Tag: Children

Letter I Sprinkles

Letter I Preschool Unit

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I’m so thankful I get to spend time with my children for their preschool years. First, I share our curriculum choices and why we use them. Keep reading to find out how we explored the Letter I. Finally, at the bottom, we list our favorite supplies for the preschool years.

Letter I Sprinkles
Letter I Sprinkles

PRESCHOOL CURRICULUM

SUPPORTS AMPLE NATURE TIME

  • The Peaceful Preschool – The schedule is amazing because it sets aside one day per week for field trips
  • Exploring Nature with Children – This works well for my family because it is centered around being outdoors
  • The Abundant Gardener – We are learning more about gardening together so this will naturally provide chances to visit gardens, plant stores, and be outside on our land

THE PEACEFUL PRESCHOOL

We currently follow the Peaceful Preschool curriculum by Jennifer Pepito and we love it! The content is full of rich literature, therefore it is a perfect fit for my book-loving family.  We read through many rich, classic stories. We also complete playful projects to go with the literature theme or letter. Download Unit A for free to try it out with your littles to see if you like it.

The community she has created is such a beautiful resource and I’m grateful to be a part of it. Jennifer has included a wonderful preschool e-book which helps you prepare to guide your child in early learning. We have found her curriculum perfect for our homeschool preschool. The curriculum is comprised of Read Aloud, Phonics, Counting Skills, Fine Motor Skills, Large Motor Skills, Practical Life Skills, and Art Skills. Also, here is how we enjoyed the letter A unit. Feel free to explore all of our letter units!

Letter I Sprinkles
Letter I Sprinkles

LETTER I REVIEW

We began the letter I unit and had so much fun with it! The focus books for letter I are Ice Cream Summer, Inch by Inch, and a story from the Jesus Storybook Bible. Also, we read The Little Island, and listened to the audio version of this one before we purchased it.

the little island
the little island

Then, we created glitter glue letters. The Peaceful Preschool recommends glitter glue in order to create the finishing touches on sensory, alphabet flashcards. We have used them with all of the letters so far. It is really one of my children’s favorite parts.

Ice Cream Summer
Ice Cream Summer

We used some spare loose parts to create ice cream cones and also read through Ice Cream Summer.

ice cream summer
ice cream summer
Inch by Inch
Inch by Inch
Jesus Storybook Bible
Jesus Storybook Bible

I IS FOR ICE CREAM

I love gaining inspiration for our homeschool on Pinterest. This simple idea came from Pinterest to cut out ice cream templates using colorful construction paper we already had on hand. The boys took turn adding scoops to correspond with the number on the ice cream cone.

Ice Cream Counting
Ice Cream Counting

SENSORY WRITING PRACTICE

Next, we added old sprinkles to a tray so the boys could practice writing the letter I.

sprinkles letters
sprinkles letters

I love providing these tactile, sensory experiences for them. Of course, the boys take the opportunity to sneak a few sprinkles into their mouths!

Sprinkles Writing
Sprinkles Writing

ICE CREAM PLAY

The boys worked together to “earn” this special Melissa and Doug Ice Cream Shop about six months ago. We brought it out to go along with our ice cream theme since it worked perfectly!

Ice Cream Play
Ice Cream Play

We also played with these felt ice cream shapes and glitter. I wouldn’t recommend it however, because it was time consuming for Mama to make and one of those activities that the boys were not engaged in for very long.

felt ice cream
felt ice cream

HOMEMADE ICE CREAM

Last summer, we purchased our first homemade ice cream maker and made our own strawberry mint sorbet. I counted this as “ice cream.” The boys loved helping me make this recipe and it was super simple. Feel free to read the post which includes this recipe here.

strawberry mint sorbet recipe
strawberry mint sorbet recipe

ICE CREAM – LICK HONEST ICE CREAM VISIT

Finally, we visited our favorite ice cream spot: Lick Honest Ice Cream. I love going here for an occasional treat because they offer delicious vegan ice cream made with coconut milk.

Then, for their dairy versions, they source milk from local dairy farms who feed their cows primarily grass. We try for whole milk, grass fed dairy options we can! Another sneaky trick about this place is they offer a hot pink ice cream which my boys love and the flavor is Beet Mint! I love how adventurous my little eaters are.

Ice Cream
Ice Cream

COUNTING PRACTICE

We reviewed our numbers with these beautiful wooden trays from Jennifer. One side is a great fine motor and counting activity using these little wooden beads.

Wooden Counter
Wooden Counter

And the other side has numbers for tracing and writing practice.

Wooden Numbers
Wooden Numbers

We reviewed numbers 0-10 with these fun tactile sandpaper numbers that come with a really nice storage box.

Tactile Numbers
Tactile Numbers

Finally, we created more glitter glue numbers and reviewed them. These are such sweet cards that come with the curriculum.

Numbers Practice
Numbers Practice

 

BALANCE BEAM – LARGE MOTOR SKILLS

Then, we found an old board lying around and some left over brick when our house was built. The boys helped me create a balance beam and then took turns using it!

Balance Beam
Balance Beam

We took out our measuring tape to measure how long and wide the board was.

Balance Beam
Balance Beam

I IS FOR INCH WORM

Have you read Inch by Inch by Leo Lionni before? It is a quick read and I love the illustrations and focus on nature. It is a sweet story of a clever inch worm who is requested to measure different birds. After reading the story, we collected some of the boys toys and measured how long they were.

inch by inch
inch by inch

ALPHABET PRACTICE

I love these beautiful sandpaper alphabet cards and they are pretty inexpensive. Its really nice to have the boys trace these with their fingers to practice pre writing skills. My youngest especially loves to practice writing this way! We also used play dough to form letters. I think my oldest made A, B,  and C before moving onto another activity.

Alphabet and Clay
Alphabet and Clay

I IS FOR ICING

Finally, during this time of letter I study, we celebrated my oldest’s fifth birthday. I made homemade sweets for his little party. We made a healthy cocoa sweet potato icing since it was delicious, nutritious and easy! If you are interested in learning more about clean eating, check out my wellness mamas post here.

Birthday Icing
Finally, Birthday Icing

SUPPLIES

Montessori Moveable Alphabet
Sandpaper Alphabet Cards
Ice Cream Summer
Inch by Inch
Jesus Storybook Bible
Construction Paper
Sprinkles
Cusinart Ice Cream Maker
Montessori Sandpaper Numbers
Glitter Glue
Natural Play Dough
Melissa and Doug Wooden Ice Cream Shop

OUR PICKS

 

Finally, here is how we enjoyed the letter A unit. We had so much fun with letter A and can’t wait to share the next letter with you!

 

paleo doughnuts sprinkles

Paleo Cinnamon Roll Doughnuts

nourishedchildren 1 Comment

DOUGHNUTS AS A CHILD

I have never been a big fan of doughnuts, even though I love sweets. I fondly remember trips to Krispy Kreme and Dunkin Donuts with my parents. However, I was very picky in choosing flavors. While I absolutely love chocolate, I never cared for chocolate doughnuts. Call me a chocolate connoisseur – I’m super picky about my chocolate. Even as a child, I felt like they were not really chocolate.

I usually ended up picking glazed blueberry doughnuts with a side of chocolate milk. The sugary sweets were absolutely delicious at the time. Finally, a sugar crash usually followed consumption of the treats and I didn’t feel all that great. Yet, strangely it would leave me wanting more.

Paleo Doughnuts
Paleo Doughnuts

D IS FOR DOUGHNUTS

I homeschool my preschoolers, and we are following the Peaceful Preschool curriculum. Check out the fun we had with the letter D unit! We read If You Give a Dog a Donut as part of the D unit. Since I’m a big sweet lover, I knew I wanted to make doughnuts with my boys to go with the unit.

We have been following mostly a Paleo diet. We mainly eat a whole foods diet, with as many nutrients as possible. It is key for optimal health and feeling your best. My husband is gluten-intolerant, so we avoid gluten in nearly all our home cooking. I searched for paleo doughnut recipes on Pinterest and came up with a few we would like to try. My husband loves cinnamon rolls so when I found a cinnamon roll recipe for these treats, I knew we found the recipe for us!

paleo doughnuts sprinkles
paleo doughnuts sprinkles

PALEO CINNAMON ROLL DOUGHNUTS

doughnut pan
doughnut pan

Try these doughnuts below in order to have a paleo option without dairy, gluten or sugar.

Doughnut Ingredients
Doughnut Ingredients
PALEO CINNAMON ROLL DOUGHNUTS 
Note: If you want to make Chocolate Doughnuts, add in 1 tablespoon of raw cocoa powder to the batter and top with cocoa nibs before baking.

DOUGHNUT INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup coconut flour, sifted
1 cup almond flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 pinch of sea salt
4 large eggs
1/2 cup almond milk
2 tablespoons almond butter
1 tablespoon tahini
1/2 cup raw honey

Preheat your oven to 350'F. Grease a doughnut pan with coconut oil. I used this doughnut pan here. This one also looks amazing. 

Mix all of the dry ingredients together in a bowl.

Then, in a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and mix it together with the almond milk. 

Melt your nut butters and honey in a saucepan the stovetop. Stir the mixture together until it becomes thick. 

Next, combine the nut butters, honey, egg, and milk mixture with the dry ingredients. Stir it all together until its a thick batter.

Finally, transfer the mixture into the greased doughnut pan and bake for 25-30 minutes. You will know when they are cooked when the tops are golden brown. Allow the doughnuts to sit in the doughnut pan for five minutes, then remove them and set them on a baker's rack to cool. Once cooled down, you can frost them.  

FROSTING INGREDIENTS
5 tablespoons coconut butter, melted
2 tablespoons alternative sugar of your choice
almond milk

Combine all of the frosting ingredients with a spoon, and stir it together until it thickens like a batter. Spoon onto the doughnuts until they are coated. Finally, we added rainbow sprinkles for an extra special touch. We normally don't use colored dyes in our house, but I felt once would be a treat. Alternatively, you could sprinkle cinnamon on top!

This recipe was adapted from the bigmansworld. You can find the original recipe here. Arman has created some amazing clean sweets and I can’t wait to try some others out!

We also made these adorable apple “doughnuts” with cream cheese and almond butter for breakfast!

almond butter apple doughnuts
almond butter apple doughnuts
apple slices with cream cheese doughnuts
apple slices with cream cheese doughnuts

Homemade Jars of Strawberry Jam

Simple Homemade Strawberry Jam

nourishedchildren 2 Comments

GRANDMOTHER’S HOUSE

My fondest memory of my Grandmother Tessie was how much she loved her family, and I also loved her homemade strawberry jam. While we visited my Grandmother each year, we were welcomed with a home-cooked breakfast. Each morning, we could wake up to count on: bacon, sausage, grits, homemade biscuits, butter, and homemade strawberry jelly. I have always loved food and am particularly fond of a big breakfast and the star of Grandmother Tessie’s breakfast was her strawberry jam.

STRAWBERRY JAM AND BUTTER

My Grandpa Ford showed me how to mix butter and strawberry jelly together in just the right amounts to make a delicious topping for anything. We would take a fork and mash together the two ingredients and although it didn’t look very pretty, it had a heavenly taste. I’m pretty sure my eyes rolled back in my head with delight each time we concocted it. When I was in middle school, I learned Grandmother’s delicious jelly actually was made with figs. Since I didn’t know anything about a fig, I was a little shocked and turned off by my new knowledge. My ignorance quickly faded and I maintained my reverence of her strawberry jam.

Superfoods Home Page Strawberry Plant Garden Hands
Home Page Strawberry Plant Garden Hands
Strawberry Jam Helping Hands
Strawberry Jam and Helping Hands

Grandmother Tessie lived to be 97. She lived a long, loving and loved life, filled with a large family, and homegrown and homemade foods.

CHILDREN IN THE KITCHEN

I knew just the thing to do when I discovered an abundance of strawberries in my refrigerator. I rounded up my boys and we made homemade strawberry jam. My boys are always so excited to help us out in the kitchen. Their faces lit up and they are so delighted to get their hands on the food and assist. I call my boys my great little helpers often – and they truly are. They wash berries in the sink, cut off the stems, place berries in a bowl, squeeze lemon to make fresh juice, and dump in sugar, and vanilla extract from my pre-measured spoons and cups. They also stir it all together before I place it on the cooktop to simmer.

When your children assist you in the kitchen, it may take longer for the task to be completed, and your kitchen may get dirty. Yet, I believe the benefits of including your children in cooking preparation far outweighs the negatives. We can help you discover tips on how to get your children more involved in the kitchen.

  • STRAWBERRY JAM: The recipe is super simple and super delicious! I hope you enjoy it as much as we all did.
SIMPLE, HOMEMADE STRAWBERRY JAM

Ingredients:

2 pounds strawberries, sliced and stems removed
Juice of one lemon
Zest of half a lemon
2 cups sugar (raw cane sugar or coconut sugar - I'm going to try honey next!)
2.5 teaspoons fig balsamic vinegar (or plain balsamic vinegar)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients into a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat and stir frequently. Reduce heat to a simmer and stir occasionally. 

