The first evening of Hanukkah this year is Tuesday, December 4.

Every year we do a latke-fest. We always have two or three kinds. We try not to make them too lethal. I like my mother’s recipe best (of course) but other folk like our old friend Allan’s…

Enjoy!
- Mark Binder

Mark’s Mom’s Potato Latkes
2 eggs
1/2 small onion
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups cubed raw potato

Put eggs, onion, salt, flower, baking powder and 1/2 cup of potato cubes into blender; cover and process at GRATE until potatoes have gone through the blades. Add remaining potatoes; cover and process at CHOP only until all potatoes have passed through blade. Do not overblend!! Fry in hot oil.

I use the blender for this. If you don’t have a blender then grate in the food processes. The consistency is different.

Allan’s Latkes
1/2 pound onions, peeled and quartered
2 Eggs
2 cloves of garlic
(optional - 1 teaspoon rosemary (crumbled), 1 pinch thyme)
1/2 cup flour
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 lb. Baking potatoes peeled and grated
1 cup shortening or oil

Heat oven to 300 degrees (to keep latkes warm afterwards).
Put the first seven ingredients into blender, puree until smooth.
Put in a bowl. Mix in grated potatoes.
Heat oil on medium high heat.
Stir mixture. Take 1/4 cup of mixture and cook in the oil about four minutes on each side. Remove, drain, place on baking sheet in oven
Garnish (optional) with nutmeg, cloves, maybe lemon or sugar

Contributor Mark Binder is an author, award-winning storyteller, and founder of the American Story Theater. He lives in Providence, RI, and is available for workshops and performances. Find out more about his new hard-bound edition of A Hanukkah Present.

Creating a gingerbread village has become an annual tradition in my family. Even though I love to make the houses for it with my kids, I am a better crafter than a baker. And since I have not mastered the art of creating an edible gingerbread house, I have hacked together gingerbread houses that look pretty good in the end and are fun for the kids to assemble.

I use a combination of ready-made gingerbread kits, graham crackers, old Halloween candy, and a low-temp glue gun to construct our village. Add some lights, trees, figurines, and cotton batting, and you have a miniature winter wonderland. If you want a pre-assembled house or to bake yours from scratch, check the list of helpful resources below.

I love my glue gun. And I discovered using it was a quick and easy way to assemble graham cracker and gingerbread frames into houses a few years back when the frosting I made did not hold our house together. Even though I tried propping house parts up with soup cans and chopsticks, the roof still collapsed, as did my toddlers when they had a meltdown because they couldn’t stick the candy onto the house. When I discovered that the glue gun could assemble four graham cracker houses in under a minute, I was hooked on this non-edible assembly method.

Of course I recommend against using the glue gun approach for those folks who can make the icing work as an adhesive or whose kids want to sample the candy or nibble on the gingerbread house. In our house, my boys never seemed interested in the candy (and now that I save extra candy from year to year, it’s really stale and unappealing), and they seem more focused on arranging the houses into a holiday scene complete with little figures and lights.

Decorate your house with:
Candy canes, NECCO wafers, gumdrops, chocolate kisses, red licorice, hard candies, candy buttons, peanuts, malted milk balls, nonpareils, M & Ms, inverted ice cream cone trees (iced & decorated), Sky Bars for sleds, marshmallow Santas, and Thin Mints. Attach decorations with icing.

Icing for Gingerbread Houses
1 lb. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
3 egg whites, at room temperature

Using an electric mixer, beat ingredients on low speed until well blended, then beat on high speed until light and fluffy.

To complete our winter wonderland, I cut a city silhouette out of foam board to hide the Christmas lights. Then we add porcelain figurines, artificial trees, a mirror for a skating rink, and cotton batting for snow.

There are many options for having your own gingerbread house. For pre-assembled, ready-to-display houses, choose a modern house from Red Envelope (pictured) or a traditional home from Stonewall Kitchen. Decorate a pre-baked gingerbread house kit from Wilton available at Michael’s Craft Stores and Linens and Things. Making a graham cracker house is inexpensive and especially easy for kids to do. Necco and Martha Stewart have recipes on how to make a house from scratch.

