Steph's Pomegranate Jelly

A great stocking stuffer, Stephanie Jenniches' pomegranate jelly will be for sale in the front office next week. Still $5 a jar and payment is on the honor system. Get a jar before they are gone. It's a damn divine spread.

Parent Artists' Help Requested

We now know there will be no paid Visual or Musical Arts coming to Odyssey this year...So its up to those of us who can bring our creative skills to the picture! Now is the time.

Our community is rich in talent and experience in all of the arts and we can bring all kinds of enrichment to our kids. If those of us experienced in the arts- Visual Arts, Performing Arts- Drama, Dance, Crafts, Music... were to take on one project, we could fill the school with the Arts!

You can just let me (MaryLinda) know the kind of Arts you are interested in contributing (Drumming, Painting, Dramatic Play, Choral, Video, Dance, Collage, Creative Writing, Quilting, Claywork...) and I will find a project, or if you want to bring in a series for our Arts in Residence we will find a class to bring that to and support to make it successful. All of the classes have space in their schedule for Art and Music, they are just waiting for one of us to bring it to them.

I took a few hours this week and did paper mache planets with both Kindergarden classes, there are parents coming in every week to do music and movement for the K classes, Karen Merchant has done sumi-e painting for Lisa's class, Aunt Crystal has brought Art to Heather's class, Paula Solano is doing a 6 week dramatic series for Jessica's class...what would you like to do??

We are currently looking for holiday cultural arts to share in some of the classrooms; Storytellers, a project for a family unit, shadow puppetry, a great bookmaking project, portraiture, dramatic play to explore subject areas, California song to a different tune, sculptural creation of habitats, 3D landforms and DNA models...among many others!

Please do bring your talents into the pool, the school will be a better place for it. It's fun, challenging, and exciting. You will get whatever support you need to make it a fun project for all - yourself included.

So take a few moments now, respond with an email (imarylinda@aol.com) or a phone call. Help make Odyssey an incredible place for our kids by bringing a bit of you to them.

Thank you so much,
MaryLinda Moss

Happy Holidays to the (extended) OCS community

Bear with us -- it's a crazy month with too much to do. But we want to send out all our best wishes to the whole community for a wonderful holiday. Check back in January for more news and pics.

Homemade for the Holidays

Just a plug to our students (and parents) to consider homemade holiday gifts this year. Here is a great one from the Food in Jars website for an easy and delicious apple/cranberry jam. It makes a ruby red jar of jam which looks even more festive with a green bow wrapped around it.

Other easy gifts to put together are homemade brownie mixes, waffle recipes, chutneys, batches of mexican pickled veggies (see an earlier post here to find that one) and jars of assorted dried beans that are turned into nourishing pots of soup to help restore balanced eating after the holiday feasting.

Apple-Cranberry Jam

8 cups of peeled and diced apple (approximately 5-6 large apples, 1/2 inch dice. Use a softer apple like a Golden Delicious. Firm apples won’t cook down as well.)
4 cups of whole cranberries
6 cups sugar
1 cup water
2 lemons, zested and juiced

Combine the apples, cranberries, sugar and water in a large pot (use a big one, this jam will bubble) over high heat. Bring to a boil, skimming off the foam that develops on the top of the fruit. Cook for 10-15 minutes, until the cranberries pop and the apples soften.

Add the lemon zest and juice and simmer until the liquid in the pot begins to thicken (because both apples and cranberries are naturally high in pectin, you won’t need any additional pectin to help this jam set, as long as you cook it until thick and syrup-y).

Ladle into prepared jars, wipe rims, apply lids and process in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes. Label nicely and distribute to those you love.

Makes 4 1/2 – 5 pints.

***I made this jam without the addition of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves or allspice. However, I do believe that the addition of one or two of those spices would be quite nice.

Free Art Classes

Here's some news contributed from parent Erin Gamble:

The Pasadena library system has been offering free Art Classes on Saturdays.

The classes run from 10:30-noon at the San Rafael Branch and from 1:30 to 2:30 at the Hill Branch.The classes are taught by students from Pasadena's Art Center and all materials are provided.

My kids have been going to the San Rafael one. It's good for kids from very little up to 5th or 6th grade (and older, if they're motivated. :) There are usually 2 or 3 teachers there, and they seem to do a very good job. So far they've stuck to the more basic paper-based crafts, but my kids enjoy it a lot -- so I thought other parents who are concerned about not losing art in school might want to know.

Helping Hand Food Pantry at OCS

As 2009 draws to a close, it's clear that many Californians had a brutal year. Unemployment is at a record high and the costs of living here -- mortgage, rent, car payments, clothing and food -- remain steep. Many families are tightening their belts to make ends meet and a little help now and then is deeply appreciated.

In that spirit, Brenda Davidge, Jude's Mom, would like to to create a small food pantry for OCS families during these tough economic times. She knows the need exists. For years Brenda has volunteered in food pantries around Los Angeles and this year has seen an increase in the numbers of families without sufficient means to feed themselves three meals a day.

Our school is likely no exception. Typically OCS has about 30% of its students elegible for free and reduced cost lunches, a proxy for low income families. This year, that means about 90+ students. This is just a proxy. The school does not collect or keep data on household income. Still, it is safe to assume that occasional food insecurity may be a fact of life for some of our families.

In order to better gauge what our community needs, Brenda recently sent out a survey (included in this week's Thursday packet) which asks a few simple questions. Please take a moment to fill that out and bring it back to the front office. You can also access the survey via the Survey Monkey Website at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=gq17TK2cGvjfeF9HkEOqvA_3d_3d Please feel free to also include your comments and suggestions.

For more information about hunger in America, please take a look at an article published this week by Reuters: http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE5AF42220091116

Thanks.

