So our latest adventure started with a STEM kit from the Multnomah County Libraries. We used the kit and instructions to turn a lemon into a battery that can light up an LED! How cool is that?
It’s good to have a couple clues about how electricity works. Turning a lemon into a battery is not terribly practical, but is fun to do as an experiment. So, what’s next?
Chloe wanted to make baked potatoes, so I paired that with lamb shoulder chops and the process of cooking was so simple I didn’t get any photos of it, but…
As you can see, we dug into some fine eats, even though we made some mistakes aka “learning opportunities” along the way.
What happens when you eat your lamb with your fingers?
I had the stove turned up too high at first, which created a lot of smoke we had to vent with open windows, so the kid got cold!
Most every year I vow to make fastnachts (a Pennsylvania Dutch treat), then it ends up not happening. This year with Chloe being interested in cooking, I promised we’d make them. Due to scheduling issues, we missed the traditional date. Oh well, we don’t observe Lent anyway. Here’s the recipe we used. (Here’s a PDF you can download)
The biggest difference between a fastnacht and the donuts you’re familiar with is fastnachts are made with potatoes, giving them a different texture and flavor. Here’s Chloe making a funny face while working on the tater.
That’s Day One. Once the dough is mixed, it sits overnight to let the yeast go to work.
Day Two: We split the dough across two bowls, and it rose to the top of each! Here’s Chloe digging in. We think we left the dough a bit too sticky, next time we’ll add more flour.
Chloe shows us how it’s done.
Time to fry!
And they came out good! Pretty much like I remember. Since you can’t get Turkey Syrup off the shelf in Portland, here I’m using regular molasses. The basic idea is you slice them like a bagel and put something sweet on the yummy thing. Honey works, even maple syrup.
We got about 30 fastnachts out of this batch. We put powdered sugar on some. Chloe’s going a step further by bringing them to share with her class at school. I’m sending her off with a couple printouts of PA Dutch Hex signs and a few factoids about the Pennsylvania side of her family. I just got her after-action report. The fastnachts were well received, no leftovers!
Chloe’s been cooking using the clever stuff from https://www.raddishkids.com. I’d have to say everything’s been coming out great and she’s really been enjoying it!
Making chicken tacos…
Eating chicken tacos!
Soft pretzel bites!
Chloe made gumbo! Then we watched The Princess and the Frog, which opens with a father and daughter making gumbo. How about that?
Chloe felted up a storm for her school’s holiday market fundraiser. Check out all the things she made, all felted!
…and more!
This was part of her classwork, which believe it or not is Business Math. About time they taught this stuff to kids early. Here’s a breakdown of what they were working on, leading up to the holiday market where they sold their products:
11/29 Business Math begins with a focus on how loans work and simple interest calculations. Students will also be working on a business plan for a small market of their own. Here’s the tentative timeline: 12/2 Decisions made regarding what students will be selling 12/5 Estimate start up costs and applications for loans due. Begin working on logo/sign 12/9 Create inventory lists with estimated units for sale and submit pricing ideas 12/15 Market opens with student stores at 12:00 for 6th grade pre-sales. 12:45 Market opens to the general public
How did Chloe get that black eye? She got a stilt to the face! Here she tells the story:
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