Local Fun
Gingerbread Fest - Saturday, December 1 from 1 to 3 pm.
See gingerbread castles, cottages and cabins; add candies and frosting to the big gingerbread house; and decorate your own gingerbread cookie to eat! For ages 3-8. Providence Children’s Museum - 100 South Street, Providence, RI. 401-273-5437 (KIDS)

An advent calendar is a fun way for kids to count down the days until Christmas. It starts on December 1 and ends on December 25 - although if you make your own, it can end on New Year’s Day. The traditional calendar has or is 25 things - a card with flaps that open, a tree for tiny ornaments, candles to light each day, envelopes, or a large box with mini drawers. Each day, the child may have a note to read, candy to eat, or perhaps a small toy to play with.

There are many cool advent calendars on the market to buy (check etsy.com or The Company Store) or you can make your own. Some of my favorite do-it-yourselfers include: the origami cups from Kids Craft Weekly, a box of origami envelopes form Kiddley, calendar pockets from All Sorts, or a magnetic advent calendar from My Minutia.

Our advent calendar is a large wooden box with 25 doors that open. Each compartment is big enough to hold a toy or piece of candy, but since there are so many sugary treats this time of year, I like to fill the compartments with notes of things to do or fun activities. I check our calendar to see when we are doing special events like seeing a show or attending a holiday party so I can include these on the right day. I also shuffle notes around the night before depending on our plans or the weather. For example, if there’s snow in the forecast, I may write “Make a Snowman Today” or “Go Sledding.”

Here is a list of ideas:
If you want a copy for yourself, download here. There are blanks included for you to add your own personal ideas.

General List
Decorate the Christmas Tree
Make Christmas Ornaments
Cut Out Paper Snowflakes
Make a Gingerbread House
Write a Letter to Santa
Go Sledding
Make Teacher Gifts
Make Grandparent Gifts
Have a Picnic for Dinner
Go Outside after Dinner and Look at Christmas Lights
Make a Snowman
Eat Ice Cream Sundaes
Wrap a Toy and Donate it to Charity
See a Holiday Show
Bake and Decorate Christmas Cookies
Watch a Christmas Movie and Eat Popcorn
Make Popcorn and Cranberry Garland
Camp Out Next to the Christmas Tree
Have Hot Chocolate and Read Holiday Stories

Our Personal Additions
Celebrate Aunt Beth’s Birthday
First Night of Hanukkah
Last Night of Hanukkah
Go to the RISD Museum Holiday Party
See the Nutcracker Show
See JUMP! Polar Express Show

I would like to welcome Maura Keating as a new contributer to Kidoinfo. In the role of “parent tester,” she will scope out and review various products and services for the Kidoinfo community. Maura lives with her husband and thirteen-month-old son in Providence.

By Maura Keating

I feel a little guilty admitting this, but I only own one diaper bag. Most of my mom friends have multiples (bags, not kids), but since I waited until the baby was almost here to decide on the right bag, I was pretty happy with my final decision—the Skip Hop Duo Canvas. I had trouble choosing between all of the colors and prints and finally went with the Uptown Stripe. I was nervous since there was a small (really small) bit of pink in the pattern, and I wanted it to be a gender-neutral bag that my husband would carry—no fluffy bunnies for us. I needn’t have worried. When my husband saw it, he also loved it. Good thing, since when we are out, he’s usually the one carrying the diaper bag.

The size of the Skip Hop Duo is just right for daily use. I need a shoulder-style bag since I wear my son in a sling or carrier for most errands. The Duo has just enough room on the inside for a change of clothes, a few small toys and books, and the requisite stash of snacks or bottles. There are two inner pockets that are the perfect size to hold a few diapers in one and a travel box of wipes in the other. At the top, there are two zippered compartments for mom stuff or other items that you wouldn’t want Baby to get. On the sides, there is a closed but easily accessible pocket with Velcro for a cell phone on the right and a mesh pocket with a drawstring on the left. A SIGG bottle fits in the mesh pocket perfectly—an essential feature for relieving the intense dehydration that can hit if you are a nursing mom. A pocket in the back of the bag holds the changing pad (included) and other slim items. Finally, there are two deep pockets on the front of the Duo—adding up to a lot of storage for a bag that doesn’t look or feel overwhelming and all perfect placed and proportioned.

