tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76809314086301427722024-02-20T07:50:58.362-08:00Around the World in 52 weeksWe're on a journey around the world!! Join us as each week we learn about and explore the culture of one country through cooking, craft projects and other fun activities!!Jenny E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11480770036143246076noreply@blogger.comBlogger224125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7680931408630142772.post-14145520692586980212016-07-25T13:46:00.000-07:002016-07-25T13:49:28.618-07:00<span style="font-size: x-large;">Welcome!</span><br />
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I haven't checked in to the blog stats for a long time. This was a year long project that I did with the family and once it was over I stopped posting, but I found out that people (sometimes 200+ a day) are still looking at the projects we did!! Wow! So I ask that you check out the archives for some great project ideas or recipes and I THANK YOU for stopping by to visit!<br />
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As a personal update, the family still enjoys a lot of the recipes we made over the year. In fact, I have the chimichurri recipe from Argentina in the fridge right now! My kids are doing great and we have really fun memories of our year "abroad". I am now back to work in a preschool classroom and every other Friday I take the class on a "trip" to another country! They love it and my projects and recipes are proving to be very helpful curriculum tools! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My babies then (2013) at a Netherlands Festival</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting big!! (2016) at Legoland</td></tr>
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Jenny E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11480770036143246076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7680931408630142772.post-11272849899564956852013-10-06T14:39:00.000-07:002013-10-06T14:39:43.359-07:00Happy October<span style="font-size: x-large;">Hi Everyone!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I haven't posted for awhile, so I thought I would give you an update and, for those of you new to the site, share some of the fun places we visited LAST October!!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh91A7LjT70qg0By3mt239K_bzXsDU0qEIr2cYOVgD53Kkgzb8lnpcqTZzlJkKIRatKBbepMpvk63JlHVxdO5R8IS_0f3NLhQFQjbanAJ3OGOyVMlmavZCbs4WmW-AwKSwVD3_xc7ayey4/s1600/DSCN1842.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh91A7LjT70qg0By3mt239K_bzXsDU0qEIr2cYOVgD53Kkgzb8lnpcqTZzlJkKIRatKBbepMpvk63JlHVxdO5R8IS_0f3NLhQFQjbanAJ3OGOyVMlmavZCbs4WmW-AwKSwVD3_xc7ayey4/s320/DSCN1842.JPG" width="240" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">The kids are growing up too fast for me! My daughter is in 1st grade and seems to be really enjoying herself. Her favorite part of 1st grade???? THREE RECESSES :) She's my daughter alright.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">My son is four in Pre-K and his teachers have commented on the impressive vocabulary and knowledge he has on many subjects! I'm gonna take some of the credit for that from all the exposure to new things we had during the past year, but I think I also have to share some credit to shows like the Wild Kratts and Octonauts. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I went back to work part-time as a teacher at my son's preschool. Not in his classroom, but close enough to see him a few times a day :) I'm hoping to incorporate some of our travels into the class's curriculum but I've only been there a short time ...</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Since the blog is still getting a lot of hits, I thought I would direct you to some of the fun we had last October! We tried to visit some of the more "spooky" countries. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Be sure to check out our visits to:</span><br />
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<li><a href="http://aroundtheworldin52weeks.blogspot.com/search/label/Egypt"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Egypt</span></a> <span style="font-size: large;"> We visited an amazing museum to see a real mummy, made scarab beetles and built pyramids.</span></li>
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<li><a href="http://aroundtheworldin52weeks.blogspot.com/search/label/Romania"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Romania</span></a> <span style="font-size: large;">Vampires. hand-painted pottery and cabbage rolls...what's not to love?!</span></li>
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<li><a href="http://aroundtheworldin52weeks.blogspot.com/search/label/Scotland"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Scotland</span></a> <span style="font-size: large;">We found the legendary "Sock Ness" Monster, played a round of golf and had some awesome Haggis. Yes, I used the words "awesome" and "haggis" in the same sentence!</span>
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<li><a href="http://aroundtheworldin52weeks.blogspot.com/search/label/Mexico"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Mexico</span></a> <span style="font-size: large;"> A great education on Dias de los Muertos when we visited a festival. Tips on homemade tortillas and, of course, the Chupacabra!!!!</span></li>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Looking back on these posts fills me with so much joy! We had so much fun doing all those activities and trying the new food. In fact, we still love making our own tortillas, the vampire project is proudly displayed on the porch and that Sock Ness monster keeps rearing her head every once in awhile :) I hope you try some projects and make some memories yourself!! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!!</span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span><br />
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Jenny E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11480770036143246076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7680931408630142772.post-15219005694712773742013-08-26T16:30:00.001-07:002013-08-26T16:30:49.395-07:00First Day of School- German- Style!!<span style="font-size: x-large;">WooHoo!!!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEDpIb7EiCvNNIkoxc5T-a1FKj0p874qWrhbjgvni17nnKtoJ0WPp2MgbifsjPBPScMkMuEDZxdDgGEW84fQAURde6N-yfWIu-n596AUS6kwi5YaNyoNwUVnBbE4GfDmVyz63uVFamHmU/s1600/schultute3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEDpIb7EiCvNNIkoxc5T-a1FKj0p874qWrhbjgvni17nnKtoJ0WPp2MgbifsjPBPScMkMuEDZxdDgGEW84fQAURde6N-yfWIu-n596AUS6kwi5YaNyoNwUVnBbE4GfDmVyz63uVFamHmU/s1600/schultute3.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">Did you hear that?! That is the sound of a mother who, although she loves her children dearly, is super-excited that they are going back to school!!! We had a great summer and, in some ways, I will miss our lazy mornings and fun times, but the kids are tired of each other (and me) and not having enough structure in their day. They might argue about that structure part, but I can see how much they need to go back to school. My daughter, who is going into 1st grade (!!), doesn't go back until after Labor Day, but my son started his Pre-K class today. Where does the time go? I swear I was just posting cute infant pictures on Facebook yesterday!! Anyway, we saw a cute idea in Family Fun magazine about a German tradition for the first day of school. It's called a Schultüte (literal translation- school bag) and it's our new family tradition.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">A Schultüte, sometimes also called a Zuckertüte (sugar bag), is a cone-shaped paper goodie bag given to children to celebrate the first day of school. Traditionally, the first day of 1st Grade, but that seemed unfair so both my kids are going to get one. I can't take any more cries of unfairness this summer! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The tradition dates back to the early 1800's and started as a way to make the young children more excited about starting school. The cones are usually filled with treats, small school supplies and other goodies. Where were these things when I was growing up?!? </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Here is how you can make one for your darlings to celebrate the happiest time of the year (for parents anyway!).....</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> For the project you will need:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-size: large;">large thick paper or poster board</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">strong tape or stapler</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">tissue paper</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">glue</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">scissors</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">stickers, markers or other decorations</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">treats, school supplies, various goodies</span></li>
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<span style="font-size: large;">1. Take the heavy paper and twist it into a cone shape. Tape or staple it so it will stay put.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">2. Take a piece of tissue paper about the same circumference of the open end of the cone and glue it on. If your cone is really big, you might need another piece. If it's a small cone, cut off the excess...they're gonna rip it off anyway, so don't get too fussy.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQNhPQCGhsYjhemldZRHrw3TnXcbwuRgJNjAA1R81Q9IN8OraAOvj9gSnp8LHC68Tt2yNH5UnKN3iLqXg3k0SrsBBJODZkZg9OwG8BZvEvfCZ6HTI0J8tGdJwoColQLTN_opLaeuOHogs/s1600/DSCN1772.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQNhPQCGhsYjhemldZRHrw3TnXcbwuRgJNjAA1R81Q9IN8OraAOvj9gSnp8LHC68Tt2yNH5UnKN3iLqXg3k0SrsBBJODZkZg9OwG8BZvEvfCZ6HTI0J8tGdJwoColQLTN_opLaeuOHogs/s320/DSCN1772.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">3. Decorate the cone anyway you want. Or you could have wrapped it with some pretty gift wrap before the tissue paper.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaePgV209umhmRJnm7xLqvR4u8sDIR0AA763-JQcRYDQRZlrDFe5uy3rDBiywPfMAoYKVhWU4CyuqCDQqwg4ERFUd-JwiPFkJBIZthB13mhbbQevbcb1UGRw75KJ6wFVDJMJrAuNnt2Uo/s1600/DSCN1774.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaePgV209umhmRJnm7xLqvR4u8sDIR0AA763-JQcRYDQRZlrDFe5uy3rDBiywPfMAoYKVhWU4CyuqCDQqwg4ERFUd-JwiPFkJBIZthB13mhbbQevbcb1UGRw75KJ6wFVDJMJrAuNnt2Uo/s320/DSCN1774.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">4. Fill your Schultüte with all the goodies and then tie up the end with the ribbon or yarn.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDBsKg9G2dlf0O9QG61DE_VNwXGo8W3MXSdGOkvcelw2oYV5tUl3iNSnr8kLl1MjeW57o__PdYCw7u_OunYRkxe3MioRBiOIGUnfkOfp8A1Bvysz-Nf9iJLF_SZa01F7pB4HhA3Byoo7w/s1600/DSCN1776.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDBsKg9G2dlf0O9QG61DE_VNwXGo8W3MXSdGOkvcelw2oYV5tUl3iNSnr8kLl1MjeW57o__PdYCw7u_OunYRkxe3MioRBiOIGUnfkOfp8A1Bvysz-Nf9iJLF_SZa01F7pB4HhA3Byoo7w/s320/DSCN1776.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIi97LVgDQU-s-TzJdlK7BB4WY1PhvX2v7D0P-c4EVkMt-3yB5YwVJt6ct85TU3ktL4_2njyHzyWSdtO68A1ZdNhOJIoZrEtvIRj9AgMBIv4U7-Y3lTbZ0gzhoEDv7VUI0b7hFAIt1C2o/s1600/DSCN1780.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIi97LVgDQU-s-TzJdlK7BB4WY1PhvX2v7D0P-c4EVkMt-3yB5YwVJt6ct85TU3ktL4_2njyHzyWSdtO68A1ZdNhOJIoZrEtvIRj9AgMBIv4U7-Y3lTbZ0gzhoEDv7VUI0b7hFAIt1C2o/s320/DSCN1780.JPG" width="240" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">5. Now you are ready to present your kid (who you actually kinda missed) with a wonderful treat to celebrate a great first day at school! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">They grow so fast. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKNkmdmJndFdb0jD7ZwroaosPM-AC2yWOwVNT6fxOMkAAoEET9xhshYiZmy8t35VeOT-97C1aDU2qqtPAe-ikF3Tr1PVYWW2irMUvmXZTpGDYVFVsKeBT8tdBaxuxoxN_sflw-amc9h8Y/s1600/DSCN1778.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKNkmdmJndFdb0jD7ZwroaosPM-AC2yWOwVNT6fxOMkAAoEET9xhshYiZmy8t35VeOT-97C1aDU2qqtPAe-ikF3Tr1PVYWW2irMUvmXZTpGDYVFVsKeBT8tdBaxuxoxN_sflw-amc9h8Y/s320/DSCN1778.JPG" width="240" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />Jenny E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11480770036143246076noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7680931408630142772.post-20994688025530087612013-08-09T10:23:00.000-07:002013-08-09T10:23:07.077-07:00Weekend Fun!!<span style="font-size: x-large;">Festivals, Festivals, Festivals!! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I realize not everyone lives in the SF Bay area, but if you do this is a great weekend to get out there and learn about another culture or to celebrate your own! I'm torn between which of these 3 festivals I should go to....</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSLbMFmFJUFrT9Obt9a0JdY-A1QebCEyZcz-tp9ugskHU3q6T2WXIbHmX_VnxumY1T4O2rqtfrd0WIM4ULE6hCf-5AOeaJEKw2WQWKdycNlPGSIDRe6CV5GoOAxfmssSJPfr1bDGmaeUU/s1600/pistahan1-250x166.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSLbMFmFJUFrT9Obt9a0JdY-A1QebCEyZcz-tp9ugskHU3q6T2WXIbHmX_VnxumY1T4O2rqtfrd0WIM4ULE6hCf-5AOeaJEKw2WQWKdycNlPGSIDRe6CV5GoOAxfmssSJPfr1bDGmaeUU/s1600/pistahan1-250x166.jpg" /></a><a href="http://sf.funcheap.com/filipino-cultural-festival-parade-sf/"><span style="font-size: large;">Pistahan Festival</span></a> -<span style="font-size: large;"> This (according to the website) is the largest Filipino Cultural Festival and Parade. Now, I don't know if they mean in the world, or just the U.S., or even just the Bay Area, but it looks like fun! It's a free event taking place at Yerba Buena Gardens, in SF, on Sat. 8/10 and Sun. 8/11 (2013). There will be performances of both traditional and current music, an Adobo cook-off, traditional games and the opportunity to learn about the folklore and other aspects of the Filipino culture. And I bet lots of YUMMY food!!! If you can't make it to SF though, here are some links to FUN <a href="http://aroundtheworldin52weeks.blogspot.com/search/label/Philippines">Philippines projects</a> we did earlier this year.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-dzBYwk-T18ZeVjts9s4V2KtZ3qBBivT2rhtMt2lnlEB5yBitWHTXuUJM7J6L0aex-pLZbFwVgT652ypTn7M_PS30hoMvk_poZAa50Ay_tS0Jco8bRAr5fycSYa-XDngf0JWKmvtiBsk/s1600/korean.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-dzBYwk-T18ZeVjts9s4V2KtZ3qBBivT2rhtMt2lnlEB5yBitWHTXuUJM7J6L0aex-pLZbFwVgT652ypTn7M_PS30hoMvk_poZAa50Ay_tS0Jco8bRAr5fycSYa-XDngf0JWKmvtiBsk/s1600/korean.png" /></a><a href="http://sf.funcheap.com/korean-cultural-festival-union-square/"><span style="font-size: large;">Korean Day Festival</span></a>- <span style="font-size: large;">Yet another fun sounding event to go to!! This is also a free event on Sat. 8/10, 2013, but at Union Square, San Francisco, starting at 10 am. This festival is going to have lots of traditional folkdances with costumes, Tae Kwon Do demonstrations, and, this sounds fun, a Rice Cake Kneading contest! There will be lots of traditional foods there too, like kalbi, bibimbop (how fun is that word?) and gochujang! We never really studied Korea for an entire week, so I don't know what any of that food is but I'm sure it's delicious :) We did learn a bit about Korea during Thanksgiving time so here was the <a href="http://aroundtheworldin52weeks.blogspot.com/search/label/Korea">project</a> we did.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzP2rtD_oPZhTBgY5utB1PcQ-cn_9njZ95gi5lyLi0DVaLE8nwJcPtBkJ_xTpwa_M3WSrhi-pGOfiMCcnQgTsQleBpUYKMptTc3YKz57dkmPjgXxn4KGxjNbj_9PcumuKM9-jnQuOtfKU/s1600/Origami-Poster_11x17_bleed-To-Print.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzP2rtD_oPZhTBgY5utB1PcQ-cn_9njZ95gi5lyLi0DVaLE8nwJcPtBkJ_xTpwa_M3WSrhi-pGOfiMCcnQgTsQleBpUYKMptTc3YKz57dkmPjgXxn4KGxjNbj_9PcumuKM9-jnQuOtfKU/s320/Origami-Poster_11x17_bleed-To-Print.jpg" width="210" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://japancentersf.com/events/origami-palooza/">Origami-Palooza</a></span>- <span style="font-size: large;">This event sounds like fun too, but only if you have the patience for origami (Japanese paper folding). My kids DO NOT so we probably won't make it to this one, but it's taking place on Post St., in San Francisco's Japantown, on Sat. 8/10 from 1-5pm. This 1st annual event will have different booths teaching different origami creations and there will also be a Paper Airplane Contest :0) Sounds like it could be fun! One of the projects will be making cranes to display at city hall's World Tree of Hope. I didn't know there was a Tree of Hope! I foresee another field trip!!