24 Quotes for Educators

There are seemingly endless quotes for educators – ones you can use as a journal prompt, or post on your wall, make the screensaver on your desktop, or repeat to yourself as a mantra of sorts as you come to school each day. Here are a few of my favorite quotes for educators.

YOU come first. No, really – you do.

These quotes for educators focus on YOUR wellness – and putting your own oxygen mask on first.

“Taking care of yourself is part of taking care of others.”

Jennifer Williamson

2. “Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.”

Anne Lamott

3. “As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.”

Maya Angelou

4. “Rest and self-care are so important. When you take time to replenish your spirit, it allows you to serve others from the overflow. You cannot serve from an empty vessel.”

Eleanor Brown

5. “I have come to believe that caring for myself is not self-indulgent. Caring for myself is an act of survival.”

Audre Lorde

6. “In dealing with those who are undergoing great suffering, if you feel “burnout” setting in, if you feel demoralized and exhausted, it is best, for the sake of everyone, to withdraw and restore yourself. The point is to have a long-term perspective.”

Dalai Lama

Connecting with Kids

Connecting with kids is core to what we do – here are more educator quotes with that focus.

7. “Students don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

Anonymous

8. “Kids don’t learn from people they don’t like.“

Rita Pierson

9. “Beneath every behavior is a feeling. And beneath every feeling is a need. And when we meet that need rather than focus on behavior, we begin to deal with cause and not the symptom.“

Ashleigh Warner

10. “If a child can’t learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn.”

Ignacio ‘Nacho’ Estrada

11. “When you counsel someone, you should appear to be reminding him of something he had forgotten, not of the light he was unable to see.”

Baltasar Gracian

12. “If kids come to us from strong, healthy functioning families, it makes our job easier. If they do not come to us from strong, healthy, functioning families, it makes our job more important.”

Barbara Colorose

Striving for Excellence – Personally and Professionally

As a breed, educators are a driven, ambitious, focused bunch. Here are some quotes for educators that reflect that commitment to excellence.

13. “[Tennis champion] Novak Djokovic said in an interview with the Financial Times that “I can carry on playing at this level because I like hitting the tennis ball.” The interviewer replied in surprise: “Are there really players who don’t like hitting the ball?” Djokovic answered, “Oh yes. There are people out there who don’t have the right motivation. You don’t need to talk to them. I can see it.”

If you can find the thing you do for its own sake, the compulsive piece of your process, and dial that up and up, beyond the imaginary ceiling for that activity you may be creating, my experience is the world comes to you for that thing and you massively outperform the others who don’t actually like hitting that particular ball. I think the rest of career advice is commentary on this essential truth.”

Graham Duncan

14. “You can increase your surface area for good luck by taking action. The forager who explores widely will find lots of useless terrain, but is also more likely to stumble across a bountiful berry patch than the person who stays home. Similarly, the person who works hard, pursues opportunity, and tries more things is more likely to stumble across a lucky break than the person who waits.”

James Clear

15. “There will never be a perfect time to do something that stretches you. That’s true whether you are starting a business, having a child, changing careers, or wrestling with any number of challenges. That’s not a license to be reckless and never think things through, but at some point you have to embrace the uncertainty because it is the only path forward. If you were ready for it, it wouldn’t be growth.”

James Clear

16. “Planning and preparation are useful until they become a form of procrastination. Is this task enhancing my actions or substituting for them?”

James Clear

17. “Too often, we fall into an all-or-nothing cycle with our habits. The problem is not slipping up; the problem is thinking that if you can’t do something perfectly, then you shouldn’t do it at all.”

James Clear

18. “The list of mistakes you can never recover from is very short. But you likely realize your life will not be destroyed if your book doesn’t sell or if a potential date turns you down or if your startup goes bust. It’s not the failed outcome that paralyzes us. It’s the possibility of looking stupid, feeling humiliated, or dealing with embarrassment that prevents us from getting started at all. The first step to being courageous is being willing to look foolish.”

