No new travel updates this month.
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Emily’s Corner
Crafts & Activities
Enjoy the worksheets for this month!
Recipes
Click the images for a video version of these recipes. For a printable PDF recipe, click the text buttons below.
This month we are including a few recipes mentioned in the book, Very Young Catholics in Brazil, as well as a few more classic Brazilian treats. Feijoada, a black bean stew, is considered Brazil’s national dish!
The video for this recipe can only be played on youtube. Ask a parent if you may click on the link below to see how to make Brazil’s national dish:
Ingredients
for 8 servings
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup chocolate sprinkle, as needed
Preparation
- In a pot over low heat, melt the butter, condensed milk, and cocoa powder, stirring continuously. Don’t stop stirring! It takes about 10-15 minutes to thicken. The right consitency has been acheived when you lift the spoon and the chocolate drips from the spoon in thick lines that do not melt on the surface.
- Pour onto a greased plate, then chill for 1 hour.
- Shape and roll the chilled mixture into balls.
- Roll the balls in chocolate sprinkles.
- Enjoy!
source: https://tasty.co/recipe/classic-brigadeiros
Animals in Brazil
Arapaima is the National Fish of Brazil.
Click the photo above for some cute orangutan moments! These baby orangutans have been orphaned are in the care of special caretakers who are teaching the animals how to live in the wild again.
Yes…there are piranhas in Brazil! Are they really the most dangerous fish? Watch the video above to find out.
The flying foxes in Fiji can be found in Australia as well. Here is a closeup of a rescued bat.
Fun Facts
"Oceania" is a continent of the world. Some people call it Australia, others say Oceania.
*In the book, Very Young Catholics in Brazil, Sister Irmã is mentioned as a holy person who walked the steps of the local church. She was canonized in 2019 by Pope Francis and is now a Saint, considered the “Mother Teresa” of Brazil. Watch this short video about St. Irmã Dulce Pontes:
In Brazil, the official language is Portuguese. Portuguese has a few words similar to Spanish, but it is its own unique language.
The video below teaches the colors in Portuguese.
The Brazilian Flag has 27 stars on it. These stars represent the 26 federal states and 1 federal district in the country. They are arranged on the flag to represent the constellations that were in the sky the night the country became a republic, November 19, 1889.
Library
For this month, we’ve collected some picture books to ignite the imagination in light of Holy Week. While these books are mostly for younger readers (ages 5-9), older students as well as adults will delight in these classic tales. Video read-alouds below.
by Michelle M Adams
Told from the perspective of the colt, the story begins with Mama Colt explaining who Jesus is, then moves through Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem amid the cheering throngs of his followers. 32 pages.
by Marni McGee
An aging donkey tells a lamb of the day when he, then a colt on a hillside, was given to strangers “who said they needed a colt, one that had never been ridden.” The animal strains mightily at being led through the loud, twisting streets and releases his fears only when Jesus (“Many called him King”) comforts him. Ages 4-8.
Retold by Angela Hunt
Featuring the wonderful illustrations of Tim Jonke, this best-selling children’s book tells the Easter story from a new and unusual point of view. Children will be deeply touched as they understand, perhaps for the first time, the significance of Christ’s life and his atoning sacrifice on the cross. 25 pages.
by Tomie DePaola
Petook is a snowy white rooster and proud of his wife’s new brood of chicks, and quick to protect them from an intruding young stranger named Jesus walking through the garden. But when he sees the child kneeling in wonder and caressing his newborn chicks, Petook is soothed and crows happily. His path crosses Jesus’ again many years later… 32 pages. Ages 3-12.
Extras
Meet Fr. Finn, a missionary to Fiji
Agnus Dei/Lamb of God in Fiji
Part of the spirituality that Saint Irmã Dulce shared with Saint Mother Teresa is the idea that Jesus thirsts for us both in the poor and in the Tabernacle. Mother Teresa wrote a beautiful meditation about Jesus thirsting for His people.
Listen to the meditation below:
The most popular sport in Brazil is soccer, or futebol in Portuguese. The most famous and best player in Brazil’s history is Pelé. He scored a total of 77 goals in international games! Watch Pelé’s top 5 soccer goals here: (goes to external link)
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