Apparently my attention to detail is waning. You may recall that pie #7 had several flubs. Today, I committed the biggest flub of all. I forgot the sugar and/or Splenda! Yep, totally un-sweet pumpkin pie. Sigh. The pie was lovely, perfect in every way. Except, of course, that it tasted decidedly squashy.
Would you like to know what we did to salvage the pie? Each person sprinkled a packet of Splenda on top of his or her slice. Then, we each mashed up the pumpkin filling to blend in the Splenda. Finally, we topped it with extra CoolWhip. Not bad (but not great, either).
Pie Test #8: The Final Verdict on Sweetening
Yes, we are done testing the various sweetening options in pumpkin pie!
I have settled on my preferred sweetener profile. (Well, actually, my preferred sweetener profile is 100% sugar, but I digress...)
The verdict: 1/2 c. Splenda + 1/4 c. sugar.
Next we will tackle the issue of whether to use regular or fat-free evaporated milk. Inquiring minds want to know!
I have settled on my preferred sweetener profile. (Well, actually, my preferred sweetener profile is 100% sugar, but I digress...)
The verdict: 1/2 c. Splenda + 1/4 c. sugar.
Next we will tackle the issue of whether to use regular or fat-free evaporated milk. Inquiring minds want to know!
The CommonSenseMom's Cheesy Salsa Soup
I have a new recipe to add to my list of ways to use up Thanksgiving turkey leftovers. My newest creation was a hit. And, it's easy, easy, easy.
The CommonSenseMom's Cheesy Salsa Soup
1 jar of your favorite salsa
1 quart homemade turkey broth
(or 2 cans chicken broth)
1 pound chopped turkey or chicken
1/2 bag frozen corn
1/2 can black beans
1 pound Velveeta (I used the 2% variety to mitigate the guilt)
That's it. Toss everything but the Velveeta into the crockpot and let it cook. I added the cubed Velveeta about 1/2 an hour before serving.
Optional...if you want it a little thicker, you can mix a couple of tablespoons of cornstarch with 1/4 c. milk and add it to the bubbly soup before serving.
The CommonSenseMom's Cheesy Salsa Soup
1 jar of your favorite salsa
1 quart homemade turkey broth
(or 2 cans chicken broth)
1 pound chopped turkey or chicken
1/2 bag frozen corn
1/2 can black beans
1 pound Velveeta (I used the 2% variety to mitigate the guilt)
That's it. Toss everything but the Velveeta into the crockpot and let it cook. I added the cubed Velveeta about 1/2 an hour before serving.
Optional...if you want it a little thicker, you can mix a couple of tablespoons of cornstarch with 1/4 c. milk and add it to the bubbly soup before serving.
And Now, Pumpkin Pancakes!
I didn't use up all of last year's pumpkin puree. Given that my supply of pumpkins is free(!), I couldn't resist making even more pumpkin puree this fall. Not as much though...only about 20 cups this year. But still, I have a lot of pumpkin in my freezer.
So, I'm redoubling my efforts at incorporating pumpkin into our diets. I have a pumpkin brownie/bar recipe that wasn't terribly successful, so I won't share that until it's better. Tonight, some of the kids wanted me to make pumpkin pancakes so I gave it a try. The verdicts of my family members varied between (a) LOVE IT! (b) it's fine, and (c) highly distraught that I messed with the pancakes. I actually fell somewhere between (a) and (b).
Here's what I did: I took my big batch pancake recipe and altered it. I added 1 cup of pumpkin puree to the liquid ingredients and reduced the milk to 1.5 cups. I added 2 T. sugar, 1/2 t. cinnamon, 1/8 t. nutmeg, and 1/8 t. ground cloves. If I make them again, I will double these spices as I thought they were barely noticeable. I will probably omit the sugar because it seems unnecessary, and I think it makes the pancakes brown a little too quickly. It seemed to take these pancakes a little longer to cook through so I recommend slightly reducing the heat on the griddle and cooking a little longer.
We ate them with butter and pure maple sirup from Funk's Grove.
So, I'm redoubling my efforts at incorporating pumpkin into our diets. I have a pumpkin brownie/bar recipe that wasn't terribly successful, so I won't share that until it's better. Tonight, some of the kids wanted me to make pumpkin pancakes so I gave it a try. The verdicts of my family members varied between (a) LOVE IT! (b) it's fine, and (c) highly distraught that I messed with the pancakes. I actually fell somewhere between (a) and (b).
Here's what I did: I took my big batch pancake recipe and altered it. I added 1 cup of pumpkin puree to the liquid ingredients and reduced the milk to 1.5 cups. I added 2 T. sugar, 1/2 t. cinnamon, 1/8 t. nutmeg, and 1/8 t. ground cloves. If I make them again, I will double these spices as I thought they were barely noticeable. I will probably omit the sugar because it seems unnecessary, and I think it makes the pancakes brown a little too quickly. It seemed to take these pancakes a little longer to cook through so I recommend slightly reducing the heat on the griddle and cooking a little longer.
We ate them with butter and pure maple sirup from Funk's Grove.
