It is absolutely cheaper, especially if you're wanting heartier bread. It has been a few years (about 4, now) since I calculated the cost of making my different recipes (I used to make bread to sell at farmers markets). Last I calculated, I could make my sourdough recipe for .80--it made 2 loaves. I could make my whole wheat recipe for about $2.40--it made 3 loaves. I make my bread by hand, which saves the cost of a bread machine. The slow cooker recipe sounds intriguing. I love my slow cooker! And making homemade bread.

Wow! Your suggestions sound great! I'll have to look into them. Hmmm....decisions, decisions. :) Muchas gracias!

I'm interested in finding a Spanish program for my dd4. I've looked over various curricula online but the ones I found were not listed on Amazon and consequently don't have reviews. I'm about to look for programs on Amazon, but I figured I'd better check with folks here, too. :) What have you used and liked with your preschoolers? I'm looking for videos, books, etc.. Once we get off the ground with the basics I'm sure we could check out from the library Spanish books on tape she could listen to. I know a little Spanish, from waaaaay back in college. I did find some Spanish Sesame Street clips on YouTube that she liked watching, but I'd like something a little more structured and contextual. Thanks in advance!

The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara (sorta historical fiction because the dialogue and exact details pretty much have to be made up--it is based on tons of research, though) Children's Blizzard. This is not historical fiction outright (based on actual events using diaries, etc.), but some of the details have been surmised. The Things They Carried. by Tim O'Brien (set during the Vietnam War) Les Miserables. by Victor Hugo The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexandre Solzenitchen Maus I and Maus II. (can't remember the author/artist--it's in comic book format, but definitely not for kids)

The Baby Book. by Dr. Sears The Discipline Book. by Dr. Sears The Mister Rogers Parenting Book. And oddly enough, Ability Development from Age Zero by Shinichi Suzuki. While it discusses his theory on music education, his love of children shines through. In many ways it's a book about how to treat little people so they grow into good, kind grown-ups of character.

Well, this has been a fascinating discussion. If your sister isn't swayed by all the good Biblical arguments, I hope something will. Someone in authority having that perspective, I fear, could give young kids license to have premarital s*x. Their hearts and minds are not ready, I don't think, for such a deeply emotional act. Did she say why she didn't necessarily think it was a sin?

I'll admit upfront that I have not read all 10 pages yet, so I may have missed a reply similar to what I'm about to post, so bear with me. :) I wonder if he means that a non-Biblical reason would be more convincing for those who are not Christian? My brother discussed the issue of cohabitation prior to marriage with me. He had a long-term girlfriend (now wife :) ) who he was considering asking to move in with him. He is an atheist. When I told him the following concerns, he replied with, "Sis, I'm not religious." Personally, I am not in favor of living together with someone prior to marriage (in most cases). This belief is not based on anything I learned from the Bible (I'm not particularly religious, though I've read the Bible). I think living with someone prior to marriage can fundamentally change the perception of the relationship, can possible damage it. Marriage is not something you "try out", so you can't practice it. If you're not sure you love someone enough and know someone enough to marry them, then "trying it out" isn't going to work. Doing so could alter how you view the stability and dedication of the relationship and any marriage that happens following cohabitation. This answer, one stemming more from human psychology, I think, convinced my brother not to cohabitate versus an answer that contained Bible verses. Granted, this is slightly off-topic since the OP asked about what the Bible had to say. However, this nuance might come in handy for the OP anyway. Is her sister likely to be swayed by a religious argument or not? [Disclaimer: I do not think this is the outcome for all relationships, just most relationships that are not between two mature and wise people.]

How do you cook your meat for your meals with meats? Do you serve a slab of meat (like a whole pork chop or a chicken breast) or do you use ground meat or meat pieces in a larger dish? I try to remember to make homemade yogurt (The Tightwad Gazette has a great recipe)--it is MUCH cheaper than store-bought. I'm up for a challenge, too. We got pretty far off our budget (such that it was) after moving and then having a baby, I definitely need to get back in gear!

Land's End. I love the skirted tankinis! Though, I do use a nursing tankini top quite a bit, too--paired with my Land's End skirted bottoms. I think the top is a Glamourmom.