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">If you'd like to have your own Japanese fun at home here are some of the <a href="http://aroundtheworldin52weeks.blogspot.com/search/label/Japan">Japanese projects</a> we did.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I hope you have a great weekend no matter what you do! But just remember, there is a whole world full of interesting things to see and do-- ENJOY!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />Jenny E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11480770036143246076noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7680931408630142772.post-78260146464127509762013-07-28T08:18:00.001-07:002013-07-28T08:18:32.162-07:00The End<span style="font-size: x-large;">A learning experience</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbe7wSacNAmCs0Oos-K6JQrYPVz_uJppzZCmz9VRFeJj2goMwit4YHh1gspjMoXH7q1MlvJYdnwJnuC12-5uLJWKRIOD0TuKrZdHRB1QrKX9ex51Zx3c9nh-eXrfM23Awa0Aq6EluJq6U/s1600/kids+around+the+world.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbe7wSacNAmCs0Oos-K6JQrYPVz_uJppzZCmz9VRFeJj2goMwit4YHh1gspjMoXH7q1MlvJYdnwJnuC12-5uLJWKRIOD0TuKrZdHRB1QrKX9ex51Zx3c9nh-eXrfM23Awa0Aq6EluJq6U/s1600/kids+around+the+world.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">I thought I knew a lot about the world, and I felt like this project would be a breeze. Well, as I've done the last 52 (!!) weeks of learning about the world, I've realized that I had and <u>still</u> <u>have</u> a lot to learn. If anyone takes anything away from this blog I hope it is the lesson to NEVER STOP LEARNING!! I am so glad we took this challenge. Yeah, I wanted to make a million dollars and have a million fans (doesn't everyone?) but I am more than happy knowing that the family has stepped out of our comfort zone on many occasions and learned more about the different cultures of the world in the past year than some people learn in a lifetime. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I hope I have started a love of learning in the kids that lasts forever. I hope we have inspired you to try that new exotic fruit or restaurant, to go to that festival or store, to visit another country or learn a new language. I hope we gave you some new dinner favorites or fun ideas. We have really enjoyed this experience, in fact, my son asked if we could start all over again. But, we've been on our journey long enough. I will continue to update the blog as ideas, recipes, amazing facts or field trips happen, but we won't be doing a country each week. Probably, never say never, right?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">We live on an amazing planet with AMAZING people, places and animals - get out there and check them out- you'll be glad you did</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4mqnMOWyjAzp5LgW4Nex-TDiWh8b_NsUT-5DiUYae5qAj2Qjew7xwL5zGmCf3gdmRMiBUwwEuzPksNLvF34BlUSU7hWm6EGdXQpgi3cBpImIai1YTjCO-vVDG8mPsNGcwyNJtnGMdXhk/s1600/thank+you+languages.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4mqnMOWyjAzp5LgW4Nex-TDiWh8b_NsUT-5DiUYae5qAj2Qjew7xwL5zGmCf3gdmRMiBUwwEuzPksNLvF34BlUSU7hWm6EGdXQpgi3cBpImIai1YTjCO-vVDG8mPsNGcwyNJtnGMdXhk/s1600/thank+you+languages.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">Thank you for following along on our adventures!! It was the thought that people were actually reading this that made me keep it up on those days when it got to be a lot of work. I hope you got something out of the experience :) </span><span style="font-size: large;">Please use this blog as a resource but know that most, if not all, of the information was taken from the internet and, even though I saw the same info on multiple sites, I cannot verify it's factualness.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Is "factualness" even a word? See? Never stop learning :)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />Jenny E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11480770036143246076noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7680931408630142772.post-3542414519011728002013-07-25T11:53:00.002-07:002013-07-25T11:56:23.397-07:00Saving the Earth...<span style="font-size: x-large;">The FUN way!!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7-VOyUxz6pIGMN5crXkf4KxJw3tU12RN9g2jlSpxG30YQSUDPSLJaJCy2jJcdJ5kJx8dGRyYxFSH8_X6mOZx5IWmksOW3KGiGZOpnN1lMeg5lP19itfweJEIkpmuWTos8ASUk8-es6Ew/s1600/EarthDay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7-VOyUxz6pIGMN5crXkf4KxJw3tU12RN9g2jlSpxG30YQSUDPSLJaJCy2jJcdJ5kJx8dGRyYxFSH8_X6mOZx5IWmksOW3KGiGZOpnN1lMeg5lP19itfweJEIkpmuWTos8ASUk8-es6Ew/s320/EarthDay.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">If there is one thing I think we can all agree on, it's that the Earth is a beautiful planet. But, I must say that we (humans) are acting like spoiled teenagers- leaving our stuff laying all over, selfishly using whatever we want and not thinking about leaving any for others, basically, taking our future for granted because we think we will live forever! Well, it's time we all grew up and acted our age, well, maybe not 2.5 million years old, but you get my point! We need to think about what we are doing to the planet and not worry so much about money and the power that comes with it. Don't worry, that's about as political as I'm going to get. We all know deep down what we need to do, we just need to, well, DO IT!!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJsk1crh32ajFZo92wQTtgtUN1DGXQ5G8jDke5BF_QHVdQIkBwNYmfkZBSZ9_knOfPmLyh_rWO3pgXiltaKNJ4oUK24xFJHhbxSrwylpBukMzKauIfKy_TKREGgdAHLfcqdHK6W3subHE/s1600/DSCN1671.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJsk1crh32ajFZo92wQTtgtUN1DGXQ5G8jDke5BF_QHVdQIkBwNYmfkZBSZ9_knOfPmLyh_rWO3pgXiltaKNJ4oUK24xFJHhbxSrwylpBukMzKauIfKy_TKREGgdAHLfcqdHK6W3subHE/s320/DSCN1671.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">So we visited a place in San Francisco that is doing their part to keep usable items out of landfills. It's called <a href="http://www.scrap-sf.org/">SCRAP</a> and it is cool!! You know that drawer (or in our case, room) where you put stuff that isn't really <em>needed </em>but you just don't want to throw out? This a whole <em>warehouse </em>of stuff like that!! Companies, individuals, stores, etc. donate items that they no longer need and SCRAP sells the items to teachers, artists, or crafty people who can use it. And they sell it cheap. We've been there a few times (and every time we come back with fun stuff) and I don't think I've ever spent over $20. Here are a few shots of some of the finds we saw and then the details on the project we made.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLhtrbxmKy6amF1513lHxbeAM5A5wHFD-6p_et4NfYMXJrlzflpMbbaoI9fNUCDntb20XBx5la81b62oDcJLBY2wmxUuMojGpZCSFeicGV51LuKcB2ji9RqZBkYqZ1_Y-bpvj0nd5_O4E/s1600/DSCN1672.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLhtrbxmKy6amF1513lHxbeAM5A5wHFD-6p_et4NfYMXJrlzflpMbbaoI9fNUCDntb20XBx5la81b62oDcJLBY2wmxUuMojGpZCSFeicGV51LuKcB2ji9RqZBkYqZ1_Y-bpvj0nd5_O4E/s320/DSCN1672.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></div>
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Who doesn't need a coconut monkey?<br />
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or a headless mannequin?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2DhzKTbW9EOdgO6OSxYCf-xfxXugBrNT5HRCJdh1j0IPbJ95Hy3SEL8D-5RX4adSD5eTYhKZXVWDKQiumLGIuDkts4x_Wav-jAu5G4MuDPihnpsdWTzWQjgdUZt94UcNbrNU0n-NyYa0/s1600/DSCN1674.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2DhzKTbW9EOdgO6OSxYCf-xfxXugBrNT5HRCJdh1j0IPbJ95Hy3SEL8D-5RX4adSD5eTYhKZXVWDKQiumLGIuDkts4x_Wav-jAu5G4MuDPihnpsdWTzWQjgdUZt94UcNbrNU0n-NyYa0/s320/DSCN1674.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitogwOw1u24CEdS7e9Bz1i6WYGdrn4FZYxAyUmHKYmYlAScHQFlct2kHRp15YppM-bwgPryrLbJBkTGKPyPumeI9n24hpcbkzf0t1iMotXWLRaVmAM4crr0aaI43WyN9gIwRrnmVR8BwQ/s1600/DSCN1680.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitogwOw1u24CEdS7e9Bz1i6WYGdrn4FZYxAyUmHKYmYlAScHQFlct2kHRp15YppM-bwgPryrLbJBkTGKPyPumeI9n24hpcbkzf0t1iMotXWLRaVmAM4crr0aaI43WyN9gIwRrnmVR8BwQ/s320/DSCN1680.JPG" width="240" /></a>Perhaps some items for dress up?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRdxVMyNJ17S4xaAg8m9jwkzIR52zrKOmL3Nxp-8V_cCYNiIg4rb3rGsLWKDAjnGDCfaXj1JlbvbTGk7tBHyV-RhCXmuV_9yu4arDQH3_PuPD1zJhOSyN4ro3i4SHjzaqJp-rKOPNZlwU/s1600/DSCN1675.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRdxVMyNJ17S4xaAg8m9jwkzIR52zrKOmL3Nxp-8V_cCYNiIg4rb3rGsLWKDAjnGDCfaXj1JlbvbTGk7tBHyV-RhCXmuV_9yu4arDQH3_PuPD1zJhOSyN4ro3i4SHjzaqJp-rKOPNZlwU/s320/DSCN1675.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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You are sure to find something useful (or maybe not useful but fun). We went with the goal to find things to make an "Earth". You never know what items will be there, so we went with an open mind. We decided to make a fabric collage using scraps of fabric and a large rattan round platter, or lid, or, well, I don't know what it was supposed to be used for ?! Anyway, here's what we made...<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Recycled Earth</span><br />
For the project you will need:<br />
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<ul><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIuWcAQntvxNqKoUUlfR3vh0SG4IbbIdrNbrVZtqZQGq1ziYP0bqNFWxFUasyiNYV_U7xIo828HQYEwGfwJxs9gjQVODh6Z9Udxn7dqFURMpD9gLfnp0wr88JoD87o7eSwPcFs_4ng8yc/s1600/DSCN1681.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIuWcAQntvxNqKoUUlfR3vh0SG4IbbIdrNbrVZtqZQGq1ziYP0bqNFWxFUasyiNYV_U7xIo828HQYEwGfwJxs9gjQVODh6Z9Udxn7dqFURMpD9gLfnp0wr88JoD87o7eSwPcFs_4ng8yc/s320/DSCN1681.JPG" width="320" /></a>
<li>something round that would normally have ended up in the trash.</li>
<li>scraps of paper or fabric that don't have any other use. Greens, blues, white.</li>
<li>Glue *</li>
<li>scissors</li>
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1. Cut up the scraps into small pieces. You will need a lot of blue since the Earth has so much water :)<br />
2. Spread the glue on the round "thing" and place the blue fabric scraps all over. * We planned on gluing everything but I decided that it would be more recyclable (sp?) if it was reusable. We are going to use it like a flannel board and make different scenes, so we didn't use glue.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirO9i_6c2k5Yh7fwOOq-w2Zmu4wTP-72nZ2ygQlxiE-RtJ1JZByT77UIrKOtO4P4fE9HhpEqKD3d06PUymRYjj84vg-ol3zhEr2FhRy1Q96cTKklQRSTLXvaUKQZyZjU4c54PGBVlMVHs/s1600/DSCN1683.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirO9i_6c2k5Yh7fwOOq-w2Zmu4wTP-72nZ2ygQlxiE-RtJ1JZByT77UIrKOtO4P4fE9HhpEqKD3d06PUymRYjj84vg-ol3zhEr2FhRy1Q96cTKklQRSTLXvaUKQZyZjU4c54PGBVlMVHs/s320/DSCN1683.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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3. At both the top and bottom make some polar ice caps.<br />
4. Using green scraps make the land masses. We tried to make it look like North and South America but with minor success.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPAozDJ5RuqyEFvHzhTaA4fjmtH0Uh-1x9ZzsoT_5iN9OwxtKKxDOsqfCUPxVedex7U2uPiL8hOawt6AatqbN8P52jeBe-sz59-p-IrARXOo9LsJAZKclOcMHXQUpMdKqcigyO_3mNtKY/s1600/DSCN1685.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPAozDJ5RuqyEFvHzhTaA4fjmtH0Uh-1x9ZzsoT_5iN9OwxtKKxDOsqfCUPxVedex7U2uPiL8hOawt6AatqbN8P52jeBe-sz59-p-IrARXOo9LsJAZKclOcMHXQUpMdKqcigyO_3mNtKY/s320/DSCN1685.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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It turned out really pretty, but since we didn't glue anything down it's only ours for a little while.....kind of like the real thing :)<br />
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</span><br />Jenny E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11480770036143246076noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7680931408630142772.post-19932794514087303042013-07-23T16:14:00.000-07:002013-07-23T16:14:36.724-07:00Around the World in 1 Day!!<span style="font-size: x-large;">Field Trip :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">We started our week of fun field trips with one of our favorite places-- the Zoo!! Sure, it's fun just to look at the animals and ride the carousel, but there is so much to learn at the zoo. Since this was a special trip to commemorate finishing our year-long journey around the world, we really focused on WHERE the animals came from. We checked the informational signs at each enclosure and we were able to check off every continent!! I was so proud that the kids were even able to tell me some of the homelands without looking and my 6 year old could name the continents by shape. We have ALL learned so much this year!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Here are some snapshots of the day and an animal we found from each continent-<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2LSRS_7hiLvANiBrljoWmRzcJ-Gbag7hS8JnUSGjZFq7NT7SUI7mkKy7G-jhAg4pQXhlCA8s-ImOau80CY0pIGLo4ndFRqjXP3bb11eq46aQ79jze5uKp4BmHNZRiP8EdC5YUhEt8cTE/s1600/DSCN1655.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2LSRS_7hiLvANiBrljoWmRzcJ-Gbag7hS8JnUSGjZFq7NT7SUI7mkKy7G-jhAg4pQXhlCA8s-ImOau80CY0pIGLo4ndFRqjXP3bb11eq46aQ79jze5uKp4BmHNZRiP8EdC5YUhEt8cTE/s320/DSCN1655.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
Here is one of the Magellenic penguins found in the most southern parts of South America and Antarctica.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzMTYqAOk_AI1_Yht349KqTf1QUUbR_rxwM9L-dgF46g3VfK9IU5Q1BipDY0ZYODR2lolhIjhBk2wEbNq8WJN4TJqbr_1htGEXsMovaaSyDwVn5Wzf_7dn9ZALq4LO3hEMfog19pKGKtE/s1600/DSCN1653.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzMTYqAOk_AI1_Yht349KqTf1QUUbR_rxwM9L-dgF46g3VfK9IU5Q1BipDY0ZYODR2lolhIjhBk2wEbNq8WJN4TJqbr_1htGEXsMovaaSyDwVn5Wzf_7dn9ZALq4LO3hEMfog19pKGKtE/s320/DSCN1653.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Of course, the beautiful giraffes from Africa! It's hard to tell from the picture but this is a baby giraffe born about 1 1/2 months ago. The SF Zoo also has an amazing Lemur exhibit, and we know that lemurs only live in Madagascar, an island off the coast of Africa.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4s9EAAnoHeKOamz9FOfClZqh3JbPAwHjfItC13bvZQ2J-oDUfngaIaKwp9qAZStiHo4yTu_VyztasZYOs2EKElJ6M6p0Gd1dTWV8RVi55Ru2N2NgvtmYereKNFCF7BSsmzy9wUXgBGEg/s1600/DSCN1650.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4s9EAAnoHeKOamz9FOfClZqh3JbPAwHjfItC13bvZQ2J-oDUfngaIaKwp9qAZStiHo4yTu_VyztasZYOs2EKElJ6M6p0Gd1dTWV8RVi55Ru2N2NgvtmYereKNFCF7BSsmzy9wUXgBGEg/s320/DSCN1650.JPG" width="240" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">They were all snuggled up because this is San Francisco in the summer, which can be foggy :)</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWbVEt99kd96U_UePWAij4QIFW1NNETgpLh0PZu9B31COfPZFBlhORuK3qTRnnkIdyuEi6CnIYx5cAMmzpb1mRjOXBKM8hjUb7BcYRqNFhoM8DBcur9A_bF7FGX5Rd3nwUG3FXpFzCN-c/s1600/DSCN1667.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWbVEt99kd96U_UePWAij4QIFW1NNETgpLh0PZu9B31COfPZFBlhORuK3qTRnnkIdyuEi6CnIYx5cAMmzpb1mRjOXBKM8hjUb7BcYRqNFhoM8DBcur9A_bF7FGX5Rd3nwUG3FXpFzCN-c/s320/DSCN1667.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">You can't talk about Australia without mentioning Kangaroos but have you ever seen a Cassowary?? </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFttVt4l26PiCJErvvEED56ChZo2vhyO9OBHbjl9uQz7A7jaoTjQdNwrxzPM_Cb10szqAe4Z_HAMuFsWN_jVX43QMDMvM_aKA-GMboxGsA1DzXsZyyC1GsCN29Sk1NAblvWLom7NYZ6Ag/s1600/DSCN1663.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFttVt4l26PiCJErvvEED56ChZo2vhyO9OBHbjl9uQz7A7jaoTjQdNwrxzPM_Cb10szqAe4Z_HAMuFsWN_jVX43QMDMvM_aKA-GMboxGsA1DzXsZyyC1GsCN29Sk1NAblvWLom7NYZ6Ag/s320/DSCN1663.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">They look like something from the dinosaur era! They are also found in Papua New Guinea.