Mom Knows Best

Things I learned While In Self Isolation During the Respiratory Virus Outbreak

The past four weeks have been quite different with having to stay at home during the virus Pandemic

I don't think anyone will forget the year 2020 as it will be a year that will leave many memories both good and bad. Who would have predicted that when we welcomed in the year 2020 that it was going to be a year that was to change so many people's lives. Who knew that a virus called the Corona would change the world in so many ways. I know I never thought in a million years that I would be writing this article while sitting on a bean bag chair in my master bathroom. My family is having to shelter in place and can't leave the house unless we have to work, get food or medical supplies. We can also leave the house to exercise outside but have to follow social distancing rules like we do if we go to the store. My town has set these guidelines to help stop the spread of the respiratory virus disease and we may have another month before we can leave the house again. At this time we don't really know about how long we have to practice the rule of staying 6 feet away from people and staying home. If it will help people from getting sick and dying, then I will do my part and stay home.

Staying home means I am safe

I am thankful that my master bathroom is the size of a small bathroom and my master bathroom was remodeled 2 years ago so it is a pleasant place to work in for several hours. My bathroom has become my temporary office while other family members are in other rooms of the house doing online school or working from home. My husband is no longer leaving to go to work as he is working from home. My kid's schools, including the college kid, has shut down for the school year. All in the hopes that people staying home will stop the spread of this awful 2019 virus and flatten the curve. I am glad that my house is big enough so my husband can sit in the living room making phone calls all day in his new office and my college kid can sit in his bedroom to participate in online college classes. The middle school kids are in the dining room playing with Legos as their school has not provided any instruction at this time. I am not able to home school them as the stress to both of us is not a good thing at this time.

Working from home has its challenges right now and my work has not slowed down but I am learning to take the job that I used to do while the kids were at school and spread it out throughout the day so I can also be a parent, wife, cook, cleaner, etc. That 8 hours that used to leave me with a quiet house is gone as everyone is home all the time now. Not being able to leave the house except for 1 hour of exercise in the morning has made life different. My new normal is very different. I am learning to be creative in the kitchen and thankful for the food that I stockpiled over the years in my two deep freezers. Who knew that I would get excited about a bag of frozen apple slices and overcooked pinto beans. I just wish that I could get the food my kids enjoy like eggs and bananas but I am staying away from stores that have little on their shelves, to avoid catching the awful virus. We did try getting groceries delivered but many of the things we wanted we not available and ended up paying $6 for a dozen eggs.

It is the little things that make me smile

I am discovering that the little things can make me happy or annoy me. The little things that are making me happy right now are toilet paper, flour, and running. I normally buy 30 rolls of toilet paper as it is a better deal so when I went to put it away in the closet, I discovered 20 more rolls so now I can share with my adult children who are running low. Never would I have imagined that there would be a toilet paper shortage. Never would I imagine that people would hoard food like flour and eggs. The trucks and factories can't keep up with the demand for many things like medical supplies, food, and cleaning supplies. Never would I imagine that I could not buy garbanzo beans to make my vegan tuna salad recipe. I am thankful for the pinto beans that I had in my stockpile so I can make plenty of meatless meals.

It is a nightly cup of tea with my boys that brings a smile to my face as I am glad that they are all safe and I am glad that we have plenty of Manuka Honey to sweeten our tea with and strengthen our immune system. I am glad that we are all healthy and no one needs any cold and flu tea to soothe a sore throat. I am thankful that I connect with family on the internet and search for a recipe for cookies that don't require eggs so we can celebrate my son's birthday. I am thankful for a friend who blessed me with several bags of flour so I can make homemade wheat bread for sandwiches.

I learned that fitness with the family is awesome

I dreaded the closer of the gym near my house as that meant that I would not be able to lift weights but I also discovered that my family is helping me stay fit and strong. My younger son started joining me on my morning runs so I have been enjoying his companionship and have become each other's fitness trainers. On the days that my son bikes he motivates me to run faster and on the days that my son chooses to run, I am coaching him how to run with asthma. So my son is also able to manage his asthma naturally without an inhaler. My older son has been inspiring me with his creative at-home weight lifting routine that uses no weights and has been showing me how to keep my muscles strong with fitness bands.

My son showed me different strength exercised to do so I could tone my arms and abs better. I think my at-home weight lifting routine is harder than what I was doing at the gym. I am glad that I discovered a CBD maximum relief balm for my sore muscles from the extra exercise that I have been doing with my kids.

