Local Market Cooking Classes for Kids

The school year has come to an end and the kids are enjoying some time at home with me before they start casal (summer camp) in July. We have been busy doing all sorts of activities, but today was extra special. Local Market is a wonderful local company that provides catering and gastronomic experiences here in Girona. Today they offered a two-hour cooking class for children. Eston and Aurelia were thrilled as they both love to help and create in the kitchen. 

 Local Market was incredibly organized and had everything ready to go for each junior chef:

Classes for children will be held throughout the summer (check their website). On the menu today was whole wheat veggie pizza. The kids learned how to make the dough and prepped their own veggie toppings. 

What cooking class would be complete without sitting down for a meal?  Each child was able to enjoy their masterpiece for lunch and the kids were thrilled to no end about their delicious creations.

 Aurelia made a heart shaped pizza with a face made out of veggies!

Both kids loved the class and are already begging to return, so we will definitely be participating in the cooking classes this summer. Local Market also offers a variety of tours and classes in Girona, so be sure to check them out if you are a resident or visitor:

http://localmarket.cat

Having kids in the kitchen can be so much fun and there are some great cookbooks out there to help you plan meals as a family. Here are a few of the cookbooks we use in our kitchen on a regular basis:

This is a fantastic cookbook with serious recipes for kids who are really excited about learning to be in the kitchen. The recipes are sophisticated, but presented in a child-friendly way. Prior experience in the kitchen might be helpful, but all of the recipes are possible with some adult guidance.

I absolutely adore anything and everything written or cooked by Alice Waters and this book is just delightful. Some find it too wordy and the recipes too complicated, but I disagree. My children and I love reading the stories and kitchen tips and experimenting with the many recipes. There are also several simple recipes that children can make on their own. Wonderful book!

Ferran Adria is basically a god here in Catalunya, but I owned this book long before we ever moved to Girona. This is a fabulous family cookbook and older children will appreciate the careful instructions and illustrations. Fantastic recipes!

Eston received this book for his birthday a couple of years ago and it is quite the book at 416 pages. This book is full of information and tips for any cook--child or adult! Excellent recipes, though many will need adult assistance.

Also a birthday present a few years back! This book is fantastic for early readers and young cooks. My kids can peruse the pages solo and learn new information or check out recipes. Great photographs and instructions. Nothing too fancy, but a great starting point for all budding chefs.

This book is a little basic, but it was a great beginner book for Eston. Super simple recipes with easy instructions and lots of photographs. Nothing incredibly tasty or complicated, but a solid introduction to the kitchen for young children.

More adventures to come!

Summer Reading

The kids are enjoying their last few days of school. Summer holidays are just around the corner and I have been organizing their summer folders after having parent-teacher conferences (more on that later). We spend many afternoons escaping the heat with a book and while Eston is an excellent independent reader, most children still love to be read to...don't we all?? I made some age recommendations, but the minds of children work in different ways and you know your reader best. Here are a few of our favorite read aloud books in English:

Charlotte's Web by E.B. White is an absolute classic and should not be missed. I read this book to Eston when he was four and it is the perfect book to transition from picture books to novels. 

Years ago I was a substitute in a second grade class. I was covering for a teacher who had major surgery, so I was with the class for over two weeks. During that time the teacher had me read The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane as a read aloud and I just fell in love with the story! Kate DiCamillo is one of my favorite authors and this story is perfect for ages six and up.

Each and every Roald Dahl book should be on this list, but this one is perfect to get you started on his writing. Kids of all ages love this story and it is a great book if you are reading to kids of multiple ages. Suits kids ages four and up. Don't just show them the movie---read this book!!

Esperanza Rising is quite possibly my favorite book of all time. I can recall reading it to my fifth grade classes in Boulder, Colorado and they always fell in love with this story. I tried reading it to Eston when he was quite young and it was a bit much for him, so I would wait until your child is about eight or so before tackling this. This book presents many social issues and your child will have lots of questions, so that is why I think it is best for older children.

This book will make you cry. No joke. I always had most of my students crying by the end of this story, but don't let that keep you from reading Bridge to Terabithia. The characters in this book will stay with you forever and your child will want to read this book again and again. Be prepared for the ending, which is why you might want to wait until your child is age five or so before reading.

Ellen Raskin wrote The Westing Game back in 1978 and the book won the Newberry Medal that same year. I feel like it does not get enough love these days, but I always read this mystery book to my students around Halloween and they loved trying to solve the "who-done-it" story. I actually had to stop them from reading ahead---that is how fantastic this book can be for readers! There are a lot of characters in this book, so kids need to follow closely, which makes it one for slightly older readers.

