Homeschooling Essentials - Potato Latkes

This week, January 20-24, TheTravelingclassroom will be participating along with 89 other bloggers in a Homeschooling Essentials blog hop.  Members of the Schoolhouse Review Crew will be sharing what they view as "Homeschooling Essentials".  I hope you are able to join us everyday and be encouraged:)  

Today I am sharing what I find essential for homeschooling - food:)  Everyone loves food and needs it too, so why not take it seriously? I compiled a list of ten reasons why food is important in our homeschooling:

1.  Nutrition:

 It keeps everyone feeling happy and healthy.  We avoid sicknesses, build our immune systems, and sleep better.  No sleepless nights because of painful earaches.

2.  Energy: 

Good food with minimal white sugar will keep insulin blood levels stable and avoid emotional ups and downs.  No fighting, whining, crying, or melt downs.

3.  Motivation:  

 Yummy healthy foods are motivation to get ready for the day or finish up the end of the day chores.   Nothing like a banana milkshake reward for finishing up the morning chores and schoolwork.

4.  Building Memories:   

All of my favorite memories are around some sort of food experience.   Food is a great way to build good memories or bad ones.  (Like the time the oil caught on fire in the kitchen and dad screamed, "oh no!".  Then mom threw baking soda on it - what a mess, but a funny family memory.)

5.  Family Bonding: 

 Sitting around the table talking, joking, shooting the breeze, and sharing life.  Learning how to make paper snakes from straw wrappers or the cat sipping someone's milk while their head was turned.  Those are just a  few of the memorable moments you might see at our house.

6.  Family Talks:

A perfect opportunity to have every one's undivided attention; while they are eating.  It's a good time to let everyone know what the day or even week's plan will be; shopping trips, field trips, special guests, etc.

7.  Math:

 Measuring ingredients for cookies, counting the table settings for guests, multiplying serving sizes, meal planning for a special day, and budget for the month; are just a few ways math can be involved with food.

8.  Home Ecc Skills:  

Teaching kids how to cook and prepare meals.  Most of the kids are pretty independent in the kitchen; they can make their own breakfast, smoothies, eggs, mashed potatoes, desserts, and jellies.  This gives me an extra break and helps them to become more independent.

9.  Science:  

Learning about chemistry, states of matter, mixtures, biology - why the eggs have feathers stuck to them, etc. 

10.  Making Learning Fun:  

Sometimes we use food during schoolwork whether it is eating a snack after we are done with math problems, putting together chemistry bonds with pretzels, or feeding cheezits goldfish to a penguin while counting.

 Here is one of our family's favorite - Potatoe Latkes.  We typically start eating them around Hanukkah (Nov./Dec.)  and since they are soooo good they become a meal every week until we get sick of them.  (About a month or 2 later:)

Do you have a  favorite family food?  What else do you use food for in your classroom?  Did I miss anything?

If  you would  like to see what other homeschoolers think is essential for homeschooling just click on any of the blogs below...

 Lori @ Special Connection Homeschool

 Amanda @ Hopkins Homeschool

 Jennifer @ Royal Little Lambs

 Sarah @ My Joy-Filled Life

 Debbie @ Debbie’s Homeschool Corner

 Lisa Marie @ The Canadian Homeschooler

 Laura @ Four Little Pengins

Chareen @ Every Bed of Roses

Dawn @ Guiding Light Homeschool

Erin @ Water on the Floor