tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34419807543752339102024-03-13T06:41:41.261-07:00MODERN KLATCHOlga Woltmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07005314696445244124noreply@blogger.comBlogger129125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441980754375233910.post-52664459139772271302014-07-01T09:37:00.001-07:002014-09-04T18:21:47.611-07:00Chocolate Chip & Cherry Zucchini Bread (Gluten-Free but enjoyed by
Gluten Eaters)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Alas more baking. Cannot be helped. Though Gluten Free options are more widely available these days, they do not hold a candle to gooey warm-out-of-the oven zucchini bread. AND it contains legitimate vegetables. This recipe, adapted from Michael McCamley's Gluten Free Baking, is a great basic, we have tried chocolate chip and cherry version, loaves studded with dried cranberries, all good. I plan to make a version with lemon and herbs and also with espresso.<br>
<br>The recipe makes two loaves. </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br><b>
Ingredients</b><br>
3 eggs</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">1 cup of sugar (or brown sugar)</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">1 cup olive oil</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">2 cups sorghum flour</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">1 cup tapioca flour</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">1 tsp baking powder</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">1 tsp baking soda</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">2 tsp xanthan gum</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">2 medium zucchinis, shredded</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon, whatever works</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Goodies: chocolate chips, dried cranberries, chopped cherries, whatever strikes your fancy</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Set the oven to warm to 325. </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Shred the zucchini. Some recipes suggest letting zucchini drain of juice but skipping this step has not been an issue. </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Right, then. Mix the dry ingredients, mix in eggs an oil (what DID one do before the Kitchenaid was invented?). Zucchini goes in next - somehow it makes the loaves moist but the shreds are almost undetectable in texture, weird, right? Next mix in the goodies and into the oiled loaf pans. The bread bakes for about 55-60 minutes. </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Zuchinni bread is a little dense, working on that, but let me tell you, these do not last long! </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">And here is photographic evidence from a recent batch. </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br>
<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/AVvXsEi1kG2rXEoQc7Vvlhmc1xAKDDJXrWMgo3SjCC_sXhPA6Tqn8me7D6kDMAjLv8G4zC5bzcudIQCFUCuQaqSMxAmhlPSaZeGpBH7p8AhyhEe4id15_J06GSob5bVCh380UTifGhRihcrGRMZd/s640/blogger-image-368084976.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1kG2rXEoQc7Vvlhmc1xAKDDJXrWMgo3SjCC_sXhPA6Tqn8me7D6kDMAjLv8G4zC5bzcudIQCFUCuQaqSMxAmhlPSaZeGpBH7p8AhyhEe4id15_J06GSob5bVCh380UTifGhRihcrGRMZd/s400/blogger-image-368084976.jpg" width="400"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shred, shred, shred. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<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/AVvXsEgROpN8i4dtpr0KNU3avaoWYM6FoMrbbyfBBAFZkba_K_gh9pbyQG18ai1FDlfSxNvKQtPYQzU8sz5adofL5P1psyT2ljkq5utBKqFEsbb3EXhPTjJWY2lXM_PKlJBDgpOvwPUT5z4hH7h6/s640/blogger-image--1419566173.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgROpN8i4dtpr0KNU3avaoWYM6FoMrbbyfBBAFZkba_K_gh9pbyQG18ai1FDlfSxNvKQtPYQzU8sz5adofL5P1psyT2ljkq5utBKqFEsbb3EXhPTjJWY2lXM_PKlJBDgpOvwPUT5z4hH7h6/s400/blogger-image--1419566173.jpg" width="400"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chopped frozen cherries looked like a crime scene.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br>
<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/AVvXsEidIuDCydRSgHH8T-LjxlR4L1RYqPFHlHzaEBtbrLiUtfdSJCB4W-uFabu6_r0KuRZkFuVm9CKPQv7LTFwysTUttLoOqDixTIngmr0-gK3XT4PfoPqbBTIVwLAerhqzkH5v1UpMCczWNN-b/s640/blogger-image-575932159.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidIuDCydRSgHH8T-LjxlR4L1RYqPFHlHzaEBtbrLiUtfdSJCB4W-uFabu6_r0KuRZkFuVm9CKPQv7LTFwysTUttLoOqDixTIngmr0-gK3XT4PfoPqbBTIVwLAerhqzkH5v1UpMCczWNN-b/s400/blogger-image-575932159.jpg" width="400"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready to go in the oven.</td></tr>
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<br>
<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/AVvXsEg-jb7BdzCbCm88yQ3eMJEyiVCDdy2b9vm1OUAN6HpFEiZUlSxPrkvN30ZiutT-geOsjSzBJ-qa5tAY97097urxtkDR1coSpRlo-_qtrrPeixH7JtRjEpcb7pHTvL9QpZiP7eh24bqPMX7b/s640/blogger-image-347494794.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-jb7BdzCbCm88yQ3eMJEyiVCDdy2b9vm1OUAN6HpFEiZUlSxPrkvN30ZiutT-geOsjSzBJ-qa5tAY97097urxtkDR1coSpRlo-_qtrrPeixH7JtRjEpcb7pHTvL9QpZiP7eh24bqPMX7b/s400/blogger-image-347494794.jpg" width="400"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished! The loafs disappeared quickly.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
Olga Woltmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07005314696445244124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441980754375233910.post-33761563822744560082014-06-08T20:00:00.001-07:002014-06-08T20:00:20.945-07:002014 Summer Reading List<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
As of late, the posts have been all about baking. Time to fix that and so here it is, another summer reading list. The thing is, I've had a bit of a dry-spell, a reader's block (I swear, it's a real thing). There is no rhyme or reason to these choices, a mix of the books I have on my nightstand already and those in my GoodReads queue that stood out.<br />
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First, <i>The Matisse Stories</i> by A.S. Byatt. I very much enjoyed <i>Possession</i> and <i>Angels and Insects</i>, but the former is a dense terribly clever read while the latter is, well, you'd have to read it. The Matisse Stories are mercifully brief, less than 200 pages, three short stories about women, the book threaded together by references to the said artist.<br />
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<i>The Pig Did It </i>by Joseph Caldwell, awesome title, right? It's about a pig. It's Irish. If I end up loving it, the book is a part of The Pig Trilogy. <br />
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<i>The Paris Wife </i>by Paula McLain. The book is about Earnest Hemingway and his wife Hadley during the Paris years paling around with the Lost Generation posse. I know very little about Hemingway and <i>A Farewell to Arms </i>might be the only one of his books I actually read, an oversight, clearly. Though I usually gravitate to more wacky book choices rather than historical ones, this will be a nice change of pace (and I already have it, thought I cannot say with any certainty where I got it).<br />
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<i>The Cuckoo's Calling</i> by the writer that shall not be named. <a href="http://modernklatch.blogspot.com/2013/01/improving-mind-through-reading-winter.html">The Casual Vacancy</a> was a little tough for me, the writing was excellent, of course, but the topics the book tackled were difficult at best (some pages still haunt me). I expect this will be very different still and I have been curious to read it for a while but never quite got to it. <br />
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Jasper Fforde never fails to deliver an alternate reality that makes perfect sense: why couldn't you jump into fiction? Of course color-spectrum-perception determines the social pecking order! His Dragonslayer series are not quite so far fetched, it's just about the shortage of magic. <i>The Eye of Zoltar, </i>the final Dragonslayer book just came out (at least on this side of the Atlantic), so naturally it makes the cut for my summer reading.<br />
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Here are book picks from the years past - what are you reading these days?<br />
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<a href="http://modernklatch.blogspot.com/2013/08/beach-book-bag.html">2013 Summer Reading</a><br />
<a href="http://modernklatch.blogspot.com/2012/07/summer-reading-list.html">2012 Summer Reading</a><br />
<a href="http://modernklatch.blogspot.com/2013/01/improving-mind-through-reading-winter.html">Winter List</a> <br />
<a href="http://modernklatch.blogspot.com/2011/08/whats-on-my-nightstand-part-1.html">Other picks worth a look</a> </div>
Olga Woltmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07005314696445244124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441980754375233910.post-50043363426780847262014-05-21T19:47:00.000-07:002014-05-21T19:47:25.906-07:00Orange Polenta Cake (Gluten-Free, Naturally)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
As of late, posts have been far and few in between. Right, we are all busy, so on it goes, and lets keep it brief, shall we? <br />
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This lovely little cake is naturally gluten free. The <a href="http://farmette.ie/2013/12/18/orange-honey-polenta-cake/">source is here</a> but required some calculations to translate metric to cups. <br />
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Ingredients:<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>8 cardamom pods, seeds extracted and bashed with a pestle (OR you could just use ground cardamom)</li>
<li>2 cups almond flour</li>
<li>2/3 cup polenta</li>
<li>1 teaspoon baking powder</li>
<li>1 cup caster sugar (translation - sugar)</li>
<li>1 cup of butter (I used vegan substitution)</li>
<li> 3 eggs</li>
<li>zest of three oranges</li>
<li>vanilla (a bit)</li>
<li>pistachios (a hand full)</li>
<li>creme frache</li>
</ul>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8PZkg5hGhslSkqDEyp5b8BXwxzr75vi_V5gkU2bRn5B-9N2e8HCNTgvEswl9d9s29N9Bidl9XUhS-spWRYZa8-tTxvTg8eNdDqW0cEcTgUbggw5FOWm48WdNREoJ9VSqnaFC4WarsJ6t9/s640/blogger-image--1458403952.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8PZkg5hGhslSkqDEyp5b8BXwxzr75vi_V5gkU2bRn5B-9N2e8HCNTgvEswl9d9s29N9Bidl9XUhS-spWRYZa8-tTxvTg8eNdDqW0cEcTgUbggw5FOWm48WdNREoJ9VSqnaFC4WarsJ6t9/s400/blogger-image--1458403952.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">lovely oranges</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So from there on, easy-peasy. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a springform and line the bottom with parchment paper.<br />
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If you are bashing your own cardamom, roll up your sleeves and bash away. Mix in almond flour, polenta, baking powder, and cardamom, and set aside.<br />
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Beat sugar and butter together. Add in eggs and keep mixing, add the dry ingredients, orange zest, and vanilla into the mixture. Pour the mixture into the springform and bake for about 40 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPzBF5KhXiL7FdQ-YdbXAJ6GHog8ftTrOhZ0L7-EqT8IzUaikfGDNAJ5VqRHxrmNN8nU_Ic9jNCr4R68Y5SuHbirtm3bwErW5OjAWYHz9pfmcNDNjglfngPLDpjqhRkqWHPHmDuN2nIBVn/s640/blogger-image-1279032380.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPzBF5KhXiL7FdQ-YdbXAJ6GHog8ftTrOhZ0L7-EqT8IzUaikfGDNAJ5VqRHxrmNN8nU_Ic9jNCr4R68Y5SuHbirtm3bwErW5OjAWYHz9pfmcNDNjglfngPLDpjqhRkqWHPHmDuN2nIBVn/s400/blogger-image-1279032380.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">butter & sugar</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
While the cake is baking, prepare the syrup - heat up slowly juice of two oranges, 3 tablespoons of honey, and 2 tablespoons of rose water.<br />
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After the cake is ready ever-so-carefully extract it from the springform and place on a pretty cake plate. Poke itty-bitty holes in the cake and pour the syrup over it. Sprinkle crushed pistachios and orange zest over the cake, garnish with whipped cream if you are feeling decadent, and serve with tea (or Limoncello).<br />
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I am thinking this cake might work very nicely with rhubarb sauce too or perhaps lemon ginger?<br />
