People celebrate carnival around the world the week before Lent, a Christian period of fasting and reflection. Traditionally held in areas with large Catholic populations, carnival often includes a parade with costumes and music- yet each country has their own unique traditions. Let’s look at some unique ways people celebrate carnival around the world.
Creative Commons Photo by: David Edgar (2006)
Posted in Around the World, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Celebrations, Dominican Republic, Europe, France, Germany, Guatemala, Italy, Peru, Russia, The Americas
Tagged Carnaval
I am so happy to announce that I have joined the fabulous team of bloggers who bring you “Around the World in 12 Dishes,” a culinary journey that chooses a different country each month. I have been following this series, linking up my own recipes- and now I get to feature the project here!!!! Some very kid-friendly Brazilian recipes are pão de queijo (cheesey bread), brigadeiros (amazing chocolate candy) or the dish we made a couple of night ago, feijoada (meaty black bean stew).
Posted in Brazil, Food, The Americas
Tagged Around the World in 12 Dishes, gluten-free, main dish
Looking to bake something new with your kids, that they are guaranteed to love? Try this simple recipe for pão de queijo, a delicious Brazilian, gluten-free cheese bread with a unique, chewy texture that is made from tapioca flour. In fact, it is believed this starchy root (called cassava, yuca, tapioca, or manioc) was originally domesticated in Brazil more than 10,000 years ago! In the 16th century when Portuguese explorers came to Brazil, they brought back the cassava plant to western Africa. It spread throughout the continent, growing successfully in poor soil and drought-ridden areas, and since has become a staple in many countries.
Posted in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Food, The Americas
Tagged bread, breakfast, gluten-free
A trip to the Rio Napo, Ecuador in 1996.
Last year, my kids and I studied a different biome each month. When looking at biomes, the world is generally divided into 5 major types: aquatic, deserts, forests, grasslands, and tundra. The plants and animals in each biome have adapted to their environment with special features that help them survive. Under the forests category, it is sub-divided into different types of forests, such as tropical rainforests, temperate forests, and boreal forests. Because I have visited parts of the Amazon as well as Costa Rica, I was excited to share what I had learned and they were really excited to take a closer look. We took a month to read books, watch films, and do some art projects related to tropical rain forests. Here are the resources we used. Continue reading
Posted in Africa, Animals, Around the World, Belize, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Games and Toys, Geography, Ghana, Guatemala, Honduras, Indonesia, Madagascar, Panama, The Americas
Tagged biomes, education, educational technology, on-line activities, rainforest, science
Taken and photostitched by Michael Baldwin, on 25-Fev-2006, at the Sambódromo, Rio de Janeiro, 2006 (creative commons use permitted).
People are fascinated by the Brazil Carnaval: the floats, the dancers, the music. It is Brazil’s largest festival, and last year in Rio alone drew in 4.9 million people. However, while many people attend the lavish celebrations in the bigger cities, Brazil is a huge country with almost 195 million people, diverse in their traditions and customs. I asked some Brazilian friends how little kids celebrate Carnaval in Brazil.
Lilian: “Carnaval in Brazil is as diverse as the population and customs in the country. In my area little kids enjoyed Carnaval Continue reading
Today’s recipe for docinhos is written and shared by Neide Rigo: Brazilian chef, nutritionist, and author of award-winning food blog “Come-Se,” or “Eat Up.” If you want to learn about Brazilian cooking, please visit her amazing blog! Her original post in Portuguese is posted here below the English translation. Neide Rigo says “I am a nutritionist, but today work more writing about food and giving cooking lessons. I like to show on the blog forgotten or unknown ingredients, where they come from, and how to use them. With the blog I hope to encourage people to recognize edible plants in the city where they live, to consume local foods, and go to the kitchen to prepare your own food. I like to showcase Brazil and its enormous biodiversity (which, of course, is not just Carnaval and football!).”
Image credit: Neide Rigo
I knew on Wednesday that I would have a child here on Thursday and bought some organic ripe bananas in the Tendal Lapa farmer’s market. I wondered how to give my guest something more attractive than the simple sweet paste that I had in mind. I thought of docinhos, of bananas combined with chocolate, so I also picked up some organic cocoa (Eco Tree brand), since mine is not a home of cookies, candies, sweets and delicacies beyond fruit.
