also Valentine's Day / Anna Howard Shaw Day!
We've been studying Ancient China - and had fun with a little New Year's Feast last night.
We decorated:
Displayed the books about China that we've been reading:
Got out the chopsticks (and a bottle of sparkling cider someone gave us for Christmas).
And enjoyed our feast:
Char Sui pork with stir-fried vegetables and spicy soba noodles. Okay, technically the soba would be Japanese, not Chinese, but I really wanted noodles and it was in one of our Martin Yan cookbooks so we're calling it good.
Oh, and plenty of rice - with green onion, cilantro, and pickled ginger for garnish.
Yum.
We actually make Chinese food often, so it wasn't really anything out of the ordinary for the kids - the chopsticks and cider made it more festive for them.We listened to the Crouching Tiger soundtrack while we ate - and showed the kids a couple of scenes from the movie afterwards. And then watched Big Bird in China.
Again.
They love that show. I still remember watching it as a kid, actually, and was glad that my library had it.
While they were watching that I made 'envelopes' from cardstock for money gifts ($1 - woo!).
We ended the evening with sugar cookies - because you can't find gluten-free fortune cookies, I had no time for the yummy Chinese almond cookies we've made before, and ... it was after all, Valentine's day.
Happy New Year - hope the year of the tiger is a good one for all of you!