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<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/AVvXsEih844t-wJ0BoX-64kkR3sG0a2bEWnhPH0YSvS0gKfmWvaxyX6TcKk1iT5SKk5rFEHBHtUdZ1xeY98UIDHQ5bJVTcW24IDQvrqSTbaivBJdI1MiAOy-KwWQM2MXEEK_LEGIeVj_KRXvG1wQ/s640/blogger-image-34226635.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih844t-wJ0BoX-64kkR3sG0a2bEWnhPH0YSvS0gKfmWvaxyX6TcKk1iT5SKk5rFEHBHtUdZ1xeY98UIDHQ5bJVTcW24IDQvrqSTbaivBJdI1MiAOy-KwWQM2MXEEK_LEGIeVj_KRXvG1wQ/s400/blogger-image-34226635.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretty little cake, totally gluten-free. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
Olga Woltmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07005314696445244124noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441980754375233910.post-44026424067175669682014-04-08T19:49:00.002-07:002014-04-08T19:49:26.280-07:00Learned Tot: On the Go<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Wow, it's been a good while since I've posted about our learning-at-home-after-school activities. It's not that we have slowed down our learning efforts, indeed not. Yet finding a quiet moment to write about the said endeavors can be a challenge.<br />
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In a matter of days we will be boarding a plane for a spring break (destination is another matter, there will not be a palm tree in sight). Travel calls for packable activities, preferably with educational value, that fits into the carry-on with room to spare.<br />
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This before you is a fairly balanced curriculum that will serve us well for the duration of the trip, especially one the road. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfouZidr7M29Ve5u6HiQI52dohqFGPn9pzsHwHREugcADST6nplIN8BWgOP26GVxPck7CD_ik3wci6e0eKB3oGkPTpAIRk6u0KaLVpkQqxkzOS80r_HcqLR93ZE4jgEMAEUD0Uky4TX7rq/s640/blogger-image--873168807.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfouZidr7M29Ve5u6HiQI52dohqFGPn9pzsHwHREugcADST6nplIN8BWgOP26GVxPck7CD_ik3wci6e0eKB3oGkPTpAIRk6u0KaLVpkQqxkzOS80r_HcqLR93ZE4jgEMAEUD0Uky4TX7rq/s400/blogger-image--873168807.jpg" width="353" /></a></div>
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Here is our packing list:<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Tiny flashcards of words to review spelling - this <a href="http://www.muji.us/store/stationery/notebooks/recycled-paper-word-card.html">itty bitty flip book </a>I chanced on at Muji is perfect size for words. </li>
<li>The Angry Birds pack with a handful of twisty color pencils (less messy and easier to use than crayons!) and a pen.</li>
<li>We love any <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Simon-Basher/e/B0034Q44MM">books that Simon Basher</a> has to dish out. These books were selected off the shelf for their slimmer size and to cover a range of subjects: U.S. Presidents for a bit of civics, Math (in lieu of daily worksheets, it is spring break after all), and Extreme Physics to learn about way-out-there concepts. </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Diary-Wimpy-Kid-3-Notebook-Set/dp/0735338760/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1397011335&sr=8-1&keywords=wimpy+kid+notebook">Wimpy Kid notebooks</a>, one for writing and the other one for drawing. This was a great buy indeed - slim to pack and as evidenced by the smudgy nose well loved.</li>
<li>A fold-up map (no spontaneous Dora songs, por favor) - all of us in this house love maps and this one, which came in the mail from a charity, is perfect for travel.</li>
</ul>
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Best part? All the materials stack up to fit into a medium size backpack with room for a snack and a hoodie.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilrdUi8g6QpZc3WwxGTxie8q-BAOqh36Sf9vMY7lCuJyGKomnfPXg2vDPYSNRFlGqoWZHzdwERd3dJRmr4arxFPYrdIsbSgMnFilFCFUiuCNWl8HdO1spcMbUVbt3QkdyWYXxZwj5hcoaX/s640/blogger-image--130030436.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilrdUi8g6QpZc3WwxGTxie8q-BAOqh36Sf9vMY7lCuJyGKomnfPXg2vDPYSNRFlGqoWZHzdwERd3dJRmr4arxFPYrdIsbSgMnFilFCFUiuCNWl8HdO1spcMbUVbt3QkdyWYXxZwj5hcoaX/s320/blogger-image--130030436.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
How do you incorporate learning into your travel plans?
</div>
Olga Woltmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07005314696445244124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441980754375233910.post-74027637511959259292014-03-16T17:04:00.002-07:002014-03-16T17:04:10.832-07:00Camp Fire Cupcakes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This post isn't about cupcakes, actually. It is about decorating them. There comes a day, say any dreary Wednesday, when one realizes that she (or he) is expected to produce decorated desert for a group of greedy Cub Scouts. Right. We were in it to win. But win we did not, a subject that no one in the Klatch household is prepared to discuss, as it is still raw and it is generally agreed that we were robbed. <br />
<br />
So back to decorating the said cupcakes. Never mind the cupcakes themselves. A cake from a mix will do the job here. The pretty flames are key here and like jello shots, the flames are remarkably simple to make, if you follow the right steps. <br />
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<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/AVvXsEhp860YEB4GX1iN9cBP9j_na9H0WtyLMOK3XmX0gZUaPRW9wnfYy7nv6qYizJ2SYmGJ34J0KGlTPWmUM8iUQgfbdGweOZhWCTyzkMy77hOHCTVdX3xVedjc_Pa0LVgSqhJU30OBdffJZyzR/s640/blogger-image-506564803.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp860YEB4GX1iN9cBP9j_na9H0WtyLMOK3XmX0gZUaPRW9wnfYy7nv6qYizJ2SYmGJ34J0KGlTPWmUM8iUQgfbdGweOZhWCTyzkMy77hOHCTVdX3xVedjc_Pa0LVgSqhJU30OBdffJZyzR/s400/blogger-image-506564803.jpg" width="333" /> </a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What's not to love? Pretzel logs, mini marshmallows on toothpicks, and flames!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The key ingredient in flames are Jolly Ranchers! Thought any hard candy should work. Step one is smashing the candy (IMPORTANT: smashing is best done in a large zip-lock, this is where things <i>could </i>go wrong) <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4AqJggKKP0qKav391dMv99iXreo_NE2WgfetxaJh9lhFz8FX5DvTrbeFyu8ZLoiIy-zYOTWFE9vcvlylEnnEZtfdW109C6qfuzt31owHQeYQmlqmbstEGTI4-BAit3eGKpkFm1gyNTf1l/s640/blogger-image--2127500831.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4AqJggKKP0qKav391dMv99iXreo_NE2WgfetxaJh9lhFz8FX5DvTrbeFyu8ZLoiIy-zYOTWFE9vcvlylEnnEZtfdW109C6qfuzt31owHQeYQmlqmbstEGTI4-BAit3eGKpkFm1gyNTf1l/s400/blogger-image--2127500831.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smashed Jolly Ranchers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Step two is melting the candy - at about 350 degrees for 4-5 minutes. Now this is where things could go really wrong so it's important to line the cookie sheet with tin foil and spray it with oil (or else you may be faced with a nasty clean up job, for reals). Also, you have to watch melting candy like a hawk so it does not burn. when melted candy comes out of the oven it looks a little bubbly but the foam disappears as the mixture cools. <br />
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Oh, and one more thing. Don't touch melted candy - it is hot, hot, hot.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7dfZ4xNC5ssZEzVPHooD27hB9OyuiV7X2bkOAQg09k2eT2XA1bQWIj1dD-vDOlRHE9sFCm2o3w2vYEt3yFfxKd7aStoMEBUdcFCm23y7dEcIqn8i8FrEZr-piPDip4VxyWHNkEjeE2iwt/s640/blogger-image--1303533842.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7dfZ4xNC5ssZEzVPHooD27hB9OyuiV7X2bkOAQg09k2eT2XA1bQWIj1dD-vDOlRHE9sFCm2o3w2vYEt3yFfxKd7aStoMEBUdcFCm23y7dEcIqn8i8FrEZr-piPDip4VxyWHNkEjeE2iwt/s400/blogger-image--1303533842.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Melted Jolly Ranchers.</td></tr>
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Once the candy cools and hardens, carefully peel it off the tin foil and break into shards. And they are sharp, so watch your fingers, things could go wrong here too. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbcOuUUAVufUBQzFqgGNoljnJ20wb126zlKRtHCdMt89DFfciZ_TS2GPnyUlc1Dhh6KnDjS3FXRM1dvpwBmJtStC-KECkE40BTZ3_58b-hhLqLxW2ErIOpT5ilUkT3cHDg4PBhQWeheztu/s640/blogger-image-1068659041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbcOuUUAVufUBQzFqgGNoljnJ20wb126zlKRtHCdMt89DFfciZ_TS2GPnyUlc1Dhh6KnDjS3FXRM1dvpwBmJtStC-KECkE40BTZ3_58b-hhLqLxW2ErIOpT5ilUkT3cHDg4PBhQWeheztu/s400/blogger-image-1068659041.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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That's it! I am thinking this same technique of cupcake decorating would work for for ice cupcakes with blue and clear candy or for bloodied glass for Halloween, no?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixfIrqVoFiLkrChhMi_Rc1X8lps29NMVDSP5RtJj7FVXZZmWa-1F4wiKctQpeYOXMf3ERfrDw7zKww0iwnzVq0hXiDaJySuPjAJkI5KwWdFWKeY0lFjXQNvWcXO1qGJbzLfdeqgvBtehAF/s640/blogger-image-1849916212.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixfIrqVoFiLkrChhMi_Rc1X8lps29NMVDSP5RtJj7FVXZZmWa-1F4wiKctQpeYOXMf3ERfrDw7zKww0iwnzVq0hXiDaJySuPjAJkI5KwWdFWKeY0lFjXQNvWcXO1qGJbzLfdeqgvBtehAF/s400/blogger-image-1849916212.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These will be making a comeback this summer!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Olga Woltmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07005314696445244124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441980754375233910.post-12491761972989036282014-02-03T20:38:00.000-08:002014-02-03T20:38:01.729-08:00Let's Make Whoopie, Chocolate with Marshmallow Filling<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Cupcakes are booooring, not to mention the frosting does not travel well. The answer: whoopie! I am still fiddling with this recipe to get the cakes smoother (where did I get it to begin with? It may have started out as a combination of recipes).<br />
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<b>The Cakes for Woopies (this makes about 35-40 little half cakes)</b><br />
8 tablespoons of veg shortening (Spectrum is the go-to brand)<br />
1/2 cup sugar<br />
1/2 cup brown sugar<br />
<br />
2 eggs<br />
1 cup of coconut milk<br />
vanilla <br />
<br />
2 1/4 cups of gluten free flour (usually a mixture of white rice flour, potato starch, & tapioca starch, but GF mixture worked very well too)<br />
3/4 cups of cocoa powder<br />
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder<br />
1/2 teaspoon baking soda<br />
1/2 teaspoon xantham gum<br />
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<b> </b><br />
<b>Step 1: </b>Preheat oven to 375, line baking sheets with parchment. Into the KitchenAid goes Spectrum shortening and sugar and brown sugar, start mixing and then beating together to fluff. Add eggs and vanilla, mix to fluff.<br />
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<b>Step 2. </b>I am never one to get an extra bowl dirty, but this step is necessary. Mix the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, xantham). Add half of the dry mixture and half of the milk to the KitchenAid, mix, mix, mix. Add the rest of the dry mixture and milk, mix again.<br />
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<b>Step 3. </b>Scoop tablespoons of dough onto the parchment (cookie dough scoop works great, I am in the market for a new one so let me know if you have a model to recommend) and bake for 12-15 minutes, cool cookies on baking racks. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAAJ_gmYglnDqt8oxIgLLEsYbKbfgv_stY4LK9j3iwocLCs90UYAr60aItMKPDBrLbx_zx_GtJqTC4ml-_mixXw0tdVsd9x9M8r2W7bJBwal4bi1uACd3wbM8RY6VqDieMSd2I1XPidRfI/s640/blogger-image--634109568.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAAJ_gmYglnDqt8oxIgLLEsYbKbfgv_stY4LK9j3iwocLCs90UYAr60aItMKPDBrLbx_zx_GtJqTC4ml-_mixXw0tdVsd9x9M8r2W7bJBwal4bi1uACd3wbM8RY6VqDieMSd2I1XPidRfI/s400/blogger-image--634109568.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at these beauts! Still working on getting smoother cakes.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
On to fluffy frosting!<br />
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1 1/2 cups of Marshmallow Fluff (Rice marshmallow cream worked great, Ricemellow)<br />
1 1/4 cups of Spectrum Shortening<br />
A few glugs of vanilla<br />