I learned that pulling weeds in the spring is easier

Now that I had more time on my hands since we had to practice self-isolation at home, I was determined to get the yard work done so I could enjoy it once the weather was warmer. So I decided to pull the weeds as I could not spay them with my All Natural Homemade Weed Killer Spray That Works In A Day as stores had no vinegar since people were hoarding that too thinking that it would kill the germs from the virus outbreak. So while the boys played outside I pulled weeds. I discovered that spring weeds are easier to pull as their roots were not as long as they were when I waited to pull them in the summer. I also like the cooler temperatures when I pulled weeds so I could wear long sleeves and pants to prevent my body from breaking out in hives from the weeds. So maybe next year I will find the time in the spring to pull my weeds.

I learned that I don't like my family home all the time

The little things that annoy me are the never-ending piles of dirty dishes and dirty clothes. It seems that these kids are eating all day and the dishwasher is always full. You would think that staying at home would require fewer clothes but with the increase of handwashing and a college kid who exercises twice a day has the washing machine working overtime. So I am glad that I have plenty of environmentally-friendly detergent on hand to keep my family in clean clothes.

I really like the way that Dropps is so eco-friendly. These small packets of dish soap and detergent cut down on my plastic waste as I just toss the whole Dropps into the washing machine. My clothes come out clean and smell so fresh. I even like the way these small but powerful Dropps are shipped.

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My boys can also get on each other's nerves and fight with each other. These same boys can also be loud when they are having fun. Then there is the never-ending snacking that seems to go on all day. I am just glad that we have plenty of food in the house. My boys also like to make body noises that at times has me either laughing or saying to myself, "why me!" The other day the youngest let out a belch that was very loud and his brother said: "that was cool!" There is never a dull moment here with my three boys.

I have learned how to bake bread with whole wheat flour

Certain food items have been hard to find online and in grocery stores so it has been a challenge to bake bread. While I am one of the lucky ones who have plenty of yeast for bread making, I don't have any white flour. I was thankful for a friend who gave me plenty of whole wheat flour but I have been discovering that bread made with wheat flour does not rise that well. So I discovered 6 ingredients to help bread rise higher and it has been helping with my bread baking. I also discovered how to bake bread without yeast so I am prepared when my yeast runs out.

I have been spending more time in prayer

I have been learning that I need to pray more and expand who I pray for. I am learning to take my fears and concerns to God more. My prayer time has been more frequent and I have started to pray while I run in the morning. My night time prayers have been longer as I am praying for more people that are outside of my friends and family. I am finding that prayer helps when I am afraid of this ugly virus. Prayer is calming me when my husband has to visit places that he may be exposed to the virus. I am still being cautious and doing smart things like washing my hands and choosing to stay at home instead of going to the grocery store but for things out of my control, like my son having to work, I am giving it to God. Soon this time of self-isolation will be over and we can reconnect with friends again.

What have you learned while in self-isolation?

Teaching Science With An Appropriate Homeschool Science Curriculum

Using an Appropriate Homeschool Science Curriculum for “Non-Science” Students
What I’ve Learned from Teaching Thousands of Students

This post is sponsored by College Prep Science. Copyright 2020 by Greg Landry

Over the past 20+ years, I’ve learned a lot from teaching thousands of homeschooled students (and university students who were homeschooled). One thing I’ve learned is that it’s a huge mistake to teach “college-prep” science to “non-science” students! And, in my experience, about 70% of homeschooled students are “non-science” students.

The depth, breadth, and pedagogy of many college-prep biology, chemistry, and physics classes, and a homeschool science curriculum in those subjects, leaves many "non-science" students frustrated, uninterested, and ultimately learning very little. I find that students in this situation often don't have an overall understanding of the subject matter that is so critical in these sciences. They can't see the forest because they're lost in the trees.

So, how do we define “non-science” students? I think the simplest and broadest definition is that “non-science” students are unlikely to be college science majors or they may not be planning to attend college. They should not be taught biology, chemistry, and physics as if they are going to be college science majors. I believe that’s a disservice to them and ultimately deprives them of fully grasping the big picture and magnificence of God’s Creation.

So, I developed “life prep” versions of my biology, chemistry, and physics online classes and wrote the textbooks specifically for “non-science” students – students who may be “artsy,” “techie,” “handy,” or just may not particularly care for science. Equivalent in-depth and breadth to a standard public or private high school class but specifically designed to be interesting and appealing to "non-science" students, and with minimal math.

