Thanksgiving is almost here and we wanted to take a moment to say THANK YOU!
Something we like to do at home is to make lists of everyone and everything we are grateful for in our lives and why. Right now, our kids are writing short letters to family members expressing their gratitude and appreciation. It is one way we try to teach our children to never take anyone or anything for granted and to always communicate openly about their feelings.
We’ve spent the past few months really focusing on our time together as a family, making great memories and using this continued period of cautious social distancing to strengthen our relationships with each other. As a result, we haven’t kept up with this blog the way we originally had planned. We apologize for this absence, but thank each and every one of you who has continued to support us and our efforts, who has used our resources and learned with us over on Facebook and Instagram, for all the loving messages and emails we have received sharing with us how our products have made a positive impact in your home – you’ve touched our hearts and it all truly means the world to us!
Navigating through shipment delays and other COVID related hurtles has been difficult and we continue to watch the landscape of our publishing experience change, but your love and support has shown us that it is all worth it! From the bottom of our hearts – THANK YOU!
Let’s Be Grateful Activity Sheet on aerilynbooks.com
If you are looking for a Thanksgiving activity, head over to our online store and download our FREE Thanksgiving activity sheet so you and your family can make a list of all you are thankful for, as well. We hope you have a happy, healthy, and safe holiday with your loved ones!
It’s May and that means its Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (APAHM)! It was originally designated as only a week in 1978 by President Carter, but in 1992 President Bush designated the whole month of May under Public Law 102-450.
Instagram Post @aerilyn_books
This is a great time to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Island American (AAPI) culture and heritage and to reflect on our history in the U.S. Many schools do not teach about much of AAPI history – the struggles and the achievements – but it is important that we learn it and that we pass that knowledge onto our children.
In celebration of APAHM, we will be posting additional educational materials on our Facebook and Instagram accounts! We will share information on Korean foods as part of our daily vocabulary lessons, as well as short biographies about notable Korean Americans throughout US History. Because our mission is to provide educational content for Korean language and culture, we are choosing to highlight Korean Americans, but remember that Korean Americans make up just a fraction of all Asian and Pacific Island Americans. We hope you will also take the opportunity to learn about and celebrate the many other members of the AAPI community!
Easter has just passed and all our beautiful dyed eggs are sitting in the fridge, waiting to be eaten. Every year, we make egg salad, deviled eggs, or just slice them to enjoy on salads. But there are so many other ways to prepare them! This recipe for Korean-style marinated eggs is simple, delicious, and can be enjoyed warm or cold as a side for lunch or dinner.
2 tbsp brown sugar (can substitute honey or agave, if desired)
1 green onion (chopped)
DIRECTIONS
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved.
Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to boil until reduced to about half, stirring frequently.
Remove from heat and pour over 6 peeled eggs in an airtight container. Sprinkle additional green onions over the top, if desired, before sealing the container.
Place in the fridge for a couple of hours to marinate.
Enjoy within 3 days!
Enjoy Gyeran Jangjorim (계란 장조림) warm or cold, as a side with lunch or dinner.
This side dish should last in the fridge for three days (if you don’t eat them all before then!) and goes well with rice or noodles. The eggs can be enjoyed warm or cold, but I think they taste best at room temperature. However you choose to enjoy them, these are sure to be your new go-to for post-Easter eggs!
It’s been difficult to process everything that has been going on in this country. The pandemic obviously has changed the way most of us live our every day lives, but it hasn’t been the only thing disrupting it. Last year was full of insanity I never thought I’d see in my lifetime, but there was something that wasn’t entirely new to me: racism against Asian Americans.
We definitely went through heightened racial divide with the Black Lives Matter protests and I can say my heart was broken for our Black communities. I am not about to get into politics at all, because I am not an expert and I just don’t have the emotional strength to get into that conversation right now. But I am no stranger to the experience of racism.