Food Forum

WHEN: Thursday Nov 19 ( 7 PM - 9 PM)
doors open at 6:30 pm

WHERE:Venice Center for Peace 2210 Lincoln Blvd, corner of Victoria Ave, one block N of Venice Blvd., Venice CA 90291- Free street and lot parking

COST $5.00 suggested donation to help defray cost of event. No one turned away for lack of funds

Venice Food Forum: Eat, Drink & be Wary! Who's growing our food? What's in it? Why it isn't safe!

Speakers: Jules Dervaes, Katherine Green, Nicole Johnson

Jules Dervaes is the founder of Path to Freedom, a family-operated, viable urban homestead project established in 2001 to promote a simpler and more fulfilling lifestyle and to sow a "homegrown revolution" against the corporate powers that control the food supply. Since the mid-1980s, Mr. Dervaes and his three adult children have worked at transforming their city lot in Pasadena into a thriving organic garden that supplies them with food all year round. Through the family's outreach efforts at PathtoFreedom.com and via their popular, award-winning documentary short, Homegrown Revolution, millions of people worldwide have been educated and inspired to pursue a more sustainable way of life.

Katherine Green is a television writer and producer. Most recently she's been involved with researching the state of the food industry in this country. She has edited together a short DVD which will help break down in a provocative and entertaining way what we're up against in the supermarket--nutritionism, gmo crops, labeling laws, silenced scientists-- and how Monsanto fits into the picture.

Nicole Johnson is a researcher, writer and activist living in Ventura County, CA. Her recent work has focused on the sustainable production of wholesome food, agribusiness and the globalized food supply chain, the impact of the industrial food supply on health, and safe drinking water issues. She has published critical articles on the new food safety legislation. As a mother she has the most compelling reasons of all for working to ensure our food and water supply is clean, safe, and toxin-free.

Q & A will follow after the presentations.

Storytelling with Shadows - Puppetry Workshop

GET INSPIRED!!PUPPETRY WORKSHOP AT THE INTERNATIONAL PUPPETRY MUSEUM in PASADENA

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21stpresented by the Los Angeles Guild of Puppetry"SHADOW TALES---puppetry storytelling using shadows"taught by Leslie K. Gray

Kami Shibai, the Japanese art of storytelling using picture cards, can be adapted to shadow puppetry form and then it takes on a life of its own! Come create your own story pieces to take home in this hands-onworkshop that will help open up the world of shadows and unlock those stories within you. Geared for adults and children old enough to cut with exacto knives!

Time: 2pm-5pmCost: $10 for LAGOP members, $15 for guestsPlease bring an exacto knife/cutting tool and cutting surfacePlace: International Puppetry Museum, 1062 N. Fair Oaks Ave.,Pasadena, CA 91103To make reservations, contact Christine Papalexis at 323/665-8062 oremail at lagopemail@aol. com

Art on your block

Block Party is a one-night tour of contemporary art exhibitions in non-traditional spaces, including apartments, studios, and storefronts. Organized by Daniel Ingroff and Paul Pescador, the event will occur November 21, 2009 from 6-10 pm and will feature exhibitions in Highland Park, Lincoln Heights, and Mt. Washington. Block Party is bicycle friendly, and accessible via Metro Gold Line.

FOR INFO/MAP: http://blockpartyar t.blogspot. com

Exhibitions:a. Curated by Kate HillsethYoung ArtAsher Mixtape Hell 2Asher Penn1727 N. Spring StreetLos Angeles, CA 90012(Goldline Stop: Chinatown)

b. Curated by Daniel Ingroff & Paul PescadorworkspaceDOMESTIC PARTNERFeaturing work by: Lisa Anne Auerbach, Akina Cox, Joshua Nathanson, Mercedes Teixido and Jenny Yurshansky2601 Pasadena AveLos Angeles, CA 90031(Gold Line stop: Heritage Square/Lincoln Heights)

c. Curated by Evan Walsh & Ian JamesI Was A Teenage Pieman, or… Attack of the Flying PiesFeaturing work by: Megan Cotts, Travis Diehl, Liz Glynn, Peter Holzhauer, George Jensen, Steve Kado, Meghann McCory, Jared David Paul, Gala Porras-Kim, Matt Siegle, Aaron Wrinkle, Miggie Wong and more TBA2939 Johnston St. (Blue House)Los Angeles, CA 90031(Gold Line stop: Heritage Square/Lincoln Heights)

d. Curated by Light and Wire GalleryAndy Parker4026 N. Figueroa St.Los Angeles, CA 90065(Gold Line stop: Heritage Square/Lincoln Heights)

e. Curated by Lizz Wasserman & Isaac ResnikoffAN OBJECT TOSSED FROM ONE COUNTRY TO ANOTHERFeaturing work by: Anthony Campuzano, John Finneran, Anton Lieberman, Shana Lutker and Lawrence Weiner5106 1/4 & 5106 1/2 Echo St.Los Angeles, CA 90042(Gold Line stop: Highland Park)

Dirty Kids

Some quick photos of the 1st/2nd grade "cooking kids" hard at work. So far we've planted chard, beans, artichokes, collards, kale, thyme, basil, parsley, oregano, sage, spring lettuces, bok choy, lemongrass, dandelion, lemon verbena and mexican tarragon. There are also bean, radicchio and herb seeds which were planted. Fingers crossed it all comes up!

The Eating Season

Some interesting thoughts from the Center for Non-Violent Education and Parenting. This was forwarded to the Beanstalk from the desk of parent, Karen Merchant (thank you Karen!).

"There’s a ton of wonderful research about how the brain responds to various kinds of food, and to various eating habits. Some of the information in this article is derived from a wonderful book called The End of Overeating - Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite by David Kessler, M.D.