James Clear

Staying the Course

Education is a long game – there is rarely instant gratification, but there are surprising, lasting effects, sometimes decades letter. These quotes for educators will help you stay the course.

19. “Often when you think you’re at the end of something, you’re at the beginning of something else.”

Fred Rogers

20. “Education breeds confidence. Confidence breeds hope. Hope breeds peace.”

Confucius

21. “One looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to those who touched our human feelings. The curriculum is so much necessary raw material, but warmth is the vital element for the growing plant and for the soul of the child.”

Carl Jung

22. “Teaching is the one profession that creates all other professions.”

Unknown

23. “If you are planning for a year, sow rice; if you are planning for a decade, plant trees; if you are planning for a lifetime, educate people.”

Chinese Proverb

24. “Improvements are only temporary until they become part of who you are.

-The goal is not to read a book, the goal is to become a reader.

-The goal is not to run a marathon, the goal is to become a runner.

-The goal is not to learn an instrument, the goal is to become a musician.

This year, focus on the identity you want to build.”

James Clear

What are your favorite quotes for educators?

Compassion Fatigue Resources for Educators

Educator Wellness: 6 Protective Factors

20 Questions: SEL Conversation Starters

SEL Conversation Starters

References to SEL – or social emotional learning – are everywhere, it seems. As we emerge from the pandemic, there seems to be a general agreement that we – and our young people – need it. But just what is SEL? And what can it look like in your classroom or office?

Most states and education systems are adopting the CASEL framework to define SEL. CASEL is the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning and the name highlights something that is getting a bit obscured in our current landscape: you can’t have academic progress without social and emotional learning. If students don’t feel socially integrated and emotionally safe, then they are not primed for learning reading and math.

The five CASEL competencies include: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision-making. While you may not have time and space to practice all five competencies in every class, every day, it is likely that in the course of a typical week or month, your students will have the opportunity to practice all five. These SEL conversation starters can be a great way to include those competencies may not be as directly tied to your core content.

SEL can be included in your curriculum both formally and informally. Inspired by this list intended for adult audiences, here are some SEL conversation starters for your next community circle, journal prompt, or casual check-in.

Self-Awareness

1. If there was a movie made of your life, who would you want to direct it, and who would play you?

2. If you were a color, what would you be?

3. What was your favorite TV show or movie when you were younger?

4. What words do you hope people use when they are describing you?

Self-Management

5. What’s something you do that your 5-year-old self would probably find funny?

6. What are your pet peeves?

7. What food are you craving right now?

8. What song always puts you in a good mood?

Social Awareness

9. If aliens came to earth, what do you think they would find most interesting about you? About me? About humans? Why?

10. If you were invisible for two hours, what are some things you would do?

11. Who is the most famous person you have ever met or seen?

12. If money was no object, where would you live?

Relationship Skills

13. If you could meet anyone in the world, dead or alive, who would it be?

14. What’s the best piece of advice your grandparent/older relative gave you?

15. What habit(s) do you have that you think annoy other people?

16. What celebrity or public figure would you want to be stuck on a desert island with?

Responsible Decision Making

17. If you could take only five movies to a desert island, what would they be?

18. If you were granted three wishes, what would they be and why?

19. If you had one day to spend as you please without any consequences, what would you do?

20. What is your biggest goal post-pandemic?

Have you tried these or other SEL conversation starters with your students? Message me on Instagram and let me know how it’s going.

Educator Wellness: 6 Protective Factors

Dear Class of 2024: A Reminder about Reminders for College Applications

You could argue it’s a bit early to write this for you – reminders for college applications are more than a year away – but based on what your older friends and siblings are exhibiting, I think this is something to read now, and then read again a few more times to make sure it really sinks in.

TL/DR: don’t send email reminders to staff about supporting documents. DO send them a thank you card and keep them updated on your college decisions.

Reminders for College Applications

School staff spend a lot of time trying to reinforce that the college process is focused on you – but supporting documents and letters of recommendation is the one part that we own. And here’s why you should think twice before you send an email reminder to your trusted adult.

