Easy Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup

Serves 6

Ingredients:
1. 350g button mushrooms chopped
2. 70ml cream (kaffefløde) (optional)
3. 1 medium onion or 1/2 large onion or 50g onion chopped
4. 1 clove garlic
5. 500ml water
6. Salt & pepper to taste
7. A handful of chives for garnish
8. 100g button mushrooms chopped and fried on the side with olive oil for garnishing

Directions:
1. Add all the ingredients into the soupmaker.
2. Close the lid and choose the cream soup setting.
3. The soupmaker will beep in 23 minutes and the soup is done :-)
4. Add in a handful of chopped mushrooms for chunk and turn setting to chunk soup for 5 minutes (or you fry a handful of mushrooms with olive oil and add into the soup as garnish)
5. Garnish with mint leaves, coriander or chives and serve.

Tips:
1. You can add a handful of grated cheese and serve with garlic bread.

Additional Information:
There is something really magical about this soupmaker. It makes really good mushroom soup. My Mr. FECS said that it was the best mushroom soup that I have cooked. I have been experimenting making cream of mushroom... by frying the garlic, onion and mushroom, but I have not been able to find a recipe that I could say, yes, this is how it should be.

But using this soupmaker, simply adding mushrooms, garlic, onion, water and a bit of cream, it makes really rice, nice and creamy mushroom soup with a lot of taste. There isn't any oil or frying involved.

My Mr. FECS and I were trying to uncover the secret of the magic soupmaker. We suspect that there are some hidden MSG that the manufacturer put insides that makes simple soup tastes so heavenly, but of course, we could not find anything.

We will be making more of this soup for ourselves (although not for our Little FECS, as he does not like mushrooms).

For more information about soup made with soupmaker, read here:

http://www.familyfecs.com/2014/12/tasty-quick-easy-tomato-soup-made-with.html

The Philips model is not available in Amazon, but something similar of a different brand is available:

Easy Homemade Chicken Soup

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1. 120g carrots cut into cubes of 2 cm
2. 300g chicken breast sliced into bite size
3. 120g sweet corn whole
4. 1 medium onion or 1/2 large onion or 50g onion chopped
5. 600ml water
6. Salt & pepper to taste
7. A handful of spring onions chopped for garnish (optional)

Directions:
1. Add all the ingredients into the soupmaker.
2. Close the lid and choose the cream soup setting.
3. The soupmaker will beep in 23 minutes and the soup is done :-)

Tips:
1. You can add bit of roasted onions or garlic oil or shallot oil as garnish too :-)
2. You can also add 2 leaves of Chinese cabbage into the soupmaker before cooking.

Additional Information:
This time around, we did not make the creamy European soup, but chunky and clear Chinese soup. This is yet another soup that is very tasty that both my Mr. FECS and our Little FECS love. For more on making soup with the soupmaker, please read my post on the tomato soup:

http://www.familyfecs.com/2014/12/tasty-quick-easy-tomato-soup-made-with.html

The Philips model is not available in Amazon, but something similar of a different brand is available:

Easy Homemade Cream of Sweet Corn Soup

Serves 6

Ingredients:
1. 500g thawed frozen sweet corn or from can
2. 70ml cream (kaffefløde) (optional)
3. 1 medium onion or 1/2 large onion or 50g onion chopped
4. 630ml water
5. Salt & pepper to taste
6. 1 TBS white lentils (optional)
7. 1 tsp flaxseeds (optional)

Toppings:
6. A handful of fried bacon for garnish (optional)
7. A handful of coriander, mint leaves or chives for garnish (optional)
8. A handful of thawed frozen sweet corn for garnish and chunk (optional)

Directions:
1. Add all the ingredients into the Philips soupmaker.
2. Close the lid and choose the cream soup setting.
3. The soupmaker will beep in 23 minutes and the soup is done :-)
4. Add a handful of whole sweet corn for chunk.
5. Garnish with mint leaves, coriander or chives and serve.

Tips:
1. You can add a handful of pine seeds or pumpkin seeds as garnish.

Additional Information:
This is yet another soup that our family likes. I prefer without the bacon, but both my Mr. FECS and our Little FECS prefer with.

