Sweet and Spicy Tuna Salad

I remember as a child eating "Tuna Salad" with my mom, which consisted mostly of Dukes mayonnaise and a little bit of tuna. Needless to say it wasn't a healthy meal, but I remember as a kid loving the moist and tangy concoction served on white bread. Maybe because it was the recipe or maybe it was just the time I spent with my mom. As an adult I still like tuna, but my tastebuds have evolved a little bit and just plain mayonnaise just doesn't cut it anymore. So today I threw together my own sweet and spicy tuna salad. This is what I did...

Spicy Collards and Rice

I grew up southern, and well that often meant vegetables cooked in a pot with bacon grease, fatback, or a huge chunk of butter...ok let's be honest practically the whole stick of butter. I probably still have cholesterol floating around n my veins from childhood. Collards were no different, and as an adult I have shied away from cooking them because I had no idea what to do with them other than smother them in cholesterol. Well since my new health kick, the whole trying to eat a bigger variety of vegetables thing, I have broke down and bought a bag of frozen collards. They have been staring at me from my freezer every since...taunting me in my failure to use them. Well today I braved these baffling collards and quite frankly they turned out delicious. 

Cheaper Than A Therapist

School has started at full speed ahead for us, and I find myself trying to do multitude of things at one time. Mornings are the absolute worst it seems. Quirky made it through the first week getting up on time, having her breakfast, and so on...just like clockwork. I had time to make breakfast for myself, because despite school starting back I am still trying to stick to getting healthier. It was a dream, a honey moon, or maybe a grace period, but after that first week...forget it.

Picking Up Good Habits

Don't you just love it when your kids picks up one of your good habits for a change? I do. As you might have figured out from my previous posts that I have been trying to make my diet, which I thought was already pretty healthy, even healthier. We've been experimenting in the kitchen with new recipe ideas and even trying a few new vegetables. It's been great and lucky me I've even lost a little bit of weight. What I wasn't trying to do is convince Quirky that she needed to do this to, so I was a little surprised the other day when I noticed her making herself an early lunch. She had pulled out my giant tub of spinach, which made me stop to see where this was going. She ended up making what she called a Turkey, Spinach, and Cheese Tortilla Pizza. Now Quirky will eat spinach, if I put it on her plate, but normally voluntarily. I was a little surprised and proud. She really is a great kid.

Sixth Grade Math Notebook

As I was cleaning out our school room the other day I ran across Quirky's math notes from Sixth Grade. I had completely forgotten that we still had them.  I talk about it here only because of the unusual way that she took her math notes. It was just creative enough to keep her interest piqued for the school year.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

I know that I have said before, but I'm going to say it again. Sometimes simple recipes are the best. This "recipe" is the perfect example. It's so simple that instruction really aren't needed but here is what we did anyway:

Getting Ready For The New School Year

The new school year is just around the corner and I have been busy...busy...busy trying to get everything ready for the first day. I finally got around to cleaning out our school room/ sun room, which I have been saying I was going to do since the last day of th school year last year. I may have procrastinated just a bit.

Sweet and Garlicky Greenbeans

I mentioned previously, in my post about a quick and easy corn on the cob recipe, that sometimes the simplest recipes are the best. You don't always need fifteen ingredients and every spice known to man to make something delicious. Besides, when you are making a quick lunch, who has time for long and complicated recipes. Not moi. Nor does Quirky always have the patience or the attention span for such recipes. So when lunch time rolled around, I decided that I would show Quirky a quick, simple, and delicious way to dress up fresh or frozen Greenbeans. Here is what we did:

Zucchini and Cheddar Frittata Topped With Spinach Salad

I decided on a whim today to make a frittata for lunch, mainly because I didn't want to stand over a hot stove to make an omelette. It was fairly quick, packed with veggies, and delicious. It was so good that I think I will be revisiting this recipe the next time Dork and Quirky request quiche for dinner. I think it will make a great low-carb alternative. This is what I did:

Baked Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

Our family is probably typical in that pasta makes up at least one of our meals per week. Sometimes it's simple spaghetti or sometimes it's a little more complicated like Chicken Marsala. Either way, for me it's pasta, and right now that just does not fit in my dietary restrictions at the moment. Do I plan on giving up pasta forever? Probably not, but for right now I am seeking out alternatives that I can enjoy without having to cook two completely different meals. Last week, since Dork and Quirky were having spaghetti, I decided to give spaghetti squash a try as a substitute. This is something that I had never tried before. I was pleased to find it easy to cook and delicious to eat. This is what I did:

Tex-Mex Stuffed Zucchini

Tex-Mex Zucchini 

As I mentioned in a previous post, I have been trying to watch both my carbs and my cholesterol in an attempt to get healthier. So for dinner the other night, when I had quesadillas on the menu, I decided to make mine a little more carb friendly without cooking a completely seperate meal. Lucky me I had fresh zucchini in the fridge and decided to make Tex-Mex Stuffed Zucchini. It turned out delicious. It was very simple and took hardly no time to adapt what I had already made for Quirky and Dork's quesadillas into something diet friendly for myself. This is what I did:

Getting Healthy...a New Journey in the Kitchen

Getting Healthy

Recently I went to my doctor, where to my chagrin, I was informed that I was both overweight and had high cholesterol. Yikes! A little excess weight I can live with, I try to teach Quirky that beauty comes from inside and has no relation to the shape, size, or color of the outside package, and I rather not be a hypocrit in her eyes. The cholesterol though has me a little worried. Ok, a lot worried. I've got a lot of years left to go, hopefully, and it don't want to spend them in horrible health. So I took my doctor seriously and started analyzing our diet.

Truthfully, I thought that we typical have a fairly healthy diet. Yes, Quirky and I like to get in the kitchen and bake. Yes, I make homemade comfort foods on occasion. Both of those things are true, and maybe those are part of the cause, but we also eat lots of vegetables and rarely fry anything. Yet, here I am...counting carbs and watching my cholesterol. I've even bumped up my exercise, doing my best to get at least 45 minutes of cardio everyday. I'm determined. 

So where does that leave Quirky and I in the kitchen? Are we going to give up baking...that's a large resounding no. Can't do it. I love baking with Quirky way to much, but maybe we find ways to make our treats a little more healthy. Maybe you'll find us trying out a few healthier versions of our all time favorite meals. Maybe Quirky will grow up knowing that yes, true beauty comes from inside, but loving yourself enough to take care of the package is just as important. 

Mixing it up...

In the kitchen, that is. I know the other day when I posted about the "coffee" cake for one, I had also mentioned that we made one for Quirky. Not sure what to call this one...a little bit chocolate cake or Chocolate Syrup Mug Cake. I don't know, but either way Quirky enjoyed it and we had fun in the kitchen. This is what we did.

Quirky's Chocolate Syrup Mug Cake

3 tbs. Self-rising flour

1 tsp. vanilla flavoring

1 tbs. Sugar

1/4 tsp of oil

Squirt of chocolate milk syrup

Milk

Makes for a short post but, really all you need to do is mix all the ingredients together and microwave for one minute. Next drizzle with chocolate syrup. Finally hand to kid and try not to get your hand bit as she devours it. I think she liked it.

Coffee Cake for One

After dinner Quirky and I had a taste for something sweet, so we decided to whip together two quick microwave cakes. Once we got in the kitchen, Quirky and I realized that we wanted two different things, and well that led two completely different little cakes. For myself, we decided to make a "coffee" cake. This little cake turned out delicious and was just what I needed to satisfy both my sweet tooth and my coffee cravings. Here is what we did:

Cranberry Vinaigrette

A friend of mine who read my post yesterday, was asking about the dressing that I served the salad with. It was a cranberry vinaigrette that I quickly made up for myself, since Quirky is not very big on sauces of just about any kind. It was both sweet and tangy at the same time, and paired well with romaine and almonds.The dressing Itself was super simple to make. This is what I did.

Chicken and Veggie Stuffed Peppers

Dork will not be home for dinner tonight, so it was just dinner for two at our house. I decided to use up some leftover grilled chicken and some fresh bell peppers I had on hand to make some stuffed bell peppers. I made one for each of us, and served it with a romaine lettuce and almond salad. I thought it turned out to be a delicious dinner, and since Quirky practically inhaled hers, I'm pretty sure she enjoyed it to. Here is what I did:

Pineapple Oatmeal Muffins with Almond Glaze

Recently Quirky and I were experimenting in the kitchen with our basic oatmeal muffin recipe, and came up with this sweet creation that is reminiscent of pineapple upside down cake, just with less sugar and heart healthy oatmeal. They made for a delicious breakfast served with hot coffee for me and milk for Quirky. This is what we did:

Egg Muffins

Egg Muffin Ingredients

While Quirky slept the morning away, I spent a relaxing morning in the kitchen, making breakfast for Quirky and myself for the whole week. I love cooking with Quirky, but sometimes it's just peaceful to be in the kitchen by myself. In the silence I contemplated what to make, and considered making mini blueberry pancakes to freeze, but ultimately decided on egg muffins. This is something I've been making for Quirky since she has been a toddler, the only difference being then they were mini muffins with only cheese but now I can make them a little more hearty. I love making them because anything goes, your ingredients can be just about what ever you want or what you have on hand. This is what I did.

