Kidding Around the Kitchen

Lucas & Friends cook a meal with Lisa Fontanesi's "Kidding Around the Kitchen". They made a delicious squash soup, an alphabet pasta & mixed veggie soup, a hearty salad with persimmon & pomegranate seeds with homemade dressing, applesauce and an apple pie. It was too much fun!

Lisa & Lucas show off Lucas' first homemade Apple Pie ;o)

Lucas awaits his co-chefs with his sign-in sheet.

Leila decorates her chef's hat

A lesson about sugar quantities in foods...10 tablespoons in soda? YUCK! 7 in yogurt? Are you kidding me??? Honey and maple syrup make a GREAT alternative.

Lisa preps the young chefs before they set off to make their dinner.

Some of the literature provided...INCLUDING what part of your tongue tastes sweet/sour/etc.

Squishing Squash! Cooking is FUN!

Sophia puts her squished squash into the soup pot.

Now its Micah's turn...

Lisa lends a hand while Lucas & AJ prepare their soup.

Pie crust in the making...Dads & kids roll out the dough.

Leila & Jon make a fancy edge on their crust.

Adam & Sophia put the finishing touches on their pie crust

Leila's & Sophia's crusts are ready for filling

Lucas makes his crust edge with a special finger pinch design.

Beautiful pie crusts to be filled...

The veggies are ready for chopping...

The boys get to work...

...and the girls are doing a great job!

Lucas concentrates on his technique...

Sophia works on getting the perfect chop!

Micah's veggies are done, so in the soup pot they go!

Leila prepares her peppers for the soup.

Sophia gives the soup a good stirring...

Leila't turn...

Time to work out the wiggles!!!

And now to get the apples ready for the pie...if THIS isn't the coolest contraption! An apple peeler/corer ;o)

Micah gets a turn on the peeler...

And now to fill the pies...

Time to put the finishing touches on the squash soup...

...and voila! a deliciously prepared meal by our new chefs!

Some after dinner entertainment...Lucas gives the Polar Express train a spin around the tree...

This is the BEST pie EVER!!! Thanks Lisa for a GREAT afternoon of cooking!

Latest Addition to the Menagerie

Daddy continues to (re)live his childhood through us...since I've done SUCH a great job with my homework, I got to pick out a pretty new canary from Magnolia Bird Farm. Dad went to get new finches (lavender, fire and yellow-breasted) and I got "Squirt". He's bright yellow and has a BEAUTIFUL song. He starts with his beak closed with a rolling sound then opens up with a cheerful aria. Squirt likes the apples and carrots that Kate & I feed him.

Big Night

Big Dinner Night at the deLancellotti's. Anya had been planning for this all summer - based on the movie, Big Night, with Stanley Tucci, Isabella Rosellini, Minnie Driver, etc. Anya made a Timbale (as in the movie) which means, "drum" in Italian. It was a delicious "piatta del giorno" or "main dish". We spoke as much as we could in Italian and talked about future travels there! GREAT evening!

The Movie that inspired the dinner theme..."Big Night"

Lucas & Kate had their own version of "Big Night" with Grammy & Lucas' friend, Paolo.

Anya prepares for a delicious meal.

David gets the wines and appetizers ready...

Donatella & Gianluca getting some fresh air...

David & Michael discuss things to do in Sicily, especially the town of Cefalu.

Anya's Big Table...

...and one of her gorgeous creations...

Chef Jeff's DELICIOUS Nectarine & Blueberry Crostada...

My new favorite...

et voila! le Timbale!!! presented by Anya & Joanne

Beautiful Timbale...

Elio, Robin & Tristan

Donatella inspects one of the MANY bottles of delicious Italian wines...

So there were some serious technical difficulties trying to get the projector to work, but we finally worked it out by dessert so that the movie could play during our feast...

The Big Sleepover after the Big Night...Lucas & Paolo opt for the lower bunk.