I do major reseasoning with Crisco in the oven--300F for several hours. I use a paper towel to wipe a thin layer over the whole inside. It's been a long time since I've done this, but I don't think I usually turn the skillet over (forgetful). My usual reseasoning protocol is to cook eggs in olive oil (on medium heat,~5) if the seasoning seems dull or has been damaged by very hard use (cooking meat casseroles in it in the oven tends to do this since it requires hard scrubbing if I forget to soak right away).

This is great! My eldest is only 4, so I can start putting some of these things people have listed on wish lists! Our favorites: Kumon workbooks (I tear them to pieces and insert all the pages into page protectors--my dd loves doing them over and over and over...) Realistic animal figurines from Lakeshore Learning Continent puzzles by A Broader View Jenga, dominoes, chess, 3D tic-tac-toe Authors cards Homemade Montessori-type manipulatives: toothpick dropping game (drop toothpicks into tall spice jar lid--my 2-4 year olds will play with this a lot); matching sound jars; homemade lacing cards; matching game made from frozen juice lids and stickers; symmetry cards (symmetrical/asymmetrical images cut in half or with a pin hole in the middle for spinning for discussions about symmetry National Audobon Society identification books Kenn Kauffmann bird identification book binoculars magnifying glass and magnifying jars for critters box full of random musical instruments: tambourine, wooden drum, tin whistles, maracas, train whistles, egg shakers, rain sticks, etc. sand boxes--1 for outdoors for playing in, 1 tiny one indoors for tracing letters and shapes wooden train stuff puzzles--especially one by Educa that does the alphabet and ones by Ravensbruk (high quality, engaging images) The Toddler's Busy Book and The Preschooler's Busy Book Childcraft Encyclopedia, including many of the annuals, sets from the 1980s (not dumbed down)

Before I used my cast iron skillets for the first time (or, if I really did a messy casserole in them that required super elbow grease to remove), I wipe the inside with vegetable oil or Crisco and bake it in a low oven for an hour or so. If I take off a bit of the seasoning with scrubbing or it just seems dull, cooking fried eggs or grilled cheese sandwiches brings it back to a nice seasoned 'texture'. I don't remember if the Lodge we got was pre-seasoned. It may have been, but I redo it anyway. The ancient skillet I got from my grandma needed some love though. I love my cast iron skillets and my cast iron muffin pan. Hope this info helps turn others into cast iron lovers, too! Forgot to add: I use small stainless steel spatulas for most of my cooking. Otherwise I use wooden utensils or stainless steel spoons. The small stainless steel spatulas make flipping eggs and pancakes really easy--small enough to flip smartly and thin enough to slide easily under the food.

I use cast iron skillets, stainless steel pots and cookie sheets, and glass bread pans. Most of my cooking is done with my trusty cast iron skillet, everything from eggs to pancakes to tortillas to stir fry to casseroles. If the cast iron is properly seasoned you don't need to use much oil at all (though, I tend to make fried versus scrambled eggs). Run the skillet under a little water and with a scrubby pad anything that 'sticks' tends to come off pretty easily, in my experience. Even if you do have to use a bit of elbow grease and some of the seasoning is worn off, I've found that cooking fried eggs in the skillet re-seasons the pan very well.

"Cheater's Stroganoff" 1 lb hamburger 1 can cream of mushroom soup 1 small onion chopped ~1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce ~1/2 cup frozen peas (optional) Salt and pepper to taste Egg noodles Brown meat and chopped onion. Start to cook egg noodles according to package directions (cook enough for 4-6 people, depending upon how much you want to add to the meat mixture). When the meat and onion are browned, splash in about 1-2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce (to taste, really). Add the can of cream of mushroom soup. I sometimes add a can of mushrooms or freshly sliced mushrooms if I have them or frozen peas to give it color and to make it a little healthier. Salt and pepper to taste. When the egg noodles are cooked and drained, add them to the meat mixture. Stir it all together well and serve hot.

I've never purchased special yogurt cultures, so I can't help you there. I just use plain Dannon yogurt, which has live cultures. Bring 1 qt. of whole milk (plus 1/2 cup dried) to 180F, let cool to 115F and stir in 2 Tbsp of the yogurt starter. Put in a quart jar and let sit for 6-12 hours in 100F (oven with the light on has worked for me). I got my recipe from The Complete Tightwad Gazette. It thickens very well.

