Growing Crystals

Day 0 - Evening start

We are conducting a Science experiment growing crystals from sugar... and turning them into homemade lollipops :-)

Age: From 4 years old

Objectives:

1. Learning how crystals grow.
2. Learning patience.
3. Learning how to record down experiment observations.

Materials:

1. 1 cup water
2. 3 cups sugar
3. 1 wooden stick (I use the one-time use wooden chopsticks)
4. 1 glass (I re-cycle jam jar)
5. 1 cardboard
6. 2 clothe pegs
7. 1 cooking pot
8. 4-5 drops of food coloring (optional)
9. 1 TBS maple syrup for favoring (optional)

Directions:

1. Add 4 drops of color into each jar (optional)

2. Boil the water with sugar until solution boils and quickly remove from stove.

3. Fill each jar with sugar solution, stir and mix well.

4. Let it cool down to room temperature.

5. In the mean time, make a hole in the middle of a cardboard and insert a chopstick through it.

6. Peg the chopstick with clothe peg as shown in the picture.

7. Coat the chopstick with sugar solution and thereafter coat it with sugar (as seed starter for the crystal to attach to).

8. Submerge the chopstick coated with sugar into the jar (making sure that the stick does not touch the glass).

9. Watch it grow in a couple of days.

11. After 2 days or so, break the hard crust on top and take the chopstick out.

12. Filter the sugar solution into a new jar to get rid of the loose crystals.

13. Soak the chopstick in the new filtered jar of sugar solution and continue to watch it grow.

14. Record your observations from the start date to the end date in a journal (optional)

Video Demonstration:

Step-by-Step Pictorial Guide:

Prepare the materials in a tray ready for the experiment.
P.S. I decided to use white sugar for clarity, instead of the rock sugar shown in the tray.

Add 4 drops of color into each jar

Measure 3 cups of sugar

and pour them into a cooking pot

Measure 1 cup of water

and pour it into the cooking pot

Add in a few drops of maple syrup as desired for favouring

Bring to boil and stir frequently

You will notice that as the sugar dissolves, the water turns cloudy

Bring to a boil and quickly turn off the fire

You will see that once off the stove, the boiled sugar solution turns clear again

Fill each jar with sugar solution, stir and mix well. Let it cool down to room temperature.

In the mean time, cut an A4 sized cardboard into 4

Make a hole in the middle of a cardboard and insert a chopstick through it.

Peg the chopstick with clothe peg as shown in the picture (please ignore the solution in it)

Dip the chopstick into sugar solution

Thereafter coat it with sugar (as seed starter for the crystal to attach to).

Submerge the chopstick coated with sugar into the jar (making sure that the stick does not touch the glass).

This is a clear sugar solution without any maple syrup favoring

Watch it grow in a couple of days... Record your observations from the start date to the end date in a journal (optional)

Mission accomplished... can't wait to see it grow tomorrow...

The next day... Day 1 - Evening

After 2 days or so, break the hard crust on top and take the chopstick out

Have fun observing it under a magnifying glass

Filter the sugar solution into a new jar to get rid of the loose crystals.

Soak the chopstick in the new filtered jar of sugar solution and continue to watch it grow.

The next day... Day 2 - Evening after changing glasses

13 August 2015 - 4th week...

22 August 2015 - After a month, we harvested our crystals today :-)

And turn them into candy lollipops :-)

Additional Information:

Our Little FECS (6Y4M15D) has been requesting me to grow crystals, after he saw it in the brochure that came with the mining crystal set, that I bought for him. I bought this:

and was searching on the internet on how to grow crystals, when I stumbled upon this Youtube tutorial about growing crystals from sugar https://youtu.be/GdH577EJdtc. It is free, easy to do and a safe experiment to conduct, and with loads of fun. Finally today, I was able to devote some time today, and we are growing crystals from sugar... turning them into homemade lollipops :-) He wanted to make all different colors and so here we are trying out 5 different colors. He had a lot of fun doing this experiment and also looking forward to eating the lollipops :-)

It will be exciting to watch it grow and to see how they turn out. We intend to read a book about crystals.

Here are some links on how crystals are formed:

http://www.iycr2014.org/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/85457/CG_brochure.pdf
http://www.sciencekidsathome.com/science_topics/what_are_crystals.html

http://www.hometrainingtools.com/a/learn-about-crystals

http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/earth/geology/how-are-crystals-made.htm

https://www.exploratorium.edu/cooking/candy/rock-pop.html

http://easyscienceforkids.com/all-about-crystals/

http://kitchenscience.sci-toys.com/solutions

https://www.craftybaking.com/learn/baked-goods/candy/preparation-method
https://acsundergrad.wordpress.com/2013/01/02/making-rock-candy-a-supersaturated-treat/
https://scienceandfooducla.wordpress.com/2014/10/28/sugar-chemistry-of-hard-candies/
http://chemistry.about.com/od/growingcrystals/a/sugarcrystals.htm
http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1989/6/89.06.04.x.html

http://nobel.scas.bcit.ca/debeck_pt/science/crystals/crystals_p1.htm

http://www.chemistry.co.nz/crystals_forming.htm

http://www.mnh.si.edu/earth/text/2_2_2_2.html

http://www.pa.msu.edu/sciencet/ask_st/072094.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal

https://youtu.be/rQB4Hwi4O-M

Healthy No-Cook Swiss Bircher Muesli with Raspberries

Adapted from The Yummy Life

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 cup rolled oats
2. A handful of sunflower seeds
3. 1/4 cup mixed nuts chopped (almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts and pecans)
4. A sprinkle of raisins
5. 2 TBS Greek yogurt 0% fat
6. 8 raspberries
7. 1 tsp maple syrup
8. 3/4 cup fresh skimmed milk
9. Half vanilla pod (optional)

Directions:

1. Add 2 layers of rolled oats, 1 layer of sunflower seeds, 1 layer of chopped mixed nuts, a sprinkle of raisins, 1 layer of yogurt and 1 layer of raspberries into a mason jam jar.

