School: Sept 2013

Homeschool - Sept. 2013

Here we are again at the beginning of another school year.  There is something great about new beginnings and buying new school supplies!  All of my kids are officially in school this year! 

 Kaiden is a senior

  

      Nic - 10th grade

Luke - 7th grade

Afton - 5th grade

Kensi - 2nd grade

Garrett - K

We have found amazing homeschool opportunities in Davis County and our school year looks GREAT!   Kaiden, Nic and Luke are in Vanguard Youth, a co-op for homeschool teens.  There are 5 chapters of Vanguard this year all over Utah and there are about 35 kids (20 families) in our Layton Chapter.  They work on learning the material all week and then get together for class on Weds.  The teacher, or mentors, are the moms and I have the privilege this year of mentoring Leadership and Government one week of the month.  The 4 weeks of the month rotate through Leadership and Government, History/Geography, Eureka (Science and Math) and Imaginative Arts.  What a blessing it is to have great school friends and great neighborhood friends for my kids.  

Afton, Kensi and Garrett are still in homeschool with me full time.  Our focus this year is on the founding of America and the Revolutionary War period.  One week we do science and are working on Earth Science.  We are learning a lot, reading a lot, playing and crafting a lot and making sure we still have time for field trips, theater, and doing great things with our friends!

We had a fabulous first month!  Here are the details...

Math - Individual lessons in Saxon; Kaiden - Algebra 2, Nic - Algebra 1 , Afton -5/4, Kensi - 2, Garrett - 1.  Luke is using Khan Academy online this year.

Field Trips & Fun things -  

• The Da Vinci Museum in SLC
• "This is the Place" Park in SLC

Luke, Afton and Kensi with our friend, Lydia.  Garrett was hiding.  He hates pictures!
at This is the Place Park

• Thanksgiving Point

Afton, Luke, Garrett and Kensi with our friends, Porter and Cassidy
at Thanksgiving Point

• hike near the Dinosaur Park in Ogden
• Celebration of the Constitution in Bountiful.  Nic volunteered and taught the visitors about the Jamestown settlement.  Our family attended and learned all about the founding of America and citizenship.

Mom school - (where I teach them things that I enjoy learning about)

our 3D replica of the Jamestown settlement

• We are learning about the founding of America and the Revolutionary War this year with Afton, Kensi and Garrett.  We covered Christopher Columbus and Jamestown this month.
• For science this month we learned about stars and the sun.

The Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria

Vanguard Youth - Kaiden, Nic and Luke are in Vanguard Youth.  This month they learned about:

Theme:  God, and God's principle of individuality

Scripture: John 16:33 "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."

Books: 
*** = books we will use all year and cover part of each month

"The Miracle of America - Birth of a Nation"

"Promises of the Constitution" ***


"How? Essential Skills for Living the Gospel"***


"Just like Jesus" by Max Lucado***


"Autodidactic" by James W. Parkinson

"Getting Started with Latin"***


"The Story of Liberty" (parts of this book)


"American History in Verse"***


"The Prince" by Machiavelli (parts of this book)


"How to think like Leonardo Da Vinci"***


"Secrets of Great Communicators"***


"A Wrinkle in Time"


"Spiritual Lives of Great Composers"***  - Felix Medelssohn


"Pilgrim's Progress"***


"Stories of Great Artists"*** - Raphael


Articles/Broadcasts:
Mayflower Compact
"Faith and the Scientific Method" by Terry B. Ball
"What is truth?" by Deiter F. Uchtdorf

For  more about Vanguard Youth, you can click over to my friend's blog for a great description.  

Family Reading -  "The Last Battle" by C.S. Lewis 

Individual Reading -

Dad - "Visions of Glory" by John M. Pontias

Mom - keeping up with all of the Vangaurd reading!