1. We got this

For most of us writing letters, this is not our first rodeo. And just like you, your teachers and counselors and deans and coaches have different writing styles. Some of us like to write in the morning, sipping coffee. Others of us write late at night, curled up on the couch. Some of us write in bits and pieces, a sentence here and there in between classes. Others of us require total and complete silence – usually found off campus. Some of us can’t handle writing more than one letter a day, others of us prefer to power through five or more in a day. Regardless of the specifics, most of us have a working style that works – for us.

And yes, there are always people who are writing their first ever letters this year, but here is some perspective. Often these folks are closest to the college process themselves. They are often new to the field and just navigated this process as a student. Or sometimes they are coming from college admissions offices – where they had a front row seat, reading other people’s letters. But even if neither of these applies, when people do something for the first time, then tend to put their all into it. Your recommenders are very likely to do the same.

2. The time we spend reading and replying to your email is less time to write

As you have just read, we all have different working styles. Some of us have superstitions about writing only when our desk is tidied and polished to a shine. Others of us require our inbox to be at zero to turn our full attention to crafting letters. No matter what, the minute it takes to read, process and reply to your email is one less minute we have in our personal system to write what we need to write.

For much of the fall, we are immersed in college recommendations – reminders for college applications are like reminding Santa Claus to load up the sleigh. Seeing such a reminder also doesn’t leave a positive impression about you to the recommender. Do you not trust us? Have you not read our reassuring messages? Do you not listen to instructions? See #4

3. Our college and university partners will always give US the benefit of the doubt.

Let me be clear on this – colleges will likely not have the latitude to do that for YOU, unless circumstances are very extenuating. But though we work in different settings, we are colleagues. Many of us have spent at least some time on “both sides of the desk.” And if there is a technical issue, a computer glitch, a mistyped email address, or other snafu, rest assured that every admissions officer I have ever spoken with is actually also a real, live person themselves.

If the student does everything right and the school has one misstep, the college will contact the school and resolve the issue. And if the college does not have the humanity and decency to allow for an occasional, unintentional, unforeseeable human error, then maybe you should consider if that is a place you want to spend four-plus years and several thousands of dollars. Send your application when it is checked for errors and completed. Don’t wait for school documents before applying.

4. No matter what the words in your message say, what we read is “I hope you are doing your job” – (which is not what you want in your recommenders’ minds as they write!)

Whether your message is a few words typed on your iPhone or a lengthy paragraph drafted on your laptop, we are all reading the same message “in between the lines.” These seemingly innocent reminders for college applications all come across the same. And a variation of “I hope you are doing your job” or “just checking that you are actually writing this” is exactly the opposite of what you want in your recommenders’ minds as they actually write. Instead, you want them to be reflecting on your contributions to class discussions, your ability to explain concepts to peers with ease, or your fascination with amphibians or croissant-making or genealogy.

5. We got this.

Yes, I’m repeating this. Because for the past 12 years of your formal education, people like us have reminded you to study for the vocabulary quiz, to turn in your math homework, to complete the permission slip for the field trip, and to eat a healthy lunch so you don’t fall asleep in your afternoon classes. And now, for approximately 8 weeks in the fall of your senior year, you are trying to turn the tables on that narrative, with these reminders for college applications.

We know this is YOUR senior year. YOUR only application season (spoiler alert: it may not be – you might transfer, apply to study abroad, apply to grad school, med school, law school…). YOUR one chance. We get it. And because of that, we got this – we are going to write what we can to share with colleges who you are in the context of your school and community. Please allow us the time and space to do so.

Dear Class of 2024: Where to Go to College

Dear Class of 2024: How to DIY your College Search Process

More Color Street Canada FAQ – for Stylists and Potential Stylists

Color Street Canada FAQ: What questions do you have?

Color Street Canada is here – and you may have more questions. You can find many answers here.

