Sunday, January 25, 2015

4 Tasty Gluten-Free, Casein-Free Recipes for Our Lady of Altagracia Day (or Anytime!)

Which tasty delight on this table went the most quickly?




The Juice Wigglers (way over on the right).
 
That was no surprise.  


Juice Wigglers have been a long-time favorite treat for my children, and, as of last Wednesday, it appears that Juice Wigglers are a favorite for my children's friends, too!

Want to make some?  


https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6Lk1nwk2KPdV0RpUjdqZTB0ODg/view?usp=sharing


It is super easy!  Just download our Our Lady of Altagracia Menu packet and get started.

The packet includes four of the recipes we enjoyed this past Wednesday as we celebrated Our Lady of Altagracia with friends:

  • Orange Juice Wigglers
  • Gluten-Free, Casein-Free, Nut-Free Orange Cake
  • 5-Ingredient Gluten-Free, Casein-Free Orange-Banana Bites
  • Gluten-Free, Casein-Free Orange-Almond Butter Cookies

In preparation for our annual Lady of Altagracia Tea and Playdate, I typed some recipes up for my children that included easy check off boxes for the Ingredients and Method stepsWe put these in page protectors and, then, as the children helped prepare the treats, they were able to easily check off the recipe steps as they went using dry erase markers.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6Lk1nwk2KPdV0RpUjdqZTB0ODg/view?usp=sharing


The result was a successful practical life food preparation session one night, followed by fun and feasting the next day!





Good food.  Prayer.  Friendship.  






(Please Note:  Affiliate links follow for your convenience.  Should you choose to click one to make a purchase, we may receive compensation.  Thank you.)



 

Arts-n-crafts.  Free play inside and out.  Chatting.


It was truly a wonderful time!


We hope you create some wonderful memories while nibbling on treats made using our simple recipe sheets, too.

There's no need to wait until next year's Our Lady of Altagracia Day on January 21 to do so, either.  Each of the recipes includes something orange or clementine and, since those fruits tend to be on sale right now, it's a perfect time to test them out.

Enjoy! We'd love to hear some of your favorite GFCF treat recipes, too.

Sunday, January 18, 2015

Want a Perfect Picture Book Study for Martin Luther King, Jr. and Valentine's Day?

Between Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and Valentine's Day, our family has come to enjoy a book I found a the library a few years ago.



This post contains links for your convenience.  Some are affiliate ones, which means, if you click through them to make any purchase, we may receive income at no extra cost to you.


My children and I have snuggled up twice in the past week to re-read this favorite seasonal tale and, undoubtedly, we will enjoy it for years to come.  We all love the authenticity with which The Legend of the Valentine: An Inspirational Story of Love and Reconciliation weaves together the story of Saint Valentine, a story about a boy who is being bullied while his father sits in jail with Martin Luther King and the timeless Bible messages about love.

Today, I thought I would share a huge list of ideas that might help
The Legend of the Valentine: An Inspirational Story of Love and Reconciliation become a read together treasure in your home, too.  If you appreciate the story as much as we do, you might want to scoop a copy up for as low as $0.01 since, unfortunately, it has gone out of print.  (Why is it that good books go out of print?!?)

The Story 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0310700396/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0310700396&linkCode=as2&tag=traihapphear-20&linkId=TTUJLQ35BKDGMKD


   
In The Legend of the Valentine: An Inspirational Story of Love and Reconciliation, Katherine Grace Bond tells the the story of a nine-year-old boy named Marcus who is being bullied at school while his father and Martin Luther King, Jr. sit in a jail cell.

Marcus, of course, has every right to be upset, and even to retaliate.  However, he chooses not to.  While making Valentines, his grandmother tells him the story of the third century Christian that Valentine's Day gets it name from.  Marcus also receives an encouraging Valentine from his father.  He realizes the power of loving one's enemies and returns to school to make a peaceful difference!



The Illustrations



Don Tate, who also illustrated Eve Bunting's The Cart That Carried Martin, created engaging illustrations filled with emotion.  Expressive faces and postures in each full-page illustration bring the text to life life and help children further empathize with the characters in the book.    