Teenagers

I have a theory. Those babies that we so lovingly bring into the world, and hold and cherish with the upmost care, are so adoringly cute for a reason. Why you ask? So we can think back on those wonderful times when they turn into those tall, walking and talking creatures full of hormones and attitude, and in the case of girls tears. The loss of sleep and the dirty bottoms of babyhood seems nothing to me anymore, a vacation before the real stuff began. The scrapes, bruises, and messes of childhood seemed to be a warm up period before the action. Oh the trials and tribulations of parenting a teenage girl...

Delicious Boston Brown Bread

Recently, browsing through my local library, I ran across a cookbook called, Pillsbury, Best Muffins and Quick Breads. I quickly decided to check it out. It turned out to be a great book with more than one recipe I want to try. I decided first to try their recipe for  quick Boston Brown Bread. The bread turned out moist, sweet, and delicious. Because neither Quirky nor Dork are fans of raisins, I omitted those from my bread. Using their recipe, I made two loaves.

With a slight nod to the way traditional Boston Brown Bread is served with Boston Baked Beans, I served it with Beanie Weanies. Yes...you read me right. I said Beanie Weanies, probably not healthy but make a great quick meal. They went perfectly together. Quirky and Dorked sopped up the juices and wanted more bread.

The next day I still had a half a loaf left, so I decided to use it to make Quirky and I some grilled ham and cheese sandwiches. Now the bread tasted great with the beans, but grilled turned it into perfection. The sugars in the bread caramelized and gave a nice crusty crunch to the sandwich. It was quite frankly...delicious. I could have eaten two more. 

This is definitely a recipe that I will be trying again. I highly suggest you find the book and try it yourself. Quick, easy, and delicious...right up my alley.

Freezing Yellow Squash

As I mentioned in my last post Dork and I were recently given some fresh vegetables. Along with the cucumbers, we were also given a bunch of yellow squash. Squash is something that neither Dork nor Quirky are even remotely going to eat, so lucky me, I get to keep it all for myself. I knew that I would have to eat squash for meal in order to eat it before it spoiled, so I decided to freeze it instead. Doing this will allow me to take a handful out to sauté for myself whenever I would like. The process itself was fairly simple and would work well for most fresh vegetables. This is what I did.

Refrigerator Pickles

Refrigerator Pickles

A colleague of Dork was nice enough to share the abundance of his summer garden, so today I find myself with a handful of cucumbers. Dork likes to eat plain cucumbers, but I find them a little bland for my taste, and well, Quirky won't touch them at all. That being said, there is just no way Dork will eat all of these cucumbers before they go bad. So instead of letting all these beautiful cucumbers go to waste I decided to make a quick batch of refrigerator pickles. That way both Dork and I can enjoy them. They are super simple to make. Here is what I did.

Homemade Deep Dish Chicken Pot Pie

Dork is still working long summer hours, but today Quirky is with him. So after a late morning appointment, I found myself in the unusual position of being home alone. Should I go sew for awhile and begin some of those ideas I've been throwing around my head? Or maybe I should work on homeschool planning for 8th grade before the beginning of school sneaks up on me? I could even pull out the paints and start on that blank canvas that has been staring at me for weeks. There were so many possibilities of what I might do, but ultimately I decided I would make a special dinner for them. One of their favorites, homemade chicken pot pie. I know it is a hot time of year for this kind of meal, but Quirky and Dork never seem to care. They inhale the stuff like I'll never make it again. It's one of those meals that I could make with my eyes closed, in other words super simple. Here is what I did:

Peace...Piece by Piece

After an aggravating morning with a mouthy, moody and grumpy autistic teenager, I needed a little space before Quirky's attitude made me want to throw a fit myself. So I sent Quirky to her room and I barricaded myself in my sewing room. I turned up the music and lost myself in my work. I cleaned up my fabric stash folding and reorganizing and ultimately not getting rid of a single scrap. I cleaned and dusted my sewing desk and sewing machine. I even organized my elastic stash. With each little task, I felt a little bit of stress lift off my shoulders.

