Strawberry Cream Pie

I made this for our Easter luncheon this past week and it was AMAZING! Definitely a hit with the family--especially my kiddos:)

Strawberry Cream Pie
3 Tbsp. cornstarch

2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup sugar, divided

3 cups half & half

6 egg yolks

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 (9-oz) pkg. chocolate wafer cookies
(I couldn't find anything that just said "wafer cookies",
so I used the same amount of Oreos)
4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 qt. fresh strawberries

1/4 cup grape jelly

1 tbsp. orange juice

*****
Whisk together the cornstarch, flour, 2/3 cup sugar, and salt in a medium-size heavy saucepan. Whisk together half & half, egg yolks, and vanilla extract; gradually add to the cornstarch mixture, whisking constantly.

Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly, and cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl; cover and chill 4-24 hours.

Preheat over to 350F. Pulse the cookies and chocolate chips in a food processor until finely crushed. Stir together cookie crumb mixture, remaining 1/3 cup sugar, and melted butter; firmly press mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 9" pie plate, pressing up the sides and onto the lip of the plate. Bake for 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely (at least 30 minutes).

Spoon chilled half & half mixture into prepared crust. Cut 8-10 strawberries in half and arrange around outer edge of pie; hull and slice remaining strawberries and arrange in center of pie.

Cook jelly in a small saucepan over medium heat 2-3 minutes or until melted. Remove from heat and stir in the orange juice. Brush jelly mixture gently over the strawberries. Chill, uncovered, 30 minute.

The Making of an Egyptian Death Mask

We are learning all about the ancient world this year with Story of the World I and loving it! We've been learning a lot about Egypt, of course, which is completely fascinating. Most recently we have studied the New Kingdom of Egypt, which includes the story of King Tut. So we decided making an Egyptian death mask in the style of King Tut's would be a fun project. First since it was too cold at the time to paper mache in the garage (it probably would have frozen instead of dried-ha) and it was too messy to do it in the house, we decided to pick up a couple of cheap craft masks at Hobby Lobby. Next we cut out cardboard shapes to complete the shape of the death mask, attaching them with hot glue. Vince even put a little detail on the *beard* with the hot glue per The Princess' request. Then the kiddos started to paint them with this metallic gold tempera paint. It worked okay for the cardboard, but would not coat the plastic of the mask. We thought maybe a second coat ...

One Way I Refresh During the Summer as a Homeschool Mom

As our homeschool takes some time off this summer, my mind almost never stops thinking of and planning ahead for the upcoming school year. This is probably because I'm Type A and an obsessive planner...lol Whatever the reason, I do enjoy this season of planning. But I also need to be refreshed as a homeschool mom. Homeschooling can be incredibly exhausting and all-consuming. It's not easy and it's a lot of responsibility. And I take that very seriously when I am researching curriculum and planning toward the next school year. So also taking some time to rejuvenate and refocus myself is very important. How do I do this? Each summer I take some time to read something inspiring and motivating that speaks to me as a homeschool mom. Some of my fave reads from past years--that I have nearby on my shelf and refer to often--are Educating the Wholehearted Child, The Well-Trained Mind, The Charlotte Mason Companion, A T...

Arkansas' Crimson Clover

One of my favorite things about Spring is the crimson clover that grows along the highways and interstates here in Arkansas. I say Arkansas because this is where I first grew to love it. We actually saw some in Mississippi on our way here and I saw it in our town in Alabama for the first time this year. But it spreads like that, each year it grows and looks even more beautiful. I'm not sure who decided to plant it in the medians of the interstates , but it was genius! It seeds itself and just comes back more lush the next year. I always want to take pictures, but of course it's almost always in the median of a very busy interstate~which is a little dangerous for photography. However, the other day I found the perfect patch of it on the side of a not-too-busy highway, so Vince obliged me and pulled over:) Isn't it beautiful? I just had to share it with you...

my blessed life

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