Quick Step: Coco Chanel

Just a quick step to learn a little about a fabulous lady! What a remarkable woman, a true rags to riches story!

Seventh Step: Julia Child ~Exploring~

Julia Child has been so much fun to learn about! She was an amazing woman with such spirit and so inspiring! I’ve enjoyed reading her cookbooks, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. She was one of those people who just got it. I think that’s why she seemed so happy. She knew what was important and didn’t let anything hold her back!

Julia has inspired us to do a lot of cooking lately! We tried her incredible recipe for Potato Leek Soup. Who knew such a simple recipe could render such a wonderful, flavorful soup? We did add a bit of cream to it, and it is now a staple on cold days here in Chicago! We also have been taking monthly cooking classes at Marcel’s, a wonderful shop with talented chefs and fantastic classes, in downtown Glen Ellyn. The classes were so much fun for Beatrice to attend. They really do a wonderful job there with the kids. While there, Beatrice has made cherry cobbler(which we’ve made at home twice now since the class), pizza pinwheels, dips, sandwiches, salads, and decorated some yummy cupcakes. It’s been a joy for both of us.

We’ve had some other fun experiences too. We expanded our library while learning about Julia and picked up some new cookbooks and picture books that we’ve read and created from. Our love affair with Master Chef Jr. continues, but we also added some episodes of The French Chef with Julia Child into the mix as well. I still haven’t seen all of Julie & Julia, but it’s coming up! For links to all the shows and books mentioned, plus other Julia items, check out our Pinterest board, Julia

Seventh Step: Julia Child ~Wise Words~

Seventh Step: Julia Child ~Introduction~

We have finally moved on to a new step! This winter has been long and cold in Chicagoland, and to keep warm, happy, and busy, we’ve been doing a lot of cooking! This naturally led us to Julia Child! Her spirit and lust for life is evident in her cooking style and exudes from everything she does. It’s been a pleasure learning about her, cooking with her, and taking a step in her shoes. 🙂

Seventh Step: ~Sneak Peek~

Sixth Step: Sacagawea ~Exploring~

Part of the fun of learning about Sacagawea was taking a drive up to Astoria, OR to visit Fort Clatsop, Lewis and Clark’s final stop on their trek West. It was such an awesome experience to take a step back in time and to walk where Sacagawea and Lewis and Clark walked, and walk inside rooms where they slept, worked, and ate. Fort Clatsop is a U.S. National Historical Park, and the rangers there are some awesome people who really inspiring! They helped the kids learn about Fort Clatsop and the natural surroundings. The kids completed enough activities to be sworn in as junior rangers and received a patch, certificate, and badge in commemoration of the event!

Sixth Step: Sacagawea ~Introduction~

To commemorate our adventures in the Pacific Northwest we chose Sacagawea as our next courageous lady! We went from just a few hours from the start of the Oregon trail to within an hour of the end, so it seemed rather appropriate. The Pacific Northwest is an awe inspiring part of the country, the geography is just breath taking. The Oregon Coast is stunning. There wasn’t a day we spent there that wasn’t filled jaw-dropping landscapes and sunsets. Adorable Native American costume and papoose purchased from MainstreetX. Please visit my Sacagawea Pinterest page for other purchases and educational ideas related to my Sacagawea posts!

Sixth Step: ~Sneak Peek~

Fifth Step: Rockford Peaches and the AAGPBL ~Exploring~

Before our big move to Oregon we managed to make it up to Rockford,IL to see Beyer Field, the Peaches home field. There isn’t much left of what was originally there, but the brick entryway where patrons would enter and ticket windows are still there. The field is in the midst of being restored with new amenities being added every year and a new team calls Beyer Field home, the Rockford Starfires. We didn’t get to see a game there but we did get to a little sneak into the Midway Village Museum. Unfortunately, they were closed to the public the one day we could go out there! 😦 However, someone there did let us into the gift shop and we got Peach bobble head, a t-shirt and we got see some pictures of the Peaches that were hanging in the halls. I was so bummed to miss the actual museum. Argh! So, no game and no museum. The trip felt a little like a bust but we did go to fabulous children’s museum while we were in town and the kids had fun and got to see a little bit of history. 🙂