[/caption]Recently we had a wonderful Martinmas celebration. The children made their beautiful paper lanterns which glimmered so elegantly during their evening procession with their friends. I told the children a story and the next day I presented this board drawing for Sasha's Saints and Hero's main lesson.
Writing on the board is a big struggle for me, I know with a little practice I shall improve. This is a sweet and simple illustration I found at a little garden flower's website.
[caption id="attachment_1837" align="alignnone" width="640" caption="Sasha's main lesson book"]
[/caption]Sasha is now in grade 2 and although he loves to draw, he's not always keen to write which I feel is quite normal for boys especially at his age so I try to keep the sentences short.
[caption id="attachment_1833" align="alignnone" width="640" caption="Tarantula"]
[/caption]A little excitement this morning as we were greeted by a beautiful tarantula on our way down the steps towards the swimming pool. It's the season for these hairy creatures. Thankfully we don't get many around our home because our wild cats keep them at bay.
[caption id="attachment_1834" align="alignnone" width="640" caption="Banana Flambe"]
[/caption]Dominican Republic is the land of Banana's. As you look out into the horizon a great deal of land is occupied by banana and plantano plantations. Banana flambe is one of our favorite deserts that my husband loves to make. Plantains pierced with cloves and cinnamon, fried or baked slowly in raw cultured butter and topped with raw cream, is oh so delicious! Sania, my youngest eats about 6 bananas a day,, he loves them.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="640" caption="Cream after separation from milk"]
[/caption]We are grateful to our cows for sharing their rich milk with us. Our calves stay with their mothers until about 10 months or longer, so we only take a small portion of milk when needed. We don't pasteurize our milk so it is put directly into a separator and a thick rich cream is extracted leaving behind a skimmed milk which is given to our employees.
[caption id="attachment_1765" align="alignnone" width="640" caption="Creme Fraiche"]
[/caption]Delicious creme fraiche, is the secret and healthy ingredient in most French cuisine. We use cream and creme fraiche for dessert toppings, soups, quiche and sauces.
Here is a recipe on how to make it:
- 1 cup whipping cream mixed with 2 tablespoons buttermilk.
- Combine well in glass jar and cover.
- Let stand at room temperature (about 70 degrees F.) for 8 to 24 hours, or until thickened.
- Stir well and refrigerate.
- Use within 10 days.
[caption id="attachment_1766" align="alignnone" width="640" caption="Raw Cream"]
[/caption]Our delicious raw cream that is so rich and creamy unlike any I have bought in a store, it is naturally thick like this we don't need to whip it.
[caption id="attachment_1769" align="alignnone" width="640" caption="Coco in the garden"]
[/caption]I looked downstairs and saw a pony in the pool garden.
[caption id="attachment_1763" align="alignnone" width="640" caption="Rafting"]
[/caption]This is the fun we have when we get tropical storms and our duck pond fills up. It's a shame my husband didn't stay with the camera because we did fall in after all.
[caption id="attachment_1805" align="alignnone" width="640" caption="The pony boys"]
[/caption]More pony fun! My children have so much fun with their little ponies that we made a few videos. Parelli Natural Horsemanship added Sasha's to their Parelli tube on youtube it is so cute.
What a great post, Jeanene! Oh, you make me miss my raw cream (and crème fraîche!)... We love bananas around here... but they come from so far away! I would love to have some bananes flambées at your place!!
ReplyDeleteYour drawing looks lovely, mine are coming along slowly too, it is not just like that the black board drawings....
ReplyDeleteThose bananas look so lovely, especially knowing they come straight off your own trees.
Dear Jeanene,
ReplyDeleteYour life is so wonderful, thank you so much for sharing all you do! Such a lovely blog post. Your Martinmas celebration sounds like it was amazing. I love the photo of the tarantula, he is beautiful. Thank you for sharing the banana flambe and creme fraiche recipes.
Your comment you left over at my blog was so kind, so many ideas for Advent, I would love to see a photo of your hazelnut babies, they sound lovely!
Take care my friend
xo
Linda
We so loved doing Saint stories in 2nd grade. I think Sasha does very nice work.
ReplyDeleteStill have not made creme fraiche but really will soon. And also I have another buttermilk question for you.
No time for computer or writing this weekend, we had a friend visiting, and then all day today crafting. I thought of you though :)
And snowing all day long Jeanene!
XOXO
All so beautiful. The bananas and cream and creme fraiche..mmm. Noah was very interested to know that Sania eats about 6 bananas a day. He looked very thoughtful about the matter! He eats about that many apples a day. How I wish we could pop over and play. Sol would love to admire that tarantula and would probably want to take it home with him. We would so love playing with you all on that raft and as for the pony, my little Leo was in awe. I showed them the video again and again and again and again...Beautiful. They played at being ponies after that!
ReplyDeleteHappy days sweet mama.
Love
Kelly
Love the rafting photo ~ and yes a shot of the falling in would have been a riot!
ReplyDeleteHello to you Jeanene
ReplyDeleteWhat lovely work...You are only too correct in saying boys don't like to write too much. Aaron is 11 now and I still have this issue. Think I must add a little pressure buddie! Your banana pudding looks scrummy...We love banana's here too. I hope your Christmas homemaking is in full swing. I certainly am on a roll...
Have a great day Jeanene, Would love to raft with you~
Warm regards
Suzanne
X
Love seeing more of your tropical paradise...especially as temperatures plunge here in Canada! This summary of your day just looks like bliss!!
ReplyDeletexo maureen
Boys are not well wired, generally, for reading and writing. I'm not sure why it should be this way, but in my decades of teaching and living, I can easily see that it is so. My favorite thing about this post (I found one of those big spider guys on our back porch in Missouri once - and I am sitting here mourning my lack of creme fraiche) is the picture of you on the raft. Of course, you know that you are beautiful - you'd have to be blind not to know. But it's the grace and joy in the lines of your posture that speak so loudly, and the earnestness of the boys, working so hard to keep you afloat. And, of course- the pony. I have never talked one of my guys into stepping up like that. At the rate I have been going this last four weeks, I never will.
ReplyDeleteSigh.