I've read it, but not all in one sitting and I do not remember enough of it to speak confidently about much of it. Time to pick it up again!

It's pretty easy to make your own--it is not tart at all (unless you leave it to set a looooong time). I got my recipe from The Complete Tightwad Gazette. I let mine set overnight, from about 9PM until about 7AM.

Great biographies: His Excellency, George Washington John Adams Malcolm X Cicero I've heard that Thomas Jefferson, American Sphinx is pretty good.

Here are several places to buy jewelry made by Maasai women. Some of the reasons the jewelry is for sale (aside from supporting women-run small businesses): education for children and to prevent the continued practice of FGM. http://www.myempoweredflower.com/index.html http://www.firemountaingems.com/aboutus/community_article.asp?docid=652V http://www.lightofmaasai.com/help.htm#womensgroups http://www.serianuk.org.uk/Eluai%20Womens%20Group.htm

You all are women after my own heart! What a great thread--reminded me of old favorites I need to pick up again. I agree, a true bibliophile is going to have a hard time narrowing her choices down! So many choices, by genre, fiction vs. non-fiction, kid books and grown-up books... For little children: Rain Makes Applesauce--silly, silly talk Winnie the Pooh Beatrix Potter, Virginia Lee Burton, and Margaret Wise Brown books The Biggest Bear by Lynd Ward Our Friends At Maple Hill Farm--a lovely book about life on a farm, personable illustrations, great observations about the differences in animals the Cranberry books--Cranberry Thanksgiving, etc. People by Peter Spier Where the Wild Things Are Ice Cream Larry--a belly-laugher book about a polar bear who loves ice cream For kids and teens (and grown-ups): The Giver The Little House books The Narnia series The Harry Potter series The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle books by Marguerite Henry Charlotte's Web The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler Emily of New Moon and Anne of Green Gables Shel Silverstein's books Watership Down For teens and grown-ups: Fahrenheit 451, well, anything by Ray Bradbury The Count of Monte Cristo (the Robin Buss translation--it is EXCELLENT) Cicero--especially 'On Friendship' and 'On Duties'--WHY didn't I read these when I was in middle school and high school?! The Lord of the Rings trilogy The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Anything Jane Austen but Pride and Prejudice in particular 1984 (I threw the book across the room at the end!) and Animal Farm The Power of One Lord of the Flies Les Miserable, The Hunchback of Notre Dame The Phantom of the Opera The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom My Antonia by Willa Cather The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara Dune by Frank Herbert One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich Brave New World Children's Blizzard Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card (a good sci-fi book) anything by David McCullough and Joseph Ellis (I wish I'd read their books instead of history textbooks in high school!) Gosh, I'd better stop there lest my passion overtake me! ;) (Thanks for reminding me about The Pushcart War--what a great book!)

Thank you SO much! I must be blind as a bat. :)

I'm kinda a newbie. Social groups???? Where are those to be found? I checked the boards list and didn't see anything that seemed to fit that description. Do I need a special speakeasy password? A hidden treasure map to find the right door? :) Where are these social groups hanging out? By the way, I'm also interested in learning more about blending CM and classical. Cheers!

We're about a half-hour east of Pittsburgh.

A young lady just died in a car accident in our area this past week. She was texting while driving. She had just graduated from high school a few weeks ago. Very sad. Yes, I know, it wasn't the technology that killed her, it was the way she was using it. But so many people, young people in particular, don't think about how dangerous texting can be if used irresponsibly. Of course, to balance my Luddite tendencies, I have to admit some saving grace to the technology: a young boy was rescued from near-drowning in our area because his friends were able to call 911 with their cell phones after he went under. My friends and I couldn't have done that had we ever been in such a situation when we were his age.

Sounds like my house! We have a world map in the hall and those great Monet pictures for Harmony Art Barb's summer course. I have our nature books and various manipulatives on a bookshelf in the dining room. And, of course, bookshelves all over the house. We do have a playroom with all the kids' toys, but there we also have a map of the US, a dry erase board, a small desk mainly used for freehand drawing, and the alphabet across the top of the longest wall. I would love to create a beautiful schoolroom like some folks have posted, but we're currently renting a rather snug house so that dream will have to wait...