It isn’t as lackadaisical as it sounds.  We do chores before school starts, and chores have expanded this year.  We now have a mini farm on our property (more about that in another post) so chores include feeding all the animals.  And feeding ourselves, getting dressed, brushing teeth, etc.

Anyway, on to curricula!  We added Latin this year, and started a new spelling program as well as a new logic program.  Oh, and another big change – we are using an online math program!  So far everything is going well, and we stuck with a few favorites from last year too so we have some familiar items.  Here’s our list:

• math – EPGY online
• spelling – Megawords and Spellquizzer
• language arts – MCT island level
• science – living books, Education Exploration, and The Happy Scientist
• history – Story of the World 4
• logic – Logic Countdown
• latin – Songschool Latin and Latin for Children A
• piano – lessons with dad
• ag – swine, poultry, and rabbit study guides (borrowed from 4H)
• pe – karate

We are really enjoying the online aspect of school this year.  EPGY has a great interactive math program.  Spellquizzer gives me the freedom to customize spelling word lists, even to record my own sentences to go with them, without all the games and extras of SpellingCity that were sometimes too distracting for my little guy.  Exploration Education is a series of dvds with experiment pack, so all the lessons are done on the computer, and The Happy Scientist is a website with awesome science videos that we use to supplement lessons (and sometimes just for fun )  Our ag study guides were downloaded from the 4H site, so we view them online as well.  It has really helped reduce our paper waste, plus the little guy likes using the computer – his non school screen time is restricted – so he is more enthusiastic about a lot of his lessons this way.

Overall we are really enjoying school so far this year.  As we progress through the year I plan to review the different programs we’re using too, so stay tuned!

This caprese pizza recipe is my favorite – we love homemade pizza at my house!  It looks super simple and you could even prebake several crusts to keep on hand for quick week night dinners.  You could use them for other kinds of pizza too, whatever your family likes!  I think I will try a new experiment soon – freezing prebaked crusts.  That way I can make them every couple of months and keep 10 or so in the freezer.

What are your favorite uses for Bisquick?  Do you have any great recipes that are quick and easy?  Or do you make your own Bisquick style mix?  I would love to hear your ideas!

Congrats to our Yoplait prizepack winner, Louis!  Your prizepack is on the way.  Please stop by again and let us know how you like it when it arrives!

Anyway, to celebrate the new flavors and the challenge, Yoplait in conjunction with MyBlogSpark is giving away prize packs with a coupon for a free pack of Delights yogurt, a scented candle (it smells like chocolate), and a lavender eye mask with satin on one side and a velvety material on the other.  I received mine last week and have been really enjoying it, especially the eye mask.  The velvety side is nice, but the satin side is a lifesaver when I have a headache – it is very cool and relaxing, and my doctor says lavender is the best aromatherapy choice for relieving headaches.  All I know is it works!

As for the yogurt, I have tried the creme caramel in the past and my son and I both love it.  It is very rich and creamy with a mild yogurt taste, but only 100 calories.   I used the coupon for a pack of the new chocolate eclair flavor, and it was just as good.  My son wants to try the cherry cheesecake as well.  He is a big cheesecake fan, but in deference to my diet we don’t keep cheesecake in the house.  Cheesecake yogurt sounds like a good compromise!

Yoplait and MyBlogSpark will donate a second prize pack for one lucky reader, so if you want to try Yoplait Delights too leave a comment about which flavor you would like to try!  I will select the winner next Monday, January 31st.

So here’s our updated curricula:

• Math – Singapore Math 3A, followed by flashcards/worksheets/computer games to solidify facts, then moving into 3B when he’s ready
• Spelling – we have started Megawords 1 and will be learning rules of syllabication, this will probably last us the rest of the year
• History – still Story of the World 3, no changes there
• Science – we finished The Elements and are now using living books about chemistry and watching videos from The Happy Scientist website, and in the spring we’re going to do a science project
• Language Arts – still plugging away with MCT Island level, we find it to be a great program
• Logic – he finished the Mindbenders logic puzzles book and has moved into a Critical Thinking Academy brain teasers book

He still goes to the public school one day a week for their gifted pull-out class.  And we are still doing piano lessons, martial arts, and painting, and we have added scheduled ‘outside time’ and home ec projects as well.  Home ec has been fun – often we do a cleaning project, but sometimes we cook something, or repair something, or work in the yard or garden…mostly just whatever needs to be done around the house.  I think it is good experience for him to see what is involved with keeping a household running.  As he gets a bit older and has more of an allowance to work with, I plan to add budgeting as part of home ec as well.  Right now he only gets $2 a week for chores; it is hard to budget when he doesn’t even have enough to buy a Happy Meal each week, lol!

I had no idea they had such a large facility – over 7000 sq ft just of kitchen space!  It looks like it would be an incredible place to work, though I’m sure it wouldn’t be good for my diet, lol!

Oddly enough, around the same time I received this pack to try, I also was given a few packs of Idahoan Buttery Instant Mashed Potatoes and Garlic Mashed Potatoes by a friend, and one pouch of Great Value (Walmart brand, I think) Instant Mashed Potatoes by a relative who used the other pouch (two come in each box) to make potato bread.  So naturally I decided to do a taste test!

