An Issue From the Zucchini Archives!


THE ZUCCHINI CLUBHOUSE NEWSLETTER
...the official newsletter from The Zucchini Brothers!
www.zucchinibrothers.com

FALL '02


Greetings from ZucchiniLand! And welcome to this archived edition of our Zucchini Clubhouse Newsletter, a quarterly publication filled with interesting facts, news from ZucchiniLand, stories, educational tidbits, projects, and much more! Please feel free to print this out and share with as many people as you want!

* * *


NEW & EXCITING ZUCCHINI PROJECTS

We'll be performing songs from our newest CD, "Safe And Sound," at each of our live performances--songs about the important topic of child/stranger safety. This new CD will be available for purchase at our shows or by going to http://www.fingerprintamerica.com.

* * *


STEVE'S CORNER

Steve Zucchini here, sitting in the backyard of the Zucchini clubhouse. It looks very different back here than it did in the summertime: the leaves are turning colors, the garden is--for the most part--done growing, and I've got to get my "Supersonic Rocketship" (my sculpture that's part rocket, part car) ready for the cold weather. If I'm going to ride it in the winter, I'll have to build some kind of roof for it to keep the snow and ice out of the passenger section. Maybe Mom'll let me use an old quilt as a cover? Nope, that won't stay dry! A big piece of metal? An old car roof? Well, maybe Dad and I can take a trip to the dump and look for something that'll work.

Well, it's Fall! Did you know that I'm also a collector of leaves? Don't laugh--it's not that strange! Over the last three Falls I have compiled a scrapbook of different kinds of multi-colored leaves. Mother Nature is really incredible--no two leaves are alike! Well, gotta go... It's time to go back inside, turn on the keyboard, and practice some of the new songs that we're going to play for you this Fall! Be good : )

* * *


JACK'S CORNER

Yee-haw! Fall is here, and I'm headin' out on my mountain bike to have some fun. That's right--over the summer, I bought a new mountain bike. I've decided that, whenever possible, that's how I'm going to travel. I pretend it's my horse, and her name is "Gray Dawg." Of course, I wear my helmet and have all the appropriate gear (reflectors, lights, colorful clothes, and mirrors) to ensure a safe journey. And of course, I decorated my mountain bike with plenty of cool stickers, too!

You may also be interested in knowing that I have a pet cocoon! See, I found a woolly bear caterpillar last weekend and made a nice home for it in a wood & wire container (with plenty of holes for the caterpillar to breathe, and lots of leaves, too). I put it on our bedroom windowsill at night, and when I woke up in the morning, it was inside a cocoon attached to one of the wooden walls! I can't wait until a butterfly emerges from the coccon! I wonder what it'll look like! I'll keep you posted.

* * *


SAM'S CORNER

Well, well...I've cleaned my part of our room seven times over the summer, and it's messy again, so I'll have to make this short and return to cleaning my room.

The rutabaga and Swiss chard did very well in our garden. Remember those old seeds I found? Well, they produced some interesting vegetables! We now have a clubhouse fridge full of not only rutabaga and Swiss chard, but also broccoli, string beans, peppers, hot peppers, kale, Brussels sprouts (I love Brussels sprouts), tomatoes, and all kinds of herbs.

I saw another moose in the clubhouse backyard. Two nights ago, I looked out our bedroom window and saw a moose with a sport jacket, dark glasses, and a hat. I snuck quietly out to the yard, in hopes of talking a bit with him. (Or could it be a HER?) The moose must have split--vanished--gone back to its friends. There was no moose when I got there. Oh, well... By the end of the fall, I hope to get a chance to talk to a moose.

The Zucchini Land Zebra's baseball team has not had a good season. They're still in last place, and Sadge Blake, their star pitcher, says he wants to be traded to another team. What are they going to do without him?

Well, so long from me... Talk to you next time!

* * *


LET'S ALL GET CREATIVE

: : : Moon Books : : :

Make a book that looks like, and is about, the moon! Here's what you'll need:

* 2 sheets of black construction paper * 2 sheets of white construction paper * white glue * aluminum foil * clear contact paper * several sheets of white paper (the sturdier the better, but use what you have) * 1 metal paper fastener (you could instead use a metal ring or a piece of raffia or ribbon--in which case you'll also need a hole punch)

Now, here's what you do:

1) Trace a circle onto each sheet of black construction paper. (Plastic lids are good objects to trace.) For best results, the circles should be approximately 8" in diameter.

2) Do the same for each sheet of white construction paper.

3) Carefully cut out all 4 circles.

4) Thinly cover one side of a white circle with glue. Take a piece of aluminum foil at least as large as the circle, and glue it to the construction paper so that you can still see the shiny side. Smooth it out so it looks neat. Repeat this for the other white circle.

