tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24061744557148838782024-03-04T22:32:42.765-08:00Planting Truffula TreesSmallering our footprint, seed by seed...Truffulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07206163734611708953noreply@blogger.comBlogger101125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2406174455714883878.post-57900885796297172412011-08-12T18:22:00.000-07:002011-08-12T18:22:59.453-07:00The gift of good foodI'm in the <a href="http://www.greenphonebooth.com/2011/08/simple-eating-pleasures.html">Green Phone Booth</a> today, sharing the tasty delights we fed a sister before she deployed. Bon appetit!Truffulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07206163734611708953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2406174455714883878.post-27687862358880824682011-06-10T00:00:00.000-07:002011-06-10T00:00:02.922-07:00Learning the alphabet... outside in the gardenCheck out my post at <a href="http://www.greenphonebooth.com/">the Green Phone Booth</a> to learn more about how T is learning his letters in our Alphabet Garden. What a fun wrap-up to Grade 1!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvwqU-2zx6bQnzHRRp5mi4RJ_4qTQGwHD-KsyRaIm4hFckddz4hqawT0cg7Ddi_BmToiVVO3tJGXTAtFRrai8XQiCCVcSRgNCVv2wWDNA1oeBLlOAnyLOQ50ERGk7zK80eAI1Ox8HqWLFQ/s1600/110610-feverfew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvwqU-2zx6bQnzHRRp5mi4RJ_4qTQGwHD-KsyRaIm4hFckddz4hqawT0cg7Ddi_BmToiVVO3tJGXTAtFRrai8XQiCCVcSRgNCVv2wWDNA1oeBLlOAnyLOQ50ERGk7zK80eAI1Ox8HqWLFQ/s320/110610-feverfew.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">"F" is for Feverfew, in full bloom right now.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSsJnTLc8HqVHnu7WGKvDICqSE7c6lwUNdNfGAxl_SQ4qiyxZV_EfBJKceoZyOTmIdBeZIjKzCJed3r0yXyKc-G3_B6IChyphenhyphen5_rhE_uQ51dl6bJo9mRrHha7800-QZCc-_zhNn89UKjJ1iu/s1600/110610-lambsear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSsJnTLc8HqVHnu7WGKvDICqSE7c6lwUNdNfGAxl_SQ4qiyxZV_EfBJKceoZyOTmIdBeZIjKzCJed3r0yXyKc-G3_B6IChyphenhyphen5_rhE_uQ51dl6bJo9mRrHha7800-QZCc-_zhNn89UKjJ1iu/s320/110610-lambsear.jpg" width="224" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lamb's Ear grows under the "L", <br />with its purple spikes about to burst into beauty. </td></tr>
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<br />Truffulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07206163734611708953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2406174455714883878.post-25030608786062094582010-05-23T20:11:00.000-07:002010-05-23T20:11:47.641-07:00Lions! Löwen!These are the books we used for learning about lions:<br />
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<ul><li>Lions, by Ann O. Squire</li>
<li>Lions, by Sandra Markle</li>
<li>Face to Face with Lions, by Beverly and Dereck Joubert</li>
<li>And for fun: Akimbo and the Lions, by Alexander McCall Smith</li>
</ul>Truffulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07206163734611708953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2406174455714883878.post-16317437644978612322010-05-23T20:02:00.000-07:002010-05-23T20:02:48.876-07:00Soaring on eagles' spiralsWith our next homeschool review coming up, I'm working on my documentation. Here are a few notes about our second Man and Animal block before I return the books to the library...<br />
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<ul><li>Eagles: Lions of the Sky, by Emery Bernhard</li>
<li>Soaring with the Wind: The Bald Eagle, by Gail Gibbons</li>
<li>Eagle & Birds of Prey, by Jemima Parry-Jones</li>
<li>Keepers of the Animals, by Michael Caduto and Joseph Bruchac (Eagle Boy story)</li>
</ul><div>Interesting, I thought S would love "Eagle & Birds of Prey". It's a Dorling Kindersley Eyewitness Book, and has loads of photos in it. I checked out "Eagles: Lions of the Sky" just for good measure: it has lovely but simple illustrations, and my guess was that S would find it too easy. Surprise! The latter was by far his favorite. When I asked him why, he told me how much he liked the pictures, and the fact that it told a story about eagles. Score another point for the power of stories!</div>Truffulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07206163734611708953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2406174455714883878.post-70148495478844241702010-05-17T20:16:00.000-07:002010-05-17T20:31:14.984-07:00How to evaluate main lesson booksMy first "issue" of the Waldorf-Ideen-Pool e-newsletter arrived today. Among the contents was a link to an <a href="http://www.waldorf-ideen-pool.de/index.php?aid=2309">easy method for main lesson book evaluation, or Epochenheft-Beurteilungen</a>.<div><br />The author uses smiley faces to rate students on these factors:<ul><li>How well the notebook was taken care of (Heftpflege)</li><li>handwriting (Schrift)</li><li>page borders (Ränder)</li><li>illustrations (Bilder)</li><li>completeness (Vollständigkeit)</li><li>Descriptions (Beschreibungen)</li></ul><div>So far, we haven't provided our children with any formal evaluations. Still, it's nice to know in which areas this classroom teacher evaluated her students' work.</div></div>Truffulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07206163734611708953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2406174455714883878.post-76991144803816700832010-04-07T20:53:00.000-07:002010-04-07T20:53:16.453-07:00To buy, or not to buy a Buch - maybe we can help youWe are fortunate to have a branch of our public library system nearby. Between all of our family members, we go there several times each week. Many, many titles have come in and out of our house.<br />
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There's just one thing... the books are all in English! When I was a child, the library system included some German books, too, but that's no longer a language it supports. That means our selection of German-language books is limited to those we have at home. That's why I'm all the happier to know of <a href="http://www.alphabet-garten.com/">Alphabet Garten</a>, an online bookstore for German books, videos, and DVDs for kids... on this side of the Atlantic! And, it's a mama-owned home-based business!<br />
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When the opportunity came to review books for Alphabet Garten, I submitted an application. The result was that... a box of books arrived on the front porch for me!<br />