Faith and Virtues Connections

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1580893872/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1580893872&linkCode=as2&tag=traihapphear-20&linkId=JI3HAQT7K6DE2PZN

As The Legend of the Valentine: An Inspirational Story of Love and Reconciliation unfolds, a variety of Biblical, Saint and Character connections become evident:

  • In the opening page of the story, the main character Marcus says quietly, "There's no wrong color for skin," after being bullied about using brown as a sin-color in his drawing.  Isn't everyone created differently -- and beautifully?


  • On the second page of the story, as well as later within in, a band of angels is mentioned.  When else have you read about bands of angels?  (Perhaps the ones that came to the shepherds to announce Jesus' birth?)  Shall we pause to pray to our guardian angels?

  • The grandmother in the story returns from going out -- again -- to register to vote despite the fact that she is always told that the registrar's office is closed.  What character trait does this exemplify?  Shouldn't we all be persistent in fighting, peacefully, for what is right?

  • While Granny is comforting Marcus about the bullying he has been facing at school she says, "No need to be hating.  Jesus says to love our enemies."  She also reminds Marcus' angry mother that just like Marcus is a child, so are the boys who are bullying him,  "They're all children.  God's children."  In doing so, she provides examples of gentle Christian correction and alludes to Bible truths.  How might we correct others?  What Bible truths might we remember when dealing with challenging situations in our own lives?

  • Granny tells the story of Saint Valentine, who was wrongly jailed, yet was courageous enough to testify to his jailer about Jesus and, as legend tells, prayed to restore the sight of the jailer's daughter -- a miracle that helped convert the jailer.  What virtues does Saint Valentine exemplify?  How might we live those virtues ourselves?


  •  Marcus' daddy sends Marcus a Valentine that talks about how he and his fellow inmates began singing and their jailers followed suit, sounding like "a band of angels".  He also wrote, Have courage.  God shall overcome."  How might our words encourage others?  Have we ever witnessed examples of God overcoming anything in our own lives or in the lives around us?  What is courage and how can we demonstrate it?


  •  Marcus "knew what he had to do" and created a beautiful Valentine for Travis, the boy who bullied him the worst.  Then, even when Travis rejected Marcus overture of friendship, Marcus remembered to "Love.  Even when some folks didn't deserve it."  He felt it was what "Jesus wanted him to do".  His lead encouraged his classmates to show support and friendship.  Have you ever had your heart turned toward love?  How might you help others become more loving, too? 


  • At the end of the story, Marcus holds out his hand to Travis and says, "No need to e hating anymore.  Come on, Travis."  In doing so, he is passing on a message of love and reconciliation.  How might our words and actions testify to truths of God's love and forgiveness?
 
Curriculum and Activity Prompts

The Legend of the Valentine: An Inspirational Story of Love and Reconciliation is rich in inspiration for Academic and Enrichment pursuits, such as:

Art: 

  • Throughout the book, illustrations depict emotion well.  How might you create emotional evocative illustrations?


  • Eyebrows in the book's illustrations impact expressed emotion.  Explore how just changing the shape and position of eyebrows in simply drawn faces can change the emotion the faces depict.


  • The opening page of the story brings to the fore that "skin color" is not one single color.  Draw pictures using a variety of colors for skin.

  •  Marcus and his granny make valentines.  try your own hand at making some.

Cooking (Multi-Disciplinary)

 
  • Do a Power Foods Lab in conjunction with reading the book, exploring ginger as a power food in order to make a number of items.


  • Whip up a batch of gingersnaps to drink alongside a glass of milk (or milk alternative), just as Marcus enjoyed after school.


English Language Arts:

  • The text uses a lot of dialogue, but avoids overusing speech tags.  How might you write without peppering your writing with too many "he said"s.  How can telling actions work instead of speech tags, such as in "Best get started on those cards."  She plunked down scissors and paste and a box of saved wrapping paper from Christmas.  "There's enough here to make real nice ones for everyone."



  • What is a simile.  How might words come out "lie a steel gate swinging open" or feel "like fire"?  Might you use similes to make your writing more powerful?



  • When Marcus thinks, I'd fight back, he words are italicized.  Why?  What other conventions are used to show thought, spoken word, etc.?



  • The story ends openly, without the reader being told how Travis responds to Marcus' outstretched hand and suggestion to stop hating.  What do you think happens next?

History / Culture / Geography:  

  • "It used to be against the law in Alabama for Marcus to go to a white school."  Why?  What changed this?  Where is Alabama on a map?  When in history did such a law exist?  When did the law change?  What other stories of children who were the first in integrated schools do you know of?