I have made mashed potatoes five times in the last two weeks, and have noted the response from hubby and son each time.  First off, I have to say all three were vastly superior to the instant mashed potatoes I remember from when I was a kid.  You know, the ones that came in the giant cardboard box and tasted a lot like the box too.  I have never in my adult life bought instant mashed potatoes, because I remembered them as a last resort emergency food when you were snowed in and had absolutely nothing left to eat.  Lol!  But all three varieties we tried come in pouches that make 4 servings worth.  I think separating the potatoes from contact with the cardboard box is brilliant, and eliminates the cardboard flavor!  Also, all three were incredibly quick and easy to make – a major plus if you have a crazy schedule like I do.  And really, what mom doesn’t?  Anyway, on to the results.

I used three criteria for comparison in my totally non-scientific test:  texture, taste, and ingredients list.  In terms of texture, the BC flakes dissolved completely, leaving no graininess, only a smooth creamy texture.  The others did pretty well also, but required a lot more stirring to get all the lumps dissolved.  The taste of the BC was very potato-ey (I know, not a real word). Of the two BC flavors, we like the roasted garlic best, but the butter flavor was good too.  We’re just garlic people, I guess.  The other two tasted okay as well, but were just not as flavorful.  As for the ingredients list, they all started with potatoes as the main ingredient – thankfully – but BC appeared to have fewer additives.  (Personal opinion only, I did not compare actual formulas or anything.  I only looked at the ingredients list on the side of each box.  I did note that all three brands had MSG, so if you can’t have that please take care to check the ingredients list regardless of brand or flavor!)

In the final analysis, my family prefers the BC mashed potatoes.  I try to avoid a lot of processed foods, so they will still be used sparingly, but on a busy night when I am running crazy trying to get everyone where they need to be and still get a meal on the ,a side dish that literally takes only minutes from cabinet to table will be a blessing!

If you want to try them as well, leave a comment!  I will select a winner to receive the prize pack from Betty Crocker and MyBlogSpark on Friday.  And for those of you who don’t win, use this coupon to try them anyway!  (If you live in the Southeast, Publix has BC potatoes BOGO this week too.  )

I made the Macaroni Grill kit for dinner this past weekend.  It is the kind where you add your own protein – chicken in this case, though it could easily be made with a non meat protein.  The one I got was the creamy basil parmesan pasta.  It was delicious, hubby ate two helpings!  I made it exactly according to package directions too, and it only took about 20 minutes.  Next time I might add some fresh diced tomatoes or some artichoke hearts as suggested on the box, but really it was great just the way it was.  Pair it with some candles, a movie and some quality alone time, and you’ve got the makings of a great date night.

I plan to try the Wanchai Ferry kit this weekend, although I don’t know if hubby will be home early enough from work to make it a date night.  But my little guy likes to help in the kitchen, so maybe it can be a family night dinner instead!

MyBlogSpark, Wanchai Ferry, and Macaroni Grill are also offering an extra prize pack for one of my readers.  Just comment on this post with ideas for a great at home date night, and I will choose a winner next week!  And for those who don’t win, here is a coupon so y’all can try these great dinner kits too!

The winner of the Yoplait Splitz prize pack from Yoplait and MyBlogSpark has been selected and will be announced once I have confirmation that they want it.

Well, Yoplait has given me another reason to love them!  They teamed up with MyBlogSpark again, this time to introduce a new product called Yoplait Splitz.  Splitz come in 3 ice cream like flavors – Strawberry Sundae, Strawberry Banana Split, and Rainbow Sherbet.  Splitz, like Simply Gogurt, have no artificial sweeteners or flavors.  And you can freeze it for an even more ice creamy treat!  They are delicious, and make a much healthy dessert than ice cream, with calcium and Vitamin D, and since they come in yogurt cups they are already sized for perfect portions.

Yoplait and MyBlogSpark sent me a freebie pack with a coupon for a free pack of Splitz, a fleece roll up picnic blanket, and an insulated bag perfect for carrying on picnics!  Of course, I immediately planned a picnic – a foolish endeavor in Florida during the rainy season, lol.  After getting rained out several times, I finally managed an afternoon at the park.  I froze 2 of the Strawberry Sundae Splitz and 2 bottles of water the night before and packed them at the bottom of the insulated cooler bag.  I packed our other snacks and sandwiches on top of that and off I went to the park with my son in tow.  We spent a little over an hour at the park in 90 degree weather before stopping to eat, so the water and yogurt were mostly thawed, but they had kept the fruit and sandwiches nicely chilled.  Plus the cooler bag has so many pockets I was able to fit everything we needed for our picnic in it and still had room to stick my wallet and cell phone in an outside pocket.

Yoplait and MyBlogSpark have also generously offered the same prize pack to one lucky reader, so we’re having a giveaway!  Just leave a comment to enter, and I will choose a winner on Friday.  For everyone else Yoplait is offering a coupon here.

Simply Gogurt is still my favorite yogurt for everyday snacking, but Splitz will be a great option for satisfying the occasional sweet tooth!