What's Happening at Program-BELL Poznan?!

2008-06-03T06:07:00.000-07:00

June 2, 2008

A final goodbye and good luck to one enthusiastic CAE group. Group 10 specially requested a cooking class to finish off the year. We decided to make authentic American style hamburgers - NOT McDONALDS!!! - and chewy chocolate chip cookies. Yummmm!

Here are the recipes:

Basic Hamburgers

INGREDIENTS·1 egg·1/2 teaspoon salt·1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper·1 pound ground beef·1/2 cup fine dry bread crumbs

DIRECTIONS1.Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat and lightly oil grate. 2.In a medium bowl, whisk together egg, salt and pepper. Place ground beef and bread crumbs into the mixture. With hands or a fork, mix until well blended. Form into 4 patties approximately 3/4 inch thick. Place patties on the prepared grill or under the broiler in the oven. Cover and cook 6 to 8 minutes per side.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

INGREDIENTS·1 3 cups all-purpose flour·3 tsp baking soda·1 tsp salt·3 cup butter·1 cup white sugar·1 cup packed brown sugar·1 egg·1 tsp vanilla·1 3 - 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chunks (dessert chocolate)

DIRECTIONS1.Preheat oven to 375o (190oC).2.In a small bowl combine flour, soda and salt. Set aside.3.In a medium bowl beat the butter and sugars well.4.Add egg and vanilla, mixing well.5.Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet. Stir in chocolate.6.Drop by tablespoons onto a nonstick cookie sheet.7.Bake for 12-13 minutes.

2008-05-16T09:24:00.001-07:00

Teaching the Teachers!

The teachers at Program Bell had the unique opportunity to learn how to make authentic pizza from Naples, Italy. One of Bell's own students, Pako, enthusiastically led this hands on lesson with the help of his many assistants.

It would seem that the pizza lesson was a success :) Yummmm.

2008-02-16T07:50:00.000-08:00

What Should I Bring???

On February 19th, please bring:
1. a medium sized bowl

2. a small cutting board

3. a paring knife

4. a fork

2008-02-12T13:15:00.000-08:00

What's Cooking?

MEATLOAF!
(not the band)

It's a simple American dinner that has it's origin
in the Great Depression of the 1940's.
It's fast, inexpensive and delicious!
Come, have a taste and learn how to make it yourself!

Program Bell Students:
February 19th at 7:oopm
Free!

Justyna's Students:
February 26th at 7:oopm
4,00 zl = 2 people

Sign up in the office if you want to attend
or contact Becky directly by leaving a comment.

2007-11-27T00:33:00.000-08:00

Christmas Cookies!

Date:
Tuesday, December 4
Time:
19:00
Place:
Classroom 3

What to bring:

1. mixing bowl

2. fork

3. cookie sheet

4. rolling pin

*If you have favourite or special cookie cutters,
you can bring them; but I will have some there, Becky

2007-10-26T09:06:00.000-07:00

For Pumpkin Pie
Please Bring:

1. a pie plate (for tort)

2. a medium mixing bowl

3. a 1 litre tupperware dish (plastic with lid)

***Number 2 & 3 can be the same thing.

2007-10-11T00:41:00.000-07:00

Welcome to another year of

COOKING!!!

This year we'll be meeting on
the following Tuesday evenings:

October 30 - Pumpkin Pie

November 27 - Christmas Sugar Cookies

Please sign up in the office or contact Becky directly. ~Thanks

2007-05-30T23:24:00.000-07:00

Last Cooking Class of the Year!

The last cooking class will be coming up in June, as well as, the last film night. Check here for updates.
Thanks to efforts of Asia Falkowska, a Bell student, we have much of the past year's highlights on film. Take a look!

2007-05-24T03:34:00.000-07:00

What do I need to bring for cooking class?

Very good question, here's a list...

a cake pan (Loaf pans are traditional for banana bread, but a square or round one will do.)
a fork (strong enough to mash bananas)
a mixing bowl

Look forward to seeing you there!

2007-05-18T08:06:00.000-07:00

BANANA BREAD

What is it? How do I make it?

Come to Program Bell on
Friday, May 25
19:00
and find out!!!

Bring any of your curious friends to help out!
See you then!

2007-05-08T08:04:00.000-07:00

Amish Culture
Saturday, May 12th, 11AM
at Program-Bell

Learn about and discuss
Amish culture in North America:
-history
-lifestyle
-religion
Watch a film in English depicting Amish life:
WITNESS

2007-04-26T05:48:00.000-07:00

What do I bring for cooking class???

Please remember that you must sign up early for cooking class so that enough food can be bought.

