Wednesday - What's for Dinner?

I can't believe it's already Wednesday again. Tonight we are keeping it VERY simple with a recipe from Gooseberry Patch. (Notice I linked you to their free stuff!) If you aren't familiar with Gooseberry Patch, you should be! I bought one of their recipe books at the book store in the magazine section and have made tons of recipes from it.

So, Happy Wednesday!

Instant Chicken Parmesan

28 oz. jar spaghetti sauce
4-6 frozen breaded chicken patties (you can make your own, too!)
4-6 slices provolone cheese
1-2 tbs. Parmesan cheese

Spread spaghetti sauce in an ungreased 13x9 baking pan; arrange frozen chicken patties on top. Place a slice of provolone on top of each patty; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake 5-10 more minutes or until cheese is bubbly. Serves 4-6

So easy! Add some green beans or a salad and you're set! I will most likely give Anna this recipe and let her make our dinner. My Wednesday just got a little easier!

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We Love Curious George!

I love this picture of my son in his robe, Batman gloves, and Curious George!

Tonight, after the kids had gone to bed, I was cleaning in the kitchen and saw three very ripe bananas. I made a quick loaf of our favorite banana bread, which is called Curious George Banana Bread. I found the recipe a while back when my son was in his CG obsession. It is very easy and the first time I made it, both of my children helped me. Here it is:

Curious George Banana Bread

3 ripe bananas, mashed
1 3/4 cup flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup butter
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon (optional)

Mix ingredients well, so there are no lumps.
Put in greased loaf pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.

Over the past few years, we have read MANY Curious George books. Our collection of these books is in my son's bookshelf, and they are so easy to spot because those bright yellow covers really stick out! If I had to narrow it down to one favorite, it would probably be Curious George Goes to a Chocolate Factory. Something about the way the different chocolates are labeled and how George eats too many is just appealing to my kids.

Another Curious George thing we have is this alphabet puzzle, which I just picked up one time when I was at Office Depot. It just looked like something my son would enjoy, and he does this puzzle at least 2-3 times each week. I love it, because he sets the puzzle out in the middle of his room and works it, then just shifts over to his bookshelf and reads his CG books. What a lucky little guy!

If you haven't checked out the PBS Kids Curious George website, you should. The games are fun and educational, and the printables are cute, too. I learned when I went to the site tonight that the Curious George show on PBS has won an Emmy for Outstanding Children's Animated Program.

We can love Curious George on so many levels - which is why I think these books have endured for so long. I know my children love the silliness of Curious George, and I love the patience the Man in the Yellow Hat has for him (patience I wish I had with my own silly monkeys!). It is also so special to me to remember times when my own parents read me these same stories. What a gift!

The authors, Hans and Margaret Rey, fled Paris shortly before it fell to the Nazis. Eventually they wound up in Brazil, and then settled in New York. By 1941 they had published their first book, and then wrote seven stories together. Although Hans died in 1977, Margaret wrote over 2 dozen more books. The information I just shared with you came from a site called My Favorite Monkey. How cute is that?

I can't tell you exactly how Curious George will "fit" into our official Kindergarten curriculum, but I do know that reading the books over and over has enriched both of my children. I find that most times, the things that stick with my kids weren't in a curriculum and were never planned. As a homeschooler, I am free to respond to my children's interests and go off on tangents like this, to more often than not have the most meaningful learning take place.

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Wednesday - What's for Dinner?

If you are like me, I often struggle with what to fix for dinner. I know that on the nights when a nutritious dinner everyone likes is ready (preferably by 6:30), then the whole evening runs smoother. Once homeschooling began in our house dinner really went by the wayside. We ate a lot of pizza, grabbed a lot of Mexican take out, and in general probably wasted money and gained weight. So, I'm vowing to get more organized (I used to be - once upon a time!) and have more good dinners.

I'm a huge fan of the crockpot, and many of the recipes I share here will probably be for the crockpot, simply because I can get it all ready in the early afternoon and have a full meal by dinnertime. If by chance my husband is working late, he can have some when he gets home, so no one is left out.

Here is today's crockpot recipe - Corn Chowder

2 1/2 cups milk
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 10 oz. package frozen corn
1 cup cream-style corn
1 cup frozen hash brown potatoes
1 cup diced cooked ham
3/4 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons margarine or butter
salt
black pepper
chopped parsley

Combine milk, soup, corn, potatoes, ham, onion and margarine in crock-pot. Cover and cook on high 4-5 hours. Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with parsley. Serves 8.

There you go! It's quick and simple and very good. Tonight we'll have it with some toasted hamburger buns (which would go to waste if we don't eat them soon) done under the broiler with a little butter and garlic salt and a fresh fruit salad.

Check again next Wednesday to see what's for dinner in our house!

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