27Jan 2022 by catbird
Making Butter with Kids

Making Butter with Kids

Midwinter, Play, Recipes
Midwinter is the time of year that ewes traditionally started lambing, so for Western Europeans in ancient times it was the return of milk to their diet. It’s hard for us to really understand that these days, but there is something very comforting about creamy, milky dishes this time of year. February is also usually the month that our hens start laying again which is always very exciting. As I’m writing this I’m thinking we should really plan some sort of mini celebration to mark the occasion! I don’t do lactose so I don’t really dive deeply into the milk and cream elements of this holiday, but my kids love to make butter. Mason Jar Butter Making Making butter in a mason jar is stupid easy and strangely satisfying. We…
Read More
06Jan 2022 by catbird
Focaccia della Befana

Focaccia della Befana

Twelfth Night, Winter Portfolio
January 6th is Befana in Italy, also known as Epiphany, Twelfth Night or Three Kings day in various cultures. Befana is a winter witch who brings treats for children and sweeps away the old year. I kind of love that throughout christianization Italians have stubbornly held on to their winter witch. Like most holidays Befana/ Epiphany predates the current Christian celebration and marks the end of the liminal time between Christmas and New Years. I like having that end marked in some way, this always feels like such a weird time of year for me. Focaccia della Belfana Despite being called focaccia, this is an enriched bread with milk eggs and butter. It’s a little sweet, but not overly so. I use a gluten free brioche recipe, but you can…
Read More
19Dec 2021 by catbird
Solstice Yule Cake

Solstice Yule Cake

Recipes, Winter Portfolio, Winter Solstice
Winter Solstice and the Yule Log.... Every Winter Solstice my family turns off all the lights in the evening, lights a fire in the fireplace, lights a million candles, spreads a blanket in front of the fire/ Yule tree and has dinner on the living room floor. Not only is it a lovely way to celebrate the darkest night, but it’s also a great opportunity to turn off electronics and lights and just enjoy each other’s company. The kids think it’s hysterical to walk around the house with a lantern and it’s an incredibly relaxing night in a busy stressful season. Every year we have Swedish meatballs (which are referred to as ikea meatballs in my house... ) and a bouche de noel or Yule log cake. Some years it’s…
Read More
19Dec 2021 by catbird
Hibernation Week Pie

Hibernation Week Pie

Cold Moon, Full Moon, Hibernation Celebration, Recipes, Winter Portfolio
Cold Moon hibernation pie!! The December Full moon is most often described as the Cold Moon. In my mind the Cold Moon is always linked to hibernation— my school has a week-long hibernation celebration every year in December that culminates in a Cold Moon Hibernation Party. Everyone learns about different aspects of hibernation, coziness and staying warm from straightforward activities like building shelters and learning about how animals survive to more abstract ideas of home and hearth. The fourth grade makes candles as a part of their colonial america studies and fifth grade makes hibernation snacks to eat while observing the stars. It’s a delightful way to celebrate the winter holidays and to prepare for a long winters nap.
Read More
18Dec 2021 by catbird
Solstice Ice Lanterns

Solstice Ice Lanterns

Craft Project, Nature Art, Winter Portfolio, Winter Solstice
Every Winter Solstice we make an ice lantern for the center of our Solstice Spiral. We fill it up with pinecones and holly and evergreens and it makes the whole space magical! If it's not cold enough where you live, you can stick these in the freezer instead. There are a few different ways to make them below- the botanical lanterns are my favorite, but the balloon lantern lantern is faster if you're in a pinch. We rarely have enough snow for teh snowball lantern, but if you do it's easy and fun! Botanical Ice Lanterns Materials: Two plastic containers- one larger and one smaller Masking tape Water Evergreen branches, holly, berries, pinecones etc Method: Set you smaller container inside the larger one and tape it in place with the…
Read More
17Dec 2021 by catbird
Winter Solstice Wishes

Winter Solstice Wishes

Craft Project, Free Printable, Winter Solstice
This is a fun way to release wished into the world using science! When you drop these folded pieces of paper into water, the liquid slowly wicks up the paper through a process called capillary action. "Capillary action is the process of a liquid flowing in a narrow space without the assistance of, or even in opposition to, any external forces like gravity." download https://www.pinterest.com/pin/91831279895569169
Read More
01Dec 2021 by catbird
A Printable Winter Special Spot Journal

A Printable Winter Special Spot Journal

Free Printable, Nature Journaling, Winter Solstice
Winter is a quiet time in nature, but there is still lots to do and see! Below is a printable journal to get you started, but it just scratches the surface of winter prompts. Use the blank pages to add your own! Print out all the pages and then lay them in this order on your work surface. Notice that the cover sheet is placed face down! download Line the pages up, fold them in half and poke an odd number of holes into the spine. Sew together with yarn or string. For instructions on how to sew the journal together, please click here. I designed this printable so that you only have to print on one side of the paper because trying to match up sides can be soul…
Read More
19Nov 2021 by catbird
Lichen Garden

Lichen Garden

Nature Collection, Winter Portfolio
Every year around this time we start collecting fallen bits and pieces of lichen and make a lichen garden in our favorite park. its one of my boys favorite things to do on a winter walk. If you'd like to give it a try, all you do is collect branches and arrange them all together. Lichen is always there, but suddenly becomes super visible in the late fall/ early winter when the trees shed their leaves and everything is grey and gloomy. Suddenly the bright green lichen shines in the forest.
Read More