Art History Links for Homeschoolers - August 2008

What are Art History Links for Homeschoolers?
Well, as homeschoolers, we love to learn...and it needs to be cheap and easily accessible (ie. local or ONLINE). I look for online exhibits, resources, reading lists, videos, and activity ideas for major art historical themes. Many of these resources are offered in conjunction with local exhibits, so if you are lucky enough to be in that vacinity, take advantage of it.

How can you help?
Know of a great resource online or a great exhibit in your area? Email me or leave a comment. I'll incorporate your finds into a future month's listing. And if you take advantage of any of the resources...or attend an exhibit mentioned here, let me know what you think! Your feedback helps me provide better listings.


In conjunction with the Beijing Olympics, I've found two Chinese art resources:

Ancient Chinese Sculpture
From the Art Knowledge Newsletter:
The script is familiar but irresistible. A cache of art is stored, unexamined, in the bowels of an esteemed institution. Scholars become intrigued. Cataloging begins. The quality is unexpectedly high, and soon an exhibition materializes, accompanied by a catalog that illuminates the tale of neglect, renewed interest and diligent scholarship as well as the splendors of the art. That is the plot for “Treasures Rediscovered: Chinese Stone Sculpture From the Sackler Collections at Columbia University,” an eye-opening show at the Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Gallery at Columbia University.

Anatomy of a Masterpiece: How to Read Chinese Paintings
Another excellent online exhibit, this time of Chinese paintings and calligraphy. If you'd like to share some images of masterpieces of Chinese painting and calligraphy with your kids, this is a great resource. The works span 1,000 years of Chinese art history.

Create a custom art history timeline
As you put the finishing touches on your lessons for the year, you might want to consider using this excellent resource from the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. It will make adding art to your lessons easy as pie!

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An Art History Carnival

Look-y what I found - an ART HISTORY CARNIVAL. I know I'm a geek to get so excited about that, but what can I say. Margaret is hosting this carnival at her blog The Earthly Paradise. She is a grad student and a former homeschooler.

If you enjoy reading about art...or looking at art, you'll find something worthwhile in this carnival. I've got a wee little submission in there, too.

The posts include:

• Art History essays (Mondrian, Whistler's Mother, a mystery/history lesson),
• Art News and Exhibits (online exhibits, free or reduced fee museum days),
• Philosopy of Art (creativity origins, Neolithic art), and
• Reviews (Indian architecture).

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Eating Seasonally and Sustainably in Suburbia

In the past year, my family has been making a concerted effort to eat according to the seasons. We are also trying to purchase as much as we can from local farmers. But we are still learning - and living in suburbia can make it quite a challenge.

Are you interested in eating seasonally and sustainably? Come join the conversation as we continue learning! We'll share some recipes and ideas, and hope you will, too. Where? Here:

To Every Meal a Season

If you like what you see, be sure to help spread the word!

Classic Tomato Sauce

Marcella Hazan is one of my favorite Italian cookbook authors. Her book, Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking, is a fantastic resource if you love Italian food. She has many great recipes for pasta sauces - this one is a true classic and couldn't be much simpler.

Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter
2 lbs fresh, ripe tomatoes (blanched, skinned and coarsely chopped) OR 2 c. canned Italian plum tomatoes, cut up, with their juices
5 T butter
1 med. onion, peeled and cut in half
Salt

Put the tomatoes in a saucepan, add the butter, onion, and salt, and cook uncovered at a very slow, but steady simmer for 45 minutes, or until the fat floats free from the tomato. Stir from time to time, mashing any large pieces of tomato in the pan with the back of a wooden spoon. Taste and correct for salt. Remove onion before tossing the sauce with pasta (save it for the stock pot).

This sauce may be frozen - just remove the onion before freezing. Marcella says this is the "unsurpassed sauce for Potato Gnocchi" - little potato and flour dumplings cooked like pasta in water. Instead of making these from scratch - which I've done before, I found some all prepared to be boiled at Trader Joe's, so that is what I'm using. Cheating, I know!



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Summer Garden Ratatouille

This is one of those easily adaptable recipes. Throw in whatever amounts or types of the vegetables you have.

This recipe is from Simply In Season, a wonderful little cookbook to help you start cooking with the seasons.


Summer Garden Ratatouille
2 onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
Saute in 3 T olive oil about 5 minutes.

1 med. eggplant, chopped
1 1/2 T fresh basil, chopped or 2 tsp dry
1 T fresh rosemary, chopped or 1 tsp dry
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh marjoram, chopped or 1/2 tsp dry
Add, cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until eggplant is soft, about 15-20 minutes.

2 summer squash, chopped
2 peppers (green or sweet - red or orange), cut in strips
2 c tomatoes, chopped
Add and simmer until peppers and squash are tender, about 10 minutes. Serve over pasta or polenta sprinkled with chopped fresh parsley, black olives or freshly grated Parmesan cheese.