For more information about soup made with soupmaker, read here:

http://www.familyfecs.com/2014/12/tasty-quick-easy-tomato-soup-made-with.html

The Philips model is not available in Amazon, but something similar of a different brand is available:

Easy Homemade Tomato Soup

Serves 6

Ingredients:
1. 1 pack of cherry tomatoes (500 g)
2. 1 large onion quartered
3. 2 cloves garlic peeled
4. 1 slice ginger minced with skin on
5. 1 TBS olive oil
6. 1 carrot chopped coarse (optional)
7. 500 ml water
8. 2 tsp salt
9. 1 TBS red lentils (not more than this, as it will make the soup too thick)

Toppings:
11. A few basil leaves for garnish (optional)
12. Serve with a dash of greek yogurt, cream or creme fraîche (optional)

Directions:
1. Add all the ingredients into the Philips soupmaker.
2. Close the lid and choose the cream soup setting.
3. The soupmaker will beep in 23 minutes and the soup would be done :-)

Tips:
1. You can add a dash of olive oil and roasted onions as garnish.

Additional Information:
I have to say, this is a magic cooker. It is truly amazing. I love soup and my Mr. FECS gave this Philips Viva Collection Soupmaker to me for Christmas and I love it.

After a week of feasting at Christmas, we have been making soup everyday. It is amazing how tasty the soup turned out, considering how simple and basic the recipe is, and healthy too. There is no meat, no oil, just the vegetables, salt and pepper. I was a little sceptical initially, but decided to follow the recipe. And I was sold at the turn out. Even our Little FECS loves the soup, and my Mr. FECS too. We did not even add the garnishes and I did not even cook the soup with chicken stock. I reduce the sugar from the original 1 TBS to 1/2 TBS. If your tomatoes are super sweet during summer time, you can even skip the sugar all together. The taste and sweetness is purely from the vegetables. I have tried many of the other recipes - sweet corn, broccoli, carrot and chicken soup, and they all taste equally good.

The secret I think, as I study the recipe, lies in the proportion of vegetables and water - all the recipe is the same - 1 part vegetable and 1 part water.

It makes approx. 1.2 litre of soup, enough to serve 4. Initially I thought it seems a little on the small side, but I was wrong. It was enough for all of us.

And the best thing is, it is a tasty and effortless way for us to squeeze in all the vegetables and its vitamins into our diet. Our Little FECS does not like tomatoes at all. But he finished all his bowl of tomato soup and asked for more :-)

You can also use this tomato soup as a base for other dishes such as braised beef.

The Philips model is not available in Amazon, but something similar of a different brand is available:

Time Spent on Homework & Its Correlation with PISA Results

Recently I read an article about how much time a week the Singaporean kids spend on doing homework:

http://www.straitstimes.com/news/singapore/education/story/singapore-ranks-third-globally-time-spent-homework-20141225

If students spends 2 hours a day on homework, Monday to Friday, for 5 days it makes up to 10 hours a week, and they are free on weekends. This doesn't sound too excessive to me.

There are 168 hours a week, and 10 hours make up only 5.9% of it. If kids have a healthy amount of unstructured play time in a week too, why shouldn't they devote 6% of their time on homework? And besides homework can be fun and part of play too :-)

Too often the opposite is also true: children spend their days as if they are having 24 days of Advent Christmas everyday.

All work and no play makes Wei a dull boy. All play and no work makes Lars a dumb boy. The key here is balance.

I think the average 9.4 hours spent by students in Singapore is actually underestimated, as many receive tuitions on weekends as well.

Montessori Maths Recommeded Sequence of Lessons

I have been asked by a reader for the sequence of introduction to Montessori Maths. I thought I have posted this before, but apparently I have not. 

Below is roughly the sequence I follow based on my experience with our Little FECS, but this is just a guide and not casted in stone. Although lessons should be introduced orderly, we should not be too worried about it. Go with your gut feelings and what you feel good about, and everything will fall naturally into place. I frequently revert back-and-fro with repetitions. The words in bold refer to the name of the materials.

