Flag waving

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Saturday, November 26, 2011

What to do when the temperatures outside are completely inhospitable and the air smokey? I suggested to A that we might make some paper flags out of origami paper. She thought that was a fine idea. As soon as each flag was complete, she asked me to tape it to a colored pencil. She spent the rest of the afternoon parading around the apartment waving her flags.

With apologies to the liberties taken with some of the flags--all exact colors and shapes were not to be had.

Sledding at -20°C

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Sunday, November 20, 2011

You can't stay out long when it's -20°C (-4°F), but it was time enough for a couple of good runs on the levee...

Pink snow flakes

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Sunday, November 21, 2011

While the kids ran around like crazy, we adults enjoyed some paper folding. This one, folded from tissue paper, was far too delicate for me, but U did a fantastic job completing the project. I think I'll stick to origami paper!

UB Granola

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Tired of paying for expensive cereals here in UB? Well, help is on the way...

2 packages of oats (or 8 cups)

1/3 cup honey

1/3 oil (sunflower or safflower)

1 cup walnuts

1 cup almonds

1/2 cup sesame seeds

any other nuts or dried coconut

Mix the honey and oil in a pan and heat (but do not boil). Pour the honey and oil over the the oats and nut mixture. Mix well. Bake in 325F/150C oven for about 30 minutes, stirring often. After it cools you can add some raisins or other dried fruit.

The playdate season begins

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Cold weather's here and time for serious indoor play. The kids spent the morning in games of chase, hide and seek, and cookie baking and decorating.

Let the winter come!

St. Martin's Day

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Friday, November 11, 2011 (11-11-11)

Gathered at a friend's house yesterday afternoon to make lanterns a la the German tradition for St. Martin's Day. I had some distant memory of a St. Martin's parade from long ago in Sweden. We made our lanterns, waited for dark to fall, bundled up against the cold, and headed out for a round of singing in the garden, lamps lit.

You can read more here from Wikipedia.

Raise a glass

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Sunday, November 6, 2011

As anxiously awaited as the swallows' return to San Capistrano, the Polish milk has, at last, returned to Ulaanbaatar. It's only been gone for 5 months, but it has kind of felt like forever.

So, let us raise a glass to Polish cows and their milk which arrives in UB in 0.5%, 1.5%, and even 3.2%. This batch doesn't expire until Feb 6 2012 so that's at least 3 months of joy...

(Very) Well-travelled berries

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Well, these strawberries travelled from the Northwest (USA) to Thailand and then in my backpack via Korea to Mongolia.

I am happy to report that A enjoyed every one.

Carbon-footprint be darned...