Please bring:

a tupperware (plastic) dish to take home leftover Sloppy Joe mixture

a knife for chopping vegetables

a fork to eat with :)

2007-04-13T06:22:00.000-07:00

Sloppy Joes!!!

Friday, April 27th, 7PM
We'll be making a mess American style!

-Learn how to read recipes in English.
-Taste what you cook.
-Practice talking with native speakers.
-It's free, so bring a friend!

*Please tell the office or Becky
by April 25th if you plan to come.*

Kitchen Sayings:
*A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand.*
* A clean house is a sign of a misspent life.*
* A messy kitchen is a happy kitchen... and this kitchen is delirious.*
* Help keep the kitchen clean - eat out.*
* If we are what we eat, then I'm easy, fast and cheap.*
* No husband has ever been shot while doing the dishes.*
* Thou shalt not weigh more than thy refrigerator.*

2007-03-19T01:54:00.000-07:00

Apologies for the canceled film night on Friday, March 09. I became extremely (and suddenly) ill. I'm much better now and hope we'll be meeting sometime soon.

What do you think of a Saturday morning workshop instead of just an evening? Everything Amish? There's really so much to talk about... let me know your thoughts,

Becky

2007-03-11T00:45:00.000-08:00

Can You Solve This Riddle?
Leave your answer in the office at Program-Bell.
Include your name and email.
Wait and see if you win!

Follow the clues below to get the 8-letter mystery word. But this is tricky-for each letter in the correct answer, you'll have two letters to choose from.

Hint: The mystery word names a group of people in American history.

Here are the clues: The first letter is in PEACE but not in CAR. The second letter is in GIVE but not in VERY. The third letter is in MILK but not in HIKE. The fourth letter is in GOAT but not in BOTTLE. The fifth letter is in FREE but not in BE. The sixth letter is in HIM but not in THEN. The seventh letter is in YAM but not in THAT. The eighth letter is in SEAT but not in BEAM.

The mystery word is _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.

2007-03-09T05:19:00.000-08:00

" As I walk through the valley where I harvest my grain
I take a look at my wife and realize she's very plain.
At 4:30 in the morning I'm milkin' cows
Jebediah feeds the chickens and Jacob plows.
There's no phone, no lights, no motorcar
Not a single luxury,
Like Robinson Caruso
It's as primitive as can be..."

Who is Weird Al talking about?
Come to film night and find out!
Friday, March 16 * 19:00

2007-02-16T06:16:00.000-08:00

So light
and fluffly...
it tastes like a cloud!
Come to Program Bell's
cultural cooking class
RESCHEDULED:
on Friday, March 2, 19:00
and learn the secret ingredient for
Angel Food Cake.
Bring a friend!

2007-01-31T07:57:00.000-08:00

Fargo - A homespun murder story.

Come out Friday, February 9 at 19:00
to see a film that is not 'typical' for
Program Bell's Thumbs Up
and certainly not 'too predictable'.
Funny, wicked, dramatic, and utterly demented -
it's one of those films that you just have to see.

Program Bell strongly recommends viewers be 18 yrs +
This film is rated R for strong violence, language and sexuality.

2006-12-05T01:13:00.000-08:00

The film nights and cooking classes are now finished for 2006.
I hope you all enjoyed our meetings as much as I did.
I'll be flying home to Canada for Christmas in about a week - at this time of year, there's no place like home.
Keep checking out the blog, though, for upcoming films and maybe some pictures of the great white North and a Canadian Christmas, and please comment and post pictures of your own.
Thanks to everyone for giving up your Friday nights for fun and learning! See you in 2007!
~Becky

2006-12-05T00:56:00.000-08:00

What You Said About the Film

The Christmas Story cast: Melinda Dillon, Darren McGavin (you may remember him from The Natural), Peter Billingsley

Your Comments:

Well, the film was superb :) The atmosphere as well.
The film was a classic, warm, old-style Christmas movie bringing back memories and making you laugh during and after the film.
A rather typical Christmas comedy, but there were quite a few funny moments, so I enjoyed watching it.
The guy reminded me of my cousin. I think it had a big dose of American culture.
A slice of Americana gift-wrapped in capitalism.
Quite a simple story, but funny. And, a lot of vocab., good for improving your English.
Thumbs up, especially for the 'Chinese restaurant' scene. A nice, funny story.

And your final rating:

2006-11-25T00:12:00.000-08:00

Friday, December 1st, 7pm

A Christmas Story

Come out for our last film night of 2006!
Ralphie, a young boy growing up in the '40's, dreams of owning a Red Rider BB gun. He sets out to convince the world this is the perfect gift. But along the way, he runs into opposition from his parents, his teacher, and even good 'ol Santa Claus himself.
A classic Christmas comedy.

