveaway, just answer the following question in the Comments section of this post:

“If you could have dinner with one person throughout history, whom would it be?”

I haven’t asked this question in a long time, and I always love browsing through the responses because they’re so varied.

Just shout out your #1 choice of dinner guest throughout the history of the world and you’re entered to win one of the braisers!

THE RULES

One entry per person, please.

Winners will be announced Friday.

Good luck!

Giveaway, like, totally sponsored by Pioneer Woman.

Moms have a special place in my heart. The lack of them too, for that matter.

I’m sure you have noticed the lack of moms in Disney movies.

1. Bambi
2. Snow White
3. Cinderella
4. Finding Nemo
5. Pinocchio
6. Beauty and the Beast
7. The Little Mermaid

Just for starters.

So I was thinking about the really memorable moms in movies. The great moms, the nutty moms, and the struggling moms.

Here is a list of nine.

Perhaps you can come up with #10 for me.

 
1. Sally Field as M’Lynn Eatenton in Steel Magnolias.

M’Lynn protects.
She loves.
Her heart breaks.
And she goes on. Like mommas do.

“I find it amusing. Men are supposed to be made out of steel or something. I just sat there. I just held Shelby’s hand. There was no noise, no tremble, just peace. Oh god. I realize as a woman how lucky I am. I was there when that wonderful creature drifted into my life and I was there when she drifted out. It was the most precious moment of my life.” ~M’Lynn

 
 
 
2. Shirley MacLaine as Aurora Greenway in Terms of Endearment

Aurora is a narcissist.
She is not such a nice mom.
She is hilarious.
She is, in the end, the best.

“You are not special enough to overcome a bad marriage.” ~Aurora Greenway to her daughter, Emma

“It’s past ten. My daughter is in pain. I don’t understand why she has to have this pain. All she has to do is hold out until ten, and IT’S PAST TEN! My daughter is in pain, can’t you understand that! GIVE MY DAUGHTER THE SHOT!” ~ Aurora

If you have not seen this movie. You simply must.

It is beautifully written and acted.

 
 
 
3. Toni Collette as Lynn Sear in Sixth Sense

Toni is a loving mom, a struggling mom.
Her boy is in trouble and she doesn’t know how to help him.
Toni is lovely in this part.

” Do… Do I make her proud?” ~Lynn

Yup. You know that part. It is heartbreaking and profound.

 
 
 
4. Meryl Streep as Joanna Kramer in Kramer vs. Kramer

Granted this movie is mostly about a dad (Dustin Hoffman) and his son (Billy) after his wife has left him to find herself.
Yet. Meryl is memorable. She is many women who struggle with motherhood. She is confused and trying to find her way. She is not very likable most of the time. But I think she is pretty darn real.

“I woke up this morning, kept thinking about Billy and I was thinking about him waking up in his room with his little clouds all around that I painted and I thought I should have painted clouds downtown because then he would think that he was waking up at home. I came here to take my son home. And I realized he already is home.” ~Joanna Kramer

 
 
 
5. Cher as Rusty Dennis in Mask

Cher is a tough biker chic momma in this film.
She has a son with a massive facial skull deformity.
She is imperfect. She has a foul mouth and drinks too much.
I love her anyway.

6. Barbara Stanwyck as Stella Dallas in Stella Dallas

Stella is a poor girl who marries a man from the upper class.
They have a lovely daughter. Stella can’t seem to adjust to her hubby’s finer ways.
She raises her daughter with love but her daughter is shunned due to Stella’s lowbrow friends.
Laurel enjoys her visits with her daddy very much and Stella decides Laurel would be better off with him.

Stella is a wonderful momma.

She does what all mother’s do, she sacrifices for her child.

 
 
 
7. Mary Tyler Moore as Beth Jarrett in Ordinary People

Beth is the tragic figure in this ‘play’.
Her heart is cold. She has stopped feeling.
It is actually painful for me to watch her.
(It is suppose to be)

A brilliant character study of a mom who copes with tragedy in a not so unusual way.

There are not a lot of movies made with characters like this and I say well done Robert Redford and the whole crew behind Ordinary People.

Cal Jarrett: He just wants to know that you don’t hate him.
Beth: Hate him! How could I hate him? Mothers don’t hate their sons! Is that what he told you? You see how you believe everything he says with no question and you can’t do the same for me? GOD I DON’T KNOW WHAT ANYONE WANTS FROM ME ANYMORE!
Ward: Beth, we don’t want anything from you; Audrey, Cal, Connie and Me, we just want you to be happy.
Beth: Happy! Ward, you tell me the definition of happy. But first you better make sure your kids are good and safe, that they haven’t fallen of a horse, been hit by a car, or drowned in that swimming pool you’re so proud of!
Audrey: Oh Beth!
Beth: Then, you come and tell me how to be happy!