Many of students' assignments and assessments are done in their choice of format, including, but not limited to: artwork, video, graphics, sketches/drawings, hand-crafted models, graphic novels, audio, wiki pages, game creation, graphic organizers, podcasts, e-portfolio, or just the simple written word. Much of students' work in these classes are geared toward helping them to learn via their particular bent - their God-given talents and interests.

- Life Prep Biology (8th-12th) - Two Semester Class
- Life Prep Chemistry (9th-12th) - Two Semester Class
- Life Prep Physics (9th-12th) - Two Semester Class
- We also offer self-paced recorded classes for 3rd -6th-grade students
In the words of a homeschool parent…

"Greg, ...what you did for our daughter will have far-reaching effects. You showed her that learning can be enjoyable..."

Thankful in Indiana
Jim H.

These “life prep” online homeschool science curriculum classes also include lab experiments in our very cool virtual homeschool science laboratory and graded lab reports. Students attend class once weekly (either live or by recording), turn-in homework, and are tested on a regular basis. These classes are all-inclusive and provide students with an enjoyable, comprehensive science experience.

Homeschool dad, scientist, and former college professor, Greg Landry, offers live, online homeschool science classes, Homeschool ACT Prep Bootcamp, the Homeschool Mom’s Science Podcast, in-person two-day science lab intensives nationwide, freebies for homeschool moms, and student-produced homeschool print publications.

Treat Sore Muscles With Carex Bed Buddy Hot & Cold Wrap

This is a sponsored post with Carex. All opinions are my own.

This past month, I have changed my fitness routine due to having to shelter at home to do my part in flattening the curve of a virus outbreak. A month ago I was visiting the gym to get my strength training in. Since my local gym is closed, I have learned to be creative with weight lifting exercises by using my pink five-pound kettlebells, a bungee cord, and an empty detergent bottle filled with rocks. I have made such great progress in my stronger body plan and I am not going to let a virus pandemic get in the way of my progress. You have to see my before and after body photos from my six-month update that I did back in January. You will be amazed at how 3 days of weightlifting for six months toned my stomach and took away belly fat.

My older son who was not able to return to the academy in New York has been showing me some new muscle strengthening exercises so I can maximize the benefits of working out at home. This same son, who has some serious muscles from lifting weights, has inspired me to take my at-home fitness routine to the next level.

So in addition to running every day, I am also lifting weights 3 times a week as my new motto is strong bodies are made in self-quarantine or social distancing. I have learned to improvise with my muscle building routine and to get the maximum benefits of 5-pound weights, I have learned that more sets and different exercises still help my muscles get a great workout. My son's advice must be working since I am experiencing sore muscles. So I am glad that I have my Carex Bed Buddy Hot & Cold Wrap to soothe away my body aches. This muscle therapy device along with my CBD ointments have been my go-to pain relief at a time when I can't visit my favorite gym that has a hot tub.

This versatile Bed Buddy Thermotherapy Wrap can be used for both hot and cold therapy. So depending on the type of overworked sore muscle, I can get the temperature that I need to make my sore muscle feel better. This wrap is one of several natural ways to treat muscle pain from exercise. I love that I can place the Buddy Wrap in my freezer for cold therapy to help ease sore muscles, aches, and pain. If I desire moist heat then this 100% natural body-conforming wrap heats up quickly in the microwave. The wrap is filled with natural grains, herbs, and flowers so I don't have to worry about it aggravating my asthma. I tend to stay away from muscle creams as they usually have chemical fragrances in them that can trigger an asthma attack. I have been able to manage asthma symptoms without prescription medicines and this hot & cold wrap is a natural alternative to over-the-counter drug treatments.

I really like that this muscle therapy device is soft and flexible. The blue handles make it easy to wrap the heating pad around my arm, back, or legs. After I go running, I love to take the muscle therapy wrap out of my freezer as it helps me cool down. I know when summer gets here, I am going to have to hide my Buddy Wrap as my boys will love using it at bedtime to help them fall asleep faster. The Carex Cold Wrap needs to be added to my 12 tips to get a better night of sleep.

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How To Repair Your Car During A Virus Outbreak

How To Bake Bread Without Yeast

Want to bake bread but have no yeast?