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Sarah, Alphabet Garten's owner, added some thoughtful touches, including this colorful <i>Buchwurm </i>bookmark. The bookmark wishes <i>Viel Spass beim Lesen!</i> Thanks, we did have a lot of <i>Spass</i>, so much so that T asked me to reread one of the books to him right away.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.alphabet-garten.com/wordpress/?p=182">My first review has been posted</a>, and there are a few others in the pipeline. <i>Viel Spass beim Lesen</i>!</div>Truffulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07206163734611708953noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2406174455714883878.post-83285310769406584142009-12-20T20:11:00.000-08:002009-12-20T20:11:09.739-08:00Gruesse zur Wintersonnenwende<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZUvE6ozpWxwdst6gIBG84ff5VSBAwJuUNj2-RPZhrR200s2P4BMegWrEr1w-1l0mWBRA4Hp0S8xLPLaWshRkb3985KR8D_W5kn28Qmf29914MiNkRYeWZxDNZOdnb0Ny4jBaMyIQQkgyf/s1600-h/091220-solstice-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZUvE6ozpWxwdst6gIBG84ff5VSBAwJuUNj2-RPZhrR200s2P4BMegWrEr1w-1l0mWBRA4Hp0S8xLPLaWshRkb3985KR8D_W5kn28Qmf29914MiNkRYeWZxDNZOdnb0Ny4jBaMyIQQkgyf/s320/091220-solstice-2.JPG" width="240" /></a><br />
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The heaps and heaps and heaps of snow which fell this weekend created a fitting backdrop for our family's Winter Solstice. We ate by candlelight, and the intermittent glow of the temperamental string of LEDs we have in the kitchen.<br />
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After dinner, the TruffulaBoyz made pomanders with tangerines and cloves. The results smell fantastic!<br />
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We then revisited some of <a href="http://plantingtruffulatrees.blogspot.com/2009/12/how-to-have-simple-and-effective-advent.html">the songs we used during our recent Advent Spiral</a> [with better candelight for the lead musician this time ;-) ].<br />
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I hadn't realized that the Winter Solstice is also called "<a href="http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomastag">Thomastag</a>", recalling said apostle's reluctance to acknowledge the risen Jesus (and the longest night before the return of the Light).Truffulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07206163734611708953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2406174455714883878.post-41130569105045671102009-12-08T19:55:00.000-08:002009-12-20T19:55:41.050-08:00How to have a simple and effective Advent Spiral<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9jQqevy7cVXNgY1draw5PYLOsng5n6MA9C_f2_3BUx4UgxpAl5cHz3QTtMyCHGc-OLMmKtwUpR6_5CYPCNQ6iEZFsjuLBkrID2uVqDVQJZ8M435WNYz24Zjj4IQgE7YLLMCD8BYRSubNv/s1600-h/091208-advent-spiral-4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9jQqevy7cVXNgY1draw5PYLOsng5n6MA9C_f2_3BUx4UgxpAl5cHz3QTtMyCHGc-OLMmKtwUpR6_5CYPCNQ6iEZFsjuLBkrID2uVqDVQJZ8M435WNYz24Zjj4IQgE7YLLMCD8BYRSubNv/s320/091208-advent-spiral-4.JPG" width="240" /></a><br />
</div><b>Location:</b> a lovely basement room with a beautiful cork floor. As an alternative, I love <a href="http://www.alittlegardenflower.com/">Melisa Neilson's</a> idea of holding it in a garage.<br />
<b>The participants:</b> 5 families with 9 children between us, ranging from 16 months to 9.5 years<br />
<b>Things to bring:</b> candles, candleholders, and optionally, a snack to share <br />
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Our host prepared her room before we came by laying out her floor in a spiral of greens. She added a pine cone here and there, as well as golden cardboard stars, and placed a candle in the spiral's center.<br />
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As our group gathered, the children took the time to play. When we were ready to begin, our host went downstairs, turned off the lights, and lit the center candle, plus a few others around the room.<br />
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I had prepared a packet of songs for each family - those extra candles around the periphery of the room were super-handy in providing us enough light to read the sheets! To help set the mood, I led the group in singing "Down with Darkness" - we sang it a few times through.<br />
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Then, I continued the music by playing my recorder and singing.<br />
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One of the moms began the Spiral by walking into the center, lighting her candle, and then setting it on the path as she came back out. We continued with the oldest child (with the intent of modeling the walk for the other children), and the rest of the kids took turns - in no particular order.<br />
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Each of us had brought our own candles and candleholders - no two were the same, which created a delightful variety along the spiral.<br />
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At the end, I led us in a few repetitions of "Dona Nobis Pacem".<br />
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When we were finished, the children went back to playing. When hunger set in, we enjoyed some potluck snacks.<br />
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<b>This is the music we used</b><br />
<ul><li><a href="http://www.waldorfwithoutwalls.com/newsletter/40">My candle burns</a></li>
<li><a href="http://waldorfwithoutwalls.com/newsletter/39">Down with darkness </a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/Hymns_and_Carols/PDF/Holly_And_The_Ivy_7.pdf">The Holly and the Ivy</a> (pdf)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/Hymns_and_Carols/o_come_o_come_emmanuel-1.htm">O Come, O Come Emmanuel</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.hymnsite.com/pdf/376piano.pdf">Dona Nobis Pacem</a> (pdf)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.waldorflibrary.org/Journal_Articles/GW3512.pdf">Advent Table Play</a> (pdf) with 2 songs: "From heaven's arch so high" and "While the stars are shining bright"</li>
<li>"On the golden star path walking" from All Year Round<br />
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</ul><b>Things to do differently next time:</b><br />
<ul><li> Before moving into the Spiral room/area, chat more thoroughly with the children to help them enter a meditative, contemplative mood.</li>
