Alternatives for Fireworks

 

Safety is one of the most important things to observe on the Fourth of July. Fireworks are fun, but they are not great for all occasions. Check out these great alternatives for fireworks. They will be fun for you kids, but it will also keep them safe during your party.   You can find more information at The Examiner.


Purchase large bubble wand kits from any St. Louis Dollar Tree, Nagle’s in Florissant, or other retail outlets such as Target. These wands are typically a large circle, made up of smaller circles, and can be dipped in a bowl of bubbles and then twirled around to make tons of bubbles in various sizes. If you need extra bubble solution dishes, an upside down Frisbee works well. To add a little 4th of July spirit, put a few drops of red or blue food coloring into the bubble solution. You may also consider purchasing a bubble machine for large groups of kids.


Make your own streamers. Visit Michael’s Crafts or Hobby Lobby and pick up a few rolls of red, white and blue ribbon. Tie several ribbons to a dowel rod or empty paper towel tube and let the kids run through the yard or put on a parade for the adults. Turn on some patriotic music for more holiday spirit! You can also use patriotic colored pom poms.


Fill a small wading pool or swimming pool with red, white and blue confetti. Rather than buying small bags of confetti, cut costs by purchasing packages of tissue paper or metallic wrapping paper and run it through a shredder. Then, cut your shredded strands into smaller pieces. The children can throw the confetti up in the air and contain the mess inside the pool. Simply vacuum it out when they're done.


Instead of lighting fireworks, give children glo-sticks, fiber optic party wands, flashlights with red cellophane over the end or even a Star Wars light saber to play with in the dark.

Postcards to Java

A Benicia native is bringing creative teaching methods to a town in Indonesia. She is using postcards to teach students how to speak English. She is a Peace Corps volunteer in Indonesia as a teacher. The students receive postcards, and then they must read them and write a response in the English. Keep reading to learn more!

A Peace Corps volunteer and Benicia native is teaching his Indonesian students how to speak English with the help of postcards. His name is Matthew Borden, and he calls the teaching method, "Postcards to Java." 

Here's how it works, according to the Peace Corps: 

By asking friends, family and others around the world to send a postcard to his class, Borden gives his students the opportunity to apply what they’re learning. When the class receives a postcard, the students read them and craft a response to the sender. Borden hopes to collect postcards from all 50 states and across the globe.

“When a student sees a postcard sent from a faraway place and realizes it’s addressed to them, it sparks an enthusiasm for learning English that the textbooks don’t match,” Borden said. “Even my least motivated students will call me aside to help them decipher new words and phrases.”

The postcards also teach Borden’s class about the United States and other places around the world. Each postcard provides an opportunity to start a discussion and learn more about the culture and geography of the place it came from. 

“People participating abroad are sharing all sorts of lessons about life outside of Indonesia,” said Borden, a graduate of the University of California, Santa Cruz. “What most people in my community know about the U.S. and other countries is limited to what they see in movies and television.”

The postcards will be displayed in the school library, next to a world map and a map of the United States, so others at the school can read them. Borden is also keeping an online archive where anyone interested in his project can follow along with the class as they receive postcards from around the world.

For more information on Borden’s project, how to send a postcard to his class and to see the postcards they have received, visit http://postcardstojava.wordpress.com/.  

Original Article Here: http://benicia.patch.com/groups/around-town/p/benicia-native-brings-creative-teaching-method-to-indonesia

How to Live At Home After College!

College is now over for the year, and you are living at home with your parents.  This can be a difficult transition anytime you need to move home. However, with these steps you can be sure to have the best experience possible.  Make sure to take advantage of the resources you have around you, and you can enjoy this time with your family.  You can find out more at College Cures.

Most of you will be packing up and heading back home to spend quality time with Mom and Dad for the next few months now that school is out.

Although some of you, I’m sure, are already moaning and groaning thinking about the fact you have to live in such close quarters with your parental units, don’t count out the pros of this just yet!

While I’m no longer in college (I’m just a poor recent graduate), I can still give you some insight on why living at home can be great.

You’re not paying rent.
Seriously. Rent takes such a dent out of each and every one of my paychecks. I would love to live at home if I could! You’re able to keep the money that you would be spending on rent to live in a different city for the summer to save up for something special. Even if you don’t have something in mind that you want to save up for right now, you’ll definitely want to start tucking some money away for when you have to enter “the real world.” Trust me, you’ll thank yourself later.

You’re spending quality time with family.
Once you move out, you won’t be able to get this time back. Even though it seems absurd to think this right now, there will come a time when you wish you could go back to the days of living under the same roof as Mom, Dad and the rest of your siblings. There are so many things that I’m sure you take for granted right now and don’t even realize it. You’ll find that you will miss the simple things – like helping a younger sibling with their homework or going to the grocery store with your Mom. Enjoy it while you can!

You’ve got a support system around you.
There are no words to describe what it feels like when all you want is a close friend or family member to give you a hug and they are hours away. There will be times when all you want is a pep talk from your Mom and Dad. Luckily, since you’re at home, they are accessible to you by just walking down the hallway. Although we’ve got Skype and Facetime these days, they still aren’t the perfect substitute for getting a hug from Mom or Dad.