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<b>Step 4. </b>Put all the frosting ingredients together and fluff, fluff, fluff. My original notes mention confectioners' sugar but the frosting was plenty sweet without the extra sugar.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiykCdvJE51GyRJy9zZEyQK7ih65mBD4GOBMtvf1-VbJNQjf1aplWBci9x1lhb19StBiYHm9N7MQGsO4K7eUbbdEmL8SQNsZgN8E-C4CCf5y_o3kz0lCZg3OT0isZVsSyDe8jkjR5xRjQhV/s640/blogger-image--872760334.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="395" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiykCdvJE51GyRJy9zZEyQK7ih65mBD4GOBMtvf1-VbJNQjf1aplWBci9x1lhb19StBiYHm9N7MQGsO4K7eUbbdEmL8SQNsZgN8E-C4CCf5y_o3kz0lCZg3OT0isZVsSyDe8jkjR5xRjQhV/s400/blogger-image--872760334.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is my go-to frosting now!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><b>Step 5.</b> Frost and sandwich the cakes. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjbogY8IOvcs7n-ndXpi6yd_jSXmNTLG-gqQFotzOI8AAcGcnpoqj85H35feAwVd32ImNT0-UEArKcSLX8ExDAxcUhqtoZih5b3orZmByFQE_GmfZx5Z0F-9VxuSJrAXaOjXZuOKjhXChN/s640/blogger-image-1837906299.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjbogY8IOvcs7n-ndXpi6yd_jSXmNTLG-gqQFotzOI8AAcGcnpoqj85H35feAwVd32ImNT0-UEArKcSLX8ExDAxcUhqtoZih5b3orZmByFQE_GmfZx5Z0F-9VxuSJrAXaOjXZuOKjhXChN/s400/blogger-image-1837906299.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Option: are Whoopies too summery?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
Olga Woltmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07005314696445244124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441980754375233910.post-24527126885933940752013-12-23T20:10:00.002-08:002013-12-23T20:10:58.120-08:00Mince Pies - Part 1 (Filling)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I am new to mince pie making but it seemed just the thing to go with our Olde-Worlde meets Whole Foods gluten-free holiday feast. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">None of the recipes were quite right. Some called for "good quality ready made mince" oblivious to realities of the New World - a sad dusty little jar of mince at the bottom of the grocery store shelf. Does that count as good quality?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Other recipes had precise measurements in metric system or called for beef suet (tradition or not, I am not prepared to bake with beef fat). It was time for desperate measures - winging it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">All the recipes boiled down to dried fruit, apples, spices and brandy. On to the </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">the mince.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSmjdTrkrjsDBjJRSUVb58aaaAUFhRGhJdjSJ10zNWdQTsgYyn4kq_i8IsdV6gsT0gfoOhOtfOkjbjVfNk9DkO3LrKsYmFFCKRxCeaETI8-goxGQdeUELAbcIYvRJ8VqSOuspvdmBGM6nE/s640/blogger-image--1293905119.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSmjdTrkrjsDBjJRSUVb58aaaAUFhRGhJdjSJ10zNWdQTsgYyn4kq_i8IsdV6gsT0gfoOhOtfOkjbjVfNk9DkO3LrKsYmFFCKRxCeaETI8-goxGQdeUELAbcIYvRJ8VqSOuspvdmBGM6nE/s400/blogger-image--1293905119.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gobs of dried fruit and spices</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So into the pot went:<br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Loads of golden raisins</li>
<li>Handfuls of prunes chopped up</li>
<li>Dried chopped apricots, not too many</li>
<li>Chopped dry figs</li>
<li>A baggie of dried cherries</li>
<li>2-3 tart chopped apples (mine were Granny Smith)</li>
<li>2-3 Meyer Lemon juice and zest </li>
<li>Juice of an orange and zest</li>
<li>Spices: cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg</li>
<li>Some dark molasses</li>
<li>In the absence of brandy, in went Cointreau (but later, once the fruit is close to being done)</li>
</ul>
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Into the pot the goodies go, stir and cook, smell the goodness. Here is what did not go into the pot - no beef or any meet products and no sugar. Most recipes called for extra sugar but dried fruit are so sweet that sugar seemed an overkill.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_F6PRLtY7CcwVJPSEyFk_bTDx8FvAJBV7Y1uQKfGQ_DvaHfHwkF7z1ZtLVLGvCn-lckhlljO5MGR9YkpIYV8K8DLVwTdOp1EPIUwTsD05a4IDbEHOw9s3Qq04se9FxvAeevPDA865yIkX/s640/blogger-image-2039186478.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_F6PRLtY7CcwVJPSEyFk_bTDx8FvAJBV7Y1uQKfGQ_DvaHfHwkF7z1ZtLVLGvCn-lckhlljO5MGR9YkpIYV8K8DLVwTdOp1EPIUwTsD05a4IDbEHOw9s3Qq04se9FxvAeevPDA865yIkX/s400/blogger-image-2039186478.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mince smells and tastes like Christmas.</td></tr>
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Next step pie crust. Good luck to me!</div>
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Olga Woltmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07005314696445244124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441980754375233910.post-1493768589682913902013-12-13T17:02:00.003-08:002013-12-13T17:02:51.449-08:00Magic Macaroons <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Macaroons are magic - they are easy, gluten-free, and universally beloved (except by coconut haters). So, without further ado, on to to the macaroons. This recipe is courtesy of <a href="http://dannymacaroons.com/">Danny Macaroons</a>.<br />
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This is the plain old regular macaroon version but I see salty caramel and spiced pumpkin in our future. And the recipe couldn't be simpler. Pop your oven on to 350 and start gathering your ingredients. Arrange the said ingredients in an artful way - 14 ounce standard issue back of sweetened shredded coconut (make sure it is sweetened!), 14 ounce can of sweet condensed milk, 2 egg whites and a pinch of salt. <a href="http://modernklatch.blogspot.com/2013/06/boozy-vanilla-diy.html">A dash of boozy vanilla doesn't hurt either</a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEdQ9BRh9Hes68kTewsLh89lmTBj9aGCghJgJN04p7X-HxppIYjtNkFtSsqRQGF5LgY7Sn6c0oz6OrZJA5he8QfI9xcZWM3GQKyhyphenhyphenrj3PjoMaP8tACy1kswpP1plOTzRlPv7JEQhs3BHXt/s640/blogger-image--1724564683.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="making macaroons - gluten-free!" border="0" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEdQ9BRh9Hes68kTewsLh89lmTBj9aGCghJgJN04p7X-HxppIYjtNkFtSsqRQGF5LgY7Sn6c0oz6OrZJA5he8QfI9xcZWM3GQKyhyphenhyphenrj3PjoMaP8tACy1kswpP1plOTzRlPv7JEQhs3BHXt/s400/blogger-image--1724564683.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was a double batch.</td></tr>
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Add salt to egg whites and whip them. There are different schools of thought on whether it is better to use cold or room temperature egg whites. Mine were cold and whipped well. Oh here is a tip, use a mixer, don't be a hero with a hand whisk. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZckYZqV3DITVIYhJ2Ej7yhfHAHx6x6NTDJmiIwfmDFD1rocsdZYyRyJoyBf6nXAFZz7YIC3zpOycVMg4hcy59HXuKddjpDH00xZO4h776hPZhY2fnEhufXDiWNxkkQZ56TbCUsZ0cvT00/s640/blogger-image--565621531.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZckYZqV3DITVIYhJ2Ej7yhfHAHx6x6NTDJmiIwfmDFD1rocsdZYyRyJoyBf6nXAFZz7YIC3zpOycVMg4hcy59HXuKddjpDH00xZO4h776hPZhY2fnEhufXDiWNxkkQZ56TbCUsZ0cvT00/s320/blogger-image--565621531.jpg" width="253" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See? Upside down! I took a chance and flipped the bowl over to test if my egg white whipping skills were up to snuff. They are!</td></tr>
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This is the sticky part - mix shredded coconut with condensed milk and then fold in the whipped egg whites. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEfdz8U1WOlK6Ec-MmfEafCXJ5hyphenhyphen_musO9DxIymm1KB87yvOmfBebVTrJDUr4r_vE-nsI8FeNB2pV41KW9vxPnBi-e9c2oCvBSZ83dCBQ56lqlQ7qeRVCW53OAOgevb1EDkGgn5wO9OPzA/s640/blogger-image--1473439068.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEfdz8U1WOlK6Ec-MmfEafCXJ5hyphenhyphen_musO9DxIymm1KB87yvOmfBebVTrJDUr4r_vE-nsI8FeNB2pV41KW9vxPnBi-e9c2oCvBSZ83dCBQ56lqlQ7qeRVCW53OAOgevb1EDkGgn5wO9OPzA/s400/blogger-image--1473439068.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Egg whites are folded into coconut & condensed milk mixture.</td></tr>
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Scoop spoonfulls of the mixture onto cookie sheets lined with parchment and in the oven they go for 25 or so minutes (I kept mine a little longer to get them golden).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ALuy0R8fEiPCNDLYOv-MfQibiJ012qDYDzYP-piFg4qSvHoscqawjFuoa3OcEsI3MGRAqIvf6FiweSWqdcsYJsWH9jYq2sABWFKgQgPuZRD6wPplS24CFJHtogljhDvdBBPyqaIATy0A/s640/blogger-image--2028526244.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="367" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ALuy0R8fEiPCNDLYOv-MfQibiJ012qDYDzYP-piFg4qSvHoscqawjFuoa3OcEsI3MGRAqIvf6FiweSWqdcsYJsWH9jYq2sABWFKgQgPuZRD6wPplS24CFJHtogljhDvdBBPyqaIATy0A/s400/blogger-image--2028526244.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Done!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheYa4llIhpZNccfTvb9mn0JPC-8qQc60cybXJKkv2iVzsrefeJ8Gm6-5_MeCMRzXlKUep1_Yk_g1-Wgx47LIz-VfvBThq-MjHIZMD_DhF8804vRrKTkRY2en4xRvIUUOvdEzwSRVffYdm_/s640/blogger-image-1900139162.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheYa4llIhpZNccfTvb9mn0JPC-8qQc60cybXJKkv2iVzsrefeJ8Gm6-5_MeCMRzXlKUep1_Yk_g1-Wgx47LIz-VfvBThq-MjHIZMD_DhF8804vRrKTkRY2en4xRvIUUOvdEzwSRVffYdm_/s200/blogger-image-1900139162.jpg" width="175" /></a><br />
Danny Macaroons just came out with a <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-macaroon-bible-dan-cohen/1114170830?ean=9781118472163">book "The Macaroon Bible"</a> - mad props! This is going on the holiday gifts short list. But then again, I might keep it for myself!<br />
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Olga Woltmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07005314696445244124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441980754375233910.post-53292703164635469692013-11-13T18:04:00.002-08:002013-11-13T18:04:48.745-08:00All about (BBQ) Oysters<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
As it happens, barbecued oysters are a specialty in Northern California. More specifically in a town of Bodega Bay (pop. 1,077). Bodega Bay, known for being the site of Hitchcock's <i>Birds</i>, is a tiny town perched on the rocky coast of Bodega Harbor in Sonoma County. Other places surely have considered tossing oysters on the grill but for the purposes of this tale, Bodega Bay is the cradle of this genius idea.<br />
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So back to oysters. Raw oysters may be stuff of legends but they do not rock my boat. I don't love the slimy texture nor am I keen on possible pathogens. Barbecued variety came as a revelation (thanks, Ash!) - smoky, buttery, garlicky, irresistible! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgop1_-L2VuDyodNT50lC1J_hMUX3uF1OdulojbbGkDoA_1aze2lndFK765ajVTiYDT_FxcSFwX6PuV5ICjriw03ETZIyJkOVlvMahJtflRSdFFX_FEip8DJdRo_rNx-spRvG6gC4a_Txaz/s640/blogger-image-748293210.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgop1_-L2VuDyodNT50lC1J_hMUX3uF1OdulojbbGkDoA_1aze2lndFK765ajVTiYDT_FxcSFwX6PuV5ICjriw03ETZIyJkOVlvMahJtflRSdFFX_FEip8DJdRo_rNx-spRvG6gC4a_Txaz/s400/blogger-image-748293210.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lunch of BBQed oysters from a tiny shack, ahem, cafe.</td></tr>
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Lunch left us longing for more oysters, so to the fish market we went to pick up these beauties. After a thorough scrubbing to get the grit off, oysters go on a hot grill (though our batch had to be finished off in the oven). The oyster dude at the grill in Bodega Bay shucks oysters <i>before </i>grilling to avoid handling hundreds of hot oysters but at home we thought we could manage shucking a couple dozen after cooking them since they are so much easier to pop open.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Freshly scrubbed oysters - not a fun job, by the way, and a scrubby brush helps.</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Oh, right. Warm and shucked, oysters on half shell got a dose of sauce - we had to wing in here: chopped onions (shallots may have been better here), garlic, </span>barbeque sauce, Siracha (because it makes everything better!), squirt of lemon or lime. I do dearly wish we had fresh parsley to sprinkle on top and I am sure bacon or a splash of dry white wine would not be unwelcome. But we had a perfect accompaniment - <a href="http://www.acecider.com/">Ace Pear Cider</a>, but that's for another post.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Behold, two dozen beauties!</td></tr>
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Lastly, I am not a seafood expert so eat the bivalves at your own risk. </div>
