Why we are Homeschooling and our First Day of School

We have officially gotten through our very first week of Homeschooling! With the 3 day weekend and our first class day with our co-op, we eased our way into this new routine and we've loved every minute of it.

I've been asked a lot WHY we are Homeschooling. 

I could give you a very long post on our reasons. But I'll save that for another blog post someday.

The short reason? This is what God has called us to do and we are going embrace this new season of life we are beginning.

Am I excited? Yes.

Am I nervous? Yes.

Do I trust the direction God is moving our life? With all my heart. He's known this was the plan all along. Thank you Jesus.

While we are in the building phase of our home, the cabin we are staying in on our land is home to us. It's small but fits us comfortably and we are very blessed to have this add on room that works as a office/workout room/class room. We've used up every inch of the space possible and we're happy with the the outcome.

Not everyone that homeschools has a "classroom" and there are a lot of different styles of homeschooling. Why we made a classroom? With the house building, country moving lifestyle changes and the fact we had space in this cabin to do it is why we made one. Having the room set up this way motivates Carson and I when we begin our school day, it's something we both enjoy. It has made beginning kindergarten exciting to him and he looks forward to coming in here everyday to learn. 

Prep... We have truly enjoyed getting familiar with our little local library here in our tiny town :) They've helped me order books in from other branches that will work well with our study units over the next few weeks. We go once a week. The kids get to play, and I get to explore! Double win.

Over the summer I spent a lot of time looking at SO many different types of curriculum. Then one day this awesome curriculum fell on my lap. Or should I say a wonderful friend of mine was selling her used curriculum from previous school years and this was it! Just another awesome move from God.

Caleb snapped this pic of me one night as I was working on the classroom prepping for our first week. I grumbled about it then, now a few weeks later I appreciate that he took this. I want to remember these early stages of this new journey we are on.

What do I hope to get out of our first year of Homeschooling?

Time. Time to be with my children as they learn, explore and grow stronger in their knowledge of the Lord. Time for more giggles, games, story times and snuggles.

I'm honored and humbled to get to do this with our kids. 

I'm also very thankful for my hard working Husband. He works away from us all day so that we can be here together. I'm also thankful for my coaching that allows me to work freely from home.

How we started out our first day of school. Tractor ride and skipping. It was beautiful weather too! So thankful that Fall weather is starting to say hello.

Some pictures from our school day. The first 10 days of this curriculum is called "Foundation: The Story of Creation." We started with Day 1 and read Genesis 1:1-5 in Carson's new Bible. 

At the end of the school day I asked Carson what he wanted to do now that he was done with his first day of school. His response? He wanted to go take care of the animals :) So that's what he did!

What did Lily do after our first day?

She decided the bedroom floor was a good place to fall asleep. Don't worry, I moved her to the bed :)

4 years in a blink. So proud of our sweet, silly, train track building boy. You are a blessing Carskey boy. 

This first day of homeschool has been a long time in the making. I wasn't sure if I was going to be cut out for this, to be the teacher I wanted him to have. Lots of prayer, encouragement from loved ones and other homeschool mamas and God's glorious grace got us to this point. I'm feeling incredibly thankful and blessed for this new season God has called on us, and honored to have this role in my kids lives. 

Is homeschooling for everyone? No. Is it what my family and I have been called to do? Yes. And we are going to savor it, thrive in it God willing and enjoy it. ❤️

This blog started out as a place to share my passion for health and fitness. Over the last year it has grown to a place where I also share our journey as new homesteaders and now as a new homeschool mom. Thank you for reading and stay tuned for lots more posts in the future. 

Recipe: Sweet and Sour Meatballs and Zoodles: Instant Pot Clean Eating Edition

When making healthy lifestyle changes what is one of the first things we cut out? Soda? The junk food aisle? Eating out? 

Ah yes eating out was a big one for me. I love take out Chinese food. Sweet and Sour anything makes my taste buds jump for joy.

Not only does cutting eating out several times a week help your waist line, it also will help your wallet! 

This recipe I came up with last week in the instant pot sure hit the spot for my Chinese food craving.  Pair it with my Healthy Combination Fried Rice and you'll (hopefully) be a happy camper!

