Adventures in Alaska: Moose Head

This week, temperatures dropped back below zero.

Our friends got a moose early Sunday morning, so we helped them cut it up.

Moose in a sled.

Nathaniel separating the meat from the bone.

After rinsing off the hair and trimming off the fat, we cut the meat into pieces to put into the fancy automatic grinder.

Mr. Moose-head just hanging out outside.

We were lucky to have a few sunny days. The sun was especially bright reflecting off the snow (called the "albedo effect").

The snow plow tractor clearing the streets.

Packed snow, the perfect riding surface for snow machines.

Panoramic view of our road.

Our teacher housing unit. The snow drifts really pile high between the houses.

Sled tracks.

One boardwalk, leading up to the school on the right. The large tan building on the left is the community sauna/laundry mat.

(Left) Porch steps in August.

(Right) Our porch steps in February. We walk right up and only take one step!

Happy Valentine's Day!

In the classroom, this week my 7th graders teamed up with Jana's 5th/6th graders to finish our unit on dragons. The students are making a Chinese dragon costume. When it is complete we will have a mini parade to the other elementary classrooms to teach them about Chinese New Year.

Last but not least, I discovered an AMAZING soft pretzel recipe too good to not share. It took some time (about 1.5 hours), but the results are worth it! Click here to see the recipe.

I made them twice this week. First, by following the recipe exactly. The second time I made some modifications (with the help of reading the reviews).

The second batch was much better, so follow this tutorial for better results:

Ingredients:
4 tsp active dry yeast    3 1/2 c. all-purpose flour    1 Tbsp vegetable oil        kosher salt, for topping
1 tsp white sugar          1/2 c. white sugar                 1/4 c. baking soda     melted butter, for topping
1 1/4 c. warm water      1 1/2 tsp salt                     2 c. hot water

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, dissolve 4 tsp active dry yeast and 1 tsp sugar in 1 1/4 c. warm water. Mix with fork. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.

2. In a large bowl, mix together 3 1/2 c. flour, 1/2 c. sugar, and 1 1/2 tsp salt.

3. Make a well in the center.

4. Add 1 Tbsp vegetable oil and the yeast mixture.

5. Mix and form into a dough. If the mixture is too dry, add a little water. If the mixture is too sticky, add a little flour.

6. Knead the dough until smooth, 6 or 7 minutes.

7. Lightly coat the dough with vegetable oil. Turn to coat all over.
Cover with plastic wrap (or a towel) and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

8. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. In a large bowl, dissolve 1/4 c. baking soda in 2 c. hot water. When risen, pinch fist sized pieces off and roll onto a floured surface. Shape into a foot long rope.