Friday, November 26, 2010

Trader Joe Came to Visit


Today I am grateful to Sally over at Fairy Dust Teaching for the inspiration of Trader Joe.

He arrived in the Morning Garden this week with a chest of treasures from Mother Earth's bounty to trade for Mother Earth Treasures.




Trader Joe was so tired he traded treasures for a hot bath, a bed and a warm meal.




The children loved it. Some children, upon hearing the news of Trader Joe, sailed across the seas bearing beautiful, magestic, shells from the sea, to trade with Trader Joe.




The next day they wanted to know if Trader Joe might come back.....

Hmmmnnn......... I wonder.....

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Martinmas Photos and Weckmann Recipe

So I finally added photos to my last post on Martinmas here.

Here is the recipe for Weckmann.

Formed out of sweet yeast dough, this man goes by many names in Germany— Weckmann, Nikolaus, Stutenkerl, among others—and is a popular treat for either St. Martin’s Day on November 11, or St. Nicholas Day on December 6. For the traditional Weckmann, the dough is shaped by hand into the form of a man, and raisins and/or nuts are used for eyes and buttons. In Germany, a clay pipe is often added, but this detail is hard to find in the United States.

Males: 10

Ingredients:
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/3 cup sweet butter
  • 3 tablespoon (1/6 cup) shortening
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 tablespoons real vanilla extract
  • 1 grated lemon peel
  • 1 packet rapid yeast (1/4 ounce)
  • 3 tablespoon warm water
  • 4 whole eggs
  • 6 2/3 cups flour
1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons water for glazing

Preparation:
  1. Mix yeast with warm water and 1 tablespoon of sugar. 
  2. Combine milk, butter, shortening, and sugar, in a saucepan and heat gently then set aside to cool. 
  3. Place flour in a large bowl, make a well in the middle of the flour and pour yeast mixture into the well, cover and let rise for 20 minutes. 
  4. Add milk mixture to flour and mix all the ingredients together. 
  5. Knead into a ball, dust with flour and let rise for 45 minutes.
  6. Roll dough and divide into 10 pieces to form into men. 
  7. Place the men on a large baking sheet covered with parchment or wax paper, making sure to leave enough room between each shape.
  8.  Let rise for a further 20 to 45 minutes
  9. Brush with egg and water mixture, decorate with raisins and dried cranberries for the eyes and buttons

Bake at 325 to 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes.

Enjoy! 



Friday, November 19, 2010

Martinmas Lantern Walk

Tonight is our Martinmas celebration and it's snowing ~ the first real snow of the year.

We've been making balloon lanterns this week. Later this week, we'll gather with friends new and old, hear a story about a small boy who makes a lantern to hold Father Sun's spark and walk through the woods, share a meal and have a bonfire.


Most years we make Martinmas Lanterns from old canning jars, seen below. I posted directions for how to make them over on The Wonder of Childhood here. . 


This year we're baking Martinmas pastry, either Volaerens (donkey droppings) or Weckmann (bunmen), the dough is the same, a sweet brioche, the form is different.


The donkey droppings come from a story that goes like this:

Many, many years ago, before your grandparents were born, a young boy who came to be known as Saint Martin was journeying in the dark of the night with his donkey. Neither moon nor star glowed that night. The forest was very dark. Saint Martin was walking alongside his donkey. His donkey was clomp, clomp, clomping along the leaves that covered the forest floor when suddenly he disappeared into the wood. Martin searched far and wide yet the donkey was not to be seen. Soon he came upon a village where the children were playing in the town center. The children were given lanterns to help find Martin's donkey. They quickly found the donkey and led him to the village square in a festive parade of children, lanterns and donkey. Martin was grateful to the children for their help and to thank them he turned the donkey droppings into sweet little pastries for the children to eat. They named them volaerens which means donkey droppings in the Flemish language and still bake them today in some villages while children all over the world celebrate this day with walks and songs and lanterns.


Our Favorite Lantern Songs

I'm walking with my lantern,
My lantern is walking with me
In heaven the stars are shining,
On earth are shining we

Oh lantern bright!
You shine tonight!
May all the Angels see,
May all the Angels see,

I'm walking with my lantern,
My lantern is shining on me,
In heaven the stars are shining
On earth are shining we

The cock doth crow,
The cat meows,
La bimmel, la bammel la boom!
The cock doth crow,
The cat meows,
La bimmel, la bammel, la boom!

and this song which is known as "the second grade song" for the children learn it in second grade:

Saint Martin, Saint Martin, Saint Martin rode through wind and snow
On his strong horse, his heart aglow,
He rode so boldly through the storm
His great cloak kept him well and warm

By the roadside, by the roadside, by the roadside a poor man arose,
Out of the snow in tattered clothes
He said please help me with my plight
Or I shall die of cold tonight

Saint Martin, Saint Martin, Saint Martin stopped his horse and drew
his sword and cut his cloak in two
One half to the beggar man he gave
And by this deed a life did save

Saint Martin, Saint Martin, Saint Martin rode through wind and snow
On his strong horse, his heart aglow,
He rode so boldly through the storm
His great cloak kept him well and warm

The music for this song is here although the words in this version are a different translation.

Maybe a post with snapshots and recipes tomorrow.....

The next day.....


Martinmas Blessings upon you and yours!


Saturday, November 13, 2010

{this moment}
A Friday ritual. A few photos- capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.
A game of Poohsticks. 

Me too says Moe... I want in on this one.


Along with SouleMama

Waldorf Homeschool Network

Announcing the Waldorf Homeschool Network!

I've just created this blog as a place to come together and share and connect around the work we are doing with our children at home in Waldorf education.

Come join this blog, you can be an author and post on the blog or link to your own blog. It's a place to connect, share resources and trials and tribulations for those who are doing Waldorf education in the home, of the grades, or early childhood, and for those with early childhood groups in their home too..

Won't you come along?

It's right here:

http://waldorfhomeschoolnetwork.blogspot.com/

Warmly,

Lisa

Friday, November 12, 2010

Verse to Start the Day

It seems fitting to share this verse today, during the feast or festival of Saint Martin, known as Martinmas, a time of remembering to kindle our flame, to acknowledge by seeing, hearing and feeling that flame of the other, even when it is masked and vulnerable.

This is the verse I say to begin my day of homeschooling: 

A Teacher's Thought for his Children 

You who out of heaven's bringhtness.
Now descend to earthly darkness.
Thus through life's resisting forces,

Spirit radiance to unfold
Spirit warmness to enkindle
Spirit forces to call forth

Be you warmed through by my love

Radiant thinking
Tranquil feeling
Healing willing.

That in Spirit's heights well- rooted
And in earth's foundation's working
You may servants of the Word become

Spirit illumining
Love evoking
Being strengthening.

Rudolf Steiner


May we all warm and be warmed through by love.
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