Babies have a pretty good intrinsic sense of when they need to eat, and what they want. Breast milk has all the nutrition babies need, and for most babies, it’s available on tap. After they begin to eat solid food, however, it doesn’t take long before questions about nutrition arise. Is my child getting enough food? Too much food? The right kind of food?

One important thing to know about infants and preschoolers is that they adjust their caloric intake over the course of a day or many days. This is called “compensation” and it’s a normal and healthy way for your child to regulate their intake. It can cause parents a lot of anxiety when our kids don’t eat something we’ve put in front of them. But try to pay attention to what your child is eating over the course of a few days at a time to assess their overall nutrition. Dr. Kessler suggests that we should all eat like two year olds: small portions of healthy food many times throughout the day, eating when we are hungry, abstaining when we aren’t.

Sometimes food is used as a reward for behavior. Like any kind of reward, this is a way of manipulating children. Using food, however, can have other detrimental consequences. When children associate food with behavior, and when love seems closely linked with eating, such dire outcomes as obesity and eating disorders are quite possible.

Not only do we sometimes use food as a reward, we also give rewards and praise for eating. Have you ever heard the phrase “you’re such a good eater?” This kind of message can reinforce some damaging eating habits.

Many activists are working hard to improve the way that children learn about nutrition and get access to healthy food. There are a lot of very good programs looking to address nutrition in schools like Rethinking School Lunch and The Center for Food and Justice at Occidental College.

It’s our responsibility to provide nutrition. AND it’s true that our children have a natural sense of their bodies and their hunger. So fill your homes with nutritious food. Offer your children small portions of a variety of healthy foods, and model healthy eating yourself. Look at those huge piles of candy, and have a moment of self-empathy. We’re in the season of eating, and it’s just beginning.

Dia de Los Muertos -- Manana en OCS!

Start the weekend with a wonderful "Dia de Los Muertos" celebration at OCS tomorrow.

Games and crafts start at 4PM and a traditional altar will be made at 5PM. Dinner/Potluck at 6PM. If you have any questions, call Elena de la Cruz at 323-661-5047. See you there!
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Acompáñenos a celebrar el
Día de los Muertos
En Odyssey Charter School!

El viernes, 30 de octubre desde las 4 de la tarde

4:00pm—Haremos papel picado, calaveras de azúcar, flores de papel, y pintura de la cara
5:00—Construiremos un altar tradicional
6:00—Comida estilo ‘pot-luck’

Patrocinados por un grupo de padres de familia Latinos en Odyssey. Para mas informes, comuníquese con Elena de la Cruz at (323) 661-5047

Community News - Arroyo Food Coop

Arroyo Food Co-op Memberships Now Available

A committee has been researching what it will take to establish a cooperative grocery store in the greater Altadena/Pasadena area. It now needs community help to bring the store from plan to reality! If you're interested in having a local, community member-owned grocery store in our area, please see the Arroyo Food Co-op website -http://www.arroyofoodcoop.com. There you can view the business plan, read the FAQs, and most importantly, you can find out how to become one of the founding member-owners of Arroyo Food Co-op!

Wish us luck

Well, we are ready. I think. Twenty-two eager first and second graders will be meeting on Monday for their first "cooking kids" class. We'll start in the garden, planting seedlings and seeds, watering, talking and hopefully singing to our plants to make them happy and help them 'keep on keeping on'. Feel free to come by and wish us luck. You'll find us in the courtyard where the dirt will hopefully find its way into pots instead of on shoes, down shirts, in pants, and smeared on smiling faces. Oh well. It's a growing adventure. Literally!

Promise to post pictures soon.

Arts Meeting Schedule Updated

The following are the scheduled meetings for The Arts Committee this year. We may add more as needed

Friday, November 13th 8:30am
Wednesday, January 27th, 8:30am
Wednesday, March 24th, 8:30am
Wednesday, May 26th, 8:30am

Thanks so much for all that you all do!

Paula Solano, Arts Committee

Urban Homesteading Short Film Announcement

OCEANSIDE FILM FESTIVAL
Previews "Homegrown Revolution"

Homegrown Revolution & the Dervaes Family
please note two screening times!
WHEN: Saturday October 17
@ 5:30 PM & 7:00 PM (20 min Q & A session afterwards)
WHERE:Sunshine Brooks Theatre217 North Coast Highway Oceanside, CA 92054
COST: Ticket information

FILM INFORMATION
Homegrown Revolution is a short introduction to a homegrown project that has been called a new revolution in urban sustainability. In the midst of a densely urban setting in downtown Pasadena, radical change is taking root. For over twenty years, the Dervaes family have transformed their home into an urban homestead and model for sustainable agriculture and city living. Calling this project "Path to Freedom," the Dervaes family shows that change is possible -- one step at a time. They harvest 3 tons of organic food annually from their 1/10 acre garden while incorporating many back-to-basics practices, solar energy and biodiesel in order to reduce their footprint on the earth's resources.

7th/8th Grade Art Opening

OCS' 7th and 8th graders will be part of an art exhibit in support of the International Day of Climate Change. All parents and the OCS community members are invited to the opening show on Saturday, October 24 at 3:50 pm at Zinnia @ 1024 Mission Street, South Pasadena. (follow links from www.350.org>People>Artists... then scroll down and click on Zinnia for more information).

Come and see wonderful art, enjoy lively conversation and support our budding artists!

Feeding Cities of the Future

Interested in Assisting a visiting artist October 15th?

Is there anyone interested in assisting a visiting artist on a painting project tomorrow for the 8th grade class?

You would go to bungalo H at 1 (having gotten the spigot key from the office first) and help Linda Luminatti fill up water containers, lay out brushes and get ready for the kids at 1:15. You would then help with the project and help clean up by 2:30.

