Monday Q&A | Using up Jalapenos, Family Worship Time, and Homeschool Curriculum Choices
Every Monday, I answer a few of the questions that my readers send me. If you have a question you'd like me to answer in a future Q&A post, just leave me a comment here or email me (thefrugalgirl [at] gmail [dot] com) and put Q&A in the subject line. I look forward to hearing from you!
I planted several jalapeno peppers for the first time this year. I am now getting a lot of peppers. I have made salsa and chopped some up and froze them for future use this winter. Do you have any other ideas? I try not to waste food.
-Jill
I'd suggest drying them. I know you that you can do this in a low oven, so you don't necessarily need a dehydrator. I even think my parents might have dried them on screens in the hot summer attic, with a fan blowing.
Once they're dried, you can use them like you would crushed red pepper from the spice section.
Also, do you like poppers? A batch of two of those could use up a lot of jalapenos.
I was wondering if you could give me some advice on how to go about starting family worship time with my husband? We've only been married a year, but neither of us come from families where anything more than meal time and bedtime prayers occurred. We've been working on building our relationship with each other and our relationships with God, but we haven't figured out how to combine them yet. Can you make any suggestions? We'd really like to establish a daily (or at least weekly) "God time" before we start having kids.
-Caroline
I think it's great that you guys want to start a habit that will help you grow in your faith together...good for you.
Practically speaking, I find that it's always easiest to do something like this at a time in your day that's predictable. For instance, doing it right after breakfast, right before or after dinner, or right before bed might help you to be consistent, as long as those times in your day are predictable (obviously the appropriate time for you may be different, but just pick a time that tends to be the same every day.)
Also, don't let yourselves get totally derailed every time something comes up. Sometimes we don't manage to get family worship done with the kids due to an appointment or travel, but that's no reason to throw the towel in. We just try to get back in the groove of things as soon as possible.
I'm not sure if you're looking for suggestions about what to include in your time, but do know it doesn't have to be fancy. You can pray together, read the Bible together, or read a Christian book together, for example.
I've been homeschooling my oldest daughter for preschool since she was 2, and this year we are informally working on kindergarten materials even though she's only 4.5. I've been using inexpensive activities, work books, and lots of free Internet resources to gather curricula - as well as utilizing our public library system.
I've recently made the mistake of looking on homeschooling blogs via pinterest for ideas and suddenly, I'm feeling super inadequate. I am having a very hard time curbing the feeling that if I don't have an unlimited homeschooling budget, I'm somehow harming my kids with a less-than-noteworthy education experience. I've tried reminding myself that my methods seem to be working and my daughter is thriving and excelling this way, but there is a nagging voice in my head saying my efforts won't be good enough until I have a whole classroom in my home or brand new textbooks or a four-year-old entering college.
I guess my questions are as follows: How do you deal with the temptation to overspend on homeschooling supplies? Have you ever felt inadequate with homeschooling because of the way other people do it? Do you ever worry that approaching homeschooling frugally is hindering the learning experience?
Thanks,
Amy
Good question...this is a challenge that homeschoolers back in the 80s didn't really face because back then, there were so few curriculum choices.
Now the pendulum has swung the other way, and there's a plethora of options for each subject and grade. It's completely overwhelming.
Here are a few things that have helped me navigate these confusing waters.
- I remind myself that no school (public, private, or home) uses THE perfect curriculum for every subject for every kid.
Sometimes, I think we homeschoolers are comparing ourselves to something that doesn't exist. Even the best private school in your area might not be using the curriculum that's perfect for your child, or that's the latest and greatest. So, we shouldn't feel like we somehow have to do this whole thing perfectly or we'll screw up our kids.
- I remind myself that there is more than one good curriculum available.
For instance, when you're shopping for handwriting books, it's not like there's one awesome book, and 9,872 horrible ones. Probably a good percentage of the handwriting books out there would do just fine, so don't stress about it if you can't afford the most expensive one.
(speaking of handwriting, I like Handwriting Without Tears, and it's actually quite affordable.)
- I remind myself that parental interaction is the most consistent key to educational success.*
Whether the schooling method is public, private, or home, studies have shown that parental involvement is the most important factor in a child's educational success. Good curriculum is helpful, yes, but it's not the make-or-break factor...YOU are.
If you're involved in what your child is learning, if you can discuss it with her at the dinner table and tie it into things you experience in everyday life, you're in a great spot to help her learn, even if your curriculum isn't the most super fabulous expensive thing out there.