Pie Test #7: Sweetened Only With Splenda (But More)
So I was in a hurry, and I committed multiple flubs with this pie. I didn't sufficiently beat the eggs into the pumpkin mixture, so there were a few blobs of cooked egg white. I forgot to cook at a higher temp for 15 minutes then reduce...baked the whole time at 350. Then, baked a little too long, but just a little. The fluting on the crust was just, well, ugly.
But, even with all those problems, I was able to make the evaluation I planned. As you may recall from pie test #6, I sweetened only with Splenda and found the results less sweet than I like. This time I again sweetened only with Splenda, but I increased the amount of Splenda from 3/4 cup to 1 full cup.
The verdict: The full cup of Splenda produced the desired level of sweetness. However, I think it lacks some of the mouth-feel that sugar provides. It's not a huge difference, and we should expect there to be trade-offs for giving up sugar. But, with that said, I think I would prefer to add a little sugar back in. I was happy with the half sugar/half Splenda pie from test #5. My next attempt will probably involve a one-third sugar/two-thirds sugar split. Then, we should know the best ratio to balance carbs, taste, and texture.
But, even with all those problems, I was able to make the evaluation I planned. As you may recall from pie test #6, I sweetened only with Splenda and found the results less sweet than I like. This time I again sweetened only with Splenda, but I increased the amount of Splenda from 3/4 cup to 1 full cup.
The verdict: The full cup of Splenda produced the desired level of sweetness. However, I think it lacks some of the mouth-feel that sugar provides. It's not a huge difference, and we should expect there to be trade-offs for giving up sugar. But, with that said, I think I would prefer to add a little sugar back in. I was happy with the half sugar/half Splenda pie from test #5. My next attempt will probably involve a one-third sugar/two-thirds sugar split. Then, we should know the best ratio to balance carbs, taste, and texture.
Thoughts About High School Math...Looking Ahead
For your reading pleasure, some stream-of-consciousness musings about teaching high school math in my homeschool.
Keep in mind that my degree is in teaching high school mathematics and computer science. But, other than student teaching, I never taught in a classroom. I worked for a large insurance company instead. That is not to say that I feel my education qualifies me to discuss it...only that it will tell you that I really like math.
My goal for our homeschool is to give our kids at least as good of an education as I had (public school). That was easy to surpass in elementary school. For high school, it will be easy to surpass in English and history. However, I had an excellent math and science education, so that will be harder to achieve. I tested into Calculus 1 at a great state university, and I passed that class with an A. My high school course of mathematics was:
8th grade Algebra 1
9th grade College Algebra
10th grade Geometry
11th grade Trigonometry & Analytic Geometry
12th grade Calculus
At the time I was in high school I remember that doing Algebra 2 immediately after Algebra 1 was considered unusual. But, the teachers of the program I was in specifically organized it that way because they thought it made more sense. It worked well for me, so that's why I'm planning to do it that way. (There is one good argument for taking geometry in tenth grade. The PSAT test is taken in the fall of eleventh grade, and it includes geometry. If you're not planning to do the PSAT, then it doesn't matter.)
Because my daughter is going to do Algebra 2 in the fall, it means I haven't looked specifically at geometry programs yet since we won't need that for a year. My high school geometry was a very traditional approach with many proofs. I understand that many geometry courses no longer emphasize the proof. But, again, I haven't researched the possibilities.
I would love to be able to do my own high school math program with just me and a textbook, and I would probably do that if I only had 1 kid. But the reality of having four kids means I need a program that will allow them to be more independent. But, I think most kids will encounter mental roadblocks at some point with any curriculum. They will need help to get over those.
We used Horizons through sixth grade, and I thought it was a little advanced. Then, in seventh grade we switched to Teaching Textbooks Pre-Algebra, which my first two daughters both did very well in. The oldest did Teaching Textbooks Algebra 1 this past year in 8th grade. She did well, but I wouldn't call it easy. I've been very happy with Teaching Textbooks, and I felt the girls understood what they were learning. I thought they could've used more practice problems, but overall I was pleased.
Then, I saw on Jay Wile's blog that he recommended VideoText, and I started wondering why he didn't recommend Teaching Textbooks, so I started researching. I emailed with a mathy friend (who actually did teach in a classroom), and I emailed several homeschool moms with kids in college asking their opinions. They older homeschool moms almost universally used Saxon...but there weren't as many other options back then. I also looked at reviews on the internet as well as the internet forum at welltrainedmind.com. I also compared the table of contents of TT Alg 1, Alg 2, and Pre-Calc with VideoText and others.
I've decided that Teaching Textbooks is not bad, but it is not as rigorous as others. Rigorous is not necessarily a good thing. And, if I was not a math person, I might continue with Teaching Textbooks with this caution: I think that to be able to do very well on the ACT, you would have to go through Pre-Calc. Also, if my kids were seriously considering a math/science field like engineering, I'd probably use something else. But how do you know that in eighth grade?