Sensorial Material
Brown Stair
Pink Tower
Red Rods
Number Rods – Counting
Sandpaper Letters
Spindle Boxes
Concept of Zero Game
Numbers & Counters – Odd & Even Numbers
Memory Game
Concept of Addition & Subtraction with Number Rods

Golden Bead Materials & Large Number Cards
Decimal System – The Quiet Walk
Decimal Quantity - Unit Place Value
Decimal Quantity - Ten Place Value
Decimal Quantity - Hundred Place Value
Decimal Quantity - Thousand Place Value
Decimal Quantity –9 Layout
Decimal Quantity – 45 Layout
Bank Game/Supply Game – Go Get It!
Exchange Game
Advanced Bank Game – Composition of Number

Bead Cabinet
Colored Bead Stair
Teen Hanger
Colored Bead Stair – Teen
Teen Board
Colored Bead Stairs - 20-90
Ten Board
Hundred Board

Symbols - Plus and Equals
Making 10 with 10-Bar & Colored Bead Stair
Addition Board
Static Addition with Colored Bead Stair – Unit Place Value
Static Addition with Golden Beads – Unit Place Value

Symbol – Minus
Subtraction Board
Static Subtraction with Golden Beads – Unit Place Value
Static Subtraction with Number Rods – Unit Place Value

Fractions – Sensorial Experience
Beginning Fractions
Fraction Skittles
Metal Fraction Circles
Cut-Out Labeled Fraction Circles

Golden Bead Materials
Static Addition with Colored Bead Stair and Golden Beads – Ten Place Value
Static Addition with Colored Bead Stair and Golden Beads – Hundred Place Value
Static Addition with Colored Bead Stair and Golden Beads – Thousand Place Value

Addition Strip Board
Addition Working Charts

Static Subtraction with Golden Beads – Ten Place Value
Static Subtraction with Golden Beads – Hundred Place Value
Static Subtraction with Golden Beads – Thousand Place Value

Static Addition with Golden Beads – Vertical Presentation (Single, Double, Triple, Four Digit)
Static Subtraction with Golden Beads – Vertical Presentation (Single, Double, Triple, Four Digit)

Subtraction Strip Board
Subtraction Working Charts

Bank Game
Dynamic Addition with Golden Beads – Vertical Presentation (Single, Double, Triple & Four Digit)
Dynamic Subtraction with Golden Beads – Vertical Presentation (Single, Double, Triple & Four Digit)

Snake Game
Addition Snake Game
Subtraction Snake Game

Stamp Game Materials
The Stamp Game 3-Period Lesson
Static Addition Stamp Game – Vertical Presentation (Single, Double, Triple & Four Digit)
Static Subtraction Stamp Game – Vertical Presentation (Single, Double, Triple & Four Digit)

Dynamic Addition Stamp Game – Vertical Presentation
Dynamic Subtraction Stamp Game – Vertical Presentation

Static Multiplication Stamp Game
Dynamic Multiplication Stamp Game

Static Division Stamp Game
Dynamic Division Stamp Game

Symbol – Multiplication
Multiplication with Bead Bars
Multiplication Bead Board
Linear Counting – 100 Short Bead Chains & 1000 Long Bead Chain of golden Beads
Skip Counting – Short Bead Chains & Long Bead Chains
Multiplication Working Chart
Multiplication Stamp Game
Table of Pythagorean
Pythagoras Board
Money
Tell Time
Dynamic Addition - The Dot Game

Symbol – Division
Division with Golden Beads
Division Board
Division Working Finger Charts
Division Stamp Game

Small Bead Frame
Static Addition with Small Bead Frame
Dynamic Addition with Small Bead Frame
Static Subtraction with Small Bead Frame
Dynamic Subtraction with Small Bead Frame
Static Multiplication with Small Bead Frame
Dynamic Multiplication with Small Bead Frame

Large Bead Frame
Static Addition with Large Bead Frame
Dynamic Addition with Large Bead Frame
Static Subtraction with Large Bead Frame
Dynamic Subtraction with Large Bead Frame
Static Multiplication with Large Bead Frame
Dynamic Multiplication with Large Bead Frame

Multiplication Checker Board
Multiplication Decimal Checker Board

Long Division Stamp Game
Long Division with Test Tubes

Decimal Board Subtraction
Changing Improper Fractions into Mixed Numbers
Multiplying Fractions by Fractions
Introduction of Geometry
Basic Geometric Terms
Introduction to Types of Angles
Yellow Area Material
Binomial Square with Colored Bead Bars (Part 1)
Binomial Square with Colored Bead Bars (Part 2)
Pythagorean Theorem
Lesson on Pi
Finding the Totals of Squares and Cubes
Decanomial Layout - Finding Squares
Adjusted Decanomial Tower of Jewels