 
 
 
8. Mary Steenburgen and Dianne Wiest as Karen and Helen Buckman in Parenthood (1989)

Mary and Dianne are sisters in the wonderful, perfect, hilarious movie. Parenthood is the most perfect comedy of all time. There. I said it. It’s my favorite. Nearly every line is smack dab ‘on’.

Karen happens to love the roller coaster.
Helen peed in a field at Woodstock.

They are both hilarious and doing their very best to be good moms.

Karen: I happen to LIKE the roller coaster, okay? As far as I’m concerned, your grandmother is brilliant.
Gil: Yeah if she’s so brilliant why is she sitting in our NEIGHBOR’S CAR?

Helen finds pictures of her daughter Julie with her boyfriend. Sexy pictures.

Helen: I… I… I think this this one is my favorite.
Julie: It was just for fun Mom.
Helen: Well, I’m glad to know it’s not a job. That’s that Tod, isn’t it? There’s one with his face.
Julie: Is that what bothers you? That I did those things? Or that I did those things with Tod?
Helen: Gee whiz, Julie, so many things bother me about this, I don’t know where to separate them.

 
 
 
9. Alison Steadman as Mrs. Bennett in Pride and Prejudice (1995 mini-series)

I simply can not leave out Mrs. Bennett.
She is an embarrassing wreck.
She is memorable because so many of the things she says just makes me cringe.
She does not make things better for her girls, she makes them, quite often, worse.

But I bet there are a lot of Mrs. Bennett’s out there.
And sometimes I feel a bit like her myself.
It’s not a happy thought, indeed.

*****

So there they are, the moms who have left an impression my me.

I just know I have left some out.

Which mothers do you remember?

(Fondly or not so fondly?)

Can’t wait to read your answers!
Miz Booshay

#214 Molly in SC: “The one time I’ve been camping as an adult, it rained the whole time and we cut it short to only one night. I’d really like to try it again, though!”

#7644 Emily: “Camping for me was spending summers at my Grandma’s lake house. Pancakes, s’mores, and homemade pizza pockets over the fire were the bomb!”

Congratulations, winners! Contact prizes@thepioneerwoman.com to claim your book and Lowe’s card!

I’ve been wanting to feature this darling book by Mary Jane Butters for a long time, but I just kept getting sidetracked. But now that the weather’s getting nice, it’s the perfect time!

 
 
 
You’ve probably heard the term “Glamping” which is a combination of “Glamour” and “Camping.”

 
 
 
Well, Mary Jane has pretty much written a bible on the subject.

 
 
 
This book is…well, it’s hard to begin to explain how much fun it is. It’s equal parts inspiration and fantasy, practical information and whimsy.

When I first read it many months ago, I devoured it. It was an escape. I loved it.

 
 
 
Um…how cute is this mason jar lantern?

I want to go glamping right now.

 
 
 
To say that Mary Jane Butters is an authority on the subject of camping is an understatement. She was a forest ranger in the seventies and essentially lived in the great outdoors. She’s perfected the art of camping for years and years, and while she definitely injects her own sense of style and grace to her campouts, her advice in the book is extremely comprehensive on the subject of camping in general.

 
 
 
From outlining everything you need to know about buying (and restoring) an old camper…

 
 
 
To sharing her own trailer restoration project from start to finish…

 
 
 
Mary Jane leaves no stone unturned.

 
 
 
There’s even a whole section of the book devoted to trailer hitches. I had no idea how many different kinds there were…and I live in a place where everyone and their grandmother has a trailer hitch on their car.

 
 
 
There are instructions for making a wall tent, something Mary Jane knows a little bit about considering she has run a wall-tent bed and breakfast at her farm in Idaho for many years—tents complete with hardwood floors, wood-burning stoves, vintage iron beds, clawfoot tubs, and outhouses.

As I said…fantasy. Escape.

Fun.

 
 
 
Along those lines, there are instructions for rigging up a bathtub with running water…

 
 
 
And changing a flat tire on your camper…

 
 
 
And making sure you sleep under the stars in the cutest cot on earth.

 
 
 
And of course, there are camping recipes.

Lots of them.

 
 
 
These are sweet coffee stir sticks. Ingenious!

 
 
 
And there’s a whole tutorial for resurrecting a hopeless iron skillet.

 
 
 
And to add to the already enormous charm of the book, there are pictures of Mary Jane’s camping past…

 
 
 
And her camping present. (She’s introducing her grandchildren to camping. A whole new generation of Mary Janes.)

 
 
 
Here’s a link to Glamping by Mary Jane. It’s a total plunge into enjoyment, whether you’re a camping enthusiast or not. I think it’d make a fun, girlie gift for birthdays, wedding showers…you name it.