5) Carefully trim the excess aluminum foil so you have two neat circles with one white side and one aluminum foil side.

6) Laminate each of the four circles, on both sides, with the clear contact paper, and neatly trim the excess.

7) Trace the same-sized circle onto several sheets of white paper; then cut them out. These will be the pages of your book, so make as many as you want.

8) Put the book together in this order: one black circle, one aluminum foil/white circle with the aluminum side facing *down*, all the white circles, the second aluminum foil/white circle with the aluminum side facing *up*, and the second black circle. Fasten them together by pushing the paper fastener through the whole stack (a few sheets at a time), approximately 1/2" from the edge. (Note: If you are fastening the book with a metal ring, raffia or ribbon, you'll need to punch a hole through each of the circles, about 1/2" from the edge. Make sure the holes line up so the book will look nice. And make sure you tie the raffia or ribbon, leaving enough room to easily turn the pages.)

9) Now your blank moon book is complete! Check it out: You can rotate the black covers to make it look like a waxing and waning moon! Neat, huh?

10) Now it's time to fill your book, and here are two ideas: You could write and illustrate your very own story about the moon. Or you could use this book as a moon journal. You could go outside each month when the moon is full and write down what you observe--the temperature, sounds, what you see, and anything else you notice. You could even give each full moon a special name of its own, based on your observations. After a year, you can go back and read about how each full moon was unique!

Have fun!

* * *


FROM THE ZUCCHINI KITCHEN (Mmmm!)

: : : Super Easy Apple Pies : : :

Now that it's Fall, we have apples on our mind. We can't wait to return from our annual trip to Burnham's Orchard with a wheelbarrow full of apples! Apple pie is probably our favorite apple treat of all...only, apple pies are somewhat complicated to make. So we came up with a quick & simple apple pie alternative that can satisfy a craving for apple pie when the real thing isn't available. Technically, it's like an apple pie quesadilla, if you can imagine that. Try it...we think you'll like it! The following recipe makes one quesadilla, which serves one person. But you'll probably want to make more, to enjoy with friends and/or relatives!

Ingredients: * 1 flour tortilla * 1 medium-sized apple, sliced * 1 tsp. orange or lemon juice * 1 tsp. butter or margarine * 1/4 tsp. cinnamon * pinch of nutmeg * 1/2 tsp. maple syrup

1) In a bowl, toss the apple slices and orange or lemon juice together.

2) Melt the butter or margarine in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the apples, and cook, covered, for a few minutes, until apples are somewhat tender but not mushy. Stir in cinnamon, nutmeg, and maple syrup.

3) Lightly grease a skillet with non-fat cooking spray, butter or margarine. Turn heat to medium. Put the tortilla in the skillet for 2 minutes; then turn the tortilla over to cook the other side.

4) Put the apple mixture on one half of the tortilla, and fold the empty half over the filled half (so it looks like a half-circle). Cook for about 2 minutes, until the tortilla just begins to brown; then flip it over, and cook the other side until it begins to brown.

5) Remove from the skillet, and let it cool for a few minutes. Then cut the quesadilla into thirds so you have 3 triangles (shaped kind of like slices of pie)...and enjoy!


* * *


JOKE TIME!

Why did the girl throw butter out the window? ....................................................She wanted to see the butterfly!

How many lions can you put in an empty cage? ....................................................One. After that the cage is not empty.

What animal can jump higher than a house? ....................................................Just about any animal. A house can't jump.

* * *


HEY! IT'S THE WORD OF THE DAY

: : : Migrate (verb): : :

Definition: 1) (of people) move from one place of abode to another, especially in a different country, 2) (of a bird or fish) change its area of habitation with the seasons.

Sentence: This is the time of year when you can hear geese honking overhead as they migrate to a warmer climate.

* * *


QUOTE OF THE SEASON

"Treat people as if they were what they should be, and you help them become what they are capable of becoming." -Johann von Goethe

* * *



THAT'S EASY FOR YOU TO SAY!

Try saying this tongue-twister 3 times, fast:

"Colorful clown"

* * *


WEBSITE OF THE MONTH

This time, we want to share with you a cool National Wildlife Federation website for kids. It's located at: http://www.nwf.org/gowild and has all kinds of neat content, like games, homework help, things to make and do, amazing facts, and lots more (including a section for educators)! Check it out!

* * *


This newsletter is written by Susan Meyer and the Zucchini Brothers. Thanks so much for subscribing to this newsletter and supporting The Zucchini Brothers! We hope to see you at an upcoming performance! And please consider calling or writing your local radio station to let them know you like our show!

Your Friends,
Steve, Jack & Sam Zucchini
* * *