Thanks for your consideration,

MaryLinda

Arts at Odyssey

Project 350

Last week, Artist and Visual Arts Educator Linda Illumanardi, a resident of Altadena, volunteered her time to support the environmental group "350" at OCS. Illuminardi has provided the 7th/8th OCS students the opportunity to contribute individual painted panels to an art installation grid.

The environmental group is called 350 because its goal is to achieve 350 parts per million as a safe limit of the level of CO2 in the atmosphere. 350 has attracted authors, artists, dancers and many others to think creatively about solving the world's changing climate by instituting an International Day of Climate Change - Saturday, Oct 24.

After Illuminardi spent the morning at OCS with Mr. Lee in the computer lab explaining 350's global mission (see www.350.org), she gave 7th and 8th grade students paints, brushes and the wooden panels to paint. This week, Illumanardi and students will finish the project at OCS, then the 53 panels will be transported to Zinnia, an art store and gallery space at 1024 Mission Street, South Pasadena.

Parents and the OCS community are ALL invited to the opening on Saturday, October 24 at 3:50 pm (follow links from www.350.org>People>Artists... then scroll down and click on Zinnia for more information) at Zinnia. A total of 350 finished panels (painted by other artists as well as OCS students) will be hung in a grid on display at Zinnia. Joining other artists and activists in the community and around the world, students' work will be photographed and placed in an international display of these photos in Times Square in NYC.

Ms. Illumanardi wishes to extend her thanks to the administration, students, faculty, and especially to parents, for the extra work, time, and effort provided in assisting her with this project.

Cooking Kids - Grades 1/2

Cooking Kids is running a month long cooking/gardening class for Grades 1/2. Each class will be on Mondays from 1:30PM-3:30PM and will be structured as a series of 4 afterschool lessons. Children will cook three different types of cuisines -- Latin, Asian and African/American and will add to the container herb garden in the patio area behind the community hall. The cuisines are reflective of our school community and the herb garden will link directly to those cuisines and (hopefully) strengthen student’s understanding of the link between garden and kitchen, nature and nutrition.

Space is limited and there is a fee. For children K-3 the program will be $60 per child. Sign up sheets will be available in the front office as well as downloadable online in the parent tab of the OCS website. There must be at least 10 children signed up to run a session and it will definitely be lots of fun.

Delicious and Healthy

This sandwich recipe appears in today's LA Times and I'm reposting it here because it not only looks delicious but can be easily deconstructed into separate salads and dips. It is ostensibly vegan focused, but I'm all for an ecumenical approach when the result is good eating.

Edamame Sandwich

Edamame hummus

10 cups loosely packed, cleaned and trimmed spinach leaves
2 cups shelled edamame beans
2 cups shelled garbanzo beans
3 tablespoons chopped garlic
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tablespoons tahini paste
1 tablespoon ground ginger
3 teaspoons kosher salt
1 cup olive oil

Blanch the spinach in a large pot of boiling water to bring out the vibrant color and wilt just slightly, about 1 minute. Drain and shock the spinach in a bowl of ice water. Drain the spinach again, pressing out all excess water. You should have one-half cup

Place the edamame and garbanzo beans in the bowl of a food processor, along with the spinach, garlic, lemon juice, tahini paste, ground ginger and salt. Pulse until the contents are the consistency of a coarse paste. With the processor running, drizzle in the olive oil until the mixture is smooth. Place the hummus in a nonreactive bowl, cover tightly and refrigerate until needed. This recipe makes 4 cups hummus, more than needed for the sandwiches, and can be used as a spread on crackers or bread. It will keep for 4 days refrigerated.

White miso dressing

3 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon white miso
3 tablespoons agave nectar
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/4 cup plus 1 1/2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil

In a small bowl, whisk together the miso, agave nectar, brown sugar and vinegar. Slowly whisk in the vegetable and sesame oils until emulsified. This makes 1 scant cup dressing that will keep for 3 days refrigerated.

Sandwich Assembly

Take 4 ciabatta or rustique rolls, halved
1 1/3 cups hummus
1 cup peeled and grated carrots
1 large cucumber, sliced
8 slices ripe plum tomato, sliced (from 1 large or two medium)
6 cups mixed baby field greens (about 4 ounces)
1/4 cup white miso dressing

Spread hummus on four sandwiches. Top with equal parts of shredded carrots, cucumber slices and sliced tomatoes. Mix the field greens with the miso dressing and divide evenly among sandwiches.

Arts and Gems

A few more community happenings to add to your calendar...

Desert Crystal Hunt Oct 10-11Searles Gem and Mineral Society in Trona California sponsors a Gemorama. Families caravan to the distant desert site, spend the night ($5 camping fee or hotels available in nearby Ridgecrest) and register for field trips to go dig in the mud for salt crystals as big as pillows! Temperatures are anticipated to be between 70-90 degrees. Website has complete information.
http://www1.iwvisp.com/tronagemclub/


Self Help Graphics near Soto and Cesar Chavez in Los Angeles is offering free community arts activities in support of the Dia de los Muertos celebration, every Saturday of October from 1-3 pm.
http://www.selfhelpgraphics.com/

Arts Committee Meeting

The Arts committee will hold a second meeting Friday, October 16th at 8:30AM. If you would like to be involved in Arts at OCS, please stop by. If you can't make that time, please contact Paula Solano at pwsolano@sbcglobal.net to get more information.

Upcoming Food and Garden Meeting

There has been a great response from new parents about participating in the OCS food and garden committee. Our first meeting is set for October 8th (8:30AM) and we will talk about what members would like to make happen this year. We'll meet right after school starts. Look for us in the community hall.

Arts and Music About Town

Check out these links to some free or low cost arts and music happenings around LA. Have a great time with the kids.

