Back to School feast

It is a feast for the body and for the spirit. 

The menu 

Four cheese stuffed manicotti

"The" Salad*

Grilled Flatbread

Sparkly cranberry juice

Brownies and ice cream

I really had fun decorating the table, can you tell?

My goals were:

1- Strengthen our family ties

2- Create a unique memory for the children to treasure

3- Remind our children of their divine heritage 

I made colorful crowns for each child to remind them that they are children of God, and as such, they carry a divinely royal birthright. 

The Littles were so excited when they saw the table and crowns. They "oohed" and "ahhed" over their crowns and giggled in excitement as the crowns were placed on their heads. 

It was very much like Christmas morning- they had been anticipating this feast all week as I secretively made the crowns and planned the event. 

Nathan led a wonderful discussion over dinner, reminding the children of two main points.

1- See yourself the way God sees you; you are priceless and beautiful.

2- See other people the way God sees them, and treat them with kindness and respect.

We introduced our family scripture for the year, found in the book of Alma here.

Learn wisdom in thy youth; yea,

learn in thy youth to keep the

commandments of God.

We also refreshed our family motto from last year. 

Every morning last year when I sent them off to school we'd say this motto as we waved goodbye. 

We say it like a team cheer:

Do Your Best and Choose the Right!

*"The" Salad is the best salad we've ever tasted. As our friend Maggie says, "There IS no other salad. That's why this is called The Salad." We heartily agree. Want the recipe? Let me know! 

Lesson on Forgiveness

For FHE last week I made an object lesson using a trail of yarn along the floor. It wound around furniture and led up the stairs. 

We asked the children to try following the trail while walking backwards. It was frustrating and was completed only haltingly. I compared this to living life without forgiving others. If we're facing the past and holding on the grievances, we can't focus on the future and enjoy life. 

We read the scripture where Jesus teaches his apostles to forgive all men. 

They tried the obstacle course again and walked facing forward this time. It was so much more fun and they giggled. They told me that it's fun to enjoy life when you can look forwards and stop focusing on what's behind you. I'm sure I should say something witty here about the innocent wisdom of children....but I can't think of of it now. I'm just happy they understood the point I was trying to make. 

FHE Cake Lesson

My sweet Nathan put together the neatest Family Home Evening lesson this week. To start the evening off, he taught the children how to make Lemon Cheesecake. Sarah read the recipe and the boys fetched ingredients and measured them. They all juiced fresh lemons and cracked eggs. Matthew really loved zesting the lemons best. After the cake was in the oven, we gathered in the living room for a discussion.

The yummy cheesecake, minus a 'taste test' slice. It passed.

Nathan explained the importance of following a recipe according to the cookbook when making cake. He asked what would happen if we didn't follow the instructions and just put in whatever ingredients we thought would work. The children replied solemnly, "We'd get a mud pie."

Nathan explained that the cook book has instructions that were developed by someone who knows how to make a perfect result, so if we follow the recipe exactly, we know that we'll have a perfect cake. He then handed each child a recipe that he wrote for them. Here it is:


Crispy Luscious, Delicious, and Happy Life
-A sweet and savory life. Use the highest quality ingredients!-


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


1 Cup of Prayer
3 Seeds of Faith
1 Daily Sprinkle of Repentance
6 liquid ounces of Baptism
2 Heaping Tbs of Service


Mix the prayer and faith in a medium sized bowl. Slowly add the repentance in batches. Mix until light and fluffy. Pour in the baptism. Mix well.


Bake in a 350 for many many years. Garnish liberally with service.


Makes 1 serving.

There were scriptures Nathan selected to accompany each ingredient of the recipe. We read them and discussed what they mean and how they applied to our lives.

Nathan pointed out that the scriptures are the 'cook book' for a happy life, and they provide instructions for a perfect result. We know that if we follow the directions accurately, we are promised a happy product.

It was such a fun lesson, and the children were so proud of their cake.

Batman in the kitchen

What a happy evening. I was exhausted and emotionally wilted, so my sweet Nathan rescued the family from a night of boredom. 

First he did a fantastic Family Home Evening lesson about feeling reverence and listening to the Holy Ghost. The object lesson was SO fun! He blind folded a child and had them try to navigate a maze by listening to the whisperings of 'the Spirit', a part played by another child. To illustrate the difficulty of hearing the Spirit in noisy and busy atmospheres, the rest of the family sang loudly, yelled, clapped hands, and put up a general ruckus while the blind folded child tried in vain to hear any guidance. After this attempt, they would begin the maze again and this time the family members hummed Primary songs quietly. The child could easily hear the directions called by the family member portraying the  Holy Ghost. Our children really loved this lesson! They really began to understand why it's to important for church to be a reverent setting.

After the lesson Nathan brought the family to the kitchen to make gourmet brownies, courtesy of the Lion House Restaurant Cook Book. Yum!

The boys adore cooking with Nathan. They are eager sous chefs, and Nathan lets them do the majority of the steps while Sarah reads the recipe out loud and does the math for doubling the measurements. I absolutely love watching Nathan cook with the family. He's such a fun chef to work with!

While the batter was baking in the oven, Nathan did a science lesson on leavening agents. He explained the properties of baking soda, yeast, and eggs while the children listened with surprising rapture. Each time he asked a question, their hands shot into the air eagerly with answers. I was honestly shocked. Nathan showed the reaction of adding an acid to baking soda and explained how the batter in a cake would trap the ensuing bubbles and make a fluffy cake.

He asked them to review the recipe we just used and decide if the brownies would be very fluffy, a little fluffy or flat. Sarah pinpointed the sole leavening agent as eggs and decided it would be just a little fluffy. I was so impressed with the lesson. Nathan really has a gift as a teacher. Ever since we were first married, I've admired his skill with teaching. I wish you could watch him. It always makes my heart swell to watch him instruct our children in his special patient way. It's one of my favorite things about him.


This was Matthew's very favorite picture of the day. Batman cooking brownies.