I like the following two Montessori sites. It gives some idea to the sequence of lessons:

http://www.montessorialbum.com
http://www.infomontessori.com/

The 2014 LEGO Friends Advent Calendar 41040

Some people don't like this LEGO Friends Advent Calendar, finding it too girlish, but I just love it. However, I couldn't buy it for our Little FECS, as he is a boy. So I bought one set for my friend's 6 year old daughter and she loved it. When I saw the tiny kitchen, stove, sink, cabinet, sofa, etc. that she has assembled, I have to confess that I just had to buy one set for myself too. I got it on a discount at BR for 129.95 DKK.

After all the Christmas frantic was over, and we finally have a few quieter days, I wanted to build my LEGO Friends set. Already this morning, our 5.5 year old Little FECS reminded me of building it and offered to help. He went on to build the 24 parts all by himself. Okie, I didn't get to build any of the cute furniture that I was looking forward to building, but I had a lot of fun watching him. 

He told me not to post pictures of him on facebook, since LEGO friends are for girls, and he is a boy, and he doesn't want anyone to see him playing with it. I said, "You are not playing with it. You are only helping Mommy to build it :-) 

Then he gave green light reminding me again that he was just helping me, and that he was not playing with it.

I was pleasantly surprised. Last year, we got him a LEGO City Advent Calendar, and he needed a little help here and there. What a difference a year has made! It must have been the practise he have gotten for building the small 3-in-1 sets for the last few weeks.

Our Little FECS helping me to build my LEGO Friends set :-)

I love these furniture pieces from this set. They go well as fixtures for my LEGO Creator house :-)

Stove

Sink

Kitchen cabinet

Window

Sledge

Sofa

Lamp and coffee table

Fireplace

Dining table and chair

The loud speaker

Christmas tree

It was all done by our Little FECS and we are ready to play with them :-):

Love the house scene from LEGO Friends Advent Calendar 2014

The 2014 LEGO Friends Advent Calendar 41040 is available at Amazon:

Christ-centered Easter Traditions

Photo credit: Creative Preschool Resources

Now that our Little FECS is 5 years old, family traditions become more important and meaningful. I was a little late in planning and unprepared in finding out what we want as our Christmas traditions and carrying them out. Thus, now that Christmas is over, I am working on Christ-centered traditions for Easter, to make sure that I am in good time. Here are some ideas, some my own and some I have found on the internet that I hope to cultivate as our family Easter traditions:

A few weeks before Easter...

1. Furnish your home with the yellow spring Easter flowers.

2. Make a daily Bible lesson plan. You can get some ideas here:

http://mybellemichelle.com/a-christ-centered-easter-week-family-holiday-traditions/
http://youtu.be/BynwO5QCbhM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zm3B2CYnCYA

2. Light a purple candle on the days leading to Good Friday to signify that Jesus is King.

3. Practise singing Easter songs and playing Easter songs on the piano.

4. Do all the activities related to secular traditions on another day other than Friday and Sunday, perhaps Thursday or Saturday i.e Easter egg, Easter bunny, etc.

5. Have a plain-looking wooden cross. Tell the story of Jesus' death and resurrection and then decorate the cross to represent the beauty of Jesus' life.

On Palm Sunday...

6. On Palm Sunday, read Matthew 21: 1-11 together, watch a video about Palm Sunday and discuss it.

7. On Monday, read from the scriptures about Jesus cleansing the temple (Matthew 21:12-13) and do a spring cleaning of your home.

8. On Tuesday, give up a meal, fast and pray during that time instead for the poor and the hungry in the world or cook a meal for the less fortunate to mourn for Jesus' pending death.

9. On Wednesday, do something of service to others such as providing a meal to old folks' home or children's home.

10. On Thursday, read Matthew Matthew 26:17-35, make a dinner of soup and bread symbolizing the last supper Jesus had.

11. Wash and pedicure each other's feet in modelling after Jesus humility at washing the disciples' feet.

On Good Friday...

