My New Sugar Substitute

A little background so you don't think I am being crazy here, sugar to me is like milk to a baby, I can't live without it! Well I could live without it but what fun would that be?! All my life I have had sugar in one form or another in my diet, don't get me wrong I am not complaining here just stating a simple fact. As I have gotten older (yes we all do), I have discovered that my body doesn't do well with sugar or white flour, rice, bread, etc. So in an effort to kick back the reaper man (of course he is a man!), I have started in 2009 to make better choices of what I put into my body. Take it from a whole package eating sugar cookie mama, it is time. (disclaimer here~ I only ate half the (6)cookies cuz they tasted sooo good, then got sick later!that will teach me)  I am hoping by putting up here the items that I use it might help someone else make that decision to get healthier if not for yourself than for your friends and family.

Several of my really good friends(who are much healthier than me) , suggested that I try this instead of using sugar. While I usually try to shy away from anything that is a "substitute" in general, they talked about how it actually tasted like sugar(a big deal to me). I was amazed how much it did in fact taste like sugar and it is all natural as well! Double bonus NO CALORIES! You will find the tiniest measuring spoon that you have ever seen when you open this bottle and that is a serving size! But for more than one serving you will have to adjust to how sweet you like it.

For example~ 

Old fashion way to make lemonade with sugar.(using 1/2 gallon pitcher)

1/2-1 cup lemon juice

1 cup sugar

fill rest of pitcher with water

Here is a yummy lemonade recipe that my friend gave me the other day~

1/2 to 1 cup lemon juice

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of Stevia

fill rest of pitcher with water.

Now I dare you to tell the difference between the two, I couldn't and I love my lemonade!

My First Giveaway;) ENDS FEB 28th

BlogWritingCourse/Blogging 101

OK, OK so I am very excited about my first giveaway here on my blog, so please excuse me if I talk too fast or spit when I talk;0) This is a course that I am currently enrolled in myself, so as I get further through the course I will give you all updates. Ya know, like if I passed or failed;) Well maybe not, I like people to think I am smart! Anyways, the kind people at BlogWritingCourse/Blogging 101 agreed to give away a FREE 8- week subscription to one lucky person who comments on this post on "Why You Would Like to Win?" Check out the description below to see all the details about this online blog writing course!

Blogging 101 is a fully automated 8-week online course that covers everything you need to know to plan, start, write, and build an audience for a brand new blog. The eight units of Blogging 101 (which can be completed in less than eight weeks, if you choose) include:

1. Introduction to Blogging (all the basics for the beginning blogger)
2. Laying Your Cards On The Table (blog titles, platforms, and start-up instructions)
3. It’s All About Me (blogging safety, “About Me” pages, and blog design)
4. Build That Content and Make It Snazzy (writing quality posts, commenting, and adding media)
5. It’s The Little Things That Count (sidebars, widgets, categories, and static pages)
6. Mi Blog es Su Blog – - Building Community (growing a readership, blog promotion, and blogrolls)
7. Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained (more blog promotion strategies and monetizing your blog)
8. Looking Back and Looking Forward (tips and strategies for continuing to grow your blog after the course)

For only $25, you receive access to the Blogging 101 course for eight full weeks as well as downloadable links and resources for you to keep as long as you want. This is an incredible bargain, and you won't find any other comparable course on the web at such an affordable price. 

*Giveaway runs through February 28th until 5pm (EST), a random winner will be picked using Random.org and will be notified by email. You can get an extra chance to win by linking to this post on your Twitter or Facebook account. Just come on back and put the link into the comments below. Retail value $25.

This is a post that I wrote for another site and I wanted to post it here too;) Maybe someone can give me the advice I need to help us get over this hurdle? I am feeling a little disappointed with an assessment reading/spelling test that I gave my boys and of course they scored high in comprehension but scored poorly in spelling:(

What I have realized so far this year is that we are still behind in spelling! I can't seem to get this subject up and going for my boys. They can read well BUT when it comes to writing the words down then that is where we have the problem.  I think this is why my boys are not writing like I know they could because they are still struggling with spelling. We use several online spelling lists and they can retain the words for that week. But when we go to the next week and I surprise them with a word from last week~ that's when we have a problem. We use several other sites for educational games that also have spelling games or help with the rules of spelling. But there is so much out there I sometimes feel overwhelmed with the choices. I just want to make it fun for them to learn spelling or at least something besides just spelling lists. Maybe I am wrong and just need to have them do the lists and still work on phonics to help sound out the spelling of difficult words? I am at a loss here, I feel like I am banging my head on the wall consistently and that we are in a constant state of review. I know that I can't be alone here but it sure does feel like it!

I am just wondering how many of you have this same problem or is this your best subject? Do you struggle with another subject?

I am thinking of buying another spelling program to use with our AAS program

and I have heard a lot of great things about this program. I am willing to spend the money if it actually helps us. Maybe I will bite the bullet and get purchase it then I can review it for you all so that you will know whether it will work for your family!

