Imagine Childhood : Magic & Memories That Last a Lifetime

... weekend links

Here are a few things that kept us curious this week. 

BBC Earth had some pretty great offerings this week:

    - Earth's biggest turning points

    - Enter in your birthday and a few other bits of information and see just how much earth has changed from when you were born! 

    - The Biggest dinosaur ever! 

- Rocky mountain national park turns 100, check out these amazing photos from the beginning to present day.

- Here's a great learning module from NPR's Science Friday about exploration and technology.

- Just in case you missed it on Tuesday, we made a pretty amazing Meringue and Whipped Cream Snowball Cake.

- This DIY moon and star lamp is pretty great.

- This made the rounds last year, but it's worth a revisit. Make frozen bubbles!

 

Happy Weekend!

 

~ i.c.

. . . february fun

From beautiful new adventures. . .

. . . to the healthy breakfasts that fuel them. . .

. . . to winter flowers made from summer plants. . .

. . . and lovely crafts that dance. . .

. . . to sweet treats for your valentine. . .

. . . and days that are oh so fine, February is a lot of fun.

 

Wishing you and yours many wonderful adventures this coming month!

xox

~i.c.

*Last time in Crafts and Activities: DIY Map of Everywhere

 

. . . our favorite things: classic writing sets

The lightness of a feather in your hand, the sound of a proper calligraphy nib scratching against the paper, the smell of ink. When I was 10 years old I received one of my favorite gifts of all time, a glass calligraphy pen, with two kinds of ink, purple, and invisible. Yes, invisible. I can't tell you how many notes I wrote to my best friend, sharing secret messages and ideas. To reveal the notes you had to hold the paper out in the warm sun, or under a hair dryer. As a kid, it was pretty magical.

From the Sumerians writing on tablets, to the Egyptians with reeds and papyrus, Medieval knights with feather quills, all the way to the modern writing implements we use today, what we have written with has meant a great deal. Which is why we were so excited when we found the these delightful writing kits. Authentic and tactile, these kits bring the history of their time to the present day with every stroke of the nib.

Travel back to Medieval times with a real Goose Quill, Parchment and Ink Well, writing letters by candle light. Or take a trip to France in the time Napoleon Bonaparte and sit with French schoolchildren as they learn to read and write.

Both writing sets are made in France by a company that has been making writing implements, ink, and sealing wax since 1670. They made ink for King Louis XIV and later made the ink Victor Hugo used while writing the Hunchback of Notre Dame. Needless to say, we think they are pretty great. From secret messages to best friends, to homeschool projects, valentines and beyond, our new  Medieval Writing Sets, and the 19th Century Student Writing Sets are great additions to any child's learning experience.

 

~ Jordan

P.S. Click Here to find out who won our Keri Smith Book Giveaway!

*Last time in Product Features: Classic Molecule Set

 

... meringue snowball cakes

There was (and still is) an amazing Swiss bakery not far from where I grew up. It was my family's go to for birthday cakes and special occasions. They made everything, but my favorites were the marzipan and buttercream frogs, and the meringue and whipped cream cake dusted in dark and white chocolate. They still make the frogs, but sadly stopped making what I still consider the BEST cake I have ever had.

My sister and my mother have both called the bakery and asked for the recipe, only to be told that the baker who made that cake is no longer at the bakery, and he took the recipe with him.

 This has made me, and especially my sister a little sad and nostalgic for years. That is until I decided to make my own. This took a some research, and some recipe combining, and a little ingenuity.

 I'm still not entirely sure if this is the same cake, but my 8-year-old self is pretty sure it is.

 The first time I tried this was for my Mother's birthday back in November, at which point I made it about 12 inches around and 6 inches high. But this time around I thought, wouldn't a mini version be more fun? So that's what you see here.

Small disks of almond meringue, layered with slightly sweetened whipped cream, topped with white chocolate and flaked coconut, then frozen and served cold so they really are just like snowballs.

 This is a simple yet incredibly delicious cake that brings me back to my childhood with every bite. I can't think of a better way to spend a snowy afternoon indoors.

 

Ingredients

Meringues:

• 10 Egg Whites at room temperature
• 1 3/4 cup superfine sugar
• 1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
• 6 ounces blanched almonds, ground to a breadcrumb texture

Whipped Cream:

• 2 cups whipping cream
• 3-4 Tbsp confectioners sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract

Topping

• 1 cup flaked coconut
• 1/2 cup grated white chocolate

 

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, or silicone baking mats. 

2. In one bowl, mix ground almonds with 1 cup of superfine sugar and cornstarch, set aside.

3. In a mixer or large bowl, beat the egg whites until frothy. Slowly add the remaining sugar, continue to beat the egg whites until firm, but not dry.

4. Add the almond mixture to the egg whites. Fold in gently until fully incorporated. Then give it a few good folds to work out a bit of the air.

5. Fill a pastry bag (a large freezer bag will work) or use a large cookie dough scoop to dole out 6 rounds per cookie sheet.

6. Using the back of a knife or a spatula, smooth out the meringues so they are about 4 inches around.

7. Place the meringues in the oven and bake for 45-60 minutes, or until the edges start to brown and the middle is almost firm.

8. While the meringues and baking, whip the whipping cream in a mixer or with a whisk in a large bowl. When soft peaks begin to form, add the sugar, vanilla extract and almond extract, mix just to incorporate. Place back in the refrigerator to keep cold. Make sure not whip too long, or it will turn into butter!

9. When meringues are done, remove from over and let fully cool.

Assembly:

- Starting with the baked meringue, alternate layers of meringue and whipped cream for a total of 4 meringues in a stack.

- Next, using a flat spatula, drop a good amount of whipped cream on the top of the cake and start working it outward and then down the sides.

- Once the cake is fully covered, sprinkle the flaked coconut and white chocolate over the top, and on the sides if you like.

- Last but not least, place the cakes in the freezer until the whip cream is good and frozen, at least an hour. You can eat them at room temperature, but thy are so much better cold!

- Makes 3-8 mini cakes depending on how many layers you want, and how many batches you have time to bake. If you only want a few cakes, you can use the left over meringue to make cookies! Just use a Tbsp to measure out cookie portions and bake  at 250 degrees for about 40-45 minutes.

*Make sure and take the cakes out of the freezer 10-15 minutes before serving to let them soften up.

 

Enjoy!

 

~ Jordan

 

*Last time in Recipes: 10 Cozy Winter Recipes

. . . nature walk: portland, oregon

This week's lovely nature walk comes to us from Portland, Oregon. There, Marcela and her family went for a walk not far from their home at the Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge.  Right in the middle of the city it is full of nature, wildlife, and lots of surprises like sweet little beavers and ducks.  Thank you Marcela for sharing this fun trip!

If you would like to contribute to our weekly Nature Walk series, you can learn more about submitting photos here, or you can also visit our Nature Walk Group Pool on Flickr to add your adventures to the collection.

Thanks again Marcela for sharing!

*Last time in Nature Walks: Methow Valley, WA