Friday Fun

TREES, PLEASE: This morning, while CJ was in a Zoom meeting with his Japanese III instructor and classmates, Annabelle was in another Art to Go class compliments of Gage Academy of Art, a school here in Seattle.

Within an hour, under teacher Willow Heath's tutelage, she had produced a pretty springtime tree ...

as well as a pair of palms at sunset.

These classes have been so fantastic. Annabelle went from next-to-no watercolor experience to looking like she's been using watercolors forever in seemingly no time. 

LIVING ROOM CONCERTS: If you have an hour, like space and "live" music check out The National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) Pops celebrating NASA with a virtual #NASAatHome concert.

The show features highlights from past concert collaborations at the The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, honoring our 60th anniversary in 2018 and the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing in 2019. Featured are NSO conductor Emil de Cou, will.i.am, Natasha Bedingfield, astronaut Michael Collins, Grace Potter, and Coheed and Cambria, plus works by award-winning composer Michael Giacchino. 

In other music news, this afternoon, CJ and I thoroughly enjoyed a live broadcast from artist Post Malone's home. He's a *mega* Nirvana fan, and he and a couple of friends (including Blink 182's phenomenal drummer Travis Barker).

This music isn't everyone's cup of tea, but CeeJ and I enjoyed the heck out of it. Plus, it was a fundraiser for the World Health Organization. And despite what a certain president might say, I think the WHO does good, important work. We donated a whopping $5, but that will turn into $15, thanks to Google matching every dollar donated 2:1.

THINK RINK: The kids and I actually logged a number of miles today running essential errands (getting mask making supplies and delivering groceries). During our travels, I urge the kids to put down their devices and look out the windows, at the (pandemic) world.

At one point we passed an old building along old Highway 99. It was a kinda run-down looking restaurant at the present, but I said to the kids, "I'll bet that used to be a roller rink."

Why would I say that? Well, because, roller and ice staking rinks of a certain vintage really did have mostly round roofs. "Why was that?" I wondered aloud (for the first time) today.

Well, it's about engineering, as it turns out. I found a neat-o website today called Dead Rinks that's all about vintage skating facilities and such. There, under a section about 20th century rink architecture, lies an explanation. "(Rink owners) found that architecturally to eliminate the beams and support the roof in better fashion, rinks were designed at the time to have arched roof,  They would have roofs arched to better support the roof trusses better so that they would not have any posts in the way of the rinks."  Of course!

MORE TO MAKE: Corporations keep sharing their 'secret' recipes during this pandemic. Disney came out with their Mickey Mouse beignet 'how to' today, so we're adding that to our list. 

Tonight, we finally tested the Disney "Churro Bites" recipe. I was a little wary, because I don't deep fry anything, ever. Well, except tonight.

The recipe couldn't have been any simpler. Boil 1 cup of water, 8 tablespoons (1 cube) of butter and 1/4 t. of cinnamon. Reduce the heat to low, and stir in 1.25 cups of flour. Let that mixture cool for 6 minutes, and then add three eggs, one at a time. Stir it to mix it all well.

Put the dough ball into a pastry bag with a big star tip. Heat 1.5 cups of canola or vegetable oil in a 1-quart saucepan to 350 degrees.

Annabelle and I took turns squeezing and snipping (with kitchen shears).

 They took just seconds to fry to a golden brown. Then it was onto the drain stage.

After that, the little dough tots were rolled in cinnamon and sugar and promptly inhaled. I had one, for the record.

Annabelle and I have already discussed that if we had a food truck we would sell these all day, every day. They are so easy and delicious and inexpensive to make. We've also already discussed ways to elevate the recipe, by adding fruit flavors to the dough, and maybe a little brown sugar to the cinnamon and white sugar dusting powder.

CJ and Christian were in CJ's room working on a Japanese video the whole time we were making the churros. When they came out, they were agog at what we'd made so quickly, and how delicious they were.