All About Spelling~ How we use it

Today we used our AAS workbook, to go over how to spell simple words with all the short vowel sounds. This is one of the areas that I have a problem with myself since I was never taught phonics in school. So I went to this well used program that includes a CD with the sounds that you can download to your computer and use as reference to make sure you are getting the sound or sounds right for each letter.  In as little as 20 minutes a day I can get both boys done with their lesson (or review in the case of my older son). I have them taking turns on identifying the letter sounds that I call out or I call out a letter and they  tell me the sound or sounds that letter makes. It has helped me along with them remember the sounds because it is something that we do everyday. I do see them using the skills that we work on using this program!

After we finsihed our AAS lesson, I usually have the boys go onto http://www.spellingcity.com/ so that they can use the online games to spell our list for the week.  It seems to be the most enjoyable way for them to practice their spelling lists. And at the end of the week, they do an online spelling test. I have the premium membership so that I can track the boys progress and input the spelling words for each week. This way I can get as far ahead as I want to and the lists will be there waiting for them when we get to it! But this site also has a free membership that allows you to input the words each time you visit and play all the free games, too. Most of the homeschoolers in my local homeschooling group use this site to add a fun alternative to the sometimes boring tasks of spelling.

Mediterranean Pizza Skillet ~ Getting Healthy

SO I am trying a new recipe for pizza without all the fat or at least not as much as a regular pizza! Below is the information on this meal and where I found it at. We tried this last night and everyone loved it! Of course mine didn't look as pretty as this picture but it tasted wonderful!

Mediterranean Pizza Skillet

• cook time: 10 mins

• servings: 4

The flavors of the Mediterranean come to life in this crustless pizza skillet meal. Cubed chicken, artichokes, tomatoes, and olive oil are all cooked in one skillet and then topped with cilantro and feta cheese before serving. The French bread that is served alongside of the meal acts as the pizza crust.

Nutrition Facts * Calories395, * Total Fat (g)17, * Saturated Fat (g)6, * Monounsaturated Fat (g)8, * Polyunsaturated Fat (g)2, * Cholesterol (mg)82, * Sodium (mg)1003, * Carbohydrate (g)27, * Total Sugar (g)5, * Fiber (g)6, * Protein (g)33, * Vitamin C (DV%)34, * Calcium (DV%)25, * Iron (DV%)28, * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Top ideas for dinner tonight:

ingredients

• 3 medium skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 roma tomatoes, chopped
• 1 14-ounce can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
• 1 2.25-ounce can sliced pitted ripe olives, drained
• 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 cups romaine lettuce or mesclun mix, chopped
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese (4 ounces)
• 1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, shredded or torn
• Sliced crusty Italian or French bread, toasted

directions

In a 10-inch skillet cook and stir chicken and garlic in hot oil over medium heat for 2 to 5 minutes or until chicken is brown. Stir in tomato, artichoke hearts, olives, Italian seasoning, and pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 10 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Top with lettuce and cheese. Cook, covered, for 1 to 2 minutes more or until lettuce starts to wilt. Sprinkle with basil and serve on or with bread. Makes 4 servings.

recipe source

BHG.com

Get to know me, will ya?

Here are two reasons why I get up in the morning!

Well I have been a homeschooling mama for 3+ years now, I think that it is finally time to start a blog of everything that we do. Even if it is only me looking at it! Sorta of a "Dear Diary" of sorts;) I am more than just a homeschooling mom, I also love to garden, cook(most days), do a little woodworking, anything DIY, decorate ( not my strong suit but I like it when it comes out), organize, hiking, playing board games and last year I started running! OK once you see me you might laugh a little( just a little please) cuz well I don't look like a runner but I do like it. My DH talked me into it so that we could get healthy together, and lose the weight we gained over the years. I am still working on it I have my good and bad days but I am determined to get thru it! 

I also am proud to say employed at home for a great company (yes a plug here) Time4Learning.com, which we started using our first year of homeschooling. My boys love it because of the cartoon looking lessons that make them laugh while they learn. Over the course of that first year I met one of the site administrators thru the parent forum, and decided to apply for a State Moderator's job that they had up. Well I GOT IT! At first it was for North Carolina only but now I look over six states (some I would love to live in) and I have met even more wonderful members who give myself and others great advice and links to help us homeschooling more efficiently. Double bonus I get paid to work from home! I also help out at SecularHomeschool.com, a great source of information. The members there all have an open mind about homeschooling their kids, they all have been extremely knowledgeable and friendly.

My newest endeavor has become my third baby of sorts, its a site that features stories about homeschoolers or homeschooling families. The books that are up there are a mixed of religious and secular stories which so far have been a delight to read. I just added books by homeschoolers to the site, so that anyone who wrote a story and was homeschooled can let others know about it there. Feel free to check it out HomeschoolLiterature.com!

Well that is me in a nutshell, I hope that you will come back soon to check out what we have been up to!

I will be posting great sites(both homeschool related and not), recipes, anything fun that we are doing or we are thinking of doing!