HAPPY BIRTHDAY GREAT GRANDMA HELEN!

I have enjoyed the month of August as I have celebrated all of the people born this month.  Birthdays are a special day enjoyed with a million balloons or a simple walk in the park with your favorite pet.  It is a time to pause and honor yourself, honor your life, and perhaps set goals for the future.  A person's life goals or "bucket" list can begin at any age.

Yesterday my mother-in-law Helen turned ninety.  She lives in Alaska and has lived a long and productive life.  To this day she has a radiant smile.  She raised three successful sons, has six delightful grandchildren, one great-grand daughter and always appreciates the simple things in life.  Helen loves nature, art and people.  She shared her talents with her family where creativity and a love of the outdoors are paramount in their lives.

Helen lived through the Depression era and was a young woman during World War Two so learning to stretch the penny, and laugh instead of cry were part of her daily experience. In fact, her son's first electric guitar came from saving 'green stamps'.  Value those coupons folks!  Helen, like Heritage House (where she lives) would be an advocate of KITCHEN ART.  At Heritage House they keep the elderly entertained with songs, beautiful smiles and a multitude of creative projects.

So here are two new food projects that can be done for a two-year-old a ninety-year-old or anyone in-between.  Happy Birthday Helen!

TASTY GREEN SNAKE DIP

INGREDIENTS:  3 avocados, red pepper, one pint cottage cheese, one olive, 1/4 cup salsa, lettuce, alfalfa sprouts

TOOLS:  spoon, knife, tray, cutting board, fork, bowl

INSTRUCTION:   Create snake body: 1. Peel and mash avocados.  Add cottage cheese and salsa, mix.  2. Scoop onto tray and shape your snake, making it long, thin and wiggly.  3.  Make features:  cut bit of red pepper for tongue and olives for eyes.  Create background:   4. Cover the rest of the tray with lettuce and sprouts.  YUM!

ADDITIONAL IDEAS:  Use walnut bits to create rattle on tail.  Or create palm trees in background with celery sticks, carefully scallions and bits of radishes or olives.

CREATIVE SANDWICHES*

Did you ever notice your child eats more when they make it themselves?  These are fun and tasty open-faced sandwiches that your child will love.  And maybe the staff at Heritage House will think to try this themselves!

INGREDIENTS:  soft sandwich bread, sliced cheese, pickles, olives, tomato, walnuts, tin foil

TOOLS:  cutting board, cookie cutters, knife, broiler*

INSTRUCTION:  *  Adult supervision required.  1. Place a slice of bread on cutting board, cover with slice of cheese and use cookie cutter to make sandwich shape.  2. Decorate sandwich with bits of olives, pickles, tomato, and crushed walnuts.  3. Toast and enjoy!

ADDITIONAL IDEAS:  Use avocado and sliced cucumber.  OR make pizza sandwiches: tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and olives.  YUM!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY YUM!

My partner and I celebrate the same birthday,  August 23rd.  Last year he turned sixty and now it is my turn.  We met because of our birthday and for along time it was fun.  Now I'm not so sure.  It is great if we go away for the day but if we are at home who does the dishes etc.   Otherwise we seem to have a different attitude about getting older.  He is much more upbeat!  But sharing the same birthday, with the thought of horoscopes, is interesting.  We are born on the cusp of  Leo and Virgo.  I know that the time of day, moon, and sun all have an influence but it does make me wonder.  In the Chinese ideology he is a Tiger and I am a Rabbit.  People put tons of energy in these belief systems and I don't see that much similar between us.  But… when I was a little girl I used to go Sand City, a beach on Long Island.  The tip of the beach faced Connecticut, where Mark lived as a child, and I used to think that one day I would meet someone from there.  So ESP not Astrology?  Who knows!

Here is the recipe for my delicious birthday cake, compliments of JOY OF COOKING  with special ingredients of my own!  Happy Birthday August Babies!  And PS the comet is passing over now so enjoy the falling stars!  Best to watch after the moon has set.  August 11 thru August 13th.

FOUR EGG CAKE

2 2/3 cups organic pastry flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

sift these ingredients together

Cream until soft:
1 cup organic butter
add 2 cups organic sugar
cream until smooth
Add one at a time
 4 egg yolks
Add:
1 1/2 almond extract

Ready to mix.  Alternate flour mixture with butter mixture and one cup organic almond milk in three parts.

Whip four egg whites then add to mixture.  Add1 cup shredded coconut. 

Bake in greased pan for 30 to 35 minutes.  Cool on rack then add icing.

YUM!  Note never over mix.  Experiment, use coconut milk  or whole milk in place of almond milk.  Use vanilla instead of almond extract.

EUROPEAN CHOCOLATE ICING:

Prepare icing in double boiler

Melt:
1 tablespoon organic butter
4oz semisweet chocolate
add 6 tablespoons organic whipping cream

sift then add 1 1/2 confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract

Spread while warm and sprinkle with coconut flakes.

Add cut strawberries, candles and sing HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BARACK OBAMA

This week our president Barack Obama turned fifty.  The same day the New York Stock Exchange crashed.  Some birthday present!  Not only did he have to deal with the emotional ramifications of entering another decade he had to deal with  another world crisis!  I am turning sixty at the end of this month and when I was wishing I could go back in time my friend said "The best time is now."  Yesterday is history,  tomorrow is a mystery and today is a gift.  That's why we call it the "Present!"  Sometimes when I hold my granddaughter I want my kids to be little again.  Sometimes I want to be that person in college who  just had dreams.  But that is all history and today is my gift.  So even as the stock market crashes and the news is so scary "the best time is now".  To prepare for my new decade I am setting new goals having new dreams and enjoying the best time ever!

For all of you with August birthdays enjoy your "present",  and to prepare for your fun KITCHEN ART has lots of party ideas. This month my blog will teach you party activities---from hats to games to music to snacks to FUN FUN FUN!

HATS---HATS---HATS

Party themes are all the rage.  Using paper plates both children and adults can transform the party.  A Mad Hatter party or an English tea party or anything you can imagine!

BASIC HATS:

INGREDIENTS:  Two 9" white paper plates, ribbon

TOOLS:  scissors, stapler, hole punch

INSTRUCTION:  1.  Using your scissors make one straight cut into the center of one paper plate.  Overlap the two sections until they form a curved peak.  Staple in place.  This is the top half of your hat.  2.  Take the second plate and cut out the center;  thus creating a three inch doughnut shaped ring (usually you can follow the imprinted line).  This section is the bottom of your hat.  3.  Evenly place the curved peak onto the doughnut ring.  Staple in place.  4.  Punch two holes on either side of the rim.  Attach ribbons to tie under your chin.  Your Basic Hat is complete.

ADDITIONAL IDEAS:  Decorate with food coloring, sponge stamps and tin foil flowers,  OR use smaller paper plates to make hats for stuffed animals or dolls.


HUMMING KAZOOS:

Need to liven up your party?  This instrument is simple to make and perfect for young children.  My one-year-old granddaughter hums her kazoo better than I do!

INGREDIENTS:  once recycled toilet paper tube, 4" by 4" square of waxed paper, rubber band

TOOLS:  scissors, hole punch, ruler

INSTRUCTION:   1.  Punch a hole about one inch from one end.  2.  Place waxed paper over this end and secure with rubber band.  TIP:  Do not cover hole.  3.  Put lips against open end.  Hum a song!

ADDITIONAL IDEAS:  Decorate kazoo with tin foil.  Experiment with songs, make several and hum "Happy Birthday"!