<li>During the chat, describe to the children what they will do in the spiral - I thought our first youthful Spiral-walker knew what he was doing, only to find out afterward that he did not. Oops!</li>
<li>Make sure the recorder player / singer has a good candle and set of music in the place where she'll sit or stand. I did not do this in advance, and ended up improvising my set-up.</li>
<li>We did not read or tell a story. This worked out ok, but a story would have added a nice touch.<br />
</li>
</ul><ul></ul>Isn't this simple plate of oranges and pomegranate seeds gorgeous?! I just had to take its photo! :-)<br />
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</div>Star cookies in honor of the coming Solstice.<br />
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</div>Truffulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07206163734611708953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2406174455714883878.post-17645202402465358232009-11-17T19:50:00.000-08:002009-11-18T20:42:42.602-08:00No Impact Experiment: TransportationThe assignment was to make a list of all the places we were going today and how we usually get there, and then to think about which alternatives could be used instead.<br />
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The first part was easy. We had two destinations today: our CSA during the day, and a rehearsal in the evening. Then, things got ticklish... Our CSA used to be on a bus route. That portion of the route was discontinued a while ago because of budget cuts. <br />
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However, I probably wouldn't have used the bus for today's CSA outing, regardless. The seven miles took two busses and about an hour to traverse. We would either have had to leave the house very early, or not arrived at the farm until mid-morning. Then, on the trip home, the arrival time of the first bus would have been uncertain. The stop closest to the CSA was towards the end of the route, and you never knew whether the bus would be early or late getting there. That meant needing to leave a huge window of time at the stop, just in case. That was all doable for an adult with reading material at the ready. When that adult has two children in tow, whose tolerance for unpredictable bus schedules is fairly low after putting in a few hours of volunteer time, the wait time by the side of the road, and the long travel timerelative to the distance made the bus a lot less attractive.<br />
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Similarly, public transportation was not an option for our evening rehearsal. There are simply no stops within reasonable walking distance. So, into the car it is on Tuesday nights. However, we do have a +1 for the trip, because we pick up another participant along the way, and carpool for the last few miles there and back.<br />
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My regular commute, on the other hand, is all by foot and public transportation! On days when there's not a long connection time between travel segments, my time needed is comparable to driving by car. Among the benefits: I can read during my trip; I don't need to spend any time searching for a parking space; and the bus driver shoulders the stress of rush-hour driving, not me.<br />
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On tap for tomorrow: food!Truffulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07206163734611708953noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2406174455714883878.post-87920363963233156442009-11-15T21:03:00.000-08:002009-11-15T21:03:56.770-08:00No Impact Experiment: ConsumptionToday's challenge was to think about doing more with less and about buying less stuff. The less buying part was, thankfully, not that hard -- we actually do quite well in that department. The vast majority of our purchases each week are for food. And, because I've got my mind set on trying my hand at making kimchi, cabbage and ginger are on my must-have grocery item list right now. (If you have a recipe to recommend, please share it in the comments!) <br />
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I must confess that I do have my eye out for new-to-me pants (I've worn through the knees of the ones I have, and while I've patched them, the pants are really only in wear-for-gardening condition), and for shoes to replace the ones whose soles have unrepairable holes. On rainy days, I appreciate having dry toes.<br />
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We spent a good part of today's (warm and sunny, and did I mention warm?) afternoon gathering leaves, adding them to the compost piles, and moistening them with the water I drained from the rain barrels to prepare them for the winter. The delicious compost we'll have by this time next year will eliminate my need to buy any compost. So, +1 in the no-consumption column!<br />
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However, I've got a -1 in fuel consumption for today, and on most Sundays. Even though we have a church within walking distance -- and we do walk to it when we go there -- we drive about 40 miles round-trip to attend a different one. This is one of those trade-off situations: how do we decide between the value we get from participating in the farther-away congregation and the environmental and financial cost of the travel there and back? At least for now, we have chosen in favor of the congregation.<br />
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On tap for tomorrow: trash!Truffulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07206163734611708953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2406174455714883878.post-87590237066844965682009-11-12T22:59:00.000-08:002009-11-12T23:09:31.089-08:00I'm carbon-cleansing with the No Impact Project next weekThe next installment of the <a href="http://noimpactproject.org/experiment/">No Impact Project</a> begins on Sunday, and I'm giving it a whirl. Consumption, trash, transportation, food, energy, water, giving back, and eco-Sabbath are the <a href="http://noimpactproject.org/experiment/your-how-to-guide/">mileposts along the way</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://simplesteps.org/register-no-impact-week">Will you join me</a>?Truffulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07206163734611708953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2406174455714883878.post-52395558389637563842009-07-25T10:13:00.000-07:002009-07-25T10:13:08.892-07:00A few quick notes on Grade 3I'm cleaning up and out, and moving many of those little scraps of paper on which are precious notes - you know, the ones that you really don't want to lose, but which are on their best way to recycling-bin-land because they are on backs of envelopes, on draft paper, etc...<br />
