Microsoft free online courses are a STEAM resource that is great for summer break learning:
Reposted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Sunday, May 25, 2025
Saturday, May 24, 2025
Khan Academy reposted by Ruth Paget
I share an opinion with Bill Gates that Khan Academy offers excellent online resources for pre-K to grade 12 learners, parents, and educators. I especially like their math resources.
Click for Khan Academy website
My daughter Florence Paget read through Khan Academy when it was first starting out. It is a hidden resource of STEAM education in Silicon Valley.
Reposted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Friday, May 23, 2025
Italy in Small Bites Cookbook Reviewed by Ruth Paget
Italy in Small Bites Cookbook Reviewed by Ruth Paget
Italy in Small Bites by Carol Field introduces readers to seasonal and regional snacks with recipes for easy to complex delights that pair well with fruity white wine or lemonade.
Six of the merenda, snacks, that I think should be in everyone’s Italian go-to dish repertoire include:
-frico – cheese melted in butter and allowed to cool.
-bruschetta – toast rubbed with fresh garlic and olive oil
-focaccia, flat bread pizza, with red peppers, garlic, and olives
-polenta bars (Italian corn meal that has solidified) served with Parmesan and grilled purple and crimson radicchio lettuce
-wild mushroom condiment for topping toast made with tomatoes, rosemary, sage, garlic, and pepper
-baked frittata omelets with Parmesan and herbs
Readers who might find Italy in Small Bites by Carol Field useful include:
-bartenders
-winery tasting room workers
-caterers
-servers
-event planners
-resort managers
-cruise directors
General readers might enjoy learning about the history of merenda, which is also part of Italy in Small Bites by Carol Field.
By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Majorelle: The Lorraine France Touring Game Created by Ruth Paget
Majorelle: The Lorraine France Touring Game Created by Ruth Paget
I named this touring game after one of France’s major decorative arts craftsman Auguste Majorelle (1825 – 1879), a native of Lunéville, France.
Lorraine is a rewarding region to visit for travelers interested in history, art, fine dining, and sips of mirabelle, yellow plum liqueur. The main cities are Metz, Nancy, and Lunéville. The medieval monastery at Gorze is the home of Gregorian chants and sister monasteries in Germany. Verdun is the site of one of the most important battles of World War I.
A two-week tour of the region would provide ample time to visit these places and indulge in some gala meals and shopping. (I have linked my blogs about these places into an itinerary. Click on the links to see the blogs.)
*Metz is a 3,000 year old city. Each district has a different history. The city is set up well for walking tours and has many cafés where you can take a break with a beverage.
Walking Tours:
Day 1: Exploring Franco-German Metz
Day 2: Cathedral District and Downtown
Day 3: May Day Metz
Day 4: Urban Ecology
*Metz Meals:
Day 5: Gala Pork Dinner:
Day 6: Gala Seafood Dinner
*Nancy is a city of majestic public art and decorative arts.
Day 7: Rococo Public Art
Day 8: Art Nouveau Museum
*Lunéville is home to a château inspired by Versailles and a current concert venue
Day 9: Lunéville Château Visit
*Gorze Monastery still uses ancient Roman sewers. You can spot a few Roman aqueducts on the way there. This is the site where Gregorian chants were invented.
Day 10: Gorze Monastery Visit
*Verdun is a major World War I battlefield site with a museum
Day 11: Verdun Museum Visit
I hope this Lorraine touring game will encourage you to think about traveling to Lorraine, France to experience its art and culture, indulge in some delicious food, and learn some history about France’s relations with Germany and Poland.
By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Tuesday, May 20, 2025
Monterey Bay Parent Summer Camps Issue reposted by Ruth Paget
Monterey Bay Parents Summer Camps magazine is out. Check out the listings below:
Monterey Bsy Parent Magazine Summer Csmps Issue
Reposted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Saturday, May 17, 2025
The All-Purpose Baker's Companion Reviewed by Ruth Paget
The All-Purpose Baker’s Companion Reviewed by Ruth Paget
The All-Purpose Baker’s Companion edited by King Arthur Baking Company is an excellent reference for things bread from around world, cookies, scones, crackers, pies, and cakes.
However, the recipes that convinced me to buy the book are its flour meal recipes (mehlspeisen in German) that help with keeping a household budget low while providing protein and calcium in most cases. The book’s recipes are precise and assist novice and experienced cooks with making the basic recipe easy so they can add ingredients rich in Vitamin C and Vitamin A.
The recipes that have helped me with menu planning over the years include:
-pancakes
-waffles
-French toast
-crêpes
-cheese blintzes
-banana bread
-pumpkin bread
-zucchini bread
-lemon bread
-berry cobblers
-pizza dough
-lemon bar cookies
-croissants
-brioche
Nutritionists might be aghast, but I have eaten all these items along with blueberry muffins and banana walnut muffins when I was a student at the University of Chicago for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I like these dishes, and they are easy to prepare.
Pancakes and waffles are versatile I learned from my Dutch friend’s mother in Detroit (Michigan). You can use syrup, sugar, or jam on them or savory items liked creamed chicken and vegetables. Croissants can also be treated this way.
Knowing how to make Detroit or grandmother pizza is a lifesaver in a blizzard. The pizza dough for this type of pizza is placed in the middle of a rectangular pan and pushed outwards. Spaghetti sauce can double as tomato sauce. There’s big savings in grandma pizza.
Another big money saver is making croissants at home. Use egg wash to give the exterior a crunchy bit.
Readers interested in the following careers might find this book useful:
-fundraisers
-event planners
-chefs
-caterers
-cruise directors
-restaurant managers
General readers might find some tips for lowering household expenses in The All-Purpose Baker’s Companion edited by The King Arthur Bakery Company.
By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Wednesday, May 14, 2025
A Promenade in Aiken, South Carolina by Ruth Paget
A pretty promenade in Aiken, South Carolina:
White chocolate covered ganache filled chocolates for nibbling (above - photo by Ruth Paget)
A cupola topped by a weather vane on the new courthouse allows hot air to rise up out of the building beneath it. A similar cupola sits on top of Mt Vernon in Virginia. (Below - photo by Laurent Paget)
A Palladian inspired window on the old courthouse. Monticello outside Charlottesville, Virginia has similar windows on a smaller scale. - (bottom - photo by Ruth Paget)
By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
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