(more…)

The world of make-believe for children usually starts around 2 to 3 years old. Often it takes a mere suggestion, like “Pretend you are a fish swimming in the water,” or a simple prop like a Frisbee for a steering wheel and kids are off on an undersea adventure or driving a race car.

As parents, we tend to get busy with laundry, carpools, work, etc. – and escaping into the world of make-believe with our kids sounds indulgent. Our kids (well, mine do) beg us to be a part of their made-up world. I remember when I was a kid making mud pies and having tea parties in the bushes with my best friend Alison – we became queens of faraway lands or astronauts in outer space.

Now that my boys are six and play more independently, I am not invited to be part of EVERY adventure. But it’s still nice sometimes to escape the stress of having to be a grown-up and make-believe that our couch is a pirate ship or our living room is really the jungle.

Related Books
• Maurice Sendak’s Really Rosie Starring the Nutshell Kids
• Mud Is Cake by Pam Ryan and illustrated by David McPhail
• Audrey and Barbara by Janet Lawson

Reference
• The Magic of Make-Believe, Parenting Magazine, March 2004
• Making Make-Believe: Fun Props, Costumes, and Creative Play Ideas by MaryAnn F. Illustrated by Kohl, K. Whelan Dery

Prop Box
Scarves, masks, crown, blankets, cardboard box, laundry basket, chairs, clothespins, plenty of craft supplies and more…

By Marianne Ruggiero
Coordinator of Family Programs at The RISD Museum

Here is the second part of this months Artplay series.

An Interview with Red Hawk
Cliff Matias is the Director of Red Hawk Native American Arts Council and member of the Cheyenne nation. Red Hawk is based in New York City.

ARTplay: Where does the name of your group come from?
Cliff: From a beautiful bird of prey native to North America. Birds of prey are special to Native Americans. We honor them.

ARTplay: Why did you found Red Hawk?
Cliff: To help educate the general public about Native American culture and to provide Native American artists with ways to earn income.

ARTplay: What is the most special concert you have given?
Cliff: All of our concerts are special, but performing for ex-president Bill Clinton and for the Prime Minister of South Korea were two very special occasions.

ARTplay: How about the upcoming concert at RISD?
Cliff: We are excited about coming to Rhode Island. It will be the first time our group has performed there all year.

ARTplay is a monthly column written by Marianne Ruggiero from The RISD Museum in which various themes and activities will introduce kids and parents to the museum’s collection both online and off. Each month Kidoinfo will help spark your children’s interest in art - they can learn about different works at the museum and download a related activity to create offline. Be sure to visit the museum and explore the art in person. On Free-for-All Saturdays (the last Saturday of every month), kids may continue their exploration through a variety of hands-on workshops, performances, videos, and special gallery quests throughout the day. The RISD Museum - 224 Benefit Street, Providence, RI

By Marianne Ruggiero
Coordinator of Family Programs at The RISD Museum

What kinds of music did people make long ago and all around the world?
One way to find the answer to that question is to look at visual art that refers to music.

Here are 4 images of paintings and sculptures located at the RISD Museum of Art (see A, B, C, and D below). Answer the following questions, then look at the bottom of page and see how many you got right.

1. Can you find the relationship to music in each one?

2. Not bad! Okay, let’s see if you can identify the following:

• String instrument
• Brass instrument
• Percussion instrument
• Wind instrument

3. Now let’s put art and music together. How do each of the instruments in these artworks sound? To hear music samples, click on the images or the text link below.