<br />
Here are some of the Grade 3 books we used this year:<br />
<br />
<b>Housebuilding</b><br />
Igloo, by Yasmine A. Cordoba<br />
<br />
<b>Native Americans</b><br />
The Desert is Theirs, by Byrd Baylor<br />
More than Moccasins, by Laurie Carlson<br />
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<b>Farming/Gardening</b><br />
Native American Gardening, by Michael Caduto and Joseph Bruchac<br />
Beatrice's Goat, by Page McBrier - highly recommend!<br />
<br />
Now recycling the scrap... on purpose, not by accident! :-)Truffulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07206163734611708953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2406174455714883878.post-2115426756463691622009-06-20T23:06:00.000-07:002009-06-21T21:21:45.905-07:00Lavender Shortbread for the Summer SolsticeThe lavender in our garden is looking fabulous, and the many visiting bees we welcome every day think so, too! I've been expanding my culinary herb horizons this season, and I thought about what to bake for this Summer Solstice, Lavender Shortbread came to mind, and wouldn't leave. Recipe decision settled! Out into the garden I went, scissors in hand to bring in some of the beautiful and fragrant blooms.<br />
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I used the <a href="http://www.reneesgarden.com/recipes/lavender%20shortbread.html">Lavendar Shortbread recipe from Renee's Garden</a><br />
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Review: Because this was my first-ever use of culinary lavender, I wanted to taste it by itself. Therefore, I omitted the mint. And, because I didn't have any lavender powered sugar, I used confectioner's sugar. My little "baking assistants" were excited to note that the dough was egg-free. (This freed them up to lick their spoons once the mixing was finished!) The cookies passed Quality Control with flying colors. The cookies had a delightful floral note, which some of my tasters mis-identified as vanilla. This recipe is a keeper!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFHUqhUa5s_C153I36CYKm0KfStsrKbDDcKvcz3KBYtwxin8G9CN6DBxlOt3gV_XUkE3VM096oFDWidEgs6ZlreRr6xEI8x4CP-_kFdGp3ZHpbrS4XLA6JQfA8u5aUNGKhlwjFjsjnppoE/s1600-h/090620-lavender-shortbread1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFHUqhUa5s_C153I36CYKm0KfStsrKbDDcKvcz3KBYtwxin8G9CN6DBxlOt3gV_XUkE3VM096oFDWidEgs6ZlreRr6xEI8x4CP-_kFdGp3ZHpbrS4XLA6JQfA8u5aUNGKhlwjFjsjnppoE/s320/090620-lavender-shortbread1.jpg" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibteFlL8-wtjp-Y-F_2XeFSXWkpybPZLUjP9-pNhxN8a9-Br7MdO6cfEOOSqBFuJ4BGyOHPYR3aHWGGoayN7crtVFKziCU0wwbARxx5mDY3Yb4UKNCj5kRkmXqQQcoF8S3ihwVZzer1bJC/s1600-h/090620-lavender-shortbread5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibteFlL8-wtjp-Y-F_2XeFSXWkpybPZLUjP9-pNhxN8a9-Br7MdO6cfEOOSqBFuJ4BGyOHPYR3aHWGGoayN7crtVFKziCU0wwbARxx5mDY3Yb4UKNCj5kRkmXqQQcoF8S3ihwVZzer1bJC/s320/090620-lavender-shortbread5.jpg" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9igKEdmxTeZR4J-QiNuUihV-_GXio4i7IUYXYnhCS2u0y0RzKswVtPui0nUo2k5UEuDuG-i2Ut5pDwRoKrPxPgwmD90BUhv8bjnO46sXFWv_gcfz7a5T3qlOuDUL1iI8MzFPIbMN1vaY5/s1600-h/090620-lavender-shortbread6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9igKEdmxTeZR4J-QiNuUihV-_GXio4i7IUYXYnhCS2u0y0RzKswVtPui0nUo2k5UEuDuG-i2Ut5pDwRoKrPxPgwmD90BUhv8bjnO46sXFWv_gcfz7a5T3qlOuDUL1iI8MzFPIbMN1vaY5/s320/090620-lavender-shortbread6.jpg" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Enjoy! </div>Truffulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07206163734611708953noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2406174455714883878.post-12526332586318476402009-06-20T11:40:00.000-07:002009-06-21T20:41:27.339-07:00Goodness of greensCheck out todays's goodness of greens from our CSA -- lettuce, beets, turnips, kale, and more are all in the mix!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOL13we8ufcoY3M9QlCd8BRGAZ6m9xDqABCmz85ABylIN4JLBvGG4RspxfXZVKWBc4Miwo3l5ijzpPmCfLJ1VkHy21ILe33Q_LSimKV1rjD7P8pVyjlUdBeT8SwuT9FjFaeuQlhsx2gR96/s1600-h/greens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOL13we8ufcoY3M9QlCd8BRGAZ6m9xDqABCmz85ABylIN4JLBvGG4RspxfXZVKWBc4Miwo3l5ijzpPmCfLJ1VkHy21ILe33Q_LSimKV1rjD7P8pVyjlUdBeT8SwuT9FjFaeuQlhsx2gR96/s320/greens.jpg" /></a></div>Truffulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07206163734611708953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2406174455714883878.post-78772325056499975612009-04-27T23:15:00.000-07:002009-04-27T23:15:38.289-07:00Earth Day gifts successfully pulled off!Earth Day has come and gone! <a href="http://plantingtruffulatrees.blogspot.com/2009/03/thinking-about-how-to-avoid-disposables.html">As I had schemed</a>, the boys now have (plastic-free!) tools for keeping down consumption of disposables. With all the hype about green things to buy in honor of the Day, I hated the timing of my purchases. But, if they are items I was planning to buy - ok, eventually, and this was a good excuse to speed it up - does that count as giving in to the hype? I vote "no". :-)<br />
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So, here's the after-report on how this all played out...<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Utensil wrap</span></b><br />
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I, um, waited until the last minute to put these together. No matter, though! Mr. T - sewing assistant extraordinaire - was more than happy to provide his sewing machine pedal services. (I guide the machine, and he runs the show under the table.)<br />
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I had made a pattern the night before our sewing session to help me map out the amount of material needed, and where to put the seams. However, the way I create these sorts of things, "pattern" is a loose term - it's more of a sew-as-you-go proposition for me.<br />