FREE OUTDOOR JAZZ TRIBUTE TO MCCOY TYNER BY THE LUCKMAN JAZZ ORCHESTRA! 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles, 90032 323-343-6600 - FREE - FREE OUTDOOR CONCERT! Opening the incredible and transformative 2009/2010 Luckman Fine Art Complex season, the Luckman Jazz Orchestra pays tribute to jazz master Mccoy Tyner in a a free outdoor concert.

ALTERNATIVE ART MARKET 88 North Fair Oaks, Pasadena 91103 626-844-8886 - FREE - Supporting Big Ideas Locally, The Alternative Art Market is a celebration of unique treasures designed and created locally. Art • Fashion • Music Sat & Sun Sept 26 thru 27 11 am until 7 pm

WORLD CITY – THE MYSTICAL ARTS OF TIBET - FREE FAMILY EVENT AT THE MUSIC CENTER 111 South Grand Ave. Los Angeles 90012 213-972-4396 - FREE - World City - The Mystical Arts of Tibet (Music & Dance, Tibet) Saturday, October 3, 200911:00 AM & 12:30 PM

11TH ANNUAL EAGLE ROCK MUSIC FESTIVAL 2225 Colorado Blvd. Los Angeles, 90041 (between Argus and Eagle Rock Blvd. ) - FREE - 11th Annual Eagle Rock Music FestivalSaturday October 3, 2009 4:00-11:00pm Colorado Blvd. between Argus and Eagle Rock Blvd. COME HEAR ODYSSEY CHARTER SCHOOL'S OWN "THE TRACS"

STORYTIME 4700 Western Heritage Way Los Angeles CA 323-667-2000 - Free with museum admission - Two stories about Native peoples of the Southwest highlight their rich culture in a hands-on presentation by museum docents.

JAPAN AMERICA KITE FESTIVAL Seal Beach Pier, Seal Beach CA (213) 627-6217, ext. 202 - Free - The 13th Annual Japan America Kite Festival® will take place from 11:00 a.m.. to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2009, at Seal Beach Pier in the city of Seal Beach, Calif. More than 1,000 kites.

TAKE A CHANCE POETRY SLAM 1890 Huntington Drive, San Marino, CA 91108 626-300-0777 - free - Middle School and High School students from the greater San Gabriel Valley will have an exciting opportunity to deliver dynamic poetry performances at the Crowell Public Library.

HTHF DIWALI CULTURAL PROGRAM 2009 226 S. Ivy Ave., Monrovia, 91016 626-445-7636 - $10, Kids 5 and under FREE - What: HTHF Diwali Cultural Program 2009
When: Saturday, October 10 from 7.00 PM to 10.00 PM
Where: Clifton Middle School Auditorium, 226 S. Ivy Ave, Monrovia, CA 91016 (cross Foothill Blvd.)

SAINT FRANCIS OF ASSISI FIESTA 1550 Maltman Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90026 - free admission/fee for rides, etc. - Saint Francis of Assisi Parish and school's annual fiesta. Everyone welcome. Open to the public. Free admission. Purchase tickets for rides, games, and good eats.

MAFA'S 46TH ANNUAL ARTS FESTIVAL “CELEBRATE THE ARTS" 321 South Myrtle Avenue, Monrovia, 91016 (626) 802-7873 - FREE - MAFA's Annual Arts Festival “Celebrate the Arts" (Monrovia Library Park, 321 S. Myrtle Ave) Monrovia Association of Fine Arts presents its 46th annual Festival “Celebrate the Arts.

LA PHIL PRESENTS TOYOTA SYMPHONIES FOR YOUTH – TWO FOUR-CONCERT SATURDAY SERIES, 11AM AT WALT DISNEY CONCERT Walt Disney Concert Hall 111 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles, CA, 90012 - $20 - Season premiere concerts: October 17 & 24: A Musical Carnival: featuring Carnival of the Animals The family-friendly and ever-popular Toyota Symphonies for Youth, featuring the Los Angeles Philharmonic

TEEN MURDER MYSTERY DINNER 1890 Huntington Dr, San Marino 91108 (626) 300-0777 - FREE - registration required - Crowell Public Library Invites Teens To A Murder Mystery Dinner. Barth Community Room Friday October 23, 4:00 pm

WEST OF BROADWAY’S INTERACTIVE PLAY “12 ANGRY JURORS” 6128 Yucca Street in Hollywood, CA 90028 - $15 - 12 ANGRY JURORS Part of the You the Jury ™ series West of Broadway presents 12 ANGRY JURORS, adapted from the classic novel, 12 ANGRY MEN, by Reginald Rose.

WESTERN WEEKEND WORKSHOPS: NATIVE AMERICAN BASKETRY 4700 Western Heritage Way 323-667-2000 - Autry members: $60 / Nonmembers: $75.* - The Autry's Western Weekend Workshops are a fun and creative way for children ages 8-12 to learn about Native American and Western art and crafts and to create their own crafts pieces

LA PHIL PRESENTS TOYOTA SYMPHONIES FOR YOUTH – TWO FOUR-CONCERT SATURDAY SERIES, 11AM AT WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL Walt Disney Concert Hall 111 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles, CA, 90012 - $20 - Season premiere concerts: October 17 & 24: A Musical Carnival: featuring Carnival of the Animals The family-friendly and ever-popular Toyota Symphonies for Youth.

HUBBLE’S CANVAS 332 South Michigan Ave, Pasadena, CA 91125 (626) 395-4652 - $5.00 (unreserved seating) - Hubble’s Canvas, Beckman Auditorium, free parking located at 332 South Michigan Avenue, Pasadena (south of Del Mar Boulevard). 2 p.m.

PUMPKIN FESTIVAL 1418 Descanso Drive, La Canada 91011 818-949-4200 - Free with Gardens' admission - With a lush landscape where pumpkins peek around nearly every corner, Descanso’s Pumpkin Roundup features costumes parades (10 and 11 a.m.) followed by sing-alonngs and puppet shows.

