WHWS Winter Faire Magazine

Winter Faire at home

Dear friends, Welcome to Winter Faire! Although this year's celebration has a much different look & feel, it has been made with the same love as always. We hope you enjoy this collection of festival favorites like crafts, recipes from the Wooden Spoon Cafe, a visit to the Snow Queen, a list of local artisans for holiday shopping, and a special treat from our 8th Graders.

You'll also find offerings from various winter holidays celebrated & studied at our school, a puppet show, and a few more surprises...

With love, Whatcom Hills Waldorf School

Let it snow, L et it snow

Holida

y

t... s a p s Faire

Enter the Snow Queen's cave...

Handmade items by Jolie Bell

jolieb2690@aol.com ~ 360-306-3699 For email orders, please use WHWS in subject line

Handmade items by Plant Matter Aesthetics

Artfully preserving Pacific Northwest Plant Matter in resin! 20% of profits are donated, and split between Washington ACLU & the Environmental Defense Action Fund. They welcome custom orders!

Find them at https://plantmatteraesthetics.bigcartel.com/ or on Instagram @plantmatteraesthetics

Handmade items by The Blossom Boutique Fun accessories for your shoes & roller skates!

Each piece is die-cut from vegan leather and hand-rolled before being assembled into a beautiful accessory for your skates!

Find them at www.blossomboutique.biz or Instagram @the_blossom_boutique

Handmade items from Snowe Fine Handcrafts All candles & ornaments are made with high quality, 100% local beeswax and cotton wicking

Each handwoven scarf is one of a kind, made with cashmere, silk, alpaca, bamboo, merino or tencel fibers.

Find them at the Bellingham Farmer's Market or online at www.snowefinehandcrafts.com

Artist Chlöe Graham

Sun & Stars 23cm x 31cm

Sunset & Poppies 23cm x 31cm

Mountain, Meadow & Sunset Mountain, Meadow & Sunrise 26cm x 36cm 26cm x 36cm

Cézanne inspired 15.5cm x 23cm

Cézanne inspired Mt. Baker 23cm x 15.5cm

Mountains & Wildflowers 23cm x 31cm

Moon Tides 25cm x 26cm

Sweet Pea 23cm x 15.5cm

Chlöe is a college student at WWU whose love for art flourished throughout her eight years at Whatcom Hills Waldorf School. Her art is heavily inspired by plants and all things nature thanks to her love for the environment and the natural world.

To purchase a piece, please visit her Instagram @nerdy.painter or call/text 360-830-7209

Shadow Spoons Each spoon has a story; a beginning, middle and end. Every piece of wood is carefully selected for durability, function, and style.

With an emphasis on simple and slow, every piece of timber used is reclaimed and recycled to make a durable and beautiful product for everyday use.

Find them at www.shadowspoons.com OR at Lettered Streets Coffee House

Handmade Creations from Bekah's Pocket

Designed & created by mother/daughter team Bekah Dowd &Tracy Vandermay Thick & durable vinyl stickers. Waterproof.

Great for laptops, water bottles, notebooks, etc.

4 for $10, or $3/ea.

Hand knit slouch hats, wool Hand sewn journal covers, blend; hand wash~ $30 natural cork & wool felt.

Various styles for all standard FieldNote size journals ~ $10

Chunky knit infinity scarves, machine wash ~ $20

Hand knit headbands, machine washable $10 Repurposed Little Golden Book journals,Hand bound, Featuring 140 pound watercolor paper as well as a variety of reclaimed papers. Use as written journals, art journals, scrapbooks, or anything you can think of!

CUSTOM ORDERS AVAILABLE! creativeteam@bekahspocket.com / tracyleevandermay@gmail.com / 360-927-1459

8th Grade Class Offering Our 8th Graders have been busy in the kitchen putting together some treat bundles to make your holiday season even sweeter! All prepared with lots of love, along with gloves and masks to assure Covid safety. Our little gnomes can only make so much and quantities are limited ~ get yours while supplies last!

Each treat bundle will be packaged within a beautiful, reusable cloth gift bag. Within this bag you will find a handful of homemade caramels, 6 peppermint patties, and a bag of 25(ish) honey gummy bears. Each of the goodies will be individually wrapped so you have the option to gift each treat to different people or enjoy all three treats together.

Thank you for supporting this year's graduating class! The funds raised will go towards an end of year trip, which we are still hopeful will come into reality. All orders will be to you before Christmas Day. Cost ~ $25 Please contact Beth Rusk with your orders: befyroo@yahoo.com / 360 220-8829

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Kindergarten Bread Ingredients:

2 tbsp yeast 3 cups warm water “Secret ingredients� may include 1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp honey cinnamon, raisins, millet, oats, 1/3 cup oil (melted butter works) sesame seeds or sunflower seeds!