I am half Korean and half white (European mix), and have lived in a sort of limbo my whole life. Not white enough. Not Korean enough. Being outcasted by both sides, basically, until around high school and even then it’s not like things were suddenly amazing. Just better. Slightly. As an adult it became a little bit easier to dodge circumstances where I was on the receiving end of hate and stereotyping, by surrounding myself with truly good people. But I was faced with the cruel and harsh reality that I couldn’t protect my kids from it when the neighborhood kids – kids my kids considered friends – told my children they couldn’t play with them, because “No Chinese allowed.” I didn’t even find out about it until we were in the car on our way to Target and it felt like a lump of hot lead dropped in my stomach. My kids didn’t understand what the other kids meant by that, and had responded “But we’re not Chinese, we’re Korean” to which the kids said “well, then no Koreans allowed.” The message was a clear “you are not welcome” and I had the task of talking to my kids about racism, building up the courage to knock on the doors of my neighbors and confront it, to advocate for my kids while trying not to cry right there on their doorsteps. Unfortunately, this is something I have to do for the rest of my life. Something my kids will have to do for the rest of their lives. It’s not a conversation or an experience we get to opt out of.
At the very start of the pandemic, my youngest son was sick with croup and a double ear infection and I was taking him in to the doctor. We got on an empty elevator, but I could hear rushed footsteps behind me, trying to catch up, so I held the door open for them. The person looked at my face and their smile dropped and they put up their hand and said “Nah, I’ll just wait.” Even though I have experienced so many racist and vile things in my life, this particular moment hurt. Bad. It scared me, honestly. It brought back the all-too-familiar feelings of being unwelcome in my own town, but at a level I wasn’t expecting to have to live through again as an adult. We’re supposed to grow, right? Things are supposed to change for the better, aren’t they? I was reminded that is not the case and could feel things were going to get bad. And they have.
Between March of 2020 and February of 2021, there have been 3,795 reports of hate crimes against Asian Americans – an increase of 150% – and those reports only make up a fraction of the actual number of incidents that actually occur. Innocent people being physically assaulted in public places, spat on, verbally abused, and blamed for the pandemic just for looking a certain way.
Why We Should’ve Seen the Atlanta Shootings Coming | The Daily Social Distancing Show
Asian Americans are referred to as the “model minority,” expected to keep quiet and not to make waves, but we need to speak up and advocate for ourselves and our children, our families, our friends. We have become invisible when it comes to matters of race. We need to say something, do something – we shouldn’t just sit back and take it and process it in silence. Everything is a joke at our our expense and people like to say Asian stereotypes are too “complimentary” to be racist, because they will not acknowledge the pain and consequences of these “jokes” and stereotypes. Your words, your “jokes,” and your actions have real life consequences, whether or not you have seen them yourself.
Daniel Dae Kim testifies before Congress about rise in anti-Asian American hate in America
Whether or not you have Asian American friends, family, coworkers, acquaintances… be aware of what is going on in your communities. Do something to help, be present and supportive, rethink the jokes and comments you make, reevaluate why hearing non-English languages make you uncomfortable – not just for the Asian American community, but for all our different diverse communities, because no one deserves to feel unsafe in their own neighborhoods or to be judged unfairly by their skin color or spoken languages. It’s one thing to not be racist, and another to be anti-racism.
#StopAsianHate apparel on aerilynbooks.com
I encourage you to donate to non-profits like Stop AAPI Hate, which tracks incidents of hate and discrimination against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States. Right now, there are t-shirts, tanks, and hoodies branded with the #StopAsianHate hashtag in the Aerilyn Books online store and 100% of the proceeds from those sales are donated to Stop AAPI Hate. In less than 24 hours, we were able to donate $100 – THANK YOU! Please keep it going, or skip the apparel and donate directly on the Stop AAPI Hate website.
Please, hear us. Be there for us. Be the change. Make the difference. Stop the hate. #StopAsianHate
Are you ready to take your little explorer on a journey through space? We are excited to announce the newest in our Bilingual Learning Series, The Solar System | 태양계, is set to release June 2021!