Dear Class of 2024: How to DIY your College Search Process

Rethink the College Search Process

College acceptance letters are all too often viewed as some sort of false finish line for college – rather than a starting point for growth and exploration. The Class of 2024 is going to feel an even bigger crunch in some ways- in that the fall of tenth grade might be your first time on your high school campus. You might feel simultaneously as though you just started high school and it’s practically over.

If you view the notification of acceptance, waitlist or denial as an endpoint, then you are at risk of “boomeranging” – not making it through your first year of college (or sometimes even a quarter or semester). So how do you approach the college search process and choose a school where you will not only survive the first year, but thrive for four (or more) years? Here are some thoughts to consider:

Early or Late?

You can do the research before applying or after acceptance – I highly recommend the former. It will save you money on application fees to schools that aren’t a fit for you, and you will have an easier time completing applications for schools that you have chosen thoughtfully.

The Cost of the Matter:

With younger teens the most important college research to be done is that of bringing core college vocabulary to life. Older teens can and should be able to check their gut instincts a bit as they determine a fit for themselves.

Parents and families as well have a vocabulary lesson of their own – EFC (Expected Family Contribution), affordability, net price calculator. And navigating this part of the process can be especially stressful to many families. So it is often pushed off until late in the process, when the exact opposite approach would be more helpful.

Find – and use – net price calculators early in the search process (BEFORE applying!). Have frank conversations about how much the family can fund – for each individual, if you are not an only child. And understand that in general, the lower the acceptance rate for a given college or university, the less likely it will need to use merit aid (or what X calls “coupons”) to fill it’s freshman class. So from the beginning, look beyond acceptance rates – it will serve you well.

Start Big:

There are over 5000 college options in the United States. Rather than starting with a single dream school and building a list from there, consider the task to be one of narrowing the list of 5000-plus. In doing so, you will reinforce that there are always options, always more open doors than closed ones.

Use free tools like Scoir, Big Future, and Corsava to sift through the options. Use books like the Fiske Guide to compare schools side by side.

Understanding Characteristics:

How to narrow that list? By understanding and developing preferences about college characteristics. Crack open a college guide or spend any amount of time on college websites and there can be an avalanche of vocab that is abstract to many teens: rural, urban, mid-sized, research university – as well as many other terms that may be familiar, and often enticing: Greek life, internships, study abroad. In many parts of the country, a drive of a few hours may provide you with the opportunity to understand size and location characteristics, which may hold more or less significance to different individuals.

Some students may be set on a particular location – such as Southern California – yet entertain both Pomona College (~1200 undergraduates) and UCLA (~40,000 undergraduates). Others may be flexible on a location, but know they want a large school and will include UC Davis (semi-rural California), the University of Michigan (Midwestern college-town) and Columbia (urban New York) in their search.

The Question of “Why”:

Arguably, the entire college search process can be distilled down to the single question of “Why {insert name of school}?” If you can’t answer this question with clarity (and also relative ease), then you should really consider why it’s on your list at all.

Because if your answer has anything to do with the suggestions (or alma mater) of a friend or family member, that’s not your Why, it’s someone else’s. If your answer is vague, the school MIGHT be a fit – but so might many, many others. And if you find yourself Googling the school before you even attempt to answer the question – then that is a huge red flag. (And don’t even think about applying under a binding Early Decision program without a crystal clear answer to the Why question.)

So, how to reframe the college search process?

How to Reframe the College Search Process

1) College acceptance is not a finish line. Life does not end at 17 1/2 so it’s important to remember that college is a part of the journey, not the end point.

2) There is more than one right answer. There are thousands of colleges to choose from, not just the same 25 that “everyone” seems to talk about.

3) There are no sure things. No number of AP/IB/College classes, no GPA, no number of clubs/sports/volunteer activities can or will guarantee admissions to anyone at any school.

4) This is a two-way street. Students should “interview” colleges to see if each is a fit for them- and reject any schools that don’t meet THEIR criteria.

5). Tell YOUR story. The one thing that no else has to share with the world (and college admissions offices) is YOUR story. Spend time reflecting on how you arrived at this point – and how you want to shape the chapter ahead. You don’t need to have a vision of your life at 37, but you should consider how what happened in your life at 3 and 7 and 13 affect who you are at 17.

