Madeline La Framboise

The Fifth Grade at Ferry does a special project each year: the Wax Museum. Students choose and research a historical figure and put together a verbal presentation that they then get to give dozens of times to other Ferry students and parents.

Our Miss Bela went off-list and presented Madeline La Framboise. She is an interesting figure from Mackinac Island and Grand Haven history. I'd tell you more, but why not get it from the furrier's mouth...

Lard

So Karen has become a lard rendering maven, on her way to expert status. Here's the video that started us off:

From http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vp0QIo7OOBw

Lard-the most misunderstood of fats.

Home Rendering: Zarela’s Home Rendered Lard

Start with unsalted, frozen lard. We get ours from Creswick Farms, where it is called leaf lard. Cut it into small cubes. Can do this in the oven, but on the stove top you can see the three stages.

• Clear - very white and clear,good for anything you would use butter for, even frosting.
• Yellow (amarilla) - uses for making breads or non-delicate uses of oil and butter.
• Asiento - can spread on tortillas, or use with savory dishes. Has more of a pork flavor.

Cube into 1/2 in size. Be sure to carefully trim any remaining meat if you're doing this for baking. Add to pan. 15 to 20 min, then pour off fat slowly. (Helps to have someone else.) We use a 7-8 setting on the electric range (medium high). It's a judgment call when to pour off, we're still experimenting. You can always pour off more frequently and then combine by color.

Use a strainer or slotted spoon to return any cracklings to the pan. Return to the stove for the second stage. After about 15 min more, pour off separately.

Return to the stove. The bits of lard left will form pork rinds or cracklings - chicharrones. When these turn golden brown and are not reducing anymore, pour off the third stage of lard. This is the stage with the strongest smell, and if you’re not interested in the chicharrones or asiento lard, you can skip it.

2 pounds of lard gives about a pint of clear and a pint of amarillo. And close to a pint of asiento, if you keep going.

CINNAMON ROLLS - Dairy/Soy/Nut free
Dough

2 1/4 tsp yeast

3 cups bread flour

1/4 cup sugar

3/4 tsp salt

1 c warm oat bran milk to avoid dairy/soy allergy. (2/3 warm milk 1/3 c warm water if not)

3 Tbs lard ( I did a bit more)

Make the dough, raise once. (We use bread machine on dough mode.)

Filling
1/4 c sugar
2 Tbs cinnamon
1/3 c olive oil or melted lard

Roll dough out to about 16"x12" rectangle. Cover with oil or melted lard. Spread cinnamon mixture evenly. Roll up to make a 16" tube. Slice in 1.5" wide slices to make rolls. Raise a second time in roll form. Bake at 350 degrees 20 to 25 minutes (stay close to oven at 20 minutes)

Frosting
1/2 cup of room temp lard whipped until almost twice its size.
2 cups confectioners sugar (or more to taste) added slowly, while whipping at slow to medium speed
3 tsp of Vanilla

If your frosting is too thick, add oat milk, a tablespoon at a time, and whip thoroughly in. Adjust sugar to taste. Karen is willing to go up to 4 tsp vanilla (or more to taste) and a tsp of imitation almond extract. (Imitation to avoid nut allergies.)

Or you can make a drizzle kind of frosting with just oat milk, confectioners sugar and vanilla.

Pi

Every year, in honor of Pi Day, the Math and Stats Club runs a Pi your Professor contest.  I am a perpetual also-ran, but this year - I think through the combined efforts of Leah W and Paul F - I won handily.  The club raised $150 in total, so that's a win.  But you probably want to see...  (Click for full size.)

It was cherry.

13

In honor of 13 years today, it's Tripback Tuesday.

For posterity, our vows:

I, ____, take you, ____ to be my wife/husband.

To love you and honor you.

To forgive and strengthen you.

To be faithful to you and

To share with you all that is to come.

To serve God and others with you.

So long as we both shall live.

Best decision I ever made!

Purim

She sees when you're not sleeping, she knows
when you do work... it's Shabbas Queen!

Menorah Man!  With the strength of Samson, 

the aim of David, the wisdom of Solomon, 

and the patience of a Patriarch.

So, Purim!  We celebrated last Saturday with a wonderful crew.  Shabbas Queen and Menorah Man were there leading the festivities.

People arrived and got settled, and we started in on the blessings.  Bread was broken, and we started on the nosh (dried fruits, nuts, the challah and a lentil salad) and the Megillah.  People were enthusiastic groggers even in those paragraphs where Haman was mentioned a zillion times.  The main repast was delicious and generated a lot of great leftovers for the week.  Two kugels, kasha varnishkes, sepphardic green beans and the brisket.   I think we did okay for a bunch of goyim.

Elizabeth definitely had the best costume, as Ms. Kralc, multiple medal winner in snowshoe events at Vancouver for the glory of Slobovia.  Bonnie brought homemade groggers that have joined our family.  Pendells loaned the table we ate on, and Lembkes brought a beautiful phylactery for John to wear while reading the Megillah.  Looked great with the coat of many colors.  Lombardos brought hamentashen that were scrumptious.  People brought a lot for the matonat la'eyyonim, so that's a mitzvah, too.

 

Barukh attah Adonai eloheinu melekh ha-olam,
shehecheyanu vekiyemanu vehigi'anu lazeman ha-zeh.

(Blessed art Thou, LORD our God, Master of the universe, who has kept us alive and has sustained us, and brought us to this season.)

Amen.

Ysabela explains it all.  What's a couple of millenia among friends?

Jewish Heroes, Green Belts and Tea

So... we're gearing up fro Purim.  That includes some fun costumes for kids, so I present:  Shabbas Queen and Menorah Man!

Okay, that's Batman.  But really, there's a Menorah Man.  Both heroes are waiting for their description of super powers.  So if you have any idea, comment or email, please!  Of course, I prefer to catch superhomework...

That's Bela's Shadowy science fair project.  Be nice if some info on it showed up on her blog...

Karen had a small Shalom Tea for Meredith Slater, who's expecting soon.  Spectacular setting and amazing food, I thought.  Even the leftovers were scrumptious

Also, just today was Xavi's test for Green Belt.  We've missed a couple crucial days before the last few tests, so he was probably a bit overdue.  He did a great job, and for the first time broke the board on the first try.

Partners in Health

While there are many ways to donate to help in Haiti, just wanted to quick share one that our friend Elizabeth pointed out: Partners in Health

She notes, "It was started by Dr. Paul Farmer (the subject of "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder) and has 20 years of getting health care to the people and developing a viable Haitian medical presence as well. Website is www.pih.org. They have been sending me updates every few days and, because their programs are outside Port au Prince, they have been able to bring needed medical staff and supplies into the affected areas quickly and efficiently."

Please take some time to pray for the people of Haiti, for their suffering, for their loss, for the rescue and care efforts. Don't underestimate the power of prayer! Nadia Bolz-Weber (Sarcastic Lutheran) had a good sermon on that this week. Plea to God for water for the thirsty, He understands and shares the suffering.

Charity Navigator has an overview of all nonprofits helping in Haiti, as well as ratings for agencies based on their effectiveness and % of funds that goes to relief work.