The Solar System | 태양계 will retail for $11.99 and is set to release June 2021
A step up from our core concept books, The Solar System | 태양계 uses simple, yet more complex, sentences to introduce your child to the planets in our solar system – plus additional vocabulary along the way! Simple facts are presented in a mixture of different sentence structures and, as always, transliterations accompany the Hangul (Korean written language) to aid in pronunciation for those not yet able to read it.
Take a peek: page spread of The Solar System | 태양계
The Solar System | 태양계 will retail for $11.99 and will be available for purchase in June 2021, but special preorder sets will be available for purchase starting April 2021. Get your hands on our exclusive Moon Phases poster and limited edition sticker sets and save- plus automatically be entered to WIN a Solar System Book Tote!
Preorder sets are only available in our online shop – or click here for a list of retailers that carry our books.
According to the Lunar Zodiac, those born under the sign of the Ox are strong, determined, and dependable people. They are patient, creative, hard-working, and find success by being persistent, working with their capabilities and according to their ideals. Oxen are loyal and loving, and value their families. Some of their weaknesses include communication skills and many prefer to be independent and enjoy solitude rather than group settings and social gatherings. They also tend to be stubborn. The year of the Ox is said to be one of positivity, strength, hard work, and honesty.
Some well-known people born under the Ox sign include Barack Obama, Vincent Van Gogh, and Walt Disney. Were you born under the year of the Ox?
Free Printable Coloring Sheets Available on AerilynBooks.com
We are looking forward to what this year has to offer and celebrating at home with some Seollal traditions and activities.
However you celebrate the new year, we have a few kid-friendly activities to add to the fun! We have FREE printables for you in our online store. Design your own hanbok, make your own paper fans, color a simple Seollal celebration – and choose from several other learning activities, while you’re at it! They’re all FREE and available to you on aerilynbooks.com. We hope you have a happy new year!
새해 복 많이 받으세요! Happy New Year! Last year was an interesting one, to say the least, but we are grateful for our many blessings and look forward to what this new year has in store for us. Lunar New Year is only a week away and I wanted to share a sweet and simple Korean recipe that is a favorite in our house!
Honey Bread (허니 브레드) with Strawberries and Sliced Almonds
Honey Bread (허니 브레드) can be found in many Korean cafes and goes perfectly with hot tea or coffee. It is technically a dessert, but I must admit that I enjoy having it for breakfast on Sunday mornings – and so do my kids. Although you can find it at almost any Korean bakery or cafe, it really is so easy to make at home and top it with anything you like. Our favorite toppings are strawberries and sliced almonds, with chocolate drizzle and whipped cream. (Try it with mango and shredded coconut in the summer – it’s AMAZING!)
Honey Bread with Strawberries and Sliced Almonds Recipe
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place desired number of slices of Brioche bread on parchment.
Score the face of the Brioche slices with a knife, in a # formation, being careful not to cut all the way through.
Drizzle each slice with honey and allow to soak into the bread. We use about 2 tbsp of honey per slice, but you can adjust the amount depending on how thick your slices are.
Spread 1 tbsp of softened butter over each slice, right over the honey.
Place in the center of the oven and bake for about 15 minutes. Be careful not to over bake.
While baking, wash and slice desired amount of strawberries. Place them in a bowl, sprinkle with a small amount of white sugar and let them macerate until honey bread is done baking.
Transfer honey bread to a plate and top with strawberries and sliced almonds. Add whipped cream and drizzle with chocolate sauce.
Enjoy while hot!
Enjoy Honey Bread (허니 브레드) with Hot Tea or Coffee
Note: You can make this with sliced white bread or Texas Toast, too, if you do not have Brioche. Try it with a variety of different toppings and have fun!