Jam should be ready in about 60-90 minutes. It should be thick and jam-like.

I stored my jam in a mason jar in the refrigerator. It should keep for a month. However, I don't think it will last that long!

This recipe is adapted from a Completely Delicious recipe. I use fig balsamic vinegar because it reminds me so much of my Grandmother’s homemade version. I also add lemon zest for brightness since a little extra lemon is almost always a welcome addition! If you try this jam recipe, please comment! I would love to hear how it turns out for you! 

Finally, Boys in the kitchen strawberry jam

 

OUR PICKS

Boys Stirring Muffins. Helping in the kitchen.

Help Your Child Eat A Variety of Foods

nourishedchildren 2 Comments

Help Your Child Eat A Variety of Foods

“The parents’ chief care is, that that which they supply shall be wholesome and nourishing, whether in the way of picture-books, lessons, playmates, bread and milk, or mother’s love.”  — Charlotte Mason Home Education pg. 5

Boys in the kitchen strawberry jam
Boys in the kitchen strawberry jam

“My child only eats mac and cheese and a few other foods. We struggle to feed our child a variety of foods. I want my child to eat something, anything. So, we finally offer my child mac and cheese so he won’t starve.” 

I see so many parents with this struggle. It is easy to fall victim to this vicious cycle. When we offer food to our children and they don’t eat their food, we feel like we should never offer the particular meal again. This results in your child eating the same variety of foods.

When young children are learning how to eat, they may need to try the same food many times before they discover if they like it or not. My oldest son refused eggs in ALL methods of preparation for about two years! Then one day, he decided he wanted a hard boiled egg. He has consumed hard boiled eggs ever since.

Find out why a Farmer’s Market and CSA is wonderful for your family. 

 

Helping hands in kitchen. Fresh vegetables.
Helping hands in kitchen. Fresh vegetables.

Below, are four tips to help your child receive a variety of healthy nutrients to nourish their bodies.

  1. STOP SERVING MAC AND CHEESE. Literally.

Give your child a few days to adjust, give yourself some grace, and provide a variety of other healthy foods. Do not feed your child mac and cheese, no matter what. Its just a few days – you can do it. In a few days, feel free to offer it back to them on occasion. The intention is not to deprive them of the foods they love, however, you are in control of what they eat. Provide them foods other than mac and cheese. 

2. WHAT DO WE EAT? 

  • Offer a variety of healthy food choices. Foods can be simple, easy and enjoyed by the whole family. When you offer an assortment of healthy choices to your children, you are fueling their bodies. The following examples below are filled with nutrients. Children can also help to prepare these foods.
Examples are, but certainly not limited to:

You can find simple recipes the whole family can be involved with on Pinterest.

3. INVOLVE YOUR CHILDREN IN THE FOOD PREPARATION. 

Children, and mamas too, are more interested in something if they have had a part in the creation of it. Children (even very young children) can help prepare all of the above meal examples in tip #2. By participating in food preparation, children are more inclined to taste test what they directly helped make. Please always make sure to assist your children and supervise as needed.

Your children can learn and help you by: gathering ingredients that are accessible to them, opening jars, bags, spreading the foods on the sandwiches, spiralizing vegetable noodles, squeezing lemons, adding garnish to dishes, and washing fresh fruit or vegetables.

Helping hands in the kitchen. Peeling vegetables.
Helping hands in the kitchen. Peeling vegetables.

4. EAT MEALS WITH YOUR CHILDREN. 

When it is possible, sit down and eat meals with your children. Lead by example so your children see you eat the same foods you are asking them to eat. Children are constantly learning from everything they experience, see and hear. When you sit beside your child, and eat the same foods together as a family, you are reinforcing their good eating habits. 

Stick with this parents and you can do this. Remember, you are their primary and first source of nourishment and you make the decisions. It may be a tough few days, but you can do this. I have seen it work with my children. Pave a path for your children. With your efforts, they will experience a wealth of nutrient dense and healthy foods, in just a few days time.

Our boys are pictured below. We made homemade whipped cream with just a few ingredients and it therefore turned out amazing. Finally, we topped our gluten-free pancakes with the cream.

Boys homemade whipped cream

 

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