Vive la Françe! If you're like me and love the French culture, then Bastille Day is something you need to be celebrating! Bastille Day is a national holiday in France to celebrate storming the Bastille which led to the French revolution and ultimately their freedom! The French revolution has always fascinated me, especially because they were brave enough to fight for what they knew was right. Other than the American revolution, the French revolution has always captivated me so in honor of their day, why not try to make one of the most iconic French desserts, the macaron!

Ingredients 

Macarons

• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 3/4 cup almond flour
• 2 egg whites
• Pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup fine sugar

Filling

• 2/3 cup butter, softened
• 2/3 cup powdered sugar

Optional

• Food coloring for colored macarons

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300F. Mix the powdered sugar and almond flour together in a large bowl. Throw any lumps away. 
2. In a separate bowl, whisk the salt and egg whites together until you see peaks forming. Start to add the fine sugar in gradually as you whisk until the whites are thick. 
3. Gently stir in the sugar/almond mix from the previous step. It will become loose which is normal. This is where you would add the optional food coloring step as well.
4. Now using a piping bag, fill it with the mixture you just made. .
5. On your baking sheet, place small circles of the mixture from the piping bag. Remember, the mixture will settle and form so don't make your circles too big.
6. Gently tap the baking sheet to work out any bubbles and then leave for 20 minutes to dry.
7. Now place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for about 14-16 minutes. When they are baked, place the baking sheet on a cooling rack to cool. Don't try to remove the macarons until they are cool or they will break.
8. To make the filling, beat the butter and sugar together until it is fluffy. Now place half a teaspoon of the filling on a flat side of one macaron and sandwich together with another one. Repeat until you have all your macarons finished!

I love to cook and find new recipes that my family will enjoy. I especially love when recipes have pretty much the same stuff I always buy in them too. I don't like when recipes call for strange ingredients like capers and such. I don't buy them so I wouldn't put them in a recipe either!

I also love anything Amish so I'm always on the hunt for Amish recipes. Amish recipes are some of my favorites because they are hearty but also not too expensive to make. Most of the recipes call for everyday normal things so it's fun to make them!

One of my favorite authors, Wanda Brunstetter, just came out with a new cookbook called Amish Friends Gatherings. It has over 200+ amazing recipes inside and I wanted to share just a few ideas of what's in it!

The picture at the top is Apple Bread. This is such an easy recipe to make and would be perfect for using apples that you pick in the fall!


This recipe is for Church Sugar Cookies which is delicious! No one can pass up sugar cookies and when they're homemade, it's even better!

Who else is ready for the Fourth of July tomorrow? Our family always goes to see the fireworks in our town and of course we set off some of our own too! Mary loves the Fourth of July. It's her favorite holiday so we try to go all out for her.

If you're throwing a Fourth of July celebration, you don't have to look far to get creative. Sometimes the simplest of foods can look patriotic!

Frozen Vanilla Ice Cream with Strawberries and Blueberries

If you have an ice pop kit at home, try freezing vanilla ice cream with strawberries and blueberries. It's so simple, helps keep you cool and will look patriotic with little effort!

Strawberries and Blueberries in a White Bowl

If you don't have an ice pop kit, try just mixing strawberries and blueberries in a white bowl. It's super simple and still looks great for a Fourth of July picnic.

Bomb Pops

Bomb pops are Mary's favorites and are probably the most patriotic frozen snack ever. The ice pops are already red, white and blue so these are perfect for the Fourth of July! You can also serve red, white and blue sorbet in sundae cups too for some fun and messy treats!

Bing Cherries

Bing cherries might be just red, but served on a decorative table like the one above, they can bring in a patriotic feel that is easy and inexpensive. Add some tealights and American flag mugs and plates, and you'll have a beautiful picnic.

These are just 4 options that can be easy, simple and cheap for any Fourth of July celebration!

Vacation Myrtle Beach is Giving Away an Oceanfront Condo, valued at nearly $100,000 (or $50,000 CASH, winner's choice)!!! One lucky winner will own this condo (this is not a timeshare).

Win this beautiful Oceanfront Condo and Change Your Life! Vacation Myrtle Beach, one of the largest providers of family vacation accommodations in Myrtle Beach, SC, is pleased to announce the launch of The Great Myrtle Beach Condo Giveaway contest, which features the grand prize of a furnished oceanfront condo at The Caravelle Resort located in Myrtle Beach, SC, valued at nearly $100,000 (or $50,000 CASH, winner's choice)!!! One lucky winner will own this condo (this is not a timeshare). Other lucky winners will receive a 7-night stay or a 3-night stay at one of Vacation Myrtle Beach's oceanfront properties.




The newly renovated, oceanfront efficiency condo offers room for up to four guests and includes a fully-equipped kitchen. In addition to its prime Myrtle Beach location, the resort provides convenient access to all of the area's major attractions, restaurants, and things to do. Families and couples enjoy a wide variety of on-site amenities including an indoor pool, a block-long poolscape complete with a large pool, whirlpool, lazy river, kiddie lazy river, kids' pool, poolside bar, and plenty of relaxing deck options. In addition to everything you need for fun in the sun, the resort offers an array of dining options as well as an opportunity for rejuvenation and relaxation at its on-site spa.

The Great Myrtle Beach Condo Giveaway sweepstakes is now open for entries. 

To enter or for Official Rules and more information about Vacation Myrtle Beach properties and deals, please here: https://woobox.com/hsfeoo?source=usfam

A few years back, Mary and I focused on learning about our state, Georgia. It was a simple study which helped her learn a little more about the things Georgia has and some fun places to go. But this year for 6th grade, we're going to have a lot of fun learning about Georgia with Hewitt Homeschooling Resources and their Chronicles of State History Notebook. What I really love about the Chronicles of State History Notebook is that you can use any state you want and all the questions still pertain.


What really intrigued me was that I already used Hewitt Homeschooling Resources for our required testing for Georgia. They have the PASS test which is accepted in Georgia and I can administer it at home each year for her. So when I found out they have curriculum too, I was really excited!

The Chronicles of State History Notebook is just as it says; a binder that has pre-printed pages in it. It's best recommended for grades 3-8 and has 100 pages worth of questions, field trip pages and notebooking to help your child learn about their state! The notebook is made to help aid your child to organize reports, drawings, facts and even pictures into a binder. The outline of the binder is an entire course of state history, especially with the research they will be doing. Also in the front, it gives suggestions for other projects as well like making a state travel brochure.


The notebook is divided by subjects which are:

• Facts, Symbols, Emblems (e.g., state flower, tree, flag) 
• Geography, Population 
• Industries, Jobs 
• History, Government 
• Miscellaneous, Field Trips, Photographs

At the end of the binder, you also have a certificate of completion for your child as well which I love. Some of the activities inside include visiting the capital, creating a climate map, field trips to museums, interviewing residents, etc.



The entire binder is meant to be a course of state history and overall I am really impressed with it. I love all the suggestions for extra learning it has and I love how it's put together almost like a scrapbook. Mary and I scrapbook to save memories so this would be a great way to introduce your children to their state in a fun way. You can put pictures in from field trips, get information from books at the library, paste newspaper clippings, etc. There are also some blank pages as well for students to create something they might want to include in their binder.


And since the binder is portable and easy to take with you, you can also bring it along on field trips to record information. And there are pockets in the front and back inside covers so you can hold brochures or information given at places you visit too.

I think the Chronicles of State History Notebook from Hewitt Homeschooling Resources is an excellent resource to help kids learn as much about their state as possible. And I love how they can look back at it later on in years too. I am a firm believer that when you make learning fun and interactive, kids will learn better. And the Chronicles of State History Notebook is so fun, I want one for myself now!

If you want to check out what the other crew members had to say about the products they reviewed, click the picture below!