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. 

It is too hot to cook this week.  But planning cold food for lunch and dinner for a whole week for a bunch of picky eaters is tricky. And I must bake at least some but I am doing it early in the mornings before the day gets too hot.  Monday -Stirfry Chicken, rice and keem Tuesday -Fast Day - feed the kids mac and cheese.  The grownups will do a simple break fast late. Wednesday- Meet Night - picnic at the pool - Tuna fish, crackers, carrot sticks and fruit salad Thursday- Pulled chicken (from the freezer), corn on the cob, peas Shabbat  Dinner - challah,  tricolor gefilte fish ,Soup (Do I even want any? It should really be Matza ball if anything),  spinach and strawberry salad , Honey Chicken kebobs and grilled veggies , baked potatoes (done on the grill). Third Meal - either Dijon Chicken Salad or Tropical Quinoa Lettuce Wraps Desserts - pumpkin bread, lemon bars , Blackberry cupcakes and something chocolate but I have no idea what.

We have a super sweet little guy staying with us this summer.  We got the opportunity to celebrate his 3rd birthday with him.  Froggy made him the crown he is wearing.  It was tons of fun trying to teach him how to blow out candles.

Froggy and I have started driving for meals on wheels.  We have gone three times now. And we love it.  Froggy's only complaint the first time, we did it was that not enough of the people on our route were home so that she could chat with them.   We have done two different routes in order to meet different people and to learn more about how the program works.  At this point, I think we have settled into what we hope will be our regular route which we will get to do roughly once a week.  That way we can see the same faces and really get to know the people. On our second trip, one of the clients did not answer the door and her dog was there whining at the door. We called the coordinator who notified her family right away.  It left quite an impression on Froggy.  She has asked if we could please go back on that route again even though it is far and not the route we want just so we can check on her. This is reason 629 why we homeschool.  Ther...

WOW!!! We had the best Shabbat ever this week.  We attend "Camp Shabbat"  at a local National Park. A few families from a nearby synagogue organized this Shabbaton.  They reserved a block of cabins with a kitchen and dining hall.  They catered Shabbos dinner and planned/prepared all the meals and activities for weekend in a manner that families who are shomer Shabbos could attend even though they themselves were not.  I heard about it through a listserve.  Even though there was very little information in the announcements, I decided to give it a try.  We went down expecting not to know anyone but to make new friends.  It turns out we knew several of the families in attendance.  We got to spend time really talking and playing with these families as well as meeting lots of new friends.  Other than a big hike that almost everyone went on and of course the big havdalah bonfire, there was very little in the way of organized activitie...

This week, our meals are very simple in keeping with the kind of eating I like to do during the summer.  But there is lots of baking going on as we celebrate birthdays and have visitors and need to bring treats places. Sunday - Pasta, homemade sauce, salad and garlic bread Monday - picnic poolside - tuna fish, crackers, carrots and fruit Tuesday - Pulled Chicken, peas, corn on the cob, and birthday cake Wednesday - fish ala Jenn rice and broccoli Thursday - Grandparents Arrive - Vietnamese rolls and a chocolate trifle for dessert Friday - We leave!!! - bringing - Brown sugar cookies and brownies

Within the last two weeks, Froggy has lost two front teeth leaving her with a big toothless gap smile just in time for corn on the cob season.

Sunday - Fish ala Jenn, rice and peas Monday -Brinnner - Pumpkin pancakes, scrambled eggs and melon Tuesday -Pizza and Salad Wednesday -picnic dinner - deli rollups, carrot sticks and pasta salad Thursday - Pasta, salad and garlic bread Shabbat - Challah Gefilte fish , matza ball soup, spinach and strawberry salad , roasted herb chicken, green beans, corn on the cob, strawberry tirfle, molasses cookies Shalosh Seudah - at a friend's  -bringing coffee cake , and quinoa salad

Summer swim team starts this week. That means we have entered the three least favorite weeks of the menu planning year.  Summer swim meets at 6pm until school gets out.  It is the worst time for me, especially with the little guy staying with us.  Add to that Abba is gone until Wednesday and it makes for an interesting menu.  Monday - Mac and Cheese and veggie sticks Tuesday - Chicken Nuggets for the kids - salad for Ima Wednesday - Abba home -early dinner before swim- Fish ala Jenn rice and broccoli Thursday - Picnic at the pool - Deli wraps and strawberries Shabbat - Mandu,miso soup, Asian salad, sweet salmon, rice, keem, snow peas, and something for dessert but I have no idea what.  I am lucky I got this far Shalosh seudah - apple egg salad, green salad, tuna fish, crackers two kinds of hummus, fruit and same desserts as Shabbos dinner (whatever that may be)

So I ran across this article about the "important" events in American history.  It did not sit well with me.  I feel like it is missing many critical events.  Now I will grant that the objective is highlights not comprehensiveness.  Even with that caveat, I still disagree with their choices.  For instance, they completely leave out the Great Depression and both World Wars yet they put in the Manhattan Project.  So what do you think?  Are there other choices that you disagree with?

This weekend Froggy and I get to go to the wonderful Jewish Homeschool Conference .  They are even going to have vendors this year. I have some things I have been thinking about using for our Limudi Chodesh subjects such as this or maybe something from here .  But I am waiting to see what the convention has to offer. There is no reason to wait though for our secular subjects.  We are very pleased with Ambleside Online and booklist for Year 3 to see what I needed to order.  It turns out there really are not any.  One of the great things about the Ambleside booklist is that we can read many of the books online.  Those that we cannot are often for history and used for several years.  Froggy will begin Year 3 in the Fall.  To that end, I finally got around to looking at the I do need to decide what we are going to do about Marco Polo.  His travels are supposed to form the basis of our geography studies for Year 3.  Usually my de...

After a week of almost constant cooking both for us and for shul,it feels great to have a week of minimal easy gentle foods. Sunday - Pizza and Salad Monday - tofu stirfry (since we have so many yummy veggies leftover from Shavuot) , rice and keem Tuesday - No Abba = Mac and Cheese and  veggie sticks Wednesday - pulled chicken, mashed potatoes and peas Thursday -Brinner - Scrambled eggs and Pancakes. And then we leave for our Shabbos retreat/homeschool weekend.  So it is a breath of calm between the chaos.