Ingredients:

Sweet and Sour Sauce:

3/4 cup organic coconut sugar OR sucanat

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar 

1/4 cup organic ketchup

1 tsp garlic salt

1 tbsp braggs liquid aminos

2 tbsp cornstarch

1 tbsp water

Meatballs:

1/3 cup whole wheat bread crumbs

1/4 cup 2 % milk or unsweetened almond milk

2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 lbs organic grass fed beef or organic lean ground turkey (note: we prefer this recipe with beef)

2 large eggs

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

1 tsp dried oregano leaves

1/2 tsp sea salt or Himalayan Salt

1/2 tsp ground pepper

Zoodles: 

1 Zucchini

a little sliced onion optional

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Zoodler/veggie spiralizer

Directions:

Step #1: Make meatball mixture, cover and let chill in fridge for 30-60 minutes. Get your Instant Pot ready to go. Have the stainless steel pot clean/inside and place the rack inside as well. Add 1 cup of organic beef broth. Roll out meatballs and fill place them inside the pot. I start out by lining them up on the outside rim of the rack circle and make my way in. Cover the lid and set it to manual, high pressure for 5 minutes. Make sure the pressure valve is sealed. Once the pot has pressurized and cooked for 5 minutes put it in "natural release mode" ( set to warm for 10 minutes, then release the valve and remove the lid). 

*Note: I tend to prep my zucchini at this time as well.

Step #2: While the meatballs are cooking let's start making the sauce! Take a bowl and add all the dry ingredients BUT the cornstarch. Mix well then add water. Mix well again. Once the meatballs are done remove lid, take the rack out with meatballs on them. They make be a little stuck to the rack. If so, turn the rack upside down and dump the meatballs on to a plate. Drain any extra liquid left in the IP and then place pot back inside IP. Set IP to keep warm and add sauce mixture. Let warm up for a few minutes while stirring occasionally. Add cornstarch, stir well/frequently for about 2 mins. Once sauce begins to thicken add meatballs back into pot. Let meatballs sit for a minute, then turn them over and repeat the process another minute. By now you should have nice, flavorful sweet and sour meatballs! Turn pot off.

Step #3: Heat up a cast iron or skillet, add evoo and garlic/onion is optional. Then add zucchini and toss around for a few minutes. Take off heat.

Serve! 

Make these comfort food recipes into healthier versions at home as really helped me stick to my clean eating. Especially while I've been doing this round of Country Heat!

Want more recipes like this? Want more recipes like this, meal prep tips and/or to get started with a fitness routine? I would LOVE to be your coach! You can reach out to me by going to my Facebook page by clicking the picture below....

Have a blessed day,

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Adventures of Homestead Homeschooling

Why We are Homeschooling, Curriculum and First Day


Stay tuned for more Adventures in Homestead Homeschooling!

Meal Prep: Instant Pot Edition - Part 2

Good Morning Friends! I have been having all kinds of fun with my Instant Pot. If you have been checking out my Instagram or Snapchat you know I've been cooking a TON with it. I am shocked that so many people have been checking out my first post "Meal Prep: Instant Pot Edition" that I wanted to create a part 2 with more healthy, tasty recipes you can use throughout the week!

All these recipes below will be used as breakfast and lunches for me throughout this week. I'm on my last week of Country Heat and want to make sure I am using my containers 100%. I know the more tasty clean foods I have prepped in my fridge, the more likely I will do just that!

All these took about 90 minutes total to make! As one was cooking I was cutting, prepping the next recipe. I had a good factory line up going and let me tell you my kitchen smelt amazing!

Sweet Potato Hash: 

Ingredients:

3  small sweet potatoes OR 1 large sweet potato (peeled and diced in 1/2 inch chunks)

3/4 cup diced onion

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 zucchini diced

a dash of sea salt and pepper

Directions:

Turn Instant Pot on to "saute" mode. Add evoo, onions and let simmer for a few minutes. Add diced sweet potatoes and mix together. Add seasoning. Close Lid and set manual for 1 minute. When done use a quick release, remove lid and add diced zucchini in. Toss together well and let sit together for a few minutes. Then scoop and serve or place in meal prep storage containers for the week ahead.

21 Day Fix Container Equivalent: 1 yellow,  1/2 Green, 1 Tsp

Oh my gosh wait tell you try doing your Hard Boiled Eggs in the Instant Pot. You'll never want to cook them any other way again! Easiest peeled eggs EVER.