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnDMK6HuVsJa9JOWD9iOajAIR1HqTcOKX4_1VW4xVY9jXcixM_wiWO7UFOCQEx4AZc383W14uxLL8m_Qya8NWmc8iFVabNLee5E8LCOGWpZeZQaYMg32AlX3ZzGkkshzMU5TsvTl-wwWM/s1600/DSCN1646.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnDMK6HuVsJa9JOWD9iOajAIR1HqTcOKX4_1VW4xVY9jXcixM_wiWO7UFOCQEx4AZc383W14uxLL8m_Qya8NWmc8iFVabNLee5E8LCOGWpZeZQaYMg32AlX3ZzGkkshzMU5TsvTl-wwWM/s320/DSCN1646.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">South America is represented by the Alpaca we found in the petting zoo and the beautiful flamingoes. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Og7andqulT7Vvim94jYM2IXpjEPfeqNZbXiBhRF8BwVt35X6lN1G4KG6kHA8V3L4u01NNWwHFljWzd2IRYSFJOwURbEAWpqVONpt6U7gTrwsqO2aUj7bsBBiD2Sryp1saw2gL5YqIH8/s1600/DSCN1670.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Og7andqulT7Vvim94jYM2IXpjEPfeqNZbXiBhRF8BwVt35X6lN1G4KG6kHA8V3L4u01NNWwHFljWzd2IRYSFJOwURbEAWpqVONpt6U7gTrwsqO2aUj7bsBBiD2Sryp1saw2gL5YqIH8/s320/DSCN1670.JPG" width="240" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I love flamingoes! I got into a little debate with an 8 year old over whether or not flamingoes could fly. FYI- they can :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The kids found a very tame camel from Asia- just kidding it's a sculpture of a one-humped Dromedary camel. They are found in the Middle East which is considered Asia, but also found in Africa. The 2-humped Bactrian Camel is found in other parts of Asia. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaZxsopHCSxh9PTDEYjGirfuc9C-YtlN8nIEKSZDTpbimdjpnZAVysjKdZXbJomnepOTot8GwhG1qg5NFogFHs01nI80hNkJl8FF_yPnluRaIO0q-JAM0pF7lV2k-Y4LfyuhRGSTbNNtg/s1600/img_snowleopard_mh_large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaZxsopHCSxh9PTDEYjGirfuc9C-YtlN8nIEKSZDTpbimdjpnZAVysjKdZXbJomnepOTot8GwhG1qg5NFogFHs01nI80hNkJl8FF_yPnluRaIO0q-JAM0pF7lV2k-Y4LfyuhRGSTbNNtg/s320/img_snowleopard_mh_large.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The beautiful snow leopard can also be found in Asia. Did you know that it has the softest fur of any animal? The chinchilla has the second softest.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoa8zU7DYAG0Sv-i5uYqDIVnDUrUYMYkI-5h3nfq4bqY0VwR7Ie5SI9gn_K1FNO5Sbm7oSaF8osI139e4-vNGBCJMLu1JOpi_s_GzBV4a7JGy6C0-YVy4EwL9jYTUZ5uzGx2haxDtefcA/s1600/img_prairiedog_mw_large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoa8zU7DYAG0Sv-i5uYqDIVnDUrUYMYkI-5h3nfq4bqY0VwR7Ie5SI9gn_K1FNO5Sbm7oSaF8osI139e4-vNGBCJMLu1JOpi_s_GzBV4a7JGy6C0-YVy4EwL9jYTUZ5uzGx2haxDtefcA/s320/img_prairiedog_mw_large.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">For North America, we visited the always adorable prairie dogs! </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisq-9zmrK7J-FqwuYQJlE5ZHWx3-BrwVXaWBD2m8lhohxnY_Ft4tiqqrdlcwIdOPk6OADxtw_jXeSG6xiy9BbxzldBImL5z5UPkGAqT3G4D2iFwAXuPCmxYhjYhAjPAWc4zVJhzdd2fxI/s1600/DSCN1638.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisq-9zmrK7J-FqwuYQJlE5ZHWx3-BrwVXaWBD2m8lhohxnY_Ft4tiqqrdlcwIdOPk6OADxtw_jXeSG6xiy9BbxzldBImL5z5UPkGAqT3G4D2iFwAXuPCmxYhjYhAjPAWc4zVJhzdd2fxI/s320/DSCN1638.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">They even got to pretend to BE prairie dogs :)</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpk-hl-uYF7k-gMYEnZpgtdZ_mLQvK-4_ZNuWQS_M_GVezDQb3ombSyWDc8fg6zUSVsM9uq7Gw3yjoIMPRiLEcaWEo4L0grYpTfPnBsRKUjbJrmRpPPs54zS5qm1XIFlUPvFaZ58iAnvI/s1600/grizzlies.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpk-hl-uYF7k-gMYEnZpgtdZ_mLQvK-4_ZNuWQS_M_GVezDQb3ombSyWDc8fg6zUSVsM9uq7Gw3yjoIMPRiLEcaWEo4L0grYpTfPnBsRKUjbJrmRpPPs54zS5qm1XIFlUPvFaZ58iAnvI/s1600/grizzlies.png" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The zoo also has a great Grizzly Bear exhibit! These bears are so beautiful but I sure wouldn't want to come across one in the wild!!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBn-ylPcVqx2HnXcXNfZlwqdnDC9XL6hKFSTQlPd3PvvXfOY84G6NTZnFh3prL4OJOXO94HwvXr2fQWW0UIpBQLMBv6SckNGLP9DQRfCszKcpNhJQMrt4TK2hzbnCV4p1RZ2bw5XckrYw/s1600/DSCN1657.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBn-ylPcVqx2HnXcXNfZlwqdnDC9XL6hKFSTQlPd3PvvXfOY84G6NTZnFh3prL4OJOXO94HwvXr2fQWW0UIpBQLMBv6SckNGLP9DQRfCszKcpNhJQMrt4TK2hzbnCV4p1RZ2bw5XckrYw/s320/DSCN1657.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">This polar bear can be found in both North America, Northern Europe and Russia, so we are using it as our representative from Europe. This is one BIG animal!!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH0t0CFmGisnImo0rWV-MnGxYSSrfa7yhUsFMrKhKejCXOFj-Q1VrIRwr-L5G6qje-WiJi_9_OCw_sZeLCLWX27Lt3YMUFq9D2v2h5YGzMmFFsao4AoxLGmoilnRW84Pq4XX6kWmHlLEQ/s1600/eurasian+owl.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH0t0CFmGisnImo0rWV-MnGxYSSrfa7yhUsFMrKhKejCXOFj-Q1VrIRwr-L5G6qje-WiJi_9_OCw_sZeLCLWX27Lt3YMUFq9D2v2h5YGzMmFFsao4AoxLGmoilnRW84Pq4XX6kWmHlLEQ/s1600/eurasian+owl.png" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">This super fluffy owl is a Eurasian Owl. It is so beautiful and soft but the claws are crazy-long!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">That's our trip around the world in one day!! Want a fun way to teach your kids about the animals and areas of the world? Print out a map of the world, head to the closest zoo and check off as many continents as you can. If you check off all the continents treat yourselves to something fun!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />Jenny E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11480770036143246076noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7680931408630142772.post-73143784567287610682013-07-22T17:57:00.003-07:002013-07-22T17:57:44.688-07:00Week 52!!! <span style="font-size: x-large;">It's A Small World After All!!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEllqovG4B-k5ZOsr1G5qfnhv7uhgmLryyoRlxVYwZgjHWXlL-Zf9budlFPVqGxFd6d2V03gToL0pxPXbRRPSyogd2AOcFiNwSNu_qgJr5bb2CEkrtYyizSJRln5bpSIMt4T3aDoyOvvE/s1600/earth_you_are_here_print-rb360b5a86ff54923a2c49be7fad3dc70_wvy_8byvr_512.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEllqovG4B-k5ZOsr1G5qfnhv7uhgmLryyoRlxVYwZgjHWXlL-Zf9budlFPVqGxFd6d2V03gToL0pxPXbRRPSyogd2AOcFiNwSNu_qgJr5bb2CEkrtYyizSJRln5bpSIMt4T3aDoyOvvE/s320/earth_you_are_here_print-rb360b5a86ff54923a2c49be7fad3dc70_wvy_8byvr_512.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Well, we did it!! We spent 52 weeks learning about different countries, cultures, cuisines and crafts, and you know what we learned? That it really is a very amazing planet we live on. The diversity of animals, climates, landscapes and cultures is just overwhelming when you really think about it. This one planet holds so much amazing-ness (is that a word?) that "The Earth" is going to be our theme this week</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhstOEe2RAtmJvyiR3nBJLDlkTUZKbZGBH1GxoJBU67alCtn-l84DRgqzJZ13382Z9xgSEgmCxnwKJl_6RFjR5gOBiiE7IkqS8IrRNoSKsQ4nepKTy_cj3Np8jTAdJ1cgxy0R6qclI6jkU/s1600/DSCN1632.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhstOEe2RAtmJvyiR3nBJLDlkTUZKbZGBH1GxoJBU67alCtn-l84DRgqzJZ13382Z9xgSEgmCxnwKJl_6RFjR5gOBiiE7IkqS8IrRNoSKsQ4nepKTy_cj3Np8jTAdJ1cgxy0R6qclI6jkU/s320/DSCN1632.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">We are going to go out in style this week....that means FIELD TRIPS!!! Yeah! ;) For those of you who don't live in the San Francisco Area, sorry you won't be able to join us, but go out and find some new exciting adventures wherever you live! Just be outside in this great big wonderful world!! </span></div>
Jenny E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11480770036143246076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7680931408630142772.post-59474498244146575282013-07-20T09:40:00.001-07:002013-07-20T09:40:37.537-07:00Art: Antarctic Style<span style="font-size: x-large;">When life hands you ice....</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOw_9bnOXAqVKx-OPkmZp63gCOm-LAhrjJkYxPOBPCe4kWyYcxwgUi1RsBlAUtDhT8zQwJ85sH7USa_NmClintPiGYL2436i5Sj7O6fFJUuDfsVsH8or3PcrmUUGjZsbGXuQweBYRZ3P0/s1600/ice.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOw_9bnOXAqVKx-OPkmZp63gCOm-LAhrjJkYxPOBPCe4kWyYcxwgUi1RsBlAUtDhT8zQwJ85sH7USa_NmClintPiGYL2436i5Sj7O6fFJUuDfsVsH8or3PcrmUUGjZsbGXuQweBYRZ3P0/s1600/ice.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">.... Do ice painting, of course!! If there is one thing Antarctica has more of than penguins, it's ice. A layer of ice permanently covers 95% of the continent and can reach a thickness of a mile. So you'd think that the only color as far as the eye could see would be white, right? Actually, the ice reflects the sky and beautifully creates shades of blue that are amazing.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj095vycbIL6Q7SWRIKUyacsb6RjHOQffN254Nr33B9BnDpkF9QtXGkaY9k_sgSPnIbVtF16_kp55-66f59-LsV4IdcsmJHmMdnaUsVMKRvX8SYAMB77Yz9aAzE0rj_fkO4r5YZaAVFqmc/s1600/ice3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj095vycbIL6Q7SWRIKUyacsb6RjHOQffN254Nr33B9BnDpkF9QtXGkaY9k_sgSPnIbVtF16_kp55-66f59-LsV4IdcsmJHmMdnaUsVMKRvX8SYAMB77Yz9aAzE0rj_fkO4r5YZaAVFqmc/s1600/ice3.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The water runoff when the ice melts, and the surrounding seas are so pure and clean that the water is the clearest shade of blue you'll see. Cold, but beautiful.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">So we made a project.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Antarctic Ice Painting</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">For the project you will need:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmgOm9xEwX3ttDeC29pwGsn1QD7lkL158MjDhyphenhyphenmh8NauKvwqDsG62OP-eIGg80jkffiytfUe03cuhIQIlF00NAXALojGNtwivnoA9CXMA9NNEyvbt0C55GD1HJmhjdbTMlaXlT8dXaD7s/s1600/DSCN1613.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmgOm9xEwX3ttDeC29pwGsn1QD7lkL158MjDhyphenhyphenmh8NauKvwqDsG62OP-eIGg80jkffiytfUe03cuhIQIlF00NAXALojGNtwivnoA9CXMA9NNEyvbt0C55GD1HJmhjdbTMlaXlT8dXaD7s/s320/DSCN1613.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-size: large;">ice cube trays or small disposable cups</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">water</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">blue food coloring</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">white paper</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">toothpicks</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">cling wrap or foil</span></li>
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<span style="font-size: large;">1. Pour the water into the ice cube trays (or small disposable cups) and add a small amount of blue food coloring to the water to make various shades of blue. So pretty.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">2. Cover the tray with wrap and poke toothpicks through for handles.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoYwUTrMlrcq3KZhCI1BRKGDliujF28lfNKivLQmxQzZE_CnJ52BBnUGSV23B_ysvBSs0Im5I3oEL6aWrcnP_aH2j4P_B4FJAzdvaelZXVSLw6T_vagW2DzjEnQfwMGagTp4PpQfkU2FQ/s1600/DSCN1615.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoYwUTrMlrcq3KZhCI1BRKGDliujF28lfNKivLQmxQzZE_CnJ52BBnUGSV23B_ysvBSs0Im5I3oEL6aWrcnP_aH2j4P_B4FJAzdvaelZXVSLw6T_vagW2DzjEnQfwMGagTp4PpQfkU2FQ/s320/DSCN1615.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">3. Put into freezer. Wait, wait, wait.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi6Nc-AcfhY1Nzh_RKD10roUPlafJtGbRdxJOjokkYrc0mgQSXxkyOSVL_8NyZ6FpLQXJfX5m3IQapx0IeptHHlfzQH07-NYkiOcYnwVHWS1oMpAUP98kKQv4LJ3GGPQPJAvCjjoSS4QU/s1600/DSCN1618.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi6Nc-AcfhY1Nzh_RKD10roUPlafJtGbRdxJOjokkYrc0mgQSXxkyOSVL_8NyZ6FpLQXJfX5m3IQapx0IeptHHlfzQH07-NYkiOcYnwVHWS1oMpAUP98kKQv4LJ3GGPQPJAvCjjoSS4QU/s320/DSCN1618.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">4. When properly frozen, use the ice to paint all over the paper to make beautiful shades of blue. We went through a few sheets of paper just painting and then I drew an orca so we had an underwater scene to paint.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyHMjIIpm9hbOn3jUrRE5lnxq8wAbl0Kr4iHIGXQKeNlHWUYy-TWuNhJlDeQbnxHVypUi_i91Z2jB_TVk-82VRnlAIdNf9fi4ecRlXuaXNy1RGrQi1r6fvlVtaZ58TBDT1qsRwIpObQg8/s1600/DSCN1621.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyHMjIIpm9hbOn3jUrRE5lnxq8wAbl0Kr4iHIGXQKeNlHWUYy-TWuNhJlDeQbnxHVypUi_i91Z2jB_TVk-82VRnlAIdNf9fi4ecRlXuaXNy1RGrQi1r6fvlVtaZ58TBDT1qsRwIpObQg8/s320/DSCN1621.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This is a very relaxing painting activity that would be great on a hot day or with different colors to show color mixing. Clean up is easy and leftover "paint" can be used to cool off your drink :)</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJgdGH3YIFRm748aUFZFngEwOtVAH5DwTGtzka99WRRESxLIF3uL6fPPG6Qd4qYic3dpp4UzkiBa8u0KL2E4jXCXRNUKoWPUZI0jYf0WatMojwpawTtJVAjLUWtbiViumQ5RWuRmUO5zs/s1600/ice+water.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJgdGH3YIFRm748aUFZFngEwOtVAH5DwTGtzka99WRRESxLIF3uL6fPPG6Qd4qYic3dpp4UzkiBa8u0KL2E4jXCXRNUKoWPUZI0jYf0WatMojwpawTtJVAjLUWtbiViumQ5RWuRmUO5zs/s1600/ice+water.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Cheers to Antarctica!</span></div>
Jenny E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11480770036143246076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7680931408630142772.post-15451627765185372332013-07-17T11:00:00.000-07:002013-07-17T19:34:36.945-07:00Just for fun!<span style="font-size: x-large;">Don't Break the Ice!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">We were playing around today and rediscovered a game we haven't played in a few months. Coincidentally, it matched our theme of Antarctica so we thought we'd share it with you.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsWuOokK1I9H4IAA5qtduFJ1MUlPz14QA6nXPvOsCb6bQmaiL2eMLhJBVbg0NiDRYnueF0o8RYcwb5Z5T2cuiEz2VWwxtdjtIBTW8_ROCWhAEfURo_E3PplIfmQ9vrjYXzcTTb4-Uv_C0/s1600/DSCN1554.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsWuOokK1I9H4IAA5qtduFJ1MUlPz14QA6nXPvOsCb6bQmaiL2eMLhJBVbg0NiDRYnueF0o8RYcwb5Z5T2cuiEz2VWwxtdjtIBTW8_ROCWhAEfURo_E3PplIfmQ9vrjYXzcTTb4-Uv_C0/s320/DSCN1554.JPG" width="240" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">It's called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00000IVZJ">Don't Break the Ice</a> and is pretty fun and easy for all ages, although a grown up (or patient kid) will probably need to set it up. It features blocks of "ice" held by tension in a square rack. There is one large square that holds a figure of an ice-skating polar bear that you DON'T want to let fall as you knock out the surrounding blocks of ice one by one. Since there are no polar bears in Antarctica (they are in the Artic) we subbed a small stuffed penguin. We found another stuffed penguin who we let observe :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">It's a fun game and, if you can stand the noise of the little hammer tap-tap-tapping the ice, the kids will enjoy setting up different configurations and seeing how much of the ice they can chip away before it all goes crashing down!!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKIwVwT2giZrgm05LmttEuM5mbQ1_cGkamWENRaf1SEtWiVCfAVoCu2xCCrxgpVCU0Z1J6y9-Yk82wrdysOmUpM7u-EE6nqXnum7E4dWeq5GMYQhQL6JH_VhSAXKiq1F7kyFpOQ87U048/s1600/DSCN1558.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKIwVwT2giZrgm05LmttEuM5mbQ1_cGkamWENRaf1SEtWiVCfAVoCu2xCCrxgpVCU0Z1J6y9-Yk82wrdysOmUpM7u-EE6nqXnum7E4dWeq5GMYQhQL6JH_VhSAXKiq1F7kyFpOQ87U048/s320/DSCN1558.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Fun times! Well maybe not for the penguin!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUQXur3SB8M69esM3xFmoi6XUSx23O2ovvs_DY4PnDIVmAEcybV2Sl1TH7dJywEOb4ldrP72zaj_ghpv6N6E50AQ1xgWAwCCAJsYfHTUZJtwHPYP0CglBr7q0t1XCQn1Bp9WUZOyCm9O8/s1600/happy+feet.