Excited Find

For about 6 months, I posted on another blog.  This a post that was copied from that blog.  I used different names for the family.  Just so you know the names were as follows:

Prince Charming - Wandering Aengus
Princess Belle - Lilly
Princess Magpie - Rose
Princess Snifflefritz - Lotus
Little Prince - Reed

I went to the local fruit and vegetable market yesterday.  It is called Dave’s Fruit & Vegetable Market and it is WONDERFUL!  I went hog-wild picking up a full shopping cart of fruits and veggies and I was nervous when I got to the register that I had over-spent, but when I got there, I had only spent $60 on enough fruits and veggies that I could hardly fit them all into the fridge.  I actually had to get a large basket and put on the top shelf so that I could stack a bunch of them up in it.  It was wonderful! There was just so much variety, I can’t wait to make another trip.  I honestly can’t see me buying any fruits and veggies at the regular grocery store again.  I will be making weekly trips down the road to the market instead and getting local, organic, yummy, inexpensive fruits and veggies.

I used some spiced peppers, onions and potatoes with a little hummus and Tofutti Cream Cheese on a vegan wrap for my breakfast this morning and it was FABULOUS!!!  I am making Ratatouille for supper tonight and I can’t wait to dig in!

Simple Ratatouille
(Makes 6 servings)

Ingredients
1 medium  eggplant
2 small  zucchini
2 small  yellow squash
1 medium  green bell pepper, chopped
1 medium  onion, finely chopped
2 medium  tomatoes, each cut into fourths
1/4 cup  olive oil
1/2 teaspoon  salt
1/4 teaspoon  pepper
1 clove  garlic, crushed

Directions
1. Cut eggplant into 1/2-inch cubes.
2. Cut zucchini and yellow squash into 1/4-inch rounds.
3. Cook all ingredients in 12-inch skillet over medium heat 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until zucchini is tender.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 serving (244.3 g)
Calories 132
Calories from Fat 85
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 9.4g 14%
Saturated Fat 1.2g 6%
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 206mg 9%
Total Carbohydrates 11.8g 4%
Dietary Fiber 4.6g 18%
Sugars 5.8g
Protein 2.4g
Vitamin A 23%     •     Vitamin C 99%
Calcium 3%     •     Iron 4%

In regards to homeschooling, I am so excited to have found a Scholar’s Choice store here in town.  There are so many things I can’t wait to buy.  There are so many resources there that I will be using to help my girls.

I am also amazed at how much my girls learn by just having a learning environment.  Lilly is always coming up to me and telling me things she has read in a science book, or a history book or some other ‘learning’ book that we have.  Rose has demonstrated that even before I started to really offer my help via book homeschooling, she knows all her colors and her numbers up to ten and most of her alphabet.  She is only three and she is amazing me already.

And Lotus is already proving to be farther along than Rose was at her age.  She speaks more clearly, has almost no baby talk, counts to five and we keep finding out she knows so many things that we didn’t realize she knew.  And she is only TWO!