First Day of School- German- Style!!

WooHoo!!!

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.

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! 

 

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?!? 

Here is how you can make one for your darlings to celebrate the happiest time of the year (for parents anyway!).....

Schultüte
 For the project you will need:

• large thick paper or poster board
• strong tape or stapler
• tissue paper
• glue
• scissors
• stickers, markers or other decorations
• treats, school supplies, various goodies
• ribbon or yarn

1.  Take the heavy paper and twist it into a cone shape.  Tape or staple it so it will stay put.

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.

3. Decorate the cone anyway you want.  Or you could have wrapped it with some pretty gift wrap before the tissue paper.

4.  Fill your Schultüte with all the goodies and then tie up the end with the ribbon or yarn.

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!  





They grow so fast.  

Weekend Fun!!

Festivals, Festivals, Festivals!! 

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....

Pistahan Festival -  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 Philippines projects we did earlier this year.
    
Korean Day Festival-  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 project we did.

Origami-Palooza- 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!!
If you'd like to have your own Japanese fun at home here are some of the Japanese projects we did.

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!!

Last but not least

Happy Independence Day Venezuela!

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....

Cachapas (fresh corn pancakes)
For the recipe you will need:

• 4 cups fresh corn- removed from cob
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 2 Tbsp  melted butter
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp salt

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.

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. 

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!  

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!!

I hope you all had a great Independence Day/Week- I know we did!!!

An American craft

Americana Luminaries

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! 

 

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!

Light up the Night Luminaries
For the project you will need:

• clean glass jars
• stickers (pref. red, white, blue)
• small candles (with adult supervision)

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!

 

2. Put a small candle in the jar, light it and enjoy your very special 4th of July candleholder!! 

Enjoy your evening!! 
 
 

As American As...

Apple Pie!!

Happy birthday America!! 
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.

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.  :)

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 :)

All American Apple Pie
For the recipe you will need:

Crust ingredients-

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 6 Tbsp room temp butter
• 6 Tbsp shortening
• 6 Tbsp ice cold water
• pastry blender

Filling Ingredients-

• 5 tart apples, peeled and  sliced and soaking in water mixed with 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1. In a large bowl mix together the flour, salt and sugar.
2.  Using the pastry blender (or a fork?) cut in the butter, shortening and water until the dough looks incorporated but still crumbly.
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.
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?

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.

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.
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 :)

8. Cover the edges of the pie with strips of aluminum foil so they don't get too brown.
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. 

Voila!!  That was "easy as pie"!!  Yeah right, whatever.  I'm taking a nap now before the fireworks start!  

Happy Birthday America!

Happy Independence Day Belarus!

Z Dniom Niezalieznasci!!

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. 
 

 

The day is celebrated with military parades, concerts, festivals and fireworks over the capital city, Minsk. 

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!!

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 field trip 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!!

Half Sour Deli Style Pickles
For the recipe you will need:

• clean wide mouthed container
• pickling cucumbers (as many as will fit in container)
• 4 cups cool water
• 1/4 cup kosher or pickling salt
• 4 cloves of garlic- peeled and smashed
• 1 tsp. whole black peppercorns

1.  Wash the cucumbers and remove any bits of stem.  Place them in the container.
2.  Add the garlic and peppercorns.
3.  Mix the water and the salt and let the salt dissolve completely.
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.
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!!

Have a great Independence Day Belarus!!!
 

Weaving Baskets

A Salute to Africa

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. 

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.

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!!

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. 

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.  Around and around, changing sizes or types of materials to make a pattern.  They make it look so easy and fun. 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!

Basket Weaving for the Beginner
For the project you will need:

• pipe cleaners
• plastic cup
• scissors
• tape
• yarn (optional)

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. 

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.

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.

4.  Work your way around and up the cup until you've done as much as you want. 

5.  Cut some strips of tape and use them to finish the edges of the top. 

 

 

My daughter punched some holes in hers and added a handle

These are nowhere near as beautiful as the real thing but we tried :)

Good times, Good friends

Hygge-

 

One of the important aspects of the Danish culture is the concept called "hygge" (pronounced hYOO-guh).  This phrase refers to anytime when you are surrounded by family and friends and relaxing with some good food and drinks.  To do it right it should have a cozy and warm feeling.  Think candles or firelight.  It is an emotion you feel as much as an event.

 

So, in the spirit of hygge, we spent last night hosting a backyard movie night.  We invited friends, new neighbors, family, and pretty much anyone who wanted to come.  We set up a projector and movie screen in the yard, threw a bunch of pillows and blankets on the grass and made sure the coolers were full of drinks.  Once it got dark the popcorn started popping and the beer (and juice) started flowing.  The adults got to catch up with each other while the kids got to watch movies under the starry skies....

Hygge is awesome!!!

Field Trip!

Happy Koninginnedag!

Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands

It's Queen's Day in the Netherlands on the same week we just have to be studying about them!!  Isn't that a wonderful coincidence!!  Now we got to celebrate a great new holiday!  April 30th is Queen Mother Juliana's birthday and is an annual public holiday in the Netherlands.  The current reigning Queen Beatrix continues the tradition in April (even though her birthday is in January) and the whole country has a grand outdoor party.  There are dances and concerts, flea markets called vrijmarkt, and feasts.  The official color of the Netherlands is orange, and like St. Patrick's Day in Ireland, there is orange food, orange clothes, orange drink, etc. etc.


The Dutch culture in San Francisco is apparently going strong because they had quite a rockin' little festival going on today in beautiful Golden Gate Park, in the shadow of a HUGE windmill!!! Does it get any better?  Oh, yeah it does :)  Check out the fun we had...

Food! Next pic shows one of each :)
There were lots of food booths selling cookies, cakes and candies also!








They were pretty yummy!

Games for the kids!!

Cheek Flags!

 

People actually wearing wooden shoes!

 

 
Dutch art masterpieces!  Here is my daughter as The Girl with a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer

And also as the Queen! (The King looks like quite a catch!)

 

 

The windmill actually works!  And look at the size of the cheese!

 

 

There was a beer garden

and a real garden with GIANT CARROTS!

My son enjoyed the really big shoe :)

 

and my daughter won some really tiny ones at the games!

We had a blast and really felt like we had immersed ourselves in the Netherlands!  Once again I am so thankful that I started this blog because we are finding so many wonderful activities while learning about the wonderful world we share!! 

Oh yeah, the had a small vrijmarkt (flea market) and this is what the kids (and I) bought!  It's so AWESOME!!! 
I just wish we had it before we did Egypt week :)