Ice Skating and Bowling - What a fun day!

Stuart was off work so he spent the morning having some fun time with the kids while I stayed home and worked on school planning.  He's an awesome dad and husband!

They went to the Dr. Pepper Stars Center for public skating.  The kids used to ice skate a lot and Nicholas played hockey for several years but life got busy and ice skating slipped aside.  They got interested again in ice skating after our field trip to the Galleria rink at Christmas time.  They both want to start back with either figure skating lessons or hockey team.  Of course, they have outgrown their ice skates so purchasing new skates will be the first step.  They are expensive kids!  But their cuteness wins me over every time....

There are staff out on the ice to help but they also have fun playing with the kids.  This guy helped pull a train of kids on buckets.  They have the buckets for beginners to use for stability as they are getting used to balancing.  But obviously there are many uses for these buckets!  Nicholas helped pulled the train along some too.

Here's a video of the kids trying to run their own skate train. It got too long and broke in the middle but Nicholas jumped in and helped the second half of the train move along.

Later in the day, Rachel's American Heritage Girls troop was getting together at Main Event to finish up their work on their Bowling sports pin. 

They have been learning about the history of bowling, what bowling balls are made of, proper footing for bowling, and more.  The final requirement was to play a game of bowling.  That was the best part!

Nicholas tagged along and played a game with some of the other siblings that came.

My kids aren't going to the bowling championships anytime soon but we all had a great time bowling with our friends.

After the game, we enjoyed pizza and a drink.  The girls found this cool table that had an interactive video game projected on it.

Hernan Cortes and an Aztec Feast

The kids have been studying about how the Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes took over the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan (now called Mexico City) and brought the fall of the Aztec empire in the early 16th century.  They've learned a lot about Aztec life and culture and decided to have an Aztec feast to honor them.

Corn was a major crop of the Aztecs.  The kids decided to make homemade corn tortillas which is one of the many ways the Aztecs would have used their corn.

Ingredients:

2 cups masa harina

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/2 cups hot water

Rachel mixed the masa harina and salt.  She added the hot water and mixed it all together.  Then she let the dough rest for about 30 minutes.

She formed little balls of the dough and placed it on a cutting board that had been sprinkled with some masa harina.  Then she rolled out the dough.

She cooked them in a cast iron skillet for a few minutes per side.  We used them to make chicken tacos for dinner.  They were so delicious.  These corn tortillas taste better than any we've ever bought at a store and they were fun to make.

Another thing you can do with these corn tortillas is to fry or bake them to make your own tortillas chips!  Avocados were another crop of the Aztecs so we made some homemade guacamole to go with corn tortilla chips.  Our favorite is the Williams-Sonoma guacamole recipe.

The kids had fun mashing up all of the ingredients in the molcajete.  A molcajete is a mortar and pestle carved from volcanic rock and it was what the Aztecs used to grind their corn into flour.

With our bellies full of chips and guacamole and chicken tacos, the kids wanted to make one more course of Aztec food - Xocolatl, a Mexican hot chocolate.  There are lots of recipes out there but we melted chocolate chips, blended with warm milk, then added some cayenne pepper and cinnamon.  The kids topped theirs with marshmallows.  Yum!

Medieval Times Tomato Bisque Soup {+ Discount!}

Soup’s on in the Medieval Times Kingdom!  Enjoy a castle favorite, the tomato bisque, and help Dallas LIFE with food donations

Winter's chill is taking hold of the kingdom this January and February, and what better way to warm up than with a hot, delicious bowl of soup! Known for their famous tomato bisque, Medieval Times is partnering with non-profit Dallas LIFE to help those in need create their own healthy soups by tackling hunger in North Texas with a food drive and by releasing the bisque recipe for all to make.

To donate, bring any non-perishable food item to the Dallas castle and receive 45% off adult admission for a Thursday, Sunday or the 2pm Saturday show through February 12^th.  Suggested food items include the makings for soups including tomato sauce, beans or peas, broths or stocks and canned vegetables. 

The history of soup is as old as the history of cooking.  The act of combining various ingredients in a large pot to create a nutritious, filling, easily digested, simple to make/serve food was inevitable. This made it the perfect choice for both sedentary and travelling cultures, rich and poor, healthy people and invalids. Soup (and stews, pottages, porridges, gruels, etc.) evolved as dictated by local ingredients and tastes. There was no tableware, so soup was drunk right out of the bowl, as was any type of stew.

Soups are a great option nutritionally, they provide us with lots of important nutrients including vitamins and minerals for relatively few calories. Soup can be a simple addition to any meal and a great way to make sure that you and your family get the essential servings of whole grains, vegetables and protein in one bowl.

“There is no secret to creating an amazing soup,” said Frank Dameron, Director of Food Services at Medieval Times. “It’s all about the ingredients. The best herbs and fresh produce will help keep even the coldest Dallas/Fort Worth winter days at bay.” 

MEDIEVAL TIMES TOMATO BISQUE  (home version)

2 tbls.  canola oil

2 ea.    medium carrots, peeled

1 ea.    celery stalk, cleaned and trimmed

½ ea.    medium onion, peeled

1 tsp.   garlic, minced

2 ea.    6 oz. cans tomato paste

1 ea.    15 1/2 oz can tomato puree

5 cups  water

1 tsp.   paprika

3 tbls.  sugar

2 tsp.   salt

¼ tsp.   fresh ground pepper

Pinch   Italian seasoning

½ ea.    lemon, for juice

1. Cut the carrots, celery and onion into small pieces about ½ inches. Place the carrots, onions and celery into a food processor fitted with the knife blade and pulse until they are finely minced, almost pureed.
2. Heat the canola oil in a 5 – 6 quart stainless steel sauce pan or pot. Add the finely minced carrots, onions and celery and cook until vegetables are soft but not browned, about 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Add the minced garlic and continue to cook for another 2 minutes.
4. Add the tomato paste and stir into the vegetables to combine well and cook for another 2 minutes.
5. Add the tomato puree, water, paprika sugar, salt, ground pepper, Italian Seasoning and juice from ½ lemon.
6. Bring soup to a boil while stirring frequently. Once soup comes to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and continue to simmer for 20 minutes, while stirring frequently to prevent soup from scorching.
7. When soup is finished cooking, remove from heat, taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve immediately.