Blueberry Orange Mug Cake

I think I just might be obssessed with these little cakes.  They are so quick and easy to make, and it's fun to experiment with different flavor and ingredient combinations.  This time I was inspired by my morning smoothie, an oatmeal, blueberry and orange juice combination. It was delicious, which got me to thinking of how the flavor combination might work in one of these quick cakes.

Quick Delicious Corn on the Cob

Sometimes the simplest way is the best. Take this recipe for instance, if you can even truly call it a recipe. To me it just simple, delicious, and something I've been doing for years. In all the years that I have made corn this way I have just never let Quirky help. Why I don't know, maybe because it was simple that I did it without even thinking about. Oh well...whatever the reason for not doing it in the past, today was a perfect day for us try this recipe together.

Chipotle Black Bean Hummus

Summer, unfortunately for us, is one of Dork's busiest times. However, one of the benefits to his job is that Quirky and I can stop by and visit with him and the people he works with just about anytime. This is a good thing because a few days of long hours and barely seeing each, I start to go stir crazy. The little things that Quirky does begin to aggravate, the everyday sounds around the house begin to annoy. I admit it...I need Dork. The other day was one of those days. I needed to see his face just as much as needed to hear his voice. So Quirky and I decided to make Dork and the people he works with a treat for them to snack on. We decided on homemade bread and a Chipotle Black Bean Hummus. The bread was made from my basic go to recipe that I have made for years, but the hummus was something that we made up as we went along. If the way Dork and the guys gobbled it up is any indication then I think it might have been pretty good. Here is what we did:

Single Serving Peanut Butter Banana Bread

This little bread was moist and delicious, and it was made in the microwave. Yep...I told you I would be revisiting the whole mug cake in the microwave concept. For some reason today,  that I'm beyond comprehending, my fever addled brain kept telling my stomach that it wanted banana bread. Since I am battling the dreaded summer cold, and quite frankly don't feel like standing up long enough to make "real" banana bread, I decided to revisit the mug cake concept. So with a handful of ingredients and less than five minutes I managed to calm the craving. This is what I did:

Field Trip to the Chrysler Museum of Art

The third day of our trip Dork finished up early and we were all able to go to the Chrysler Museum of Art. It was awesome...ok I thought it was awesome. Dork and Quirky are of the same mind sight when it comes to art museums..."look its another really old piece art by another dead guy." I find this so surprising, because Quirky is such a blossoming artist herself. Oh well...I can be thankful that I had the opportunity to expose her to such wonderful pieces of art and that I myself was able to see paintings that I had always loved but thought I would never see beyond the pages of a book. Paintings by artists that I have admired from the first time that I realized that there was something called art history, which combines two of my favorite things.

Field Trip to the Norfolk Zoo

The second day of our trip we ventured over to the Virginia Zoo in Norfolk. It was a zoo on the smallish side. We saw a variety of animals from hippos to red pandas, most of which were curled up asleep. We did get a chance however to see the Asiatic Bears horsing around and playing with each other, which was fascinating to Quirky. We were also lucky enough to be standing in the right spot when a giraffe walked right up and started eating just a few feet in front of us. Otherwise we saw a lot of curled up asleep animals, whether do to the heat or the noise, who knows.

Field Trip to the Norfolk Botanical Gardens

Recently Quirky and I were able to visit the Virginia Beach and Norfolk, Virginia area with Dork. Dork was busy most of the day with work so that just left Quirky and I to entertain ourselves. The beach was way too crowded for Quirky or my taste, but lucky for us there were some great fieldtrip opportunities nearby. The first morning we were there we went to the Norfolk Botanical Gardens.

Peanut Butter Mug Cake with Chocolate Frosting

We are not a family who has dessert after every meal, but sometimes, you are left wanting and the only way to fill the void is with something sweet. You know what I mean...another helping of broccoli or potatoes is just not going to do it. Another slice of roast beef is just going to make you mad. If you were kid you might pout and throw a fit because you wanted it so bad. Tonight was one of those nights for me. I wanted something sweet with minimal effort; I wanted something sweet fast. Having seen pictures of mug cakes all over Pinterest and the internet I knew the basics so I felt that was the best way to go to satisfy my craving.

I decided to combine two of my favorite things, peanut butter and chocolate, to make one that I hoped would turn out delicious. I was not disappointed. They turned out moist and a cross somewhere between cake and cookie. After spreading them chocolate frosting that I forgot I had, and sprinkling them with chopped nuts they were nothing short of delicious. ( Turns out I had store bought icing in the pantry, lucky I forgot or I would have probably ate it straight from the tub like some deranged chocoholic. ) I was even nice enough to make one for both Quirky and Dork. From the silence around the table and the scrape of spoons in the bowl I would say they liked them too. 