Farm fresh eggs from our ranch. So yummy

Easy to Peel Hard Boiled Eggs:

Ingredients:

8 Raw Eggs

1 cup water

Directions:

Pour 1 cup of water in the bottom of your Instant Pot. Place rack inside and gently place eggs on top. Set steamer timer to 6 minutes. When done, set to natural release (on warm setting) for 6 minutes. Then remove eggs and place in bowl of ice for 6 minutes. Peel with ease and store in your meal prep container for the week,

21 Day Fix Container Equivalent: 2 eggs = 1 Red

(Do you do video chat meal prep with your friends on the opposite coast? I do! lol)

I wasn't sure how this next recipe was going to go. I had to give myself a good pep talk to make this. I wanted to make this to use as breakfasts for the week and took the plunge and went for it. 

I am SO happy with the results...

Feta and Zucchini Frittata:

Ingredients: 

6 eggs

1/2 cup 2% milk (or unsweetened almond milk)

1/2 zucchini, shredded

2 tbsp crumbled feta

a dash of sea salt and pepper

Directions:

Place 1 cup of water at the bottom of the Instant Pot and place rack inside. In the bowl you will cook in add eggs and whisk. Add milk, feta, zucchini, and seasoning. Mix well. Place bowl inside the instant pot on the rack and close the lid. Cook on manual for 20 minutes. When finished turn valve for quick release. Remove dish and slice into 6 pieces. 1 slice per serving. 

21 Day Fix Container Serving: 1 red, 1/2 blue, 1/2 green

BBQ Chicken:

I made this simple, this week. I cooked 2 chicken breasts using my recipe here: I added my favorite all natural BBQ sauce called "Stubbs". It came out delicious!

These Instant Pot recipes were easy, time savers and DELICIOUS! Stay tuned for more clean eating meal prep recipes coming soon.

 In the mean time...

Want more recipes like this? Want more recipes like this, meal prep tips and/or to get started with a fitness routine? I would LOVE to be your coach! You can reach out to me by going to my Facebook page by clicking the picture below....

Have a blessed day,

Fill out my online form.

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Healthy Homemade Meatballs and Sauce: Instant Pot Edition

I'm gonna get straight to the point with this recipe. It's a modification of my favorite recipe from the Fixate Cookbook and when I tried it out in the Instant Pot for the first time last week I was VERY pleased.

I'm all about keeping it simple, reducing the amount of dishes I have to wash AND eating delicious healthy comfort foods. 

Doesn't that look amazing?! Can you believe that that is 21 Day Fix approved? No need for "diet" food or "processed frozen meals" when you can make something that tastes like this and is actually good for you. Bonus that this doesn't take much time at all.

Wanna know how to make it?

Step #1: Prep Meatball mixture to chill

Ingredients:

1/3 cup whole wheat bread crumbs

1/4 cup 2 % milk or unsweetened almond milk

2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 lbs organic grass fed beef or organic lean ground turkey (note: we prefer this recipe with beef)

2 large eggs

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

1 tsp dried oregano leaves

1/2 tsp sea salt or Himalayan Salt

1/2 tsp ground pepper

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl add bread crumbs and milk. Let it soak while you cut up the rest of the ingredients. Add diced onions, garlic, turkey, eggs parsley, cheese, oregano, salt, pepper into bread crumb mixture and mix well. Cover bowl and place in fridge for 1 hour.

Step #2: The Sauce

Ingredients:

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 (6oz) can organic tomato paste (no salt)

1/8 cup red wine

1 (28oz) can pureed tomatoes (organic, no salt) or you can get canned whole peeled and just blend them before

1 tbsp organic honey or agave nectar

1/2 tsp sea salt or Himalayan salt

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

2 tbsp finely chopped fresh basil

Directions:

Set Instant Pot to saute mode. Add oil and onions and stir frequently for about 3-5 mins. Add Garlic, tomato paste, and stir constantly (don't let paste burn) for about 2 mins. Add wine, cook stirring constantly for 2-3 minutes. Then add pureed tomatoes, honey, salt and pepper. Stir frequently for about 5 minutes. Then switch IP over to "keep warm mode" add basil, mix well and stir occasionally for 20 mins. Then turn off IP until it's time to add the meatballs in and keep the cover on.

Step #3: Time to get cooking!

