A Campbell's Kitchen: September 2015

I've realized I have yet to post a recipe on my blog. It is after all a Campbell's kitchen and what is that without a recipe? Lately I have been on a low carb...I'm not going to say the "D" word. I'm not dieting. Darn, I said it. What I like to call it is a temporary life style change or meal replacement! Ha. However, with that being said, I have been craving all things sweet. And while I haven't cracked yet, I almost did as I watched my sweet and utterly naive husband indulge himself in a bowl of ice cream with hot fudge topping. I say naive because I don't think he knew how close to getting hurt he actually was. But I overlooked his offense and chose to see him challenge me and strengthen my resolve. I mean, what's a better thing for a spouse to do than help you become a stronger person?! Ok, so I guess he redeemed himself! Lol.

Back to my recipe. Like I said, I've been wanting something sweet so I took to my recipe binder. You heard right. I have a recipe binder; two in fact. One is filled with savory meals for dinner. Along with soups, salads, dressings, sides. The other binder is all my desserts and bread/muffin recipes. So yes, it takes two. Went straight to my desert divider. Not only do I have binders, I have each category separated with dividers! What? Don't judge me! Bet I'm not the only one who does that. (Now would be a good time to raise your hand and say "I do that too").

These are low carb and perhaps good for you. Depends on how you look at "healthy"!

This is the original recipe, however I doubled mine because I feed an entire clan and I'm not ashamed to admit, I did make more for me to enjoy! There, I said it! Again, don't judge! Lol

Chocolate Coconut Bars

1/2 C Cocoa powder

1/2 C Coconut oil, melted

1/2 C Peanut butter

1/4 C Honey

1 tsp Vanilla

Mix all together

Pour in mini muffin pan

Chill 30-45 minutes in the freezer

Pop out with butter knife and enjoy.

*can freeze or refrigerate for up to 2 weeks

My kids did help but it was way too hard to capture photos while chocolate was out for the taking.

Another school year has come, and even though we started school a couple of weeks ago, I am just now posting this! Life of a busy mom! This year I have a first grader,

(Last year vs this year)

a kindergartener,

(Last year vs this year)

a pre-k 3

(Isn't he cute?!)

and a young toddler!

(She's cute too!)

So what does a normal week in the life of a Campbell look like? Crazy!! Well, at times! I am a structured, organized person by nature and I've learned what has worked for my family! These are not suggestions; every family thrives differently. Every family has their own strengths and weaknesses. You got to learn what works for you, and know your family's limits!

So, back to the Campbell weekly schedule. On Mondays we have coop in the early afternoon so we've set aside mornings to clean up. Vacuum, Polish, clean bathrooms. Bedrooms get cleaned thoroughly; the works. Everyone works. Corban, who is 6, will vacuum the entire house. Lina, 5, cleans bathrooms. I do not like her using chemical based products that can be harmful to her, so what I usually do is put lemon essential oil and water together in a spray bottle and let her go at it! Colin, 3, his job is to make sure all toys and clothes are off the floor so Corban can vacuum. He is also my right hand man! He's at my beck and call! "Colin do this, Colin do that!" And he absolutely loves it.

Toddlers love to help. They love feeling important and involved, and I love having extra helping hands! Davina kind of does her thing right now! Occasionally, I'll give her small task to do. Throw something away, give a toy to her older siblings, etc.

Tuesday through Friday is our school day. This is when after breakfast, we all pitch in, get the kitchen cleaned up and school books come out. When it comes to the younger 2, everyday is NOT THE SAME. Let me repeat: because of the younger 2, everyday is not the same.

I'll be doing good if I can get 20 minutes of uninterrupted schooling in before Davina is into something or Colin needs to potty. No joke! I wish I can sit and be seated but I bounce up and down more than a toddler jumping on their bed. I have found some practical alternatives to help with the "mommy, I need you" syndrome. When we first start school, the first subject we dive in to is bible/devotion. I will keep Davina in her booster seat and Colin will stay at the table too. I just give them paper and crayons and they usually sit there coloring. USUALLY!

Last year, we did school when Davina took her morning nap. So needless to say, we are learning how to adjust, take one day at a time and try to implement consistency with her.

(Didn't she do good coloring? Haha)

Colin was 2 1/2 and I worked with him on blanket time. For those who don't know this method, I highly recommend it. It takes consistency and determination but it does pay off. At first when I was training him I would set the timer for a realistic amount of time for a toddler. I started with 5 minutes and worked our way up. I placed him on the blanket, told him he could not get off (we made sure he went potty first), and gave him intentional toys to play with. Blocks, puzzles, trains. Anything that would engage the mind and keep little fingers busy.

I'm one to give my kids positive reinforcements and cannot tell you how many m&m's and gummy bears we went through in a year's time! Oh vey!

But like I said, not everyday is the same. Sometimes, it's better to keep them in the living room and let them play while I can keep my eye on them!

(What is normally looks like before our clean up at naptime!)

Now on to the curriculum:

Last year we did a hodgepodge of certain material that I came up with. This year, I decided My Father's World would be a good suite for my children. With this only our second year, I was unsure what exactly my kids needed to know and needed some guidance.