I finally decided that since I am a math person, and since I want the kids to have the same type of math education I had, I'm going to switch to something else. I'm not completely convinced in my mind own mind about what curriculum is best for us. I still haven't decided for sure about next year (Algebra 2). I have sample DVD's from VideoText and Chalk Dust. My student and I are going to watch them soon. I've also heard good things about the Lial's textbooks. I happened upon one of those in the church library a couple of weeks ago, and I brought it home to look at, but haven't had time yet. I figure I can always go back to Teaching Textbooks if something else isn't working.
Also, if you're interested, my high school science courses were:
9th grade Biology
10th grade Chemistry
11th grade Physics
12th grade (I can't remember, so I must not have done science that year)
That's why my kids have done General Science in 7th grade and Physical Science in 8th grade, so we would be ready to follow this same sequence in high school. I'm using Apologia, but I think we are going to attempt to CLEP the science classes, so she will have to do extra studying following the regular Apologia coursework in order to pass the CLEP test. Haven't decided for sure about that yet, though.
Keep in mind that my degree is in teaching high school mathematics and computer science. But, other than student teaching, I never taught in a classroom. I worked for a large insurance company instead. That is not to say that I feel my education qualifies me to discuss it...only that it will tell you that I really like math.
My goal for our homeschool is to give our kids at least as good of an education as I had (public school). That was easy to surpass in elementary school. For high school, it will be easy to surpass in English and history. However, I had an excellent math and science education, so that will be harder to achieve. I tested into Calculus 1 at a great state university, and I passed that class with an A. My high school course of mathematics was:
8th grade Algebra 1
9th grade College Algebra
10th grade Geometry
11th grade Trigonometry & Analytic Geometry
12th grade Calculus
At the time I was in high school I remember that doing Algebra 2 immediately after Algebra 1 was considered unusual. But, the teachers of the program I was in specifically organized it that way because they thought it made more sense. It worked well for me, so that's why I'm planning to do it that way. (There is one good argument for taking geometry in tenth grade. The PSAT test is taken in the fall of eleventh grade, and it includes geometry. If you're not planning to do the PSAT, then it doesn't matter.)
Because my daughter is going to do Algebra 2 in the fall, it means I haven't looked specifically at geometry programs yet since we won't need that for a year. My high school geometry was a very traditional approach with many proofs. I understand that many geometry courses no longer emphasize the proof. But, again, I haven't researched the possibilities.
I would love to be able to do my own high school math program with just me and a textbook, and I would probably do that if I only had 1 kid. But the reality of having four kids means I need a program that will allow them to be more independent. But, I think most kids will encounter mental roadblocks at some point with any curriculum. They will need help to get over those.
We used Horizons through sixth grade, and I thought it was a little advanced. Then, in seventh grade we switched to Teaching Textbooks Pre-Algebra, which my first two daughters both did very well in. The oldest did Teaching Textbooks Algebra 1 this past year in 8th grade. She did well, but I wouldn't call it easy. I've been very happy with Teaching Textbooks, and I felt the girls understood what they were learning. I thought they could've used more practice problems, but overall I was pleased.
Then, I saw on Jay Wile's blog that he recommended VideoText, and I started wondering why he didn't recommend Teaching Textbooks, so I started researching. I emailed with a mathy friend (who actually did teach in a classroom), and I emailed several homeschool moms with kids in college asking their opinions. They older homeschool moms almost universally used Saxon...but there weren't as many other options back then. I also looked at reviews on the internet as well as the internet forum at welltrainedmind.com. I also compared the table of contents of TT Alg 1, Alg 2, and Pre-Calc with VideoText and others.
I've decided that Teaching Textbooks is not bad, but it is not as rigorous as others. Rigorous is not necessarily a good thing. And, if I was not a math person, I might continue with Teaching Textbooks with this caution: I think that to be able to do very well on the ACT, you would have to go through Pre-Calc. Also, if my kids were seriously considering a math/science field like engineering, I'd probably use something else. But how do you know that in eighth grade?
I finally decided that since I am a math person, and since I want the kids to have the same type of math education I had, I'm going to switch to something else. I'm not completely convinced in my mind own mind about what curriculum is best for us. I still haven't decided for sure about next year (Algebra 2). I have sample DVD's from VideoText and Chalk Dust. My student and I are going to watch them soon. I've also heard good things about the Lial's textbooks. I happened upon one of those in the church library a couple of weeks ago, and I brought it home to look at, but haven't had time yet. I figure I can always go back to Teaching Textbooks if something else isn't working.
Also, if you're interested, my high school science courses were:
9th grade Biology
10th grade Chemistry
11th grade Physics
12th grade (I can't remember, so I must not have done science that year)
That's why my kids have done General Science in 7th grade and Physical Science in 8th grade, so we would be ready to follow this same sequence in high school. I'm using Apologia, but I think we are going to attempt to CLEP the science classes, so she will have to do extra studying following the regular Apologia coursework in order to pass the CLEP test. Haven't decided for sure about that yet, though.
Pie Test #6: Sweetened only with Splenda
For the first time in my great pumpkin experiment, I have been less-than-thrilled with the results of my pie. Don't get me wrong. The pie wasn't bad. It was pretty good. Definitely better than anything you could buy at a store. But, it just tasted not quite sweet enough. Stay tuned to see if we can make it better while still having as few carbs as possible.
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