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Olga Woltmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07005314696445244124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441980754375233910.post-81426885152020203112013-10-31T19:46:00.002-07:002013-10-31T20:24:58.380-07:00Pretty, dreamy Marie (Laurencin)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's been some time since I have written about great women artists and it is time. Most have not heard of Marie Laurencin, but she sure had some famous friends. Like Mademoiselle Chanel. <br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZkql2xHUDMxekmlWgQ_fXvwtXgXWQXVTSfAq-IjEK4KoBaNq9QQ2-l1D5G92NSaJ-jxNV5o-Ndu_Vbqf2hx8IXetZpjnYfXpPz1tZVhwTdDBoHtJ4HCsK6Jlv3iYpJ0M2dRlQSXQTbJ_o/s640/blogger-image--1436519643.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZkql2xHUDMxekmlWgQ_fXvwtXgXWQXVTSfAq-IjEK4KoBaNq9QQ2-l1D5G92NSaJ-jxNV5o-Ndu_Vbqf2hx8IXetZpjnYfXpPz1tZVhwTdDBoHtJ4HCsK6Jlv3iYpJ0M2dRlQSXQTbJ_o/s400/blogger-image--1436519643.jpg" width="315"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #330033; font-family: Times New Roman, Times, serif;">Marie Laurencin - Portrait of Mademoiselle Chanel, 1923 <a href="http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/orangerie/laurencinimage.html">Source</a></span></td></tr>
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Marie was born in Paris and studied porcelain painting before falling in with hip cats of the day: Braque, Picasso, Gris, Apollinaire. Were these artists aware that they were to become something significant? Did they instinctively seek each other out? Were any perfectly ordinary friends among them now lost to history?<br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPm0LR7vf0pmyiGeGPZg2Mt_F3HJ4LNMZKj7CSxR_1s19_NbtPtDYSZ8j3lwusuk8IGx617QAi4YI8kfQ22k4Cv-wiC7T6GiMMa8O2yqd0b99FR4N0cJTGJH59Y23rF0xC3I2dayCuFjV7/s640/blogger-image-1621656370.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPm0LR7vf0pmyiGeGPZg2Mt_F3HJ4LNMZKj7CSxR_1s19_NbtPtDYSZ8j3lwusuk8IGx617QAi4YI8kfQ22k4Cv-wiC7T6GiMMa8O2yqd0b99FR4N0cJTGJH59Y23rF0xC3I2dayCuFjV7/s400/blogger-image-1621656370.jpg" width="400"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Marie Laurencin, <em>Group of Artists</em> (1908). Image
via Musée Marmottan Monet, Paris.</span></td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Marie was there when crazy notion of cubism cane about. A few of her pieces have a whisper of cubist lines and sober colors. But mostly Maurie Laurencin stuck with what she did best, lovely, <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">effervescent, with the same cast of languid girls. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Marie Laurencin - <i>Les jeunes filles - </i>Moderna Museet, Stockholm</span></td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Why isn't Marie Laurencin's name known worldwide like the names of her posse? Was she too much of a one-note? Is her art just too pretty, lightweight, lacking the grit that would make it important? Perhaps it is all those things, pleasant and superficial. </div>
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Olga Woltmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07005314696445244124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441980754375233910.post-26843723814860698382013-10-07T16:36:00.004-07:002013-10-07T16:36:43.026-07:00Excellent GF Pumpkin Bread<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
After a year and a half of intensive gluten-free baking one can adapt "regular" wheat-reliant recipes with a degree of competence. This one is adapted from this <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Spiced-Pumpkin-Bread-840">Bon Appetit version</a>. My version, obviously, uses a different flour mix and also cuts down, way down, on sugar.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue;">Don<span style="color: blue;">'t even think about <span style="color: blue;">cutting the recipe in half to make one<span style="color: blue;"> loaf. These will be gone fast<span style="color: blue;">.</span></span></span></span></span></td></tr>
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INGREDIENTS (Makes 2 loaves!)<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>2 cups of white rice or sorghum flour</li>
<li>1 cup of tapioca flour or potato starch (or do half and half)</li>
<li>3/4 teaspoons of xanthan gum</li>
<li> 1 teaspoon of baking soda</li>
<li>1/2 teaspoons of baking powder</li>
<li>1 teaspoon of cinnamon, ground nutmeg, cloves. I also like a bit of cardamon</li>
<li>1/2 teaspoon salt</li>
<li>1 1/2 cups of sugar</li>
<li>1 cup of veggie oil (we used olive oil, which worked very well)</li>
<li>3 eggs</li>
<li>1 can of pumpkin (15 oz) </li>
</ul>
Mix the first seven ingredients together. In your trusty KitchenAid, beat sugar and oil, then mix in eggs and pumpkin. Stir in the dry ingredients mix. Pour equal amounts into two loaf pans (I line mine with parchment but you can probably spray and flour them too.<br />
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Bake your loaves for about 1 hour 10 minutes until ready, let the loaves cool and enjoy with a cup of tea. I am thinking a smear of apple butter would not hurt things either.<br />
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Perhaps I better go test out this recipe another time, just to be sure.<br />
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Here is my <a href="http://modernklatch.blogspot.com/2012/11/bakers-kitchen-holiday-ready-gf-kitchen.html">Gluten Free 101 guide</a> and <a href="http://modernklatch.blogspot.com/2013/09/apricot-ginger-tea-scones-gf.html">Ginger-Apricot scones</a> if you are on a GF baking spree.</div>
Olga Woltmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07005314696445244124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441980754375233910.post-1488538257994533142013-09-20T09:51:00.003-07:002013-09-20T09:51:37.672-07:00Real Boy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This sort of painting, despite its merits, would not typically catch my prolonged attention. <a href="http://modernklatch.blogspot.com/2011/07/favorite-paintings.html">My favorites</a> are more modern, more ambiguous, and less academic. But this portrait of a little boy with a long name, destined not to grow up, came to life during story time with my younger son. The painting is in our <a href="http://www.amazon.com/I-Spy-An-Alphabet-Art/dp/0688147305/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_z/178-8670036-8642934">An Alphabet in Art book</a> under M for Magpies. Suddenly, through the eyes of a three-year-old, I saw this painting for the very first time.<br />
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This is a portrait of a tiny kid, a toddler really, just the sort of boy we would meet at a playground. And birds, oblivious to danger. And kitty-cats, a little sinister but soft. As I watch my own little boy look at length at his long-lost friend, asking questions, the formal portrait fades and all that's left is a real boy.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI1QiTQrGTZzMlJ1uKwics2-aUx9MkYEK51v8VHQF4BJlZR7QHZlxcwcvvJxhtWQO65rjC6ksw_Z05F6Q23u_LEdwaI1z0uFrEFPCmC3tRqG1fnH4EJWDYQLlx4bHKJernA3Q5crRyrEtm/s640/blogger-image--2076401571.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI1QiTQrGTZzMlJ1uKwics2-aUx9MkYEK51v8VHQF4BJlZR7QHZlxcwcvvJxhtWQO65rjC6ksw_Z05F6Q23u_LEdwaI1z0uFrEFPCmC3tRqG1fnH4EJWDYQLlx4bHKJernA3Q5crRyrEtm/s400/blogger-image--2076401571.jpg" width="295" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Manuel Osorio Manrique de Zuniga by Francisco de Goya y Lucientes - <a href="http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/49.7.41">image loaned from the Met</a></td></tr>
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Read about our <a href="http://modernklatch.blogspot.com/2013/02/art-history-for-breakfast.html">favorite kiddie art history books here</a>.
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Olga Woltmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07005314696445244124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441980754375233910.post-11413984750221774412013-09-08T18:09:00.003-07:002013-09-08T18:09:43.750-07:00Apricot-Ginger Tea Scones (GF)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
A few months back, with a bake sale looming, I couldn't find a suitable gluten-free scone recipe (plain old wheat ones were abound, of course). I settled on <a href="http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2010/03/chocolate-chip-scones.html">chocolate chip scones</a> from Gluten-Free Goddess. But with a few substitutions. Vanilla rice mild (meeh!), became soy milk. Spectrum shortening was replaced with coconut oil. And chocolate chips were replaced with apricots and ginger. So, behold my very own version of gluten-free scones.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These puppies went fast!</td></tr>
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Set the over to 375 and get mixing. </div>
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INGREDIENTS:</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>1 cup of white rice flour</li>
<li>1/2 cup of amaranth flour (or millet - hey, baking GF, you can't avoid a few oddball items)</li>
<li>1/2 cup tapioca flour</li>
<li>1 tsp baking powder</li>
<li>1 tsp baking soda</li>
<li>1 tsp xanthan gum </li>
<li>1/2 tsp sea salt</li>
<li>1/2 cup sugar (or brown sugar)</li>
<li>4 tbsp coconut oil</li>
<li>2 eggs</li>
<li>1/3 cup of soy milk</li>
<li>A dash of <a href="http://modernklatch.blogspot.com/2013/06/boozy-vanilla-diy.html">boozy vanilla</a> </li>
<li>Grated fresh ginger and chopped dry apricots</li>
</ul>
Mix, mix, mix. <div>
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Form a circle on the cookie sheet lined with parchment and score it with knife into wedges. Sprinkle with sugar (raw sugar if you have it on hand). In the oven it goes for 25 minutes. <br />
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Serve with <a href="http://modernklatch.blogspot.com/search/label/dairy-free">dairy free butter</a>, Earl Gray for grown ups and berry tea for classy tea-loving tots. </div>
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Olga Woltmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07005314696445244124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441980754375233910.post-18924738922291524012013-08-18T19:50:00.001-07:002013-08-18T19:50:40.437-07:00Beach Book Bag<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I belong to the annoying tribe of people who feel the need to be productive. At the beach completing a book offers a sense of accomplishment, provided you choose your reading well. Beach reading cannot be too heavy (I don't think this is the time to start Proust) but it cannot be blatantly trashy. Here is my list that got me through July in the city, a week of sandy beach and I expect will take me through to seaside girls weekend in September. </div>
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You cannot go wrong with the tried and true authors. It is a shame Stella Gibbons is mainly known for Cold Comfort Farm because her books do not disappoint. <i>Nightingale Woods </i>is a clever Cinderella story set among 1930s gentry. Twenty-one year old widow Viola Withers is not terribly clever or sparkling, but you cannot help rooting for her. Read it! And let's hope more of Ms. Gibbon's books come back to print. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-8AoFC_ntpN9adj2bEzpSs25WY0aLHrjvvVfNAR4xmuWznoivmzUTECzkeQ3lA3qcjRXvnEiDOyOdvvheHMMHXwYmNNPEGjGJc6DdUZV4MJB6uGV7MOJEvG2WZSyWZXDScIxJM6d2J2gg/s640/blogger-image-311659222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-8AoFC_ntpN9adj2bEzpSs25WY0aLHrjvvVfNAR4xmuWznoivmzUTECzkeQ3lA3qcjRXvnEiDOyOdvvheHMMHXwYmNNPEGjGJc6DdUZV4MJB6uGV7MOJEvG2WZSyWZXDScIxJM6d2J2gg/s320/blogger-image-311659222.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>
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Fair warning - <i>Brunelleschi's Dome </i>is not strictly speaking a beach read, but you will learn a lot about Renaissance architecture. Ok, it is not a beach read at all, but it is short and feuds between <i>capomaestros</i> do spice things up and you really will up your ante on the construction of cathedrals earning your own esteem. <br />
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I will read anything Jasper Fforde will dish out. This is my number #6 Thursday Next book. These books are chock full of wordplay, book jokes, and familiar characters from the classics. Did I mention it is set in book world where there is a feud between Racy Novel and Women's Fiction genres?