Dear Class of 2024: How to Get Into College

Dear Class of 2024: Where to Go to College

The Color Street Fall 2021 Collection

It’s time to shop the Color Street Fall 2021 collection.

You may be enjoying the last few days or weeks of summer, but your nails can be ready for fall with the new options from the Color Street Fall 2021 catalog.

As we begin to return to offices and schools in large numbers, you may find that your wardrobe needs an overhaul after months of quarantine, WFH, and, um, flexible eating schedules.

Good news: Color Street nail polish is one size fits all.

So take a few minutes and try one – or four – of the new Color Street Fall 2021 colors. Remember – all of these designs are always buy three, get one free online (or buy six, get two free, or buy nine and get three free, etc.)

Here are Color Street Fall 2021 new additions to the catalog:

PRISM FX

Always innovating, Color Street has outdone themselves with the new Prism FX line – deep, opalescent glitter that is uniquely sourced and offers incomparable depth. Four new options include Anything Froze, All Fired Up, Flake My Day and Gleam On.

SOLIDS

Four essential solids join the catalog for Fall 2021. Amazing Greige, She’s a Trooper, and Deep Diving are all new creme shades. Strobe Lights is a periwinkle duochrome option.

GLITTERS

Thee stunning glitter options join the Color Street catalog for fall 2021. Lavender sparkles in Glitter Days Ahead, while Coming in Hot is a warm rust color and Teal We Meet Again speaks for its (teal) self.

NAIL ART DESIGNS

Something for everyone in this diverse collection of new Nail Art Designs. Whether you prefer creme, shimmer, glitter or duochrome – you’re sure to find a nail art design – or four – that you fancy in the Color Street Fall 2021 Collection.

CLEAR NAIL ART DESIGNS AND GLITTER DIPPED OVERLAYS

Just the thing to add to your favorite solid or glitter shade: a clear nail art overlay. This fall, Spot On returns, joined by Flower Power and Keep Calm and Chevron. If you prefer some extra sparkle, consider Lavish Lavender or Over the Moon Glitter Dipped Overlays.

The Color Street Fall 2021 Collection: Glitter Dipped

Ready to shop? Click here.

Try It: Color Street Sample

Are You Making These 5 Color Street Mistakes? Plus Quick Fixes

Color Street Canada Launch: 10 FAQ

Color Street is now available in Canada – whether you want to shop or join, you’re sure to have many questions. Here are some frequently asked questions – and answers – about the Color Street Canada launch to help you out!

Want to shop? Click here. Or if you are ready to join, just click here to join the fun!

Frequently Asked Questions: Color Street Canada Launch

1. Will Color Street be available in all Canadian provinces?

Yes, we have fulfilled all requirements to be eligible to sell in all Canadian provinces.

2. Will Color Street be spelled Colour Street in Canada?

No, Color Street and its logo are trademarked, so the spelling will not change.

3. What will be included in the Starter Kits for new Canadian Stylists?

All Starter Kits will contain the same products and accessories for both the US and Canada. Canadian Stylists may choose to receive their marketing materials in either English or French by selecting their preferred language during enrollment.

Ready to Join?

4. Can US Stylists sell to Canadian customers and vice versa?

Yes, the website will allow Stylists from both the US and Canada to sell to customers in both countries after the Color Street Canada launch. (This does NOT apply to “in stock” items for stylists- those may not be sold/shipped across the border.)

5. Can US Stylists recruit new Stylists in Canada and vice versa?

Yes, the website will allow Stylists from both the US and Canada to enroll new Stylists from both countries after the Color Street Canada launch.

