Paskris: Mad as March Hare!

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.

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.

Get yourself a Paskris. Stat.

So You Are Planning a Scavenger Hunt....

A few days ago this little box arrived at our doorstep.

Inside, a letter: "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."

Each numbered envelope contains a clue

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.

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:

Choosing Treasures. 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.

It's all about the mystery. 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!

Plan ahead. 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.

Make it personal. 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.

Clues. 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.

• Secret Code. 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! I recently discovered this hieroglyphics typewriter and it is pretty awesome, just don't forget to include the key!

• Crossword. 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.

• Reverse writing, 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.

• Rebus (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).

• Puzzle. 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. 

• Invisible Ink. My last attempt at invisible ink was a bust but it is something that we'll try again!

This post was incredibly helpful in writing the clues! If you can't tell, we are hooked and anticipate new adventures soon!

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. 

Art History for Breakfast

Would you believe it, around here we like a healthy dose of art? From early age Klatch tots are getting to know Leonardo and Vincent, troll art museums, and learn to express their artistic preferences and dislikes. At times it is a bumpy road - not gonna lie, before they embraced 'important art' getting their interest was only possible through a sheer force of will. But one ought to chip away despite whining (it is not a democracy around here after all). Here are a few picks to encourage interest in the appreciation of the fine art. 

There is no substitution for seeing art in a gallery. And creating art, experimenting with materials and going through the process, gives one a deeper appreciation for the art. But introducing art in a familiar context is the way to get them interested, if not hooked.

You Are My Work of Art is a silly and sweet board book, with flap on each page revealing a masterpiece - staples like Mona Lisa and Starry Night but also Hokusai, Mary Cassatt, Grant Wood. 

One of the bedtime staples around here! Flaps and silly pictures for littlest art lovers.

I quite like the board books that introduce numbers, letters, colors and shapes using works of art instead of oh-so-boring photos of farm animals and lollies to illustrate concepts. Colors with Warhol, I Spy Shapes in Art, these books are super-simple but the itty-bitty ones get use to seeing art as more than a picture.

Turns out Thiebaud is perfect for counting!

Flashcards are not for everyone and index cards ARE boring. But there there is such a thing as fun flash cards. We keep a few boxes in the kitchen pantry and cards usually come out at breakfast time. These ones have questions on the back (and a dice) but we usually just look at our favorites. A few picks are strange and it is hardly possible to boil down an artist's body of work (let alone entire artistic movement!) to one card. But with the limited space editors did a fine job representing the fundamentals - concepts, artists and movements.

Before they remember painters' names, they will remember their favorites. 

Though not an art history book Beautiful Oops is included because it teaches confidence in creative process and to take an unconventional view at art. 

Love! With oops turning into something new altogether, this book is as fun as it is unique.

Last but not least, don't let black and white illustrations of this book fool you. Chock full of art projects teaching kidfolk about the great artists it is rich and creative, from Gothic to Dada collage. WARNING: purchasing this book may also result in an excessively large order of art supplies.

Good to be back after a busy month!

PS Images are snagged from Amazon where I often buy these very treasures.

Non Milk: Navigating the Dairy-Free Options

In just the past few days two different people asked about dairy-free options, suspecting intolerances and allergies in their kid-folk. So on the heels of gluten free baking how-to, here is my take on non-dairy milk products. Keep in mind, I am not a nutritionist, these are my opinions and observations.

If you are facing (or choosing) dairy-free, not to fear, you have options and are bound to find one that meets your household's needs.

Choice really boils down to nutrition and taste. I am not qualified to address the former but generally speaking soy tends to be most nutritious and rice least.We did a blind taste test in the early days of going dairy-free of rice/almond/soy - almond was the favorite. Because excessive amounts of soy are rumoured not to be all that great, we usually have a couple variations at home. Here is the the low-down:

• Soy Milk. Definitely most creamy of the bunch and best in coffee (and let me tell you, Soy Nog is better than dairy!).
• Rice Milk. Rice milk is way too watery for me. I do not love the acidic aftertaste and and it doesn't offer much in the way of nutrition. But it works in baking.
• Almond Milk. For me, it is a runner-up. A little sweet, creamy, good for baking and good choice for drinking. 
• Flax Milk. Not as easy to find but Whole Foods and Mom's usually has it. It has a neutral taste and a good alternative.
• Hazelnut Milk. I do not see a lot of it, but chocolate version is popular with the kid-folk around here. 
• Coconut Milk. It is, well, coconut-y, but creamy and rich. A lot of vegan ice-cream recipes call for coconut milk. 
• Hemp Milk. I haven't tried it myself but from what I hear it's a bit grainy.

So when all said and done, here are a few favorites.



For milk, what you find in the refrigerated section is always better than shelf-stable. Eden Soy and 8th Continent are not my favorites. Silk is good but Earth Balance is our favorite for milk, chocolate milk, and nog.






For vegan cheese, hands done Diya. It melts very nicely on pizza and nachos. Word of warning, some non-dairy cheese contains dairy, so read your labels. But really, if you are giving up dairy, I would rule out a cheese board, alas there is no substitution for real blue castello.





For butter, again, Earth Balance, the gold standard so look no further. Honestly, it is every bit as good on toast.