Take meatball mixture out of the fridge and take lid off instant pot. Give sauce another good stir. Star rolling those meat balls. Use a spoon to scoop the mixture out, roll it and lay them in the sauce mixture inside the instant spot. I start on the outside rim of the pot and do a full circle. Then continue to add meatballs inside the outside circle tell all the space is gone. Cover the lid and set it to manual, high pressure for 5 minutes. Make sure the pressure valve is sealed. Once the pot has pressurized and cooked for 5 minutes put it in "natural release mode" ( set to warm for 10 minutes, then release the valve and remove the lid). 

That's it! Dinner is served! You can poor this meal ball mixture over whole wheat pasta, make open faced meatball sandwiches from the Fixate Cookbook and more! Such and easy recipe that tastes like something you'd get from a Italian restaurant! 

21 Day Fix/Country Heat/Portion Fix Container amounts (per serving): 

2 Greens 1 Red 1/2 Blue (add 1 yellow if you use whole wheat pasta. Make sure you use the container to measure out the portion of the pasta into the bowl and then pour your sauce and meatballs on top.) 2 meatballs = 1 Red Container

Mmmmmm. I like to top mine with a little fresh basil.

So what's the verdict? Well, if you ask myself, my Hubby, my two kids or Nacho Libre they'll tell you...

So what do you think. Will you try them?

Want to see a video of me cooking these? I went on FB Live last night as I was cooking dinner. Check it out:

Want more recipes like this? Want more recipes like this, meal prep tips and/or to get started with a fitness routine? I would LOVE to be your coach! You can reach out to me by going to my Facebook page by clicking the picture below....

Have a blessed day,

Fill out my online form.

Use Wufoo templates to make your own HTML forms.

Healthy Homemade Hamburger Helper: Instant Pot Edition

I love Instant Pot, I love Instant Pot, 

Meow Meow Meow Meow...

Did you sing the song in your head?

It's catchy isn't it?

One one of my favorite things to do is take a not so healthy comfort food recipe and convert it to a delicious comforting healthy recipe using organic clean eating ingredients. The next step is to make it something that my kids will eat too. When all of those factors come together,... I may jump for joy. Or do a cartwheel.

I work from home, am beginning a new chapter of Homeschooling my kids and am helping us grow our ranch! So I'm on the go a lot to say the least (ask my fitbit, lol). The Instant Pot and how quickly I can produce yummy, hot, comforting healthy foods has been such a blessing!

I hope you are enjoying these recipes I'm putting on the blog! If you would like MORE recipes like this you can join my new Facebook Group Clean Eats: Instant Pot Edition by clicking the link.

Last night's dinner was another win for the Instant Pot. 4 happy full bellies in our house and I wanted to share the recipe with you! 

This recipe only took 15 minutes to cook and bonus, it's Fix Portion Approved! 

Healthy Hamburger Helper: Instant Pot Edition

Ingredients:

1.25 lbs organic ground beef

2 Cups uncooked whole wheat organic macaroni pasta

1/2 cup diced onion

1 cup shredded cheese

3 TSP "Better than Bouillon" organic Beef Paste

*Note: You can find this paste at most grocery stores right next to the broths. This is SO much better than using bouillon and so much healthier too!)

3 1/2 cups of hot water

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Dry Ingredients:

3 tsp parsley flakes

2 tsp onion powder

2 tsp of turmeric (optional)

1/2 tsp celery seed

1 tsp sea salt or Himalayan salt

1 tsp sucanat (or unbleached sugar)

1/2 tsp ground pepper

Directions: 

Turn Instant Pot to "saute" mode. Add EVOO and beef and start to brown beef. While beef is browning add all the dry ingredients into 1 bowl. Add hot water, better than bouillon beef paste and dry ingredients blend together and mix well. 

Continue to stir beef while it cooks and make sure it's crumbled well. Once it has cooked add liquid mixture and uncooked pasta. Put lid on Instant Pot and switch mode to "steam" for 5 minutes. Once this finishes pull the pressure valve for a "quick release" and remove lid. Add cheese and stir well. 

Turn off Instant Pot and serve meal.

Enjoy!

21 Day Fix/Country Heat/Portion Fix Container Equivalent:

1 Red 1 Yellow 1/2  Blue 1 Tsp

*Note I used a Red container to measure out my serving.

Want more recipes like this? Want more recipes like this, meal prep tips and/or to get started with a fitness routine? I would LOVE to be your coach! You can reach out to me by going to my Facebook page by clicking the picture below....

Have a blessed day!