This delicious treat can be topped with whatever you like – the possibilities are infinite. Next time you’re hosting a get-together with your friends, try having a Honey Bread (허니 브레드) bar with a selection of different fruits, yogurts, and sauces. It’s sure to become a favorite!
Thanksgiving is fast approaching and, though this year has thrown curve balls at every single one of us, we want to shift our focus to everything good in our lives. Now is as good a time as ever to take a breath, step back, and reflect on what we are so blessed to have.
Free Thanksgiving Printable Now Available on aerilynbooks.com
We’ve added a new FREE Thanksgiving activity sheet to our online store so you and your family can think about all you are thankful for, as well. Our little ones have had so much fun making their lists and I was pleasantly surprised by some of their answers! Every day, I learn a little bit more about each of these amazing people they are growing up to be!
Though social distancing is keeping us physically apart from many of our friends and family members, we are still together in heart and in spirit – with many ways to keep in touch – and for that we are thankful. Reach out with a letter, a phone call, an email, a text, or however works best for you, and embrace the true meaning of togetherness this holiday.
Autumn is here! The air is getting crisper, the leaves are changing color, and we are looking forward to all the traditions of the season! Many of those seasonal traditions in our home involve pumpkins – decorating, crafting, painting, eating… we are all about pumpkins!
A favorite activity for my kids is Pumpkin Exploration. It’s a simple activity that is perfect for kids who like to get their hands messy and can easily allow for some additional education like counting and language-learning. We make a trip to our local pumpkin farm, taking our time to enjoy it and have fun (maybe even take a hay ride or pick apples if still in peak season!) and once we get home, we wash up and get ready to explore.
We used a small pie pumpkin for this activity.
What you need: 🔹 A small pumpkin 🔹 Some newspaper to protect your work surface 🔹 A spoon for scooping 🔹 A bowl for collecting the seeds
What you do: 🔸Cut the pumpkin in half 🔸Explore the inside of the pumpkin, with hands or spoon 🔸Count and remove seeds and place in the bowl 🔸Play with, remove, and discard pulp
My preschooler has fun removing the seeds and pulp with a spoon.
Language-Booster: While exploring the pumpkin, talk about what you see: seeds, pulp, and flesh. This is a perfect opportunity to introduce or review vocabulary, discuss how plants grow from seeds, and think about where healthy foods come from.
Math: Count the seeds you find in the pumpkin, compare quantities (how many seeds were in one half? how many in the other half? which number is greater? etc.), and make number groups (groups of 5, 10, 20…).
After exploring, we make diagrams to record what we learned.
Pumpkin Diagram
After my kids are done exploring their pumpkin, we discard the pulp and clean the seeds, and we make our own diagrams to record what we learned. You’re going to want to keep your surface covered in the newspaper for this activity, too.
What you need: 🔹 A piece of blank paper 🔹 Some orange washable and non-toxic acrylic paint 🔹 A paint brush 🔹 Cotton balls 🔹 Liquid glue 🔹 Clean pumpkin seeds
What you do: 🔸Paint the shape of the pumpkin on paper 🔸Create “pulp” by gently stretching out cotton balls, and paint orange 🔸Glue “pulp” and seeds inside the painted pumpkin shape
My niece had fun gluing seeds on her diagram.
Making a diagram is a great way to retain information and record observations made during the exploration activity, while exercising creativity, and allows your child to look back on the activity at a later date to recall what they learned. It’s a great introduction to the scientific method!
Pumpkin Spice Hotteok
While the glue on the diagrams are drying, we prepare to cook the pumpkin. There are so many wonderful pumpkin recipes out there, so take your pick! This time, we made Pumpkin Spice Hotteok (호박 호떡).
Making pumpkin puree is super easy and can be used to make a variety of delicious foods. Hotteok (호떡) is a popular Korean pancake filled with sweet syrup and nuts, perfect for chilly days – and when combined with pumpkin and spices, is a delicious fusion between Korean and American flavors.
