Banana and Chocolate Chip Muffins

I got this muffin recipe from Jenna, a girl I talk to on my school curriculum. She makes these muffins for her siblings and I decided to make them for mine. My family LOVED them. So I thought, "why not show the world how to make these?" I hope you enjoy this easy, delicious recipe for breakfast, on-the-go meals, or just plain snacking! Happy baking!

For this recipe you'll need:

-1 cup butter, softened

-1 1/2 cups sugar

-4 eggs

-2 tsp. vanilla

-4 cups flour

-2 tsp. baking soda

-2 cups mashed bananas

-1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

 Step One: Put the butter, sugar, and vanilla in an electric mixer. Mix on medium speed until well combined. 

Step 1

Step 1

 Step Two: Beat in eggs, one at a time. Make sure you mix this very well or you will have clumps of raw egg and that is just nasty.

Step 2

Step 2

 Step Three: Add the flour, baking soda, and bananas. You can do this gradually or just put it all in at once. Mix slowly on a medium speed at first. Mix until well until combined.

Step 3

Step 3

Step Four: Fold in the chocolate chips. Try to get them well incorporated into the batter. 

Step 4

Step 4

Step Five: Lay out muffin tins for 24 muffins. Put muffin cups in each tin. Scoop the batter evenly in each cup until all the batter is used. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Step 5

Step 5

Serve while still warm so the chocolate chips are all melty.

I hope you enjoy these muffins as much as my family did!

Genres

Lesson 70 Essay

    A genre is the word used to distinguish different groups of literature. The biggest distinction in literature is made between nonfiction and fiction. Nonfiction literature is any work that is written about real historical people or events and contains only facts. Fiction is all other works of literature.

    Biographies/Autobiographies: This genre is nonfiction. Biographies are the type of nonfiction that are written about one person in particular. Autobiographies are similar to journals and are the memoirs of the person who is the subject of the book. An example of an autobiography is Laura Ingalls Wilder. She wrote a series of books about her life.

    Fantasy: This is a fiction genre. Fantasy is the work of literature that describes strange settings and other worldly characters. This fiction type invites suspension of reality. Fantasy novels may have some realistic portions, but much of the stories are imagined. Two of my favorite series, The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien and Harry Potter by JK Rowling, are examples of fantasy.

    Mythology: A fiction genre as well, mythology is legend or traditional narrative, and is often based in part on historical events. These stories reveal human behavior and natural phenomena by its symbolism; often these are the actions of the gods. The book Classic Myths to Read Aloud by William F. Russel is an example of Greek and Roman myths.

    Fables/Parables: This genre is one of my favorites. Fables are narrations demonstrating a useful truth. These short stories often have animals speaking as humans and are supernatural and legendary tales. A classic example of fables is the book Aesop's Fables. Parables are similar to fables. One of my favorite parables is The Parable of the Sower in Matt. 13 of the Bible.

Things I Would Have If I Was Shipwrecked

Lesson 65 Essay

Assignment: Choose two devices, tools, or gadgets that you would like to have with you if you were shipwrecked like Robinson Crusoe

If I was shipwrecked like Robinson Crusoe, the items that I would like to have with me would be: a leatherman and duct tape.

Leatherman: I chose a leatherman because I think they are a very useful multi-tool. With knives, scissors, screwdrivers, pliers, and files, all in one easy to hold body, this would help greatly in survival on an island.

Leatherman

Duct Tape: I chose duct tape because, well, who can go wrong with duct tape? It's extremely durable and long lasting. Duct tape is also waterproof, so you could construct make-shift cups and strainers for water.

Duct Tape

The Life of Kublai Khan

 Lesson 60 Essay

  Kublai Khan was considered to be the greatest ruler of the Mongols in China. Born in 1215, he was the grandson of Genghis Khan, and he became the fifth Khan of the Mongols.

    Even though he was an intelligent, and skilled warrior, Kublai did not rise to power until his thirties. Before Kublai became Khan, his brother Möngke Khan rule, and Kublai was put in charge of manning their territory. Kublai helped his brother overthrow the Song dynasty and unify the Chinese under the Mongols. Kublai came to power as the Great Khan several years later.

    As the Khan of the Mongol Empire, Kublai was much wiser and thoughtful in comparison to his predecessor, Genghis Khan. He ruled his subjects fairly, and, rather than utterly destroy civilizations, he treated them with generosity.

    In 1271, Kublai Khan established the Yuan dynasty. The economy was primarily based on agriculture, but, by building on past successes, they were able to prosper. Many of the buildings and roads were built or repaired.

    During Kublai Khan's reign, the Mongol empire enjoyed a time of great prosperity. Kublai was able to represent the height of the Mongol empire by controlling all of China. Kublai was among the first Far East rulers to have known contact with European traders, by having contact with Marco Polo.

    Kublai Khan lived to the age of 78. He outlived his wife and son. As he got older, he became very overweight and suffered from many diseases. He died in the February of 1294, after depression wore his body down. Kublai was buried in the Mongol burial site.

The Works of Thomas Aquinas

  Lesson 55

   Thomas Aquinas was born the son of a count in Italy in 1225. When Thomas was five years old, he began his education. Thomas was sent off to a university in Naples when he was old enough. While studying, Thomas was influenced by Aristotle's writings and also by a new order of monks called the Dominicans.

    At the age of 19, Thomas joined the Dominican monks, much to the dismay of his parents. In fact, his parents actually kidnapped their son to keep him away from the monks. After two years of captivity, Thomas “escaped” from his parents and rejoined the monks.

    After some time with the monks, Thomas decided to rewrite the Christian theology in a systematic way, using Aristotelian logic and thinking. Aquinas's greatest work was the Summa Theologica. However, Thomas left the manuscript unfinished, believing that he was called to a greater service than what he was currently working on.

    Thomas Aquinas became a priest and ordained in 1250. While he was teaching at a school in Paris, Thomas completed his Doctorate in Theology. Most of Thomas's time was spent in prayer, study, and writing during these years.

    Some time later, Thomas Aquinas was summoned by the Pope to attend a council. As Thomas was on his way, a falling branch hit him and he became ill shortly after. He was cared for by his friends, but several days later Thomas died.

Influence of Thomas Aquinas

    Thomas Aquinas's work greatly influenced the church by using Aristotle's logic to study scripture. Aquinas also argued that man can logically prove there is a god, based solely on the evidence in nature. He taught new connection between science and theology. Over time, philosophers began promoting the idea that logic and man's senses could tell him what he needed. This was a distortion of Aquinas's ideas. This focus on man's thinking continued into the time of the Renaissance.