Apple Cider Bible Labs

Our last Bible labs we attached a glow tract to an apple cider pack.  We also had a little tag on the front that said "Sharing the Warmth of God's Love."  We went to the mall to pass these out and had so much fun doing it.  People brighten right up when the kids walk up and give things like this to them.  It's so fun watching these kids share the love of Jesus.

December's Advent Calendar Activities

We always look forward to December because we love doing a homemade Advent Calendar.  Every year I make one.  Each is constructed differently, but each similarly contains activities of service and of fun! 

This year there is a Bible text on each day also.  Each gives another name for Jesus.

Day 2 - We read this book and then started the process of deciding what to do with our money jar.

Day 3 - We decorated the Christmas tree!

Day 4 - We made scrabble tile ornaments.  Big hit!  We love these on the tree!

Day 5 - Making paper snowflakes to hang at the window behind the Christmas tree.  Chaeli is the best snowflake maker in the house!

Day 6 of our Advent Calendar was to figure out 5 Random Acts of Christmas Kindness and do them. We packed apple cider and mints in baggies and passed them out and stuck them in all sorts of places - cars, atm, blue mailbox, cashiers, shopping carts.  It was pretty fun!  

Day 7 - Making a hot drink 

Day 10 - We played one of our favorite Christmas games - Journey to Bethlehem.  It's not a Bible knowledge game or even a learning game.  It's more about family togetherness, communication, fun, and bit of silliness!   

A towel over his head like a shepherd

Singing a Christmas carol in order for the other travelers to pay him a shekel. 

The space said it got cold.  She had to wear socks on her hands until she spun a 6. 

Shekels came and went as the game progressed.

Day - We made Christmas colored playdoh 

 13 more days of Advent activities to go...

Triple Carob Mint Cookies

I have finally found a cookie that satisfy my taste bud for mint chocolate!!!

Triple Carob Mint Cookies

Makes 36 cookies

2 C all-purpose flour (or unbleached, I think I put 1/2 C whole wheat)

1/2 C unsweetened cocoa powder (I substituted carob powder)

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/3 C plus 1/2 C vegan chocolate chips, divided (carob here also!)

4 oz Earth Balance margarine, softened (1 stick)

1/2 C evaporated cane sugar

1/2 C light brown sugar (I used sucanat)

1/3 C vegetable or canola oil

1/4 C plain soymilk

1 tsp peppermint extract

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1.  Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into large bowl.  Stir in 1/3 C chocolate chips, and set aside.

2.  Cream margarine, cane sugar, and brown sugar with electric mixer 2 or 3 minutes.  Beat in oil, soymilk, peppermint, and vanilla until smooth.  Beat in flour mixture.  (works by hand also)

3.  Roll dough into 12-inch log, 3 inches in diameter.  Wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

4.  Preheat oven to 350, and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.  

5.  Slice dough log into 1/2-inch-thick rounds (it started to crumble on me so I just mashed some in my hands and made small discs).  Return log to refrigerator between batches to keep it firm (didn't do this since I ended up mashing them in my hands).  Place rounds 2 or 3 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.  Bake 9-11 minutes, or until tops are crackly.  Cool on baking sheets.  

6.  Melt remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips in microwave on low power or in double boiler.  Dip fork into melted chocolate, and shake over cookies to make lines of chocolate.  Let chocolate set, then store in airtight container.  (I just used pinto carob fudge that I already had in the freeezer for this)   

Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies

Yummy!!

I must say that these are pretty good and I don't even like pumpkin pie spices that much.

3 3/4 C unbleached flour (can substitute a little whole wheat flour)

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp cloves

1 C margarine, softened

1 C cane juice crystals, or white sugar

1/2 C sucanat, or brown sugar

3/4 C pumpkin puree

1 T flaxmeal + 3 T water (shake it for 1 minute in a jar)

2 tsp vanilla

Coating:

1/2 C cane juice crystals

1 tsp cinnamon

In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.  In a separate bowl with an electric mixer (I did it with a whisk), beat together the butter and sugars on medium high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.  Beat in the pumpkin puree, the egg and then the vanilla until incorporated.  With the mixer on low speed add in the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated.  Cover and chill for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.  Mix together the sugar and spices for coating.  Roll the dough into balls and coat in the sugar mixture.  Place on the prepared baking sheets, spacing the dough balls 2-3 inches apart.  Dip the bottom of  a flat, heavy bottomed drinking glass in water, then in the sugar-spice mixture, and use the bottom to flatten the dough balls slightly.  

Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until just set and baked through.  Let cool on the baking sheets about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  Repeat with the remaining dough.  Store in an airtight container.

Boil, Smash, Season, Bake

A new way I found to make potatoes and we all loved it!!

Boil either red or yukon gold potatoes.

Drizzle a cookie sheet with olive oil.  This is important so the potatoes don't stick.

Place the potatoes on the cookie sheet about 2-3 inches inbetween.  You're going to mash them so you need room for expansion.

Slightly smash. Then rotate 90 degrees and slight smash again.

Brush with melted earth balance, olive oil, or any butter substitute you use.  It's okay to be generous here. 

Sprinkle with garlic, salt, and rosemary (or any seasonings you enjoy).

Bake on 450 for 20-25 minutes.  Mmmmmmm....good!  Really.  

Holding onto Autumn

I love the Autumn season and it goes by much too rapidly!!  This was my favorite tree in our yard this year, and really this picture doesn't do it justice, but the vibrant colors do something wonderful for my soul!

Past School Projects

This is when we learned about bird beaks and how God made different birds with different types of beak so that they could pick up the food and materials that is suitable to them.  They are each holding and using a different type of "beak."  

This is Chaeli's wigwam when we were learning about Indians and their dwellings.