Here is what else everyone is currently doing:

Kaiden (Scholar phase) -

• Book of Mormon daily reading
• Weekly trips to the Bountiful temple to do baptisms
• Working on getting his Eagle Scout Award
• Piano
• Show Choir "The Laytones" at Layton High School
• Vanguard Youth
• VIP theater class

Nicolas (Scholar phase) -

• Book of Mormon daily reading
• Duty to God
• Seminary
• Boy Scouts - working towards his Life rank
• BSA Order of the Arrow
• Ballroom dance class
• VIP theater class

Luke (Love of Learning/practice Scholar phase) -

• Book of Mormon daily reading
• Duty to God
• Boy Scouts - working towards his Star rank
• VIP theater class

Afton (Love of Learning phase) -

• Book of Mormon daily reading
• drawing, drawing, drawing,  mostly anime
• Faith in God
• VIP theater class
• Key Academy

Makensi (Core phase) - 

• drawing and cutting and gluing...hopefully not on or to the couch!
• VIP theater class
• Key Academy

Garrett (Core phase) - 

• He loves school as long as I don't tell him he's doing school!
• learning his letters and how to read

Grandma Cloward's Cheesecake

For Marshyl's first birthday after we were married, I asked him what kind of cake he wanted.  He told me that he wanted blueberry cheesecake.  "But it has to be grandma's cheesecake", he told me.  Not knowing what the recipe for "grandma's cheesecake" was I just made a simple cheesecake recipe that I knew was good.  When I asked him how he liked it, he said, "It's good, but it's just not grandma's."

Not wanting to disappoint him on any other birthdays, I went on a search for "grandma's cheesecake" trying every single recipe I could get my hands on for the next 4 years.  But none were "grandma's".

In 1999, we went to Michigan to visit Marshyl's sister, Krysti, and we were there over his birthday.  Krysti made him his traditional cheesecake and she had grandma's recipe!  I asked her for the recipe so that I would have it for all the future years and came to find out that "grandma's cheesecake" was the very same recipe that I had made him the very first year we were married!

The "story of the cheesecake" is a family legend now!



1 pkg. cream cheese
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 c. lemon juice
1 prepared graham cracker crust

Combine cream cheese, milk and lemon juice.  Mix until smooth.   Pour into prepared crust.  Refrigerate to set and serve with fruit toppings.

*** Grandma Cloward made this for Marshyl every year for his birthday.  His favorite topping for it is blueberry pie filling.  Blueberry cheesecake is still a tradition every year on his birthday.

Caramel Popcorn

6 qts. popped popcorn
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. sugar
1 c. karo syrup
1 cube butter
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Mix butter, sugars and karo together.  Cook in a saucepan on medium heat until boiling.  Stir constantly.  Add milk and boil fro 2-3 more minutes.  Stir into popcorn until all corn is coated.

Pumpkin Surprise

This is another one of Marshyl's favorite desserts!  Sometimes we even have it for breakfast... ice cream and all!

1 pkg. yellow cake mix
1/2 c. butter
1 egg - beaten

3 eggs
1 2/3 c. evaporated milk
1 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. each - pumpkin pie spice & ginger
1/4 tsp. each - cloves & cinnamon
1 lg. can of pumpkin

3 Tbsp. butter
1/2 c. sugar
1 c. reserved cake mix


Reserve 1 cup of the cake mix, set it aside, it will be used later in the recipe.  Mix remaining cake mix, butter and 1 beaten egg together and press into a 9x13 pan.  Mix pumpkin, 3 eggs, evaporated milk, 1 c. sugar and spices together and pour over crust in pan.  Mix together 1/2 c. sugar and reserved cake mix and cut butter into it.  Sprinkle over the top of the cake.  Bake at 350 degrees for 90 minutes.  Serve with vanilla ice cream. 

Applesauce Cake with Lemon Sauce

This is one of Marshyl's favorite desserts to make!

Cake 

2 1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 c. applesauce
1 1/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. water
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. baking powder
2 eggs
1 c. raisins (optional)
2/3 c. chopped nuts (optional)

Beat all ingredients, except raisins and nuts, together with an electric mixer for 30 seconds, then on high for 3 minutes.  Stir in nuts and raisins.  Pour into greased 9x13 pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes.  Cool for 10 minutes.  Serve topped with Lemon Sauce and a scoop of ice cream.


Lemon Sauce

1/2 c. sugar
1 Tbsp. corn starch
1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 c. boiling water
1 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. grated lemon zest
3/4 c. lemon juice (adjust up or down per your personal taste)

In a large sauce pan stir together sugar, cornstarch, salt and nutmeg.  Gradually stir in boiling water then simmer over low heat until thick, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat; stir in butter, lemon zest and lemon juice and serve over warm Applesauce Cake with a scoop of ice cream.

Waffles

This is our favorite waffle recipe!

2 large eggs
2 c. flour
1 3/4 c. milk
1/2 c. oil
2 tsp. sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

Heat waffle iron.  Beat eggs in a large bowl until fluffy.  Beat in the remaining ingredients just until smooth.  Cook in a waffle iron.  Serve hot with syrup and butter!