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The wrap for T required four compartments to accomodate: a knife, a fork, a spoon, and... a <a href="http://www.glassdharma.com/">glass straw</a>! He loves using straws!<br />
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He and I went to my fabric stash, consulted, and decided on a flannel cat print.<br />
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As soon as the last knot was tied, we filled the wrap as planned. Only he was so excited, that he wandered off for a while, and then came back with a bulging wrap! See, he figured that he needed to add a spreading knife (in case he was at a picnic where he had something to spread), chopsticks (in their hard case, no less!), and extra spoon (because you get two when you eat at restaurants), and not one, but two, pencils (in case there was something to write down).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAW8_VBmFRn6L85lM3jm6fL_ZVtfHIIXogtrfr40hOjPuAhDOB9DItpfGFAGcszEe9SVCjM63kjuZ_5rqbGNcMB9dzOO25wecQMnxDzs3hgJ1od2_9TDnpU-sz7x4i_UE8UOE6HFnyEnkV/s1600-h/web-090423-utensil-wrap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAW8_VBmFRn6L85lM3jm6fL_ZVtfHIIXogtrfr40hOjPuAhDOB9DItpfGFAGcszEe9SVCjM63kjuZ_5rqbGNcMB9dzOO25wecQMnxDzs3hgJ1od2_9TDnpU-sz7x4i_UE8UOE6HFnyEnkV/s320/web-090423-utensil-wrap.jpg" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKCVeFNnzRshSkbHGcKUquVBn8aqv6Jjm2adJWneW1Ssb0UG3kKyzTbU2r79upv4YrZP8ywoW6oZCThcrMVkCndRnSYRs9kFNRtvIJZatJ0kaKZKuqMvY3RXgsr4iBlOrBVMFP0-EOOao_/s1600-h/web-090423-utensil-wrap2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKCVeFNnzRshSkbHGcKUquVBn8aqv6Jjm2adJWneW1Ssb0UG3kKyzTbU2r79upv4YrZP8ywoW6oZCThcrMVkCndRnSYRs9kFNRtvIJZatJ0kaKZKuqMvY3RXgsr4iBlOrBVMFP0-EOOao_/s320/web-090423-utensil-wrap2.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Then, we went back to the fabric selection, as S needed a wrap also. T picked out some fleece, since it was "camouflagy" - oh, the things which matter to boys!<br />
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A short while later, we had Wrap #2 all done. I was thinking ahead: this one has four compartments also. Why? If T has a glass straw, S wants one, too. However, since I was hesitant to order two when I'd never seen one, this means that another order is in my future.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMBfGvncqJ-Z98njuxmgrlYJb1d4VdYqF0UumSzG54cBv4g-lDAH6DlC531LUETAhBJC38FtgB5ckFYzVZDzYpPFv1mPf6_Xb4_6EaPnaVayoyvROW4qp1lHpiFExh-P9WteR0UmCxW24_/s1600-h/web-090423-utensil-wrap3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMBfGvncqJ-Z98njuxmgrlYJb1d4VdYqF0UumSzG54cBv4g-lDAH6DlC531LUETAhBJC38FtgB5ckFYzVZDzYpPFv1mPf6_Xb4_6EaPnaVayoyvROW4qp1lHpiFExh-P9WteR0UmCxW24_/s320/web-090423-utensil-wrap3.jpg" /></a></div><br />
The wraps still need ties - I'm thinking that the kids can fingerknit a length of yarn to serve as ties. In the meanwhile, T has his tied up - tight - using ribbons from his (too many) chocolate Easter bunnies.<br />
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<b>Cost:</b> $5.50 - The cat fabric is a repurposed bed sheet, loved so much that the middle wore out. The fleece was already in my stash as well, waiting for the right use to come along. The cutlery is from our kitchen and "event kit" (more on that kit at some future time). My only outright purchase was the straw (for which I paid just shipping, thanks to GlassDharma's promotional offer at the time), and a cleaning brush for said straw.<br />
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<b>Result:</b> The recipients are delighted. T adores his straw, and has never been so well hydrated in his life. He even practiced what he would say in a restaurant if a server wanted to offer him a plastic straw.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Stainless steel bottles</span></b><br />
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In doing some research about stainless steel beverage bottles, I was tickled pink to read about the <a href="https://www.ecocanteen.com/index.asp">Ecocanteen</a>, which was touted as a lower-cost alternative to the <a href="http://www.kleankanteen.com/">Kleen Kanteen</a>. The thing was, it wasn't so lower-cost by the time I considered the shipping, which is not combined for the purchase of multiple items. And, the shipping would have created packaging.<br />
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The other thing was that I've been reading about <a href="http://www.greenphonebooth.com/2009/03/bail-out-for-main-street.html">the importance of buying local</a>. <br />
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In the end, I opted to buy two <a href="http://www.kleankanteen.com/products/classic/klean-kanteen-12oz-classic.html">12-ounce loop top Kleen Kanteens</a> from a local food co-op. That eliminated the shipping fees, <i>and</i> supported a locally-owned store. (Heck, the co-op even had bulb fennel seeds available, which I'd been wanting to get for the garden, so that was a win-win all around.)<br />
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The boys were with me when I made the purchase, and could hardly wait to put those shiny bottles into service. Yes, I made them wait until April 22.<br />
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<b>Cost: </b>I don't have the receipt handy, but I think they were $11.99 a piece. So, that came to $23.98. No, that doesn't include the fennel seeds. ;-)<br />
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<b>Result: </b>The boys are so thrilled with their Kanteens that they are using them in the house. Daily. And, they are their constant companions when they need to take a beverage along elsewhere.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Cloth Napkins</b></span><br />
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While I have fabric (obtained through my local <a href="http://www.freecycle.org/">Freecycle Network</a> group) designated for napkins, I a) ran out of time; and b) decided that given (a), we could get by with the napkins T and I have sewn previously.<br />
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<b>Cost:</b> would have been none, but since I didn't make them in the first place... the cost is still none. :-)<br />
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<b>Result:</b> It would probably be good to have a few extra napkins available for use, but for the time being, we're making do with what's there. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>And about those glass straws</b></span><br />