Translation Challenge:
What does Ralphie want to do???
“For weeks I had been scheming to get my mitts on one of these fearsome blue-steel beauties. My fevered brain seethed with the effort of trying to come up with the infinitely subtle devices necessary to implant The Red Ryder range model air rifle indelibly into my parents’ subconscious.”

Words to Study:

BB gun
an air gun that shoots small metal balls called BBs

Bacchanalian
(especially of a party) involving a lot of drinking of alcohol, uncontrolled behaviour and possibly sexual activity: a bacchanalian orgy

a Display
a collection of objects or pictures arranged for people to look at

a Joy
a thing that makes you happy

The Holy Grail Of…
something that is extremely difficult to find or obtain: Sustained nuclear fusion is the holy grail of the power industry.

to Scheme
to make clever secret plans

Mitts (mittens)
type of glove with one part for all the fingers and a separate part for the thumb

Subtle Devices
quiet methods which do not attract attention to themselves and which are therefore good or clever, a subtle plan/suggestion

Cut It Out!
stop doing what you’re doing

Sales Pitch
talking that is intended to persuade you to buy something

On The Double
very quickly: Come here on the double!

to Switch Tactics
to change plans or an approach

a Furnace
a piece of equipment for heating a building: It's cold in here - should I turn on the furnace?

“That’s a good one.”
something you say after someone tells a good joke

a Noose
a serious problem: The noose of poverty was tightening (= becoming more serious) daily.

Inevitable
certain to happen and cannot be prevented

to Rebuild The Dike
to try to repair a mistake or fix a bad situation

Marauders
a person that goes from one place to another looking for something to kill or steal

to be Pushing Up Daisies
to be dead and buried

Obscenities / Profanity
vulgar, bad words

to Dare
to ask someone to do something which is difficult, dangerous or risky

Recess
a period of break time between classes at school

to Refuse
to say no, you will not do something

a Plight
an unpleasant situation, especially a serious, sad or difficult one

to Bawl
to cry loudly

Fluidity
something smooth and continuous

Deed
a legal document which is an official proof of ownership of land or a building

Fragile
easily damaged, broken or harmed (often written on packages that are sent through the mail)

to Drag
to move something by pulling it along the ground: Pick the chair up instead of dragging it behind you!

To Excuse someone From something
I asked the teacher if I could be excused from (= not have to do) football practice as my knee still hurt.

a Maneuver
a cleverly planned action which is intended to get an advantage: A series of impressive maneuvers by the chairman had secured a lucrative contract for the company.

Folklore
the traditional stories and culture of a group of people: Her books are often based on local folklore.

a Decoder
something used to break codes

a Controversy
a lot of disagreement or argument about something: There was a big controversy over the use of drugs in athletics.

“My Old Man” slang for “my father”

Pulverized
pressed or crushed until it is powder

an Icicle
a long pointed stick of ice that is formed when drops of water freeze: Icicles hung from the roof.

2006-11-19T10:38:00.000-08:00

Put on your apron, preheat the oven-
it's time to get baking!

Friday, November 24
7pm (19:00)

For our first Kitchen Culture evening we will be making a sumptuous Apple Crisp! The easiest of all traditional North American desserts, this is a simple recipe you'll use over and over again. So, come for a night of learning, tasting and socializing at Program-Bell.

What you need to bring:

an 8 or 9 inch square or round pan (20-24cm from side to side)
a small mixing bowl
a fork

Some words you should know:

Units of measurement used in North American recipes.
1 cup = approximately 236.59 milliliters
1 teaspoon = approximately 4.93 milliliters
1 tablespoon = approximately 14.79 milliliters

round or square pan

springform pan / cookie sheet

mixing bowl

2006-11-13T00:25:00.000-08:00

What You Said About the Film

The Natural: is a motion picture about a talented baseball player, based on a novel by Bernard Malamud. Released in 1984, the film stars Robert Redford as Roy Hobbs, a farm boy who has a lucky bat made from a tree that was struck by lightning. When Hobbs is a rooky, a surprising incident occurs, setting his career back several years. 16 years later, he tries to make a comeback.
The cast: Robert Redford, Robert Duvall, Glenn Close and Kim Basinger

Your comments:

easy to predict; best part: the stay in hospital; not too interesting
Even though the plot was not very surprising, I enjoyed the film, and I learned something about baseball (before, I didn't know the rules that much).