2. Add 1 teaspoon of maple syrup.

3. Fill it with fresh skimmed milk.

4. Stir, mix well and refrigerate overnight.

5. Serve with some fresh raspberries on top.

Step-by-Step Pictorial Guide:

1. Add 2 layers of rolled oats, 1 layer of sunflower seeds, 1 layer of chopped mixed nuts, a sprinkle of raisins, 1 layer of yogurt and 1 layer of raspberries into a mason jam jar.

2. Add 1 teaspoon of maple syrup.

3. Top it up with fresh skimmed milk, stir and mix well.

4. Stir, mix well and refrigerate overnight.

5. Serve with a little sprinkling of chopped nuts and some fresh raspberries on top.

Additional Information:

I normally doesn't measure, but just estimate it into a mason jar jam as shown in the picture. This is a healthy and tasty way of making oatmeal, that can be done the night before and save the morning rush.

References:

http://www.theyummylife.com/Refrigerator_Oatmeal
http://www.theyummylife.com/recipes/224

J Summary (6Y4M13D) - A Welcome Letter to Grandma

This morning, for Chinese practice, we diverted from our usual tingxie (spelling) and J wrote a story/letter to Grandma instead. The simple essay was made by me. He could write 80% of the characters, but needed reminder every here and there.

J Summary (6Y4M12D) - Some Profound Questions...

J: Mommy, there are Buddha, Mohammad or Jesus. How do you know which God is the true God?

Mommy: It is based on your conviction and your personal experience of God.

J: What is conviction?

Mommy: Conviction is your faith, your belief. In Danish, it is called "tro." In Chinese, it is called "信"

J: Some religions worship idols made of wood, but mommy, there are also idols in church. The statue of Jesus and the Cross.

Mommy: Those are just for remembrance of Jesus, symbol of Jesus, they are not idols.

J: But they are all made of wood. If God is Spirit, why do we put a cross at the altar and the statue of Jesus and Mary.

Mommy: Good point... J

J Summary (6Y4M8D) - J's Breakfast at 6 Years Old...

J's super baby-porridge breakfast has evolved a little. I paid a little more attention to the presentation, although the basic ingredients are still the same.

Here is oatmeal cooked with milk, drizzled with wheat germ, brewer's yeast, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, chopped nuts (walnut, pecan, almond and hazelnuts), goji berries, sliced banana and strawberries. He really likes it. I seeing him eating a healthy breakfast and actually enjoying it.

I have found a super easy way to chop nuts, I will share in the next post.

Crispy Nutty Chocolate Treat

Makes 16-18 

Ingredients:

1. 3 pieces of brown rice crackers crashed into small bite-sized
2. A handful of chopped almonds
3. A handful of chopped hazelnuts
4. A handful of sunflower seeds
5. A handful of raisins or dried cranberries (optional)
6. 100g or a handful of dark chocolate chips melted

Directions:

1. Mix crashed brown rice crackers, chopped almonds, chopped hazelnuts and sunflower seeds in a large mixing bowl.

2. Melt chocolate chips in microwave in 30 seconds intervals for a total of 1 minute, stir to check that the chocolate chips have melted.

3. Mix in the melted chocolate to lightly coat the ingredients in the mixing bowl.

4. Scoop into 16-18 mini muffin cups.

5. Cool at room temperature for 20-30 minutes, serve or store in airtight container at room temperature for 1 week.

Additional information:

I came across this recipe, while I was making the Swiss muesli. And I could not resist trying it out for an occasional sweet treat. The recipe asked to fully coat the ingredients with melted chocolate, but I only lightly coat it, and it is sufficient to give it the chocolate flavor.

Poppy Fields in Denmark

While driving our Little FECS to his first Scout Camp today, we drove past the Danish countryside and saw beautiful sea of red poppy flowers... awww... such beauty and sight...

We saw this near Næsby, a provincial town south of Copenhagen...

A Letter to Pa - Poppy Fields

Dear Pa

After a period of rain, the Danish summer has finally arrived. While driving Joshua to his first scout camp at the Danish countryside at Næsbycenter, we saw seas of red poppy flowers. Such beauty and sights which I didn’t notice before, I see it now through the eyes of bringing up Joshua. In the past, the task-oriented me would just drive through and admire the sight from afar… Today, we stopped to take in the sight. I thought of ma and you. Like the lavender fields, I wish I could show it to ma, you and Aunt M. I know ma will appreciate it. Joshua’s birth has helped me to get to know Denmark much better. Your departure has helped me to see life clearer. God has a purpose and a lesson for everything. And I am slowly learning to “smell the roses.” I hope you get to know this from up there, pa.

They say the best way to integrate into Denmark is through work. But I also learned that the best way to integrate into Denmark is to be a mom. It has taken me to places, and meeting people, that I would not have dreamed of, even though I have been working here for the past 10 years.