A life well lived: Nicholas J. Ivie

10/13/1981 ~ 10/2/2012
 

Nicholas James Ivie, 30, returned to live with his Heavenly Father as a hero while serving in the line of duty on Tuesday, October 2, 2012 near his home in Sierra Vista, AZ. From the day he was born on October 13, 1981 in Charleston, South Carolina, Nick was always full of smiles and brought joy to everyone around him. At a young age his family moved to Provo, UT where he later graduated from Timpview High School. He served an honorable 2-year mission in Mexico City, Mexico for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS) where he loved and served the people of Mexico. In 2006, Nick met and married the love of his life Christy Lyn Morris. Their 2 precious daughters, Raigan (age 3) and Presley (22 months) brought the greatest joy to his life.
 
As a teenager, Nick learned to drive semi-trucks and operate heavy equipment. He loved working in that capacity and took every opportunity to do so. He always teased he would teach his girls to drive a semi-truck before he taught them to drive a car. After serving his mission, Nick trained to be a firefighter, certified EMT and paramedic; he used these skills as a volunteer for the city of Spanish Fork EMS. In 2008 he joined the wonderful brotherhood of the US Border Patrol. Nick's passion for the outdoors and horses lead him to joining, and becoming an instructor for the horse patrol.
 
Nick's life was defined by his love for his Savior, Jesus Christ. He lived a life of service to those around him. He served his family, church and community in many capacities, most recently in his LDS bishopric. His love for and devotion to his God and country was only surpassed by his love and dedication to his family. There wasn't a day in his life that he didn't spend with his "3 girls" either playing at the park, playing soccer, riding bikes, swimming, or dancing. His daughters couldn't wait for "daddy" to come home to play with them, tickle them, dance with them and laugh with them. Their day was not complete until daddy told them their nightly princess bedtime story, even if he had to tell them over the phone. He adored his wife and never let an opportunity pass to show his love and devotion to her. Nick was a great example to those around him, his friends and family members looked up to him and the life he lived. 

He is survived by his wife, Christy and daughters, Raigan DeAnn and Presley Delna; his mother, Cheryl Ivie, father Douglas Ivie and step mother, Donetta Ivie; his siblings, Chris Ivie (Michelle), Andrea Davis (Todd), Rick Ivie (Corinne), and Joel Ivie (Anne). He is also survived by his wife's family; grandmothers, Wanda Forsgren and Katherine Morris, parents, Tracy and DeAnn Morris, and her siblings, Jen Cloward (Marshyl), Sarah Burrows, Travis Morris and Amy Morris. As well as many nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles and cousins.
 
Nick lived his life knowing that life is eternal and death is not the end. His family takes comfort knowing that he will be with his "3 girls" once again.

Clam Chowder

Ingredients:
3 (6.5 ounce) cans minced clams
1 cup minced onion
1 cup diced celery
2 cups cubed potatoes
1 cup diced carrots
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 quart half-and-half cream
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
ground black pepper to taste
1/4 c. crumbled bacon (optional)


Directions:
1.     Drain juice from clams into a large skillet over the onions, celery, potatoes and carrots. Add water to cover, and cook over medium heat until tender.
2.     Meanwhile, in a large, heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Whisk in cream and stir constantly until thick and smooth. Stir in vegetables and clam juice. Heat through, but do not boil.
3.     Stir in clams just before serving. If they cook too much they get tough. When clams are heated through, stir in optional crumbled bacon, and season with salt and pepper.

Chicken Gnocchi Soup (a la Olive Garden)

1/3 c. olive oil or butter
2 cloves minced garlic
1 lb. chicken, cubed
1/3 c. flour
1/2 carrot shredded
1 stick celery, chopped
1/2 c. chopped fresh spinach
2 1/2 c. whole milk
1 1/2. cream
3 chicken bullion cubes
cracked pepper
1 pkg. Gnocchi (around 17 oz.)