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I am eagerly awaiting the last of Corfu trilogy by Gerald Durell. Durells are quirky, kooky, and you just want to be among those dropping in on them in their villa. There is mild Mother, bookish Lawrence, gun-toting Leslie, and perpetually obsessed with her looks Margo. The writer, Jerry at the time, is the youngest. What would it be like to spend your childhood collecting animals on the Greek Isles? <br />
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<i>Sorcery & Cecelia</i> is for the Austen-lovers. Two well brought up girls, one in London for the season, the other moored in the country, usual Regency fair. Oh and there is magic, of course, nothing extreme, just some enchanted chocolate pots and charms. It is a silly little book and a good one at that.<br />
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I read Dodie Smith's <i>I Capture the Castle</i> a few months back, but should have saved it for the summer! Though it would be just as perfect on a chilly fall evening. Sisters Cassandra and Rose grow up rambling in a ancient castle. They are bohemian and naive. And then Cotton brothers show up. Of course. <br />
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Remember Lemony Snicket? Yes, one in the same. Daniel Handler wrote several grown up books and I am yet to read them, certainly an oversight. <i>Adverbs</i> is a novel written in short stories. Can't wait!<br />
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<a href="http://modernklatch.blogspot.com/2012/07/summer-reading-list.html">Here is last year's Summer Reading list</a>
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Olga Woltmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07005314696445244124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441980754375233910.post-816201915789571182013-08-01T20:03:00.002-07:002013-08-01T20:03:49.408-07:00Conversation Piece<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I am in love with this itty bitty painting! In this most comfortable of rooms, chock full of art and books but with adequate seating, pleasant conversation flows. Do you suppose they are sensibly chattering about weather? Or debating the merits of life dedicated to the pursuit of arts?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAoBL3PknkYBdGmM-5wPVCuhJBv1qqIXRdQDTE_k-W8uThH1_h6bMzf4wGHzEOIJ6UQ1Ue2ZiQLXCV-NclyR1M5k1J_TH5g3dbzzM3f0sZiwfbQ6w24tQY6Fx-Nb7OYtLhDaXX8UiE2Xz9/s1600/VanessaBell_ConversationPiece.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAoBL3PknkYBdGmM-5wPVCuhJBv1qqIXRdQDTE_k-W8uThH1_h6bMzf4wGHzEOIJ6UQ1Ue2ZiQLXCV-NclyR1M5k1J_TH5g3dbzzM3f0sZiwfbQ6w24tQY6Fx-Nb7OYtLhDaXX8UiE2Xz9/s400/VanessaBell_ConversationPiece.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vanessa Bell, Conversation Piece 1912 oil <br />
<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings/paintings/conversation-piece-77959">Source</a></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The piece is by <a href="http://modernklatch.blogspot.com/2012/07/virginias-sister.html">Vanessa Bell</a>,Virginia Woolf's sister and a talented artist in her own right. BBC has a treasure trove of art - here is a <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings/artists/vanessa-bell/paintings/slideshow#/0">slideshow of Vanessa Bell's works</a>.</div>
Olga Woltmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07005314696445244124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441980754375233910.post-68857207312390607312013-07-29T10:08:00.002-07:002013-07-30T10:21:11.371-07:00Charming Little Book of Stories<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Don't let the title fool you, "Christmas at Cold Comfort Farm" isn't just for holiday reading. Nor is it only for lovers of Stella Gibbons - only one of the stories actually features Starkadders of the "Cold Comfort Farm" fame. It is a lovely little book, even it has never shot up to stardom.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpjfZrrlsrsXY4GZ6iZCS8utOlFMiNi5QfR0RPDiBirpW-RczfB3G_crq7KpBZUTSINHQr30d3aOJfEwh0NA58UJjped8GhZMmrasHIScqg1piI4ObyjB50qjSPZ-61X_-w9XafbbHdjT-/s640/blogger-image-1714528553.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Stella Gibbons Christmas at Cold Comfort Farm Modern Klatch" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpjfZrrlsrsXY4GZ6iZCS8utOlFMiNi5QfR0RPDiBirpW-RczfB3G_crq7KpBZUTSINHQr30d3aOJfEwh0NA58UJjped8GhZMmrasHIScqg1piI4ObyjB50qjSPZ-61X_-w9XafbbHdjT-/s320/blogger-image-1714528553.jpg" title="Stella Gibbons Christmas at Cold Comfort Farm Modern Klatch" width="209" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">The book's cleverness is reason enough to pick it up...</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><i>"She felt that if she had to spend another year of interesting, congenial work during the days, and sensitive, cultured, intelligent talk in the evenings, she would go mad or die"</i></span><br />
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...and its stories are reason enough to hang on to your copy after you have finished. <span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Though written some eight decades ago, the book does not feel like a time capsule. One protagonist struggles to balance work she loves with family happiness - sound familiar? Bohemians and sensible people are forever at odds with each other. Characters face their choices, pressing ones and reflecting on the path they have already taken. And stories are about capacity for change, not dramatic important change, but a quiet change impacting only the intimate circle of those involved. </span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">This book is a rare gem. "Christmas at Cold Comfort Farm" is easy to read on a morning commute or poolside but it also has depth and subtlety. It is easy to care for its flawed characters. Without delivering dramatically happy endings most stories are satisfying in the end. But the book also catches one by surprise as if the stories are a lens to one's own choices. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Can you tell I enjoyed it? This one will be a tough act to follow.</span></div>
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Olga Woltmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07005314696445244124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441980754375233910.post-45776769505196344322013-07-08T09:24:00.002-07:002013-07-08T09:24:57.387-07:00Mojito Madness by the Pitcher<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
When you find yourself with a bowl of limes there is only one thing to be done - mojitos. Lets call margaritas plan B.<br />
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There are tons of recipes for mojitos by the glass but no definitive ratios for a pitcher. The following mixture produced formidable and refreshing results. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3yJyH2h-QkD6O6xSvX6KWIdqFHgir-LPoIoNxHDsGhauB6akqhA6T8iqyi8jA2fm-1os-cOeeZDmBfyLpvvWAxkQnJBt0n6hEbhURdseEraPlJMkA4xTLb3kflBJehup411UqH2aBoOl3/s640/blogger-image-902500881.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3yJyH2h-QkD6O6xSvX6KWIdqFHgir-LPoIoNxHDsGhauB6akqhA6T8iqyi8jA2fm-1os-cOeeZDmBfyLpvvWAxkQnJBt0n6hEbhURdseEraPlJMkA4xTLb3kflBJehup411UqH2aBoOl3/s400/blogger-image-902500881.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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2 cups of fresh lime juice (about 30 limes or so)</div>
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3 cups of simple syrup (water heated up with sugar to dissolve it, Klatch version is not too sweet but it is all the matter of taste)</div>
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4 cups of light rum, like Bacardi</div>
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Fresh mint muddled with a few spoons of sugar</div>
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Mix it, cool it, and add a splash of seltzer to top off your glass. Bonus tip: hang on to gallon glass jugs like ones that apple cider comes in, with the help of a funnel those work like a dream for mojitos storage and transport.</div>
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Olga Woltmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07005314696445244124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441980754375233910.post-26660295539617360162013-06-24T09:45:00.002-07:002013-06-24T09:45:29.578-07:00Boozy Vanilla: DIY<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I first had the notion of making vanilla extract at home from <a href="http://modernklatch.blogspot.com/2013/01/improving-mind-through-reading-winter.html">"Make the Bread, Buy the Butter."</a> Do it. Order your vanilla beans from Amazon (seems to be by far the cheapest purveyor), slice 3 or 4 open along the length, and stick them into a small bottle of Bourbon (vodka if you are looking for a more pure taste). In the baking cabinet it goes to become in a few short weeks vanilla extract.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU0TBBLhJMso1f7btuP1rljtm5bztqpFN9s2oHHc7iBjB7OXJ7y3yZJijSOBZjbqFhvxmgw8SGVu0Mqjg6WOHodWOHmNACJe5TnTDsCyYoTASZ4CLeRiby_5-SotD3JRJLl4CIe19sO805/s640/blogger-image-1252672801.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU0TBBLhJMso1f7btuP1rljtm5bztqpFN9s2oHHc7iBjB7OXJ7y3yZJijSOBZjbqFhvxmgw8SGVu0Mqjg6WOHodWOHmNACJe5TnTDsCyYoTASZ4CLeRiby_5-SotD3JRJLl4CIe19sO805/s400/blogger-image-1252672801.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bourbon gives vanilla a more tropical, distinct taste. </td></tr>
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P.S. All my photos are from iPhone these days - would a proper camera produce better results?</div>
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Olga Woltmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07005314696445244124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441980754375233910.post-84209055958716098012013-06-22T20:53:00.003-07:002013-06-23T07:30:03.076-07:00Organized Chaos: Art Supplies<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
