Sunday, February 17, 2013

Origami

 


Ori meaning "folding" and gami meaning "paper" is the traditional Japanese art of paper folding, which started in the 17th century. Learn more about it at the library:
- Books on origami
- Technique books
- Russian origami by Sergei Afonkin
- Origami videos on YouTube

Friday, February 15, 2013

Health & Wellness @ the Library


If one of your resolutions for this year is to get healthy, let the library help you find what you are looking for:
Health & Wellness Resource Center
Databases for Research Gale Health & Wellness
This is a comprehensive resource that provides up-to-date reference material as well as full-text magazines, journals, and pamphlets from a wide variety of authoritative medical sources.

Monday, February 11, 2013

Mardi Gras


Laissez les bons temps rouler!  (Let the good times roll in Cajun French)

Mardi Gras is French for Fat Tuesday and is the culmination of the Carnival celebration.  This year it is on February 12th.  Popular celebrations include wearing masks and costumes, dancing, sport competitions and parades, although traditions vary by location.

See what you can learn at your library with these books:

Mardi Gras  by Ann Heinrichs
Mardi Gras : parades, costumes, and parties by Elaine Landau
Gaston goes to Mardi Gras written and illustrated by James Rice
Mardi Gras by Dianne M. MacMillan
Mardi Gras : a Cajun country celebration by Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith



Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Monday, February 4, 2013

Saturday, February 2, 2013

Valentine's Day

 



Curl up with someone you care about and read these books or watch these movies about Valentine's Day. Try making your own Valentine crafts and desserts!

- Books about Valentine's Day
- Films about Valentine's Day
- Valentine Cooking and Crafts

Friday, February 1, 2013

House of Cards


Have you started watching "House of Cards", the original series produced by Netflix?  It's a 13 episode series that's available in its entirety. 

Did you know it was based on the books by Michael Dobbs?  These books are also the foundation for the series produced for British television in 1990's and broadcast in the U.S. on Masterpiece Theatre. 

The library does not have the original books (sadly, they are no longer in print in the US), but we do have the 1994 series on DVD.


Stop by the library and request them today and compare versions!

Celebrate History

 
 



Take a stroll through history and discover some things you didn't know.

Chinese New Year

 


This year, Chinese New Year is on February 10, 2013. It will be the year of the Snake. Learn more about this holiday at the library:
- Chinese New Year crafts by Karen Bledsoe
- American born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang
- Teen feng shui by Susan Levitt
   
Fortune Cookie Recipe:
Fortune cookies can be tricky to make - it's important to make sure that the cookie batter is spread out evenly on the baking sheet. Instead of using the back of a wooden spoon to spread the batter, it's better to gently tilt the baking sheet back and forth as needed. Wearing cotton gloves makes it easier to handle and shape the hot cookies. This fortune cookie recipe makes about 10 cookies.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
2 large egg whites
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 teaspoons water

Preparation:
1. Write fortunes on pieces of paper that are 3 1/2 inches long and 1/2 inch wide. Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease 2 9-X-13 inch baking sheets.

2. In a medium bowl, lightly beat the egg white, vanilla extract, almond extract and vegetable oil until frothy, but not stiff.

3. Sift the flour, cornstarch, salt and sugar into a separate bowl. Stir the water into the flour mixture.

4. Add the flour into the egg white mixture and stir until you have a smooth batter. The batter should not be runny, but should drop easily off a wooden spoon.
 Note: if you want to dye the fortune cookies, add the food coloring at this point, stirring it into the batter. For example, I used 1/2 teaspoon green food coloring to make green fortune cookies.

5. Place level tablespoons of batter onto the cookie sheet, spacing them at least 3 inches apart. Gently tilt the baking sheet back and forth and from side to side so that each tablespoon of batter forms into a circle 4 inches in diameter.

6. Bake until the outer 1/2-inch of each cookie turns golden brown and they are easy to remove from the baking sheet with a spatula (14 - 15 minutes).

7. Working quickly, remove the cookie with a spatula and flip it over in your hand. Place a fortune in the middle of a cookie. To form the fortune cookie shape, fold the cookie in half, then gently pull the edges downward over the rim of a glass, wooden spoon or the edge of a muffin tin. Place the finished cookie in the cup of the muffin tin so that it keeps its shape. Continue with the rest of the cookies.

Each serving includes (based on a total yield of 9 cookies):
Calories 93, 11 g Carbohydrates, 1 g Protein, 5 g total Fat, 1 g Saturated Fat, 0 mg Cholesterol, trace Fiber, 72 mg Sodium, 18 mg Potassium.
Source:  http://chinesefood.about.com/od/diningout/r/fortunecookie.htm