You can learn skills you didn’t have time to before.
Ever wanted to learn how your Mom gets her shirts perfectly starched? Or maybe how your Dad ties a bow tie? Take this time to learn everything you’ve been meaning to ask your parents about. For example, when I lived at home after my freshman year, I learned more from my mom on how to cook some of my favorite recipes, since I knew I would be living in an apartment the next year and wouldn’t have easy access to cafeteria food. Don’t underestimate all that your parents can teach you!

Now that we’ve discussed the pros of your living situation, here are a couple things you need to keep in mind to keep your parents happy while you’re under their roof:
Be respectful of bed times for younger siblings.
Understand that a curfew isn’t a death sentence.
Volunteer to help around the house (even if you don’t want to).
Watch your language and topics of discussion around younger siblings.
Show respect to your parents and they will respect you back – you’re way too old to throw fits.

A Healthy Alternative for Rice and Pasta!

Are you looking for a new healthy alternative for lunch and dinner?  Check out Quinoa!  It is a great substitute for pasta and rice.  This is a great recipe to make this delicious substitute at home in no time.  You can find out about more great recipes at The Kitchn.

Quinoa has come a long way in the last few years. From health stores to the mainstream, its high protein content and delicate texture have made it a popular substitute for starchier pasta and rice. Several of us here at The Kitchn like to make a big pot of quinoa on the weekends and eat it throughout the week with curry, grilled vegetables, or braised meat. It's one of the most delicious, fast-cooking lunch staples we know (not to mention healthy). Here's how to cook great quinoa — not mushy, not bitter — but delicate and perfectly fluffy.

Cultivated in the Andes for over 5,000 years, quinoa has been called the "mother grain" and "the gold of the Incas." (It's technically not a grain but a seed, but it is used in virtually the same ways as other whole grains.) Today, the popularity of quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) is growing steadily as people discover its pleasant nutty taste and superfood qualities. As a complete protein source also high in iron, magnesium, and fiber, quinoa is not only one of our healthiest pantry staples, but also one that's incredibly easy and quick to cook.

We've read that there are 1,800(!) varieties of quinoa, but just three main types are found in markets here: the most common white variety, as well as a red one and a black one.

Here is our standard method for cooking any of these.

Basic Quinoa Facts

How much cooked quinoa does 1 cup dry quinoa yield?
1 cup dry quinoa yields about 3 cups cooked quinoa.

How much liquid do I need to cook quinoa?
To cook 1 cup quinoa, you need about 2 cups liquid.

How long does it take to cook quinoa?
1 cup quinoa will cook in about 20 minutes.

How do I make quinoa less bitter?
Nearly, if not all, of the natural bitterness of quinoa's outer coating can be removed by a vigorous rinsing in a mesh strainer.

How do I make better-tasting quinoa?
Quinoa is really excellent when cooked in vegetable or chicken broth. Also, add about 1/4 teaspoon salt to each cup dried quinoa when cooking. Try adding other spices aromatics during cooking as well: A clove of smashed garlic, a sprig of fresh rosemary, a dash of black pepper.

Can I use my rice cooker to make quinoa?
Yes! Just use the 2:1 liquid to quinoa ratio and follow the instructions on your rice cooker.



How To Cook Quinoa
What You Need

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa (any variety — white or golden, red, or black)
Olive oil (optional)
2 cups liquid, such as broth or water
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)

Tools

Fine mesh strainer
2-quart saucepan with lid
Spoon
Instructions

1. Measure quinoa and liquid. Measure out 1 cup quinoa and 2 cups liquid.

2. Rinse the quinoa. Place the quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer, and rinse thoroughly with cool water. Rub and swish the quinoa with your hand while rinsing, and rinse for at least 2 minutes under the running water. Drain.
Why rinse quinoa? Rinsing removes quinoa's natural coating, called saponin, which can make it taste bitter or soapy. Although boxed quinoa is often pre-rinsed, it doesn't hurt to give the seeds an additional rinse at home. Some cookbooks suggest soaking the quinoa but, in our experience, this is unnecessary.

3. Dry and toast quinoa in saucepan. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in the saucepan over medium-high heat, and add the drained quinoa. Cook, stirring, for about 1 minute, letting the water evaporate.

4. Add liquid and bring to a boil. Stir in the liquid and the salt (if using) and bring to a rolling boil.

5. Lower heat and cook covered for 15 minutes. Turn heat down to the lowest setting. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.

6. Let stand covered for 5 minutes. After 15 minutes, turn off the heat and remove the pot from the burner. Let stand for 5 minutes, covered.

7. Fluff and eat! After 5 minutes, remove the lid, fluff the quinoa gently with a fork, and serve. (You should see tiny spirals (the germ) separating from and curling around the quinoa seeds.)

Additional Notes:
• One cup of dried quinoa yields about 3 cups cooked.
• Some people like to add olive oil, butter, salt, or pepper. Cooked quinoa can also be used as the basis for pilafs, salads, breakfast porridges, and more.