6. What is the product pricing in Canadian dollars?

	US Dollars	Canadian Dollars
Solid Colors, Clear Art Designs	$11 USD	$14 CAD
Glitters	$12 USD	$15.25 CAD
Glitter Nail Art Designs, Nail Art Designs, Glitter-Dipped	$13 USD	$16.50 CAD
French Manicure	$14 USD	$17.75 CAD
Starter Kit	$129 USD	$159 CAD
eSuite Fee	$9.95 USD	$12.50 CAD

7. Will the B3G1 deal be offered in Canada?

Yes, the Buy 3, Get 1 Free special for solids, glitters, and designs will be the same in both countries. The Buy 1, Get 1 French Manicure special will also be the same in both countries.

Ready to Join?

8. How much will it cost to ship to Canada?

How long will shipping take? All orders will ship via FedEx and will take 1-3 business days in transit once shipped. Shipping for the Starter Kit will cost $15 CAD; for all other orders, please refer to the below:

	Orders with Nail Strips Only	Orders with Nail Strips & Business Supplies
Less than 1 lb	$10.99 CAD	$19.99 CAD
1 lb – 1.99 lb	$19.99 CAD	$24.99 CAD
2 lb – 7.99 lb	$24.99 CAD	$24.99 CAD
8 lb & above	$29.99 CAD	$29.99 CAD

9. For orders placed through the website, how is sales tax collected and remitted to the Canadian government?

Taxes (GST/HST and PST where applicable) will be collected and remitted by Color Street for website orders placed in Canada, as is done for US orders. Stylists will not be required to remit any sales tax for orders placed on the website.

10. Will customers or Stylists be charged any additional customs fees or duties upon delivery?

No. There will be no additional fees charged at the time of delivery.

So what are you waiting for? Are you ready to join in the fun?

Do you have questions about the Color Street Canada Launch? Email me at lara@larasandora.com or join our Facebook Interest Group here.

Want a sample? Request one here.

Or want to shop? Click here.

Ready to Join?

Color Street Canada

Quick Start with Color Street

Best Summer Dessert Bars: Lime Ricotta Bars with Italian Meringue

What are the best summer dessert bars?

Do you have trouble deciding what to order? Is the sampler platter, the flight, or the combo deal your best friend?

Of course, it’s not just menus where I experience the “and” not the “or.”

I am a mom and educator – equally comfortable on both sides of the IEP table or school conference (though two decades-plus of education still doesn’t make your own child’s IEP any less routine).

I am a reader and a writer – leaning all the more heavily on both these stationary habits as quarantine life layered upon autism mom life shrunk our radius more than we thought possible.

I am an eater and cook – learning what I love by trying it, and then trying to recreate it myself – often with a twist.

Like making lemon bars with other citrus – grapefruit, tangerine, or lime.

Or fusing the richness of cheesecake with the fluffy goodness of meringue.

Or doing that all in one delicious bite.

So when you want all your desserts in one, consider this summery fusion option: lime ricotta bars with Italian meringue. Which are the best summer dessert bars you can imagine.

The Best Fusion

Let’s start from the bottom up – with a lime zest infused crust, the texture enhanced by both cornstarch and powdered sugar. The lime curd filling gets a scoop of (ideally fresh, homemade) ricotta. And then it’s topped with Italian meringue, lightly toasted. By whipping the egg whites with heated sugar syrup, Italian meringue a

Lime Ricotta Bars with Italian Meringue

Inspired by Lemon-Ricotta Bars and https://food52.com/recipes/13861-lemon-ricotta-bars Lime and Blackberry Italian Meringue Pie https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/lime-blackberry-italian-meringue-pie

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 45 mins

Cook Time 1 hr

Chilling Time 2 hrs 30 mins

Total Time 4 hrs 15 mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, Italian

Equipment

food processor
Stand Mixer with Whisk Attachment
small saucepan
9 x 13 baking pan

Ingredients

For the crust

1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon lime zest
3/4 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 1/2 sticks, cut into 1-inch pieces, slightly softened plus extra for greasing pan

For the lime-ricotta filling

8 ounces 1 cup fresh whole milk ricotta drained (preferably homemade)
4 large eggs beaten
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons lime zest
2/3 cup lime juice from about 4-6 limes strained
1/4 teaspoon salt

For the meringue:

2 large egg whites room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons agave syrup or corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

To make the crust:

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350° F.
Using a pastry brush, lightly butter a 13×9-inch baking dish and line with one sheet parchment paper. Butter paper, then lay a second sheet crosswise over it.
Pulse flour, confectioner’s sugar, cornstarch, lime zest and salt in food processor.
Add butter and process to blend; then pulse until mixture is pale yellow and resembles coarse meal.
Sprinkle mixture into lined pan and, press firmly with fingers into even layer over entire pan bottom and about 1/2-inch up sides.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes, and then bake until light golden brown, about 20 minutes.

