Asian-Pacific American Heritage Blog Hop: Asian Crafts

 

In honor of Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month, Multicultural Kid Blogs is sponsoring a blog hop, and you are invited! We are celebrating the cultures and peoples of this diverse region by sharing our posts and asking other bloggers to do the same! Our hope is to create a wonderful resource for celebrating Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month with children. Be sure to visit the co-hosts of the blog hop (listed below) and share your own posts at the linky at the bottom! You can find even more resources on this region in our Asia and Australia and Oceania boards on Pinterest!

Co-Hosts

Multicultural Kid Blogs Crafty Moms Share Bicultural Mama Finding Dutchland Kid World Citizen Marie's Pastiche All Done Monkey Tiny Tapping Toes Creative World of Varya Miss Panda Chinese

For the blog hop we decided to share some of the Asian-Pacific Island crafts we have been doing as well as a few books we have enjoyed! We have been having fun exploring games, puzzles, stories and crafts! For our crafts we used three books as our main resources: Asian-American Crafts Kids Can Do! by Sarah Hartman, Hands-On Asia: Art Activities for All Ages by Yvonne Y. Merrill, and Asian Crafts by Judith Hoffman Corwin.

Around the World in 12 Dishes: Croatian Honey Pie

Ok, I have to admit I had trouble getting too excited for Around the World in 12 Dishes and I had an even harder time getting Hazel interested. As a result, we are posting a week late. Sorry!! I think the reason is I had a hard time finding books and really anything on Croatia besides things on-line. Our library network literally had six books having to do with Croatia in all the Children's Departments. One of the six was a novel and one was a picture book that never mentioned Croatia and the rest were the non-fiction books about Croatia. We did not read a whole lot about the country this month. However I did write the introduction on the Around the World in 12 Dishes blog.

I think the main problem for getting materials is Croatia became independent again in the 1990's. There just is not much on Croatia out there because of its newness. I did find several sites with Croatian recipes. We decided on a recipe from Honest Cooking called Croatian Honey Pie. One of the sites explained that what we call cake they call pie in Croatia. Since the measurements are given in ounces and grams, we weighed most ingredients. I will give you my estimates however. I also could not find plum jam, so we used homemade strawberry and blueberry jams (we made it on Memorial Day, so we went for the red, white and blue theme).

Croatian Honey Pie (adapted from Honest Cooking)

Ingredients
For the Dough

• Just under 3 cups of all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 3 tablespoons almond milk (we try to have things dairy-free for Hazel)
• just under a cup of sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder (I didn't read the recipe very well and used powder instead of soda)
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

For the Filling

• 1 1/4 cups almond milk
• just under a cup of sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• the rest of the stick of butter and another stick
• jam

Instructions

1. Make the filling first, so it can cool. In a saucepan combine one cup of the milk with sugar and vanilla extract. Heat it until it boils. Combine 1/4 cup of milk with the cornstarch. Add this to the boiling milk and cook until it thickens stirring constantly. Cover the surface with plastic wrap and let cool to room temperature.
2. Prepare dough. Combine one egg, butter, honey, sugar and milk in a saucepan. Heat until all ingredients dissolve.
   
3. In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, cinnamon and baking powder. Add melted mixture to flour mixture and the remaining egg. Knead it until it forms a dough. 
   
4. Divide dough into two equal parts. Roll each one out on a lightly floured surface as thin as possible.
   
5. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake for 7-10 minutes. Make sure not to over bake. Let cool completely then cut each into equal pieces.
7. While it is baking, beat softened butter for filling until it is fluffy. Then add to the cooled filling from step 1. Combine well (I beat them both with the mixer to combine). 
8. To assemble, place a piece of the baked cake/biscuit and cover with half the filling. Put on second layer of cake and spread with jam (we used strawberry). Place third layer of cake. We spread this with blueberry jam and then covered with the rest of the filling. Top with final layer of cake.
   
9. Place in refrigerator for a few hours. If you want to dust with powdered sugar and enjoy!

We could not wait to try it, so we did cut into it before the final refrigeration. However this was messy. The refrigerating helps the filling solidify a bit and hold everything together. We did not dust it with powdered sugar. Steve and I both like it a lot, but Hazel doesn't really like it. I was surprised since you taste so much of the jams and cinnamon. However Steve told me he really liked it. So that is our Croatian experience. Have you made a Croatian recipe? Or do you want to learn more about Croatia? Check out all these other great blogs posts or join us in the blog hop! The Croatian placemat is available here and the passport pages are here.

Around the World in 12 Dishes is hosted by 

Adventures In Mommydom, Afterschool for Smarty Pants, All Done Monkey, Crafty Moms Share, Glittering Muffins, Kid World Citizen, Mermaids' Makings, The Mommy Talks and The Usual Mayhem.

Don't forget to check out all the posts that get linked up for more great Croatian dishes and crafts!

Happy Memorial Day--Patriotic Craft and Food Round-Up

As the United States pauses in its daily life to remember the brave who gave their lives for our country and those who are still fighting, I would like to take time to first thank all of our soldiers and their families who sacrifice so much for our freedom. I will also pause today to say a prayer for all of them and I hope you will join me.

As we are pausing in our daily life, I thought I would give you a round-up of our patriotic crafts and food.

1) Understanding the Pledge of Allegiance
2 & 3) Patriotic Wreaths
4) Changeable Felt Patriotic Wreath
5) Utensil Holders
6) Red, White and Blue Sugar Cookies shaped as Flags, Stars and the USA
7) Red, White and Blue Fruit Salad
8) Red, White and Blue Pancakes
9) Toddler Made Easy Patriotic Placemat
10) Flag Placemat
11) Wind Socks
12) Patriotic Candle Holders
13) Fireworks Crown
14) Rockets
15) States Frame
16) Shell Sailboats

For more ideas check out:

• Sharing Saturday Features
• Fourth of July Round-Up from Sharing Saturdays
• My Patriotic Pinterest Board

I hope you have a safe and happy Memorial Day!! And please remember what the day is for and that it is not just about the barbeques!!

Fairy Tales in Different Cultures: Abadeha: the Philippine Cinderella

I am doing our Fairy Tale in Different Cultures a day early. I am hoping to have our dish from Croatia tomorrow. I hope you will come see what we make!

Continuing with our Asian-Pacific theme for May, I thought I would share another Cinderella tale this time from the Philippines. The book is Abadeha: The Philippine Cinderella adapted by Myrna J. de la Paz. Before I share the story and craft, a bit about the Philippines.

Source: Lonely Planet

The Philippines is a sovereign island country in Southeast Asia. It lies in the western Pacific Ocean. It consists of over 7,000 islands. The total area of the country is about 115,831 square miles making it the 64th largest country in the world. It is a constitutional republic with a presidential system. Filipino and English are the official languages however there are over 171 living languages spoken there. The capital is Manila and the most populous city is Quezon city. It is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire and close to the equator and as a result is prone to earthquakes and typhoons. Its rainforests and coastlines provide diverse ranges of birds, animals and plants. It has one of the highest discovery rates in the world with sixteen new species of mammals discovered in the last ten years. They have many unique species of animals as well as plants like many rare orchids and rafflesia.

In 1521 Ferdinand Magellan arrived and claimed the islands for Spain. The Spanish established Manilla as the capital city in 1571. The Spanish fought many wars with indigenous people as well as other countries for control of the Philippines. The Spanish introduced the idea of free public schooling as well as Christianity. They also brought many different types of food from the Americas like pineapple, corn, chili peppers and tomatoes. In 1898, Spain sold their rights to the United States for 20 million dollars as part of the 1898 Treaty of Paris. In 1935 the Philippines were granted Commonwealth status. During World War II the Japanese Empire invaded and took control until the Allied Forces defeated them in 1945. The Philippines became a founding member of the United Nations and the United States recognized its independence in 1946. 

Now onto our story. The story begins as many Cinderella tales do. A fisherman named Abek, his wife, Abadesa, and their beautiful daughter, Abadeha, live happily  in the islands called the Philippines. When Abadeha is thirteen her mother suddenly gets sick and dies. Abek and Abadeha are filled with sorrow. Eventually Abek marries a widow from another island who has two daughters of her own. He hopes to make a loving family for himself and Abadeha. However the stepmother immediately notice how plain and mean-spirited her daughters are in comparison to Abadeha. Abek is away from the home more since he has a larger family to support and while he is away the stepmother mistreats Abadeha making her work from morning to night cleaning the house, cooking all the meals, fetching the water from the river and tending the stove. She is often covered with soot and each night she is so tired she falls asleep on the kitchen floor. Her stepsisters began to tease her for her dirtiness. The stepmother begins to throw impossible tasks for Abadeha to do like change a black handkerchief to white and a white one to black or she will be whipped. Abadeha goes to the river crying and missing her mother. She cries out a prayer of sorts to her mother and the creator of earth. Suddenly the Spirit of the Forest appears and promises Abadeha that all of her hard work and patience will be rewarded. Then she changes the handkerchiefs for her. When Abadeha returns home, her stepmother is angry that she was able to do it. The next morning she has Abadeha spread newly harvested rice on a mat to dry and then pound the winnow and cook the rice for the evening meal. While Abadeha works in the kitchen a wild pig wanders into the yard and eats the rice while the stepmother watches. The stepmother does nothing until the pig has left and then tortures Abadeha and tells her she must mend the mat that the pig shredded.  Abadeha takes the shreds of mat to the river and says her prayer again. The Spirit of the Forest comes even quicker this time. She has female spirits quickly repair the mat and gives Abadeha a sarimanok. A sarimanok is a chicken with a long flowing tail and feathers the color of the rainbow. The stepmother is annoyed again when she sees Abadeha has completed the task. She takes the sarimanok from her and tells her she will take care of her pet for her. Early the next morning she chops off its head and feet and begins cooking it for dinner. Abadeha sees it and weeps. She grabs its feet and runs to the river. The Spirit tells her to bury the feet by her mother's grave and to pray to her ancestors. She does this and plants a garden around her mother's grave as well. It is awhile before she returns to her mother's grave and when she does she discovers a tree filled with treasures like jewelry and gowns. She grabs a few pieces of jewelry and keeps the enchanted tree to herself. 

While hunting in the forest, the son of the island chieftain saw a sarimanok. He followed it to Abadeha's secret garden. He took a ring from the tree and put it on his finger. When he returned home his finger began to swell and he could not get the ring off. He told his father about his finger and how he was in great pain. His father sent for the Babaylan, the priest healer. The Babylan told him he had to listen to his heart. That night the pain in the prince's finger was so great and he had a dream where a sarimanok brings him an orchid and when the prince kisses the flower it turns into a beautiful maiden who shows him the ring in her hand. He tells his father of the dream and his father announces that the girl who can remove the ring from his son's finger will marry his son. When Abadeha heard this announcement she asked her stepmother to go and her stepmother locked her in the kitchen and then went to take a nap. The Spirit of the Forest came and unlocked the door for her. When she arrived her stepsisters were there. They began to yell at her for being there. The prince heard the commotion and asked Abadeha to come to him. She lovingly was able to take the ring off his finger even if she was dressed in rags. The prince was overjoyed and married her. Abadeha wore the golden gown and the jewelry from the enchanted tree. Her father came home just in time for the wedding. The prince banished the stepmother and her daughters to the chicken yard. Abadeha and the prince shared their happiness and wealth with the people on the islands and lived in peace and love and harmony. 

In the author's note it is mentioned that this story is a traditional Philippine folktale that has disappeared from mainstream Philippine folk literature. With more than 300 years of Spanish colonization and a century of Americanization this is a common casualty there. She wanted to record the story before it was lost forever.

As a craft I made a paper plate sarimanok. I did it similar to the sea gulls Hazel and I made at the library a few weeks ago. I added the red comb and the tail of rainbow feathers. It is very easy.

For other Asian-Pacific Island Cinderella tales check out:

• Golden Sandals: A Middle Eastern Cinderella Tale
• The Golden Slipper: A Vietnamese Cinderella Tale
• Chinese Cinderella Tales
• The Korean Cinderella
• Kongi and Potgi: A Cinderella Tale from Korea
• Kao and the Golden Fish A Cinderella tale from Thailand
• The Gift of the Crocodile: A Cinderella Tale from Indonesia

Sharing Saturday 14-21

It was another amazing party last week!! If you have not checked out all the great ideas shared, you should!! As always, they are so inspiring. Thank you to everyone who shared with us and to all who visited and commented on others ideas. We had a most clicked from In the Playroom: Sponge Painting: Van Gogh Starry Night.

Since a Van Gogh Starry Night project was most clicked, I thought I should share the other Van Gogh Starry Night project in case some of you missed it, so it is with some of my favorites below. But first here are a few Memorial Day and Outdoor Features. Monday is Memorial Day here in the United States.

Memorial Day and Outdoor Activities

1) From Some of the Best Things in Life Are Mistakes: Free Patriotic Printables Round-Up
2) From Every Star Is Different: Memorial Day Unit 2 With Free Printables
3) From Mothers Madness: Woodland Animal Hunt
4) From Left Brain Craft Brain: How Bubbles Work & 20 Things to Do with Them

A Few of My Favorites

1) From Mini Monets and Mommies: Van Gogh Art Activity: Kids' Clay Famous Artist Project
2) From Wesens Art: Bird Cage Made Of Newspaper
3) From Prettily: DIY Toy Drum Set
4) From Little Bins for Little Hands: Moon Sand Sensory Play Recipe
5) From All Done Monkey: Cloth Diapering Tips and Resources to Get Started!
6) From 3 Dinosaurs: Green Yarn Sheep -- Where is the Green Sheep?

Thank you to everyone who shared last week!! I hope you will join us and share again!! If you are featured here, please feel free to grab a featured button to display proudly on your blog. 

Featured Button Code:

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From Your Hostess: This week we shared a Middle Eastern Cinderella tale for Fairy Tales in Different Cultures, an Asian Pacific Island Book Round Up and Link Party for Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month, Painted Mickey and Minnie Mouse Tote Bags for our upcoming party, DIY Minnie Mouse Pinata with activity signs for the party, and a Zoo Scavenger Hunt.

Now for This Week's Party  
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1)  Please follow Crafty Moms Share via GFC (or one of the other ways that work for you).  

2)  Link any kid-friendly, child-centered post. Please no etsy shops or giveaways, etc.  Remember to link to your actual post. 

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