Pinterest Thursday-Granola Bars

Granola bars are something I tried in the past, but they didn’t really stick together.

I really wanted to try them again though, so I decided to use this recipe:

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I used dairy-free chocolate chips, so The Boy was able to have these too.

Do keep in mind that if you have an allergy to gluten, oats are notorious for having wheat particles mixed in. These particular ones did not bother The Boy (I used the Safeway store brand quick oats), but it is something to be aware of.

These are delicious, super simple to make, and are a favorite around here. Everybody loves them, and I have made them several times now.

I did want to try them with other add-ins too, so I used the “plain” version of the recipe:

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I added chopped almonds and cranberries to this one.

And…..I learned a valuable lesson. The taste? FANTASTIC. But, they didn’t stay together because I mixed the nuts and berries in to the mixture.

The key really is to just press your toppings into the top of the bars. This way they still stay together, and you can experiment with flavors.

I really liked the almond and cranberry ones. And next time I make them, hopefully they stay together. 🙂

Next on my list to try is a s’mores version. I am going to chop up marshmallows and press those and chocolate chips into the top. Sounds yummy!

*One note: I have forgotten to add the vanilla multiple times now because of where it is added in the recipe, and I have to say, I don’t think it makes a real flavor difference. You can definitely skip that ingredient if you want.

Wednesday Words

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Happy Sunday

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Kid Craft Friday-Perlers

Today I am sharing the July edition of The Girlio’s Perler projects!

I don’t know that I will catch-up with all the ones she has made (there are probably over one hundred she has taken pictures of I haven’t even looked at yet), but at least you can see a few of them. 🙂

So there you have it-another twenty-five projects!

I am so glad she still enjoys creating with Perlers. It is so fun to see all she creates!

Review-Creating a Masterpiece

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew.

We recently received a subscription to the Art History Program by Creating a Masterpiece.

Creating a Masterpiece is an online program that provides video art lessons to students ages five and up in a variety of mediums including drawing, sculpture, painting, printmaking and more.

Each project contains a supply list, links to purchase supplies, and the video lessons.

For this review, my family completed projects from the Styles of Art in History section. This section contains twenty-five projects that mimic styles found from certain time periods in history.

The kids and I chose to start with the Romanesque Period: Rose Window using colored markers.

Here is how our projects turned out:

Then, the boys and I completed the Northern Renaissance Period: Floral Etching which involved creating our own scratch art.

The Little Guy decided to draw his dragon:

Here’s what it looked like before painting with ink:

And the final piece:

Here are The Boy’s and mine:

And finally, I chose to complete Realism Period: The Eye using colored pencils.

Here is that project:

Here are my thoughts on the program:
1. I like that the lessons are short-many just a few minutes long. This gave me the opportunity to stop easily when we needed a break, or choose to move on through the entire project at our speed-without accidentally losing our place, or having to backtrack through a lesson to find a particular point.
2. I liked that these lessons are for all ages. We had a seven year old up through adult (me) completing the projects and it worked for everyone.
3. I felt the instructor was clear with the directions, and the lessons were easy to follow. I also like how she stopped to explain terms that a novice might not know. She speaks to students in a clear and concise way without talking down to them, which I definitely appreciate.
4. There are so many projects (and in different mediums), that there is sure to be something to appeal to your students’ interests.
5. The supply lists are reasonable. Each project had a minimal number of supplies (most of which I already had on hand), which is so nice!

I think importantly too, the program is very open and go. The lessons are detailed, and well laid out-meaning that even if you are not an art-savvy parent, your student can still enjoy a robust art curriculum with little work on the parent side of things. This is something that is very important to me for sure!

If you are looking for an art program for the school year, or you have a student that just loves art, I encourage you to check out Creating a Masterpiece for yourself!

You can also visit the Homeschool Review Crew blog to read more reviews of this product.