DAY OF THE DEAD FESTIVAL 4605 North Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, 90065 23-221-2164, ext. 221 - Free with museum admission - Casa de Adobe Saturday & Sunday, October 31 & November 1, Noon–5:00 p.m. Celebrate local artists and their Day of the Dead and Halloween art. For more information, call 323-221-2164, ext. 221

STORY TIME 4700 Western Heritage Way 323-667-2000 - Free with museum admission - Sunday, November 1, 1:30–2:30 p.m. Two stories about Native peoples of the Southwest highlight their rich culture in a hands-on presentation by museum docents. Dragonfly’s Tale by Kristina Rodanas.

LET’S MAKE HISTORY! 4700 Western Heritage Way Los Angeles CA 323-667-2000 - Free with museum admission - Each Sunday afternoon, the Autry offers a new crafts project for kids of all ages. Free with admission.

Urban Meadows

Check out this slideshow of beautiful water-wise L.A. city gardens that mix in plants with herbs like oregano, california bay, and vervein. Lovely. http://www.latimes.com/la-hm-knibb-garden-pg,0,3193762.photogallery?index=1

Late Summer All-Purpose Pesto

Pesto is the ultimate simple sauce. Toward the end of summer, basil plants in L.A. get a boost from a spell of hot weather forcing a profusion of leaves to push out and grab their share of sunshine. Every few days I pluck off any flowers I see growing on the plants. I don't want flowers -- I want the tasty leaves. Careful plucking encourages more leaf growth and makes you smell like a sexy Italian mamma to boot.

I fill up a food processor worth of washed basil leaves, throw in a clove (or two) of garlic, a handful of toasted unsalted pine nuts, salt and pepper.

Then a good 1/4 cup of olive oil and I start pulsing the machine. After a minute or so your pesto looks like this.
Time to scrape down the sides of the bowl, add another 1/4 cup of olive oil and pulse the pesto until the color of the basil mixture lightens ever so slightly.
That's it. You want a nicely chopped (but not pureed or soupy) mixture which is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon but is still a sauce, not thick like a dip. Scrape the pesto out of the food processor, put it in a bowl and top with an additional drizzle of olive oil over the top. This keeps the pesto from oxidizing and it stays nice and green.
Now what do you do with this bit of green 'gold'. Well, of course it can top pasta along with a handful of grated parmesan. Try it drizzled on top of a warm grilled steak, as a spread in a roast pork and fontina panini, mixed with a bit of yogurt and mayo for a wonderful take on potato salad or as a dip for cold poached chicken, or enjoy it spooned on top of late summer tomatoes for the perfect wistful reminder of a passing season.

Supercrafty to the Rescue

Are there any supercrafty parents out there to help students make some easy and funky aprons for our Kids Cooking program? It would be great if we could do it for the little people (K-3) since a regular apron is just humongous.

People with scissors, fabric and ideas are invited to chime in!

Upcoming Arts Committee Meeting

Hello Everyone!

We are thrilled to have so much interest in the arts at OCS! We'd love to tell you about what we're up to and give you the opportunity to tell us how you'd like to participate-it can be one time or for one event or you can join a sub-committee for some of our on-going projects or you can tell us about a new idea you might have for ways to support and/or enrich the arts for our kids/community.

Our next meeting is: This coming Wednesday, Sep't 23rd after drop-off at OCS in the community hall-around 8:30am. If you can't make that meeting but want information, please email me with any specific questions/interests...and we'll send out minutes from the meeting as well. You don't have to come to a lot of meetings to participate-let's just figure out what you'd like to do and we'll set it up.

We so look forward to seeing those of you who can make it.

Paula Solano (Arts Committee Coordinator)

Cooking Kids

For interested 'top chefs' out there, a new afterschool cooking and gardening program will be offered at OCS beginning in October. Sessions will take place in one month blocks and are comprised of a series of 4 afterschool lessons (3 cooking/1 gardening) to different groups of students. The first session for the month of October will be open to 7th/8th graders. They will cook three different types of cuisines -- Latin, Asian and African/American and will start building a container herb garden in the patio area behind the community hall. The cuisines are reflective of our school community and the herb garden will link directly to those cuisines and (hopefully) strengthen student’s understanding of the link between garden and kitchen, nature and nutrition.

In November, the program will be offered to 1st/2nd graders and then 3rd/4th graders will try it out in February. Come March our 5th/6th graders will be hard at work and our kindergarten students will be planting, chopping and cooking in May.

Space is limited and there is a fee. For children K-3 the program will be $60 per child and for children in 4th - 8th grade, the cost will be $75. Sign up sheets will be available in the front office as well as downloadable online in the parent tab of the OCS website.

It should be a tasty, interesting and fun program.

Fast and Simple Garden Supper

Here is an easy weeknight step-by-step. First I picked a ripe yellow squash from the garden.

The I sliced it and sauteed it in a bit of olive oil.
Then I plucked an handful of costuluto tomatoes from the vine.
And I chopped them up along with a a bit of garlic and chili
Heat up a saute pan with a nice glug of olive oil...
A splash of white wine,
The chopped tomatoes and a fragrant handful of basil off the deck...
and dinner is served!
Buon Appetito.

Packing a More Healthful School Lunch Box

Most of the children at OCS bring their lunches to school. Which means, most parents at OCS face the daily dilemma of what to pack in their child's lunch sack. Children, like adults, get bored with eating the same thing over and over again and sleepy moms and dads have a hard time getting their creative juices going early in the morning. Tara Parker-Pope, a columnist with The New York Times and a mom of young children turned to nutritionist Martha Rose Shulman for some lunch box advice. Here is her report:

"At my house, the biggest challenge of back-to-school time isn’t getting up early or tackling homework. It is the snack bag. I want to pack healthful snacks, but my daughter gets tired of eating fruit and yogurt every day. I recently asked Martha Rose Shulman her suggestions for packing a tasty and more healthful lunchbox. Here are her suggestions:

Savory Cheese muffins: These have the appeal of both a muffin and a grilled cheese sandwich.