ABOUT MEDIEVAL TIMES

The pageantry and thrills of an authentic jousting come to life inside Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament.  Based upon the true story of a noble family with documentation dating back to the 11^th century Spain, the walls of King Don Carlos’ castle come to life when six armor-clad knights on valiant horses seek the title of champion. 

While witnessing almost two hours of jousting, swordsmanship, thrilling hand-to-hand combat, displays of extraordinary horsemanship and falconry, dine with King Don Carlos and his royal court during a four-course meal which includes garlic bread, tomato bisque soup, roasted chicken, sweet buttered corn, herb-basted potatoes, the pastry of the Castle and select beverages.  Vegetarian meals and special allergy accommodations are available upon request. 

Medieval Times began with two dinner/entertainment complexes located in Majorca and Benidorm, Spain, and have since grown to nine locations in North America. The first North American castle in Kissimmee, Florida opened in December 1983. The Dallas castle, located off Stemmons Freeway in the Dallas Design District, opened in June of 1992. 

For more information, visit MedievalTimes.com.

2021 North Stemmons Freeway

Dallas, TX 75207

1-888-WE-JOUST (935-6878)

ABOUT DALLAS LIFE

Dallas LIFE reaches out to homeless men, women and children with food, clothing, shelter, education - and a proven path to recovery and self-sufficiency.  It is the largest homeless shelter in North Texas, housing up to 500 people per night.

Dallas LIFE welcomes the needy. Whether it is a homeless man, a single mother with children, or an entire family, Dallas LIFE is a safe place to recover from the trauma of homelessness. Some come beaten and bruised; others addicted and confused. All need a fresh start and a loving hand-up. At Dallas LIFE, these needs are met every day!  For more information, visit DallasLIFE.org. 

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post by Medieval Times.

SchoolhouseTeachers.com Review

I've looked at SchoolhouseTeachers.com several times over the last few years and have considered signing up for a membership but just never took the plunge.  As a member of The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Review Crew I was recently given the opportunity to review a Yearly Membership with SchoolhouseTeachers.com.  Wow! Now that we've had a few weeks to get a feel for the site and all that it has to offer, I'm kicking myself for not joining sooner!

The new SchoolhouseTeachers.com website is amazing!  It is easy to use and navigate.  They offer Online Classes and Online Electives to use in your homeschool, either as your full curriculum or as a supplement to what you are already using.  There are Scope and Sequence charts, lesson plans, and printable certificates of completion. 
Homeschooling children of multiple ages?  No problem!  They have course work for students preschool - high school. We have used several of their history lessons while studying the Renaissance.  There are weekly lesson plans, lapbooks, notebooking pages, as well as links to videos and related maps as well as hands-on activities like games, recipes, and crafts to really bring the Renaissance to life for my kids.  
In addition to the courses, we have also enjoyed some of the special online access to products included in our membership like The World of Animals through the World Book eBook Library and learning about how Christopher Columbus discovered American through watching the amazing video series called Drive-Thru History.  These have been so much fun for my kids to explore!
Just take a look at the subjects below that are covered in the SchoolhouseTeachers.com courses:

In addition to the wealth of curriculum on the site, there is also an abundance of homeschool parent support resources on the site.  As a member you can download several different planners.  Here are just two of them which are for homeschool parents to help organize their homeschool as well as manage their home. However, they also offer primary, intermediate, and high school student planners, as well as a planner for special needs students.

There is also a Custom Schedule Builder to help you organize your homeschool day as well as online access to Applecore Recordkeeping for tracking your students' portfolio, coursework, grades, and attendance.
SchoolhouseTeachers.com really has everything you might need for your homeschool!
Be sure to join SchoolhouseTeachers.com during their Super Christmas Sale and save 50% by using code: CHRISTMAS for $9.95/month or CHRISTMASYEAR for $90/year.  This is really a great deal!  The sale ends on January 15th so HURRY and lock in your promo rate.

To read more reviews for SchoolhouseTeachers.com from other members of The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Review Crew, please click on the graphic below:


My kids and I have thoroughly enjoyed using SchoolhouseTeachers.com in our homeschool and I have written my honest opinion about this product.  Although I was given a free Yearly Membership in order to research the product and write this review, I have benefited so much from it that I will definitely renew our membership when this one expires.

Inti, the Inca Sun God Craft

The kids are learning about some ancient American cultures such as the Aztecs, Incas, and Mayans.

While reading about the Incas, we got to go into detail about the amazing discovery of the ancient Incan town of Machu Picchu.

Like the other ancient American cultures, the Inca were a polytheistic society meaning they believed in many different gods.  The Inca most revered the sun god whom they named Inti.  He was often represented as a sun disk like this.

The kids used clay and made their own Incan representation on Inti.

They used air drying modeling clay so no baking was needed.  It is soft and easy to work with.  We have clay tools so they had fun using those to help with their creations.

I love how they each made their own representation of Inti.  They love working with clay so this was a fun way to pull art into our history studies.