Pups for Barack

I had my second culinary class at Project Rainbow, a daycare and service facility for women and their children in transitional homes. Chicken tenders were on the menu to make with a spin on the fried version, teaching healthier alternatives to cooking. The kids substituted olive oil, crushed crackers, and honey mustard for the fatty butter breading you fry up. I don't know if they were completely convinced but it was a fun process and cute to watch them sit down and eat what they made.

It's amazing how things can differ each week just within how the kids respond. The little boy who was so quiet and good last week was a bubbly explosion of hyper this week. It matters a lot of who they're paired with too, of course. One boy was focused on the music playing in the background and didn't really want to cook since he had made fried chicken the night before. But it's fun to try to change that around and he was interested that I took hip hop and started getting enthused when we talked about dancing = which helped get him enthused about chicken tenders! ha. I told him no wonder he was hesitant about cooking today since he seemed like a pro, which made him nod in agreement. so adorable.

Things only got slightly tizzied during the wait for the baking. Juice is a good havoc calmer though.

They started to eat the goods when mothers came in to round them up. They have little patience. The weaving workshop I helped with the other week was great in getting good interaction with the moms and kids. Half of getting the kids to stop calling each other stupid is to get the moms to stop calling them stupid.

a glimpse of my new jacquard bellydance top with knitting needles and arm warmers.

Currentlly I'm obsessed with knitting. And this begins (mother) the trade of photo's with what I've made. Starting with what Dottie at work calls a 'Dickie'. I don't know if that name will stick since it's coming from someone who refers to female parts as 'chicken', but I thought it was funny.

Reversable neckwarmers. I stole the idea from a guys mom. I met him on an art crawl in his store of designed t-shirts. He was impressive being so young and having a really creative idea and his own shop. There was a cabinet with knitted wears and he said his mom made them all. hats, neckwarmers, and scarves. At least I told him I was going to steal the idea.

So here's my first made item.

I met some new people at the art crawl. It was a fun night (sans the losing of I.D. and CC, ick)

Some really good galleries are in the area with unusual art. Made friends, danced to 80's new wave, Learned that porn editing isn't as exciting as some people think, and ate some eggs. it was a good night.

I've been sick all week which sucked donkeys breath. couldn't see marie's baby yet. not nice to cough on infants.

I did make it out though to a dance party Fri night for a bit. Veg chinese food first with a new friend then dancing while people in pizza costumes were crowd surfing. Met some more good people.

Now I have to go to work, ugh. good thing i bought juice and soup.