The Creative Salad – Page 11 – Crafty fun and homeschool adventures in Sonoma County, California.

Mango, Avocado, and Quinoa Salad Recipe

Goodness, it’s been ages since I’ve posted a healthy, gluten-free recipe here on the site. This particular salad is one that I’ve been making and enjoying frequently. It takes 2 minutes to put together and I absolutely love it.

Cut up one mango and avocado, season with salt to taste. Add several heaping spoonfuls of cooked quinoa. Mix thoroughly. Enjoy!

Tip: We always keep a batch of quinoa cooked with homemade vegetable beef stock on hand in the fridge. Since it’s already made, we find it incredibly easy to add this high protein seed to soups, scrambles, and salads. Give it a try!

American Flag Painting Projects

With July Fourth quickly approaching we decided to do a few simple and festive flag painting projects.

First we talked about the historical significance of Independence Day. We discussed why there are 13 stripes on the flag. (Wait, there are 13 stripes on the flag?! Thanks to David for that tidbit; my knowledge of American History is sorely lacking. I’m enjoying learning along with our daughter!)

We talked about the original 13 colonies and the Betsy Ross legend.

Then we decided to make two types of flags.

One from circa 1776 (in the Betsy Ross style), on the left, and one for today:

(Oh, how I love those stars that she drew!)

She wanted to color in the California state flag too:

We then set about designing our own flags just for fun:

Above is a drawing of the house she wants to live in when she grows up. It’s an actual house located on Jesse Street; in her eyes that street’s named after Jessie, her favorite character from The Boxcar Children book series. (Any time we head into town she asks if we can “take Jessie street.” As long as it’s not too far out of the way, I try to oblige her.) How sweet that she wanted her flag to depict that house!

Two Homeschooling Spaces

When my cousin (who had been living with us) moved to San Francisco we found ourselves with an extra room.

The grownups immediately thought “an office JUST FOR US!” (Okay, and a guest room too.)

But we’ve discovered a better use for it.

Our daughter calls it the “other homeschooling room” but it’s really a work space for the whole family. (And we’ll probably call it The Homeschool Room in the long run.)

A place to blog and work from home, yes, but also a place to write stories, scrapbook, draw, sew, play, and read.

(I love the indirect light that pours through that giant window all day.)

We have bins of toys and stacks of educational games and activities.

The “old” homeschooling room will be where we make art and do messy science projects. (We now call it the Art Room.)

Evidently we’re no longer a little one room schoolhouse.

Now to get some art on the walls and find time to decorate and cozy up the space. We have plans.

The State of the Pantry

I’ve been exercising like a mad woman (well, sorta), I feel fantastic, but am still stuck at my pre pregnancy weight (i.e. twenty pounds higher than I’d like to be). Wah wah.

One thing that’s looking lighter around here though is our pantry.

Here’s what it looked like a year ago:

And the state of it today:

Oh, and here’s our baking cupboard:

While we have less food in the pantry, there’s WAY more foodstuffs in the fridge. (I love the summer produce season.)

In fact the fridge is stuffed to the gills with salad fixings and veggies, cooked quinoa, hard boiled eggs, nuts, stews, braised meats, grass fed beef hot dogs, handmade salad dressings…

Despite no dairy, gluten, nightshades, corn or chocolate in ~~our~~ my diet, we’re eating well around here!

Now to really up the exercise… as much as I love the yoga and walks, they don’t impact my weight the same way that running does. (Good thing I love, love, love my runs!) So I gotta prioritize and find the time to run more than once a week. Right now I feel like it may take a miracle. I’m going to aim for three runs a week and go from there.

Quiet Homeschooling Moments

Helping with the grocery list

We’re gearing up for officially starting homeschooling kindergarten this August and so I have lesson plans and activities on the brain.

(Although all learning around here is initiated and led by our daughter. We do not believe in pushing her academically. After all, she’s only five years old. And she’s plenty precocious and self motivated on her own.)

Our daughter is particularly interested in geography (i.e. planning trips), reading historical fiction, playing math games, bird species identification, and writing lists.

And so we do just that.

Planning a menu from 1854 pioneer America

Drawing birds we’ve spotted at our house (with the help of photos from the Stokes Beginner’s Guide to Birds Western Region — thank you, Grandma!)

Playing math games with Cuisenaire Rods