Mixed grain and blueberry muffins: Children want something sweet in their lunchboxes, and these muffins give them fruit and grains in one tasty treat.

Chicken and vegetable wrap: Much of the pleasure of eating this wrap comes from the crunchy textures of the lettuce and the shredded vegetables.

Hummus wrap: Hummus might not sound like a child-friendly food, but you may be surprised how quickly they will gobble it up.

Nut butter and jelly packet: A simple way to make a fun version of the classic sandwich.

For more ideas, be sure to check out Martha’s NYT column “Recipes for Health; Kids Edition" where she offers twelve recipes for child-friendly foods."

Update on Making Cheese

Dear OCS families,

I wanted to share a comment on the cheesemaking post below. Johanna Brandvik shared her source for raw milk. It's from Steve Plog's "Our Little Market" in Pasadena. Mr. Plog sells raw milk, butter and cheese, as well as bison, eggs honey and veggies each Wednesday from 11AM to 1PM at the intersection of Hill/Elizabeth in Pasadena. You must order raw products ahead of time at the following site: www.ourlittlemarket.org

Check out the whole comment from Johanna by going to the original post below and clicking on the comment button.

Important Contacts for Arts, Food and Garden

Dear Odyssey Families,

Welcome. We are so excited to start our new year. The Beanstalk is expanding its focus to include all our wonderful arts activities, connecting our community through art, music, food and our 'green school' efforts. In the past parents have been generous in donating their expertise to help enrich school life and we expect this year will be no different. As always, your first contact at the school is:

OCS Director Lauren O'Neill at LaurenO@ocsmail.org

Community Outreach Coordinator Carlos Garcia at CarlosG@ocsmail.org

Parents whom you can also reach out to with your ideas, questions and concerns are:

Parent Food Committee Coordinator Susan Ruffins at susan.ruffins@gmail.com

Parent Arts Committee Coordinator Paula Solano at pwsolano@sbcglobal.net

Parent Garden Coordinator Ilse Ackerman at ilse@meenophoto.com

Parent Grant Helper Jayme Filippini at jaymefilippini@sbcglobal.net

Parent Arts Helper Karen Merchant at elpho@sbcglobal.net

Parent Arts Helper Elizabeth Rainey at erainey@sbcglobal.net

Parent Arts Helper Mary Linda Moss at imarylinda@aol.com

OPPG President Cari Dawson at carid@mac.com

Odyssey Parent Representative Jexy Wadle at jexywadle@gmail.com

Odyssey Parent Representative Rhonda Graham at kimikog@msn.com

Beanstalk webmistress Elizabeth Burrill at liz@momohead.com

Please let us know how you would like to be involved. Our past activities range from creating an "arts in the classroom" template for arts instruction to nutrition programs with portable cooking carts to planting a citrus garden and vegetable beds, establishing composting bins, creating our website and supporting the children's arts efforts in the Charity Marketplace annual fundraiser. There is much more we can do but as always, we need helping hands! Come join us.

Something to do while you are sitting at home watching the ashes fall

OK, everyone will agree it's no fun out there right now. Plus, kids are getting bored being inside and anxious about when school will (if) start.

So, what to do? Well I always find that making cheese clears the head and concentrates the mind. Check out this wonderful new book, The Home Creamery. It's pretty awesome and is simple and clear. There are no photos but that isn't a big deal. I got the tip on this book from a great craft website called Angry Chicken www.angrychicken.typepad.com. There are recipes for creme fraiche (which is dead easy), yogurt (also easy), sour cream, butter, buttermilk, yogurt cheese, and paneer, all foolproof and in one handy tome. Also, the trouble-shooting guide is helpful, detailed, and offers alternate methods. Try making your own mozzarella and ricotta. It's not hard, but you do have to start with great milk. I like Strauss Family milk available at Whole Foods, which comes in totally cool, reusable glass containers. They even sell raw milk in small quantities. Can anyone out there recommend great pasteurized or raw milk purveyors?

Great quote from Brillat-Savarin about cheese. "Cheese is milk's leap toward immortality" Make some today!

The beanstalk is growing!

Since we launched the beanstalk in early 2009 our focus has been to chronicle the food and garden activities at OCS and give students and parents information about interesting progressive food/garden efforts around the globe. We've posted some pretty tasty recipes too as well as lots of great pics of our students and community. Now we are expanding our blog to include all the arts at Odyssey and hope to turn our blog into an interactive meeting place and central hub of arts ideas, information and fun activities.

With our broader focus, we welcome members of our school community (teachers, students, and parents) to participate and share their artistic talents with the group. Send a note, post a photo, share a thought or alert us to upcoming events. Our goal is to create a blog that really connects with our community in the garden, the art room, the classroom, or in the kitchen.

The change should happen the first week of September, so stay tuned.

Farmers Markets We Love

Some pics of two great farmers markets; the local pasadena farmers market with its wonderful community vibe and the world class San Francisco farmers market in the restored Ferry Plaza building. Visiting your local market can be a great family tradition at the start of each weekend. Plus you'll bring home plenty of goodies to keep everyone happily munching through the week.

LA Times "A New Crop of School Gardens

Check out this recent article from the LA Times regarding the a groundswell of interest among parents and communities to create school gardens as creative ways to enrich school life. Too bad the state of California continues to cut funding for nutrition, ecology, garden and innovative lunch programs in schools.