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUQXur3SB8M69esM3xFmoi6XUSx23O2ovvs_DY4PnDIVmAEcybV2Sl1TH7dJywEOb4ldrP72zaj_ghpv6N6E50AQ1xgWAwCCAJsYfHTUZJtwHPYP0CglBr7q0t1XCQn1Bp9WUZOyCm9O8/s1600/happy+feet.png" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Another fun Antarctica themed idea would be to rent <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000MV9026">Happy Feet</a>. It's a cute little movie about a young penguin who feels he just doesn't belong. He goes on a quest to find himself and ends up saving the whole penguin colony. It gets a little into the overfishing and illegal poaching that goes on in the Antarctic region and the leopard seals (and other penguin eating animals) are a bit frightening in some scenes, but, overall, it's a pretty good movie that would make a good platform for teaching about Antarctica and the animals that live there. Click <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1vgO8fba1U">here</a> for a small clip from the movie. </span>Jenny E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11480770036143246076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7680931408630142772.post-76005850384163189382013-07-15T10:25:00.000-07:002013-07-15T10:25:00.416-07:00Week 51: Antarctica<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDu0r4hm1FjeacKKkYafRBK1H75XztD5czymfTosKXW9FNk2mEskaq7zMV6TjNNME_smze1Ih58cBfbteMr_ZC66oi7_Oj_7ErNLWMJcw0vKKnu3C61wvV_D597pSOOOHa8RXtgrUnRjI/s1600/antarctic+sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDu0r4hm1FjeacKKkYafRBK1H75XztD5czymfTosKXW9FNk2mEskaq7zMV6TjNNME_smze1Ih58cBfbteMr_ZC66oi7_Oj_7ErNLWMJcw0vKKnu3C61wvV_D597pSOOOHa8RXtgrUnRjI/s1600/antarctic+sign.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Ice Continent</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">So we have spent almost an entire year (!) learning about a different country each week, yet we left out an entire continent!! Well, we are going to remedy that this week, we are studying Antarctica!!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBfu_mhzysKLFT_u3mRQaKqhXhyphenhyphenskBMK6qc4IXHQVIRUxOa_fmHE4P6BjLICw5p6sB_KEPFbGhqOhD-_BC3YWzxou7SvGNPER985fGzBcH9Jpy97RWOCaoiFsLR4TNvWyXW7DKh63ZA7I/s1600/map+of+antartica.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBfu_mhzysKLFT_u3mRQaKqhXhyphenhyphenskBMK6qc4IXHQVIRUxOa_fmHE4P6BjLICw5p6sB_KEPFbGhqOhD-_BC3YWzxou7SvGNPER985fGzBcH9Jpy97RWOCaoiFsLR4TNvWyXW7DKh63ZA7I/s1600/map+of+antartica.png" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The continent of Antarctica is the windiest, driest, coldest, highest and emptiest place on the earth. It</span><span style="font-size: large;"> doesn't really qualify as a country because no one lives there and there is no government or capital, language or culture. So what is there? </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinMBlhJhzSX_6lptOQKKLKNdfv0L92XnPcn8FwbZ2Z73muFpDxi8dPX9oWqmh1WaIgTExVsmKuIIsWe-qRPDERq-Gs76EECWa7mqj8sRthNrDwjj3VF6k63SSt54h4VNSwPRKm3cYTq4E/s1600/studying+penguins.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinMBlhJhzSX_6lptOQKKLKNdfv0L92XnPcn8FwbZ2Z73muFpDxi8dPX9oWqmh1WaIgTExVsmKuIIsWe-qRPDERq-Gs76EECWa7mqj8sRthNrDwjj3VF6k63SSt54h4VNSwPRKm3cYTq4E/s1600/studying+penguins.png" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">Actually, there's a lot going on. There are numerous scientists and explorers doing experiments on wind, cold, the animal life, astronomy, etc. etc. There are 21 different species of penguins that can be found on or around the 5.4 million square miles that make up the vast continent. Over 95% of that land is covered by ice, some of that ice is over a mile deep. 90% of the world's ice and 70% of the freshwater is held here. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">There are no land mammals or native people on Antarctica. But around 50 million (give or take) years ago, the region had a temperate climate and forests and animals. Those fossils are somewhere underneath that ice! Think of all the cool new scientific finds just waiting to be discovered!! </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOD1s_o7TZ2B5wfaKUrWoGvaMwRk6j8ZvpvPzh2_xsgdYQktxem2j-OvEjm_0kRioEhFKnEaWB285EsfFB__S-Dx41p-lA6Vpx5qBHwbAuWAMkD7XppeCyGCDNs2TIT_BAEbCPQsbcxy0/s1600/seals.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOD1s_o7TZ2B5wfaKUrWoGvaMwRk6j8ZvpvPzh2_xsgdYQktxem2j-OvEjm_0kRioEhFKnEaWB285EsfFB__S-Dx41p-lA6Vpx5qBHwbAuWAMkD7XppeCyGCDNs2TIT_BAEbCPQsbcxy0/s1600/seals.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">The waters surrounding Antarctica are full of interesting creatures - there are numerous seals, whales, sea birds, and fish all feeding on the billions of krill (or the fish that eat the krill) that live in the COLD water! These teeny tiny little crustaceans are perhaps the most important creature in the Antarctic seas. </span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVuKs0Uvk8IyUHZLla_v_iBYvRLYnZku1_bd1LMtR5x234wbCDySyorMV4I1vzY5u8RiCjDz2xraNf9xREChli6gvyhesTEXkpe2x0Wu2d_iRtjPXTBeE8zcaVln_0qp5uYoQJmvnVBtU/s1600/krill2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVuKs0Uvk8IyUHZLla_v_iBYvRLYnZku1_bd1LMtR5x234wbCDySyorMV4I1vzY5u8RiCjDz2xraNf9xREChli6gvyhesTEXkpe2x0Wu2d_iRtjPXTBeE8zcaVln_0qp5uYoQJmvnVBtU/s1600/krill2.png" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnmkXbYhWa3lony2gUwfzrDSwyyjnr9qCVOxxw72KR9ozcRmfegtO4ASlEV2KNCLBN_0GawVpuSo2-ErNb0hhbT69CU_fSb-0Rtyg98A9PmVkGHLxfrTGP0pU4fbIoxujfRpjiryAUYoM/s1600/whale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnmkXbYhWa3lony2gUwfzrDSwyyjnr9qCVOxxw72KR9ozcRmfegtO4ASlEV2KNCLBN_0GawVpuSo2-ErNb0hhbT69CU_fSb-0Rtyg98A9PmVkGHLxfrTGP0pU4fbIoxujfRpjiryAUYoM/s1600/whale.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
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So, what I thought was going to be a boring region is actually a pretty amazing place. Hope you join our exploration!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCw1RKpLGSAfHPhOwFDg7cRNB5HpTxjyvYs_N-WPYzgwTObDW_im82rpw3jizTcsiiLhr6MLQwohiBwt2nZN6PV1amI8Pjxv9jej799TxuYja78UQ2qgJnYtDDHCLKfnChu1OZHtmfK9g/s1600/antarctica2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCw1RKpLGSAfHPhOwFDg7cRNB5HpTxjyvYs_N-WPYzgwTObDW_im82rpw3jizTcsiiLhr6MLQwohiBwt2nZN6PV1amI8Pjxv9jej799TxuYja78UQ2qgJnYtDDHCLKfnChu1OZHtmfK9g/s1600/antarctica2.jpg" /></a></div>
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Beautiful isn't it?</div>
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</span>Jenny E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11480770036143246076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7680931408630142772.post-58520875090584159152013-07-14T11:18:00.001-07:002013-07-14T11:18:09.715-07:00Viva La France!<span style="font-size: x-large;">Happy Bastille Day!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Just happened to notice on the calendar that today, July 14, is Bastille Day in France. Bastille Day celebrates the storming of the Bastille Prison that was the beginning of the French Revolution and the end of absolute monarchy for the King. It is celebrated all over France as a national holiday. So click <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7680931408630142772#editor/target=post;postID=2265495491030691346;onPublishedMenu=overview;onClosedMenu=overview;postNum=9;src=postname">here</a> or <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7680931408630142772#editor/target=post;postID=7790495114708131609;onPublishedMenu=overview;onClosedMenu=overview;postNum=7;src=postname">here</a> or <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7680931408630142772#editor/target=post;postID=6535714034799362891;onPublishedMenu=overview;onClosedMenu=overview;postNum=8;src=postname">here</a> for some fun ideas to celebrate France!! </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3LFKy0EYyJOiiY209YCZh5f5WUfXuskystvMI4MYiKgFPFMzTJVZ4a94ZIBUtoAHiQKpOrxQ0WrjronqT1nQtrBesZkYmucFRAUMMVYqj9ZjIF8FNU8Sw55y12ZecsFa2ln8EQHcdBEs/s1600/225px-14_July_fireworks_in_Paris.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3LFKy0EYyJOiiY209YCZh5f5WUfXuskystvMI4MYiKgFPFMzTJVZ4a94ZIBUtoAHiQKpOrxQ0WrjronqT1nQtrBesZkYmucFRAUMMVYqj9ZjIF8FNU8Sw55y12ZecsFa2ln8EQHcdBEs/s1600/225px-14_July_fireworks_in_Paris.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">VIVA LA FRANCE!!</span></div>
Jenny E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11480770036143246076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7680931408630142772.post-56331468365394076152013-07-12T14:45:00.002-07:002013-07-12T14:45:36.924-07:00A Little Luck For You<span style="font-size: x-large;">Moroccan Good Luck Hands</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig8jWw4xBE9YSw78tBLYGfFeh2fmHv6I1bZR2M1MciETRHkguay3BYVTD2oG2bKyRaBfEWitbiEYYa2U_cXxLvlFd0oD1dEsDo2wm6ZYzxVMn0etNXYxttX8e57EHnBs8aZ5m6_W2BLuc/s1600/khamsa2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig8jWw4xBE9YSw78tBLYGfFeh2fmHv6I1bZR2M1MciETRHkguay3BYVTD2oG2bKyRaBfEWitbiEYYa2U_cXxLvlFd0oD1dEsDo2wm6ZYzxVMn0etNXYxttX8e57EHnBs8aZ5m6_W2BLuc/s320/khamsa2.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I came across this symbol when I was looking up some art projects for Morocco and it seemed perfect for us to do this week. I mean who doesn't want more good luck? Not me, I could use all I can get! The symbol is called a Khamsa (Hamsa) and is a open right hand that can be decorated any number of ways. They are commonly made from precious metals, like silver or gold, and can be worn as an amulet or hung over doorways. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaP7pej4logJcrtVFurwteDCkbVFuREME2imhjk-1Rks1GQjmfy47mR3UYSGrME00HPri-YJ5HMcExtm-ri7eygDZOGI3Oa85INzMFYYxlFEspTp_bazI972l1IHI7qTk2MQtRtV1nctc/s1600/khamsa3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaP7pej4logJcrtVFurwteDCkbVFuREME2imhjk-1Rks1GQjmfy47mR3UYSGrME00HPri-YJ5HMcExtm-ri7eygDZOGI3Oa85INzMFYYxlFEspTp_bazI972l1IHI7qTk2MQtRtV1nctc/s320/khamsa3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">They serve both to give the owner good luck and protect from the "evil eye". You know, the "evil eye", that malicious stare that will (supposedly) cause illness, death or awful bad luck to the recipient. Bad juju. So it's better to be safe and make your very own Khamsa in case you run afoul of some big meanie giving you a bad look. Lucky for you, you read this blog :) See the good luck is already coming.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkcJrKv0E3MCd5ZHWaW4fHgH-I0Uq640oZrs1UMmIsp6bElK9meUdiK7NdihXDAOK2HBVl9yT-CAUYl0sLvHzKajVd5X_XZ5O8K6g8nd94NAR61tWXxS_Ac45_fpAMjj5CStUuN4Azrec/s1600/khamsa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkcJrKv0E3MCd5ZHWaW4fHgH-I0Uq640oZrs1UMmIsp6bElK9meUdiK7NdihXDAOK2HBVl9yT-CAUYl0sLvHzKajVd5X_XZ5O8K6g8nd94NAR61tWXxS_Ac45_fpAMjj5CStUuN4Azrec/s1600/khamsa.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">For the project you will need:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLkqD8RCO8ZG9jD93Ov8-yDKmo0yrdFpI-Qhvf8BDURWKcApUOqNuikIFOJfaA5LRTxTA4rBdWFvMG4brtYcmmFaosWhMdUm9Mb7nptgLHjDZsg2eI2INQB6tf-fBCQfqio0KBl6Vge98/s1600/DSCN1542.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLkqD8RCO8ZG9jD93Ov8-yDKmo0yrdFpI-Qhvf8BDURWKcApUOqNuikIFOJfaA5LRTxTA4rBdWFvMG4brtYcmmFaosWhMdUm9Mb7nptgLHjDZsg2eI2INQB6tf-fBCQfqio0KBl6Vge98/s320/DSCN1542.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<li><span style="font-size: large;">aluminum foil (unless you have some extra silver or gold lying around)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">skewer or pencil</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">markers </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">glue</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">scissors</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">glitter or gems (optional- we didn't use)</span></li>
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<span style="font-size: large;">1. Take a piece of aluminum foil that is about 12 inches long and spread a thin layer of glue around it. Fold the foil in thirds making sure that it's big enough to trace a hand on. The glue will keep the layers of foil from separating once it's dried.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht1_DrWAJdysvXGApDeZ8x3XpE5GPZCk4cJMo-2_0WqL5D6YzCAlzpLigjfO6jxH7WDXJsAqKSQq38-qoNGfFnT7wgohXF0GNgXSgAalWyCwzA_j-30A6Fi_6yDyvLyX5LOKe5ZdR75fU/s1600/DSCN1543.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht1_DrWAJdysvXGApDeZ8x3XpE5GPZCk4cJMo-2_0WqL5D6YzCAlzpLigjfO6jxH7WDXJsAqKSQq38-qoNGfFnT7wgohXF0GNgXSgAalWyCwzA_j-30A6Fi_6yDyvLyX5LOKe5ZdR75fU/s320/DSCN1543.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">2. Trace your (or your kid's) right hand onto the foil with the skewer. Or you can use a pencil or pen. Cut out the shape.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN2zKfgGpBDAdLgMuMtCFnIWYiNXJVsN9c-ewLBOUqQIZnePC-cyT6J2VLWgJhb5r2BcHCUv93j0X3d6AcYoLIote6pA7M6tqr-0b6k_zmV-QgffTMATNUPxXGVzEOQ_lzzX-s7IPtnUU/s1600/DSCN1544.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN2zKfgGpBDAdLgMuMtCFnIWYiNXJVsN9c-ewLBOUqQIZnePC-cyT6J2VLWgJhb5r2BcHCUv93j0X3d6AcYoLIote6pA7M6tqr-0b6k_zmV-QgffTMATNUPxXGVzEOQ_lzzX-s7IPtnUU/s320/DSCN1544.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">3. Decorate your Khamsa with spirals, eyes, hearts, whatever. I used the skewer first and then colored it in with the markers. I think it gives a nicer texture and more dimension. Or it would look pretty with some glitter or gems glued on. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">4. There, now you are protected and safe and have a cute little handprint keepsake. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">You're welcome. Have a wonderful day!!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"></span>Jenny E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11480770036143246076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7680931408630142772.post-60168928272561347022013-07-10T19:22:00.002-07:002013-07-10T19:22:27.767-07:00On the Menu: Moroccan Food<span style="font-size: x-large;">Delicious and makes your house smell so good!!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNeGhLSwFkBwndJqKElma9iihPNlpnY6oMgZSa-JiZyu0IHVPif7yzqTtn8cAUBJLF9WewHZznhvEebm33fg9vW6_DxfFc7tDBnK172D7PFsq2kVhz-XReqCH9si4TmWKzNci_QX1XO5k/s1600/moroccan+spices.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNeGhLSwFkBwndJqKElma9iihPNlpnY6oMgZSa-JiZyu0IHVPif7yzqTtn8cAUBJLF9WewHZznhvEebm33fg9vW6_DxfFc7tDBnK172D7PFsq2kVhz-XReqCH9si4TmWKzNci_QX1XO5k/s1600/moroccan+spices.png" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">That's what I would have to say to describe the Moroccan recipe I have for you today. Moroccan food uses a lot of exotic spices from all over the Mediterranean, African, and Arabian areas that surround it. Their cuisine is renowned for it's wonderful flavors and I couldn't wait to try it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I would have loved to go to a traditional Moroccan restaurant and maybe eat sitting on comfy cushions around a low table, drinking sweet mint tea but this week is a busy one so I cooked our meal at home. In the slow-cooker, while I was doing a million other things! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">They use a type of slow cooker in Morocco too, called a tangine. It's a clay vessel that you use in the oven and it keeps the meat and other ingredients moist by keeping the steam and juices inside- like a crockpot, right? So while I was getting presents ready for my husbands birthday (Happy Birthday Darling!) and making cupcakes our house was being filled with the most delicious smells! Try it, you'll see.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Moroccan Chicken with Apricots and Olives</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Recipe adapted from one found on <a href="http://www.foodandwine.com/">www.foodandwine.com</a></span> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">For the recipe you will need:</span><br />
