Quick Pizza Dough

For when I don't have time to wait for the bread maker.

http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/quick-pizza-dough-678389/

Preschool/K links for the letter "U"

Mya turned 5 while we were on holiday, and when we got home and her older siblings started school yesterday, she BEGGED to join them. :)
 I am using the following resources for Mya to do a letter each week for the rest of the school year:
African Animals Rhymes & Recipes
ABC Fun & 1-2-3
Teach Your Child to Read in Just Ten Minutes A Day
My First School Book from Handwriting Without Tears

But that's not enough for Mya, at least not yet as her excitement is so great, and she LOVES to write, draw and colour in, so I find myself looking for printables and such after the second day of school, and this week is the short sound of the letter "U". Thought I would list the links here.
http://www.first-school.ws/theme/alphabetp4.htm#u
http://www.first-school.ws/t/alpha2/u2_nt.htm
http://www.first-school.ws/t/alpha2/u1_nt.htm
http://www.first-school.ws/t/alpha1/u.htm
http://www.first-school.ws/t/cp_seasonal/s_rain-umbrella.htm
http://www.tlsbooks.com/kindergartenworksheets.htm

http://www.animalstown.com/animals/i/impala/coloring-pages/impala-coloring-04.html (similar enough to pass for a Ugandan Kob)

Honor

I have been reading the book Say Goodbye to Whining, Complaining, and Bad Attitudes... in You and Your Kids by Scott Turansky, and I love it! It really emphasizes to teach your kids to honor others. I knew that the Bible said to honor your father and mother, but I decided to do a search in a Bible concordance to find some other verses, specifically that I could use to encourage my children to honor each other. This is what I've found:

Romans 12:10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;

1 Peter 2:17 Honour all men.

I'll expound more on this later, as this busy Mom's gotta run! :)

Top Secret Recipes Little Caeser's Crazy Bread & Sauce

My husband LOVES Little Caeser's Crazy Bread & Sauce! As close as we can get in Africa. :)

http://www.topsecretrecipes.com/Little-Caesars-Crazy-Bread-Recipe.html
http://www.topsecretrecipes.com/Little-Caesars-Crazy-Sauce-Recipe.html

Bread Maker Pizza Dough (1 1/2 lbs.)

1 cup water
2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups bread flour (I use All Purpose flour, or in SA, Cake Flour)
2 teaspoons Bread Machine Yeast

Add to bread maker in order suggested by your bread maker manufacturer.

Optional Ingredients: (Add with flour)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon sweet basil

Yields:
2 - 12 in round (thin)
1 - 14 in round (thick)
1 - 10x15 in (thin)

Bake Pizza at 425 F (220 C) for 15-25 min.

White Chicken Chili

3 T. Olive Oil          
1 jar green chillies, drained                               
1 medium onion, chopped     
2 tsp. ground cumin      
3 T. flour
16 oz. chicken broth (or bouillion)              
1 1/2 c. chopped, cooked chicken breast                                                               
2 cans white beans
1 c. salsa                                                   
shredded cheese and sour cream for garnishing

Cook onion & chilies in olive oil until onions are cooked through.  Add cumin and flour, stir until well mixed.  Cook 2 minutes.  Slowly stir in chicken broth.  Add white beans and chicken.  Cook for 30 min. Serve with cheese and sour cream and salsa.

A Teenager in the House!!!

Well, I can't post about Mickey's birthday on April 13 and not post about Brandon's birthday, because today's THE DAY! It's Brandon's crown birthday! He turns 13 on the 13th, and as he'll quickly point out - it's Friday the 13th! :)

He woke up earlier this morning - why is it easier to get the kids out of bed when they know there's no school? And I made him pancakes for breakfast. He was able to play wii, computer, watch tv - his favourite things. ;)
He had cosmos for lunch - now I don't know about you, but I didn't know what cosmos were until I met my husband's family. Take a sub roll, melt provolone cheese on it, add mayo, italian dressing, tomatos, lettuce and onions (hold the onions for Brandon) and you have a Hawkins' family favourite sandwich!
Played for the afternoon.... We talked about lasagna for dinner, but since Brandon HAD to go to the shop and spend some of the birthday money that was burning a hole in his pocket, we ran out of time, so we had goulash
The birthday cake of Brandon's choice was Deep Dark Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Icing.

Now he is having a sleepover with his "weekend family", the Frosts. They stay in the flat on our property, and he and Matthew spend every possible waking moment together! (Well, sleeping, too, I guess! ;))

It was a special day today, as we had already let him choose what was for dinner last night, assuming that we were back to youth at church today after the holidays, which would involve being away from home from 2-9. Brandon felt like it was an extra birthday present to find out we weren't going back until next week!