*I read this in a book on education whose title utterly escapes me at the moment. The author's point was that a child can excel in many types of educational settings as long as the parents are involved and engaged.
- I ask other homeschool moms (esp. those with kids older than mine) for recommendations.
In my experience, homeschoolers tend to be a pretty frugal bunch (a lot are one-income families with a fairly large number of children), so other moms are a great resource. They know what works and what doesn't, what's worth spending money on and what's not.
And, if you're fortunate, older homeschooling families might be able to give you some hand-me-down materials.
Lastly, if you need advice on obtaining curriculum cheaply, check out my post about how I save on school supplies.)
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Readers, feel free to share your thoughts on these questions! Jill especially is hoping that you'll be able to suggest ways to use up her jalapenos.
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Joshua's 365 post: Dawn
I like "Handwriting without Tears" also. I got it for my son who was having fine motor skill problems and it helped. He was in public school and they used it as a supplement when I took it to them.
Jalapenos are really one of those easy vegetables that can be added to anything: pizza, casseroles, spaghetti, omelets, meatloaf, etc. I don't ever have any trouble "getting rid" of them, but I might try drying them at some point because I've never done that before!
The Ball canning book has a great recipe for jalapeno salsa that is equal parts tomato and jalapeno and that is fantastic. Also, there is a recipe for jalapeno jelly in there that is amazing over cream cheese as a fancy appetizer.
I've dried chillies on the bench top by accident, as in I left them there long enough to dry out, even in my humid climate, so it definitely is possible 🙂 But I usually just freeze them and add them to dishes when I need them.
The Persian supermarket near my house has jars of pickled chillies as well, so I guess you could pickle them like cucumbers if you don't have a lot of freezer space.
Jalepenos stuffed with cream cheese and wrapped with bacon - cooked on the grill or in the oven. I hope you weren't looking for a healthy recipe.
I, too, often have an abundance of jalapenos, since my husband LOVES them, but he's the only one here in our household of 4 who does. A few years back, I decided to attempt to "can" some. I sliced them into rings. Add 1/2 c salt to 1 to 2 gallons of water (depending on quantity of pickles), add rings, and set overnight. Next day, pack them into canning jars. Boil a 50/50 solution of water and vinegar and pour this over the rings. Add lids and rings and they'll seal up nicely. Use them on sandwiches, pizza, etc. throughout the year, until next year's crop comes in! 🙂
For jalepenos, I like pickled peppers. Then later in the year they can be added to chile rellenos, nachos, tacos, fajitas, or homemade salsa using canned or fresh tomatoes.
For meaningful time with God as a family, in the first year of marriage, we began with a simple prayer time every evening before dinner. We kept a note card on the table with the people we wanted to remember in our prayer. At holiday time, we kept the Christmas cards from friends and family and prayed for every one, the days leading up to Christmas. We just began simply and included the children as they came.
As for homeschooling supplies and staying within a budget, we did just that, included a line in the budget for the supplies, and stuck to that budget, just like any other budget category. It means planning ahead, leaving a little wiggle room in the budget, and setting aside money every month, ahead of purchasing the supplies.
In response the homeschooling question, I too can have a tendency to get a little caught up in comparing my life to blogs.
For me it really helps if I remind myself that the blogger is just showing themselves a snapshot of their lives; even though it may look perfect, there probably are not showing the messes, but the beautiful displays, or art projects or what have you.
I'd second Kristen's advice about finding other home schoolers with older children and asking them about their experiences. I find that it can really help me imagine walking in their shoes, and imagining myself in someone else's home schooling experience
One other piece of advice that I've found really helps; get really secure in what you are doing, and use other people's success stories as your own if you need too (until you have your own success story) and for me, focus just on the here and now. No child has a perfect educational year *every* year. There are always ups and downs, so if this year isn't the best (the curriculum you chose wasn't the best fit, or they really struggled with a new concept, or whatever it is, just knowing that it's just for right now, and next week/month/year will probably be different!
HTH! (Great question ... I think a lot of homeschoolers are in the same boat 🙂
We also have an abundance of jalapenos and chili peppers this year, the few plants have done very well.
My son used Handwriting without Tears last year in Kindergarten. It was a great curriculum and his teacher thought very highly of it. All of the kids had great improvements throughout the year and the best part....no tears !
Jill- when you have canned, pickled, dried,frozen, etc. as many peppers as you can use in the coming year, give the rest to your local food bank. I'm sure they will appreciate them.
