China!

We just finished studying about China. You may be questioning my geography skills at this point, since I recently mentioned that we would be visiting South America this week. Perhaps you are wondering if I’m qualified to teach these impressionable children. Well, I’m probably not, but I do know how to find China on a map. Without even looking in South America. I had a great restaurant field trip planned for our study of Brazil, but it turned out I didn’t have time for it this week. I did, however, have time to order Chinese takeout, so a study of China it was! Here are a few highlights...

Paper lanterns. Fire-breathing egg carton dragons and a safety pin panda bear. You have to back away from the computer, close one eye, and squint the other real tightly to kind of, maybe, just barely make out the panda face. Sort of. We also practiced writing numbers in Chinese characters.

A list of things that come to us from China includes the abacus, paper, peaches, horse saddles, the wheelbarrow, the compass, goldfish, dominoes, kites, hackey sacks, sunglasses, and ice cream. I read the Chinese used rice, milk, spices, and snow to create ice cream. It immediately conjured images of a double scoop of peppermint with hot fudge on top. I'll tackle just about any excuse to go out for ice cream, because it is my very favorite dessert. So yesterday, while Hannah was at Biology class, we took a Chinese excursion and called it schooling". We got an A+, by the way.

Finally, these are Chinese Mooncakes. Do you notice anything missing from this picture? Like the students? I kept telling the boys today that I'd be ready to bake cookies "in a little while". By late afternoon they completely lost faith in me and went next door to have an army battle in the neighbor's sandbox. I was abandoned to explore Mooncakes on my own. But I bet I'll be in good company later tonight when it is time to eat them. Traditionally, red bean paste is used in the center of these. I substituted strawberry preserves because I wanted to actually eat the cookies. I'm a realist when it comes to baked goods. :) I think my aunt makes something like this at Christmas time and calls them "thumbprints".

Easy Chinese Moon Cakes

1/4 cup sugar

2 egg yolks

1/2 cup butter

pinch of salt

1 cup flour

Fruit Preserves

Combine butter and one egg yolk. Mix in flour and salt. Form dough into ball, wrap in plastic, and chill one hour. Form small balls in the palm of your hand. Make a hole with your thumb in the center of each moon cake. Beat other egg yolk with a few teaspoons of water and brush over cookies. Fill with about 1/4 tsp. of preserves. Bake at 375 about 15 minutes, until golden around edges. Allow to cool and sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar. Makes 24 cookies.