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">3 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">1 small onion cut in wedges</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">1 tsp cumin</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">1/2 tsp ground ginger</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">1/2 tsp ground coriander</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">1/4 tsp ground cinnamon</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">1/4 tsp cayenne pepper</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">1 bay leaf</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">1/3 cup chicken broth</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">3/4 cup green olives</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">1 cup dried apricots</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">prepared couscous or rice to serve with</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">toasted sliced almonds (optional)</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: large;">1. Combine your chicken, onions, and spices in the bowl of the slow cooker. Make sure the spices are evenly coating the chicken. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">2. Add the bay leaf and the chicken broth and cook on HI for about 2 hours or so. I think mine was closer to 2 1/2.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">3. After 2 hrs add the garbanzo beans, half of the apricots and olives. Stir it all around and cook for another hour on HI or turn it to low and give it a few hours. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">4. I wanted a thicker sauce so about 15 minutes before I was ready to serve dinner I drained the sauce into a saucepan and reduced it on the stove. I added a few more dashes of the spices and the rest of the apricots. Once the apricots had plumped up and the sauce was a little thicker I added it back to the crockpot and cooked my couscous.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">This was a very tasty dish. I wasn't too sure about olives and apricots together but somehow it worked. The chicken was super tender and the sauce soaked into the couscous wonderfully. The spices weren't overly strong, very delicate but flavorful!! I'm sure my kids would've really enjoyed it if they weren't too full from the cupcakes they had before dinner (bad mommy). They ate couscous. Are you familiar with couscous? </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">It is a very small, quick cooking pasta that seems more like rice to me. It's super easy to cook. All you do is add it to boiling water, remove it from the heat and let it sit covered for 5 minutes. Then you fluff it up and serve it with anything you like. I recommend serving it with Moroccan Chicken w/ Olives and Apricots!!!! </span>Jenny E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11480770036143246076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7680931408630142772.post-8550915500066302622013-07-09T18:22:00.000-07:002013-07-09T18:22:03.146-07:00Week 50!!! Morocco<span style="font-size: x-large;">WOOHOO!! </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPwEolobNvlgEzAVZ0J-BLheT0pZbsc8O3tv6EM8rj6gZlwnRq6nzGjZ_n1vU4nqpDYq8579lmHg9Y86cKMOzekMsR2oNjRBdpEadrfwd1mdKRpb091y3caAgHAz02XdP6yBgmKT4_3Q0/s1600/map+of+morocco.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPwEolobNvlgEzAVZ0J-BLheT0pZbsc8O3tv6EM8rj6gZlwnRq6nzGjZ_n1vU4nqpDYq8579lmHg9Y86cKMOzekMsR2oNjRBdpEadrfwd1mdKRpb091y3caAgHAz02XdP6yBgmKT4_3Q0/s1600/map+of+morocco.png" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">It's week 50!! Only 2 more weeks to go and we are done with our adventure... I think I can. I think I can. Oh, who are we kidding? We can totally do this.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">This week's adventure will be to Morocco! This country in Northwestern Africa is one of a few countries that have coastline on both the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It is the closest African country to Europe and is only separated from Spain by a thin waterway known as the Strait of Gilbraltar. Because of this strategic location the area that makes up Morocco has been invaded and ruled many times over the millennia. The native Berber people have been ruled by Arabs, Romans, Spaniards, and the French at some point, making the culture of the people very rich and diverse.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyzjGrv4TsivwsPUg1wi1KnXll_Ncg_snQ7HCRK06jvD36Aw7gutSOkSdR8Xx8Dya5jSohIq3t4cpV0ZzRPN7wKURnosAVeAD3TPcVFWfH4SjviQyV6OHeJltbBR6tofKcutaaSEv72fs/s1600/beaches+of+morocco.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyzjGrv4TsivwsPUg1wi1KnXll_Ncg_snQ7HCRK06jvD36Aw7gutSOkSdR8Xx8Dya5jSohIq3t4cpV0ZzRPN7wKURnosAVeAD3TPcVFWfH4SjviQyV6OHeJltbBR6tofKcutaaSEv72fs/s1600/beaches+of+morocco.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wow, what a beautiful beach!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The geography of Morocco is also very diverse. The coastal areas have beautiful beaches, rich soil and plentiful rainfall for healthy crops. The middle of the country is very mountainous, with three different mountain ranges- the High Atlas, the Middle Atlas, and the Anti-Atlas mountains. </span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTVPSWuXgAR-9Swym2j_q_HJppUyFEzmfD-wN3J9lq3_28_d2F7zY4leDPFUONFm2hBrTWbxA3BTInCcrdRD3Y9cWDfoYE7zkL5RHW-KkFOL1_4E7E3qz02bdmnhuhmTfCVNLXHBxJqjY/s1600/sahara.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="139" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTVPSWuXgAR-9Swym2j_q_HJppUyFEzmfD-wN3J9lq3_28_d2F7zY4leDPFUONFm2hBrTWbxA3BTInCcrdRD3Y9cWDfoYE7zkL5RHW-KkFOL1_4E7E3qz02bdmnhuhmTfCVNLXHBxJqjY/s320/sahara.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0DZ82V_bVqXaaOPrVqmXtSJ2a0RtftG6JL4NvXyKCyaI5ZYaO1CeP-pqIEUusa7Exc1iC6GEXPmPIknbR6Tn8GbhN3j0VO0B2mu8tw0AGrh6EUqIjJMp_TqdKLrAnaiRJBnyZQ1Qd2_k/s1600/morocco+mountains.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0DZ82V_bVqXaaOPrVqmXtSJ2a0RtftG6JL4NvXyKCyaI5ZYaO1CeP-pqIEUusa7Exc1iC6GEXPmPIknbR6Tn8GbhN3j0VO0B2mu8tw0AGrh6EUqIjJMp_TqdKLrAnaiRJBnyZQ1Qd2_k/s1600/morocco+mountains.png" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">In Southern Morocco you'll find the Sahara Desert and some of the most harsh and inhabitable areas of the country. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8kEj8MsFLrrYc78ExzQ8V69ztY4Lc5k_yuhk1C-MGTEuRV8tejtYG989BV_VwlKKDDWs3y14gmFpkzBUrNTnRtbaERkKNTvoHS9qk-MFHGvfD-ELB5LxOmsLKTpQsf6svoaKU8Zx7e_Y/s1600/casablanca.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8kEj8MsFLrrYc78ExzQ8V69ztY4Lc5k_yuhk1C-MGTEuRV8tejtYG989BV_VwlKKDDWs3y14gmFpkzBUrNTnRtbaERkKNTvoHS9qk-MFHGvfD-ELB5LxOmsLKTpQsf6svoaKU8Zx7e_Y/s1600/casablanca.png" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">Needless to say, most of the population live near the coast. The capital of the country is Rabat (34.02°N/ 6.83°W), but the most populated city (and perhaps the most famous) is Casablanca, where the famous Humphrey Bogart movie was set. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwuiwH4NWcU7n_vz_dMKajYrI2qnWWpLu1q8MNHyiMpbmBZxXlQQKJCEldkLC7KmtOkRxyenHKMRgaiN7YXDv7QcErzek0vW4a39Mp4TVdZqxfq7HfK2Cvi8dVAxRFomr9-BY5_hfbHKg/s1600/220px-Mohammed_VI_of_Morocco_%2528Denoised_%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwuiwH4NWcU7n_vz_dMKajYrI2qnWWpLu1q8MNHyiMpbmBZxXlQQKJCEldkLC7KmtOkRxyenHKMRgaiN7YXDv7QcErzek0vW4a39Mp4TVdZqxfq7HfK2Cvi8dVAxRFomr9-BY5_hfbHKg/s320/220px-Mohammed_VI_of_Morocco_%2528Denoised_%2529.jpg" width="216" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The country is run as a Constitutional Monarchy and the current king is King Mohammed VI. There is also a parliament in place but, unlike some other monarchies, the King has the ultimate power to pass laws or decrees. He is not just a ceremonial figure.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I hope to find some interesting tidbits about Morocco and hopefully we have a fun week! The food is supposed to be pretty good and I know they have beautiful architecture and mosaics. I can't wait :) </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvP9wyNnXt34f9tL4BIwsgM2J6MomJJHvYd01lJxmwrQLISSTbLO3dFu07hn_-TKnnfD9t5loBydhrBiZKgsF2OfbAE7afKMr6tNaLcbS1OC0G_Dp7VtXp-9bgIpa54fWXfeKJc2DlhDo/s1600/camel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvP9wyNnXt34f9tL4BIwsgM2J6MomJJHvYd01lJxmwrQLISSTbLO3dFu07hn_-TKnnfD9t5loBydhrBiZKgsF2OfbAE7afKMr6tNaLcbS1OC0G_Dp7VtXp-9bgIpa54fWXfeKJc2DlhDo/s1600/camel.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />Jenny E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11480770036143246076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7680931408630142772.post-85167738984766846632013-07-05T16:19:00.000-07:002013-07-05T16:19:32.972-07:00Last but not least<span style="font-size: x-large;">Happy Independence Day Venezuela!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Y236aALiUGeh-7sonJEhXAPgFqMBHQ7vdHnKFjqmZsOgfEUoBdybw4ZeqyNalpBJA5_1VwRcEffVIX3xVljri5rWtCYUxKO-sOln3OGV-mDDOukyWkW4L8c3K5H3uOQLjT3qes8fECE/s1600/venezuelan+flag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Y236aALiUGeh-7sonJEhXAPgFqMBHQ7vdHnKFjqmZsOgfEUoBdybw4ZeqyNalpBJA5_1VwRcEffVIX3xVljri5rWtCYUxKO-sOln3OGV-mDDOukyWkW4L8c3K5H3uOQLjT3qes8fECE/s1600/venezuelan+flag.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">We are ending our "Independence Week" with Venezuela, who celebrates their independence from the Spanish, on July 5th. The country celebrates with big military parades, festivals, concerts and fireworks in the night! Oh, and feasts! Of course, there is always food!! So we made a little Venezuelan dish to share with you. It uses one of the most "summer-y" foods- fresh corn! YUM! They can be eaten on their own with a little butter and salt or as a base for some guasacaca (Venezuelan guacamole), meat and queso fresco....</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Cachapas (fresh corn pancakes)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">For the recipe you will need:</span><br />
<ul>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT3rNxbN0OaMIlXXHkyeiVUDw9gpLQ-VAr2Wz6u_xyN3JoyzDwAjUFGJwybKWeuY5yzhbTQ-k5Dw6P06h3RWn93xxz0KXRp9judQtvcibAbxL_OmUOIwDckwcR9caUKwliLufHJEcPOAo/s1600/DSCN1438.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT3rNxbN0OaMIlXXHkyeiVUDw9gpLQ-VAr2Wz6u_xyN3JoyzDwAjUFGJwybKWeuY5yzhbTQ-k5Dw6P06h3RWn93xxz0KXRp9judQtvcibAbxL_OmUOIwDckwcR9caUKwliLufHJEcPOAo/s320/DSCN1438.JPG" width="320" /></a>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">4 cups fresh corn- removed from cob</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">1/2 cup cornstarch</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">2 Tbsp melted butter</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">1 Tbsp sugar</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">2 tsp salt</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: large;">1. Add the ingredients to a food processor or blender and process until it is mostly smooth but still has some chunks. I kept about 1/2 cup of the corn out of the processor and added it back to the batter after I processed it so it would have some more texture. The mixture should be about the consistency of thick cream.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">2. Melt some butter on a hot skillet or griddle and pour batter to form a "pancake". Brown on one side and then flip it over and brown the other side. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm7AEaJnsXXziCAPTcjwrLelxT8x21MClcMoDtVJPUgmJKdT0caS4_NOhhsOlYNbMM0zFm9kz71N23MZTOJmALvom8Xd5HnhGw4dxQ28fGSI7pZFIha-8XurObqNd2ghYf8Cr69DbJfm4/s1600/DSCN1439.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm7AEaJnsXXziCAPTcjwrLelxT8x21MClcMoDtVJPUgmJKdT0caS4_NOhhsOlYNbMM0zFm9kz71N23MZTOJmALvom8Xd5HnhGw4dxQ28fGSI7pZFIha-8XurObqNd2ghYf8Cr69DbJfm4/s320/DSCN1439.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I thought the batter seemed really runny when I made the first one so I added about a few Tbsp of corn meal to add some thickness but I think they were supposed to be runny. They were good both ways! </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimC_FbaRCjef8ktHOgye0PxZjgW6a9yziVuAmAuZDFpgHeqhiZVciu7vIg4v_BANVog0GRzByd39mAFMajlnhxpAoltn8-VF_ZNC5hpRTtzdE8ND1dB7kJt8RDPxEO8KwlwMVPcTYN5v8/s1600/DSCN1442.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimC_FbaRCjef8ktHOgye0PxZjgW6a9yziVuAmAuZDFpgHeqhiZVciu7vIg4v_BANVog0GRzByd39mAFMajlnhxpAoltn8-VF_ZNC5hpRTtzdE8ND1dB7kJt8RDPxEO8KwlwMVPcTYN5v8/s320/DSCN1442.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">The adults topped ours with some avocado, carnitas meat, queso fresco and salsa. They were really good- a nice change from just a tortilla but you couldn't really taste them. The kids were served theirs with just some melted butter and a dash of salt and it tasted just like fresh corn on the cob only in patty form! They were delicious and a good way to make use out of all that fresh corn that's out there in summer!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I hope you all had a great Independence Day/Week- I know we did!!!</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimiMeRtL-nUDH1e-I4GJa0I7SyNOaMgCiR4nqGY-PxoTY4WrucxgHRKQnliG7lGhiLSbsm7C_GKUqARABPo7ZCRQd9mrzoP15b1wM237YU_jjwFr9IYR8-2Q5NrDx81A9U0mtL3mFWLOg/s1600/DSCN1487.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimiMeRtL-nUDH1e-I4GJa0I7SyNOaMgCiR4nqGY-PxoTY4WrucxgHRKQnliG7lGhiLSbsm7C_GKUqARABPo7ZCRQd9mrzoP15b1wM237YU_jjwFr9IYR8-2Q5NrDx81A9U0mtL3mFWLOg/s320/DSCN1487.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<br />Jenny E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11480770036143246076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7680931408630142772.post-38818801030943851622013-07-04T17:00:00.000-07:002013-07-04T17:00:25.120-07:00An American craft<span style="font-size: x-large;">Americana Luminaries</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">We ended up with a lot of cooking project this week. So while the kids are waiting for the fireworks to start here is a little easy project for them to do. I will admit it started out as a different project that I saw on Pinterest- let's just say don't believe everything you see on Pinterest. They were supposed to be painted jars with little peekaboo stars......FAIL! </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHQWHnTyvFiRkA8xgMzyNiF9He3Dtvs9W-3VJ5whWyONwITEZzvpEUJ3qdQxwpvKhyphenhyphenQBTa4GQ57w0my8h3uy9Xjrf5nfeWnirn2s-d1ebcOOcxz98ih3zQKeS-YuLexD41Wh6WdXeXQRc/s1600/DSCN1450.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHQWHnTyvFiRkA8xgMzyNiF9He3Dtvs9W-3VJ5whWyONwITEZzvpEUJ3qdQxwpvKhyphenhyphenQBTa4GQ57w0my8h3uy9Xjrf5nfeWnirn2s-d1ebcOOcxz98ih3zQKeS-YuLexD41Wh6WdXeXQRc/s320/DSCN1450.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The paint looked all streaky and the stars didn't look like stars at all when we peeled the stickers off the jars. So I removed the painting step and just kept the stickers. What's that saying? K.I.S.S.- Keep It Simple Stupid. I hate that word "stupid", let's pretend it's Keep It Simple Silly. Here's the project!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Light up the Night Luminaries</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">For the project you will need:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">clean glass jars</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">stickers (pref. red, white, blue)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">small candles (with adult supervision)</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: large;">1. Put stickers all over the candle. We spelled out USA to make it extra American-y. We used up ALL the red, silver and blue stars out of the pack of stickers!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf4pqBZr7a4azy6Xn5DeyejLBRkpR0-gbz3NiciIencf7BeyWEWGFgFV26iMK9EHPgiXOokKiEYuODsOncVhul2QA2iStZlPn1Y85KEhBU5Di0PZ8PxxyygZeAcX_mC-E78CA8cm4tMP4/s1600/DSCN1446.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf4pqBZr7a4azy6Xn5DeyejLBRkpR0-gbz3NiciIencf7BeyWEWGFgFV26iMK9EHPgiXOokKiEYuODsOncVhul2QA2iStZlPn1Y85KEhBU5Di0PZ8PxxyygZeAcX_mC-E78CA8cm4tMP4/s320/DSCN1446.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB9FU4nvRFZHYwp75FHGUEPCr6k0Fk0h2tpEYen4izS2B3GodBCQ1Wl7eZZApmmZKif3Pqfa42f6pcxaIsjEXAGuWXVIbWnrqvLzehVt3PGNHwvjXPe8fEUfJ2Jy-PyrN1Y-mApPCD3NQ/s1600/DSCN1448.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB9FU4nvRFZHYwp75FHGUEPCr6k0Fk0h2tpEYen4izS2B3GodBCQ1Wl7eZZApmmZKif3Pqfa42f6pcxaIsjEXAGuWXVIbWnrqvLzehVt3PGNHwvjXPe8fEUfJ2Jy-PyrN1Y-mApPCD3NQ/s320/DSCN1448.JPG" width="240" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmKGUL73kDD1A3HbQVWQQOVkqAAjjz_xoqT1O2aQQ2c0x-0rbm4kJOmsnxTrO3Qj2Z5xb2kI5qFI3_wyeSHqbn6UKkvgYXVFQOT3ltvSj7jj_tF-G3-O41JMZCGGscURqMmfGsaNzPRhE/s1600/DSCN1476.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmKGUL73kDD1A3HbQVWQQOVkqAAjjz_xoqT1O2aQQ2c0x-0rbm4kJOmsnxTrO3Qj2Z5xb2kI5qFI3_wyeSHqbn6UKkvgYXVFQOT3ltvSj7jj_tF-G3-O41JMZCGGscURqMmfGsaNzPRhE/s320/DSCN1476.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">2. Put a small candle in the jar, light it and enjoy your very special 4th of July candleholder!! </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaHYj0BP4S7kcz8vXQNG9_q6zTlTy1L_YHoUOPN7SqY_FpgdWH2LGST_Q4H7kpse28rS1HOTrNt7V8MQMwBhTN5y6VSm_IRXA0-_VUH-9Fdx8djTW6Ww7p7cp4SOOxjyljBhipjX5Kj-E/s1600/DSCN1474.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaHYj0BP4S7kcz8vXQNG9_q6zTlTy1L_YHoUOPN7SqY_FpgdWH2LGST_Q4H7kpse28rS1HOTrNt7V8MQMwBhTN5y6VSm_IRXA0-_VUH-9Fdx8djTW6Ww7p7cp4SOOxjyljBhipjX5Kj-E/s320/DSCN1474.JPG" width="240" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">Enjoy your evening!!</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