I make a dip from diced jalapenos, seeds removed, monterey jack cheese and a block of cream cheese. Sometimes I will add a can of corn too. Pour all into a glass dish and bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until everything is melted together.
You can use whatever amount your family is comfortable with, heatwise. I always used one big one for the whole family and 2 if it was just dh and I. The fat in the cheeses keeps it from being too much.
Pretty much ditto...
I have made the bacon wrapped jalepeno poppers- (I add a bit of some sort of a shredded Mexican style cheese- cheddar, Monterrey jack, taco cheese, Mexican blend- whatever) to the cream cheese, and we throw them on the grill or campfire grate. YUMMY!
I make and can salsa.
I pickle them for use in "Mexican Fudge"- usually my mom makes this as I don't really care for it, or anywhere you would use pickled jalepenos (nachos, tacos, chili, enchiladas. You can also freeze in wheels too.
Killer Dip: 2 blocks cream cheese, 1 package ranch or fiesta ranch powdered dressing, 1 can corn drained, chopped jalepenos to taste (pickled or fresh- I think pickled is better) mix and serve with tortilla chips and/or fritos. An easy dip to make in a hurry- although it's better if it sits a few hours.
I've dried the cayenne's, not jalepenos- but I don't know why you couldn't.
My friend seeds the jalepenos and boils them, then throws them in the food processor for "green sauce" to use like salsa if you are brave, or like hot sauce. It's spicy!!!
We eat Jalepenos on everything-just slice them and throw them on top. They are especially good on top of soups like black bean or chicken tortilla. Another favorite is to make grilled cheese sandwiches with cheddar, cream cheese and sliced Jalepenos. You can take out the seeds if you want less hear.
I have a 15 year old daughter whom I've homeschooled from the begining and I'm currently homeschooling our 5 year old son. We are very frugal and
I rarely buy any curriculum brand new and I use a huge variety. Mainly because most of mine comes from consignment sales, garage sales and the used section of our local homeschool store.
I try not to compare what we are doing to what they are doing in public schools. My daughter is starting her 10th grade year of homeschool and we have yet to do 'new' math or anything else fancy. She is very well rounded and smart. Most importantly she is tolerant, compassionent, loves to read, and usually puts others before herself. She loves to cook and is very mature and responsible. Because of the 'other' things we do in our homeschool. Just try to do this, relax and remember that everything you do together is a learning experience and if she is learning she is doing school. We cook together, re-do furniture together, do laundry, repair clothing, make gifts, do yard work, design furniture, she can even hang and finish drywall among other carpentry work. She even installed the new door knobs in our house right by herself. She reads on a college level. I don't use any particular curriculum and we do just fine. I'm doing the same thing with her little brother. He can hammer a nail and paint a wall with the best of them, is already reading quite well and he just turned 5. Relax and enjoy your time with your daughter and know that you are giving her yourself and what could be better? Another note: we are asked all the time if we worry about their socialization. Nope, when we get together with other homeschoolers they are interacting with newborns up through grandparents so they are much better socialized than if they were in public school just interacting with other kids that are their age. My kids are outgoing and friendly and can talk intelligently with just about anyone. I am so thankful to be able to homeschool and wouldn't trade these years with my children for anything.
Good luck on this journey with your daughter and remember that homeschool teaching is much more than book learning. That will come and each homeschool family has to work out what works for them.
If you teach any penmanship it would be a step above the public schools here. Many people I work with cannot read or write cursive. I'm no whiz at Spencerian Script but I can at least write legibly. It's quite frustrating when someone has never seen a cursive "Z."
Another idea for the "abundance of jalapenos" - give them away to neighbors, family, friends, etc. There are many people who can't have a garden or whose garden doesn't produce much and REALLY appreciate fresh home-grown produce (even jalapenos!).
We like the Guideposts Daily Devotional; we buy the 365 day version every year but you can also get a daily devotional emailed to you. They are low key, with personal anecdotes illustrating a Bible principle and quote, and are only a page long each. Sometimes they are stand alones and other times they spark discussions between me and my husband.
Thanks you for all your ideas.
Even if you homeschool your kids for 23 hours a day, you simply aren't going to be able to "do it all." Even those uber-cool and ultra-organized homeschool moms on Pinterest can't do it all.
