Amanda’s Cooking Up Fun

It's that time of year again, when the weather turns cooler, and the kids seem hungrier! Time to fire up their minds, while filling up their stomachs! This week we are featuring some special pricing for our autumn food favorites for hungry kids:

Chocolate Challenge Download No Go -1 Week (K-4) - $5

There are lots of curious chocolate-loving kids out there waiting to shift into gear and dash into Download N Go™ action! Take the Chocolate Challenge, delving into science discoveries, such as learning about where chocolate comes from, how it is made, and the geography of chocolate. They will explore rainforests, ancient civilizations, and some famous chocolatiers!

Pizza Party Download N Go - 1 Week  (K-4) - $5

Imagine being able to teach using pizza, filling their minds as well as their hungry stomachs! Your study will start from the history of pizza and then expand learning to include: the science of yeast, how mozzarella cheese is made, mapping activities for geography, types of pizza from across the globe, information about the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Galileo's experiment, and so much more!

Hoppin' Popcorn Download N Go - 1 Week (K-4) - $5

Imagine the thrill and excitement of popcorn science experiments, popcorn history, and even popcorn art! It's all there in this exciting title! - See more at: http://www.unitstudy.com/HoppinPopcorn.html#sthash.mUC4Olxk.dpuf

Imagine the thrill and excitement of popcorn science experiments, popcorn history, and even popcorn art! It's all there in this exciting title! - See more at: http://www.unitstudy.com/HoppinPopcorn.html#sthash.mUC4Olxk.dpuf

Find out how and where popcorn is grown and what makes it different from other corn, who first brought it to America, and what makes it pop! Imagine the thrill and excitement of popcorn science experiments, popcorn history, and even popcorn art! It's all there in this exciting title! Along the way, your children will make amazing discoveries and create beautiful projects. Enjoy!

Crunchy Cookies Download N Go - 1 Week (K-4) - $5

There’s so much to learn about cookies! Discover the favorite cookies of Presidents and meet famous cookie makers.  Make tasty discoveries in geography, science, and math while baking cookies from around the world. Practice your table manners during tea time. Finally, end your amazing week of learning and baking by inviting friends and family over for a delicious cookie party!

Bountiful Bread Download N Go - 1 Week (K-4) - $5
Just the smell of baking bread can get the immediate attention of most kids! So many fun and memorable childhood events include memories of bread making and baking. From holiday favorites to daily breads, this food item dates back to biblical times and still plays an important role in our lives today. Your child will investigate all kinds of things about bread, including the history of bread, the science of yeast, types of bread, some of the countries that created unique kinds of bread, and more!

As you can see, USAB studies are stand-alone curriculum, having science, geography, history, and much more! While they are busy having fun working through the study, they are also learning and absorbing all kinds of educational content along the way.

Come on and join us as we celebrate Food Adventures Week here at USAB--you are going to LOVE the prices AND the products.  Be sure to stop by our Facebook page for more food fun all week!

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Kitchen Adventures

I've got my coffee in hand, and I'm sitting at the kitchen table, enjoying the rare silence. ;) It's usually the loudest place in the house, and that's a good thing. Homeschooling brought many blessings and lessons for me, and one of those lessons was learning the powerful combination of kitchen and family. 

I discovered that some of the best thought-sharing and worry-calming conversations could be had around a platter of chocolate chip oatmeal cookies fresh from the oven. Just the smell of cookies wafting through the house would bring a smile to each face as they came through the door. When they smell that aroma, it sends the message that all is well and Mom’s in the kitchen! (The recipe for the Bennett family favorite chocolate chip oatmeal cookies is included at the end of this post.) 

Take time to cook with your kids, and let them feel the adventure of creating something delicious! Remember to share your own memories of cooking as a child, as a newlywed (funny stories at our house!), and stories behind some of your family's favorite recipes. Scooping cookie dough, decorating a homemade pizza, braiding their first loaf of braided bread, or watching the temperature rise on the candy thermometer for their first batch of fudge - all provide wonderful learning adventures, as well as opportunities to strengthen relationships and share great memory-making experiences. 

At our house, life revolves around the kitchen. People of all ages are drawn there, and the conversations as we all cook and enjoy a meal together are part of the glue that holds us close. Cooking together allows us to share stories, try new tastes, and teach the next generation. Enjoy!

Blessings,
Amanda B.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies a la Amanda Bennett

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large bowl, cream:
1 stick unsalted butter (room temperature)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 cup packed brown sugar 

When thoroughly mixed, slowly add:
2 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Then blend in:
1 3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 quick or old-fashioned oats (I use whatever is in the cabinet)
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts (walnuts are our favorite)
Mix well.

Drop dough by rounded spoonful onto ungreased cookie sheets, and bake for 10-12 minutes. I let the cookies cool on the cookie sheets for a few minutes, them move them to a wire rack, where they usually get eaten long before they completely cool. ;)

This recipe makes 4-5 dozen cookies, and they tend to bring more and more people into the kitchen and around the table. Good!

Easter . . . a Season of HOPE!

Easter is quickly approaching and we have some great titles with special prices to help you teach your children about the reason behind our HOPE.

Easter Promise (one week study, K-4) 

Beginning with Palm Sunday and continuing on through Ascension Day, immerse yourself in the events of Jesus’ last week on earth. Experience the awe and wonder contained in Jesus’ miracles, Passover, the Last Supper, and the Garden of Gethsemane. Watch as Old Testament prophecies come to fruition. Your children will explore the true meaning of Easter as they investigate this amazing week and grow to understand God’s greatest gift to His children. The promise of Easter changed the world forever. Easter Promise is sure to do the same for your family and it is on sale now for $5!*



Expedition Israel (one week study, K-4) 

Get to know the Holy Land—it's more than just a map in the back of your Bible. Biblical heroes and history, amazing places, animals, music, games, and foods. This study will ignite a passion for the Holy Land in your children, like no other. The Bible will come alive as they connect the historical Holy Land with the modern day Israel they hear about in the news every day. And they'll learn a little Hebrew along the way! Come along on this incredible journey. It's an adventure with memories to last a lifetime, and it's on sale now for $5!*


Bountiful Bread (one week study, K-4)

Bread. Just the smell of this wonderful food can get the immediate attention of most people! So many fun and memorable childhood events include memories of bread making and baking. From holiday favorites to daily breads, this food item dates way back to biblical times and still plays an important role in our lives. Your child will investigate all kinds of things about bread, including the history of bread, types of bread, some of the countries that created unique kinds of bread, and much more! Each day he will explore and investigate, creating and adding more learning components to his Bountiful Bread lapbook—building a wonderful reminder of all that he is learning to be enjoyed for years to come. Bountiful Bread is on sale now for $5!*


For more ideas and encouragement, join us for our FREE Easter co-op. You can sign up here, and the co-op will be held on our Facebook page. See you there!

*Special prices go through 3/2/13.

Get ready for Easter!

Spring is coming, and with it comes the celebration of God’s amazing Gift as we approach Easter. Use the days of March to help your children understand this life-changing event.

With an early Easter on March 31st, we have put together some tools to help you make these days count and strengthen their faith:

• The USAB Easter Facebook Co-op begins March 4th! Join us as we begin our four-week celebration of God’s Amazing Love—His Son—sharing daily devotions, Scripture, activity suggestions, and more with 6,600+ of our closest friends. We’ll be using the Easter Unit Study as our guide, and we have been busy creating some fun, free printables to go along with the co-op.
• A variety of Easter-related titles are on sale* this week to help you ease into a special month of learning. No preparation required with these titles-they are ready to use today. 

*Special prices go through 3/2/13.