Kids everywhere relate to this story as the Watson family is so much like their own. The Watson's Go to Birmingham--1963 begins as a hilarious family story and your kids will laugh along with the characters as they find themselves in several humorous situations. However, be prepared for the second half of the story as it deals heavily with the Civil Rights Movement in the USA and the church bombings in Alabama. It is presented through the eyes of a child, but I would be sure your reader can handle this topic and conversations around it. That said, it is a fantastic story with wonderful characters.

Jean Craighead George could do no wrong in my opinion. All of her books are stories you want to lose yourself in and My Side of the Mountain is one of her best. I have clear memories of reading this as a child and my students always loved it. Who doesn't want to read about a young person surviving on their own in the forest? This is a great story and I always found that reluctant male readers always loved this one!

Two kids living in a museum in New York City? How can you not want to read From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler?! Kids of all ages laugh through this story. I think most of them start dreaming up schemes of living in museums or other public spaces, but this is a fantastic story for ages five and up. One of Eston's favorites.

This book was always a favorite with my students over the years. I read it to Eston earlier this year and he loved it as well. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh is simply an amazing story. The characters and dialogue just grab readers and kids love reading or listening to this story. There is a lot to follow in this story, so it is most appropriate for ages seven and up.

This book, Stargirl, should be required reading for those about to enter middle school. I read this to my fifth graders each and every year before they went off to sixth grade because the main character faces so many of the same challenges that come with adolescence. Individuality, conforming to the masses, first love, first kiss...it is all here. Younger kids could certainly read this book, but I think it resonates with an older crowd of 9-10+.

My sixth grade teacher was old and grumpy. She had been in the classroom for over 40 years and she should have called it a day, but she kept going. Sigh. It was pretty much a lost year for me, but I came away with two things by the end of the year. First, I decided then and there to be a teacher in order to prevent other kids from having a horrible experience for an entire school year. Second, she introduced me to this book. For that I thank her, but it ends there. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry is a story that will shake you to your core. My students always felt such passion for this story. A few of my students decided to research the author, Mildred Taylor and they were shocked to learn she lived in Boulder, Colorado. They were even more shocked to learn she lived next door to the first grade teacher at our school! However, Ms. Taylor lived on a ranch high in the mountains and the first grade teacher sadly told my students that she rarely left her property. Anyway, this book is a must and I recommend it for children 9+.

I first read this book for one of my classes when I was completing my credential classes and we all just loved the story. I should have prepared myself a bit better for the questions about Al Capone....haha! Imagine a first year teacher standing up in front of 25 fifth graders trying to explain who Al Capone was...slightly uncomfortable. I read this book each year to my students and by the second time around I had my Capone story ready to go. Don't be frightened, this is a fantastic book for readers of all ages!!

Okay, this is my favorite book of all time. Ever. Where to even begin with this story? Well, the characters and setting can be a bit confusing for younger kids, so I would say ages 9-10+ for this book. It could be read to younger children, but they may struggle with the enormity of the plot. This book will stay with you and your reader forever. Lois Lowry is a magician with words and even the most reluctant reader will be silent and still as you read this book. You might need a character map for younger kids to help them keep track of things a bit.

I received this book as a present in fourth grade. I was a ferocious reader, but it somehow sat on my shelf until my fifth grade teacher began reading the story aloud to us one day. I brought in my copy so I could follow along and was immediately reading ahead. Banner in the Sky is full of adventure and the main character is such a complex young fellow. I read this to my class (with my copy from childhood!) each year and they too loved this story. I need to find my copy and read this to Eston!

I know the historical events in Hattie Big Sky are not always completely accurate, but this is a work of fiction, so I can move past that a bit. The main character in this story is incredible and faces so many challenges and my students were immediately drawn to her and her story. Some have said it is more appropriate for female readers, but I don't find that to be true. 

I am always surprised when people have not heard of this book.  Author Jerry Spinelli brings up racism and homelessness and the main character is an orphan, but this book does not dwell on sadness. It balances the challenges with happiness and kids always enjoy this character and story. Ages seven and up.

This book is not warm and fuzzy. It will not leave you with a feeling of peacefulness or joy. It will, however, introduce young people to the experiences of Jewish and non-Jewish families in Europe during WWII. Number the Stars is another riveting story by Lois Lowry and though children might struggle with the realities of the topic, it is a story for all to read. 

This story is always a favorite for kids of all ages. Adventure on the high seas...what could be better??  Avi is a favorite author of many and this story keeps kids on the edge of their seat. I love that it has such a strong female character and this is a page-turner. Your readers will not want to stop reading this story. 