My art supplies habit dates back to my own childhood and I've been hording pastels and gouache paints ever since. So it is no surprise that we order art supplies in bulk these days. But a bigger question is how to corral the goodies. <br>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">We've tried boxes on the shelves but tucked away the paints just never come out. Freely roaming art supplies around the house drive everyone here mad. Little jars for crayons are good in theory but if the </span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">crayons </span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">were out, they never made it back into the s</span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">aid jars. So now </span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">we are t</span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">rying </span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">stackable boxes. So here are our must-have supplies, one box at a time.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br>
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<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/AVvXsEjd83TqLXmRbFy3cgnRc4UncyRUaBvvuH9Ss1pqJD40tWCy_BAgSBbKINXPlxjV5vxcFfD_MigD1_4so-lLZGDbhcdGoy7gJAMAyXfAvg2q_QHULvADaEsQEqreo0ifr_coXt1a5kkX5-kW/s640/blogger-image--448760168.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd83TqLXmRbFy3cgnRc4UncyRUaBvvuH9Ss1pqJD40tWCy_BAgSBbKINXPlxjV5vxcFfD_MigD1_4so-lLZGDbhcdGoy7gJAMAyXfAvg2q_QHULvADaEsQEqreo0ifr_coXt1a5kkX5-kW/s400/blogger-image--448760168.jpg" width="300"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Labels are really a road map for supplies to make their way back.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Paper - </b>plain white and colorful construction paper, extra packs are stashed away. Tissue paper is helpful too.<br>
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<b>Crayons </b>are a given, loads and loads of crayons. This isn't the place to skimp. Crayola is the way to go, cheaper crayons just don't stand up and are too waxy. While natural and posh crayons appeal to my own sensibilities, Klatch kids like Crayolas very well. <br>
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Crayons are bound to break and ratty broken up crayons are not fun to draw with, but <a href="http://modernklatch.blogspot.com/2012/12/new-old-crayons.html">fun to melt</a>.<br>
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<b>Oil Pastels.</b> These are not a must strictly speaking but a nice addition, bright and vibrant. <br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJr8ZyFZIiCLrsgmJ_bK3DNBFCA3b4DRxNnDS0KtJvAgygrTrbs6OTaJLE6GWeYw_3oiYM4Icxjwx6TM7o3m7wBhg0gi5N_2AR1crw-KulP6Bq8e3jKLtfzM-D4pVEDUAXSU2mzGyaivTM/s640/blogger-image--2033203615.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJr8ZyFZIiCLrsgmJ_bK3DNBFCA3b4DRxNnDS0KtJvAgygrTrbs6OTaJLE6GWeYw_3oiYM4Icxjwx6TM7o3m7wBhg0gi5N_2AR1crw-KulP6Bq8e3jKLtfzM-D4pVEDUAXSU2mzGyaivTM/s400/blogger-image--2033203615.jpg" width="400"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Keeping crayons in jars failed us miserably so now crayons get their own box.</td></tr>
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<b>Markers. </b>Self explanatory. Washable<b> </b>are best. The skinny pencil size ones remind me of the ones I had as a kid. The small pip squeaks are popular around here too. <br>
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<b>Pencils.</b> These do not get as much play around here these days, perhaps time to invest in a decent pencil sharpener.<br>
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<b>Tools box </b>is full of glue (liquid Elmer's and glue sticks), glue gun for supervised activities, extra scissors since they always seem to go missing. Masking tape in different colors has been a welcome addition. Sponges and droppers are waiting for the right project to come along.<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNKR-ydyHzrFMBCatduaZz41M3RDNbJZwGvR5qyf6ckLx7RMhl-SN2sWEe_Jkysj0Y_StCAVakoCYKKDvk01lexpK-UY6xJqKKLA04rFDWN4LNveYWoooAqGcBhclszwvXNXeIR-FeeYFe/s640/blogger-image--364193445.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNKR-ydyHzrFMBCatduaZz41M3RDNbJZwGvR5qyf6ckLx7RMhl-SN2sWEe_Jkysj0Y_StCAVakoCYKKDvk01lexpK-UY6xJqKKLA04rFDWN4LNveYWoooAqGcBhclszwvXNXeIR-FeeYFe/s400/blogger-image--364193445.jpg" width="400"></a></div>
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<b>Odds and ends </b>- this is the fun box bursting with goodies. You can never risk running low on goodly eyes. The pad of paper dolls is possibly the best thing we ever bought. One never knows when pipe cleaners, popsicle sticks, and poms will come in handy. Feathers and glitter. We need to replenish our glitter glue supply.<br>
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Two other very worthwhile additions for <i>non-messy</i> fun. <b>Floam, </b>sticky little foam beads, though somehow the colors get mixed together right away, and <b>Wikki Sticks, </b>bendy waxy sticks.<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjLi9SyOLzm0X4qsflnG5Jj8d3H6QhbjfgvMYEorW6gFLW_qGHHIiPSrdEuzptujmkNwxHfgq0iRvVFPxEyXw37_BWXmUPw4MbUNnyaoKe8nc5CrMWR6peWZSbnBIKWwE_xNTFTP-dCW29/s640/blogger-image--1203509752.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjLi9SyOLzm0X4qsflnG5Jj8d3H6QhbjfgvMYEorW6gFLW_qGHHIiPSrdEuzptujmkNwxHfgq0iRvVFPxEyXw37_BWXmUPw4MbUNnyaoKe8nc5CrMWR6peWZSbnBIKWwE_xNTFTP-dCW29/s400/blogger-image--1203509752.jpg" width="300"></a></div>
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Of course there are other supplies that do not get every day use and are squirreled away elsewhere. Since we are a gluten free household, Play Doh is out of bounds and early experiments with Moon Sand proved to be detrimental to the carpeted area. Our molding product of choice is <b>Model Magic</b> - clean and bright, at least until the colors get mixed. A tub of <b>clay</b> is popular around here. Turns out cardboard six-pack boxes are perfect for storing pint sized bottles of <b>tempera paints</b> on the very top shelf. <br>
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So to recap, must-have supplies to buy in bulk - I am a big fan of <a href="http://www.discountschoolsupply.com/">Discount School Supply</a> and Michael's:<br>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Paper - stacks and stacks of paper, different colors, textures, and size </li>
<li>Crayons - a good supply of fresh crayons </li>
<li>Washable markers</li>
<li>Color pencils</li>
<li>Tempera and watercolors (acrylic is too risky for the younger set!) </li>
<li>Lots of brushes in different sizes</li>
<li>Extras of glue and scissors</li>
<li>Googly eyes (yes, these make the must-have category)</li>
<li>Popsicle sticks </li>
<li><u>At least</u> one of the following - poms, glitter, pipe cleaners, feathers</li>
<li>Something to mold - play doh, model magic, clay </li>
</ul>
Nice additions:<br><div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Colorful tissue paper</li>
<li>Paper doll cut-outs</li>
<li>Pony beads</li>
<li>Floam and Wikki Sticks</li>
<li>Felt fabric</li>
<li>Foam shapes</li>
<li>Ink pads and stamps</li>
<li>Stickers</li>
<li>Sun paper</li>
<li>We'd like to try Magic Nuudles, seems like a worthy addition</li>
</ul>
Anything else to add to this list? <br>
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Olga Woltmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07005314696445244124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441980754375233910.post-33839049239826503522013-05-23T19:29:00.002-07:002013-05-23T19:29:31.505-07:00Learned Tot: SAT Prep for Kiddie Set<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It all started with a word of the day on our daily commute. Simple words soon became more complex, inspired by view outside the car window: facade and obelisk, twilight and desolate. When it comes to vocabulary, one does not need a whole lot of special equipment, just remembering to make the time, five minutes at a time.<br />
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This is our kitchen wall. And meet Barnaby the Whale. A quart of chalkboard paint and some bistro-style chalk markers is all you need. It is also a solution for a white wall in need of a statement. At meal time, we point out the words and remember to work them into conversation. <br />
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<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/AVvXsEhLaRC75dDfsyQ2kIToClDQI2NdBwEm214RLVRhpwQFgLwj6fkEX9NGjgPI2tJsu9F7CXwiC4QtWQDpsrTMlaIf5Ls1wHpdESsSgnigVquqg9fmu-OSklyqCv_q1AS8hU4nJByoKbgxIJzl/s640/blogger-image-842929463.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLaRC75dDfsyQ2kIToClDQI2NdBwEm214RLVRhpwQFgLwj6fkEX9NGjgPI2tJsu9F7CXwiC4QtWQDpsrTMlaIf5Ls1wHpdESsSgnigVquqg9fmu-OSklyqCv_q1AS8hU4nJByoKbgxIJzl/s400/blogger-image-842929463.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">For word ideas, just google "SAT Vocabulary List" - abhorrent anyone?</td></tr>
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Endless Alphabet is the best app ever! And free. Silly monsters march, spell, and act out word definitions. New words are added all the time. Smallest tot loves "demolish" and who wouldn't like to see a monster scattering blocks all about?<br />
<br />
<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/AVvXsEgz2rLmraWehCj45lGPARVpxItlmjVp8ZCWadpB2-cLbgvOzGExymkXXvj42HQ4Oh9E0417P5RX6mLTcryhVKO3s_CGqXiyZgBiLxw1g50Q9VxNWlVsARgrv33xC04q2KzeCMT5Plbqdkxv/s640/blogger-image-1188375846.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz2rLmraWehCj45lGPARVpxItlmjVp8ZCWadpB2-cLbgvOzGExymkXXvj42HQ4Oh9E0417P5RX6mLTcryhVKO3s_CGqXiyZgBiLxw1g50Q9VxNWlVsARgrv33xC04q2KzeCMT5Plbqdkxv/s320/blogger-image-1188375846.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Parent involvement - pretty much nonexistent after loading the app!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Yes, you could make your own flashcards. But these Big Word Flashcards are more awesome and they often come out at mealtimes. "Nincompoop" and "mollycoddle" have been very popular with our lot.<br />
<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/AVvXsEgICd_Euwek1H8kyCInXuQZmy1uvgEXCS3HEgq67fvZlZa1nrIVS-aqn94lEtsSTX7MgNPjKrGw5Jg2uQBDWJyEcqTkM_37pWaGRs0fHBjM2umAnY9uNQdBloiC_wEVKTnKF7hWLbZDKjVe/s640/blogger-image-911456743.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgICd_Euwek1H8kyCInXuQZmy1uvgEXCS3HEgq67fvZlZa1nrIVS-aqn94lEtsSTX7MgNPjKrGw5Jg2uQBDWJyEcqTkM_37pWaGRs0fHBjM2umAnY9uNQdBloiC_wEVKTnKF7hWLbZDKjVe/s320/blogger-image-911456743.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Parent involvement - for younger tots pretty high but in small time increments.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div>
Last but not least, here are our a few of our favorite words to get you started:</div>