  • "Did you try to register again?" Mama asked Granny.  Who could vote when our country first began?  All men or only ones with land?  Who later won the right to vote?  All white men?  Women?  Others?  In what order?  What did they do to win their rightful rights?

  • Valentine is not called a saint in this story, but a Christian.  Which Christian denominations name saints and which do not?  

  • Granny says we are all "God's children"?  Besides Christians, what other people of faith believe this?  What is the culture of these faiths?


  •  Valentine was jailed because he was a Christian and, in the third century, worshiping as a Christian was against the law in the Roman Empire.  How and why were Christians persecuted then?  How and when did that persecution change?  Are there Christians, or other faith-based groups, that are still persecuted today?  How and where?  What can be done to stop the persecution?


  • Valentine and Martin Luther King, Jr. promoted change through peaceful measures.  What are some examples of peaceful protest as opposed to violent protest?  What other historical figures used peaceful protest?


  • Marcus' classmates pin his valentines to their shirts.  Have you ever heard of this practice?  What traditions are you familiar with about valentines and Valentine's Day?

  • This book was set when the Civil Rights movement in America was in full swing.  Who were key players in that movement?  Does fighting for civil rights carry on today?  How?

Math:
 

  • What is symmetry and asymmetry?  Might you use asymmetric and symmetric shapes when creating Valentines?


Storytelling:

  • How did the author immediately engage us in the story?  What makes a strong start for a story?


  • How did the author and illustrator make us think at the end of the story?  How might you write the next page if you were the author?


    Practical Life:

    • Cut and paste while making valentines.


    • Exercise fine motor skills while drawing pictures with "skin color" crayons.

    • Practice baing skills making gingersnaps.

    • Practice pouring skills pouring milk.

    Sensory Ideas

    As a mom who knows sensory challenges in children well, no book study ever seems complete without sensory savvy connections.  Some ideas and opportunities for sensory input connected to
    The Legend of the Valentine: An Inspirational Story of Love and Reconciliation are:

    Auditory: 

    • Dialogue lines and illustrations in the book are punctuated with emotion.  Practice voice modulation and expression in imitation of these portions of the book or play a game where you say a word with a specific emotion in mind and others guess the word.


    • The valentine Marcus receives from his father is made from a paper torn into a heart shape.  Listen to how different types of paper sound when you rip them.

    Gustatory:

    • Mama served Marcus gingersnaps and milk as an afterschool snack.  Enjoy the crunch of ginger snaps and the cool creaminess of milk (or a milk alternative) while reading the story.


    • Do a food study with ginger, exploring how fresh, powdered and candied ginger smell, look and taste.  Try cooking or baking with ginger.


    Olfactory: 

    • Do a blind activity where children try to match containers of powdered ginger and other spices solely by sniffing them.

    Proprioception: 

    • Re-enact parts of Marcus' or Saint Valentine's stories, or scenes inspired by them.  Incorporate changes of position and level, lifting or carrying, etc.

    Tactile:
    • Marcus draws with crayons at the beginning of the story.  Create pictures with crayons, and, then with other media, such as oil pastels, markers, paints and colored pencils.  How does each media feel in your hand, on the paper, etc.?


    • Marcus and his granny make valentines.  Using materials with a wide variety of textures, do the same.


    Vestibular:
    • The story depicts a boy who is figuratively knocked down, but gets back up.  Play a game where you relate scenarios or actions and words that might "knock a person down" or "build them up".  Have players fall downward or stand upright accordingly.


    Visual:

    • Making valentines can provide a feast of visual input.

    Other Times the Story Could Be Shared

    The Legend of the Valentine: An Inspirational Story of Love and Reconciliation is ideally shared between Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and Valentine's Day.  However, there are plenty of other times that it would make a fabulous read.  For example, when:

    • studying about Civil Rights.


    • learning about the Saints.


    • discussing bullying.


    • focusing on forgiveness and reconciliation.

    • studying examples of how to love one's enemies.


    Requests

    I would love to hear about how your family uses The Legend of the Valentine: An Inspirational Story of Love and Reconciliation and what other favorite Martin Luther King, Jr Day and Valentine's Day books your enjoy. 