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Whole Wheat Peach Kuchen

The original called for peaches, and I intend to try it with peaches soon, but I had blackberries that needed to be used up, so I decided to try it with those first. The results were quite delicious!

From Simply In Season:

Whole Wheat Peach Kuchen
3/4 c. whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 c. flour
2 T sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
Combine in a large bowl.

1/4 c. butter
Cut in until crumbly. Pat mixture over bottom and sides of baking pan or oven-safe frying pan.

4 c peaches, halved and peeled (I substituted 4 c. blackberries that had been sprinkled with sugar)
Arrange in pastry, cut side down.

3 T sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Mix together and sprinkle over top. Bake in preheated oven at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes.

1 c plain yogurt
1 egg, beaten
2 T sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
Combine and pour over peaches and bake 30 more minutes or until set.

I'd suggest putting the baking pan on a cookie sheet. I over cooked the crust just a bit trying to get the custard set. Serve with a little ice cream or a bit of cream on top!

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Cucumbers with Yogurt and Mint

This is a great salad to keep on hand in the summer for a quick lunch. It is very refreshing. Again, I don't really have a recipe for this.


Cucumbers with Yogurt and Mint

3 cucumbers peeled, halved and sliced
salt
1/3 c. of plain yogurt
2 Tbsp of fresh, chopped mint (don't even try to use dried mint - it really won't be as good)

Salt the sliced cucumbers and place in a colander to drain. Leave them for at least half an hour - more is better. An hour is plenty. This pulls out the excess water. They'll get a little limp, but still have a nice crunch. Place in a bowl and stir in 1/3 c of plain yogurt. (Use more or less depending on your taste.) If you have a mortar and pestle give the mint leaves a little crush in that before adding them to the yogurt and cucumbers. If you don't have a mortar and pestle, just give the leaves a good scrunch with your hand. This will soften the leaves and help release the oils and flavor. Mix the crushed mint into the yogurt and cucmbers. Stir well and refrigerate.

Sometimes I find that I like to add a dash or two more salt to the mixture before I refrigerate. It should have a slightly salty taste. I know that sounds weird - salt, yogurt and mint, but it really is yummy and refreshing!

In many Eastern Mediterranean/Middle Eastern cultures there is a drink with yogurt, salt and mint (and water to thin out the yogurt). It is surprisingly delicious - tart yogurt, zippy mint and that slight saltiness. If anyone has a good recipe for that, I'd love to have it. Otherwise I guess I just need to experiment with it.


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Rosemary and Lemon Baked Chicken

This smells absolutely divine while it cooks! It is perfect to throw in the oven when you've got a busy day and no time to stand at the stove. All you need to have is a couple of sides (veggies or salad and bread) and you are done! Now, I don't really have a recipe, so bear with me.


Rosemary and Lemon Baked Chicken

1 whole roasting chicken
2 lemons
a few springs of fresh rosemary (fresh is important, the resin in the fresh leaves is very aromatic!)
garlic powder or cloves
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Rub your pan with a little olive oil. Place two springs of rosemary on bottom of pan and place chicken, breast side up, on top of those springs. Put a spring or two of rosemary in the cavity of the chicken. Cut lemons in half and squeeze the juice all over the surface of chicken. Place two lemon halves into the cavity and lay the other two in the pan around the chicken. Drizzle more olive oil over surface of the bird. Sprinkle a touch of garlic powder OR put a clove or two into the cavity. Salt and pepper the bird to taste.

Roast bird until it reaches an interior temp of 180 degrees F. The time this takes will vary depending on the size of the bird and your oven, but generally, 1 hour and 1/2 or so. (Start checking at 1 hr.)

When bird comes out of the oven remove it from the pan and let it sit (on a tray or cutting board) for a few minutes to let the juices be absorbed into the meat.

Slice and enjoy!

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The Simple Woman Daybook - Aug 4, 2008

Recently, I came across this "Daybook", which is a meme of sorts, but different. It appealed to me as a way to record a bit of my life on a more regular basis on my blog.

Each Monday, bloggers share their Daybook entries. Add your own or just enjoy reading what other ladies are up to this week. Visit Peggy's blog: The Simple Woman and enjoy the other Daybook entries.

FOR TODAY August 4th, 2008

Outside My Window... It is hot and hazy. I've done my errands for the day and now I'm staying IN!

I am thinking... about a new landscape plan for our boring suburban lot. We want to reduce our lawn, set up a nice play area in the backyard, and incorporate a vegetable garden (and fruit plants).

I am thankful for... a friend's call this morning to invite my middle son over. Our kids' best friends are getting ready to move, so I'm trying to help ease that transition by encouraging some other friendships to blossom as well. (Remember the rhyme, "Make new friends, But keep the old; One is silver, and the other gold.")

From the kitchen... yummy Chicken and Rice soup simmering away and Cucumbers with Yogurt and Mint.