<div>
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>Petulant - applies in many situations and super useful when little brothers annoy you</li>
<li>Shenanigans - see above</li>
<li>Multiply </li>
<li>Nincompoop - no explanation needed</li>
<li>Befuddled</li>
<li>Hobnob </li>
<li>Mediocre - a polite substitute in many sticky situations</li>
<li>Extraordinary</li>
</ol>
</div>
</div>
<br />
<br /></div>
Olga Woltmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07005314696445244124noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441980754375233910.post-27676785758048409532013-05-11T04:55:00.000-07:002013-05-11T04:55:08.985-07:00Landscapes from Frozen (Urban) Tundra<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This post is long overdue. These photos were taken a few weeks ago while visiting snowy tundra (Twin Cities, which indeed had snow while azaleas were in full bloom around here). The combination of industrial and sleek buildings, bridges, and desolation of snowy landscape took my breath away. So there you have it. Marvel.<br />
<br />
<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/AVvXsEiEH6H8SVUiTkroe6yVr6RtYhDyBGAUvqJqwzz2sZmotVSDOhXlovdCHGrNWCYxb-6gp1RzzJ0N8iA3-CpWXzeQnVBKDWarmAZEBKTTRQdb3aN9d5yxAyVaTdvp0uwyiUdOpRF9tJ-lATWv/s640/blogger-image--2034455632.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="at Gutherie Theater" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEH6H8SVUiTkroe6yVr6RtYhDyBGAUvqJqwzz2sZmotVSDOhXlovdCHGrNWCYxb-6gp1RzzJ0N8iA3-CpWXzeQnVBKDWarmAZEBKTTRQdb3aN9d5yxAyVaTdvp0uwyiUdOpRF9tJ-lATWv/s400/blogger-image--2034455632.jpg" title="at Gutherie Theater" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was taken through the window of Gutherie Theater - only the middle part is 'real' the rest is reflected.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<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/AVvXsEhLTAcvorHSHVk7xdENknPXG4sWpV-BbTMN9LqP7Cyel3h8A0c2TBziZq8WseRG0yOWC7VEAYkDbRntFdG8gvwvpnT-P4DuD2UJag-SUX7q6VJISZfI2NeG1cxJjQrEmpolWiKljveADgKy/s640/blogger-image--1775288330.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLTAcvorHSHVk7xdENknPXG4sWpV-BbTMN9LqP7Cyel3h8A0c2TBziZq8WseRG0yOWC7VEAYkDbRntFdG8gvwvpnT-P4DuD2UJag-SUX7q6VJISZfI2NeG1cxJjQrEmpolWiKljveADgKy/s400/blogger-image--1775288330.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Despite buildings and bridges, this feels desolate.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<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/AVvXsEi_ur83dsRNaQ-WQhweMXfwQHvVlEGViluVwAHZGB6vDJ_3ZJBLTVSihxepmNZSuhyphenhyphenBz0I2oUXUZLDyqOemjUtBJJgKGUY40Qlij4wRYp6AmOZTjlAw85EQoVN99d0AWM_MqhkqCS1EFjR1/s640/blogger-image--566227027.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ur83dsRNaQ-WQhweMXfwQHvVlEGViluVwAHZGB6vDJ_3ZJBLTVSihxepmNZSuhyphenhyphenBz0I2oUXUZLDyqOemjUtBJJgKGUY40Qlij4wRYp6AmOZTjlAw85EQoVN99d0AWM_MqhkqCS1EFjR1/s400/blogger-image--566227027.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bridges arches - and their reflection in glossy water - have a rhythm to them.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<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/AVvXsEgFvriiEhrL2M1hDYUfqfDx0Pd6UM9i0d4j1QlVfgTqvL2BgZLBJ6Hym15LaYOKkpSRS1BpuSZmktthbG9vTdGEGe0Qh4rfY7F41YCJ_aZ2ZgU9zT0uvFkG_YcQD2qGnSIE-MLL2clNdV1J/s640/blogger-image-1835167930.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFvriiEhrL2M1hDYUfqfDx0Pd6UM9i0d4j1QlVfgTqvL2BgZLBJ6Hym15LaYOKkpSRS1BpuSZmktthbG9vTdGEGe0Qh4rfY7F41YCJ_aZ2ZgU9zT0uvFkG_YcQD2qGnSIE-MLL2clNdV1J/s400/blogger-image-1835167930.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clear cold air.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: blue;">I will s<span style="color: blue;">cout<span style="color: blue;"> urban landscape<span style="color: blue;"> paintings for a fu<span style="color: blue;">ture post<span style="color: blue;">. Stay tuned.</span></span></span></span></span><u><br /></u></span></div>
Olga Woltmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07005314696445244124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441980754375233910.post-40973136045445195012013-04-14T14:20:00.000-07:002013-04-14T14:20:02.437-07:00DIY Projects from Klatch Home<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I have been obsessed with J<a href="http://modernklatch.blogspot.com/2013/01/improving-mind-through-reading-winter.html">ennifer Reese's Make the Bread, Buy the Butter</a> book. Author embarked on a series of DIY projects to evaluate the quality, pain-in-the-butt factor, and cost of outcomes. Home-made soy ice cream? Check. Our own vanilla extract? Yep, in the pantry. Tamales from scratch? Why, yes, and not a bad tamale. Here are a few other recent projects from our home.<br />
<br />
This is Toothy. An itty-bitty pillow for tooth fairy's visit. A forgotten toy, a scrap of felt, and in 20 minutes we were ready for the visit from the dental deity. <br />
<br />
<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/AVvXsEis1g793TgqfQ4GOJ7clZ2YvOu03xR8IVjLYOn3DkLerGqZth5ThrBW-ocSahWH2rGROah0l06Zk4QDuF5gXo_0jrAykzhMs9zXf25h5d-vpmkeRcaHq0_MirI2BRN3pbNZGXizG5Fu3OYA/s640/blogger-image-273282236.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="tooth fairy pillow diy" border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis1g793TgqfQ4GOJ7clZ2YvOu03xR8IVjLYOn3DkLerGqZth5ThrBW-ocSahWH2rGROah0l06Zk4QDuF5gXo_0jrAykzhMs9zXf25h5d-vpmkeRcaHq0_MirI2BRN3pbNZGXizG5Fu3OYA/s320/blogger-image-273282236.jpg" title="tooth fairy pillow diy" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, make it! It made for a memorable occasion and was pretty darn simple if you know how to use a needle.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Made at home stocks are Mr. Klatch's department. Aromatics mixture gets sauteed (carrots/celery/onion). Then add veggie scraps for vegetarian stock or chicken bones for chicken stock. Simmer and in the freezer it goes.<br />
<br />
<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/AVvXsEgxEEdgWEQG0J-VkKHxeRUAqFGw6W_9FcVtfK2zokv0_I1fw1N96dxHmsPxxRUjEn-du9LOT7e7Vv9G5TVK-wavU1V4eGSTqiXtu6cKRSBqszCFxUrpqpYtaDYy5c53TDkWBqhpEQk-nMQw/s640/blogger-image--735025152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="home-made stock" border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxEEdgWEQG0J-VkKHxeRUAqFGw6W_9FcVtfK2zokv0_I1fw1N96dxHmsPxxRUjEn-du9LOT7e7Vv9G5TVK-wavU1V4eGSTqiXtu6cKRSBqszCFxUrpqpYtaDYy5c53TDkWBqhpEQk-nMQw/s320/blogger-image--735025152.jpg" title="home-made stock" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a no brainer, do it!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Yes, you can make marshmallows at home. And yes, they are better than store bought. Is it worth it? Make them once and judge for yourself. <a href="http://modernklatch.blogspot.com/2012/12/homemade-marshmallows-adventure.html">Here is how to make marshmallows</a>.<br />
<br />
<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/AVvXsEiQOy1jZJZHD0TiYDgx5-1r5jEzXTISu3odUmgqLS1Jl0G8cVPoIv4ssAIDo8eMs9NGGbyfBwTLURsRrQzKg9lntKKwnRvqjCRtxvWm-tyXoktCGLDOZPD5XGnMHBcjpPqkRfbnS1gB8cic/s640/blogger-image--569383336.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="make marshmallows at home" border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQOy1jZJZHD0TiYDgx5-1r5jEzXTISu3odUmgqLS1Jl0G8cVPoIv4ssAIDo8eMs9NGGbyfBwTLURsRrQzKg9lntKKwnRvqjCRtxvWm-tyXoktCGLDOZPD5XGnMHBcjpPqkRfbnS1gB8cic/s320/blogger-image--569383336.jpg" title="make marshmallows at home" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It is a sticky business so your call if it's worth it or not.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Donuts! Everyone should own a donut pan and you, <a href="http://modernklatch.blogspot.com/2012/11/bakers-kitchen-holiday-ready-gf-kitchen.html">gluten free folk</a>, need to master the art of donut.<br />
<br />
<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/AVvXsEjj77qA02xsew9Mjg96q7_EXdriHDN1Kb4IjY_kSYeHiXyg-Ar6T7piN7TffXmNdT9v1jLC-Hm83lDCf3TyZ-sk-Y-IgRGG9yr4O_oeBRaMt5hz9QQ9suucrLdRihH9cGQ40bGmIzcSS9D-/s640/blogger-image-905096476.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="home-made gluten free donut" border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj77qA02xsew9Mjg96q7_EXdriHDN1Kb4IjY_kSYeHiXyg-Ar6T7piN7TffXmNdT9v1jLC-Hm83lDCf3TyZ-sk-Y-IgRGG9yr4O_oeBRaMt5hz9QQ9suucrLdRihH9cGQ40bGmIzcSS9D-/s320/blogger-image-905096476.jpg" title="home-made gluten free donut" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These are very very good. Make them and invite me over.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Broken up crayon scraps, melted into pretty shapes. I am not saying run out and invest in a mold, but if you have one laying around, it's super-easy and fun. <a href="http://modernklatch.blogspot.com/2012/12/new-old-crayons.html">Here is how to remake crayons</a>.<br />
<br />
<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/AVvXsEg1CImvmon1gxhHOpuZpWeVARNfXqqvL_Aw1PjiJ9hxAAP4gUKD0ZvqyqKEM2GB3EuJFbFl4jQ5xkWDbgQrbQ5z1laBEPNtxFrf1IJaFkLfYA32PCqF-6LVHczZGpriIcZEdEjRrH9z2qjb/s640/blogger-image--1273342114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="old crayons melted" border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1CImvmon1gxhHOpuZpWeVARNfXqqvL_Aw1PjiJ9hxAAP4gUKD0ZvqyqKEM2GB3EuJFbFl4jQ5xkWDbgQrbQ5z1laBEPNtxFrf1IJaFkLfYA32PCqF-6LVHczZGpriIcZEdEjRrH9z2qjb/s320/blogger-image--1273342114.jpg" title="old crayons melted" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So fun!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I always forget about granola but it is so good when made at home, fresh and toasty. Oats, coconut, raisins, this is well worth while. <br />
<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/AVvXsEi_MNyvyqBFSgvILzn1egnIr4RBxBagYgaTwe09pid5xLqc3inG9DMicysygP_L7NjTn7AYKeV0eN1JZB4lqlexN8Rf6zt0Ef6dP9sfqGjuRImmua_ISIX6UgOF7KwQnUAcqU37zGncgCAS/s640/blogger-image--1983134573.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Home made granola" border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_MNyvyqBFSgvILzn1egnIr4RBxBagYgaTwe09pid5xLqc3inG9DMicysygP_L7NjTn7AYKeV0eN1JZB4lqlexN8Rf6zt0Ef6dP9sfqGjuRImmua_ISIX6UgOF7KwQnUAcqU37zGncgCAS/s320/blogger-image--1983134573.jpg" title="Home made granola" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Home-made granola is a definite yes.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
What projects are you tackling?