    I would also like to know:  Do you find books study posts like this helpful, and, if so:
    • What books, themes, feast days or holidays would you like me to share about next?

    • Would you prefer future book studies be shared in long-post form like this or as a brief post with a printable that you could click on to get the full book study?  

    Please don't be shy in letting me know how sharing what we do here can best bless your family!

    Sunday, January 11, 2015

    Enjoy 5 Festive Models of Faith for January!


    The other day, someone I was speaking with called me a "Cathoholic".  The label was not meant to be complimentary, but I chose to take it that way.  

    I would rather be addicted to belief in God and celebration of faith than to many other things.  For, while I, like many people, am a "work in progress", my greatest desire is for that progress to bring me to perfection in Heaven one day.  

    Through His grace, may that happen!  

    And, as it happens, may I intentionally direct my attention and that of my children toward great historical models of faith and trust that we might emulate. 

    January brings a number of these models...

    ~1~
    On the first of the year, we celebrated Mary, Mother of God with Mass, read alouds and discussion.   

    May her "yes" always remind us of the power of obedience.  May her love be a model to us of how to love.  And, may we continue to learn, study and play with Mary in mind.

    ~2~
    The Wisemen
    Just Before Our Epiphany Breakfast
     
    Last Sunday, again on the sixth of the month, and, throughout the past week, we have been celebrating the Ephiphany with Mass, crown making, tea, chats, dramatic play and read alouds.   

    May we all know the steadfast desire of the wisemen as they sought to find -- and honor -- the newborn king.  May we follow the light of His love and let it shine in and through us.

    ~3~
    St. Nina

     Nina as St. Nina for an All Saints Day Party
    Nina as St. Nina for an All Saints Day Party

    Next week, we will celebrate Nina's name day with a family tea 

    Like St. Nina, may we ever be afraid to speak of Him, sharing our faith, and, if it be His will, may our willingness to go forth with faith transform us and, perhaps, even be a catalyst for the conversion of others.

    ~4~
    Our Lady of Altagracia


    Flashback to 2011 Our Lady of Altagracia Celebration

    The following week, we will celebrate Our Lady of Altagracia, a devotion from the Dominican Republic that we were introduced to through the lovely picture book and have enjoyed celebrating since 2010 

    May we always trust in our Lord, have hope for the future, and, with grateful hearts, accept all that comes our way.


    ~5~
    St. Thomas Aquinas


    Friends balance books on their heads at our All Saints Day Party St. Thomas Aquinas Game Challenge.

    In the final week, we may celebrate St. Thomas Aquinas.  

    May we all be moved to increase our desire for prayer and study, maintaining humility. 


    Which models of faith, love and virtue will you be celebrating with your children this month?  I'd love to hear about your favorite traditions, books and resources!

    Tuesday, January 6, 2015

    Get Your Free Epiphany-Themed Printable Phonics Game!

    Sometimes, you forget to hit "publish".

    That's exactly what happened to me a year ago when I wrote the following, but failed to publish it. 

    So, better one year and most of the day late than never.  We're just sitting down to play this again, and, maybe, you can enjoy it this afternoon, too.
      
    Despite Luke and Nina being on their third day with a belly bug yesterday, we did not take a "sick day" from play and learning.  In fact, while the children were immersed in various activities from our Skill and Study shelves, I decided to whip up a game that would encourage both learning and play at the same time.

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6Lk1nwk2KPdM0NWRXYyMTB5TW8/edit?usp=sharing

    What inspired the game?

    Jack is still learning letter sounds. Nina is moving her way slowly but surely through reading and writing basic phonics. And, Luke needs extra practice reading specific blends and digraphs.  Plus, we were celebrating the Epiphany.  

    With all this in mind, as well as inspiration from the wonderful Everyday Games that the children have enjoyed from SchoolhouseTeachers.com (which are generously offered by Teresa from Fun Games 4 Learning, who makes fabulous games!), I created a phonics game based on the Epiphany-themed words "king" and "star". 


    Once created and printed, we found this game easy, effective and entertaining.

    All three children were able to play the game with no problem (although Jack, of course, needed a little help from me or one of his siblings.)  Rounds went quickly and lots of practice with single consonant sounds, blends, digraphs, onsets and rimes was had.  We also took the game up a learning notch by practicing sentence-building with the words that we created on our turns.   Thus, this easy game was a win-win-win for us!

