Lentil Stew

Over thirty years ago, my husband and I decided to try a vegetarian diet. I'm not even sure what prompted it. I believe I had seen a magazine article documenting the treatment of animals in the meat industry. And being a person who loves anything with feathers or fur, it made an impression on me. As with everything new that I decide to do, I did some research on the subject to find out if a vegetarian diet could provide the nutrition one needs to live a healthy life. I had been taught the common dietary wisdom at the time -- a diet must consist of the four food groups: Meat, Dairy, Fruits and Vegetables, and Grains. But could a person live without meat?

Among the material I read were three books that convinced me to give vegetarianism a try. I started with France Moore Lappe's classic Diet for a Small Planet, in which the author shares her views on the subject of world hunger, addresses the issue of protein in the diet, and gives the reader lots of good recipes. Eating for the Eighties: A Complete Guide to Vegetarian Nutrition, by Janie Coulter Hartbarger and Neil J. Hartbarger, gives a valid argument for the health benefits of a meatless diet. And Laurel's Kitchen: A Handbook for Vegetarian Cookery and Nutrition, by Laurel Robertson, Carol Flinders, and Bronwen Godfrey, comes at the subject from a more "spiritual" point of view, but is filled with information on nutrition and many tempting recipes. There are plenty of books on the subject and a multitude of cookbooks with colorful pictures of mouth-watering dishes. But these three were the first ones I read on the subject, and each had a different philosophy.

We no longer follow a strict vegetarian diet, but we do continue to eat many meatless meals. Whether it's ethics, economics, or health, more and more people are trying to limit their consumption of animal products, with positive results. Recently, I was asked if I had any good, tried-and-true vegetarian recipes to share. This is one of our favorites, adapted from Lappe's recipe "Lentils, Monastery Style". Her version is more of a soup; mine is thicker, so I call it "Lentil Stew". I often serve it over rice, but I have also added potatoes, used larger carrot chunks, and cooked dumplings on top. As with so many recipes, there is plenty of room for creativity.The recipe can easily be doubled for large families, as I used to do when the kids were growing up. This dish isn't fancy, but it's cheap, easy, nutritious, and delicious!

Lentil Stew

1/4 cup olive or vegetable oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 or 3 carrots, chopped

1 stalk celery, sliced

4 1/2 cups water

8 oz. dried brown lentils, rinsed

1/2 of a 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes 

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon dried basil

pepper to taste

Heat oil in large pot and saute vegetables 3 to 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer about 45 minutes. 

Serves 4 to 6

A Homeschool Journey, Part 9: A Stormy Start to Our Second Year

Kindergarten was complete, and it had been a success. In Part 8 of this series, I related some of the "ups and downs" of our first year of homeschooling. We had enjoyed our curriculum so much that we decided to continue with The Writing Road to Reading and proceed with Ann Ward's First Grade: Learning at Home. To this, we added Lore Rasmussen's Miquon Math (beginning with The Orange Book) and Cuisenaire Rods manipulatives to teach math concepts.

One week before school started, Hurricane Andrew hit South Florida. A category five storm, this was a big one. And it was headed straight for us. We learned about tracking hurricanes and emergency preparedness and, since we lived in a mobile home at the time, we had to evacuate and stay with friends. Not only did I have to figure out what to take with us, but I also had to do what I could to prepare our own place for when we returned -- if, that is, we still had a home. In the darkness of the night, when the lights went off and the wind howled outside, we learned to trust God. There was absolutely nothing we could do. Chances were, all of our worldly possessions would be lost. But I drifted off to sleep that night with the comforting thought that the One who the wind and the waves obey was in control. We woke up the next morning wondering what would await us. Thankfully, our home was spared. Trees were down, and many homes had damage, but there stood our place with just a piece of trim blown off. As pictures started coming in of the devastation just a few miles south of us, we thanked God for His protection. A week later, the electricity was restored, and we were ready to begin a new school year.

First grade went smoothly. I learned how to juggle my responsibilities with school work and a two-year-old and, halfway through the school year, a new baby. Standardized testing at the end of the year proved that we were succeeding. Our first grade student had scored three to four grade levels higher than the average child her age. As I considered our plan for the following year, I thought about the possibilities of learning in more creative ways. And so we decided to take the plunge and give unit studies a try. I ordered the Konos Character Curriculum, by Carole Thaxton and Jessica Hulcy, along with the accompanying timeline and orientation materials. And that summer, I prepared myself for a new approach to school. Another adventure had begun.

Be sure to come back for the next installment of A Homeschool Journey!

Sweet Perfume

On top of my dresser stand several bottles of perfume. Sparkling glass vessels of various shapes and colors are filled with beautiful scents. Some of them are warm and sensual; others are light and fresh. All of them are lovely.

My favorite fragrances, however, don't come from a bottle. They are the smells of the gardenias that bloom in my garden.  Or the Chinese perfume tree that mysteriously gives off its lemony scent from tiny yellow balls that grow in clusters on its branches. There is nothing like the smell of autumn leaves or freshly tilled soil or lilacs that bloom in the spring. From the heady fragrance of jasmine to the delicate scent of an orchid, the world is filled with sweet aromas. Even the salty air of the beach, or the freshness of the atmosphere after a storm invites one to breathe more deeply.

The perfumes on my dresser are but imitations of the scents of nature. I have had favorites from time to time. Many of them bring back memories of the past. They make me think of loved ones, or special moments, or adventures with my family. Some of them were expensive.

