HomeSchool Resources and TidBits (SpecNeeds)

"As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases." https://homeschoolspecneedstidbits.com/affiliate-disclosure/ The holidays are upon us and gifts and shopping are probably on everyone's minds. But don't despair if you can bake, cook, create items from the Dollar Tree and things laying around the house you are on your way to creating a gift from the heart. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that store bought items are "cheap" or "not thoughtful".  It is just, for me personally, when someone gives me a gift from the heart and that was made with their own hands, it is more memorable. This loved one or friend took  time out of their day to create a gift for me. To me that is something special and not something that you forget easily.   Remember to think of the person you are creating this gift for, then go from there and the rest should follow. For example, ask yourself some questions: Who is this gift for? What are their interests? An

" As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases ." https://homeschoolspecneedstidbits.com/affiliate-disclosure /    Good Morning(or Afternoon/Evening),  How are you? This year has been a whirlwind so far and crazy, right? In the US right now, we are trying to figure out who our next president will be and it has been a day after the election and we still  have no clear winner. People are dying everyday from COVID-19 and systemic racism is a work in continual progress. ***SIGH*** .  Hopefully it will all be over soon and we can breathe a sigh of relief or tear our hair out, depending on the outcome, LOL. Sometimes in the midst of chaos and uncertainty my go to is humor because it keeps me sane. So...what was I talking about...oh, yeah Christmas 2020! My dear son asked me a few days ago what we were going to be doing for Thanksgiving  and I honestly had no clue, but thought of decorations , Romantic Comedies and Charlie Brown Movies . Overall just spending some quali

"As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases." https://homeschoolspecneedstidbits.com/affiliate-disclosure/   Six Ways to Save Money on the Main Course at Thanksgiving The main course will usually be the most expensive part of your Thanksgiving meal and planning ahead can help save money, no matter what you decided to serve as well as what your family prefers.  1. Talking Turkey Most families are more traditional and choose a turkey; however, there are a few important factors to consider. Do you want a whole bird or just the breast ?  If your family does not like dark meat, then a breast would be the best choice, especially since it is usually more expensive per pound than an entire turkey.   A bird with a bone in it will lose about one-third of its weight by the time you discard bones, giblets, fat and so on. This means a 12-pound bird will yield 8 pounds of food. This would be about 4 to 8 ounces of turkey per person, ensuring that you have enough

"As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases." https://homeschoolspecneedstidbits.com/affiliate-disclosure/ Chocolate Bread Pudding Ingredients: 4 cups heavy cream 5 oz. bittersweet chocolate 6 egg yolks  ( you can just use the entire egg including the whites ) ½ cup granulated sugar 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract Salt 9 cups cubed firm-textured white bread (1-inch cubes)-( Really any type of white bread will do ) Directions: 1. Heat the oven to 325 degrees F.   2. Bring the cream to a simmer in a heavy saucepan. Turn off the heat.  Put the chocolate in a large heat proof bowl, and pour in 1 cup of the warm cream.  Let stand, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate melts.  Stir the mixture until smooth. Pour in the remaining cream.   3. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, vanilla and salt.  Slowly whisk in the chocolate mixture.  Strain through a fine strainer and skim off any froth.   4. Put the bread cubes in a

  Visual Recipes Good Morning(Or Afternoon/Evening, depends on where you are)! I hope this finds you well, practicing safe distancing and trying new things to create more beautiful moments and inspirations with your family. I thought that this would be a great way to show what may come in handy during the early days of back to school or anytime. As well as a learning moment for your autistic child/teen/adult or someone that likes to visualize what each step looks like in a recipe( I do!). I like to see what the end game will look like after I complete a recipe. Sure it may not look exactly the same but worth it to at least try something different.  I hope you enjoy these recipes by Tasty! Recipes and more visual recipes from other food vloggers as well. They are so fun to watch from start to finish, but it is also a game changer when you can pause, rewind, slow down and really visualize what each step will look like.  If anything, this will be a great life skill for your autistic son o

Cook I am sure that most of you out here are out of their mind right now, due to the COVID-19 Pandemic and don't know what to do, especially when it comes to your kids. If you are a parent that has a special needs child, the anxiety is through the roof. But there is hope at the end of the tunnel and things to do. My son has an interest in cooking and I am starting to take baby steps to show him the ropes. So if you haven't done so already, there is a visual recipe book that we have that is fantastic for people on the spectrum and/or anyone that needs more visual directions to know how and what to do in the kitchen. You should check it out and see if this would be a good fit or not for you and your family.  So for today we will do a recipe that I found here . I chose lunch because this is the easiest to navigate and doesn't take a lot of directions. So the amount of steps have to be easy to follow and able to access with the least amount of help.  Quesadillas

Home cooking when you are in a rush can be really stressful if you try to do it all yourself. But if your children are special needs, this skill is invaluable to their well being and quality of life. So you need lots of patience and time blocks when it is time to enlist them into some cooking with visuals and great pictures. So that the recipes are easy to understand and are less likely to cause any type of emergency set back.  Safety First The most obvious issue, especially when it comes to special needs, is safety in the kitchen.  They should always wash their hands well before engaging in any meal preparation, have an apron to protect their clothes and a work station away from any hot oven or stove.  Invest in the Right Equipment Be sure to have kid-safe mixing bowls and measuring cups. Also consider getting a chopper with a plunger. All they have to do is put the food under it and press down with both hands. Make it FUN Teach them fun and interesting things a