Lionden Landing

Now that I am finally back on my feet and able to do for myself, I decided it was time to finally try this new cupcake recipe which was calling to me.  I like cupcakes better than cakes sometimes because it is easier to share the leftovers.  Also you can bring out a plate of cupcakes at Kiddush Shabbos afternoon with new guests and no one knows that you served the same thing for dessert at dinner.  I don't know why this particular recipe called to me so much since there isn't any chocolate anywhere in it.  Maybe it is that the cupcakes are filled.  I love the idea of surprising my guests so hidden treats inside make me smile.   I did not read the recipe well in advance so needed a last minute trip to the store to get the cake mix.  I have yet to find a parve white cake mix so I used our standard golden yellow cake mix.  The texture of the cupcake turned out even better than usual.  I think it was because I beat it more. ...

For the second installment of Stories in Art, Froggy got to take a tour of the Hudson River Valley via a giant autumnal landscape by Jasper Francis Cropsey. The piece is aptly titled Autumn—On the Hudson River ,  The docent asked the children to share what captured their attention in the painting.  Froggy liked the boats on the river.  One has to look deeply and carefully at the painting to know that there are even boats there.  After viewing the painting, the docent read Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert.  Froggy did not like the book as much as last week's but I thought it was much more appropriate and evocative. It is intersting to see the diverse opinions. Finally came Froggy's favorite part of every visit, her chance to be the artist.  The objective of the project was to make a collage with the available autumnal materials.  Froggy created "The Leaf Queen"  Froggy and I both prefer these kinds of projects, more free form and open-ended than th...

Garlic bread is a standard accompaniment to our pasta and salad. Froggy loves it but never eats the crusts.  So a while back, she decided she was going to sell her crusts for Tzedakah.  She charges a penny a piece.  This week she decided her "booth" needed some help. As soon as she finished eating, she raced off to make this sign.  It took all the way until bedtime.  Right before bed, the store opened with her parading around with her sign chanting like an old time peddler. 

  Dinners Sunday - Salad, pasta with marinara sauce, garlic bread Monday - Last Swim meet - dinner at pool Tuesday - Fish ala Jenn, rice and broccoli Wednesday -pancakes and eggs Thursday - Pizza and salad Friday - Gone Camping - No cooking for me for a whole week!! Woohoo hoo Baking Pancakes Pumpkin Bread chocolate chip cookies rocky road bars

I haven't posted a menu in quite some time.  But then again I haven't been cooking much either.  We have been away quite a bit and then Grandma has been here and cooking for us. Now it is back to just us again and I need a plan So here it is Dinner challah gefilte fish tomato and spinach soup pot roast (done in the crockpot) baby potatoes green salad quinoa pilaf asparagus hummus and maybe another storebought dip Blackberry cream cupcakes  mocha crinckles peach bread Lunch - Out Shalosh seudas - same salads and dips deli rolls same desserts

Today Froggy went with her grandparents to launch her third and final adventure with Stories in Art .  Next year she will be too old for this program and graduate to Artful Conversations . This year's adventure is a road trip across America meeting some of the great American artists.  Today's adventure is perfect transition of a year long natuatical journey with Seabird , to a classic roadtrip.  Today's adventure used a very silly book, Down to the Sea to introduce the beautiful works of Winslow Homer  Froggy was very happy to get one of her favorite docents  The story was cute and rhyming even if it was a bit babyish.  I guess that is what happens when you are almost too old for the program.  Eventually they moved to see Winslow Homer's Breezing Up (A Fair Wind) .  I wish I had been there to hear what the docent had to say about the painting.  Froggy had lots to say about the program but very little about the painting itself....

This year has been filled with stumbling blocks.  We are still struggling to finish out our schooling.  Math is done.  We have even started the next math book just because too big a break is not good.  We have accomplished all I had hoped for in Tefillah and Chumash.  But literature, science and history are lagging far behind.  Froggy is much more resistant to sitting and reading with me these days.  D. is a huge distraction and temptation not too read.

We went to visit the grandparents for the 4th of July.  We took D and Froggy for the seven hour car drive south.  Along the way we stopped at the Animal Safari.  It was baby season at the animal park and Abba and Froggy were thrilled beyond thrilled.  D. did not seem to even notice the animals much.  Since he is not very talkative it is hard sometimes to know what is going on inside.  We arrived in time for dinner on the 1st.  This gave Froggy and D some private time with the Grandparents before Cousin M. arrived.  The dodged the ever present rain storms and managed to get a boat ride or swim in every day.  D was ambivalent about the boat but was positively thrilled with every opportunity to splash in Grandpa's lake.  Grandma found a blowup boat that he could sit in and paddle around and allowed him a fair amount of independence.  On Wednesday afternoon Abba and Grandpa went to pick up Cousin M.  They stopped on the way a...

Froggy had her first swim meet.  She has made a real change this year and it actually putting in real effort towards improving.  She is trying to get as many "green" ribbons as possible.  She created a pledge-a-thon wwhere people pledge money for tzedka for each ribbon she earns.  A green ribbon means the swimmer beat his/her personal best time in that stroke.   Froggy is starting to make friends on the team this year and want to socialize with her team mates   They all look so much more grown up in their matching swimsuits  Waiting by the side of the pool is probably the hardest part of any meet. Froggy swam in three races at this meet including her first time ever at breast stroke.  Breast stoke is the hardest stroke to do correctly and not get disqualified.  Only 4 girls in Froggy's age group from both team's managed it.  She was one of them.  I am very very proud of her.