Category: Living on Your Own

Sandwiches Lesson & Lab: UPDATED

I can’t believe that thirteen years has gone by since I shared my first sandwich lesson!  I guess the saying is true that “time flies when you’re having fun”!  Well since August is National Sandwich month, I thought it was high time that this lesson got a makeover!  As you read through Sandwiches Lesson & Lab: Updated, you will see that some core information about sandwiches never changes, but how it’s presented and the activities and labs used has!

6-1 Grocery Shopping Method

The 6-1 Grocery Shopping Method is a simple, effective way to ensure balanced and nutritious meals while managing your budget, especially with rising food prices! It’s a flexible system that works for both families and individuals, reducing time spent in the grocery store and helping you spend less while still making healthy choices. Read on to see how you can use this to your students.

How To Be….Advice Assignment

The “How to Be…Advice Assignment” series is a fun and insightful way for your students to explore various life stages and roles. This assignment offers guides on topics like being a baby, a teenager, a parent, or navigating adulthood. Each guide blends practical advice with humor, providing a unique perspective on everyday challenges. This would be a great culminating assignment for the end of a course after students have learned about the subject they will be writing about.

Make Your Own Series: Bread Crumbs & Croutons

I don’t know about you, but I love making my own bread crumbs and croutons in place of those that are conveniently made for us and sold at big box stores. Some reasons I like to make my own are they are generally cheaper, quantities needed can be easily adjusted based on the recipe, it can be made easily by students as part of a lab and then used in future labs and most importantly….I know exactly what is in the product!  No weird, unpronounceable ingredients! So in this Make Your Own Series, I’ll be sharing products that can easily be made from scratch, using common ingredients. Sharing…Make Your Own Series: Bread Crumbs & Croutons.

43 Minute Lab Series: Baked French Toast

After noticing continuous requests for lab suggestions that are doable in 43 minute class periods, I’ve decided to do a recurring series, featuring recipes that can be completed from beginning to end in a 43 minute time frame. In some cases, longer recipes will broken into two day labs. In addition, I will include my pre-lab review questions that pertain specifically to the recipe. This helps to ensure that students are reading the recipe. It also allows me time to show any videos that may demonstrate the product or specific techniques. So, without further ado, I present the 43 Minute Lab Series: Baked French Toast!

Food Spotlight: Musubi

If you’ve ever watched cooking shows or competitions, then you know there are some interesting foods out there; some you’ve heard of before and maybe some you haven’t. So, I’m starting a series called Food Spotlight where I pick an interestingly named food and highlight it as a mini-lesson and lab. The first of the series is “Food Spotlight: Musubi”. Check it out and if you have any interesting foods you’d like me to explore and develop, sent me an email.

Regifting: A Talking Points Lesson

Who hasn’t received a gift that simply “wasn’t you” and needed a gift, but didn’t have time to go to the store so you ended up giving that “unyou” gift to someone else? This
is called regifting and the concept became popular during the 1990’s in a Seinfeld episode, although I imagine it began long before then! This Regifting: A Talking Points Lesson explores this controversial concept in a variety of ways! It’s the perfect time of year to give it a try!

43 Minute Lab Series: Puppy Chow

After noticing continuous requests for lab suggestions that are doable in 43 minute class periods, I’ve decided to do a recurring series, featuring recipes that can
be completed from beginning to end in a 43 minute time frame. In some cases, longer recipes will broken into two day labs. In addition, I will include my pre-lab review questions that pertain specifically to the recipe. This helps to ensure that students are reading the recipe. It also allows me time to show any videos that may demonstrate the product or specific techniques. So, without further ado, I present the 43 Minute Lab Series: Puppy Chow!

Off to College Series: STRESS

This past spring, I put a post on Facebook as to how I could help teachers and one of the responses I received was to add more lessons to the Off to College Series. The
wish has been granted! This Off to College Series: STRESS lesson explores the concept of stress as it relates to first year college students.  However, even if you aren’t teaching it from this perspective, there are a lot of engaging activities that can be used or adapted for other lessons about stress!

First Impressions: Job Interview Attire

It may be difficult for students to know that dressing for an interview may look different than workplace attire, with the prevalence of casual dress. First
Impressions: Job Interview Attire is a hyperdoc that explores the concept of “first impressions” as well as what job interview attire looks like for men and women. This self-directed assignment also includes an engaging, creative, realistic assignment for students to explore the costs of curating interview attire at various budget points. Continue reading to learn more!