Tag Archives: aupair

Westchester Au Pairs Enjoy an American Thanksgiving

November 24, 2012 – 9:32 pm

On November 14th, the Westchester Clusters of Au Pair in America gathered for an American-style Thanksgiving Dinner that everyone helped to prepare. Counselors provided four very large roast turkeys (excellently carved by Jim) and lots of Apple Cider, and Au Pairs brought an amazing variety of side dishes. The bountiful and delicious feast was enjoyed by eveyone present as witnessed by the following photos:

And here’s the link to all the photos from our Thanksgiving dinner: http://s791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/MS-APIA/2012%20November%20-%20International%20Thanksgiving%20Dinner/?albumview=slideshow

Luncheon Get Together at Maralyn's

October 15, 2012 – 10:09 pm

An important part of the Au Pair experience is getting to make friends from around the world, and informal cluster get togethers play an vital role in making it possible for Au Pairs to meet one another. With more than 30 new summer arrivals, Maralyn hosted a welcome lunch at her home. The weather was perfect as everyone gathered in the backyard for a group photo…

Lunch Bunch 1

And here are two of the recipes we enjoyed:

South-of-the-Border Rice and Bean Pie (8 servings)

2 medium or 1 large onion, chopped

4 cloves of garlic, chopped

1-2 peppers (red and or green), chopped

Several stalks celery, chopped

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

1- 2 tablespoons chili powder (sweet or hot or combination – adjust to your taste)

1 tablespoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon salt

2-10 ounce cans beans (I used combination of red kidney and black beans), rinsed and drained

4 cups cooked brown rice

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar, Colby, Jack or “Mexican” combination

1 ½ cups milk

4 beaten eggs

¼ cup cilantro, chopped (optional)

In a saucepan, sauté the onion, garlic, peppers and celery in the olive oil until tender, but not brown. Stir in chili powder, cumin and salt. Cook for a minute more. Cool.

Stir in beans, cooked rice, cilantro, cheese, milk, and beaten eggs.

Put a little oil in a 9″X13″ baking dish or spray with a non-stick cooking spray. Spoon mixture into the pan and bake, uncovered, in a 350° oven until the center is set, about 35-45 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Can be made ahead and reheated. Can also be frozen.

Chocolate Biscotti

3 Eggs

1 Cup sugar

1 tsp. Vanilla

3 Cups flour

1 ½ tsp. baking powder

¾ Cup Oil

Chopped nuts (optional)

Handful (about 1 cup) semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted.

1 cup chocolate chips (whole, not melted)

Beat eggs, sugar and vanilla till well blended.

Sift flour and baking powder and add to egg mixture, alternating with oil.

Stir in whole chocolate chips and nuts, if desired, and then cut in melted chocolate with a knife.

Form two loaves on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350° for ½ hour.

Cool 10 minutes.

Cut loaves into slices slightly less than 1/2 inch thick. Lay slices on cookies sheet and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Return to ovenand bake for 10-15 minutes.

Blogger's family finds their APIA Au Pair…

February 23, 2012 – 2:53 pm

At the beginning of the month, Wall Street Journal reporter/blogger, John J. Edwards, and his family began their search with APIA for an au pair. The story has a very happy ending…here’s the link to the rest of the story:

Au Pair Search: We’ve Found the One!

blogs.wsj.com

The process is moving forward: We’ve made a match with a young woman from South Africa, who’ll be join…

Au Pairs Enjoy an Indian Buffet Lunch

February 4, 2012 – 4:24 pm

On January 29th many members of our cluster and some friends got together at the Royal Palace Restaurant to enjoy their amazing buffet. There were so many choices and it seemed that most in attendance wanted to taste everything. Some actually managed to do that!

Between lots of good food and ongoing conversation, it was a most delightful afternoon. See for yourself – here’s the link to more photos:http://s791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/MS-APIA/2012%20January%20Indian%20Buffet%20Luncheon/

Au Pairs enjoy a Gala Holiday Dessert Party

January 1, 2012 – 4:26 pm

On 21 December several Au Pair in America’s Westchester clusters gathered for an amazing dessert buffet to celebrate the holiday season. The delicious diversity of international creations was a testament to the culinary skills of the au pairs who prepared their favorite treats to share. Everyone ate too much because there were simply too many temptations and so many interesting new desserts to taste!

Here’s the link to photos from this evening: http://s791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/MS-APIA/Gala%20Holiday%20Dessert%20Party%20-%202011/?albumview=slideshow

2011 International Thanksgiving Dinner

December 16, 2011 – 4:19 pm

This year’s Thanksgiving dinner was amazing. Au Pair in America counsleors provided the turkeys, that were skillfully carved by Jim Hamlin, and lots of apple cider. Au Pairs, who were asked to bring side dishes and desserts, outdid themselves with a wonderful array of treats from around the world. We all ate well, some discovered new foods, and everyone agreed that it was a most enjoyable evening.

Here’s the link to the 2011 International Thanksgiving Photo Album: http://s791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/MS-APIA/2011%20International%20Thanksgiving%20Dinner/?albumview=slideshow

September 28 – Rosh Hashanah

September 28, 2011 – 1:17 am

Rosh Hashanah starts at sundown and is a solemn celebration of the beginning of the Jewish year. Synagogue services are held on Rosh Hashanah. During the services, the shofar (a ram’s horn) is sounded.

applesandhoney Like most Jewish holidays there are food customs associated with Rosh Hashanah. One of the most popular and well-known food customs on Rosh HaShanah has to do with dipping apple slices into honey. This sweet combination stems from an age-old Jewish tradition of eating sweet foods to express the hope for a sweet new year.

Who's in Charge?

September 17, 2011 – 3:23 am

Au pairs and host parents are most often together with the children at the most stressful times of the day- that is, the morning and at the end of the day.

Getting through the stressful times of the day is best done with a consistent approach. Planning ahead about division of labor and delegation of responsibility, as well as developing routines that both the au pair and the parents will adhere to, is essential.

Another particularly challenging time of day is when the transition is made from parent to au pair or from au pair to parent. Focusing the transition on a particular activity and consistently following that procedure may ease the confusion for the children. For example, Mommy will help you get dressed and then you will go downstairs and the au pair will give you breakfast while Mommy gets ready for her day; or the au pair will give you a bath, and when you are done, she will say goodnight and Daddy will read you a story before bed.

The children benefit when the au pair and parents remember to work cooperatively, keep communication open and exercise authority when necessary.

Education – The Au Pair Requirement

September 4, 2011 – 6:24 pm

Au pairs are required to complete six (6) semester hours of academic credit or the equivalent during the year. EduCare Companions must complete twice the requirement (12 hours), and Year2 au pairs are expected to take an additional three (3) credits for a six-month extension or six (6) credits for a 9- or 12-month extension. Your counselor can advise you of local educational opportunities. You can also review education options for your state on the Au Pair in America website at http://aupairinamerica.com/state/index.asp and there are links to local colleges in the column to the right under Education Options.