—-
Note: The images of artwork from The RISD Museum collection will remain on the  Kidoinfo website for only 3 months as requested by the Museum.  Although the images have been removed, kids may still enjoy doing some of  the following projects.
—-
A

(Click to hear instrument)

Indian, Siva Nataraja (King of Dancers)
around 1400, bronze
46 1/2 x 37 1/2 in.
Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design
Museum Appropriation Fund
Photography by Erik Gould

B

(Click to hear instrument)

Giovanni Batista Tiepolo, The Angel of Fame
1750, fresco mounted on canvas
130 1/4 x 78 in.
Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design
Museum Appropriation Fund

C

(Click to hear instrument - Malagueña played by the Providence Mandolin Orchestra)

William Morris Hunt, Portrait of Ellen M. Brown
oil on canvas
42 1/2 x 30 3/8 in.
Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design
Bequest of Mrs. Ellen M. Berry
Photography by Erik Gould

D
(Click to hear bagpipe)
(Click to hear bassoon)

Meissen, The Monkey Band
around 1749, porcelain, enamel, and gilding
Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design
Bequest of Miss Lucy T. Aldrich
Photography by Erik Gould

Answers
1. Identifying instruments in the art

• A shows the Hindu god Shiva holding double-drum or damaru; there are also bells on the bracelets around Shiva’s ankles.
• B shows a trumpet.
• C shows a mandolin.
• D shows a conductor, singers, and musicians playing the flute, piano, bagpipes, bassoon, and trumpet.

2. Identify the types of instruments in the artwork

• String instrument - C
• Brass instrument - B, D
• Percussion instrument - A
• Wind instrument - D

ARTplay is a monthly column by Marianne Ruggiero from The RISD Museum in which various themes and activities will introduce kids and parents to the museum’s collection both online and off. Each month Kidoinfo will help spark your children’s interest in art - they can learn about different works at the museum and download a related activity to create offline. Be sure to visit the museum and explore the art in person. On Free-for-All Saturdays (the last Saturday of every month), kids may continue their exploration through a variety of hands-on workshops, performances, videos, and special gallery quests throughout the day.

All additional inquires or requests should be directed to: Melody Ennis, Coordinator of Photographic Services, The RISD Museum, 224 Benefit Street, Providence, RI 02903. 401 454-6535. E-mail inquires to: mennis@risd.edu

Audubon Society of Rhode Island: Connecting Kids with Nature

Cool, crisp days present the perfect opportunity to get outside and discover the natural world. Exercise the body and spirit by taking a nature hike with your family this season. The Audubon Society of Rhode Island offers free public access to miles of beautiful, peaceful nature trails appropriate for every member of the family.

Caratunk Wildlife Refuge
301 Brown Avenue, Seekonk, Massachusetts
Free and open to the public dawn until dusk
508-761-8230
(Trail Map)

It is hard to believe that the lovely, secluded 200-acre Caratunk Wildlife Refuge in Seekonk is only ten minutes away from busy, downtown Providence. The refuge features three hiking trails - an easy one that can be completed in twenty minutes, and two other clearly marked trails that delve deeper into the Woods. The longer hikes take approximately one hour to finish. The refuge has expansive, open meadows with a large pond, stonewalls and footbridge. This is one of Audubon’s most popular hiking destinations - young children, ages 3 to 5, can easily maneuver the trails, especially through the open fields and light woods. Older kids, looking for a bit more adventure, will enjoy the longer hikes through the forest.

The Audubon Society of Rhode Island (ASRI) maintains over 9,500 acres of natural habitat all over the State of Rhode Island and nearby Massachusetts. Most of these refuges are open to the public and have groomed trails for hiking and nature study. Learn more about the trails and how you can explore them with your kids all year long in this new series from the ASRI.

By Jill Davidson

Looking at where to send your kids to school in 2008-9 and beyond? Parents and family members with children at a variety of schools (Martin Luther King, Vartan Gregorian, Paul Cuffee, ICS, Times2, CVS Highlander, Henry Barnard, Community Prep, and more) will be at the Rochambeau Branch of the Providence Public Library on Monday, November 26 from 7 to 9pm to share their experiences. Though the focus will be on elementary schools, parents with experience at Nathanael Greene and other middle schools will be on hand.