Glamping with Mary Jane on Amazon

GIVEAWAY

Today, because I love this book, I’m giving away 2 copies of Glamping with Mary Jane, each with a $250 gift card to Lowe’s, where the winners can grab a nice pile of supplies to start plotting out a camp site (or restore an old trailer!)

To enter, just shout out your level of camping experience in the Comments section of this post. Are you a camping guru like Mary Jane? Or has camping been limited to a distant recess of your mind until now? Just say so in the comments and you’re entered to win!

Winners will be announced Tuesday.

Good luck!

You absolutely must eat these with an ice cold glass of either 1% or 2% milk.

Let me repeat that in case you didn’t grasp it the first time.

You absolutely must eat these with an ice cold glass of either 1% or 2% milk.

Now, let me explain this directive. The milk is necessary, because the cookies are so rich, you have to have something to wash them down. The 1% or 2% is necessary, because whole milk would be just too much decadence at once, and skim milk just wouldn’t be able to compete with the wonderment.

Also, I need to acknowledge that the name I gave these cookies makes no logical sense at all. But neither does anything else I say. So in that way, I’m a paragon of consistency.

Ignore me. Just ignore me.

And enjoy these cookies, my friends!

 
Here’s what you need, love-muffin!

Sorry I called you love-muffin. I’m trying to quit.

 
 
 
Add the butter to the bowl of an electric mixer.

 
 
 
Then add sugar…

 
 
 
And beat it with the paddle attachment until it’s light and fluffy.

 
 
 
Scrape the inside of the bowl once, then mix it again for a few seconds.

 
 
 
Beat in the eggs, once at a time…

Oh! Wait one second. First look at the photo above. Now imagine the sound effect *bleep*.

 
 
 
Now imagine the sound effect *bloop*.

I like to make sounds while I bake. I’m trying to quit that, too.

 
 
 
After the eggs are beaten in, add a tablespoon of vanilla extract…

 
 
 
And mix it until it’s all combined.

 
 
 
Now, into a sifter, measure the flour and the cocoa…

 
 
 
Then add the baking soda…

 
 
 
And the salt.

 
 
 
Sift it together…

 
 
 
Then mix in big spoonfuls at a time until it’s all combined.

 
 
 
Give it a good scrape…

 
 
 
Then give it one more mix and for the love of Pete, please do not even take one bite of this dough. It’s so irresistible, you’ll then eat half the bowl of dough. And then the yield I’m giving you for this recipe will no longer be correct. And then you’ll be mad at me.

 
 
 
Next, add the semi-sweet chips…

 
 
 
And the white chocolate chips.

 
 
 
Stir it around…

 
 
 
Till it’s all combined! And the same admonition applies: Don’t. Try. Bite. Half. Gone. Yield. No. Correct. Mad. Me.

 
 
 
Drop or scoop heaping tablespoons of the dough onto a baking sheet…

 
 
 
And then, and this is truly optional, press about three white chocolate chips into the surface. This is just to make the cookies extra popalicious.

 
 
 
That was a weird word. I won’t use it again.

 
 
 
Bake ‘em until they’re just barely, barely set, then let them cool on the cookie sheet about 5 minutes before removing them.

 
 
 
Oh, baby.

 
 
 
Serve ‘em with an ice cold glass of 1% of 2% milk!

Not whole milk.

Not skim milk.

Please don’t forget.

 
 
 
Enjoy these, guys.

Here’s the handy dandy printable!

Recipe

Chocolate Chocolate White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Prep Time:

10 Minutes

Cook Time:

12 Minutes

Difficulty:

Easy

Servings:

36

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 2-1/2 sticks Butter, Softened
• 2 cups Sugar
• 2 whole Eggs
• 3 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• 2 cups Flour
• 3/4 cups Cocoa Powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1-1/2 cup Good Quality Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
• 2 cups Good Quality White Chocolate Chips

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Using a mixer, cream butter and sugar until fluffy, scraping the sides once.

Add eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition. Mix in vanilla.

Sift together dry ingredients, then add in batches to the mixer, mixing until just combined after each addition.

Gently blend in chocolate chips and white chocolate chips.

Using a cookie scoop, add 1 tablespoon portions to baking sheet. Dot the top of each cookie with 3 white chocolate chips if you'd like them to really show up on top. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until cookies are barely done but still soft and chewy.

Let cool on a baking rack. Yummy!

Posted by Ree on May 13 2013

Thank you guys for being a part of things around here for all these years. I’ve enjoyed blogging so very much, and you guys have been wonderful.

Here are some of my faves. Click on either the photo or link below it to be taken to the step-by-step. (Warning: I’ll start with the oldest recipes and work my way up…so some photos may be very old and grody-looking. My photography has been part of the process!)