One of the most amazing things about homeschooling is that you aren't just teaching them for today, you're teaching them how to teach themselves for tomorrow (the old "give a man a fish/teach a man to fish" analogy). If you can give your kids a "scaffolding" of knowledge, then for the rest of their lives they'll be able to keep learning and attaching bits of information to that scaffold, continuing their education for the rest of their lives.
So, prioritize--what do the NEED to know? A basic history timeline. General scientific principles. Basic language arts concepts (good grammar usage--imperative, diagramming sentences--not so much). Math. Strong writing skills. Decent handwriting. Typing. Above all, how to read really well so they can continue to learn forever!
Spend your money on those things. If you have extra dollars (or time!) in your budget, then you can splurge on a few fun things.
Amy -
I have very young children and don't homeschool yet but I totally have to limit my time on Pinterest for the very reason you mentioned. I start to feel incredibly unsatisfied with my life, my house, my clothes, my hair, my lack of craftiness with my children, etc. When I start to get all out of whack and start having a skewed perspective, I try to play the comparison game the other way. I spent several months as a nurse in Calcutta, India and when I think about the poverty I encountered there and the great BASIC needs of people I worked with, suddenly I realize I live a very affluent and comfortable life. I also know people here in my own community who struggle for basics and so I get all the unrealistic pictures of overachieving, never-burnt-out mothers out of my head and feel much more grateful for all I have. Hope this helps a bit - you aren't alone and it sounds like you are doing a great job with your homeschooling! 🙂
Me, too---in fact, our moms' group talked about this recently.
The consensus was that most of us stay OFF Pinterest completely, because it ruins our contentment. One of my favorite Bible scholars says, "Comparison is the death knell of contentment." !
I would caution against dehydrating hot peppers in a food dehydrator or oven. The fumes they release as they dry can really burn the eyes and nose. I usually can my extra hot peppers with vinegar, garlic and salt to make pickled jalapenos (like the pepperoncini ones sold in jars) or give that mixture a whirl in the blender for hot pepper relish to can.
Jill... I haven't tried to make them myself but a friend of mine let me try her candied jalapeños. Oh my!!! They were wonderful on burgers and hot dogs. From what I gathered u just use vinager and sugar. I Plan to try it with some of my mom's jalapeños!!
Jalapeno hummus is fantastic, easy to make and is really, really good on meat and cheese sandwiches instead of mayo. 🙂
Jalapenos! I dice them and freeze them in stock in ice cube trays. Then you can pop them into anything! You could try drying them and getting crafty, too! There are lots of ways to use died peppers as decorations - especially if you are giving away canning as a gift. They would look cute with raffia around the rim of the can!
I felt the need to encourage you, Amy, in your efforts to educate your child. I am not a home school parent, my little guy is not quite 5 months:) However, I am a college graduate with a dual degree and a grad school graduate with 2 certifications as well. I took heavy loads and maintained a high GPA throughout. I am not saying this to brag about myself, it was hard work and took focus and desire and God! But it also took a solid foundation, which was put into place by my parents. I am bragging about my mom mainly, who at the ripe age of 23 without a high school diploma decided to home school my older brother and in turn me as well. This was before there were so many home school curriculum choices, it was the early 80's after all. And yet she succeeded, my dad worked two jobs to support our family so that my mom could home school my brother and I. We didn't "play" school, we didn't have excess income for extras, we had the basics and we thrived. I ended up attending public high school my 11th and 12th grade years (much to my dad's chagrin, he wanted me to go to the community college). My mom was very sick and could not continue to teach me and take care of herself too. I enjoyed my time in high school, I was annoyed at having to ask to use the restroom and they did not give me a diploma (times have changed!). However, it was not difficult, I was actually beyond most of the material covered during those two years due to my homeschool education. I obtained my GED, attended undergrad, worked a few years and then attended grad school while continuing to work in my career field of choice. I say this to encourage you, setting a foundation for love of learning and family relationship is so much more important then the next best home school tool. Think about those in the 1700, 1800, and even early 1900's who had the basic tools for education, they invented so many things that we use today. The Constitution was written by men who were educated without frills. Regardless of how you chose to educate your child (home, private, or public school), your involvement and relationship is key.
I have dried jalapenos the laisse faire way- tie the stems into a bunch, hang them up and let them ripen and dehydrate on their own. Pull them off the string, add to soup or chili, or grind them up for crushed red peppers.
Also, is the book you are thinking of Guerilla Learning? great ideas in it about making the best of education, whether at home, at public school, or private. It has hugely influenced how I am teaching my kids.
I remembered the title...it's called Upgrade!