Here’s another (crooked and dark) view of the muffin tin from above:
Archive for January, 2011
Muffin Tin Monday
Posted in 52 Weeks of Baking, family traditions, food, muffin tin meals, reuse, Taste of Home on January 31, 2011| 4 Comments »
52 Books in 52 Weeks (Weeks 1-5)
Posted in 52 Books in 52 Weeks, birds, books, history, homeschooling, math, montessori, nature, read, reading, science, unschooling, waldorf on January 30, 2011| 4 Comments »
I came across an interesting challenge on another blog called “Read 52 Books in 52 Week Challenge.” The rules are very simple and the goal is to read one book (at least) a week for 52 weeks. These are the rules of the challenge:
1. The challenge will run from January 1, 2011 through December 31, 2011.
2. Our book weeks will begin on Sunday.
3. Participants may join at any time.
4. All books are acceptable except children books.**
5. All forms of books are acceptable including e-books, audio books, etc.
6. Re-reads are acceptable as long as they are read after January 1, 2011.
7. Books may overlap other challenges.
8. Create an entry post linking to this blog.
9. Come back and sign up with Mr. Linky in the “I’m participating post” on the Challenge’s website.
10. You don’t have a blog to participate. Post your weekly book in the comments section each week.
11. Mr. Linky will be added to the bottom of the weekly post for participants to link to reviews of their most current reads.
**In reference to children books. If it is a child whose reading it and involved in the challenge, then that’s okay. If an adult is doing read aloud with kids, the book should be geared for the 9-12 age group (or older) and be over 100 pages. If an adult is reading for her/his own enjoyment, then a good rule of thumb to go by “is there some complexity to the story or is it too simple?” If it’s too simple, then it doesn’t count.
I finished reading Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes aloud to Sophia (who is ten years old). The 336-page book was written in 1943 and retells in narrative form events in Boston prior to and during the outbreak of the American Revolution. The novel’s themes include apprenticeship, courtship, sacrifice, human rights, and the growing tension between Whigs and Tories as conflict nears.
Events described in the novel include the Boston Tea Party, the British blockade of the Port of Boston, the midnight ride of Paul Revere, and the Battles of Lexington and Concord.
The book won the 1944 Newbery Medal and is the 16th bestselling children’s book as of the year 2000 in the United States, according to Publishers Weekly.
WEEK 2
I began reading Carry on, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham to Sophia this week. This 256-page book is a 1956 Newbery Medal winner. It is the true story of Nathaniel Bowditch, who becomes an indentured servant at the age of twelve when his father apprenticed him to a chandlery after his mother died. This ends his dreams of attending Harvard.
Through hard work and perseverance, Nat continues his studies on his own. He questions whether he would be destined to be a bookkeeper all his life, or if he could find a way to better use his skills in mathematics. His discoveries in the field of navigation are put to the test when Nat becomes captain of his own ship.
WEEK 5
I started reading Gentle Ben by Walt Morey a few weeks ago. I took a break from reading it since I was reading the other books to Sophia. I have an old hard-cover copy of the book – from 1965 – that I’m reading. If I have some quiet time in the mornings or evenings this week, I should be able to finish it. It’s not that long of a book…only 191 pages.
It is set in Alaska when it was a territory (before it became a state). As I read the story, it reminds me of the beauty and vast wilderness that I was able to see many years ago when I made a trip to Alaska. I visited Alaska in the spring – before the tourist season began – so it was quiet, peaceful, and incredibly beautiful!
This is a description about Gentle Ben that I read from a reviewer from The Community Bugle Newspaper who posted on Amazon.com: “Mark Andersen leads quite a lonely existence in the Alaskan wilderness, where he lives with his mother and father. Things wouldn’t be so lonely if his older brother was still around, but since his death, Mark has been devoid of contact with anyone even close in age to him.
“Due in large part to the fact that he’s the smallest boy at school – at least for his age – and risks injury if he plays with the stronger boys, so he keeps to himself. That is, until he discovers a friend named Ben.
“Ben isn’t your average friend. He’s an Alaskan brown bear “brownie,” who is larger than life, and frightens anyone who sees him. Except for Mark. Mark knows how gentle Ben is, and quickly befriends him. Mark and Ben discover that they are much more like one another than anyone could possibly know, and forge a strong bond.
“But when the local townspeople find out about Mark and Ben’s relationship, they are determined to destroy it. Even if it means destroying Ben.”
In searching for an image of the book cover of Gentle Ben, I came across an interesting commentary about books that illustrate children and people coming together, many times unexpectedly, to overcome mutual suspicions arising from assumptions (or raw ignorance) about gender, race, age, ethnicity, religion, wealth, class, culture, accent, language, country of origin, etc. Gentle Ben is one of the books that is recommended in a long list of books that are worth checking out.
