Renaissance life in a post-modern world
Posted in Education on Jul 30th, 2008
I am finally pulling together my plans for the upcoming school year. I posted my younger children’s schedules and curriculum earlier. Now, I can let you know how the rest of my group will be spending their days . . . and, sometimes, nights!
I have finalized my 6th grader’s schedule, so I will share this information today. I [...]
Posted in Recipes on Jul 28th, 2008
This weekend my baking performance was less than stellar. The chocolate chip cookie recipe that I can usually work with in my sleep failed. I do not have the faintest idea what went wrong. All I know is that in the end I was working with dough that resembled a glossy, light brown paste. I managed to glob it on [...]
Posted in Recipes on Jul 25th, 2008
Teriyaki marinade or glaze is a wonderful enhancement to a number of dishes. It adds great flavor to fish, beef, chicken and even rice. It is one of the easiest sauces to make. Children usually love the flavor of teriyaki sauce as it is sweet and not too spicy. However, if it’s a spicy kick your looking [...]
Posted in Recipes on Jul 22nd, 2008
Everyone loves pizza in one form or another: thin crust, pan, hand-tossed, bagel, wood fired, grilled, gourmet, New York style, Chicago style, Lazio style, Sicilian style and the list goes on . . . . Then, one can add any number of toppings and sauces to suit individual tastes.
I, personally, think of Italy when I consider the [...]
Posted in Family and Children on Jul 20th, 2008
Young children love to play with water. Inside, they enjoy filling the sink with water and playing with dish soap bubbles or washing their play dishes. Their child size kitchen play takes on a new dimension when they can fill their cups, teapots and pans with water.
During the summer the options for water play open up. There [...]
Posted in Cleaning and Organizing on Jul 16th, 2008
Customize your children’s chores. They can become an expert in one or two particular areas. You and your children will always know who is responsible for a particular chore. This will end the “it’s not my turn” or “I did that last time” mentality.
One of my sons is the sanitary engineer of the house. Every morning he empties [...]
Posted in Recipes on Jul 15th, 2008
I subscribe to a fun blog roll called “The Daring Bakers”. Here I read about the secrets of real foodies. The names of these blogs say so much: The Equivocal Epicurean, Thyme For Food, Passionate About Baking, Cream Puffs In Venice and La Mia Cucina. These writers, with their culinary prowess, inspire, motivate and humble me.
These [...]
Posted in Recipes on Jul 11th, 2008
We enjoyed a lovely visit from dear friends a few weeks ago. They left us with fond memories and sweet gifts. One of these was a terrific cook-book by Anne Byrn called “The Cake Doctor”.
It is a creative powerhouse that takes ordinary cake mixes and customizes them, one recipe at a time, into fabulous desserts. The recipes all [...]
Posted in Education on Jul 9th, 2008
I am in the midst of planning our 08/09 school year. To date I have completed my curriculum for kindergarten, first grade, and second grade. This was relatively easy to do since this is the eighth year I have taught kindergarten and the seventh year I have taught first grade. It is always exciting to work with [...]
Posted in Recipes on Jul 7th, 2008
We enjoyed a simple, lovely weekend visiting our home up north. The weather was terrific: we enjoyed warm days under blue skies and star-filled cool nights punctuated by thunder showers. The moon was the perfect back-drop for the town’s fire-works display over the lake.
Difficult economic times have hit the small towns of the state. Local businesses usually fund the Independence [...]
