De nuevo a escuela (Back to School)

School is starting again soon (at least in the South).  Get a head start on the year and review a little by booking a tutoring session.  Book 5 sessions for 5% OFF by August 5.  This applies to all sessions, online or in-person.

 

Can’t wait to start the new year!

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Las empanadas de manzana

Here is a recipe and cooking video from one of my students.  I hope you enjoy!

Cooking video http://youtu.be/zzTZ9Uk-5E8

English:

Dough

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 1 hr

Ingredients:

• 3 cups flour (plus a little more for kneading)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 1 egg
• 1 egg white
• 1 teaspoon vinegar
• 3 tablespoons shortening

Preparation:

1. In a bowl, beat the water, egg, egg white and vinegar together. Set aside.

2. In a separate bowl, mix together the 3 cups of flour and salt.

3. Cut the shortening into the flour mix with a pastry blender or two butter knives. Make a well in the center of the flour mix and pour the liquid ingredients from the first bowl into the center.

4. Mix the wet and dry ingredients with a fork until it becomes stiff.

5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead it just until all the flour is incorporated and the dough is smooth.

6. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, but never more than 24 hours.

Tip: If you want to keep the dough longer than 24 hours, you can freeze it.

Servings: Makes approximately 10 six-inch empanadas.

Filling

Serves/Yield: 12

Ingredients

• 3 medium apples (fancier varieties like Gala, Fuji, Pink Lady, etc. are nicest, though any will work)
• 12 empanada wrappers (or your choice of pastry sheet with a 6 inch diameter)
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup honey or 1/3 cup raw sugar
• 2 Tbsp cinnamon

Instructions

1. Pre-heat your oven. I’m currently cooking on Argentine gas ovens that have no temperature gauge, so I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest around 400 F.
2. Peel and dice apples, in 1/2 inch pieces. My hubby thinks they’re best when diced small. It’s his recipe, so I’ll defer to him on this one.
3. Lay out your empanada wrappers. Place about 1/4 cup chopped apples in the center. You want it to be good and full, but not overstuffed.
4. Sprinkle the apples with 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, and a generous drizzle of honey or sprinkle of sugar (honey is sweeter than sugar, so keep that in mind depending on which one you use). Note that you can absolutely cut the sweetener back if you enjoy a more tart apple taste. Add a couple dabs of butter onto the top of your apples.
5. Fold the wrapper in half, pulling and stretching the edges just a bit as you seal them, to give yourself dough for folding over or crimping. Make your edges look as simple or fancy as you like.
6. If you’re my husband, you will want to melt a small amount of butter to brush on top of the finished empanadas, then finish with a light sprinkle of more cinnamon and sugar. This step isn’t necessary, but it does add to the presentation.
7. Put on a greased baking sheet or pan, with just a bit of space between each empanada as they will puff up a little.
8. Cooking time is approximately 25 minutes, give or take. I’ve baked these in so many different ovens, in different amounts of time. Start checking in around 15 minutes. You’re waiting to see the soft dough all begin to firm and crisp up, and the tops should be lightly browned when they’re finished.

Español:

(Also the script in the video)

Las Empanadas de Manzana

Yo preparé las empanadas de manzanas. En este video le mostraré como hacerlas.
Primero, haga la masa de las empanadas.

Obtenga los ingredientes para la masa:

Tres tazas de harina de trigo

Una cucharita de sal

Una media taza de agua fría

Un huevo

Una clara de huevo

Una cucharita de vinagre

Tres cucharadas de grasa

En un cuenco bata la agua, el huevo, la clara de huevo y el vinagre juntos.
En otro cuenco mezcle las tres tazas de harina de trigo y la sal.
Corte la grasa en la mezcla con la harina de trigo.
Luego contribuya los ingredientes de otro cuenco.
Incorpore todos los ingredientes con tenedor hasta la mezcla es rígida.
Ahora tenemos nuestra masa.
Doble la masa en una superficie con un poquito de harina de trigo.
Amase la masa dos o tres veces. ¡No Más!
Ponga la masa en el refrigerador por los menos una hora pero no más veinticuatro horas.
Mientras esperando para la masa, haga el relleno.

Los ingredientes para el relleno son:

Tres manzanas medianas

Una cuarta taza de mantequilla

Una cuarta taza de miel o una tercia taza de azúcar

Dos cucharadas de canela.

Precalente el horno a cuatrocientos grados.
Pele y pique las manzanas en pedazos pequeños.
Póngalas en un cuenco.
Mezcle la canela y el azúcar en otro cuenco.
Ahora tome la masa del refrigerador.
Estire la masa hasta llega a la densidad que quiere.
Córtela con una vasa de agua.
Ponga la mezcla de manzanas encima de la masa.
Ponga mantequilla encima de las manzanas y añada un poquito de la canela y el azúcar.
Doble la masa sobre la mezcla y junte los bordes con un tenedor.
Póngalas en el horno por veinticinco minutos.
Sáquelas del horno y cepíllelas con mantequilla y espolvoree con la canela y el azúcar.

¡Disfrútelas!

5 Things to Consider When Hiring a (Language) Tutor

1. What are your goals?  Do you want to be fluent, conversational or get an “A” in Spanish class?  Any and all are great, but be sure you know what you are looking for.

2. Have expectations, but be reasonable.  Fluency and learning take time, no matter what the language or subject.  Hire a tutor before you start struggling in class.  It’s better to be prepared and not need much help than to wait a few weeks before grades come in.  Having a tutor is helpful to grasp concepts and help with understanding, clarification, etc.  But tutoring is more effective when you also put study time in on your own.

3. Tutoring can be fun! Depending on what your goals/needs are, sometimes it’s nice to do something out-of-the-box, creative, and away from the textbook.

4. Ask your tutor if they have any specials, discounts, or packages.  Many times your tutor is willing to work with you and can find ways to meet a budget or schedule.  If you can’t come to them, maybe they can come to you.  If traffic is consistently a problem, consider online lessons.

5. Is your tutor a full-time or part-time tutor? Now, this may sound like a silly question, but it’s an important one.  If your tutor is full-time, they may have more openings and scheduling options, which could be beneficial.  Also, like any other appointment you schedule, try to keep it or reschedule with enough warning.  That way, rescheduling is much easier on the tutor and the student.

What are you doing?

To tell what we ‘are doing’ right now in Spanish we use the Present Progressive.

It’s formed by using ESTAR in the Present Tense + (the gerund) AR-ando and IR/ER- iendo (or yendo)

Estar- to be

yo estoy
tú estás
él está

nosotros estamos
ellos están

Ejemplo:

El rana está leyendo el libro.
(The frog is reading the book).

What are you doing?

la frase de la semana (Phrase of the Week)

La gata está adentro de la caja.
(The cat is inside the box)

La gata está afuera de la caja.
(The cat is outside the box)

Practice using these phrases with the verb ESTAR- to be

Por ejemplo:
(For example)

ESTAR- to be

yo estoy (I am)
tú estás (You are)
él está (He is)
ella está (She is)
Usted está (You formal are)

Nosotros/as estamos (We are)
Ellos están (They masculine are)
Ellas están (They feminine are)

We are inside the house.
Estamos adentro de la casa.

She is inside the store.
Ella está adentro de la tienda.

I am outside (of) the city.
Estoy afuera de la cuidad.