Melt over medium heat in a soup pot. Add garlic and saute.  Add chicken and cook through.  Add flour and mix well until flour is cooked into the chicken.  Next add milk and cream.  Then add veggies.  Add three bullion cubes.  Add Gnocchi last.  It takes 3-4 minutes to cook through.  Mix well until soup thickens.  Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

*Notes from the friend I got this recipe from (Sallie H.): This is one of those, friend of a friend recipes.  I've never tasted Olive Garden's version, so I don't know how it compares, but I think this is yummy.  It comes out really thick.  I've messed with it and thinned it out with chicken broth.  Still yummy, but the flavor isn't as strong.  I've subbed whatever milk I have for whole milk.  I've even replaced the cream with regular milk or chicken stock and it's still yummy.  I like to add more carrot and spinach, and more garlic too.  I tried it using frozen spinach this evening and it was fine.  It makes just enough to feed our family for 1 meal, so you may want to double it with your boys : )  If you've never bought gnocchi before, you find it in the pasta aisle of any grocery store.  There's usually not a big selection, one, maybe two brands, so it kind of hides.  If I were doubling the recipe, I probably wouldn't double the gnocchi.  There's a lot of them in the single recipe.  Enjoy!

Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup

This is a copy-cat recipe for Zupa's Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup:

2 Tbsp. butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups milk or cream (I used half-n-half)
1 can (13 oz.) chicken broth
1 head (2 1/2 lbs.) cauliflower, cut into 1" pieces
1 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1 cup Pepper Jack Cheese ( I doubled this, cuz we love it)

In a 4-qt. saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion & cook til golden, about 10 min. stirring occasionally. Stir in flour & salt; cook 2 min. stirring frequently. Gradually stir in milk or cream, chicken broth, and 1 1/2 cups of water. Add cauliflower & heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce to low; cover & simmer until cauliflower is tender, about 10 min. Use an immersion blender to blend till very smooth. (Can use normal blender, too, just do in small batches.) Remove saucepan from heat; stir in cheese. (It is not necessary to blend, it tastes just as good if you don't.) Garnish with extra cheese & a sprinkle of parsley.

Morris Christmas Rotation

2007, 2011, 2015, 2019, 2023, 2027

Jen has Amy
Sarah has Jen
Christy has Sarah
Travis has Christy

Amy has Travis

2008, 2012, 2016, 2020, 2024, 2028

Jen has Sarah
Sarah has Christy
Christy has Travis
Travis has Amy

Amy has Jen

2009, 2013, 2017, 2021, 2025, 2029

Jen has Christy
Sarah has Travis
Christy has Amy
Travis has Jen
Amy has Sarah

2010, 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026, 2030

Jen has Travis
Sarah has Amy
Christy has Jen
Travis has Sarah
Amy has Christy

Cloward family Christmas rotation

2007, 2012, 2017, 2022, 2027

Krysti has Marshyl
Thayne has Brytt
Marshyl has Bryndi
Brytt has Nykelle
Bryndi has Krysti
Nykelle has Thayne

2008, 2013, 2018, 2023, 2028

Krysti has Brytt
Thayne has Bryndi

Marshyl has Nykelle
Brytt has Krysti
Bryndi has Thayne
Nykelle has Marshyl

2009, 2014, 2019, 2024, 2029

Krysti has Bryndi
Thayne has Nykelle
Marshyl has Krysti
Brytt has Thayne
Bryndi has Marshyl
Nykelle has Brytt

2010, 2015, 2020, 2025, 2030

Krysti has Nykelle
Thayne has Krysti
Marshyl has Thayne
Brytt has Marshyl
Bryndi has Brytt

Nykelle has Bryndi

2011, 2016, 2021, 2026, 2031

Krysti has Thayne
Thayne has Marshyl
Marshyl has Brytt
Brytt has Bryndi
Bryndi has Nykelle

Nykelle has Krysti

Zucchini Soup

Zucchini Soup

12 cups peeled, seeded and sliced zucchini
2 c. water
1/4 c. fresh or minced onion
2 tsp. parsley flakes
1/2 c. chicken soup base or 8 bouillon cubes
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. pepper
4 c. milk
2 c. light cream


Combine zucchini, water, onion, parsley and 1/2 the the soup base.  Cook until zucchini is tender.  Mash or puree zucchini and set aside.  In a saucepan melt butter, blend in flour and the rest of the soup base and pepper.  Add milk and cream and simmer until thickened.  Stir in pureed veggies, thin with milk, if needed.  Adjust seasonings to taste.  Makes 16-20 servings.  (*** That's about enough to feed my family and have left overs for lunch the next day.)

This is SO YUMMY!  Serve with homemade bread and you have the perfect cold weather meal.

Win a Nutrimill!

