Pavlova

• This recipe is a family holiday favorite for Easter and Christmas!!
• (Recipe courtesy of Sally's Baking Addiction)
• 
  
• 4 large egg whites (use the yolks for lemon curd!)*
• 1 cup (200g) superfine sugar*
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar*
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. (Preliminary note: you will quickly reduce the oven to 200°F (93°C) in step 4.)
2. With a handheld mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form, about 5 minutes. Add the sugar in 2 additions, beating for 30 seconds between, then continue beating on high speed until glossy stiff peaks form, about 2 more minutes. The peaks should be stiff enough that you can hold the whisk upright and the peaks won’t move. Add the vanilla extract and beat for 1 more minute. The peaks should still be very stiff. If not, keep on mixing on high speed. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the cream of tartar and cornstarch.
3. Spread the pavlova mixture into an 8-9-inch circle (see note for mini size). You can make decorative peaks with the back of a large spoon if desired. Make sure the edges are relatively tall and there is a nice dip in the center.
4. Place pavlova in the oven. As soon as you close the oven door, reduce heat to 200°F (93°C). The pavlova will stay in the oven as it cools down to 200°F (93°C). Bake until the pavlova is firm and dry, about 90 minutes total. Rotate the baking sheet if you notice some spots browning. Try to limit how many times you open the oven as the cool air will interrupt the baking.
5. Turn the oven off and let the pavlova cool inside the oven. Once the pavlova is cool, you can store it covered tightly at room temperature for up to 2 days. Or serve right away.
6. Once cool, top the pavlova with whipped cream and assorted toppings. Slice and serve.

Culture Night - Burundi

Our second culture night, we learned about Burundi, a small country in Africa.  We have some new friends at church who moved here from Burundi, and we had a lot of fun getting to know them, and learning about their country, customs and culture!

One of our new friends is a professional musician.  He sang us some songs he'd written and they were beautiful!

This sweet girl loved our children, and the feeling was mutual!  She taught them some songs in Kirundi (one of the native languages of Burundi) and they read her books and taught her what some of the words meant.

We played the "dolphin training" game, which was SO much fun!!

Here is a group shot of everyone:

We love these wonderful people!!

They loved taking pictures with our kids!

Australia Night

Raising our children with a 'global perspective'- having them learn about other cultures, people, countries, etc - is important to us.  Since we can't take them to other countries right now, we decided to bring other countries to them (in a small way), and have a series of "culture nights" where we learn about other cultures and customs.  Our first attempt: Australia Night

Here we are making a delectable Australian dessert: Pavlova.  It is divine!!!  I have such wonderful helpers!

 

Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures of our whole meal, but here was our main course: Australian Meat Pie:

And the Pavlova.  Mmmmmmmmmmmmm!

Our guest of honor, Mr. Greenaway, (whose parents are from Australia) showed us where Australia was on the globe, and told us a lot about the country.

Of course, Australia night wouldn't be complete without boomerangs! :)

 We also decorated a large Australian flag, drew a map of the country, listened to the National Anthem, and "Waltzing Matilda", and did some coloring pages and fact sheets.  All in all, it was lots of fun, and a good learning experience!  The kids are already asking when we can have pavlova again! :)