Ah, the Mysterious Benedict Society. Get ready, because you will be purchasing this entire series once you read the first book. Kids love these books and are instantly addicted! I think this action-packed story is appropriate for ages 7 and up. Fun plot with fantastic characters make this the perfect summer read for families!

I read this for years to my students and this mystery story is always one they enjoyed. Relatable  characters and this book always seems to get kids interested in ancient Egypt, even though the story does not focus solely on that topic. This book makes for a fun read aloud! It is not overly complicated, but sometimes we just need a light-hearted book to read.

I know this book sometimes scares readers a bit...a girl living by herself?! I think that even frightened me a bit the first time I read this book. I know schools have stayed away from it recently because of some have topics--death of a main character, death of Rontu, etc. I don't think that is a reason to stay away from this fantastic story because kids do love reading this book. Appropriate for ages 7+.

Eston and I just finished reading this book a few weeks ago and he loved it! My students always went nuts for it as well. Though the book can be sad, the characters are really what keeps this story going. Readers will instantly fall in love with the people in this town and want to hear all about them. Ages 6+.

I love books and could go on and on with my favorites, but these books are prefect for summer reading!

Semana Santa in Llafranc

Last month the kids had a week off for Semana Santa. We usually stay home in Girona, but I thought it would be fun to have a little holiday close to home. 

Llafranc is a gorgeous little beach town about 40 minutes from our house in Girona. There are only two tiny hotels, so we decided to find a holiday flat. We found the perfect 2-bedroom flat just a few minutes walk from the village of Llafranc.

I love this beach for kids--calm water, nice sand, plenty of restaurants and such nearby., etc. It does get crowded in the summer, but during the rest of the year it is a beautiful spot to visit. The Hotel Llafranc is right on the beach and a perfect place for lunch or drinks. Salvador Dali frequented this village during his time on the Costa Brava. Hemingway also came here for many years, so the local bars are full of stories about both of these legends.

There are some great hikes between Llafranc and Tamariu. We started hiking from El Far and wandered around for a couple of hours before heading back towards Llafranc. You can also walk to Calella de Palagrugell, though we chose to head the opposite direction on this hike. 

A Weekend in Nice

Suddenly it is April and I have not had time to post about our trip to Nice! Last month Rory competed in the Paris-Nice race. The race finished in Nice on Aurelia's birthday, so we decided I would take the kids there for the weekend.

I had packed lunch and plenty of games and books for the drive. It is just over five hours to Nice and I told the kids that I had not brought a DVD player or I-pad, which I typically do if the drive is over four hours. However, now that they are older it is easier for them to invent games and read and such, so we don't have to rely on electronics. We really limit their access anyway--the I-Pad is off limits unless we are on a long flight and we don't watch much TV because we have other fun things to do!

The drive to Nice was easy and driving through the French countryside in spring was just gorgeous. The kids did a great job of entertaining themselves so I could focus on the road and we only stopped twice for bathroom breaks. As we drove closer to Nice Eston said, "Mom, this looks like California." and it did--traffic and all. Thankfully I use a GPS and it guided us right through the city and to the parking garage.

We stayed in a great hotel right on the Promenade---Hotel West End. The hotel was built in 1842 and was just gorgeous. We arrived right around dinner on Friday night and I was too tired to explore the city, so we just settled for dinner in the restaurant of the hotel, which was quite nice. The ceiling was antique stained glass and the kids spent most of dinner just looking up as it was so beautiful. Eston even took out his notebook so he could sketch it a bit.

Our beautiful hotel:

 We woke up on Saturday morning feeling rested and ready to go. Rory's race started at 1pm, so we had until then to amuse ourselves. We hit the breakfast buffet at the hotel (Eston's favorite thing in life) and then crossed the street so we could be on the beach.

 The promenade is a lovely spot to walk, scooter, ride a bike, run, etc. The people of Nice were out in full force enjoying the beautiful morning. It made me incredibly sad to think of the tragedy that occurred here last summer and there were tons of police and French guard milling about. 

We found this gorgeous vintage carousel in the park as we walked towards Old Nice...

 We love going to local markets and had heard good things about the market in Old Nice. The flower/plant section was incredible and I was tempted to load up the car with plants. 

 Aurelia was keen to use her pocket money to buy every tasty thing she saw---strawberries, cheeses, honey, etc. The vendors thought she was adorable and gave her little tastes of everything.

 The market was only 200 meters or so from the start area, so after our snacks we headed towards the race. 