My sweet tooth is soothed and the best part is it took less than five minutes to make. I will definitely be trying some more of these. Mind is going crazy with ideas...maybe a coconut cake or a red velvet cake. Oh the possibilities are endless. Here is what I did:

Peanut Butter Mug Cake

1/4 cup Self Rising Flour

2 Tbs Sugar

1 Tbs Peanut Butter

1 Tbs melted butter

In a small mug or ramekin, mix all ingredients until completely blended. Be sure to scrape the bottom well to get all of the flour. Place in microwave and cook on high for 1-2 minutes or until done. Be sure not to over fill your mug or ramekin, the cake will rise. Let cool and then ice with chocolate icing if you have it, or sprinkle with chocolate chips, drizzle with chocolate syrup, or devour straight from the microwave as is. Either way it's going to be delicious.

Autism and Communication...Wonderfully Verbal

Most people who didn't know us, who didn't know Quirky before we moved here, would be surprised at how far she has come in her communication in such a short amount of time. She has her own way of saying things, but she gets her point across. If you listen carefully, you'll recognize movie lines and tones of voice that she has stored away for use. Her words may not come together in the most eloquent of ways, and some days I'm left wondering what she is talking about, but Quirky is gloriously verbal. Dork and I, although we get aggravated some days, understand that we are lucky. 

Field Trip...Jazz and Blues Concert Series

Music Appreciation: Jazz

We are fortunate to have near us a community college that often offers free events, such as plays, concerts, or lectures, that are open to the public. This school year, for music appreciation, we were to able to take advantage of a series of Jazz and Blues concerts and lectures. We were able to attend two of the concerts.

Chocolate Peanut Buttery Fudgy Deliciousness

Yummy! Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

As you might have guessed from some of my previous posts that Dork was recently out of town and Quirky and I went crazy cooking. It occupied our time and our minds and helped us to forget just how much we missed our Dork. Of course we had to make him something special for when he got back. So we decided that we would make him cookies, double chocolatey extra yummy cookies. We really...I mean really like...no love chocolate around here. So we started out pulling out all the ingredients to make the recipe for double chocolate cookies that I had when I realized that I was missing a good portion of the ingredients. I had less than half the butter I needed, only a third of the cocoa powder, on and one the list went. Yikes!...it's time to replenish the baking supplies. We could have given up...

Body Systems Unit Study

Body Systems Watercolors

I mentioned in this post, that Quirky and I, for school this year, for several weeks worked on a Body Systems Unit study. We have studied body systems in previous years, but not in detail...she was not ready and the information just would not stick.  So I mapped out a few weeks for us to review what we had previously learned and dig deeper into new material. I came up with a short list of guiding questions to keep us on task. We checked out numerous books from the library, utilized several different apps, and used the internet. I even bought body system posters at local school supply store. The unit itself took far longer than I intended,

Vanilla Chai Muffins

Vanilla Chai Muffins

Quirky and I love to experiment in the kitchen. Often we take a general idea of what we want and then run with it. Imaginations are not just for stories and art, we use them in the kitchen too.

This muffin came about one afternoon because of how much Quirky loves hot chai tea, well that and we had nothing...well nothing that Quirky really wanted left to eat for breakfast the next day. (We were both tired of cold cereal!) So Quirky and I decided that we would make a quick batch of muffins. It didn't take long and they turned out delicious. Here is what we did:

Shepherds Pie...a Quick Meal for Quirky and Me

What do you do when you are planning on having baked potatoes topped with veggies, but you're just a wee bit scatter brained from have spent numerous hours solo with your Quirky autistic kid and unfortunately forgot to buy the potatoes. ( Which was one of the main reasons we had gone to the store that day, yet I still came home without them...sigh.) Going out to eat was not an option...I was not leaving the house again. So after rummaging through our cabinets and contemplating whether it was bad parenting to feed your kid cereal for dinner, it finally clicked with me that we had instant mashed potatoes...Hello. So I decided to go all topsy turvy and instead of having veggies on a baked potato, we instead made Shepard's Pie. It was quick, easy, and delicious. Here is what we did.