The purpose of this meeting is for parents to share with other parents about their experiences. It’s meant to supplement (not replace) the school visits many parents are in the process of making. This meeting is a chance to compare experiences, ask questions, and get information about school application and registration processes. Please know that this meeting aims to share information about a wide variety of schools with particular emphasis on public and charter choices. This meeting is also not geared toward pre-school choices – the focus will be on Kindergarten onward. Please know that if you’re interested in this topic but your children won’t be ready for Kindergarten in 2008, you’re still welcome to attend.

As well, parents who are “veterans” of the system will be there to provide their perspective on K-12 education in the Providence Public Schools and/or other schools.
Though this is all about our kids, no childcare will be provided, so bring your kids at your own discretion.

In order to make sure that there is enough space and the agenda is suited to the number and interest of the participants, please RSVP by email or phone if you plan to attend.

contact info:
Jill Davidson
email: jill.davidson@gmail.com
phone: 401-453-1916
• Email whether you plan to attend and what your interest is in this subject. If you’d like to participate but can’t make that date, please specify whether daytime or evening meetings are better.
• If you are currently parents of children at the schools listed above – or at any other school serving Providence students – and would like to represent the school please email Jill.

More about Jill Davidson:

I am a parent of a second grader at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School in Providence (and two other younger children). Professionally, I am the Publications Director at the Coalition of Essential Schools (www.essentialschools.org) and a long-time facilitator of education-related workshops and discussions. In 2006, I combined my interest in education with my experience as a parent who had recently gone through the process of choosing a school for my child and convened discussion opportunities for parents to share experiences and learn from parents of children already in a variety of schools. People got a lot out of talking with each other in a structured, family-focused format, so we’re doing it again in preparation for the 2008-9 school year.

Julie Gearan is a painter who moved with her family to Providence five years ago, after a number of years in Chicago. She was looking for a small city that is dedicated to the arts where she could raise her children in a relaxed, kid-friendly environment. Julie’s paintings focus on figurative narratives inspired by observations of the outside world and how they are mirrored in or collide with her domestic life. Juggling her fine art studio work and her commissioned painting (murals, portraits, and decorative work) with teaching and raising children has been a huge but not unforeseen challenge. “I always knew that trying to have a vibrant art career and a rich family life would be hard. Patience and flexibility are not natural gifts of mine, but I am learning that they are key ingredients in managing this kind of life. I guess any mom finds this to be true, doesn’t she?”

Julie, who holds a Masters in Fine Art, studied and taught in Italy and has shown her work nationally. She is currently building a portfolio of children’s portraits and hopes to spend more time on commissioned portrait work rather than the larger murals she has done over the years to supplement her gallery sales. “Working on canvas in the studio rather than high up on scaffolding is appealing to me. More importantly, I want to have my commissioned work be more meaningful and portraiture is so wonderful in that regard.”

The process of commissioning a portrait is fairly simple. The artist meets with the client and the subject and either takes photographs or if the client already has high quality photos, she can work with those, if desired. Depending on the size and complexity of the painting, a price is determined (approximately $800 to $2,000) and a deadline is set (usually between 1-3 weeks). A family portrait painted by Julie Gearan makes a lovely holiday, anniversary, or birthday gift that will become a family heirloom treasured for many years to come.

More about Julie Gearan:
• Fine Art Paintings: www.juliegearan.com
• Commissioned murals, decorative paintings, and portraits: www.gearanstudios.com
• email: jgearan@yahoo.com
• phone: 401-447-0521
• studio location: Providence, Rhode Island

Tell Julie you read about her here and she will donate 10% of your commissioned portrait sale to help support Kidoinfo.

Made by Hand is an ongoing series where I highlight different artists and their work from Rhode Island and beyond. I will introduce you to a world of handcrafted works for both kids and adults - from toys, books, jewelry, art, food and more.