    Perhaps your young learners would like to play it, too.  Feel free to download your own free copy of Three in a Row: Complete the -ar and -ing WordsAnd, as always, if you have a request for something you'd like me to put together or write about, please leave it in the comments on this post or over at our Facebook page anytime. 

    Enjoy!

    Sunday, January 4, 2015

    Counting Down Your Favorite Faith-Based Posts of 2014

    Happy Epiphany!

    Flashback to Epiphany 2014

    Although we celebrated the liturgical Epiphany at Mass this morning, we decided to hold off celebrating with our usual GFCF feast day fun and themed-explorations until this Tuesday, the sixth


    This will be tempting our children from our table again on Tuesday.


    As I thinking about what to serve for this year's family Epiphany tea and which books, dramatic play props and other materials to have on hand this week, I got looking at old pictures and posts.  As I did so, I wondered if others ever look at my old posts for inspiration, too.  (Of course, I always do myself!)


    A star in a blueberry sky...

    To answer my question, I took a rare peak at my Google Analytics stats to see which faith-related posts were most viewed by readers in 2014.  Lo and behold, not a single one of them was one actually written in 2014.  

    Nope.  

    Your favorite faith-based posts seem to be oldies, but goodies:



    Coming in at Number Five is...

    http://traininghappyhearts.blogspot.com/2013/09/seven-sorrows-of-mary-3-part-cards-free.html

    Seven Sorrows of Mary 3-Part Cards (A Free Printable - Now Updated)


    I am so glad the effort I put into making these Seven Sorrows of Mary cards and sharing 10 ways to use them is appreciated!  It takes me quite a while to put together cards like these, but is so worth it as my children and I enjoy art appreciation, faith studies and fun all at once with them!
     

     
    Cards seem to have it, as taking the Number Four slot is...

    http://traininghappyhearts.blogspot.com/2010/05/if-you-cannot-find-it-make-do-3-part.html

    If You Cannot Find It, Make Do: 3-Part Life of Mary Sequencing Cards 

    Back in 2010, these were the first 3-part religious art cards I put together.  We still bring them out when celebrating Saint Mary.  They add tradition, fun, and, of course, faith-based art to our Marian celebrations.



    Or maybe not.  Perhaps hands-on is happenings, since taking the Number Three spot is...

    http://traininghappyhearts.blogspot.com/2013/09/an-easy-way-to-teach-young-children.html

    An Easy Way to Teach Young Children about Baptism


    Since first exploring Baptism with this tray in 2013, I have shared similar ones with my children, with children in our Sensing the Saints mini co-op and with children in my daughters faith formation classes.  I love hands-on, Montessori-inspired faith learning! 
     

    Now, it seems appropriate today that the Number Two spot is...


    http://traininghappyhearts.blogspot.com/2013/01/last-minute-ideas-for-gfcf-epiphany.html

    Last Minute Ideas for a GFCF Epiphany Feast Day Tea


    Yesterday, when I was doing some cleaning and organizing, I took out a stack of orange paper.  Nina immediately grinned, asking, "Is that for our crowns?"  For it seems that making orange paper crowns has become an epiphany tradition here as have donut stables and food stars in a blueberry sky, which is what our Epiphany Tea meal has morphed to since its inception with star-shaped pancakes. 

      

    However, taking the Number One spot, is a surprise for me...

     

    http://traininghappyhearts.blogspot.com/2011/09/parables-of-jesus-sower-lesson-for.html

    The Parables of Jesus (The Sower): A Lesson for a Sensorimotor Preschool Experience

    When I saw that the most popular faith-related post that was accessed last year was one that resulted from a copied-and-pasted lesson plan I wrote for a co-op three years ago, which had but one tiny image on it, no printables and, until tonight, no categories attached to it, I laughed.  

    Lately, I have been wanting to find time to improve my blogging skills -- snazzy Pinterest-perfect images, strong key words, blah, blah, blah.  It seems, though, that just doing what I love to do (like teaching and planning!) and sharing about it might be what YOU most want.  That is good to know as I head into 2015!  

    If there is anything specific that you'd like me to write about, create or share, feel free to let me now in a comment here or on the Training Happy Hearts Facebook page.

    I pray your New Year has started brightly and that you not only follow the light as the Wise Men did, but let His light shine in and through you!

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