Field-trip...Bird Sanctuary

One of the most important parts of education, in my humble opinion, is actually seeing and experiencing the world around you. Yes you can talk about birds, read about birds, look at websites about birds and yes you can even find videos about birds if you look hard enough. And yes, a person can learn a lot from all of those things, but nothing can comparing to watching someone fascinated at seeing all of these magnificent birds close up. Quirky and I were very lucky this year and were able to go on a fieldtrip with friends of ours to a Bird Sanctuary. They were kind enough to ask us to tag along on a fieldtrip they had already planned. I am so glad that they did.

Comic Strip Class Final Project

If you have read this post, iTunes University Introduction to Comics Class, then you know that Quirky completed a mini course on iTunes University about comic strip art. Nothing fancy but she has taken what she has learned to heart and has put it to  great use for her final project. Since we have alternating between music appreciation and art units, this will be one of the last two projects we complete for this school year.

Flashback Friday...It may just look like a can of soup

but it's not. It's a step toward independence, a step toward not needing mom and dad quite as much, a step forward that left me surprised and proud

After a morning of completing our required standardized testing, we were ready for lunch and a break. I told Quirky to give me just a minute and then I would get lunch ready, then I called Dork for his daily "what do you feel like for dinner call".

Biome Kids Meal Project

Kids Meal Project

At any given time Quirky and I usually have at least two science units going on. She absolutely loves science. She will dig right in and research, read, and take notes. She loves it...but truth be told Quirky works at her own pace...and by that I mean slow. Which is another reason why we often have more than one thing going at a time. If I didn't I don't know that we would get very far at all. My expectation when introducing this unit was for it to last about three weeks,  but Quirky was so excited about making an educational kids meal that she just didn't want to stop working. She researched, read, and took notes and got to work. The next thing I knew her project was done...more than a week early. So what exactly did Quirky have to do?

Literary Device Posters

This school year Quirky has read several novels independently, and we have read several novels aloud together. Everything from Harry Potter to Hugo Cabret. She loves to read and To be read to, and I am so glad. For each novel, along with her readers journal and other book specific projects, we payed close attention to the authors techniques...

Lined Denim Tote Bag

Hello...my name is Nerd and I am a fabric scrap hoarder. Everything has potential, even if it takes a while to figure it out. If you sew, then you understand exactly what I am talking about. I have been saving the scraps leftover from making shorts for Quirky for years now, and although I have made a minor project here and there with them (an outfit for her favorite stuffed dog...AKA Oscar Fido) but still had quite a pile of them and burning urge to do something with them. So I pulled all of them out and pulled out the pieces that I wanted to work with and got busy. 

AAAAHHHH....Multiplication Facts

I have tried just about everything that I can possibly think of to help Quirky memorize her basic multiplication facts, as had her teachers back during our public school days. Unfortunately, she is still inconsistent when it comes to multiplication. So when I ran across some multiplication rules posters that

Homemade Gnocchi Soup

Quirky's Homemade Gnocchi Soup

Homemade Gnocchi has been on our list of things to make since Quirky was a little girl and a huge Curious George cartoons fan, and a huge fan of the little cat named....Gnocchi. She thought it was hysterical that the little cat was named after pasta, and she thought it was hysterical when Curious George tried to cook. Maybe that's why she likes to help out in the kitchen now. So why has it taken us so long to finally make our gnocchi? Fear. Plain and simple. The word gnocchi even sounds intimidating. I was absolutely positive it would be both difficult and time consuming. Last week however, the perfect opportunity came for Quirky and I to give this a try.

Supermom...well maybe

Quirky and I have been working on a Unit Study of the Human Body for several weeks now, and I have been saving the awkward for last...yeah you've got it...the reproductive system. Of course Quirky and I have had the "birds and the bees" talk but now we are looking into things a little more closely...Yikes!

Basket Weaving...and a Thank You

Quirky's Basket

Back in February Quirky was lucky enough to attend a one day basket weaving course offered by our local library and taught by  her former art teacher. I've been meaning to post about for awhile but kept forgetting. The class itself was a mixture of teens and adults with Quirky being the youngest one there.

Sculpture Mini Class

Sculpture Mini Projects

I posted recently about the iTunes University class called Introduction to Comics, well in addition to the comic drawing lessons it also has lessons on sculpting. The course once again was set up as short instructional videos and geared toward a younger audience, but not so juvenile not to be worth it. And although clay is not usually Quirky's medium of choice, nor mine, I still felt that having her continue with the course was worth our time. Due to our lack of resources...ie we don't own a kiln, we chose to use air dry clay.