I am wearing... my favorite stretchy jeans and my most unfavorite top (basic cotton T-shirt in a grass green color - not my most flattering color)

I am creating... some baked delights for the week ahead (cookies, raisin bread, and a fruit kuchen)

I am going... to bed early tonight.

I am reading... Gilead, a stack of landscaping and garden books, In Defense of Food, and the Iliad

I am hoping... to find a good podcast to listen to while I bake this afternoon. I'm also hoping the kids will find something to occupy them while I enjoy my time in the kitchen. This is one of my favorite things to do - something good to listen to and a pleasant afternoon making tasty treats.

I am hearing... two of my kids planning and talking while they play with new Model Magic that I picked up this morning. It is a little pricey, but they are so creative with it. I'll post some of their creations later.

Around the house... there is a lot of laundry that needs to be finished and put away. This is one of those chores that I just HATE. For some reason, by the time I'm done with my mountain of laundry I putter out and the clothes languish in laundry baskets for the rest of the week. I'm trying to get all caught up today and then get back into the long-forgotten habit of doing a load at least every other day.

One of my favorite things... the quiet of the house in the early morning. I sit with my bible, planner, laptop, and a nice cup of coffee or tea as I read and plan my day. There is something so lovely and relaxing. I will admit that it is tempting to not get the rest of the day started, though.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: I have a couple of blog posts to work on and a new blog to launch - I'm trying to squeeze that in this week. Some time during the week, I'd like to have some friends over who have been gone most of the summer. We've missed them and want to catch up a bit. Tomorrow, I'm taking middle son to a friends house. Thursday, I have my "Wives In Prayer" Group. On Friday, we are going to ejoy a Chinese celebration as we watch the Olympics Opening Ceremony. My husband is taking the kids away for a long weekend to the beach, so I need to spend some time thinking about what I want to use that time to accomplish (school preparations, a household project, blog work or just some relaxation...or a little of each).

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

Yummy fresh figs from our fig tree. We planted it about 3 years ago and it looks like we'll be getting our first real harvest in this year! Hubby and I LOVE fresh figs. We've been looking forward to these ALL summer.

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VBS - some comments and thoughts

After a week of early rushed mornings, days filled with paint/glitter/clay/ giggling/running/singing, and tired, hobbled-together dinners, VBS (or VBC - Vacation Bible Camp as it was re-christened this week) is OVER.

**Satisfied, tired SIGH**

I've not always been a huge proponent of VBS (I'm not necessarily, still). There are issues of expense, laying more work on already busy moms/volunteers, stewardship follow-up with attendees, and some concern with the "amped-up", crazy-fun mentality. But, growing up I had two particularly meaningful experiences at VBS (really the only two I attended), so I still think some great stuff can occur during these wild weeks!

All that said, this was the best VBS we've had at our church. Yes, it was hectic and draining...and a bit "amped-up", but it was really wonderful - all-in-all.

The question is, "Why was this week so successful?" And secondly, "How can we 'top' it?"

The first reason this week was so successful is, of course, that the Lord blessed it. And we could certainly stop there - what more needs to be said? But there were some definite aspects the Lord used to bless our VBS week.

• Dads: Our VBS leader didn't just wait for the Dads to volunteer, she specifically asked a few dads to come serve in a very specific way. Realizing that most dads work during the day (we still do mid-day VBS), she found dads that were able to take off a few hours just one morning during the week. Each morning the "dad of the day" served as our Science Lab leader. Of course doing a simple science experiment is right up a dad's alley - and having the added authority of a "DAD" kept the science room under better control than it might have been otherwise. The dads seemed to really enjoy serving in this way and it was so valuable for the kids to see the example set by them!

• Having an energetic and gifted drama leader: 'nuf said.

• Volunteers from the "older" set: We had a number of volunteers whose children are all grown (many with grandchildren) join us to serve as group leaders, time-keepers, kitchen crew, and set-up/take-down. This has been something we've done in the past as well, but this year the number of volunteers from the "older" set was quite a bit higher. I'd say half our volunteers had no children of VBS age - or even close!

• Keeping it SIMPLE: We do not have our own building any longer, so we were at the mercy of our kind church hosts (and very kind and gracious they were). This necessitated that we keep the decorations pretty simple, which many of us discovered was a GREAT blessing. We also kept the craft room simpler than ususal, too. The kids had so much fun, I doubt they noticed any difference!

• Sharing resources: Wisely, our VBS leaders struck a deal with our host church to share some of the VBS expenses by sharing a curriculum package (which allowed us to also share the expense and work of making decorations, too). This left money to have a family pool party after the close on Friday for all the attendees' and volunteers' families. It was a great way to meet some of the parents of kids who were visiting our church via VBS and it gave them a chance to get to know our church family. And it was just plain, FUN!

I was asked at the end of the pool party, "So, how do we top this next year?" To which I replied, "We don't have to top it, we just have to do it again!"

See, this is how much fun we had:



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