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<br />Jenny E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11480770036143246076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7680931408630142772.post-7024074361367177902013-07-04T06:00:00.000-07:002013-07-04T06:00:01.312-07:00As American As...<span style="font-size: x-large;">Apple Pie!!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeBxOcVlprTkBiUdLBTUcLo3sm_FAWZHHidzpIoMrGE0hBm0c0VavUbk9j1WLuXBOeSzs-y2M2oRqja2FrMufLqtVgFCRI51sp4YhWm72XWLdkwNDuDlh2YpjssO6uiVvfjCZxyn6Y4us/s1400/declaration+of+independence.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeBxOcVlprTkBiUdLBTUcLo3sm_FAWZHHidzpIoMrGE0hBm0c0VavUbk9j1WLuXBOeSzs-y2M2oRqja2FrMufLqtVgFCRI51sp4YhWm72XWLdkwNDuDlh2YpjssO6uiVvfjCZxyn6Y4us/s320/declaration+of+independence.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">Happy birthday America!! </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">It's the 4th of July and the whole country is celebrating today! On July 4, 1776, our forefathers signed the Declaration of Independence and proclaimed that we would henceforth be pursuing our own life, liberty and happiness and no longer be under the rule of the British or anybody else for that matter.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJx1N_i4JgprTvDHPjypbMeTLOAcQn_6f2kP6rsQRiKnTuQrDHYpdgF5g7M_xa4KNXIZYMk-UwBhJnwIXHUS1DSEkTdZ2i70sn9TeOl9MXJKvKW4CrCyFgsRPcEyGqxR2k4EMt1iPxe2k/s254/4th+of+july.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJx1N_i4JgprTvDHPjypbMeTLOAcQn_6f2kP6rsQRiKnTuQrDHYpdgF5g7M_xa4KNXIZYMk-UwBhJnwIXHUS1DSEkTdZ2i70sn9TeOl9MXJKvKW4CrCyFgsRPcEyGqxR2k4EMt1iPxe2k/s254/4th+of+july.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">We will have picnics, parades and festivals to celebrate our love of America and then tonight, all over the country, there will be amazing fireworks displays lighting up the sky. Just as the forefathers planned. :)</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbv9do9-lrluSeGcuayQ9CC4nWi2HR3_cwtB7gsTEKi9bq7VRyg-nOkx9EJHK8tta5enF4pWsiagPTfh29Jdrq8N8QHi4TyWBFidnOlvb1vS-BD7IR_eX9RkkA1jctZO5dpzooDbsA2Uo/s282/american+pie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbv9do9-lrluSeGcuayQ9CC4nWi2HR3_cwtB7gsTEKi9bq7VRyg-nOkx9EJHK8tta5enF4pWsiagPTfh29Jdrq8N8QHi4TyWBFidnOlvb1vS-BD7IR_eX9RkkA1jctZO5dpzooDbsA2Uo/s282/american+pie.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">So for today's post I made the most American of desserts - the humble Apple Pie. This was a recipe that I have eaten many times but never made myself. But making pie is easy, right? I mean we have that idiom- "easy as pie". Well, I soon was up to my elbows in flour, cursing whoever came up with that dumb phrase. It turns out that making pie is NOT that easy! Or maybe I was just doing something wrong - that happens. Anyway, it turned out pretty delicious so maybe it was worth the mess after all. Here is the recipe - try it for yourself :)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">All American Apple Pie</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">For the recipe you will need:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnmEs7A_nnRb856qaQQLFiCE7t4VAwhJl-xohvfvDv4ATh5Ma2r8ICPedbsW8mF2QTLDAh-lL7ARqcP4IdZjys_ETyNb-Wo4tr17Nw36wp7oTHOUTluWSef9Stf8UZN_opo1oH22QM8fg/s1600/DSCN1454.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnmEs7A_nnRb856qaQQLFiCE7t4VAwhJl-xohvfvDv4ATh5Ma2r8ICPedbsW8mF2QTLDAh-lL7ARqcP4IdZjys_ETyNb-Wo4tr17Nw36wp7oTHOUTluWSef9Stf8UZN_opo1oH22QM8fg/s320/DSCN1454.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Crust ingredients-</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">2 cups flour</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">1 tsp salt</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">1 Tbsp sugar</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">6 Tbsp room temp butter</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">6 Tbsp shortening</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">6 Tbsp ice cold water</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">pastry blender</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: large;">Filling Ingredients-</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">5 tart apples, peeled and sliced and soaking in water mixed with 1 Tbsp lemon juice</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">1 cup sugar</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">2 Tbsp flour</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">1/2 tsp cinnamon</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">1/4 tsp salt</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">1. In a large bowl mix together the flour, salt and sugar.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">2. Using the pastry blender (or a fork?) cut in the butter, shortening and water until the dough looks incorporated but still crumbly.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">3. Put the dough onto some plastic wrap and form it into a ball. Wrap it in the plastic and put in fridge for about 30 mins.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">4. After it's chilled, divide the dough in half. Roll the first half out into an 1/8" thick circle about an inch larger than your pie pan. This was where I had trouble- flour everywhere and it was still sticking to the roller and parchment paper. Maybe because it was like 95° today? Or because I don't know how to make pie crust? We made it work though- perseverance is the American way, right?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">5. Transfer the rolled out crust to your pie tin and smooth it out and patch any hole with extra dough. Then poke a few deliberate holes with a fork on the bottom.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">6. Now make the filling. Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Add the drained apples and sprinkle the dry ingredients and vinegar on top. Toss it all around so it's all combined and then dump it in the pie shell.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">7. Roll out the other half of the dough and put it on top of the filled pie shell. Make the edges look pretty- another "easier said than done" moment. We ended up with a good old pressed fork design and threw on a couple of stars to hide some rough spots :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">8. Cover the edges of the pie with strips of aluminum foil so they don't get too brown.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">9. Bake in a preheated 400° oven for 50-60 minutes. After 45 minutes take the aluminum foil off the edge of the crust and brush with some egg white if you want a shiny crust. Oh! Be sure to put a baking sheet down under the pie as it's baking because it might leak out a little. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Voila!! That was "easy as pie"!! Yeah right, whatever. I'm taking a nap now before the fireworks start! </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5iFy2sszLSeIk5VE1xRkJmT1H8xff97L3gGDawrdAZBSGdjzPEnSMNFfZ0LBdtbmVG5bxtdpepA4AMslOg7YntIQ0ZYi6VDZ5hEXlWp6dAJyDC65Yfa_9YyXgMI9WPoV3GAnhKQcKNfM/s485/happybirthdayamerica.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5iFy2sszLSeIk5VE1xRkJmT1H8xff97L3gGDawrdAZBSGdjzPEnSMNFfZ0LBdtbmVG5bxtdpepA4AMslOg7YntIQ0ZYi6VDZ5hEXlWp6dAJyDC65Yfa_9YyXgMI9WPoV3GAnhKQcKNfM/s320/happybirthdayamerica.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Happy Birthday America!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />Jenny E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11480770036143246076noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7680931408630142772.post-5592819487669961272013-07-03T17:48:00.002-07:002013-07-03T17:48:54.964-07:00Happy Independence Day Belarus!<span style="font-size: x-large;">Z Dniom Niezalieznasci!!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">That's Belarusian for Happy Independence Day! Today, July 3rd, is the day that Belarus (near Poland and Russia) celebrates it's independence. They are not celebrating their freedom from the Soviet Union though, they celebrate their liberation from Nazi occupation in 1944. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The day is celebrated with military parades, concerts, festivals and fireworks over the capital city, Minsk. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr76Eyn8ys86uVpAQsnF8v3jI3n6MQq_LpnkIfm0XxidbIEbuhlWyAYvq3a7FfPFzURY3jOxDBkf0EdlHYqLF96Yl9L23dMRluM2bc1cTZ1naTBGVAjK25DeD8Cd6wDlrXIOQZZx2nJwU/s300/fireworks+over+minsk.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr76Eyn8ys86uVpAQsnF8v3jI3n6MQq_LpnkIfm0XxidbIEbuhlWyAYvq3a7FfPFzURY3jOxDBkf0EdlHYqLF96Yl9L23dMRluM2bc1cTZ1naTBGVAjK25DeD8Cd6wDlrXIOQZZx2nJwU/s300/fireworks+over+minsk.png" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Another fun tradition (although I don't see what it has to do with independence) is a parade of newlywed couples, dressed in their wedding finery, waving to the crowds. At least the brides get some extra wear out of their dresses!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The culture of the region is very similar to that of Russia, and one of my favorite memories of our week about Russia was our <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7680931408630142772#editor/target=post;postID=7615022399760356789;onPublishedMenu=overview;onClosedMenu=overview;postNum=5;src=postname">field trip</a> to the Russian grocer where I discovered Half- Sour pickles. So I found a recipe for those wonderful pickles that I am sharing with you. The pickles take 3 days to brine so I won't know the results as this goes to post, but let's keep our fingers crossed that they are as good as the ones I found in the Russian grocer!!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Half Sour Deli Style Pickles</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">For the recipe you will need:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpxfiT2zDxpsup41ykvrPp_evq-Tx0KZznDo4xdGpomXEYJQ2gRgVYWFDfmmCkzOhVPHKJ5DpHeA5KrzjtetPQWkmg6tfbCJdgq1E-g-U_5g9Z4KPOIa7csOgLkKRjlpULUU_kRHGWWEM/s1600/DSCN1471.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpxfiT2zDxpsup41ykvrPp_evq-Tx0KZznDo4xdGpomXEYJQ2gRgVYWFDfmmCkzOhVPHKJ5DpHeA5KrzjtetPQWkmg6tfbCJdgq1E-g-U_5g9Z4KPOIa7csOgLkKRjlpULUU_kRHGWWEM/s320/DSCN1471.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">clean wide mouthed container</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">pickling cucumbers (as many as will fit in container)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">4 cups cool water</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">1/4 cup kosher or pickling salt</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">4 cloves of garlic- peeled and smashed</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">1 tsp. whole black peppercorns</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: large;">1. Wash the cucumbers and remove any bits of stem. Place them in the container.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">2. Add the garlic and peppercorns.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">3. Mix the water and the salt and let the salt dissolve completely.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">4. Pour the salty water over the cucumbers making sure that they are completely covered. Any part of the cucumber that is not covered will get rotten so weigh them down if you need to.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">5. Cover them loosely and let them sit out on the counter in a dark, cool corner for 3 days. When little bubbles start to form on the surface of the water they are fermented and ready to go into the refrigerator. Enjoy your crunchy fresh pickles!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Have a great Independence Day Belarus!!!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>Jenny E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11480770036143246076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7680931408630142772.post-82893036091769055852013-07-02T09:03:00.001-07:002013-07-02T09:03:52.394-07:00Weaving Baskets<span style="font-size: x-large;">A Salute to Africa</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Yesterday was July 1st- Independence Day for Somalia, Rwanda and Burundi. These countries in Africa won their independence in the early 1960s, Somalia from Italy and Rwanda and Burundi from Belgium. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">They celebrate with festivities and parades on that special day, but their countries still have a large measure of violence and insecurity they are working out. They are poor countries where the people have to make a living however they are able. One of the ways they do this is by making intricately woven baskets to sell at market or use for their own households.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnLXQSBub6poNkIfeM7Dr3CYeAaOq9zaaftHDRyxb-KnCj3vA8nET4qgGC438cki058YUzvGlvh3KU-t-IWIDaGv1kwglgMlAXT3jXKc4wrwdMQji765_3R4noHiIq8xyRSrEa-CyZGO4/s278/african+baskets.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnLXQSBub6poNkIfeM7Dr3CYeAaOq9zaaftHDRyxb-KnCj3vA8nET4qgGC438cki058YUzvGlvh3KU-t-IWIDaGv1kwglgMlAXT3jXKc4wrwdMQji765_3R4noHiIq8xyRSrEa-CyZGO4/s278/african+baskets.png" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">These baskets range from plain (but useful) to wildly colored and patterned. They take so much work and artistic talent to make. They are amazing! They take reeds and weeds and turn them into useful and beautiful pieces of art-- amazing!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Baskets can be made in different ways. One way is to grab a small bundle of reeds and sew and twist them together in a spiral, adding more as needed and sewing them together with different colored yarns to make the pattern. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrOBNfp793ejeo_jraJiNM6aaPQQ-cIKcYhkw4DnYwvartgisPy2b03c0y2dz0ekmLYUbZwLzRMyXgIIOAG1zJnWJZd_eOw7j-u3UBDz3dk9jb0L43RjiCMikM7-mwhDLQlO6KzdzrqQ4/s259/baskets2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrOBNfp793ejeo_jraJiNM6aaPQQ-cIKcYhkw4DnYwvartgisPy2b03c0y2dz0ekmLYUbZwLzRMyXgIIOAG1zJnWJZd_eOw7j-u3UBDz3dk9jb0L43RjiCMikM7-mwhDLQlO6KzdzrqQ4/s259/baskets2.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Another way is to make a frame of strong but pliable reeds in a star (*) shape. The weaver uses other smaller reeds to weave over and under the frame. </span><span style="font-size: large;"> Around and around, changing sizes or types of materials to make a pattern. They make it look so easy and fun. </span><span style="font-size: large;">So we tried our hand at a little weaving. Let me just say that I have a whole new respect for these weavers, it's NOT that easy!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Basket Weaving for the Beginner</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk73XV9JSrzcOzapUEmebt9YVHjA_lFjtOvnQyOcfA6m3MLB6FTIq7182gKU_b2ISlufH7CwocK-c1m-Ifm1jJwFCfxHdHJ753RYuzYEf0lVrQ_Z6GBpky5drt_SPRoHPHQ9M-B-BXmc0/s1600/DSCN1427.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk73XV9JSrzcOzapUEmebt9YVHjA_lFjtOvnQyOcfA6m3MLB6FTIq7182gKU_b2ISlufH7CwocK-c1m-Ifm1jJwFCfxHdHJ753RYuzYEf0lVrQ_Z6GBpky5drt_SPRoHPHQ9M-B-BXmc0/s320/DSCN1427.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">For the project you will need:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">pipe cleaners</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">plastic cup</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">scissors</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">tape</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">yarn (optional)</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">1. We are going to make the type of basket that is woven around a frame. So take the plastic cup and make vertical cuts from the top almost all the way to the bottom, all the way around. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">2. Take a pipe cleaner (or yarn if you'd rather use that) and slide one end through a slit into the middle of the cup. Tape in place.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">3. Start weaving the pipe cleaner (or yarn) over and under the different pieces of cup. This was a little hard with the pipe cleaner but I think would be easier with yarn. Push down towards the bottom and add more length by twisting the pipe cleaners together when needed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">4. Work your way around and up the cup until you've done as much as you want. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">5. Cut some strips of tape and use them to finish the edges of the top. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">My daughter punched some holes in hers and added a handle</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL_PTWUiDxyVzH0XkSxuTlZTC4iUL5uCBHmfOk2DH1X0N8frXU9cBJVkkjkI2Bka-3RVSyUA8sTFYnULi5svxQrXh6TdYTSnl6X2bKfytg51J27GZgDxGgv6hFJZ-gZ3JNwkyD36rNQ9o/s259/BASKETS3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL_PTWUiDxyVzH0XkSxuTlZTC4iUL5uCBHmfOk2DH1X0N8frXU9cBJVkkjkI2Bka-3RVSyUA8sTFYnULi5svxQrXh6TdYTSnl6X2bKfytg51J27GZgDxGgv6hFJZ-gZ3JNwkyD36rNQ9o/s259/BASKETS3.jpg" /></a><br />