To make the filling:

Whisk ricotta, eggs, sugar, and flour in a medium bowl, then stir in lime zest, juice, and salt to blend well.
Reduce oven temperature to 325° F. Stir the filling mixture before pouring into warm crust.
Bake until filling feels firm when touched lightly, about 30 minutes. Transfer pan to wire rack; cool to room temperature, at least 2 hours.

To make the meringue:

Place egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat whites in mixer until soft peaks form. Beat in salt. Set aside.
Stir sugar, agave syrup, and 1/4 cup water in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Attach a candy thermometer to side of pan. Increase heat to medium-high and boil without stirring, occasionally swirling pan and brushing down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush, until thermometer registers 238°, 6-8 minutes. Remove pan from heat.
Slowly pour hot sugar syrup down side of bowl into whites and beat until meringue is firm and glossy. Continue beating until cool, about 4 minutes.
Transfer lime-ricotta bars to cutting board, fold paper down, and cut into bars, wiping knife or pizza cutter clean between cuts.
Pipe or dollop meringue on top of each bar, then toast using a kitchen torch. Serve immediately or keep chilled.

Notes

Unlike French meringue (which is what you’ll typically find on lemon and other meringue pies), Italian meringue does not “weep” when it sits or is refrigerated. The texture is a bit more marshmallowy than a French meringue. (If you have a little extra, spread it on a graham cracker, toast it with your kitchen torch, and smash a piece of dark chocolate on top of it. You’re welcome.).

Keyword celebrations, sweet treats

Celebrate Small: Festive Ideas for a New Era | Lilikoi Tarts

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

5 Ways with Puff Pastry: Best Puff Pastry Recipe Ideas

Do you need the best puff pastry recipe ideas?

Are you ready for some party food? Bonus if it’s easy AND impressive. When I was a kid, puff pastry meant party food. My mom would pull out her Better Homes and Gardens cookbooks (we owned the Joy of Cooking, but BH&G was more in sync with the contents of our suburban, midwestern grocery store, circa 1980), and get to work. Having both studied and taught French, she had traveled widely in France, and I think dishes with a little puff pastry were reminiscent for her.

My mom has always had a sweet tooth, so while you can easily make cheese straws, pigs in a blanket, or other savory treats she would always veer toward the desserts. Baked off and layered with strawberries and whipped cream. Or perhaps with some chocolate mousse. And there were frequently sweet breakfast pastries (admittedly many of them coming pre-assembled in the freezer section as more and more new products emerged.).

Quarantine Learnings

Fast forward to early 2021. Life exists on Zoom. So to travel without traveling (something I have been doing for years as an autism mom!), a friend from high school books us a class to learn how to make pastel de nata – live with Ines, a woman in her kitchen in Lisbon, Portugal. A true silver lining of the pandemic, these transportive experiences helped break up the monotony, and allowed you to learn recipes with your own oven and tools- meaning they are easier to recreate once the meeting has ended.

If you watch any of the competitive baking shows, like the quintessential The Great British Baking Show (The Great British Bake-Off in the UK, a name that has been disallowed in the US by the folks at Pillsbury), you may have seen the judges and contestants refer to “rough puff” versus “full puff” pastry.

Rough puff pastry typically involved grating cold butter into the dough to incorporate it, whereas full puff pastry involves layering the dough with a slab of butter, and then folding and rolling the dough in a process known as lamination. The process results in a flaky dough that bakes up into many layers.

