Famed writer Theodore Sturgeon once said, “Writing is a communication.” While true, it is of great importance that writing be quality, for effective communication to occur. We recently began using the Advanced Communication series offered by The Institute for Excellence in Writing. The series is perfect for preparing those who are being home-schooled for the essay writing and note taking habits they need to develop to be prepared for college. Sitting through lectures, quickly reading chapters of college text daily, and memorizing large amounts of information are skills that will help your child succeed in University studies.

The Advanced Communication series helps turn students who are good writers into great writers. The lessons explain what professors usually look for in term papers and assignments and prepare your students for the expectations. Even the most experienced writer may struggle when it comes to completing high quality college level papers if not adequately prepared.

The three classes in the series focus on persuasive writing and speaking, planning and writing college-level papers, and advanced note taking. The information is invaluable for older students who will soon enter college, as they will need to be used to hours sitting in lecture halls and taking notes that are both effective and efficient. I highly recommend the IEW’s Advanced Communication and look forward to seeing the improvement I my own children’s reading and writing skill levels.

I don’t know about your family, but this year was a whopper for sickness! I believe that there were only three weeks this winter when all of us were well together. This certainly hindered our school year! We did however keep up with our math and writing for the most part. I’m glad that our children enjoy reading, they kept that up. We realized this year that FLEXIBILITY is the most important part of homeschooling. A person can’t get “STUCK” with a schedule all the time.

As the months passed, I thought, how many children actually remember everything when they enter into college? What are the most important tools they need to enter college or the “REAL” world?

Here is a list I felt that were important skills to carry on:

Are they learning to work independently?
Do they know how to research a topic at the library?
Do they know how to research a topic on the intranet?
Do they know how to put organized thoughts on paper?
Are they proficient with math?
Do they have a passion to learn?
Are they being brought up with their passions?
Do they know how to handle money and keep a budget?
Do they know how to handle conflict?
Do they set goals and obtain them?
Can they communicate effectively?

There are probably more, but these are the ones I felt important for our family. We are going to continue to grow and be happy learning!

2 cups of cooked rice (I make mine in rice maker)

4 large boneless skinless chicken breast

3 teaspoons lemon pepper seasoning

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 cup butter

2 tablespoons rice flour

2 cups almond milk

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard (Make sure GF)

Cut chicken into strips- pat dry- sprinkle with spices

in a frying pan, melt butter. Add chicken. Cook until done.

Add flour to frying pan, add almond milk all at once. Cook & stir until thick & bubbly. Add mustard and stir. Take off heat.

You can mix your rice in or serve over rice. We prefer to serve over rice.

We like to serve with broccoli or salad on the side

8-10 Gluten Free hot dogs

1/2 cup rice flour

1/4 cup tapioca flour

1/4 cup potato flour

2/3 cup corn meal

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1 egg beaten

3/4 cup almond milk

2 tablespoons cooking oil

Tad bit of extra rice flour

Cooking oil for frying

Pat all the dogs dry. If you want a stick to hold onto, you can insert skewers.
Combine all the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl combine egg, milk & tow tablespoons of oil. After combining well add to dry mix and mix well. Batter will be thick.

Your temp on deep fryer should be 375 you can also use frying pan.

Rolls dogs into batter. Fry dogs, turning in about 1 minute. Then cook on other side another minute. You want them to be golden brown. I find that using tongs makes it easier to turn the dogs. Set the dogs on a plate, which is lined with paper towels to drain the excess grease. You can put in oven on 200 to keep warn.

1/2 pound ground turkey

1/2 pound ground turkey sausage

4 large green peppers (Cut in half lengthwise, take out seeds and wash)

1 4 oz. can green chilies

1 14 oz can of crushed tomatoes

1 15 oz can tomato sauce

1 teaspoon fresh oregano

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 cup water

1 cup rice uncooked

1 cup shredded cheese

Brown meats. Add all other ingredients (Except green bell pepper) Cook for about 20 minutes on med/high

Put small amount of water into a pan so you can blanch the green pepper. Cook for about 1 1/2 minutes and set aside on plate to cool

Preheat oven 375 bake for about 20 minutes

Add shredded cheese to rice mixture. Spoon mixture into each bell pepper and place on shallow dish. Bake for about 20 minutes.

About 1 1/2 pounds of chicken breast cut into strips

1 tablespoon oil

2 14 1/2 oz cans of crushed tomatoes or chunk

1` cup of frozen organic corn

1/2 cup long grain rice

1 4oz. can of green chilies

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon fresh basil

1/2 teaspoon fresh oregano

1 15 oz. can of beans, whatever your favorite are. (We use fresh beans, which are already prepared ahead of time and frozen)

Cook meat, add everything to casserole dish, plus cooked meat. Cook for about 30 min on 350.

Heat GF tortillas.

Set casserole and warmed tortillas on middle of table. The family can make their own tortillas. May be served with chopped cilantro, onion, shredded cheese, olives, peppers or whatever you like to add.

1 cup rice flour
2/3 cup potato starch flour
1/3 cup tapioca flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter
2/3 cup almond milk

Do not over mix. Will be a little lumpy. Drop by tablespoon full to greased baking sheet.

Preheat oven 450, bake 10-12 min