Creating a comfortable life one moment at a time
On Sunday we took a vote for the next country of the week and the kids decided it should be the good old USA. I have to admit I was thinking we’d just learn about other countries this summer, but then I started to think about it and all sorts of possibilities popped up. Plus, with the Fourth of July this week it makes sense. So USA it is!
And they’re off!
After a week of indulgences (macarons, quiche, madeleines, baguettes, and steak frites) we decided to end our imaginary journey to France with a very real bike ride around the neighborhood. Our own little Tour de France.
And since this Country of the Week business is meant to keep our brains busy as well as our stomachs, Tim took the opportunity to teach us about the peloton.
This simple project, inspired by French Expressionist painter Henri Matisse, would be fun to do whether you’re learning about France or just looking for something creative to do with the kids.
I went back to Making Art Fun for a biography of Matisse. We learned that Matisse was all set to become a lawyer until he came down with appendicitis. While he was recovering from surgery, his mother gave him a paintbox and the rest is history.
[Read more…] about Country of the Week: France / Being Matisse
For a treat during France Week we made madeleines. Have you ever had these little sponge cakes? They’re delicious, but I think what makes them extra special is their fun shell-shape. I found my madeleine pan at Williams-Sonoma, but I’ve seen them at Target, too.
I have a madeleine recipe from Martha Stewart, but before I used it I checked out some posts like this one about the best way to make madeleines. I discovered that there is quite a bit of debate about how to make the “perfect” madeleine. There are different theories about how long you should mix the batter and how full you should fill the molds. There are arguments about whether or not madeleines should have a “hump.” Only one recipe recommended chilling the batter for at least 30 minutes before baking, but all of them listed lemon zest as an important ingredient.
This was starting to get complicated so I decided I’d better keep it simple and get it done. I went ahead and used Martha Stewart’s recipe but added a teaspoon of lemon zest.
I was happy with how they turned out, and judging by how quickly they disappeared, so was my crew.
Madeleines
modified from The Martha Stewart Cookbook
Makes 24 to 36 madeleines, depending on the size of your pans or molds
4 eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for pans
Confectioners’ sugar
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Brush madeleine pans or small molds with butter.
Beat the eggs, salt, and sugar together until thick, about 8 minutes. Add the vanilla and lemon zest. Fold in the flour, rapidly but gently. Fold in the butter gently, but make sure it does not settle to the bottom. Quickly spoon the batter into the madeleine pans or molds, all the way to the top. Bake until the center is firm and the edges are golden, about 10 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. Immediately turn the madeleines out onto a wire rack and let cool completely.
(Cookies can be stored in a single layer in airtight containers at room temperature up to 1 day. But they probably won’t last that long.)
Madeleines may be dusted with confectioners’ sugar after baking.
For Week Two of the Pudding Pop Challenge, I decided to start with vanilla pudding. What goes best with vanilla pudding? Vanilla wafers, of course. And because it’s us, we added mini chocolate chips. Delicious!
If you missed Week One, the Pudding Pop Challenge isn’t really about making pudding pops. It’s about making pudding pops without a recipe. Which, for some of us, can lead to shortness of breath and an overwhelming desire to hop over to Pinterest. Why pudding pops? Because they seem like they’d be impossible to mess up. I can feel my risk-taking muscles getting stronger already. Who knows what might happen?)