Vacation Break

I'll be away from tomorrow (the 25th) until August 2nd, spending time with my family at our summer house on Prince Edward Island, Canada. I should have limited internet access while at the cottage, so I may pop in here for a post or two. If not, see you the first week of August!

Action Alerts for Museum Issues

I recently received a newsletter from the American Association of Museums (AAM), detailing the current legislative motions that have an impact on museums. It's interesting to see how Congress handles issues like funding for museums, which are not always considered charities as such, but are certainly important for the greater good. If you want to find out more about museum funding currently up for debate in Congress, check out the AAM's special section on this topic.

A Red Guggenheim?

Interesting story about Frank Lloyd Wright's original design for the Guggenheim: Fifth Avenue Shocker: The Building Wore Red.

Huzzah!

I got it! I got the job I interviewed for a couple of weeks ago. What a wonderful relief. The position is part-time, but it's year-round, permanent, and pays well. I'm very happy to have it, particularly in this job market. Once I decide how much detail I'm going to share about the position, I'll update more!

In the meantime, here are some interesting news stories involving museums (from - surprise, surprise! - the NY Times):

• Museum Tours Go Online

• Museum Should Give Disneyana a Boost

• Museum Review: Ford's Theater Museum

• Cleveland Museum Returns Work to Italy
  

Good News on the Job Front?

It's within the realm of possibility. For most of the spring, I've been applying for both full- and part-time positions throughout New England. Because the economy is in such bad shape and so many museums have instituted hiring freezes, I knew this was going to be a hard time to get a job. I'd sent out many, many cover letters and resumes since January and had yet to score an interview.

Until last week. I met with an organization in Massachusetts about a part-time position coordinating museum education programs, and I think it went pretty well. I hope to find out within the next week or so. Fingers crossed!

More Hearth Cooking!

A couple of weeks ago, on a whim, I made cheese during my hearth cooking shift. A colleague had mentioned how to make it and wrote down the ingredients, so I had a go. And, surprisingly, it turned out pretty well.

The ingredients: whole milk, salt, lemon juice, and herbs from the kitchen garden. The equipment: kettle, fire, wooden spoon, and cheesecloth.

After adding the lemon juice to the warmed milk, it curdles. Then after letting it sit for awhile, I poured the already-separating mix through a cheesecloth.

The whey drained through into the bowl and the cheese stayed on top.

I took the cheese home and after letting it drain in the refrigerator for a day or so, seasoned it with the above herbs: sage, dill, and chive. Yum!

What I did at work last week

This, right here, people, is one of the reasons why I do what I do. Last week, I learned how to make Indian slapjacks on an open hearth at Strawbery Banke! I took some photos, so you can follow along at home.

Here we have the mixin's: equal parts wheat flour and corn meal (where the "Indian" in the title comes from, as that was the 18th century nickname for corn meal), two eggs, a cup & a half of milk, and a pinch or so of salt. We also have my Dunkin' Donuts coffee, poured into that brown ceramic mug to look more "period."

The mixin's, all mixed up. The consistency is something like pancake batter.

First slapjack on the "spider," a frying pan with legs so you can place burning coals underneath it. Actually, I think this is the third or fourth slapjack - the first one didn't look nearly this good!

And the finished product. These slapjacks were a bit bigger than the normal size, but on the whole, I was pretty happy with my first hearth cooking experiment! Stay tuned for more. :)