This respiratory virus that is a worldwide pandemic has caused some major changes in the lives of most everyone. The biggest change for a lot of people is having to stay home. Then there is the problem of buying food. Sure, right before of virus lung stay at home order, most people panic and hoarded food. Now the food shortage problem could be caused by many factors. Some of these lack of food staples could be due to the shift of more people eating at home instead of restaurants. Then there is the food supply chain of getting the food to the grocery stores and online food stores. The trucks may not be able to get the food deliveries as quick as we need the food or the factories may not be able to keep up with production. So while we wait for things to catch up, many of us are having to be creative with the food we have in our food stockpile, especially if you are not venturing into grocery stores. Some of the common food staples that many are having a hard time finding are eggs, flour, peanut butter, and yeast. Not having many of these food staple ingredients to cook with makes me feel like I am living in Little House Of The Prairie times.

How can I make bread without yeast?

If you were one of the lucky ones who found flour while shopping, I bet like most, you forgot to stock up on bread yeast to make the bread. I was not able to find flour when I did my last food shopping trip 4 weeks ago. I am thankful for a friend who gave me some wheat flour. I, on the other hand, have plenty of yeast in my fridge as I buy yeast to make bread in one pound packages and had just bought some online. So while I have plenty of yeast, I am having the challenge of baking with wheat flour. I have been discovering that loaves of bread made with whole wheat flour do not rise that well so I am experimenting with different dough enhancers beyond vital wheat gluten to achieve a better dough rise when baking my wheat bread. I know that I can purchase vital wheat gluten online but I don't want to pay the price or wait 3 weeks to have it delivered. My family needs bread now so head over here to discover 6 Ingredients to Help Your Bread Rise Higher.

Batter bread or quick bread

If you want to bake bread but don't have yeast, you can bake batter bread or a loaf of quick bread that doesn't require yeast. These loaves of bread bake in a loaf pan and still have the shape of a loaf of bread but may not be useful for sandwiches. If you make a sweet quick bread like my Healthy Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread then you can spread peanut butter on the bread. This recipe for Cheddar Rosemary Bread would be delicious with a bowl of pressure cooker BBQ beans. I love making quick bread as these loaves bake in less than an hour so they don't require you to be in the kitchen all day. Check out these other delicious quick bread recipes.

Quick Caramelized onion bread

Chocolate Zucchini Protein Bread

Lemon Zucchini Blueberry Protein Bread

Green Chile Cheese Protein Bread

Lemon Blueberry Bread

Pancakes

When life throws you a curveball, all rules of eating can go out the door. When you don't have yeast to bake bread, there are many other ways to use flour for bread. My boys love making peanut butter sandwiches with pancakes. You can also use savory pancakes for sandwiches or for avocado toast. Pancakes are so easy to make so use them beyond breakfast. You can make traditional pancakes or make some healthier pancakes with protein powder. Check out some of my favorite pancake recipes.

Vegan Chocolate Protein Pancakes

Peanut Butter Cup Protein Pancakes

Biscuits

My family loves homemade biscuits and they are so easy to make. A biscuit recipe uses flour, butter, baking powder, and milk. Rolling out biscuit dough is easier than you think or you can make drop biscuits. You can make different flavors of biscuits just by using spices like rosemary or garlic or adding cheese. You can also make sweet biscuits for dessert. Check out my recipe for sweet biscuits for strawberry shortcake.

Easy Two Ingredient Bread Recipe

A family favorite bread recipe is on that you can make in the air fryer and it uses only 2 ingredients, one being flour. This recipe is so easy that even my boys enjoy making this bread. My boys like using this 2 ingredient bread dough for everything bagels but you can also use the bread dough to make rolls and pretzels.

Easy Two Ingredient Bread Recipe

Other bread recipes that don't require yeast

Some other bread recipes that don't require yeast are tortillas, flatbreads, and Irish Soda bread. You can also make a loaf of bread with some yeast substitutes. One example of a yeast substitute is a simple sourdough starter that uses only flour and water. While yeast will always do the best job for making the bread rise, you can use other ingredients like buttermilk, milk, lemon, and vinegar to help the bread rise. I have not had a chance to make any bread with these yeast substitutes so I am not guaranteeing the results of your baked bread. The first 3 yeast substitutes may work well in a regular bread recipe but it may not rise as fully as you expect. The bread will also not need the typical proofing time and the dough may begin rising right away.