A long time ago, a woman named Mary had a bottle of costly perfume. It was her most precious possession, worth more than a year's wages. Mary took that bottle and poured it on Jesus' head and, in humility, washed his feet with her tears. Some people criticized her for such waste, indignantly proclaiming that the precious liquid should have been sold and the money given to the poor. But Jesus praised her act of devotion. He told his disciples that they would always have the poor among them, but that they would not always have him. Mary had her priorities in order. And because of her faith, he forgave her sins. Mary gave her treasure to Jesus, and Jesus gave her eternal life!

Oil and perfume make the heart glad,and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel. Proverbs 27:9

A Homeschool Journey, Part 8: Ups and Downs

In the last installment of this series, A Homeschool Journey, Part 7: Getting the Hang of It, I described the simplicity of our first year of homeschooling. We established a routine that included school as a normal part of our day. And there was plenty of time for play. Seeing the progress we made as the year went by gave me confidence in my ability to meet the challenge I had set for myself.

We did have some moments that weren't so positive. One well-meaning relative gravely expressed her concern that our daughter wouldn't be like other kids, since she didn't watch television or go to school. I explained to her that I didn't want my daughter to be like other kids. That was the point of what we were doing! When my daughter eagerly showed her new school supplies to a little friend who was already in first grade, that friend informed her that it wasn't real school, and that she would have to go to real school if she wanted to learn anything. And one morning, as my little girl looked out the window and saw some children playing around while waiting for the school bus, she said longingly, "I wish I could join in the fun." It broke my heart.

There were many more times, however, that made me thankful for the opportunity to spend this time together: Times we spent snuggled up on the sofa reading wonderful stories that, somehow, I had missed when I was young. Times we went to the park, or the beach, or the library, while other kids were sitting in school. Our weekly ladies' Bible study, where the children (including a few other homeschooled kids) played together while the moms prayed and studied God's Word and sometimes went to lunch afterward. There were times when my child would wake up in the morning and excitedly check out her seeds that she had planted, or examine the aquarium to count the baby fish, and exclaim, "There are so many exciting things to see, I don't know what to look at first!" And as I listened to her read her first real book, Green Eggs and Ham, I knew that this was the right thing to do.

At the end of our first year, we awarded our little student a Kindergarten Diploma and brand new kitten. By then, the baby was two and we were expecting another little one. Life was good! And I started planning for the year to come.

To be continued in A Homeschool Journey, Part 9

Daffodils in the Snow

This past weekend, my husband and I traveled to Ohio to visit our daughter, who will be receiving her Master of Fine Arts degree in a few weeks. It was a warm spring day when we left Florida, but upon arriving in Columbus, we were met with chilly temperatures that made me thankful I had taken along my wool pea coat! We did some exploring around the city, admiring the architecture of old houses and enjoying the first blossoms on the trees. Daffodils and tulips sparkled with color, awakening the city from the dreary gray of winter. 

A weeping willow tree admired itself in the water of a small lake as ducks swam about and Canada geese marched along in the grass. And a little patch of violets peeked at me as I strolled along the sidewalk. 

The weather got colder and colder each day, and one morning we woke up to see snow on the ground! The daffodils that, just two days earlier, had happily basked in the sun, were now shivering in the cold. Shoulders hunched, they held their heads down, trying to stay warm. We did the same, as we hurried to the car. Like two daffodils in the snow, we craved the sunshine and warmth that we had left behind in Florida. By the time we flew back home, the temperature was becoming more springlike again. Soon the streets of Columbus will be lined with shady trees, and dandelions will decorate the grass with their yellow petals. And we will be melting in the heat of a South Florida summer. It was a lovely trip, visiting with family and seeing new places. But it's always good to be home!

A Homeschool Journey, Part 7: Getting the Hang of It

Our first year of homeschooling was easy. In my previous post in this series, A Homeschool Journey, Part 6: Starting School, I described our kindergarten curriculum and left off with the statement that it only took us 90 minutes a day. This is surprising to some. But with one-on-one instruction, there is no need for standing in line, raising hands to ask questions, or other classroom management procedures. And there is no need for endless busy work intended to keep children occupied and out of trouble.

Lest anyone think that learning only took place during that 90 minutes, let me clarify. Children can learn a great deal through real life; one doesn't need worksheets to teach about the value of money, for example. We used a simple "chore chart" to teach a basic morning routine -- brush teeth, wash face, make bed, etc. Little pictures represented each item until our daughter was able to read. For each "chore" she did, she earned a penny. Once she accumulated a handful of pennies, she could trade them in for nickels, dimes, quarters, and eventually dollars. It was a natural way to learn, and it accomplished two things at once.

Serious learning time was done while the baby was napping or otherwise preoccupied, in order to avoid distraction. But whenever possible, he was included in our activities. There was plenty of time for play and rest, and we read lots of stories together -- fun stories, silly stories, and stories filled with adventure. Before long, we had established a routine that included school as a perfectly normal part of our day. We were getting the hang of it!

After our first week of this new undertaking, Saturday came. Since we didn't have school that day, our little student decided to be a teacher. She gathered her stuffed animals around the table and taught them the "2 o'clock letters" a, c, d, f, g, o, s, and qu -- those letters that begin at two on the clock face and go up and around. I smiled as I watched her review what she had learned that week and knew that this was going to work!

Be sure to check back again for the next part of A Homeschool Journey!