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This is one classy operation. When I had a minor question about my order, David resolved it right away. And, he had the straw and brush sent out before I could blink an eye. He's clearly given the packaging some thought - it involves exactly no bubble wrap, and no breakage:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_KU7jXMR-O0qfJUVp4jTyEVJjLx_Q0G0lDM1q3HTJ8Uum8EWXEJNkNOf2pXHXBoVHCHcNbIk3fNB7xA28Q2RNbOnpk93Xj8qy9H8701FYuPtjNOhV2G16aGUMvuF3ZUOrx_fHdew63GoB/s1600-h/090423-glassdharma.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_KU7jXMR-O0qfJUVp4jTyEVJjLx_Q0G0lDM1q3HTJ8Uum8EWXEJNkNOf2pXHXBoVHCHcNbIk3fNB7xA28Q2RNbOnpk93Xj8qy9H8701FYuPtjNOhV2G16aGUMvuF3ZUOrx_fHdew63GoB/s320/090423-glassdharma.jpg" /></a></div><br />
And, aside from anything else, the notion of a glass straw is a great conversation starter!<br />
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Happy Earth Day 2009!Truffulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07206163734611708953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2406174455714883878.post-33303716020723285182009-04-26T22:19:00.000-07:002009-04-26T22:19:10.390-07:00We started our Three Sisters Garden<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOr4EF4DXWviqRi9rHl3fP4acCzXsP8c9MN6pNBs0eU-3tEGRxwQpmL0TrdF-pvz3TeErZjWLh6eGcxIA9Pz024nwJldQzny_BnAwG1R3rYge5Ar59nkpRpxZkYKSq8UTu6A06A9Skj1W1/s1600-h/090426-3-sisters-garden1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOr4EF4DXWviqRi9rHl3fP4acCzXsP8c9MN6pNBs0eU-3tEGRxwQpmL0TrdF-pvz3TeErZjWLh6eGcxIA9Pz024nwJldQzny_BnAwG1R3rYge5Ar59nkpRpxZkYKSq8UTu6A06A9Skj1W1/s320/090426-3-sisters-garden1.jpg" /></a></div>With the weather being as changeable as its been, there may still be a frost, but we're being optimistic! This afternoon, S and I started our Three Sisters Garden. Truthfully, it's a Three Sisters Gardenette - we had space for only two corn hills. But, two are better than none! :-)<br />
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We chatted while we worked...<br />
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Some Three Sisters links for more information:<br />
<ul><li><a href="http://www.kidsgardening.com/growingideas/PROJECTS/MARCH02/mar02-pg1.htm">Creating a Three Sisters Garden</a> (has great ideas beyond the garden itself)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.gardenrant.com/my_weblog/2009/04/blessing-usdas-three-sisters-garden.html">Blessing USDA's Three Sisters Garden</a> (with video of song blessing!)<br />
</li>
<li><a href="http://ddl.nmsu.edu/kids/webquests/wqthreesisters_k.html">Native American Three Sisters Gardens - lesson plan ideas</a></li>
<li><a href="http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/lists/teach/2003045238014436.html">Three Sisters Garden - what is it? how do I grow it? when do I harvest it?</a></li>
</ul></div>Truffulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07206163734611708953noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2406174455714883878.post-62813492783954437072009-04-21T21:42:00.000-07:002009-04-21T21:42:42.573-07:00Happy Earth DayFor a gentler way to mark Earth Day, consider "<a href="http://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/days/features.php?id=10964">Earth Day: 12 Spiritual Practices to Honor the Earth</a>".<br />
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Hmm... maybe this could be the underpinnings for an Earth block?... <br />
Truffulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07206163734611708953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2406174455714883878.post-75853329138260062382009-04-07T21:22:00.000-07:002009-04-07T21:22:43.663-07:00Easter and Garden Preparation, and... snow!Wooosh! (That was the sound of our day whizzing along.)<br />
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We started off by singing two songs, one for Palm Sunday, and the other for Holy Thursday, from <a href="http://www.amazon.de/Das-gro%C3%9Fe-Jahresbuch-f%C3%BCr-Kinder/dp/3466367476/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1239163359&sr=8-12">Das große Jahresbuch für Kinder: Feste feiern und Bräuche neu entdecken</a>. Neither S nor T really wanted to participate, but the tunes were so catchy that I overheard them singing to themselves throughout the day. And, at bedtime, S directed the three of us in his own version of one of the refrains. Outcome = success.<br />
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Why is Holy Thursday called "Gruendonnerstag"? This same book had some stories for us, around which we had a discussion of Passover, a retelling of the parting of the Red Sea, and a look ahead at the Last Supper.<br />
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Then, we moved towards gardening! I sorted our seeds into categories, and S and I did some additional research into what we should be planting when. Cornell University has these lovely <a href="http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/homegardening/sceneb771.html">Vegetable Growing Guides</a>. And, are you ready for this?! Via <a href="http://twitter.com/balmeras">Bethe Balmeras</a>, I learned about this groovy drag-and-drop <a href="http://www.gardeners.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-Gardeners-Site/default/Page-KitchenGardenDesigner">Kitchen Garden Planner</a>, absolutely perfect for Square Foot Gardening designs.<br />
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After lunch, we headed outside. We planted wheat next to the "W" in our Alphabet Garden, dug and compost-enriched four holes, set up a teepee for our peas to use as a trellis, and planted two varieties of said peas. While S and a young neighbor (I was so delighted that he joined us!) were working on the holes, T used his toy dump truck to haul compost to our work site. After the boys headed off to play, I planted two varieties of carrot seeds, and set up a rain barrel to start to collect water for the season.<br />
