Snap Circuits on sale 53%! ~ Gyros

What's Schoolin'?


Snap Circuits:  All dc have enjoyed this material for years.
I happened to see that the Snap Circuit 300 is on sale right now with free shipping on Amazon.

 http://tinyurl.com/79l7oe2

We have used the Snap Circuit 100 for several years and the children have really, really enjoyed it. After years of being out on the shelf for free choice shelf work time I just put it up a few months ago when we moved. I will bring it back out at the end of the school year to rotate it back in because they enjoy it so much. The 300 would be nice, but this one has provided enough for our needs:

http://tinyurl.com/74luk9p

On the other hand, the 300 is on sale right now at 53% off.
That sale would be hard for me to resist if I was getting one today :).






What's Cookin'?

I had an interesting experience at a local small diner (counter take-out or tables).  We're finishing up Ancient Greece and I wanted to give them some authentic Gyros.  I had seen a small sign in a strip mall in town that said Gyros and Kabobs.  So, in I went.  There was no way I could pay $7 a piece for each of us to get a lamb gyro.  Plus, germ freak that I am with my lame immune system, I was hoping to take something home where I could reheat it, etc.  All that I really needed was their distinctive pita flat bread and the meat.  Dd kept telling me to just find a recipe and we could make our own - great idea and I love that she has the enthusiasm for homemade food... but I wasn't sure I could replicate the flavor of the meat nor replicate the bread.  Not to mention finding lamb meat!  I explained my dilemma of low cash and my needs to the cashier/cook and we put together an order of "extras" that included meat, 1 pita (so they can at least taste it even though we'll make the rest ourselves), and a tiny container of tzatziki sauce.  I poured out a bunch of change, pretended not to be embarrassed as I counted it out ("It all spends the same," he said to help me feel better), and took home my treasure (which I froze as soon as I got home).

I thought it was funny when I asked him what meats they used; if they only had lamb or had goat as well.  He said something like, "It's lamb.  It's suppose to be lamb.  There may be some goat in there, I don't know (shrug).  It comes already like that.  Just tell them it's meat and you won't be lying."  I had to laugh out loud.  I said they (dc) would be fine knowing it's lamb, I just wondered if they also offered goat gyros so they could try that also.

Okay, now what?  I'll make some more tzaziki sauce since the teeny tiny little cup I bought will just be for tasting.  I have a TON of yogurt in the fridge - both homemade from fresh farm milk (I have some draining right now to thicken it up for adding into the tzaziki recipe) and some of Nancy's organic plain yogurt I got from Azure Standard yesterday.

After seeing this link (I saw the original Alton Brown recipe referred to here but it didn't inspire me as much as this one from someone who tried it) I think I just might get some chevre (read: ground goat meat) next time I'm near my old town which is near a wonderful organic farm with goats.
http://www.foodonthefood.com/food_on_the_food/2011/05/goat-gyros.html

I'm trying this new pita recipe but will adjust it to soak the flour overnight:
http://greekfood.about.com/od/greekbreadspitas/r/pitabread.htm

I thought the info at the end of this recipe was interesting.  Let's hope our bit of meat used fats to bind it and not the gross meat glue that US food manufacturers use on meat now (withOUT labeling I might add).
http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1761,131188-252199,00.html

This is the whole milk yogurt I got from Azure Standard. I'm not thrilled with the "organic nonfat dry milk" but the only other ingredients are organic whole milk and cultures.