The article can be found at www.latimes.com/features/food/

Totally weird news but in a wonderful sort of way

This tidbit appeared in the Guardian UK this week and it's odd, timely and not a bit silly. Enjoy.


"US Woman Bakes her Way out of Mortgage Crisis"

A New Jersey woman has cooked up a sweet solution to a bitter financial jam: a bake sale.
Angela Logan has sold enough frosted "mortgage apple cakes" to meet a $2,600 (£1,600) loan payment on her house and avoid foreclosure.

Following a slew of television appearances and news stories on her plight, the divorced mother of three is overwhelmed with orders from as far away as Hong Kong and a US military base in Iraq, she has told media.

An actress and comedian, Logan ran into financial trouble after a building contractor cheated her and her agent went out of business without paying her thousands she was owed. Facing bank foreclosure on her house, she initially offered the $40 cakes to friends, family and neighbours. By yesterday she had received more than 500 orders and has said she will keep baking until the orders cease.

The icing on the cake: A local hotel offered to allow Logan the use of its kitchen after health officials warned her cannot use her home for commercial food preparation. She has a website, maccakes.com, and a slogan: "Fighting foreclosure one cake at a time."

Logan, whose acting credits include "wife" in the 1992 Eddie Murphy vehicle Boomerang and a part on the Law and Order: Special Victims Unit detective programme, may have a new career.
"I'm going to cross that bridge when I come to it," she told The Record newspaper of northern New Jersey. "Right now I'm just trying to pay this mortgage."

Lend a Helping Hand

The success of OCS’s end-of-year Charity Marketplace highlights a truth: one person, no matter how small, can make a difference in the world. This year’s marketplace raised over $4,750 to help local charities including the Pasadena Humane Society, Danny’s Farm, Habitat for Humanity, and Union Station. Our childrens’ efforts brought us an exceptionally enthusiastic and fun-filled day and, by any measure, brought pride to the community we all live in.

But our helping hands, and those of our children, can extend far beyond the school’s borders. Consider this: In the developing world, investing in agriculture is twice as effective in reducing poverty as other forms of investment. Right now 963 million people worldwide face hunger every day, and many of those hungry live in countries where agriculture is the predominant employer. It is also far more likely for poor children to be underfed than adults since their caloric needs for healthy growth are often underestimated.

At the recent G8 meeting in Italy, the U.S. has affirmed its commitment to increase agricultural investment, especially in Africa, as an anti-poverty measure. This is great news for poor farmers and their families, who too often have relied on food sent from the United States and other western countries to help address their hunger. Instead, they’ll now receive tools, seed, fertilizer, money for infrastructure and irrigation, technology and training to improve their own farms and feed themselves.

In our small way, one by one, we can help. To find out more about what you and your family can do, check out ONE at www.one.org/us/actnow

Guacamole Fiesta

Below are some photos from last week's guacamole fiesta.  Thank you Mr. Cullen and HOM parent Liz Burrill and Ms. Jessica and HOM parent Maggie Haase.   Enjoy.

What's growing in the Garden?

Spring into Summer

As I watched kids piling into school the other day wearing shorts, sneakers and t-shirts, I had to grudgingly admit that it is beginning to look like summer. A Saturday stop at the Pasadena Farmer’s Market made that even clearer. No, it wasn’t the shoppers in flip flops who convinced me. It was the displays of artichokes, strawberries and cherries showing off their summer color. The smell and intense color of rainier cherries sends out an almost hypnotic call which local shoppers can’t resist. The season for them is short, a mere five weeks, so now is the time to get cherry wild. There were also collections of early dug potatoes, some no larger than a walnut, with colors from white to red to brown to purple ready to be boiled in salt water and drizzled with butter. One farmer had displays of colorful radishes, even elongated pink and white French breakfast radishes, right next to multihued beets all sharing space with big, sugary sweet onions with gigantic green tops banded together. Farmer’s markets can inspire your inner chef and looking at those onions, my inner chef was whispering ‘onion rings’. There were crates of small blushy apricots and a farm helper was cutting up a few and handing out samples. His stand was a few feet away from another farmer selling vegetable and herb starts; small fingers of rosemary to plant, tomato seedlings of all kinds and big buckets of mint for $3 which, once planted, are sure to keep you in tabouleh all summer long.

Toward the market entrance was a flat bed truck piled high with avocados for sale. Almost all were the black pebbly Haas variety with a bag of four selling for $1.50. That’s pretty cheap, especially by farmer market standards. Avocados start to mature in spring and by now the trees are loaded with ripe fruit which must be picked and eaten. How lucky we are.

While we add avocados to salads for dinner, mash and spoon them on top of whole wheat toast for breakfast or into veggie sandwiches, nothing compares with our deep desire to turn them into guacamole. At my house, the spicy, smooth, limey flavor of guacamole keeps everyone reaching for another tortilla chip until the bowl is scraped clean. I expect that we’re not unusual. People have been making guacamole since Aztec times, only the original Aztec recipe was a stripped down combination of avocados, tomato and salt. In fact, the word ‘guacamole’ is compound word of Aztec origin. In native Nahuatl, the word “ahuacatl” means avocado and “molli” means sauce.

There are as many recipes for guacamole as there are passionate guacamole eaters, which is to say, a lot. As a general rule of thumb, avocados should be the main ingredient. From there, anything goes. Add jalapenos, hot sauce, onions, garlic, tomatoes, cilantro, lime juice, whatever else you like, and you have a great dip to share or to hoard entirely to yourself.

It’s not a hard dish to make. To prove it our Kindergarten through 8th graders will be whipping up batches of guacamole all next week. Contact your child’s teacher and find out when the festivities will begin and plan a ‘surprise’ visit. You’ll be delighted at what you see and what you taste.