4 yeast substitutes

1. Baking Soda + Lemon Juice

You can substitute baking soda for yeast, but you also need to include an acidic substance with it. A common pairing is lemon juice, but you can also use buttermilk. The baking soda and acid combination is a 1:1 substitute for the yeast. This means if the recipe calls for two teaspoons of yeast, you'll substitute with one teaspoon of baking soda and one teaspoon of acid.

2. Milk + Vinegar + Baking Soda

If adding lemon juice to your bread dough doesn't sound appealing, you can use a mixture of milk and vinegar instead. Just combine equal parts milk, vinegar, and baking soda to equal the amount of yeast the recipe calls for.

3. Baking Powder

4. Sourdough Starter

If you don't have yeast, making your own sourdough starter is a great option if you have the time. A sourdough starter contains naturally occurring yeast and forms bubbles in the dough to make it rise. It's made by combining flour and water, and while that sounds simple, this method actually requires a bit more patience as it takes at least five days to form. You can use one cup of sourdough starter to replace a two-teaspoon yeast requirement.

While doing my research I discovered a no yeast bread recipe that I would like to bake once I get some white flour. Since I only have wheat flour, I know that the wheat flour would not give good results. I like this recipe as it does not require milk as most no yeast bread recipes require milk along with vinegar or buttermilk for the bread to rise. Having a dairy allergy prohibits me from baking these types of bread.

11 Egg substitutes for baking

While I am discussing baking bread without yeast, I want to share 11 egg substitutes for baking and more. I have used many of these egg substitutes for baking cookies. My favorite egg substitute is chia seeds. I have used my chia seed egg in these cookie recipes. The egg substitutes do not work well in sugar cookie recipes.

Dairy-free soft pumpkin chocolate chip cookies

Chocolate-Dipped Salted Almond Butter Cookies

Oatmeal Cranberry Breakfast Cookies

Dairy-Free Apple Pie Cookies

Easy Two Ingredient Everything Bagel Recipe In The Air Fryer

Make sure to Pin these recipes so you can make them later!

6 Ingredients to Help Your Bread Rise Higher

The challenges of making bread with whole wheat flour

This page may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases

I have been out of white flour for a month and I am not able to order any flour online. The only flour that I have to bake bread with is whole wheat flour. While I am thankful for the blessing of having whole wheat flour thanks to a good friend, it has been challenging to bake bread with. My loaves of bread are not rising that well and my wheat bread has been dense. While the bread tastes good and has more nutrition, I am missing that soft bread that white flour has. When I did have all-purpose white flour, I did combine it with wheat flour to make wheat bread and whole wheat pizza crust. In my opinion, whole wheat flour is not a desirable flour to use by itself to bake bread with.

So I have done some research and have discovered some ingredients that will help my whole wheat flour dough rise better. These ingredients, when combined with yeast, will help my loaves of bread rise better and be less firm. I may even have some delicious soft wheat bread. I have not tried any of these dough enhancers yet but as I do use them in my bread baking, I will update my post.

What is a dough enhancer?
Ingredients or combinations of ingredients that are added to bread dough to get it to rise better, stay softer, and last longer.

Soft Chewy Pretzel Bread

6 Ingredients to Help Your Bread Rise Higher

Ginger - Add 1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger with the water when you are proofing the yeast to help your bread rise higher and fluffier.

Potato water - Next time you boil potatoes, save the water and store it in the fridge. Replace the water in the bread recipe with the potato water. Make sure to heat up the water to 110F.

Potato starch - A 1/4 cup potato starch will help your bread rise better and softer. Add it to your flour mixture.

Wheat gluten - You can buy wheat gluten from online stores that sell flour and this ingredient will help your bread rise better. Substitute 1 tablespoon gluten for 1 tablespoon flour in each cup of flour in the whole wheat bread recipe.

Dry milk powder -Adding 2 tablespoons instant dry milk powder per loaf of bread will help your bread rise higher, stay soft, and hold the moisture longer.

Vitamin C powder - Add 1/8 teaspoon of vitamin C powder per loaf of bread as it will help make the bread sandwich soft.

How To Make Focaccia Bread Flowers

What makes bread rise?
Yeast turns the starches and sugars in flour to carbon dioxide gas which in turn inflates air bubbles in the bread causing it to rise. Since the yeast is also multiplying and producing more carbon dioxide the bread rises more and more

Want to bake bread but have no yeast?
Click here to get some tips for baking bread without yeast.

11 Homemade Bread Recipes You Need To Bake

Giveaways

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Pancakes