It was nice to watch it and it surprised me, as I was a little afraid that a "baseball theme" might not be very interesting. I enjoyed it!

Predictable. The best character was Memo, she was surprising. The worst was Hobbs' old friend. The worst part of the game was the last game.

Predictable, but left me with a positive feeling.

And your final rating:

2006-11-09T04:55:00.000-08:00

Be Prepared! Self Study for Film Night.
Here is a list of vocabulary and idioms that will appear in 'The Natural'.
Printed copies will be handed out on Friday night.

slam bang: (adjective) really good
prospect: (noun) possibility
no-hitter: (baseball expression) a game when no batter hits the ball, doesn’t happen often
“First Pete and now repeat”: someone just said the same thing
“Hang on to the water wagon”: insult to an alcoholic
“give him a shave with it”: so close it will shave his face
back round: info about a person
to rally: a public meeting of a large group of people, especially supporters of a particular opinion
priceless: very valuable or special
“killing worms”: (baseball idiom) throwing the ball into the ground
to urge: to advise
“dead to the neck up”: insult, useless
The Majors: major league, the top, the best place to be
to trample: to step heavily on something or someone, causing damage or injury
“give my right arm”: give anything, everything for something
pennant: 1. a triangular-shaped flag 2. baseball league championship
“I’m sending you down”: send a player to a lower league
“lost it in the sun”: can’t see because the sun is too bright
loaded bat: an illegal bat, something was put inside to make it perform better
a gut feeling: an instinct, strong feeling
rafters: structural pieces that support a roof
lumber: processed wood
hot streak: a series of good luck
jinxed: (adjective) bad luck, a curse
“winner take all”: result of a bet when the winner gets everything
swell: nice, pleasant
to sob: to cry noisily, taking in deep breaths
canard, prevarication: (rarely used, rather formal) a lie
impudent: rude and not respectful, especially towards someone who is older or in a more important position
riddle: puzzle, mystery
bookie: (book maker) person who takes and makes illegal bets, and illegal professional gambler
wheaties: nutritious breakfast cereal
a buck: (slang) one dollar
silver: (old expression) coins
“a flash in the pan”: something that is only special for a second
rock bottom: lowest possible
“You must have had a snout full”: you drank too much alcohol
empty handed: with nothing, no money
augment: add to something, make it bigger
contingency plan: a second plan if the first plan doesn’t work, a back up plan
suit up: get dressed, in uniform

2006-11-02T03:17:00.000-08:00

Film Night
Friday, November 10, 7pm
Program Bell, Room 4

2006-10-17T04:50:00.000-07:00

Film #1: The Natural

For our first Thumbs Up film, we will be learning about the popular American sport, baseball.
In addition to learning how to play baseball, we will also learn some commonly used idioms that have their origins in the game, including:

to make a ballpark estimate
to be way off base
to play hardball

If you would like to study some of the baseball terminology in advance, visit: www.momsguide.com/baseball/baseball1.html where some basics of baseball are described.
Popcorn is provided. Just bring yourself! And a friend!

2006-10-04T14:41:00.000-07:00

How do I sign up for the movie night and cooking class?

If you're interested in attending "Kitchen Culture" or "Thumbs Up", please go to the main office in Program Bell and leave your name and phone number on the sign-up sheet on the DOOR.
All interested students will be contacted at a later date to determine the best time and day for each class.
Don't forget - you can sign up for both!

Coming This Fall...

2006-08-18T06:18:00.000-07:00

Kitchen Culture:
Bring your notebook and an empty stomach! Students are invited to participate in our second year of practicing English hands on. Learn to read recipes, follow written instructions, cook and bake North American style. Spend 2 hours, only one Friday of every month, having fun, learning and eating! ~Bon Apetit

2 Thumbs Up:
Also once a month Program-BELL will be hosting a special movie night. But, be warned - come prepared for intensive vocabulary and cultural preparation. There will also be a discussion afterwards. There will be films for everyone, so check the Thumbs Up Calendar to see what's playing.

*All events depend on attendance and may be cancelled or rescheduled accordingly. Please check the events regularly for updates.
~Thank you

Walking on Sunshine

2006-08-18T05:54:00.000-07:00

Wow! It's August already. Summer has flown by as usual and with it long anticipated holidays. Now we have only full hearts (and cameras) to enable us to go back and relive those special moments.
Throughout the summer, Program-Bell, Poznan, hosted 6 different camps for children and teens in as many weeks. It was a special time of building new friendships, sharing new experiences and trading cultures. Though, like most of our holidays, the camps have come and gone, let's take a trip down memory lane and share one more smile...