12. On Good Friday, make an tomb out of playdough or edible playdough.

13. Light a black candle to signify Jesus' death.

14. On Saturday, watch a movie related to Christ and discuss the movie.

Here are some videos on Jesus for children:

http://powerofmoms.com/2013/03/easter-week-ideas/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K15jttSBQI8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dn0iwWrkgb0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GH46G-n8ulA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbtMopFS49o
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-16Ber1iLo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI2z_4fnAVc
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_films_based_on_the_Bible

15. To commemorate Christ death on Good Friday and resurrection don Easter Sunday, make a cave with sheets and chairs, etc. and sleep in the "cave," representing Jesus' tomb. Read a story of Easter in your cave in torch light or candlelight. Watch a movie on Easter in it.

On Easter Sunday...

16. On Easter Sunday, light a white candle on Easter Sunday to signify Jesus' resurrection.

17. Wake up early at the crack of dawn and read the resurrection story from Luke 2:1-20, Isaiah 7:14, 9:6-7 and Matthew 2:1-11 from our bed. If your kids can read, have them read some of the verses too.

18. I got this idea from Faithgateway to have an informal "Kitchen sunrise service"as you get ready for the day. Put on Easter music. Read the Easter story from the children's books. Talk about Jesus and the real meaning of Easter. Talk about how important Jesus is, and why we need Him. What He did for us and why. Read the end of Luke. Pray for time together and a special blessing on each one person. Share stories about how God has worked in your life (that year). While the family is together during the holidays, use the time to share your personal stories about faith, redemption and life change. Also, reflect on the previous year and talk about how you have grown in your faith individually and as a family.

19. Make Easter breakfast with boiled eggs.

20. A new Sunday outfit for church symbolizes 2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."

21. Attend the Easter service together as a family at church.

22. Go for a long walk in the forest or park together and take the local train back to enjoy the scenery.

23. Share an Easter meal that includes lamb and talk about the symbolism in the Passover story. Eat the edible playdough empty tomb made on Friday as desert.

24. Conducting our Weekly Family Meeting Night in candle light.

On 6th April...

25. Celebrate our Little FECS' spiritual birthday with a token piece of cake to be shared among three of us and a small present, as on 6th April 2012 Good Friday, he accepted Christ at a tender age of 3 years old.

http://www.familyfecs.com/2012/04/joshua-summary-3y1m1d-joshua-accepted.html

References:

http://www.faithgateway.com/christ-centered-family-easter-traditions/#.VJ32Nl4AAA
http://powerofmoms.com/2013/03/easter-week-ideas/
http://mybellemichelle.com/a-christ-centered-easter-week-family-holiday-traditions/
http://www.pinterest.com/brosimonsays/christ-centered-easter/
http://www.pinterest.com/bakercatherine/keeping-easter-christ-centered/
https://www.lds.org/ensign/2013/03/creating-christ-centered-easter-traditions?lang=eng
http://beinglds.blogspot.dk/p/easter-crafts-about-christ.html
http://amysfreeideas.com/English/10_Christ_centered_Easter_activities_for_the_family.html
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=1146&sid=19755096
http://www.circleofmoms.com/christian-mommies/family-godly-traditions-376661

Here is a Christ-centered traditions book "Find More Jesus: Make  Easter All About Jesus" which is available from Amazon:

J Summary (5Y9M21D) - Volunteered in a Science Show at Planetarium

Just for memories, pictures of our Little FECS volunteered in a Science show at the Planetarium (http://planetariet.dk/) demonstrating how the chocolate cream ball (flødeboller) expands in space, where the pressure is low. He got to eat the chocolate cream ball at the end.

LEGO Creator 31017: Sunset Speeder

This is a little more expensive and a slightly bigger set than the other 3-in-1 LEGO sets that we have bought, but our 5.5 years old Little FECS loves orange and the orange LEGO bricked sports car is super cute. This is his favorite. He got this as a Christmas present from grandparents, and started building it today. He was able to built most of it by following the instructions that came along with it, but needed a little help once in a while. The only think is that it doesn't come with car doors that can open.

It cost 99 DKK in Denmark. It is available in Amazon from 11.99 USD:

To read about another small 3-in-1 LEGO set, see here:

http://www.familyfecs.com/2014/12/the-advantages-of-small-lego-set-lego.html

http://www.familyfecs.com/2014/12/value-for-money-lego-creator-31015.html

http://www.familyfecs.com/2014/12/value-for-money-lego-creator-31013-red.html