Though I enjoy the show and watch it frequently, I admit to being a bit intimidated at the prospect of making puff pastry from scratch. I was more than content to stick with the box, like my mom always did.

Think Outside the Box

And then there was Ines. Ines did not really make it clear until we were well underway that what we were making was the formerly intimidating dough. We just jumped right in. And I encourage you to as well – having made this recipe several times now, I have seen that it is remarkably forgiving.

Butter oozing out in various odd spots? Just fold it over and pop the entire thing in the fridge. (Bonus tip: place your pastry mat or parchment paper on a rimless baking sheet to allow you to chill the entire batch easily)

Awkwardly shaped on that roll out? Just tuck in the edges, rotates it and roll it again.

And while her purpose (and mine) is to encourage you to make a delightful vessel for the eggy custard of pastel de nata, the dough can be used for any of these easy puff pastry applications.

5 Ways with Puff Pastry:

Cheese Straws

Simply slice the chilled dough (after step 4) into long strips. Grate on some parmesan or other aged cheese and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Twist each “straw” as you lay it on the baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes at 425 degrees.

Pear & Gorgonzola Bites

Cut the chilled dough (after step 4) into ~ 2 inch squares and tuck each into the cavity of a mini-muffin tin. Press in a few diced, sauteed pears and a pinch of gorgonzola or other blue cheese and bake for about 15 minutes at 425 degrees. (Also try: caramelized onions + goat cheese, or diced kalamata olives + feta).

Mini Pigs in a Blanket

Inspired by this recipe, take strips of puff pastry (after step 4) and wrap them around small hot dogs or sausages (try the mini-chicken apple sausages if you haven’t already!). Place the wrapped bundles on a baking sheet and brush with egg wash (egg beaten with a tablespoon of water) and sprinkle with sesame seeds, poppy seeds and/or everything bagel seasoning.

Apple “Mummies”

Festive in the fall (which is apple season in much of the US), just leave the eyes off the rest of the year and you’ll still have a tasty treat. Saute or roast peeled and diced apples with a bit of sugar and cinnamon (or pumpkin pie spice) and a pinch of salt. Then cut your puff pastry (after step 4 below) into rectangles and “fringe” the edges, as demonstrated here.

Spoon some filling down the middle of the rectangle and fold in the strips to make a mummy-looking pastry. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes and allow to cool. If baking in the fall, use a dot of honey or agave syrup to affix two candy eyeballs to each mummy. Dust with powdered sugar if desired.

Passionfruit Pastel de Nata

If you have been following me for awhile, you may have noticed that part of my heart is in the Kona district, on the Big Island of Hawaii. Part of the reason I feel so at home there is that the Hawaiian islands are home to widespread cultural – and food – fusion. For someone who has always been “in between,” it has definitely become my home away from home. So as tasty as Ines’s recipe for pastel de nata was, I knew it would be a great opportunity for a little island-inspired fusion.

Portuguese influence can be found throughout modern Hawai’i food culture- including in malasadas (Portuguese style doughnuts), sweet breads, and, of course, in Portuguese sausage. But I have never encountered a pastel de nata in Hawai’i. The custard is made from egg yolks (the whites had historically been used to starch the collars of Portuguese priests), and it is easy to stir a bit of passionfruit puree in before pouring into the puff pastry crusts.

A few more notes on the puff pastry:

give yourself grace – remember, it’s more forgiving than you might think.
the refrigerator is your friend – if at any point, the dough becomes hard to handle, just stick it in the fridge.
to serve a savory and sweet treat for the same occasion, just double the recipe for the dough and use half for each treat.

Passionfruit Pastel de Nata

Pastel de nata is the traditional Portuguese pastry created, in part, to use up the surplus egg yolks after using the whites to starch the priests' collars. Adding lilikoi (passionfruit) merges island flavors with European ones, in the manner of malasadas (Portuguese style doughnuts) or sweet bread infused with tropical fruits.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 hr

Cook Time 30 mins

Resting Time 30 mins

Total Time 1 hr 30 mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine Portuguese