3 tsp salt 6-8 cups of flour mixture (1/2 wheat, 1/2 white ~ sub 2 cups oatmeal for a nice texture!)

Directions: 1) Mix yeast, 1T honey & some warm water in a bowl. Leave it to foam up (~ 15-30 min) 2) Combine yeast mixture with 3C warm water, oil, salt, & honey in a large bowl.

3) Add the sifted flour mixture until the liquid is absorbed. Let sit for 5 minutes.

4) Continue adding the flour mixture until the dough is kneadable.

5) Knead dough and form into rolls or loaves. (Makes 2 loaves or 24 rolls) 6) Place on a cookie sheet in a preheated 200 degree convection oven for 15 min to rise.

7) Turn up to 300 degrees & bake for 15-20 minutes until done.

Serve with honey-butter or a hearty soup!

Hearty Vegetable & Barley Soup INGREDIENTS 2 Medium Carrots peeled & chopped 2 Medium Parsnips peeled & chopped 2 Large Celery Stalks chopped 1/2 White Onion chopped 1 Leek chopped Neutral Vegetable Oil 4 Cups Vegetable Broth 2 Cups Water 1 Tsp Dried Thyme 1 Tsp Dried Parsley 1/4 Tsp Turmeric 1/2 Tsp Salt or to taste 1 Tsp Apple Cider Vinegar 1 Cup Barley or wheatberries Fresh Parsley for garnishing INSTRUCTIONS 1.Bring a drizzle of neutral vegetable oil (like sunflower or avocado) to medium heat.

2.Add in the chopped carrots, parsnips, celery, onion, and leeks, and sautĂŠ for about 5-10 minutes, or until softened.

3.Then, add in all other ingredients to the pot, and stir well.

4.Cover the pot and simmer the soup for about 45-60 minutes, or until barley (or wheatberries) are soft.

Serve hot with fresh parsley. Enjoy!

Flourless Chocolate Brownie Cookies MAKES 2 DOZEN

Ingredients: 3 cups powdered sugar ž cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1 teaspoon kosher salt 2 large egg whites 1 large egg 4oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped 3 tablespoons cacao nibs

Directions: 1) Preheat to 350° 2) Whisk powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and salt in a large bowl, then whisk in egg whites and egg; fold in chocolate and cacao nibs 3) Spoon batter by the tablespoonful onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart 4) Bake, rotating sheets once, until cookies are puffed, cracked, and set just around the edges, 14~16 minutes 5) Transfer baking sheets to wire racks and let cookies cool on pan to firm up

A Visit to The Snow Queen

Snow Queen Cookies 1 cup butter, room temperature 1/2 cup powdered sugar 2 cups all purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 and line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Cream together butter & sugar until light & fluffy.

Add in flour and mix until dough is just together.

Turn out onto a counter dusted with powdered sugar and gently roll the dough into a 2"x2" log.

Wrap the log of cookie dough in plastic wrap and allow to firm up in the fridge for 30 min.

Once the dough is firm, slice the cookies into 3/4" thick rounds.

Place each round on your baking trey and bake for 16-18 minutes or until just golden.

How to Make Paper Stars You will need squares of kite paper, craft glue, and tape to hang your stars!

How-To Video!

A Midwinter Puppet Show!

Video credit to Storymama; Story by Brenna Green Rothschild & Music by Nancy Foster

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~ Santa Lucia ~ The theme of light shining in the darkness is shared across many lands and traditions. The celebration of Santa Lucia begins each December 13th and is also known as the Festival of Lights. In the old Swedish tradition, every village chose a young woman to represent Santa Lucia.

On the morning of December 13th, wearing a white dress with a red sash and a wreath of lingonberry twigs with seven candles set upon it, she would go from farm to farm bringing baked goods and return home before dawn. The lighting of the candles on her headpiece symbolizes welcoming light during the darkest time of the year.

Centuries ago when the Santa Lucia tradition first began, the calendar date of December 13th was the winter solstice, so the celebration of Santa Lucia also marks the beginning of the change to longer and warmer days.

Today, Waldorf schools observe this celebration with the help of the 2nd Grade class, who accompany their Santa Lucia and carry baskets of cookies to share with each member of the school community. They enter each room, singing softly yet joyfully, and offer their cookies to the class. It is a wonderful tradition we look forward to every year, but it can also be celebrated in your own home if you wish!

Santa Lucia,

through darkest winter night,

thy light is glowing,

Comfort bestowing.

