It's the Orange and Blue

Right around this time of year, I see such vibrant blues: the bluebirds, the sky, even recycling bins--they all pop differently. 

Then I realize it's because of the orangey-brown everywhere: the acorns, leaf tips, and pumpkins. 

The contrast of blue and orange (opposites!) enhances so much around me this season. 

I don't particularly enjoy blue or orange, but together, I can't resist their beauty. 

If Your Group Isn't Gelling: Try These 4 Things

Right around this point in the semester, classes and various campus groups should gel. 

It should feel like a community, like a gathering of like-minded friends committed to the same goal.

It should feel like a group complete with inside jokes. You walk in, and everyone knows your name. They might even know where you've been and where you're going next. There's a freedom of expression, a sigh of relaxation, and an ease of togetherness.

When this doesn't happen by the end of September in my classes, I amp up the following (besides fervent prayer for community):

1). Treats! Treats of all kinds to share--whether coffee, candy, or baked goods--create community as we're all eating together. 

2). The teacher (or leader) should share even more about herself. Show family pictures. Play favorite songs. Describe professional projects, life outside of class, and hobbies. Do this more and more. 

3). Talk about what everyone's watching or listening to, what news they care about, or what kind of places they enjoying going on campus. Agree to all watch or listen to the same things. Maybe everyone's going to watch the same television show and talk about it before class. Maybe everyone will follow the same news story. 

4). More name games! Yes, even more name games. I include my updated list below. 

I hope these tips help your classrooms and groups this week. 

50 Name Games! Enjoy! 

1.  What is the most interesting course you have ever taken in school?

2.  What is your favorite quotation?

3.  What is one item you might keep forever?

4.  What were you known for in high school?  Did you have any nicknames?

5.  If you could have witnessed any event in sports history, what would it be?

6.  What is something you consider beautiful?

7.  What was your first CD or song you played over and over again?

8.  What accomplishment are you most proud of?

9.  If you could be an apprentice to any person, living or deceased, from whom would you want to learn?

10.  What are three things that make you happy?

11.  What's one movie you think everyone should see?  What's a movie you think nobody should see?

12.  Who inspires you?

13.  What's one thing you want to do before you die?

14.  Get in groups of three people.  What's the most bizarre thing you have in common?

15.  Whenever you are having a bad day, what is the best thing you can do to help cheer yourself up?

16.  Have you ever experienced something unexplainable or supernatural?

17.  What was your best Halloween costume?

18.  What’s the last item you purchased?

19.  What was the last thing you Googled?

20.  What YouTube video do you watch over and over?

21.  What's the kindest act you've ever witnessed?

22.  Tell us one thing you know you do well (a talent?) and one thing you know you cannot do.

23.  What is your favorite way to procrastinate?

24.  What is your favorite home-cooked meal?

25.  What was your favorite childhood toy?

26.  What do you do other than study?  What clubs are you involved in?

27.  What was your first job?

28.  Have you met a famous person? Who?

29.  What's the story behind your name?

30.  Do you believe in anything that most people might not believe in?

31.  I wish everyone would___________________

32.  What's the best sound effect you can make?

33.  What's the funniest thing you did as a kid that people still talk about today?

34.  What idea do you think is worth arguing about?

35.  Tell us something quirky about you. 

36.  For what reason do others often seek your help or input?

37. Share your guilty pleasure (something you enjoy that embarrasses you—like watching Disney Channel)?

38. What is one thing that’s important for others to know about you?

39. Do you still do anything today that you also loved to do as a child?

40. Do you have any daily rituals?

41. What is the most misunderstood word you can think of?

42. What is the first book you remember changing you somehow?

43. Pass on one piece of wisdom to the class.

44. Do you have an irrational fear or strange addiction?

45. What’s been the most surprising thing about college?

46. What is your biggest pet peeve?

47. Tell us about any animal friends you have.

49. What’s something new you’ve learned this week?

50. What thought keeps you up at night? 

The Acorn Flour and Most Delicious Bread

I'm crunching enormous acorns underfoot on the walk to school, and it's not even October yet. I remember the afternoon in October 2011 when we gathered acorns to make the most delicious Acorn Bread. I wish to do so again, so I reread my post and have reposted it here for you.

And, of course, the lesson in bitterness still applies to this little heart of mine.

If you have an acorn recipe, I would love to hear about it!

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

How We Made Acorn Flour (A Lesson in Bitterness)

We gather the acorns from our oak tree.

A Bowl of Acorns

Then, we carefully crack the shells and remove the nutmeat (I use a little hammer and a pick).

Cracking Acorns (with a Hammer!)

Shelling Acorns

We shell about 2 cups worth of nuts because this is our first experiment.   

Acorn Nutmeat 

Then, it's time for the long process of removing the tannins.  I learn that tannins can harm you; they inflict stomach distress and kidney problems if you consume large amounts of this bitter substance.  Removing the bitter tannins requires time and a steady flush of fresh water--either cold (like in a stream over a week-long period as the Native Americans did) or boiling hot (the quicker way).

Removing Acorn Tannins by Boiling Method

When boiling, the water turns a deep brownish-black.  Every 20 minutes, I change the water.  After several hours, the water boils clear, and that tells me the tannins are gone.  To be sure, I'm told to taste a nut.  If it tastes like a sweet pasta--bland and not bitter--I've successfully leached the tannins.  Since my acorns are from a Red Oak, they taste supremely bitter (as opposed to a White Oak), so removing these tannins takes nearly 4 hours.  If I had finely chopped the nuts, I could leach them faster.

The verb leach, by the way, means to drain away and remove.  Here I am, leaching bitterness out of acorns, and the spiritual parallel rises up as surely as the sweet smell of acorn nutmeat.   Those nuts submit to the process of cleansing, of uncomfortably stressful temperatures, over a long period of time.  No wonder life seems hard sometimes.

Perhaps I'm being leached.

Finally, I take the leached nuts and grind them in a food processor.  I want a course grind for a hearty, nutty bread.

Grinding the Acorn Nuts

I add a few cups to a regular bread recipe (flour, yeast, honey or sugar, oil, egg).  I knead the dough, let it rise for one hour, and bake it at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.  I've heard you want to use equal parts acorn flour and another flour or even cornmeal. 

Acorn Flour for Bread 

Acorn Bread Loaf

The bread tastes absolutely delicious.  It's a warm, nutty, rich bread that the girls spread with sweet cream butter for breakfast.  I'm not an expert in acorns, but the research claims that as long as you leach out the tannins, your acorns can provide muffins, breads, pancakes, cakes, and a whole variety of baked goods. 

But you need that fresh water, boiled for a long time. 

Lord, leach me.  Remove every bitter thing in my heart.