Flashback Friday – Homes
Posted in Flashback Friday, memories, weather on January 29, 2011| 1 Comment »
The most attractive feature about the apartment: the fact that it had steel construction to help steady the apartment during an earthquake. This was very important because there was a major earthquake in the Bay area in 1989 – a couple years before moving there.
The bridge that had collapsed was still being repaired. It was a sobering reminder of the power of earthquakes. So, having a more “sturdy” apartment was important…plus they took dogs.
One of the challenges of living on the 9th floor (second floor from the top floor) was that often the elevator was slow to arrive. That meant that after work I would rush home to let Sydne (the golden retriever) out. We waited patiently for the elevator. If it was more than a few minutes, Sydne and I would walk quickly down 9 flights of steps to go outside. It was a good workout, I guess.
The next move was to a small, starter home in Minneapolis. This picture was taken in the spring after moving in because there isn’t a fence around the backyard (one of the first of many improvements made to the home to keep the dog safe and give a bit more privacy).
See that concrete driveway? Since it came out next to the house (rather than the middle of the block), everyone thought it was a driveway. It wasn’t. It was the alley entrance. Needless to say, the first time a car drove slowly by the kitchen window (to the left of the side door), I was shocked. Curtains went up shortly thereafter.
Within the first six months of living at the Minneapolis home, it was time to begin looking for another home further out from the city. Living under the constant noise of airplane traffic was a bit stressful. Some of the planes flew so low that I could read the numbers on their sides.
As I look back on the pictures of the apartments and home, I still consider the present farm home (the last one pictured above) as my home. (The home in Plymouth has been my parents’ home since 1974, and one that I consider my childhood home.)
{this moment…}
Posted in nature, this moment on January 29, 2011| Leave a Comment »
{this moment} – A Friday ritual (inspired by soulemama). A photo capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor, and remember. If you’re inspired to do the same, leave a link to your ‘moment’ in the comments.
Wishing everyone a lovely weekend!
*** *** ***
52 Weeks of Giving – Week 4 (Helping people who are homeless and/or those in need)
Posted in 52 Weeks of Giving, community service, donation, food, recycle, reuse on January 28, 2011| Leave a Comment »
This week, the girls and I have been doing some house cleaning and had quite a few bags of items that were in good condition that we no longer needed.
On Monday, we brought three garbage bags and two grocery-size bags to Family Pathways that were filled with toys, stuffed animals, crocheted blankets, clothing, and books. I was ready to take a picture of the girls with the donations, but the battery in my camera had run out.
The girls were so happy with all the items they were donating – the majority of which came out of their closets and rooms.
We regularly make in-kind donations to Family Pathways because we like what this non-profit organization does to benefit the community. It:
• provides senior services, including companionship and respite care, to the elderly so they may live in independence with dignity.
• provides hope and nourishment to adults and children in crisis with their food pantries and community advocacy program.
•builds awareness and sensitivity in youth and their families with their youth services programs.
They accept donations of clothing, household items, and furniture in good condition (the majority of items found in a home which is great – it gives the items another opportunity to be used by someone else while keeping them out of the landfill).
By donating to Family Pathways Thrift Stores, people can directly impact their commitment towards helping the community. Income generated by the sale of the donations is what they use to fund their programs for seniors, children, and families in crisis. (This is the link to the list of items Family Pathways accepts.)
On Wednesday and Thursday morning, the girls and I put together some items for Simpson Housing. Simpson Housing aims to house, support, and advocate for people experiencing homelessness
They achieve their mission in the metro area by providing a full continuum of supportive housing services to end chronic homelessness:
• Emergency shelters for men and women (separated by gender).
• Permanent, subsidized, supportive rental housing for single men and women who have been homeless long-term, with a unique focus on the needs of single women.
• Subsidized, supportive rental housing for families with children, both single site and scattered site, both transitional and permanent housing.
This is the link to the items that Simpson Housing accepts.
We were in downtown Minneapolis at Orchestra Hall this morning (one of the programs designed for youth), and Simpson Housing is less than ten minutes away. We drove to their administrative offices and the girls and I brought in the items we were donating.
The staff was friendly and appreciative of the items we brought – all of which will be used at the shelter that helps men and women who are homeless.
Feeding the Birds
Posted in birds, Christmas, holiday, math, nature, recipe, science on January 26, 2011| 2 Comments »
I enjoy watching the birds visit the feeders – especially the flock of cardinals, the Northern Flicker, and variety of woodpeckers.
Sophia and Olivia also like watching the birds and tracking how many and what type visit the feeder. Sometimes they’ll even do a bar graph to visually show which birds were the most popular at the feeder during a given time period. (This is a great homeschooling nature/science + math activity.)