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While I was doing some spring garden cleanup, I noticed white bits whirling about. It *was* windy, and I assumed that these were cherry blossom petals coming down. Nope. Guess again! It was SNOW. Yes, we had several bouts of snow flurries in April. Dear snow, thanks for visiting, but we are ready to move on to spring.Truffulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07206163734611708953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2406174455714883878.post-70316564424463496182009-03-21T20:43:00.000-07:002009-03-21T20:43:13.425-07:00Thinking about how to avoid disposables while you're out and about...No, Earth Day typically isn't a gift-giving occasion, at least not in our household. But this year, I think I'll be making an exception...<br />
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We're pretty good about packing lunches in reusable containers. What we don't seem to be so good about is being prepared for those eventualities while away from home: having that utensil, napkin, or cup for times when we're not expecting to need one.<br />
<br />
Or, there's the case we had this afternoon, while attending a program for the boys: the children had a break during which a snack was served. The food didn't need plates or napkins. But, the juice was doled out in plastic cups. T had a drink, and then gave me his cup to hold, as there was still some juice left in it. (Thanks! Good thing I didn't need the use of both hands at the time!) He came back, finished, and we parents cleaned up the snack fixin's. I put the cup into the trash. A half hour later, T announced that he was thirsty. <sigh!> Had I only saved the cup!</sigh!><br />
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So, I'm thinking that Earth Day will bring us some sort of out-and-about kit. The ingredients I'm considering are:<br />
<ul><li>Utensil wrap - I've discovered these nice <a href="http://www.to-goware.com/store/cart.php?m=product_list&c=7">utensil sets from To-Go Ware</a>. The thing is that we already <i>have</i> plenty of forks, knives, and spoons. Granted, they are metal, and not lighter-weight bamboo. But, buying more when we already have enough seems, well, not green. I have plenty of fabric, too. All I need to do is whip up a wrap for said utensils. Right, that takes time, of which I do not have plenty, but that's another blog post - LOL.</li>
<li>Cloth napkin - T and I have sewn up some of these, and I know he'd be happy to oblige in making more. First, I thought that the utensil wrap could do double-duty as a napkin, but that idea falls apart when you consider what to do if the napkin truly gets used to do some wiping. Exactly! You'd have a problem. So, a separate napkin it is!</li>
<li>Cup or bottle - We used to take sippy cups on the road. (Yes, the plastic ones. That was in the days before I was on my use-less-plastic track. It was also before the boys decided that sippy cups are for babies. Which they are no longer.) Maybe something along the lines of Sigg or Kleen Kanteen? For some purposes, a simple cup would do also. Hmm... More research is needed. <br />
</li>
</ul>Truffulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07206163734611708953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2406174455714883878.post-37974701686529537592009-03-14T15:38:00.000-07:002009-03-14T15:38:23.031-07:00National Museum of the American Indian's collection now online<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv-ZitZHg3QsJtfqfow6Xy4DqjdGx-iPHuWQ07BCjSfN3waAoZNmMbaNfSOCDhGAxLJf4nsvCnfWu8fhzHC1Ec212dRvY1UvOrjO-2AzCQ6YB1LaPpQZ0lID2F5Fj00H6TD2-wYiIQiuo0/s1600-h/FireShot-capture-%232---'National-Museum-of-the-American-Indian-_-Collections-Search'---www_nmai_si_edu_searchcollections_home_aspx.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img align="right" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv-ZitZHg3QsJtfqfow6Xy4DqjdGx-iPHuWQ07BCjSfN3waAoZNmMbaNfSOCDhGAxLJf4nsvCnfWu8fhzHC1Ec212dRvY1UvOrjO-2AzCQ6YB1LaPpQZ0lID2F5Fj00H6TD2-wYiIQiuo0/s320/FireShot-capture-%232---'National-Museum-of-the-American-Indian-_-Collections-Search'---www_nmai_si_edu_searchcollections_home_aspx.jpg" style="cursor: move;" /></a><br />
5,000 items from the National Museum of the American Indian are now online! Try the <a href="http://www.nmai.si.edu/searchcollections/">NMAI's new Collections Search</a> feature to search by Peoples/Cultures, Artists/Individuals, Places, Object Specifics, or Advanced Search. This should be a great resource for Grade 3 students and others.Truffulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07206163734611708953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2406174455714883878.post-89513125954856794192009-03-01T19:43:00.001-08:002009-03-01T19:51:12.053-08:00Treat your table to your good chinaThe <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/home">Washington Post's Home section</a> is encouraging folks to break out the formal china on a more regular basis, and then to share photos of the occasion.<div><br /></div><div>Here's the direct link to <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/gallery/2009/02/10/GA2009021003370.html">the Fancy China page</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>And, you know, why not? There's no point in letting the settling dust on the plates enjoy them more than the plates' owners!</div><div><br /></div><div>Hmm... Tuesday Tea Time presents itself as the perfect <strike>excuse</strike> opportunity to dress a fancier table...</div>Truffulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07206163734611708953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2406174455714883878.post-56169248604139788382009-02-14T19:06:00.000-08:002009-02-22T13:24:40.763-08:00Now celebrating: a rabbit birthday!The other day, T announced that we needed to bake a cake. Why? Well, of course, because it was Rabbie's birthday. And, we didn't need just any old cake. It needed to be a carrot cake. Why? Because carrots are Rabbie's favorite vegetable. (In case you are keeping close notes, T added that cherries are her favorite fruit.)<br />
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It just wasn't possible to crank out a cake that day. No problem! T moved the birthday. Today's the day!<br />
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Cake production commenced. It had been a while since I pulled the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0696201887?ie=UTF8&tag=sunlitleaf-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0696201887">Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book</a> out (it used to be my go-to book, but then Google was developed...), but I had a feeling that it would contain a basic Carrot Cake recipe for Rabbie's special occasion. BHG didn't disappoint. I grated, and stirred, and baked.<br />