These are nowhere near as beautiful as the real thing but we tried :)</span>Jenny E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11480770036143246076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7680931408630142772.post-57387843964627054432013-07-01T14:37:00.004-07:002013-07-01T14:37:40.747-07:00Independence.<span style="font-size: x-large;">Happy Independence Day!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYSAzSRiZMEEYmrpW9f8zq42CBrLTlrxUlA3114uj4Log6OBJFqTsDFJrm8g11KM0bhgiWZH6jIEz7Et7jP85_P_SEZwoiKHppttcPvDp_j922r2PGgxou3p-Wj8tJSpL-rJjiS30t0rk/s275/usindependence.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYSAzSRiZMEEYmrpW9f8zq42CBrLTlrxUlA3114uj4Log6OBJFqTsDFJrm8g11KM0bhgiWZH6jIEz7Et7jP85_P_SEZwoiKHppttcPvDp_j922r2PGgxou3p-Wj8tJSpL-rJjiS30t0rk/s275/usindependence.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">It's July 1st, and here in the U.S. we are getting ready to celebrate the 4th of July, or Independence Day. We have fireworks and picnics, go swimming or to parties. It's a big deal. But we are not the only country celebrating our independence this week, there are many countries that are also celebrating the day that they came out from under the control of another and starting doing for themselves! So this week we will celebrate with all of those countries, the big and the small, who have become a nation of their own. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Happy Independence Day to all of us!!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Here is a list of the countries who gained independence this week. </span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">July 1- Somalia- in 1960 from Italy</span></li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWmZzo-JL_L-A3lmz0KAlTY_qouUXVmKlpRM3ZYdtp5ERer5-PPzT79GipfpOtml-B83STAAvYb_VwzkZFBC88dpSCngS913ysjUiscVdTEJsVfdbxE7eLLbpR2UUx_VqM-cH1DpyKbBY/s272/somalia+independence.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWmZzo-JL_L-A3lmz0KAlTY_qouUXVmKlpRM3ZYdtp5ERer5-PPzT79GipfpOtml-B83STAAvYb_VwzkZFBC88dpSCngS913ysjUiscVdTEJsVfdbxE7eLLbpR2UUx_VqM-cH1DpyKbBY/s272/somalia+independence.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An Independence Day parade in Somalia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">July 1- Rwanda- in 1962 from Belgium</span></li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">July 1- Burundi- in 1962 from Belgium</span></li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">July 3- Belarus- in 1944 from German Occupation</span></li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">July 4- United States- in 1776 from Great Britain</span></li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">July 5- Venezuela- in 1811 from Spain</span></li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">July 5- Cape Verde- in 1975 from Portugal</span></li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">July 5- Algeria- in 1962 from France</span></li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">July 6- Malawi- in 1964 from the United Kingdom</span></li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">July 6- Comoros- in 1975 from France</span></li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">July 7- Solomon Islands- 1978 from the United Kingdom</span></li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWxmJgTbvK7kIbKAGkVfrxLEaNUsxFKvomptvv3b23UuK0-X5Fx3psFYn_Wy-NilYTF9cIXKrCikTLgnc5Bt_XUy9s4N0xDLc824Icerqd3HDFYi5HdbSq4xeTs-fl8Lpc_iWayvljALU/s259/solomon+islands+independence.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWxmJgTbvK7kIbKAGkVfrxLEaNUsxFKvomptvv3b23UuK0-X5Fx3psFYn_Wy-NilYTF9cIXKrCikTLgnc5Bt_XUy9s4N0xDLc824Icerqd3HDFYi5HdbSq4xeTs-fl8Lpc_iWayvljALU/s259/solomon+islands+independence.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Seems we've got a lot of celebrating to do!! I'm not even sure where a lot of these countries are, much less how they celebrate so I'm going to have to do some more research- please hold.................</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">............ok, I'm back. 7 of the above countries are in (or islands around) Africa, so we will make an African art project. Venezuela is in South America so we'll make some sort of yummy treat. The Solomon Islands are in the area known as Oceana, near Papua New Guinea, so maybe we'll try to find something fun from that area. Belarus is near Russia and I'm still craving those Russian pickles we bought during Russia week, so maybe a field trip or a recipe on how to make sour pickles?! And, of course, the good ol' U.S. will get a day of celebration, art and food too!! This is going to be a busy week!!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Let's get ready to party!!!! </span>Jenny E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11480770036143246076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7680931408630142772.post-13125324290081222062013-06-28T20:29:00.002-07:002013-06-28T20:29:40.257-07:00Leaping Lemurs<span style="font-size: x-large;">I've got a riddle...</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcp4lecLFaXx1FghKB9FC6cJEpj4be9Z4dwSvpSvSlMKdCSv3Ljil-cwbV-UNa-oUhEEttBtnYf73IZxwfWOwFbC67A_UKHeSgOaywFzQ2GgofKle_lumI0jYCuhL7YUKMPJt4yeOf3ZU/s662/lemur1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcp4lecLFaXx1FghKB9FC6cJEpj4be9Z4dwSvpSvSlMKdCSv3Ljil-cwbV-UNa-oUhEEttBtnYf73IZxwfWOwFbC67A_UKHeSgOaywFzQ2GgofKle_lumI0jYCuhL7YUKMPJt4yeOf3ZU/s320/lemur1.jpg" width="290" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">What do you get when you cross a squirrel, a cat, a raccoon, and a monkey? A lemur. Ok, that was pretty lame, but I never claimed to be a comedian, just a Mom (and my kids thought it was clever). Ok, seriously, you can't have a week about Madagascar and not talk about lemurs, right? So here we go.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Lemurs are primates that are very distant cousins to the primates (monkeys, apes, etc) that live in other places of the world. They were able to evolve and adapt in relative peace and quiet for thousands (millions?) of years on their isolated island. There are around 100 different species of lemurs that range from 1oz. to 20lbs. Before they became extinct, there were some Giant Lemurs that weighed almost 200lbs.!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF1ioWexTl29BNI965vhimKOG3NJ-DiEYU8qTr8OgF9xC7GpMJzEwvcYQq5HuAAK1bhYHJV8PZPB_H7S99a1ZuePATBM122jj-KpjSrqjOQVRVGFfWIjLgKYB835Ds-m36st3oFnU3Knw/s275/lemurs2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF1ioWexTl29BNI965vhimKOG3NJ-DiEYU8qTr8OgF9xC7GpMJzEwvcYQq5HuAAK1bhYHJV8PZPB_H7S99a1ZuePATBM122jj-KpjSrqjOQVRVGFfWIjLgKYB835Ds-m36st3oFnU3Knw/s275/lemurs2.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">They have all adapted to fit into the ecological area of the island where they live. Many eat specialized diets of plants and fruit that only grow in the areas around them, because of this, the deforestation and habitat destruction that has happened over the last 2,000 years on the island has really endangered this animal species. At least 17 species have become extinct and the remaining species are either on the threatened or endangered lists. Sad, so sad. I recommend you visit the library or search the web for some more wonderful facts about these adorable animals- maybe you'll be inspired to help save them in some way.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">We really wanted to make a lemur project, but something different that we haven't done before. So we made beady buddies. Are you familiar with these? They are little characters that you make with cord and pony beads that you can attach to a backpack or zipper. My daughter made some at school last year and really enjoyed them. So I found a template for a monkey and changed the design a little to make a ....</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Ring-Tailed Lemur Beady Buddy</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">For the project you will need:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPIFgMlepQdw7WmGpIqaj4i9l-m_A_ifD89m7xZrjurvNJzwBC2DA8AI0DpO2G_gsinWXqaTdyHC6emWIyneLVaCqfxepwFCZuqwRQmu0vDYUZgb9lzbDvZqCF8HJ-Vfs-XgzZI2tYcAc/s1600/DSCN1421.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPIFgMlepQdw7WmGpIqaj4i9l-m_A_ifD89m7xZrjurvNJzwBC2DA8AI0DpO2G_gsinWXqaTdyHC6emWIyneLVaCqfxepwFCZuqwRQmu0vDYUZgb9lzbDvZqCF8HJ-Vfs-XgzZI2tYcAc/s320/DSCN1421.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">black, grey and white pony beads. My black and grey beads looks very similar on the pictures.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">1 yd. plastic cord or yarn with the ends stiffened </span></li>
<li><a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B_NJhlLmdeysWmxRUl82a2FvRzg/edit?usp=sharing"><span style="font-size: large;">template</span></a> - <span style="font-size: large;">this is pretty roughly drawn, sorry.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">clip so you can attach it to things</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">1. Fold your cord in half to find the center. Slip the folded end through the clip and then bring the loose ends through the folded loop and pull to tighten and attach the cord to the clip. This is called a half hitch.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">2. String the first row of beads (that make the top of the head) on one of the strings. Pass the other string through the same beads but going in the opposite direction. Pull to tighten. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQvG-xtU1PpApp7WSKkiHgnh7HWy8fEl1rX3eg_n7R_TsGZ5XblLg79CGfDGbz0zJ1Y2VB0Q9AkVnnJfqIgOV0Ng04WuiNQR03ubb-zwX4fxi4I1gR19tw1qMrI6eivD4hKrk0S7Eu1Fo/s1600/DSCN1426.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQvG-xtU1PpApp7WSKkiHgnh7HWy8fEl1rX3eg_n7R_TsGZ5XblLg79CGfDGbz0zJ1Y2VB0Q9AkVnnJfqIgOV0Ng04WuiNQR03ubb-zwX4fxi4I1gR19tw1qMrI6eivD4hKrk0S7Eu1Fo/s320/DSCN1426.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">3. Put the beads on the string following the pattern on the template, bringing the strings through the beads from opposite ends each time.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">4. The ears have a special trick. When you finish the 4th row (the one with the nose) put the two grey ear beads on one string and pass the cord through the beads in Row 2. Put the other two ear beads on and pass it through Row 4 again.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">5. Keep going until you have finished the lemur's tail and then tie it off with a knot.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb1tEp9nA6hn9ci3fGlYkpdcMr80pTdPjZ12OdgLdpr9fVMwUmHg2rSiV-ulF-qZmPJjlUjk07rV8YITLN5N-nTQOxcHHkPetv3_UKbUgj_MzcX0vNbpTks6D4W2SJA4fgN9TENN2iR6I/s1600/DSCN1422.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb1tEp9nA6hn9ci3fGlYkpdcMr80pTdPjZ12OdgLdpr9fVMwUmHg2rSiV-ulF-qZmPJjlUjk07rV8YITLN5N-nTQOxcHHkPetv3_UKbUgj_MzcX0vNbpTks6D4W2SJA4fgN9TENN2iR6I/s320/DSCN1422.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">This is a little bit of an advanced art project. Adult help might be needed but I was surprised by how quickly my daughter caught on. I think it turned out pretty cute- my brother said it looked like a lemur that got run over. Brothers can be so mean.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtYxIw82Xk5pOqLCxwlzSPKEVlQ2WEnDDRSRZGUf3PCOxRLh5fSIbUHgF1b45ynynGG_qqVzujYRzdswwIi-mkPGEQCQ_x8r8xZ4S0rYEbJe-79bBBQNqYBES4e5JL2yKo2gBpQtHnn_c/s1600/DSCN1423.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtYxIw82Xk5pOqLCxwlzSPKEVlQ2WEnDDRSRZGUf3PCOxRLh5fSIbUHgF1b45ynynGG_qqVzujYRzdswwIi-mkPGEQCQ_x8r8xZ4S0rYEbJe-79bBBQNqYBES4e5JL2yKo2gBpQtHnn_c/s320/DSCN1423.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">We also made a gecko that was a little easier. I included that on the template too. This is a good project for those long summer afternoons when you want a little peace and quiet. There are hundreds of different templates online!</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
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Jenny E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11480770036143246076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7680931408630142772.post-16578207376119159612013-06-27T06:30:00.000-07:002013-06-27T06:30:03.695-07:00Chameleons<span style="font-size: x-large;">Colorful Characters</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQvmUertDseA5peIuZAeU1dXQxzABghlzrRVfwCIxxvwPmwGrC0h1hAmK_PndjWzEcBvOKzg96HaaURuudKAmPqzSwKhVyglNzQM9rfqbsh6uENbrySBiRJsGTUuhEgAKERpaiiPunMCU/s1600/chameleons3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQvmUertDseA5peIuZAeU1dXQxzABghlzrRVfwCIxxvwPmwGrC0h1hAmK_PndjWzEcBvOKzg96HaaURuudKAmPqzSwKhVyglNzQM9rfqbsh6uENbrySBiRJsGTUuhEgAKERpaiiPunMCU/s1600/chameleons3.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Madagascar is known for having very unique animals and plants. The lemur is possibly the most well known, and we will be doing a project on them, but I also wanted to do a project on another well known inhabitant of the island- the chameleon.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">There are over 160 different species of chameleons, ranging in size from 3/4 of an inch to 26 inches, and almost 2/3 of these chameleons live in Madagascar. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDZkKUaaxSsMBXSw4RrvRb8b5SS4paAwk_j1sEV-aAe_VVslJPkHgZNuVz-M0sup-DZi5toRgTJVXpuzun4Vukry1xb3zI4nMXWBDg2IanAxAVV-khj1brkkCu67bZx46mJKob70dv4nU/s1600/chameleons4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDZkKUaaxSsMBXSw4RrvRb8b5SS4paAwk_j1sEV-aAe_VVslJPkHgZNuVz-M0sup-DZi5toRgTJVXpuzun4Vukry1xb3zI4nMXWBDg2IanAxAVV-khj1brkkCu67bZx46mJKob70dv4nU/s1600/chameleons4.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">These reptiles are famous for a few traits- </span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">They have eyes that move independently of each other, allowing them a 360° view.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Their feet are specially formed to live in the trees. Their five toes are grouped into two pads that grip the branches.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">They walk with a back and forth motion to mimic the leaves blowing. This makes them hard to see.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">They have long sticky tongues that can grab an insect or worm from inches away without the chameleon moving at all.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">They can change colors!! This is perhaps their most well-known trait, but I (and I bet you too) thought this was mostly for camouflage. It's not. The chameleon changes it's color to show emotions, communicate with potential mates, and defend it's territory.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV8GPv-69mf-FxlA8DE7u114ms4MOW2fuXoXmWBHG3lqN2B0GSDiThkZ_gMD5CAJC36H09oSJOV9pC-tFQczkzX328Gee_Homn373dwCWwmYncO4Bnuk-s-vP9fueBXyprOvyGNgAc5iA/s1600/colorfulchameleons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV8GPv-69mf-FxlA8DE7u114ms4MOW2fuXoXmWBHG3lqN2B0GSDiThkZ_gMD5CAJC36H09oSJOV9pC-tFQczkzX328Gee_Homn373dwCWwmYncO4Bnuk-s-vP9fueBXyprOvyGNgAc5iA/s1600/colorfulchameleons.jpg" /></a></div>