So, last month I was reading a past issue of Birds and Blooms magazine, and saw an article about making holiday gifts from your backyard. One of the ideas I liked was making birdseed treats.
Using cookie cutters or muffin tins, you can offer food to the birds while decorating at the same time!
Birdseed Treat Recipe
(Recipe from Angie Dixon)
1/3 cup gelatin
1-1/2 cups water
8 cups of birdseed
Mix gelatin and water on low until gelatin is melted and clear. Remove from heat and stir in 8 cups of birdseed. Stir until it is well mixed and there is no dry seed. Fill cookie cutters with the seed mixture and pack tightly. Then refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours. Dry on baking rack for 3 days.
Note: If you plan on hanging the treats (rather than just putting them in a suet feeder), make sure you put a hole and string/yarn where you want it before the shape is completely dry. Otherwise, it is much more difficulty and likely to break.
Another idea presented in the same article was to make a birdseed wreath. I didn’t do this, but thought it is worth mentioning. Perhaps I’ll do this another time this winter.
Birdseed Wreath
To make a wreath, combine the same ingredients used to make the birdseed treats. But instead of using cookie cutters, press the mixture into a miniature Bundt cake pan or another rounded mold. Refrigerate for 4 hours, then carefully remove from the mold. Let it dry overnight, then decorate it with edibles. Or dress it up with raffia, large accents, ribbon or bows.
If you would like to see the pictures that were in the Birds and Blooms magazine, you can visit the magazine’s website HERE.
Mid-Week Motivation
Posted in Uncategorized on January 26, 2011| 2 Comments »
Sometimes, in the middle week, it’s nice to get a little inspiration to carry oneself through the rest of the week. I thought it would be nice to begin a weekly post where everyone can share what they are working on or have recently completed for their family or themselves; or given as a gift.
This week, I worked on the third quilt square for an ongoing swap on Swap-Bot called SEWvenirs. It is appliqued and then hand-embroidered around all the edges. The required information about the swap needs to be somewhere on the front of the block (e.g., name/ID, date completed, state/country where you live, a bit about the image).
Each month, people from around the world share a quilt square with one other person. Eventually, by participating in the swap, I will have enough squares to sew together to make a quilt. Ideally, each quilt block that I will receive will be from a different state or country.
This is the first SEWvenir quilt square I made.
Muffin Tin Monday – Big and Little + Short and Tall
Posted in food, muffin tin meals on January 25, 2011| 2 Comments »
This week’s theme is Big and Little + Short and Tall. I did a few trays for dinner with this theme. Here’s the first one:
From left to right:
Big and Little Combination #1 – Grapes and raisins
Short and Tall (Middle of the Tray) – Mini carrots and (taller) mozzarella sticks
Big and Little Combination #2 – Peeled apple slices and dried apple slices
The dried apples are ones that the girls and I made during the fall. We went to an apple orchard and got some apples. At home, I peeled and sliced them. The girls placed them in single layers on the different trays in the dehydrator. I sprinkled some cinnamon and sugar on top. Within a couple of days, the apple slices became dried apple treats.
This is the second tray that was on the table for dinner:
The picture of the third tray is rather blurry, but I still wanted to include it. The focus of this one is little since everything in it small (the individual shapes as well as the contents).
Red sauce (to use with chips): salsa
Pink squares: ham
Green salad (to use with chips or crackers): a combination of fresh vegetables and herbs (it was a Turkish appetizer that the girls and I made a couple of days ago)
To see what other muffin tins were created with this theme, check out the Muffin Tin Mom website.
I am grateful for…
Posted in birds, birthdays, education, I am grateful for..., memories, music, nature, science on January 23, 2011| Leave a Comment »
As I think back on the past week, I am grateful for…
:: Being able to make a birthday cake that made Olivia very happy.
:: The opportunity to see the behind-the-scenes of Underwater World and learn more about sea life.
:: Spending an enjoyable day helping my parents.
:: Receiving a phone call from a cousin who I hadn’t talked with for quite a while.
:: Health professional and therapists who are helping my dad and Olivia.
:: Hearing Sophia play the piano.
:: Watching the flock of cardinals visit the feeder.
:: Seeing a beautiful yellow moon setting one morning.
Hands-on Geography – Learning about Turkey
Posted in 52 Weeks of Baking, education, food, geography, homeschooling, learning, montessori, recipe, unschooling, waldorf on January 22, 2011| 2 Comments »
One of the challenges of homeschooling is trying to make learning fun – yet educational. During the past week, the girls and I have been learning about Turkey (the country…not the bird). I checked out several cookbooks from the library and selected some recipes that we could make.
One of the favorite meals we had was Turkish Lamb and Tomato Pizza -also known as Lahmacun. The recipe came from the cookbook From Tapas to Meze: First Courses from the Mediterranean Shores of Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, the Middle East, and North Africa.