To make the pumpkin puree, make sure the outside of the pumpkin is washed well, sprinkle the flesh with some salt, and place cut-side down on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper. Roast the pumpkin in the oven at 400 degrees F until easily pierced with a fork and the skin pulls away from the flesh (45 to 60 minutes). Once cool enough to handle, process with a food processor or blender until smooth. That’s it! It’s ready to use in your favorite recipe!
While still warm, we used our fresh pumpkin puree in our Pumpkin Spice Hotteok recipe, and topped it with whipped cream, maple syrup, and honey butter. They were absolutely delicious and helped to close our day of activities!
The kids enjoyed every last bite of the pumpkin spice hotteok!
Taking the kids through all three activities, from whole pumpkin to tasty dessert, helps them to appreciate that journey from farm to table. They get to be involved in every part of that journey with these exploration activities: picking the pumpkin, exploring the fruit, recording their observations, and even cooking! And along the way they practice math, language, science, and art. It’s a well-rounded educational experience perfect for an autumn Sunday!
I hope you and your kids have fun with these activities, and that they can become a tradition in your home, too. Until next time!
추석 잘 보내세요! Happy Chuseok! It’s time to celebrate the Korean Autumn Harvest! It’s a time to give thanks, honor our loved ones who have passed, spend time with our families, and enjoy a large home-cooked meal together. When cool crisp air sways through vermilion leaves and everything is dipped in gold… it’s the perfect time of year for feeling cozy and indulging in warm comforting foods!
Pumpkin Spice Hotteok Recipe
Hotteok (호떡) is a popular winter street food in South Korea. It’s a type of pancake filled with sweet syrup and assorted nuts, that is hot and crispy on the outside and sweet and gooey on the inside. I wanted to take this popular Korean treat and combine it with the American comforts of pumpkin and spice for a delicious fusion of the two cultures. My Pumpkin Spice Hotteok (호박 호떡) recipe is the perfect sweet treat for chilly autumn days and, for me, a harmonious blend of my cultural identities. It’s something I hope my kids will remember fondly and pass down to their kids, as well.
My Pumpkin Spice Hotteok (호박 호떡) recipe is the perfect sweet treat for chilly autumn days and, for me, a harmonious blend of my cultural identities.
To make the dough, add white sugar, vegetable oil, and yeast to 1/3 cup warm water in a large bowl. (Make sure water is not too hot, so you don’t kill the yeast.) Let sit for 10 minutes, until foamy.
Add milk and pumpkin puree to the yeast mixture. Then sift all purpose flour, sweet rice flour, spices, and salt into the bowl and mix together until well incorporated. The dough should be sticky.
Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size (about an hour).
Punch down the dough and reshape into a ball and let rise again for another 30 minutes.
While the dough is rising for a second time, prepare the filling by combining all the ingredients in a small bowl and mixing well.
Punch down the dough again and knead. Lightly grease your hands with vegetable oil and tear off pieces of dough, roughly 2 inches in diameter.
Flatten each ball of dough into a flat disk and fill with a couple spoonfuls of the filling. Then bring up the edges like a coin purse and pinch to seal and place sealed-side down on a plate.
Heat enough vegetable oil in a frying pan to fry the hotteok, over medium heat. Flatten filled dough into a flat disk and gently place in the hot oil. Cook on each side until golden brown, then transfer for a plate lined with paper towels to remove excess oil.
While still hot, dust each hotteok with powdered sugar (optional).
Enjoy hot!
Note: Hotteok can be frozen for up to 3 months and reheated in a microwave or toaster oven to enjoy any time you like!
Enjoy this Pumpkin Spice Hotteok as-is, or with a variety of toppings.
These Pumpkin Spice Hotteok are delicious as-is, but we also love to enjoy them with toppings like whipped cream, maple drizzle, or even vanilla ice cream – there is no wrong way to indulge with these! I hope you love this recipe as much as we do. Until next time!
