February 16th, 2021

S for Sicily 

Did you know that Cate is 1/4 Sicilian? Today we learned that Sicily is a region in Italy and it's where part of Cate's family is from. 
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Her family shared a family cookie recipe with us that can be traced back at least 5 generations. These cookies are traditionally enjoyed around the holidays, for Easter and also today, before the beginning of lent. 
Cate learned the recipe from her grandmother and together with her mom they baked their very special Sicilian S-cookies for the Brown Room and today they presented to us how they are made. 

The ingredients you need are eggs, flour, sugar, vanilla extract, anise seeds, butter and baking powder. Traditionally all the ingredients are mixed together by hand, which is called "amano" ("by hand") in Italian. Cate used different tools, such as bowls, measuring cups and spoons, a whisk, a baking tray  and parchment paper, and a rolling pin. 

ingredients for Sicilian cookies.

The cookies can get flavored with traditional Sicilian ingredients like citrus, almonds or anise seeds. The finished dough needs to be rolled into coils and shaped like an S before it bakes in the oven at 350F for 15 minutes. Cate shared her delicious cookies with her friends and everyone decorated theirs with white frosting. 

Smell it! Mmm... - Luke
They're dry. - Finlay

​Children investigated this new type of food by smelling, feeling and licking it before taking a bite of it. 

This is kind of like we're having dessert. - Hugh
Some cookies taste like eggs. - Finlay

This family tradition was a real treat for all of us! Thank you to the Anderson family for sharing your beautiful tradition and recipe with us.
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Speaking of trying new foods....

Luke brought us OLIVES for snack today

When we try foods we have never seen or tasted before we sometimes have to be brave. Brave like Jabari, in the book "Jabari jumps" by Gaia Cornwall, which we read during snack time. We always try to encourage the children to give new things and experiences a try - may it be a sniff, a lick or a brave bite. And it is also okay to not like everything... After trying one, Daniel and Lily told us that they aren't big fans of olives. Hugh, Cate and Luke really enjoyed them, while Bea and Jade didn't have strong feelings either way. Finlay might give them a try next time :)

​It's kinda a little sour. - Hugh

I don't really like it. But I licked it. - Lily

They have different colors. - Jade

Me like them. - Luke

I really like them. They're kind of like blueberries. - Hugh
Yeah. Because they are blue. And blueberries are blue.
That's why they're called blueberries. - Lily

Luke loved his olives so much, he drank even the last bit of brine out of his bowl.

​Thank you for the olives, Luke! What a great way to kick off our "try new foods" series in the Brown Room! 

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The end of our Tuesday-Valentines Day was very musical - inside and outside...

​Hugh, Cate, Daniel and Luke playing the xylophone in the outdoor classroom: