Today’s history lesson on Australia involved reading the book Possum Magic by Mem Fox. In it, Grandma Poss makes the young possum, Hush, invisible to protect her. Eventually, Hush decides that she wants to know what she looks like. Breaking the spell involves eating different Australian foods. Her transformation is complete when she eats a lamington.
I thought that it would be fun for the kids to eat lamingtons like Hush did, so I looked up a recipe. I made them yesterday for dessert for our Sunday family get-together.
Oh. My. Gosh.
Somehow, reading the recipe, I didn’t fully grasp exactly what I was making. Cake, soaked in chocolate icing (thin enough that it really does soak into the outer part of the cake), and rolled in coconut. Just looking at them, I knew they would be amazing.
My actual lamingtons
I saved the history lesson for the end of school today. Even though we read the book on Saturday, N~ wanted to hear it again. We talked about Australian animals. He did a worksheet identifying animals. We ended the lesson with a little musical enrichment.
I know, I know. I justified its inclusion by standing by the computer and making dorky statements like:
He’s eating a Vegimite sandwich like Hush did!
That guy is sitting in a tree like a kookaburra!
They’re jumping like kangaroos!
See? That makes it educational.
After a few times through the song, I headed next door to retrieve my leftover lamingtons to go with lunch. Ahem. It would appear that I wasn’t the only one really excited about them. If I had waited until dinner time, I may have been out of luck.
Mixed Nuts 
We made them back when L~ did that lesson several years ago. They are yummy! But my kids don’t like coconut, of course, so we haven’t made them since. Maybe soon.
Very educational, but I would have chosen this one. More authentic visuals, doncha know…
YUM… those sound so good. Maybe I’ll have to try that recipe. Thanks for sharing!
Lilola,
I’m afraid to ask where you got that song from! We did listen to it at the end of today’s history lesson, though.
And then the kids asked for “The Land Down Under” again. And again. And again.
You win on authenticity, but I’ve got them on sheer catchiness! LOL.