</div>
Olga Woltmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07005314696445244124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441980754375233910.post-70813811585754282952013-04-10T06:23:00.001-07:002013-04-10T06:23:18.318-07:00Soup with a French Accent<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I am <a href="http://modernklatch.blogspot.com/2011/06/dreaming-of-tuscany.html">not a disciplined cook </a>and so soups are just the thing for someone who isn't so good with precision. And this soup, a hot version of Vichyssoise, has a lot going for it. It's fancy enough to serve to guests and easy enough to make any time. It is vegan (unless you sprinkle bacon on top!) and gluten-free, but will appeal to all palates and is a good choice for a get-together periled by the Venn diagram of dietary restrictions. This soup is also a good choice to make with the youngest members of your household, but more about that later.<br />
<br />
<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/AVvXsEhGADsAwVATTn4-FkimDkUPHRQ0IyiLccI1S4hB6lF4cl-OkKv5UxdYldzZ4sYgCetEQm5PX6V-dKq2sy8Z7hTcp759dmvKYhtqcPG5Csca54I-9ijqaH7MFYAAzQdTj7Os0zGLk8bBj7_8/s640/blogger-image--1870340324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Hot Vichyssoise" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGADsAwVATTn4-FkimDkUPHRQ0IyiLccI1S4hB6lF4cl-OkKv5UxdYldzZ4sYgCetEQm5PX6V-dKq2sy8Z7hTcp759dmvKYhtqcPG5Csca54I-9ijqaH7MFYAAzQdTj7Os0zGLk8bBj7_8/s320/blogger-image--1870340324.jpg" title="Hot Vichyssoise" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leeks, potatoes, and fennel, that is pretty much all that is required.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Ingredients are easy but there are a few tricks.<br />
<ul>
<li>4-5 stalks of leeks - you want to trim the dark green parts and only use white and lightest green. If you've never cooked with leeks are are filthy and if you don't want a dose of grit in your soup so a good soak is a must. </li>
<li>2-3 potatoes - a little goes a long way! Red potatoes are better, they are less starchy. We went rustic and did not peel the potatoes and by that I mean couldn't be bothered!</li>
<li>1 bulb of fennel - the whole thing goes in, fronds and all. </li>
<li>Vegetable stock (or chicken stock will do the job too)</li>
<li>Nutmeg, sea salt, freshly ground pepper.</li>
</ul>
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<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/AVvXsEhNuWqydft5KAUDea2-2VWtvfk6LjTfCQBflpZgAcwQSTrYGPNPqe_ZGHfy9I2UiCwXqVjCvSKCI6TBA2Fad0Lz1qoWgShVWCqbXCEYS_pqCoE2HPgy6HFtdRtm34rCRtRB_igiLBcKY8WN/s640/blogger-image-126537434.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Leek fennel potato soup rustic" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNuWqydft5KAUDea2-2VWtvfk6LjTfCQBflpZgAcwQSTrYGPNPqe_ZGHfy9I2UiCwXqVjCvSKCI6TBA2Fad0Lz1qoWgShVWCqbXCEYS_pqCoE2HPgy6HFtdRtm34rCRtRB_igiLBcKY8WN/s320/blogger-image-126537434.jpg" title="Leek fennel potato soup rustic" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leeks are vastly underrated!</td></tr>
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The cooking part is easy, saute chopped up vegetables in a little bit of oil for a couple minutes, add stock and water if needed, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and let simmer for a bit (once veggies are soft, it is ready).<br />
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Blend the soup - I recommend immersion blender, easy and less mess. That's it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi93JECxELg9ZdTzT2VjAoXT5TZiqOFq2GxK43n2bMU9doY_PQhdjKZrF9erOhbdUSu0uwWLBfoULF6uQs3vY__pNF7LOp1dqxh1IYyiO_cZbv_Pfk1rVH5BdDPV5r8AZAnI2i6x6OLXg6y/s640/blogger-image-1338965052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi93JECxELg9ZdTzT2VjAoXT5TZiqOFq2GxK43n2bMU9doY_PQhdjKZrF9erOhbdUSu0uwWLBfoULF6uQs3vY__pNF7LOp1dqxh1IYyiO_cZbv_Pfk1rVH5BdDPV5r8AZAnI2i6x6OLXg6y/s320/blogger-image-1338965052.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The smallest Klatch member busied himself scrubbing potatoes and cutting them up. His knife skills are still emerging so the chunks are irregular shape. Never mind that, since the soup is puréed, it does not matter if the chunks are, um, awkward.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghAwVbFP9h1YrUS8-cZpVhD8VVHEl9ChsoycHL4G0VJaNNMb8EztU1JxT4bZ9nbBlGs0eCBBljSsv4lfy2Aivd43sdUV2Z_mJ-pUsSucQ7kvy5ixty1c8etB4NIdt3xLu0GqcRd-aIkmhZ/s640/blogger-image--1117470027.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="cooking with kids" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghAwVbFP9h1YrUS8-cZpVhD8VVHEl9ChsoycHL4G0VJaNNMb8EztU1JxT4bZ9nbBlGs0eCBBljSsv4lfy2Aivd43sdUV2Z_mJ-pUsSucQ7kvy5ixty1c8etB4NIdt3xLu0GqcRd-aIkmhZ/s320/blogger-image--1117470027.jpg" title="cooking with kids" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kuhn-Rikon-Kinderkitchen-Dog-Knife/dp/B001UK3FAQ/ref=pd_sim_k_1">puppy knife from Kuhn Rikon</a> is awesome, sharp enough for chopping but not sharp enough to cut little fingers. </td></tr>
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All photos by ModernKlatch.</div>
Olga Woltmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07005314696445244124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441980754375233910.post-39487484858867053932013-03-20T19:03:00.002-07:002013-03-20T19:03:14.250-07:00Paskris: Mad as March Hare!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Until past Saturday I did not know what a Paskris was. But after seeing photos of the mad crazy tree, there was only one thing to be done. Paskris is a Swedish Easter tree made of branches and decked out in feathers and eggs. After a dreary winter colorful feathers are just the thing.<br />
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With a value pack of feathers and hot glue gun in hand, we set to work. Within an hour and a few burnt fingers later, we had ourselves a Paskris. And it is amazing! Especially against our sober palette of gray walls, natural wood, and brushed metal. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuBzhCcBEyLZUJfLCkCe3JJ4RCTW-qGar6nrKPAtvea5GUKhIu-0PliRzEVqqYxZF2GGHgalY9H2z2-zj_6d05XaSH8awcBgxxVyZSosVlKtGdIsb-9oXX8iCuI6jCnrY0hpXM6i7bv6el/s640/blogger-image--880421300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Paskris from Sweden for Easter Or Passover" border="0" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuBzhCcBEyLZUJfLCkCe3JJ4RCTW-qGar6nrKPAtvea5GUKhIu-0PliRzEVqqYxZF2GGHgalY9H2z2-zj_6d05XaSH8awcBgxxVyZSosVlKtGdIsb-9oXX8iCuI6jCnrY0hpXM6i7bv6el/s400/blogger-image--880421300.jpg" title="Paskris from Sweden for Easter Or Passover" width="400" /></a></div>
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Get yourself a Paskris. Stat.</div>
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Olga Woltmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07005314696445244124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441980754375233910.post-47362395702518256012013-03-14T10:19:00.004-07:002013-03-20T18:55:58.206-07:00So You Are Planning a Scavenger Hunt....<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few days ago this little box arrived at our doorstep. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRH0Fegln6LE-nMuYAw0YYkycOEIDo8Q1aNSSCvxHWSaG7yev64r3wzb7nd5Otp-pXXkCQ4VUef1_46_JutzmeRE2B-o_RugNcOP9EytLOhmUAPHCeSZWkkd75RO9ibRiXMUwccDGIKrJG/s640/blogger-image-1687457391.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="Top Secret Scavenger Treasure Hunt at the Art Museum" border="0" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRH0Fegln6LE-nMuYAw0YYkycOEIDo8Q1aNSSCvxHWSaG7yev64r3wzb7nd5Otp-pXXkCQ4VUef1_46_JutzmeRE2B-o_RugNcOP9EytLOhmUAPHCeSZWkkd75RO9ibRiXMUwccDGIKrJG/s320/blogger-image-1687457391.jpg" title="Top Secret Scavenger Treasure Hunt at the Art Museum" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Inside, a letter: </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"We need your help! Greedy Art Collector wants to snatch precious art works for his personal collection. We require a clever art detective to help find each masterpiece and confirm that all are still hanging on the walls of the museum."</i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUPJF3XzQykUp4L2n_66qnS-CQXs5IMsmeEApVoMaD89GQn3yQne6HwQze1FaknpklSyE6eCEaEqaYAuvnFymZ1vzcMgSmcZyxpo8j68K6_7ah6uD2cJ5uw-G6gv82rXjL4FYN4fMaIfDc/s640/blogger-image--1823031958.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUPJF3XzQykUp4L2n_66qnS-CQXs5IMsmeEApVoMaD89GQn3yQne6HwQze1FaknpklSyE6eCEaEqaYAuvnFymZ1vzcMgSmcZyxpo8j68K6_7ah6uD2cJ5uw-G6gv82rXjL4FYN4fMaIfDc/s320/blogger-image--1823031958.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Each numbered envelope contains a clue</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A wild chase led us through the art museum following the clues left by greedy about his heinous plans. Some three hours and many detours later we tracked down six works of art - Da Vinci (the one and only work in US!), Monet, Picasso, Van Gogh, Warhol, Rothko, a healthy dose of art history. As instructed, we took a photo of each as proof. Hooray, Greedy did not steal the precious treasures! Great fun, awesome one-on-one bonding, and a memory to treasure.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, if you are planning a scavenger or treasure hunt of your own (and as a wise man said, if you never have, you should, these things are FUN and fun is good), here are a few lessons learned from the trenches of scavenger hunt planning:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Choosing Treasures. </b>For a museum adventure, it was critical to choose artworks that we could count on being displayed. The choices were also well-known works that museum staff would readily point us to and represented different types of works (a portrait and a landscape, from Renaissance to modern). The order of clues was organized so we would not find ourselves zigging and zagging but also so the works would not be in a single gallery making adventure all too short. We set our adventure at the art museum but these principals apply no matter where you go.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>It's all about the mystery.</b> Packaging matters. Theatrics made the day more exciting: the early morning doorbell, the box on the doorstep, the rolled up mysterious letter, the tale of Greedy. It is also very hard not to spill the beans ahead of time so be warned!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Plan ahead. </b>Yes, planning a scavenger hunt takes time. More than one might expect. It is also far easier to have this sort of adventure on a weekday, when the museums are not as crowded.</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Make it personal. </b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sure, there are downloadable templates but making the clues personalized to books we've read and artists we knew made it more accessible and more fun. Again, takes time, but pays off in spades.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Clues. </b>Clues should not be too difficult but also not too obvious. Just enough of a challenge, but not so tricky that one gives up. You could stick with a single format or vary between different types of puzzles.</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Secret Code. </strong>I am a fan of hieroglyphics but Morse code or really any symbols can be used. Each symbol represents a letter and one deciphers the message using the key. We liked this one and will probably keep coming back to the ciphers! <a href="http://www.eyelid.co.uk/hieroglyphic-typewriter.html">I recently discovered this hieroglyphics typewriter</a> and it is pretty awesome, just don't forget to include the key!</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Crossword.</b> Create your own crossword to spell out the clue (I used numbered letter boxes to flag the letters that spelled the answer). This one was really fun, it also took up a good bit of time to create.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Reverse writing</b>, that can be read with the help of a mirror, is remarkably easy to accomplish (MSWord WordArt). Of course that was an obvious choice for our Da Vinci clue since he often used mirror writing.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Rebus</b> (pictures representing words or parts of words) is a forgotten art. Thanks to technology these are much easier to create (just Google a rebus generator).</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Puzzle. </b>Puzzle pieces when put together spell out a clue. I used just a cut up photo of a painting that led us to the artist. </span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Invisible Ink.</b> My last attempt at invisible ink was a bust but it is something that we'll try again!</span></li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIp6QpQq1j3cfRXOUQ4dZT9MtJmu5BsyPEVyV3Xbb3nY57c6LesIqJI-jHPhIEMyDOoQAxBJ2fewF5MvgmJ2paB13nVdu7KHVVUNqXcSdyIW3Q4moAoHbdfwbYDCvRJ4nHT6tZQDjmKp8R/s640/blogger-image-838226362.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></a><br />
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<a href="http://worldseeker.hubpages.com/hub/Best-Scavenger-Hunt-Clue-Ideas" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This post was incredibly helpful</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> in writing the clues! If you can't tell, we are hooked and anticipate new adventures soon!</span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIp6QpQq1j3cfRXOUQ4dZT9MtJmu5BsyPEVyV3Xbb3nY57c6LesIqJI-jHPhIEMyDOoQAxBJ2fewF5MvgmJ2paB13nVdu7KHVVUNqXcSdyIW3Q4moAoHbdfwbYDCvRJ4nHT6tZQDjmKp8R/s1600/blogger-image-838226362.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIp6QpQq1j3cfRXOUQ4dZT9MtJmu5BsyPEVyV3Xbb3nY57c6LesIqJI-jHPhIEMyDOoQAxBJ2fewF5MvgmJ2paB13nVdu7KHVVUNqXcSdyIW3Q4moAoHbdfwbYDCvRJ4nHT6tZQDjmKp8R/s200/blogger-image-838226362.jpg" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you and your tots like a good mystery but don't have the time and inclination to plan your own, try this Top Secret subscription from Highlights Magazine. It's a 'whodunit' kit set in different countries around the world. </span></div>
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Olga Woltmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07005314696445244124noreply@blogger.com0