I’m sharing a lot of recipes here…but there’ll be no more photos than my average cooking post! Har.

 
Cinnamon Rolls. They define me and complete me.

 
 
 
Olive Cheese Bread. This stuff is just sickeningly good. (Great photo, don’t you think? Not.)

 
 
 
Peach Crisp with Maple Cream Sauce. One of my favorite desserts of all time. The maple cream sauce can be drunk with a straw. (Don’t ask me how I know this.)

 
 
 
Onion Strings. These things bring grown men to their knees, they’re so delicious and addictive. The only drawback is that they can’t be made fast enough.

 
 
 
Pasta all Vodka. Can I make this for breakfast? My gracious.

 
 
 
My Favorite Burger. And it still is. (This was the recipe that told me once and for all that I can’t shoot recipes at night. And to this day, I still don’t know how to use a flash.)

 
 
 
Ginger Steak Salad. Oh, I love this one. Best use of a leftover steak ever.

 
 
 
Quick and Easy Apple Tart. The perfect quick dessert! (Drizzle on caramel sauce instead of powdered sugar if you’re feeling particularly naughty.)

 
 
 
Key Lime Pie, which isn’t even made with key lime juice, but I’m okay with that if you are.

 
 
 
Ribeye Steak with Onion-Blue Cheese Sauce. This one’s up there, folks. It’s definitely up there.

 
 
 
Buttered Rosemary Rolls. The best (and easiest) dinner rolls this side of the Mississippi.

 
 
 
Homemade Chicken & Noodles. Will forever remind me of Ga-Ga.

 
 
 
Restaurant Style Salsa. Possibly one of my most habit-forming recipes. There’s no going back from here.

 
 
 
Barbecue Chicken Pizza. Me likey. The more cilantro, the better.

 
 
 
Cinnamon Toast, the Right Way. You did know there’s a right way and a wrong way to make cinnamon toast, right? Don’t go down the wrong road!

 
 
 
Spinach with Garlic Chips. One of my favorite side dishes! Popeye would be proud.

 
 
 
Simple Sesame Noodles. One of the simplest recipes on this site, it’s also one of the most delicious. You won’t believe the flavor, and you’ll make it all summer long.

 
 
 
Big Steak Salad. It’s 7:14 am, and I can close my eyes and taste this feast-for-the-senses salad. I absolutely love it.

 
 
 
Spicy Dr Pepper Pulled Pork. You won’t believe how easy it is. Soooo spicy and flavorful!

 
 
 
Quesadillas de Camarones. I’ve eaten a lot of different varieties of quesadillas in my 44 years…but I think this one might be my fave.

 
 
 
ClassicCaprese. Nothing better in the world.

 
 
 
Chipotle Steak Salad. This is the third sliced-steak salad I’ve put on this list. Do you think I might have a problem? Anyway, you’ll love this one.

 
 
 
Cajun Chicken Pasta. My kids love it. Marlboro Man loves it. Charlie loves it. I love it. It’s spicy, creamy, flavorful, and dreamy. You’ll love it, too!

 
 
 
Citrus Butter Cookies. These little numbers are both darling and delightful. (And buttery. Mmmmmmm!)

 
 
 
Corn & Cheese Chowder. It’s perfectly delicious in a regular ol’ bowl…but in a bread bowl, it’s utterly sublime.

 
 
 
Perfect French Fries. Dip ‘em in a mix of ketchup and mayonnaise if you’ve been good and have exercised all week.

 
 
 
Salisbury Steak. Who doesn’t love this school cafeteria throwback?

 
 
 
Chicken Florentine Pasta. Protein, veggies, carbs…this has it all! I love, love, love this pasta dish.

 
 
 
Low-Carb Burgers, for the times you need to be good…

 
 
 
And Patty Melts, for all the other times. Ahem.

 
 
 
And then we have Supreme Pizza Burgers for those times you pretty much want to thumb your nose at every rule there is.

 
 
 
Mango Margaritas. Colorful. Cool. Absolutely irresistible. Practice restraint—these’ll sneak up on you. Again, don’t ask me how I know this.

 
 
 
Buffalo Chicken Salad. Surprisingly decadent.

 
 
 
Perfect Potato Soup. One of the best soups there is, and one of the most popular soups on the site. Many thumbs up!

 
 
 
Sunday Night Stew. So right, it’s actually wrong. Or vice versa. Another favorite.

 
 
 
Edna Mae’s Sour Cream Pancakes. Try them. Just once.

 
 
 
Breakfast Quesadillas. Just posted these week before last. I could go for one (or seven) wedges right about now.

 
 
 
And, from last week, Orange Vanilla Monkey Bread.

I think that’s as good a place as any to end this roundup!

Hope you find a couple of new things to make this week.

Thanks again for being here, guys.

I love ya,
P-Widdy