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In honor of the coincidence with Valentine's Day, I pulled the heart-shaped cookie cutter off the drying rack, and <a href="http://plantingtruffulatrees.blogspot.com/2009/02/easy-healthy-valentines-day-snack-for.html">pressed it back into service</a>. Because I intended to send some of the "results" to some other recipients, I opted to put the frosting inside, rather than on top of, the hearts.<br />
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Voila! (For reference, yes, the cake hearts traveled well in their containers.)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8lK89g4vxFjUnelOWdrHVs6cYPIfJyX8Q3HQEi8DLuYFOuqay9b-vfZZsEBLIlyKVwMDwtUcsgrqdyVDDYbnRC34nDWVbo6M-GXH3M0Hc9eKpCAmuPLeCO9e2veO1kuTGvrML5_cT43mu/s1600-h/web-090214-carrotcake-hearts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8lK89g4vxFjUnelOWdrHVs6cYPIfJyX8Q3HQEi8DLuYFOuqay9b-vfZZsEBLIlyKVwMDwtUcsgrqdyVDDYbnRC34nDWVbo6M-GXH3M0Hc9eKpCAmuPLeCO9e2veO1kuTGvrML5_cT43mu/s320/web-090214-carrotcake-hearts.jpg" vi="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Here's the birthday girl, complete with her birthday crown:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMkKkmckC8OncwDtaz4BN30cJiVs2UxYPWV7PiFbTs8EqMpkbuVgVTcY6mljc4sMF0KRbMWBHI1nC_7pZCNjQtn62udeL2CknxjpVyZt3ySSdy7ayftb8XSeGyZdjtnv-qFfEzxrvOPWuy/s1600-h/090214-rabbie-birthday.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMkKkmckC8OncwDtaz4BN30cJiVs2UxYPWV7PiFbTs8EqMpkbuVgVTcY6mljc4sMF0KRbMWBHI1nC_7pZCNjQtn62udeL2CknxjpVyZt3ySSdy7ayftb8XSeGyZdjtnv-qFfEzxrvOPWuy/s320/090214-rabbie-birthday.JPG" vi="true" /></a></div>Truffulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07206163734611708953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2406174455714883878.post-6196331661179853182009-02-07T23:07:00.000-08:002009-02-08T20:19:26.780-08:00Easy, healthy Valentine's Day snack for kids (and grownups, too)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBJLaDPdzZwFijmVg0v8Q4TmITEArzqrgIzePP2ul9f9mK1AtrUPbo5UH0xkbUWMirYjrOq3E64vpeoKvmogfWgT3zSaPj3YYOS7EV27WnLrUXweDbISG5gDJNqQj-Giq3xbPA6FieyWNc/s1600-h/090207-heart-snacks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 0pt;"><img align="right" alt="heart-shaped Valentine's Day snacks on plate" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBJLaDPdzZwFijmVg0v8Q4TmITEArzqrgIzePP2ul9f9mK1AtrUPbo5UH0xkbUWMirYjrOq3E64vpeoKvmogfWgT3zSaPj3YYOS7EV27WnLrUXweDbISG5gDJNqQj-Giq3xbPA6FieyWNc/s320/090207-heart-snacks.jpg" /></a></div>Today was our day to supply snacks for S's class. But, what to send along? Muffins came to mind as "single-serve" goodies for a group of elementary-school-aged children. Still, wasn't there anything else? I scoured my resources, found nothing I wanted to make, and then... contemplated the ingredients we had on hand in the first place...<br />
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Since it was a week before Valentine's Day, I thought it might be nice to incorporate a heart-shape theme somehow... And then...<br />
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Inspiration!<br />
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I retrieved my heart-shaped cookie cutter, got my ingredients ready, and then set to work with my cutting board to mass-produce heart-shaped "sandwiches" of sorts.<br />
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Ingredients:<br />
flour tortillas (up the health factor with whole-wheat tortillas)<br />
ham<br />
cheese<br />
patience<br />
<br />
I put one heart of ham, and one heart of cheese between two tortilla hearts. The results: a whole lotta love on each plate - LOL!<br />
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I sent along three plates full of these sandwiches. S reported that there were merely 4 hearts left at the end, and that these were snatched up when their availability was announced.<br />
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All in all, a success!Truffulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07206163734611708953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2406174455714883878.post-59375660430851331362009-02-06T20:13:00.001-08:002009-02-06T20:15:29.755-08:00Chinese Dragon Puppets!Just discovered a tutorial for fabulous <a href="http://thatartistwoman.blogspot.com/2009/01/how-to-make-chinese-dragon-puppet.html">Chinese Dragon Puppets</a> from That Artist Woman, perfect for the Chinese New Year.<br />
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The <a href="http://thatartistwoman.blogspot.com/2009/01/grade-3-chinese-dragons.html">puppets turned out splendidly</a>, don't you think?Truffulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07206163734611708953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2406174455714883878.post-38428163823278623642009-02-04T19:38:00.000-08:002009-02-06T20:25:47.163-08:00I hate to throw away food items, but...<a href="http://www.fda.gov/?s_cid=peanut_recall_004" title="I threw away peanut-containing products! www.fda.gov or 1-800-CDC-INFO"><img align="right" alt="I threw away peanut-containing products! www.fda.gov or 1-800-CDC-INFO" border="0" height="150" src="http://www.cdc.gov/images/campaigns/peanuts/2009/threwaway_180x150.jpg" width="180" /></a><br />
I thought we were fairly safe from the peanut product recalls, since we <strike>don't</strike> didn't have any of the problem brands/items in the house. <br />
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Surprise!<br />
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When rummaging in the cabinet for something else, what did my eyes spy but a box of offending crackers! And, when we then investigated further, we had one recalled granola bar left in its box. The other 5 had already gone down the hatch, pre-recall. Guess those were safe.<br />
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I hate to throw away food items, but in this case, it's better to be safe than sorry. Nope, I didn't even compost them. They went out into the can...<br />
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If you haven't already done a once-over of your pantry, now's the time!Truffulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07206163734611708953noreply@blogger.com0