This week, Maraine started a kinder exploration program. Her school district holds six, 1/2-day sessions over two weeks for kinders to get to know the school before kindergarten actually starts in September. Maraine has had mixed feelings about kindergarten. She loves learning, and she was excited to ride the school bus. But, she's sad to leave her pre-school teachers and friends. Her anxiety has been manifesting in different ways, and we've been doing our best to support her and to be patient and understanding. One thing we started doing is drawing and coloring together as a family. On the morning of her first kinder exploration day, Maraine drew this (shared with her permission 🙂): She told me she was feeling nervous, happy, and sad (tears on that third...
This past week marked the beginning of Lent, a fasting season in the Christian calendar lasting about 40 days and concluding with the Easter holiday. Lent is often preceded by revelry and celebration. Depending on where you are in the world, these celebrations are known as Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday, and more. Growing up, I knew it as Carnaval. Many people in the United States associate Carnaval with Brazil and its spectacular celebrations; but Carnaval is not unique to Brazil. Pre-Lent festivities grew out of communities around the world heavily influenced by the Catholic Church. Carnaval precedes Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of the 40-day Lenten period associated with sacrifice. Historically, observers of Lent would stop or limit their consumption...
Recipe by Elizebett Rocha Bento Eslinger This recipe may not settle the debate on canned versus homemade cranberry sauce, but it's likely to be a hit at the Thanksgiving table or as a spread on turkey sandwiches. And it's super quick to make! It has a lovely citrus zing, doesn’t require cooking, and stores well in the fridge for up to a week. Ingredients 12 oz fresh cranberries zest from 1 medium orange 1 medium orange (washed, peel and pith removed, and cut into chunks) 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1 dash of salt 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon Directions Put all ingredients into a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Scrape into a serving bowl (or a storage container if...
I’m excited to announce the publication of my second children’s book: Contar Numa Cozinha Portuguesa | Counting in a Portuguese Kitchen! Designed by the talented Justin Eslinger, this 40-page full-color book introduces readers to counting, Portuguese baking, and the flavors and food of the Azores Islands and Portugal. Soon after I became a mom, I wanted to read bilingual books with Maraine, but I struggled to find many options in the U.S. written in European Portuguese. I also wanted us to experience the joy of reading, baking, and learning the language together. When I couldn’t find a bilingual book with a baking theme, I decided to write that book for M, and Baking ABC - English Portuguese was published in 2020. After printing Baking...
This recipe in particular is lovely, not just because cinnamon is the star, but also because it's fun to make with little hands helping in the kitchen.