</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: large;">Chameleons are pretty cool alright. So we made one to keep as a little pet.....</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Pipe cleaner Chameleon</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_6dmS4WgDIUtuZBYxlzrWwLZ8X7Dz8sfplDEWAoqjXl3faifYFbCAYbgwTHSS1O1RViKjl3woOqK99OZJQTLslooQ-GEYKx9QNQ3bUVX0WzGVEvIYAegD9irUBAMhVOGdHibqlKiRgR0/s1600/DSCN1406.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_6dmS4WgDIUtuZBYxlzrWwLZ8X7Dz8sfplDEWAoqjXl3faifYFbCAYbgwTHSS1O1RViKjl3woOqK99OZJQTLslooQ-GEYKx9QNQ3bUVX0WzGVEvIYAegD9irUBAMhVOGdHibqlKiRgR0/s320/DSCN1406.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">For the project you will need:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">3 green pipe cleaners (at least)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">pink pipe cleaner</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">scissors</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">sharpie or googly eyes</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: large;">1. Take one green pipe cleaner and make a loop about 1" long on the end. This will be the head.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipQBgZJw-8NDbwPAiY3cikQf99w14BsYM8NNUFiqWwkC3mu0dYbEPlDIuVJuwNEcjtfipLG8x9PeFvxN7-c6wpCLrOtOICb4Q-Y0mkLgjNI7arqGR2x7bbg3Ul2k7Qa1jNUaJcRunhFl0/s1600/DSCN1409.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipQBgZJw-8NDbwPAiY3cikQf99w14BsYM8NNUFiqWwkC3mu0dYbEPlDIuVJuwNEcjtfipLG8x9PeFvxN7-c6wpCLrOtOICb4Q-Y0mkLgjNI7arqGR2x7bbg3Ul2k7Qa1jNUaJcRunhFl0/s320/DSCN1409.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">2. Cut a piece of the pink pipe cleaner about 2" long and attach one end to the "head". This is the tongue. You can curl it up to make it look cuter.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">3. Take another green pipe cleaner and wrap the head to make it look more like a solid head. This should take about 3/4 of the pipe cleaner. Cut off the rest to use as legs.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">4. Wrap the piece you just cut off around the long piece of pipe cleaner that is extending from the head. These are one set of legs. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzlRvXqM9DfnV7T_jLfFqZBDi0M72MoeBvZxC0wwKA_-a2u2Yb9Ig0hd7PKAAkTL-Z1xO8dMDo_IwR-6Zt6XzML5Le0LrofCNs_CL35yCvvwshs6vZZfvBj1i5eBk9WA2ocBvBdQJKZMY/s1600/DSCN1410.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzlRvXqM9DfnV7T_jLfFqZBDi0M72MoeBvZxC0wwKA_-a2u2Yb9Ig0hd7PKAAkTL-Z1xO8dMDo_IwR-6Zt6XzML5Le0LrofCNs_CL35yCvvwshs6vZZfvBj1i5eBk9WA2ocBvBdQJKZMY/s320/DSCN1410.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">5. From the third green pipe cleaner cut another piece for another set of legs. Attach them to the body as well.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">6. Coil the rest of the 3rd pipe cleaner (or use another pipe cleaner) until it looks like a spring. Bend up the legs and slide the coil over them to make the body. Pull the legs back out and arrange until it looks right.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiurt2pox2dm8mWXNMG9ZiZwvgpjYvTNdUjl88c8ensTIAGrxhKUxP1d5oRzQvp4z3aF-hn6ctByf1L0as3H4MM_u1dwO_YvpHnzQBdrPJOap-wR9W5COhvkw3bBSzypth5LC6LVijTi-Y/s1600/DSCN1411.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiurt2pox2dm8mWXNMG9ZiZwvgpjYvTNdUjl88c8ensTIAGrxhKUxP1d5oRzQvp4z3aF-hn6ctByf1L0as3H4MM_u1dwO_YvpHnzQBdrPJOap-wR9W5COhvkw3bBSzypth5LC6LVijTi-Y/s320/DSCN1411.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">7. You should still have a piece of the 1st pipe cleaner (the body) sticking out of the back. This is the tail. Curl it under in a spiral.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The picture shows it curled up but it should curl under- I fixed it later. :)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">8. Draw on some eyes or glue on some googly eyes. The googly eyes would look cuter but I couldn't find any!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">9. Bend the little guys feet and attach him to some plants (or your finger!) Too cute :)</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpfGMykORypRbAMVjj9ZQPT_aOuDdJLz0x1FokR-Id8B8E0Ly4hGGCpSsw3ZWS5oUA4GhOvXezDGlvwdpZ1bko1KPZcoq5512TiM2G9mKdk0sRBwc-L0O2fyZRVRSt9KrVLoOGy_11CyI/s1600/DSCN1418.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpfGMykORypRbAMVjj9ZQPT_aOuDdJLz0x1FokR-Id8B8E0Ly4hGGCpSsw3ZWS5oUA4GhOvXezDGlvwdpZ1bko1KPZcoq5512TiM2G9mKdk0sRBwc-L0O2fyZRVRSt9KrVLoOGy_11CyI/s320/DSCN1418.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqH2rsJUiI3uuDE1Bck22JwC3ybNfIwigIZw0pS2qfRL74MT7xmoUFlhD245vAp14O8LABSzfRoZbn728ppO3sJvrPaqUna1UT0nGo5aYsbOlj-9tyMilxJPpf6zP8NtDVYPFICX_yz9c/s1600/DSCN1417.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqH2rsJUiI3uuDE1Bck22JwC3ybNfIwigIZw0pS2qfRL74MT7xmoUFlhD245vAp14O8LABSzfRoZbn728ppO3sJvrPaqUna1UT0nGo5aYsbOlj-9tyMilxJPpf6zP8NtDVYPFICX_yz9c/s320/DSCN1417.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">This project was a little tough for my 4 year old. He lost interest pretty quick. My 6 year old was able to do it but it was a little challenging for her too. </span>Jenny E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11480770036143246076noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7680931408630142772.post-65722509878215487912013-06-26T16:16:00.001-07:002013-06-26T16:16:39.720-07:00On the Menu: Madagascar's National Dish<span style="font-size: x-large;">Let's Eat!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">If this blog has taught me anything it's that I really enjoy trying the foods and recipes from different countries, and that my kids don't share that same passion. This week we are learning about Madagascar and I didn't really know what to expect, but I was very happy to find that lemur was not a featured ingredient in any dish I saw. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnLmhTqwEBUza4VMwDFVrKqnCEMVzCj3vbog-gJrARhIPDOHG9s_Kma-dmsooJMTfiZjdh-gTdkLcuOfm9SgGMISrptumSrcybHlPGkrUfCNmZegAIBhE4VyoBk7_Pk-soT6qU0tAJeck/s1600/zebu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnLmhTqwEBUza4VMwDFVrKqnCEMVzCj3vbog-gJrARhIPDOHG9s_Kma-dmsooJMTfiZjdh-gTdkLcuOfm9SgGMISrptumSrcybHlPGkrUfCNmZegAIBhE4VyoBk7_Pk-soT6qU0tAJeck/s1600/zebu.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">In Madagascar they raise a type of cattle called Zebu. They were introduced to the country by Indonesian settlers over 1,000 years ago as a means of meat, milk, and as farm labor. The people also raise and eat chickens and, because of the surrounding Indian Ocean, seafood of all types. Many types of vegetables and fresh fruits are also part of the cuisine and rice is the main staple- it is served at every meal! </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Traditionally, meals are served and eaten on mats on the ground, with the food on a plate in the center and everyone eating from the same dish. The food is prepared simply, not usually spicy but they do have a spicy condiment that they use called <a href="http://www.celtnet.org.uk/recipes/miscellaneous/fetch-recipe.php?rid=misc-sakay">sakay.</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">We chose to make the national dish - Romazava. Romazava is a stew of beef and greens served over rice. Simple, healthy and sounds pretty good. There are many versions on the internet- here is my version since I made some variations. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Romazava</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">For the recipe you will need:</span><br />
<ul>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPnmoAHWY2ZRP5hIfiUeE1tObJ7O75ZaMSSr2JUICh9bVTWBOxyBGmfEuSR3nv1zknOtS9Nc_XuyJUbcZ_9TGyzxn7P_sW5z2bm4fS_JDAubE6i4MDpN6fOs470XAFtslKQGjlXiL21Kw/s1600/DSCN1402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPnmoAHWY2ZRP5hIfiUeE1tObJ7O75ZaMSSr2JUICh9bVTWBOxyBGmfEuSR3nv1zknOtS9Nc_XuyJUbcZ_9TGyzxn7P_sW5z2bm4fS_JDAubE6i4MDpN6fOs470XAFtslKQGjlXiL21Kw/s320/DSCN1402.JPG" width="320" /></a>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">2 lbs. cubed beef (zebu if you can find it)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">1 lg. onion - chopped</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">1 can tomatoes- chopped or diced</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">4 cloves garlic- finely chopped</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">1 T fresh ginger- finely chopped</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">1 T salt</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">1 red bell pepper- chopped</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">1 jalapeno- diced</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">4 cups water (broth might be nice too)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">1 bunch of spinach (about 3 cups)- coarsely chopped</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">1 bunch watercress- coarsely chopped</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">1 bunch kale- coarsely chopped</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: large;">1. Fry the onions in a large pan until they are soft. Add the meat and cook about 10 minutes until browned.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">2. Add the garlic, ginger, tomatoes, jalapeno and bell pepper and cook for another 10 minutes.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">3. Add the water and bring to a boil. When boiling add the greens. It looks like a lot but they wilt quickly.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">4. Reduce heat to low and simmer (covered) for about 45 minutes or until meat is tender.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">5. Serve over rice. I added some sriracha sauce to it at the end too.</span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">This was a simple and pretty tasty dish, although not the most attractive. Lots of healthy dark green leafy vegetables. The kids liked the meat and sauce over the rice but I had to pick the greens out. I imagine that some of the nutrition leeched into the meat and broth, right? I felt like it needed something though, I don't know what. The original recipes had all types of different greens that I'd never heard of, the one I mainly based mine on had mustard greens. Maybe it was my choice of greens that was off? Who knows? This was the first time I'd ever eaten watercress. Kind of peppery and bitter, interesting. Overall, this wasn't one of my favorite meals but it was good and no lemurs were injured.</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Jenny E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11480770036143246076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7680931408630142772.post-964933858254188862013-06-25T09:53:00.000-07:002013-06-25T09:53:09.071-07:00Week 48: Madagascar<span style="font-size: x-large;">Week 48!!!!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I cannot believe we are already on week 48! The journey is almost over, not that we aren't still enjoying the experience, but it is getting a little harder now that most of the major countries are done. 5 more weeks and we can end our journey knowing so much more about the world and it's cultures than we did a year ago!! But, we've still got to do 5 more countries so let's get to work. This week we picked...........</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Madagascar!!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">About the only thing I knew abut Madagascar was that it was an island somewhere off the coast of Africa and that's where lemurs come from. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I did <strong><em>NOT</em></strong> know:<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFje7pcGYESiqNtEWgJmcqGgr1xrJeU0QLQN2R4qODtcl2EH1YMl8TBoUOShDHSDzr6rTrYzsnkiq2QYT-3VMGKAkNfK4urrxvsa0MOEHlBDtpZg16Id6jXsnX7u7DXrOsfJ04LJ95IW8/s1600/gondwana.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFje7pcGYESiqNtEWgJmcqGgr1xrJeU0QLQN2R4qODtcl2EH1YMl8TBoUOShDHSDzr6rTrYzsnkiq2QYT-3VMGKAkNfK4urrxvsa0MOEHlBDtpZg16Id6jXsnX7u7DXrOsfJ04LJ95IW8/s1600/gondwana.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Gondwana supercontinent</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Madagascar is the 4th largest island in the world. It was once attached to the Gondwana supercontinent but broke away over 80 million years ago and settled off the SE coast of Africa. Scientists think it was attached near India, that was pretty far to travel!!</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">90% of the wildlife found on Madagascar is found nowhere else on the planet. Because it was so isolated the species developed their own unique features.</span></li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5JXrWwClRcn6DXzezhvHj5HM1r0BK2grIOd4jCABG0k2xtDsXxDjXNoYBihGaTNOv_tu5ncx6NjKL5B0IISf76sPAp8XWNzg8sseSwo9p8t7R1r5uLSXs7CcYPiGHtcCXEMEIILzNsKo/s1600/lemur.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5JXrWwClRcn6DXzezhvHj5HM1r0BK2grIOd4jCABG0k2xtDsXxDjXNoYBihGaTNOv_tu5ncx6NjKL5B0IISf76sPAp8XWNzg8sseSwo9p8t7R1r5uLSXs7CcYPiGHtcCXEMEIILzNsKo/s1600/lemur.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Over 22 million people live on Madagascar. I had no idea it was that populated. I think I was confusing it with the Galapagos Islands and thinking it was just animals and jungle! People have been living on the island for over 2500 years, they were thought to have crossed the Indian Ocean from Indonesia</span></li>
</ul>
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</span><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">The capital city, Antananarivo, is the most populated city on the island. It's coordinates are 18.93°S / 47.52° E.</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Madagascar was once an important trading and refueling port for ships travelling the Indian Ocean. It was also notorious for harboring pirates!! Arrgh.</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">In 1895, France fought a war and took control of the island until 1960. Their influence is seen in many of the recipes of the island and French is one of the official languages. Malagasy is the other official language.</span></li>
</ul>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsIMkAqNxQcaNtzDX9h1XYwf0wuoWGuAQWxohCruOztORK1KB4BIMkjpnA2uFtEgDkwXoTQZ7u5OKU-tENhLkmn9uMR7bagS19zPMtMeclsBVYmPEt2Ja1fn7aUHf3aHn3DbXOqf5BR5c/s1600/elephant+bird.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsIMkAqNxQcaNtzDX9h1XYwf0wuoWGuAQWxohCruOztORK1KB4BIMkjpnA2uFtEgDkwXoTQZ7u5OKU-tENhLkmn9uMR7bagS19zPMtMeclsBVYmPEt2Ja1fn7aUHf3aHn3DbXOqf5BR5c/s320/elephant+bird.jpg" width="213" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Since the introduction of people, farming, and cattle to the island, 90% of the forests have been cut down and many of the unique species have become extinct or endangered. Some of them were the Giant Lemur and the Elephant Bird, which stood over 10ft. tall!</span></li>
</ul>
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<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: large;">Wow, I sure didn't know much about Madagascar! I guess the movie, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000AY74OG">Madagascar</a> , wasn't a documentary?! So are you telling me the national anthem of Madagascar isn't "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdcTmpvDO0I">I Like To Move It</a>"?!?!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Well, it should be. That song rocks.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />Jenny E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11480770036143246076noreply@blogger.com0