With yogurt, as with cheese, you really have to pay attention. Some non-dairy yogurt contains dairy in its cultures, so if that's important read the labels. But there are many options. Trader Joe's isn't a bad choice. SO Delicious coconut yogurt is great. Whole Soy is tried and true, both Key Lime and Lemon are great options but pass on peach.

 Any favorite non-dairy products I omitted?

Improving Mind Through Reading: Winter Book List

Lists are awesome. They reduce hospital mortality rate (fact) and it is unthinkable to shop for groceries without a list unless you want to end up with a pineapple, jar of mustard, and tea bags. But reading lists are best of all, hence my addiction to Goodreads. I spend a good bit of time reading about books, trying to find treasures that toe the line between 7 lb literary gems, important but dreadfully difficult to read, and trashy chicklit, too embarrassing to read even in the privacy of one's home. My summer reading list served me well (though Jane Austen Addict regrettably fell squarely into chicklit if truth be told). So this is my winter reading list that should take me right into April.

I've written before about both A.S. Byatt and Stella Gibbons and am returning to these favorites. Lets be clear, A.S. Byatt is never a light read but I have been steadily making my way through Angels & Insects, a seriously subversive book in a gentile Victorian way. There are two novellas under one cover. First, Morpho Eugenia, looks at the society through the lens of entomology. You will be left befuddled and whiplashed, wondering did this really just happen? The second novella, Conjugal Angel, is all about mediums contacting spirits from a dimly lit drawing room. Enough said.


On a much lighter note is Stella Gibbons (primarily known for Cold Comfort Farm). Will we finally know what nasty thing granny saw in the woodshed? The title story alone makes this book worth your while. At the Christmas celebrations at the Starkadders' farm (before Flora Poste's arrival) the entire clan cheerfully digs into their holiday pudding in search of predictions of future misfortune: coffin nail for death, coin for loss of money, blinding headache, you get the idea.

Very first story, A Little Christmas Tree, is charming and comforting like a favorite movie.

Yes, I know it isn't "Harry Potter for grown ups" but I will still eagerly read J.K. Rowling's Casual Vacancy.  From the e-book sample I've confirmed that this will be every bit worth its salt. At least a dozen of copies are rumored to be in circulation by our library, but as the book is unlikely to make an appearance anytime soon and I will be picking up a copy on my next Barnes & Noble visit (ebook version just doesn't get me as excited).



I am not sure that a cookbook, even one with a lot of narrative, really qualifies for the reading list but lets go with it. I've been on a diy kick lately (homemade marshmallows, anyone?) and am beyond excited about Make the Bread, Buy the Butter. Jennifer Reese does what we all dream of doing, an objective pain/reward analysis of tasks from making homemade apple sauce to raising chickens. About half-way through I heart Jennifer, I wish she lived in my neighborhood. I have ruled out chickens and beekeeping but will be browsing seed catalogues before the winter is out. Get your hands on this book ASAP.

Special Topics in Calamity Physics is a dark horse. The reviews are mixed from terribly clever to overworked and done before. And it is a hefty 500 pages. But I am drawn to literary references and the premise reminiscent of Heathers are intriguing.   If you have read it and were not enamored, speak now!

The Lost Art of Mixing by Erica Bauermeister is a late addition to this list. You see I won what is said to be advance copy from Good Reads. While I try to be choosy about what to enter but still, one never knows. And this was a pleasant surprise. Only a few chapters in and as I get to know the cast of characters I am finding myself drawn in. Stay tuned for a full report.

What's on your reading list these days?

My Jam Envy

I admire people who make their own jams and jellies. Everything about the process has charm, like a slightly faded floral quilt and French country-side. Take my friend Eve, those photos of strawberries and neat little jars invoke long summers of childhood. I have not ventured into jam-making so I rely on stores like Mom's to supply me with nearly-as-good as homemade jams and jellies.

So if you don't can, here is your essential jam round-up. First the lingo. Jam, jelly, preserve, spread, marmalade. Jelly is only juice. Spread is a rather new term for jam with too little sugar content. Marmalade is citrus.

First Crofter's. I love the bear on the jar. And the continent-themed fruit spread. Europe here has currants, pomegranate, cherries, and grapes. North America is chock full of blueberries, cranberries, and cherries. South America and Asia are a bit more exotic. It's organic too!



Got some in the fridge and it is going fast!

These jellies and preserves are made by the monks of St. Joseph Abbey in Spencer Mass. Trappist Monks, people! We discovered Trappist jellies on a trip to the Cape.

We had orange-cranberry (super!) and hot pepper (meh). If you know of a store that sells Trappist outside of Mass, I am on the lookout for quince.

Bonne Maman is my third pick, as much for the jar as it is for the preserves. Bonne Maman is made in France with a label that looks handwritten, as if it was actually made in someone's kitchen. No wildly exotic flavors here, just good old-fashioned strawberry, cherry, apricot. Perfect for a hot scone and a cup of Earl Gray.

What other almost-homemade no-Smuckers-in-sight jams should be added to this list?

Holiday Spirits

A glug of good bourbon, a pour of organic soy nog, a dash of nutmeg. Stir and enjoy.