Pam shared our summer reading chart yesterday. When we made them I envisioned using them a little differently for our family. I have a plan this summer to make sure my boys are getting their jobs done before they are playing. I took a blank form and wrote their names on the top and then everything that needs to be done BEFORE they can play. I have some baskets that I bought and put up for each of them in the hallway between their playroom and bedroom.  You can download the blank charts in our Summer Reading Chart post!

I wanted a place that their school folder, Scout book, Faith in God book, and their journal would go so we would always know where they are.

Pam printed blank charts and laminated them for me. Then I used clips to clip them to the front of their baskets. Using a Sharpie I wrote their names and their chores along the left side. You can use a Sharpie on something that is laminated, you just have to use a Magic Eraser to get it off.

We have been trying a new way to help our kids stay in bed at night – please tell me our kids are not the only ones that WONT stay in bed when its bedtime! How many drinks and times do they need to go to the bathroom in an hour! On the very top of their charts the left side says “Stay in Bed.” The right side says “10 minutes of Club Penguin.” Each night they stay in bed I put a check in one of those boxes. Thursday is Club Penguin day around our house, so now I add up how many checks they have and for each check they get 10 minutes to play. Last week there was exactly ZERO minutes earned! Oh goodness – there were some rough nights around our house! This week they have been way better since they were so sad that they didn’t get to play last week.

The other things I have going down their morning chart are:

Clean room/Make bed
Reading
Chores
Prayers

Each of them have something different for reading. For Caleb it is reading for 30 minutes. Davis has to practice sight words, and Beckham has to read a book with me. We will be using our chore chart to track their chores. Although we have gotten rid of the reward system. I go back and forth on this. On one hand I think its a great motivator. On the other hand my kids think they should get something for cleaning up their stuff and I’m not okay with that. We all live here and they have to learn how to clean up after themselves. Any thoughts on rewards for chores?

This chart is a great visual of what it takes to be ready to play each day. I think I’m going to make it a habit to put our Do not Knock sign up and when they get their chart done I will take it down.

You can print the blank charts off in our Summer Reading Charts Post.

We may be linking this post up to THESE great Linky Parties!

We have two favorite summer drinks around our house. One is Brazilian limeade, but we have altered it a little bit to keep it from getting bitter. The second is my Mom’s lemonade recipe and its the best! Not too sour, and just the right amount of sweet.

Brazilian Limeade

You will need: 5 limes, 6-7 cups water, 1 c sugar, and 6 Tbsp sweet and condensed milk. Cut limes in half.

Then juice them. I have a Citrus Juicer and it is one of my favorite appliances.

Next zest the lime skins. I use the inside of my grater and it works great. Most Brazilian limeades tell you to blend the limes but blending the whole lime causes the juice to get bitter as the day goes on. By just zesting them the juice is just as good the next day.

Add the juice, zest, and sugar to the water and stir.

Right before serving add the sweet and condensed milk and stir again.

Enjoy! We store ours in Mixing Pitcher so that it is easy to mix and pour.

Limeade recipe

5 limes
6-7 cups water (depending on how sweet you like it)
1 c sugar
6 Tbsp sweet and condensed milk

Juice limes and zest skins into juice. Mix with water and sugar. Right before serving stir in sweet condensed milk. Serve over ice.

Lemonade

To make this lemonade. You need 3 lemons, 1 orange, 1 cup of sugar, and 2 quarts of water.

Cut orange and lemons in half and juice.

Add the sugar and juice to the water and mix.

Lemonade recipe

2 quarts water
3 lemons
1 orange
1 cups sugar

Juice and mix.

We may be linking this post up to THESE great Linky Parties!

One of my favorite things to compliment my meals are Homemade Breadsticks!  I actually got the recipe from Lisa, which she got it from her SIL, Karey!  These breadsticks are EASY!  Yes, you’re using yeast, so there are a couple of rise times.  But, because they are so easy, it’s not a big deal to just have them rising while you prepare other parts of your meal!

I ALWAYS get complemented when I make these and take them somewhere.  They are especially a hit in the fall, when I make them with soups!  I often make them on the nights we do Homemade Pizza too!

To start mix together 1 1/2 cups warm water, 1 tablespoon yeast and 2 tablespoons sugar.  You will need to let that sit for 5 minutes while the yeast activates and becomes frothy.

This is what it will look like when you first put the yeast in the water and it is beginning to froth!

I left to change the laundry and came back to this!  The yeast will all be wet and the yeast left on top of the water will be frothy!

You’ll then add 1 teaspoon salt and 4 cups of flour!  I add 2 cups, mix, add another cup, mix and then add the last couple and mix it!  The dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl and not be sticky.

Then I spray the inside of plastic bowl with cooking spray and put the dough ball in it and cover.  Let it rise for 15-20 minutes!  While it is rising I get the oven heating up at 375 F.  I also cut up 1 cube of butter and arrange it on my sheet pan and put it in the oven to melt.

Once it has risen, I spray the counter top with cooking spray and kneed it down a bit.  You could also flour your countertop if you prefer, but I generally don’t prefer that method.  I don’t want to chance my dough getting dry.  Then I roll the dough out to just barely smaller then the pan I’m going to use.

As you can see, Nathan was my little helper this particular day.  He loves to help me run the mixer and cut up the breadsticks!

Once it is rolled out to the approx size of my pan, I take a pizza cutter and cut it in breadsticks.  The pan should be all ready with the butter melted – then I take the breadsticks and place them onto the pan.

I then take my basting brush (which I LOVE) and brush the butter all over the breadsticks!  I also top them with Garlic Powder and Parmesan Cheese.

Then walk away and let them rise another 15-20 minutes!

Then bake at 375 for 15-18 minutes, or until golden brown on their tops and edges. Here’s what mine looked liked going in the oven!  BIG and fluffy!!

And, here’s what they look like fresh out of the oven!

GOOD LUCK and ENJOY!

Here is the recipe:

Mix together:
1 1/2 c warm water
1 tbsp yeast
2 tbsp sugar

Let sit for about 5 minutes (or until it becomes frothy).

Add and mix together:
1 tsp salt
4 c flour, enough so that the dough pulls away from the sides of the mixer and is not super sticky

Let the dough rise for 15-20 minutes.

Melt 1 cube of butter in a 11×13 jelly roll pan in the oven. Shape the dough into bread sticks and place on pan. I rolled mine out on the counter to just a little bit smaller than my jellyroll pan and then cut them into nice bread stick shapes with my pizza cutter. Just be sure before you cut them that you have either putting cooking spray on the counter or you have enough flour on the bottom side, so they don’t stick to your counters. Sprinkle with garlic powder and with grated Parmesan cheese.  I left just a little bit of room between my bread sticks and the butter came up over them as I was placing them in pan. Let rise for about 20 minutes. Bake at 375 for 15-18 minutes, or until golden brown on top and edges.

Lisa’s Family

Preschool Graduation! We love Mrs Shawna! If you are looking for a good preschool in Hurricane email me. She is so fun and enthusiastic – we love her!

Baseball 24-7 around our house right now!

Wanted his pic with Mom too!

And silly face pictures of course!

Brothers

Caleb class performed a readers theatre.

Our birds!

Pam’s Family

CAUGHT! Came out from getting ready for the day to find that Jeffrey had stunk his Bink an was playing on my computer!  Double no-no!

Nathan @ his Preschool Graduation with his teacher Miss Sarah!

Nathan playing with our Wedgits!

The boys helping their daddy clean his dirt bike!

Jeff helping mommy vacuum out the van!