I LOVE this blog... www.heavenlyhomemakers.com.  Laura is funny and practical and has really great whole-foods recipes.  Today at her website, you can enter to win a Nutrimill grain grinder.  Just go to this link and enter! 

Homemade Laundry Detergent

***Update (8 Sept 2012)  I'm ready to make laundry detergent again.  Since we've just moved, I don't have any of my empty bottles to put the detergent in once I make it.  I also don't have any Fels Naptha soap on hand.  I do have Dr. Bronner's liquid soap.  Here is the recipe I am using to make 1 gallon of laundry detergent to put into the empty detergent bottle I already have from the store.

1/4 c. washing soda

1/4 c. Borax

1/4 c. water softener

1 TB. Dr. Bronner's liquid soap 

1 gallon of hot water.

--------------------------------------------------------------


I made homemade laundry detergent most of last year and this is the recipe that I use.  It is from the newspaper, The Nebo Reporter.  I really liked it and it worked great!

1/3 of a bar of Fels Naptha soap (you can also use a Dreft or Ivory laundry bar) 1/3 of the bar = 1 c. grated
1/2 c. washing soda (this is different than baking soda)
1/2 c. borax
1/2 c. water softener (use if you live in a place with hard water)

Grate the bar of soap into a sauce pan.  Add 6 cups of water and heat until the soap melts.  Add the washing soda, borax and water softener, stirring until dissolved.  Remove from heat.  Pour 4 cups of hot water into a bucket.  Next, add the soap mixture and stir.  Then, add one gallon plus 6 c. of water to the bucket and stir.  Continue to stir as the mixture cools.

To use: Shake or stir the detergent and then add 1/2 c. per load.

For a tutorial (but with a different recipe) you can look here.

A few of my thoughts:

- Follow the directions.  The first time I made it, I didn't use hot water and stir.  It was still usable, but it didn't set up.

- You can find the washing soda, borax and water softener in boxes on the laundry aisle of most grocery stores. But not usually at Wal-Mart.

- I guesstimated that for $30 in products and a little bit of my time, I could make a year supply of laundry detergent.

- When I make soap, I mix it all together and then pour it into 96 oz. used apple juice bottles.  I label them very well!  Then they can sit on my shelf and be used one at a time.  The bottles are easy to pour out of versus trying to mix and then scoop out of a bucket.

- The soap will separate when left sitting for a while.  But a quick shake mixes it all back together.

- I have tripled this recipe and it worked great.  The only problem I found was trying to find a container large enough to mix it all in.  (That is A LOT of water!)  I finally used my 14 gallon kitchen garbage can.  I took out the trash, washed out the inside really good and then used it to make detergent.  It worked great!

- One batch I thought, "that is sure a lot of water that I am adding, I wonder if I can put in less water and make concentrate?"  So that is what I did.  I only put in half of the water called for.  It didn't turn out very well.  I like it better just following the recipe the right way.

Gratitude

We are taking the 30 day Gratitude Challenge!  The challenge is to express gratitude to at least 1 person a day, anywhere in the world, for any reason, for 30 consecutive days by sending a real greeting card with a heartfelt message of gratitude. 

Over 700,000 cards of gratitude have already been sent!  Our goal is 1 million by the end of July!

Join the Gratitude Revolution at www.socgratitude.com/remembered

Laura Story - "Blessings"

Scripture Memorization System

UPDATE:  Why memorize scriptures in the first place???  Watch this and you will never ask again! 

Richard G. Scott: Oct 2011
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I just have to share this because it  has been working for us amazingly for over a year now!  It is a memorization system that would work for anything, but we use it for scriptures.  We try to memorize the monthly scriptures that the kids study in Primary.  So one new scripture a month.  That keeps us busy.  I have also included the Articles of Faith, so that we go over them fairly often as well. 

http://simplycharlottemason.com/timesavers/memorysys/

We use this in our daily family scripture study.  After the song and prayer, we go over the memorization scriptures before we read from the Book of Mormon.

We have also added "The Living Christ" to our daily memorization.  We recite the whole thing from the beginning to where we have memorized each Monday, and then the rest of the week we just work on the paragraph that we are learning.  So far we have almost half of it done!

I have very much a "I want it all and I want it now" personality.  But I have been gaining a testimony that "slow and steady wins the race".  It seems to go so slow, only memorizing one scripture a month, but it doesn't really matter how long it takes us to memorize a scripture.  What matters is that we are.  One at a time.  And over the years we will be able to learn enough!