Swedish Saffron Buns Also called saffransbullar or lussebullar, these yellow sweet buns are traditional Swedish holiday treats. Here is a recipe to enjoy in honor of Santa Lucia Day.

INGREDIENTS:

PREPARATION: Crush saffron in a small bowl with a little bit of sugar.

Melt butter in a small pot and add milk. Heat until warm (you should still be able to stick your finger in).

Measure out yeast in a large bowl and mix in a couple tablespoons of the butter and milk mixture until the yeast dissolves.

Mix in the rest of the milk and butter. Add in sugar and salt.

Add in almost all of the flour (you want to reserve some for rolling later) and mix and knead it together for about 10 minutes. Knead until the dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl.

Dust a little flour on top of the dough, cover and let rise for 30-45 minutes.

Knead dough on floured surface.Roll into classic saffransbullar shapes. The most common is the “S� shape, but get creative!

Place on a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Cover with a towel and let rise for 30 minutes.

Decorate with currants (they traditionally go in the center of where the bun is rolled) and glaze with a beaten egg.

Bake at 400 F for 8-10 minutes.

1/8 teaspoon saffron 1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons butter 2 1/2 cups milk 2 teaspoons active dry yeast 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup sugar 7 cups flour 1/4 cup currants One egg + Currants for decoration

Hanukkah ~ The Festival of Lights The Jewish festival year is full of beautiful and deeply spiritual celebrations, each one filled with history, symbolism, and hope. In Waldorf schools, Grade 3 studies the stories of the Hebrew bible and following the festival calendar that year brings the study of Jewish history and culture alive.

Hanukkah, The Festival of Lights, grew out of an ancient mid-winter celebration of the returning of the light, and this year began on December 10th. The Hanukkah menorah has spaces for 9 candles - one for each of the 8 nights and one to light all the others (the shamash). Each night a new candle is added (from right to left) and then they are lit with the shamash (from left to right) at sundown and allowed to burn all the way down, undisturbed.

The prayer said while lighting the candles goes like this: Barukh atah Adonei, Eloheinu, melech ha’olam, Asher kidishanu b’mitz’votav v’tzivanu L’had’lik neir shel Chanukah. Amein. (Blessed are you oh Lord our God Who has commanded us To light the lights of Chanukah. Amen.)

Another Hanukkah tradition is to play dreidel! This is a simple game played by children all over the world.

Here's how:

Nun means “nisht” or “nothing.” The player does nothing.

1. Any number of people can take part.

2. Each player begins the game with an equal number of game pieces (10-15) such as pennies, nuts, raisins, stones, etc.

Gimel means “gantz” or “everything.”

The player gets everything in the pot.

3. At the beginning of each round, every participant puts one game piece into the center “pot.” In addition, every time the pot is empty or has only one game piece left, every player should put one in the pot.

4. Every time it’s your turn, spin the dreidel once. Depending on the side it lands on, you give or get game pieces from the pot. For those who don’t read Hebrew, transliterations are listed by their symbols:

Hey means “halb” or “half.”

The player gets half of the pot.

(If there is an odd number of pieces, the player takes half of the total, plus one).

5. If you find that you have no game pieces left, you are either “out” or may ask a fellow player for a “loan".

6. When one person has won everything, that round of the game is over!

Shin (outside of Israel) means “shtel” or “put in.” Peh (in Israel) also means “put in.” The player adds a game piece to the pot.

Diwali: Festival of Lights Diwali s a five-day Hindu festival of lights, held in the period from October to November, which originated in India. It is the celebration of light, truth, perseverance, and abundance.

Families and friends gather in homes brightly lit with oil lamps and candles. Women dress in their finest, most colorful saris and decorate their doorway floors with bright powders in intricate Rangoli designs.

Sweets and cakes are freely offered and gifts are exchanged amid joyous family reunions that culminate in firework displays.

As we move toward the darkness of winter, we honor and cultivate our inner light to bring us through our winter journey.

St. Nicholas Day St. Nicholas is the real-life inspiration for the modern idea of Santa Claus, and the tradition of gift-giving at Christmas time.

He was a bishop, born around the Year 240 AD in Asia Minor (modern day Turkey), and was known for his acts of generosity & kindness, and his love for children.

Widely celebrated in Europe and in Waldorf schools, this celebration reminds us that to give is a gift.

Traditionally, St. Nicholas Day is held December 6th, and children leave a shoe out on the night of December 5th.

The next morning, you might find a clementine orange, chocolate “gold� coins, and other goodies tucked inside!

We hope you enjoyed this unconventional Winter Faire celebration, and we wish you a holiday season full of joy, peace, and love!