 The race security was nothing I have ever seen. The team bus area was completely blocked off and we had to wait for Rory to come and get us and get permission from the security people. You could not go to the start area unless you went through metal detectors and had your bag checked. I know these are the times we live in, but it felt so very foreign.

 We were able to see Rory for about 10 minutes before he had to go. It is always a short visit, which sometimes makes me wonder why I drag the kids hours away, but it is important for them to be there sometimes. We watched the start and then got on with the rest of our day!

Our first stop was the Matisse Museum. Eston had studied Matisse in his art class and was keen to visit the museum. The museum is not near town, so we hopped in a taxi and made our way up the hill. I had done a bit of research and knew that the museum was not large or a solid collection, so I wasn't sure what to expect.

The museum itself is in the most beautiful villa. That alone was worth the trip! As expected, the collection was slim. However, it is actually great for children as it is a fairly quick visit that does not overwhelm them. The entrance fee allows you to visit any other Nice museum for free, so we went next door to the Archeology Museum to check that out.

The Archeology Museum was well worth a visit! The Roman ruins rivaled those in Rome and we were just in awe of everything. We were even allowed to sit in the ruins and have a picnic, so it was incredible. Highly recommended!

 Both museums are located in a spectacular park and neighborhood. There is a little snack shack where a woman makes fresh crepes and they were divine. We sat in the olive trees and watched birthday parties, picnics, futbol games, etc. The locals obviously love this park and I can see why!

 The taxi ride to the museum was not cheap at 22 euros. I saw a bus stop across the street when we pulled up, so I told the kids we would take the bus back. I was studying the map when a bus pulled up, so I told the kids to hop on. We pulled up google maps on my phone (yes, I do use some technology!) and saw we were heading in the right direction. The end of the bus line was a five minute walk from our hotel, so it was perfect! Eston thought it was hilarious that it cost us 22 euros to get to the museum and 1.50 to get back. Live and learn---take the bus!!

We arrived back at the hotel and caught the last 10km of the race on television before heading out for dinner. We found a little trattoria (in France, I know) and they were making fresh pasta, which was divine. What a feast we had!

Sunday was Aurelia's birthday and Eston and I decorated the hotel room so she would be surprised when she woke up. I brought a few presents from home and she was so thrilled to celebrate. We had until noon to wander about and the kids wanted to go back to the beach and look for sea glass. The beaches here have private clubs and restaurants right on the beach, so there is lots of sea glass to be found, though it is mainly shades of green from the many champagne bottles, hah.

 I let the kids have their search and then surprised them with a trip to the Nice Opera House to celebrate Aurelia's birthday. Somewhere in my Nice research I had read the Opera House has a matinee for families on Sunday mornings. The shows are an hour or less and tickets are very inexpensive. We walked over to the Opera House and got in line for tickets. Now, I know about twenty words in French, so I was able to say "three, please" to the ticket woman. She came back with some quick French and then we both looked at each other and laughed. She kindly explained that seating was first come, first served and then we had our tickets!

The theater was amazing. I mean, stunning. It was originally built in 1714 and we couldn't stop staring at every last thing. The orchestra started and we were still staring, hahaha. The show is perfect for children of all ages and a great introduction to cultural events. The kids recognized several of the composers from their music class and we really enjoyed the hour.

 Thankfully Rory's race started about 45 minutes after the show and it was only a 100 meter walk! How is that for planning?! We once again had to go through the whole security thing and Rory had to walk down the street and meet us and walk us back to the bus. Unfortunately, we were a bit stuck once there. Rory had a team meeting to discuss the plan for the day and obviously we need to stay far away for that. I always have little things to keep us busy, so Aurelia got to work with her beads while Eston played with his camera and taking some still shots.

After lunch we decided to hike to the Parc de la Colline du Chateau. This park has the most beautiful views of Nice, truly. There are walking paths, a restaurant, and old castle and fort, a waterfall, and a fantastic playground. 

You must climb many, many stairs to get from Old Nice to the park (it is on a hill overlooking the city). Aurelia did it without problem, so it wasn't a big deal. I didn't bring a stroller on the trip and she was absolutely fine.

 We found the waterfall!

 So many cool tunnels to walk through!

 Beautiful views of the port of Nice...

After playing for a bit on the playground I realized we needed to high-tail it back to the finish line to catch the end of Rory's race (a two hour lunch and walk will make a race pass by very quickly). We ran down the steps and back to the city and found a good spectating spot. Rory had a great day and the kids were thrilled to see a bit of the race. 

We really enjoyed the weekend and I would return to Nice again. I found everyone to be friendly and helpful and it is a beautiful city. There is plenty for kids to do and we look forward to returning in the future.