Maková bábovka (aneb Summer isn't over yet.)

Hello and welcome to a pretty hot Saturday here at the Wannaskan Almanac. Even this far north it's gonna be a scorcher, folks, so be prepared and stay safe.

It's back to school, back to work time and all I can say is my head is not in the game. It's been a fabulous summer of travel and adventures with ample amounts of carefree timelessness. Even in this last-last week, when it was indeed time to gather up all the pencils and crayons, find the folders, count the notebooks, and sneak in any last-minute purchases, we found ways to ignore it all. Oppenheimer, Lego at the library, swimming at Zippel Bay State Park, one more trek to Winnipeg, bike rides, neighbor kids, and the final-final event of the summer: the Family Gathering today., It's gonna be tough going back to ordinary time. So, here's to the last hurrah.

#Barbenheimer - Thanks to Roso Theatre, friends and I got in on this two-for-one summer phenomenon the last two Sundays of summer. Not only did we enjoy the screenings, but we also had thoughtful discussions around the theme "with great power comes great responsibility." See both. Discuss. Preferably over dinner.

Libraries - Libraries are one of summer's greatest assets. With reading programs and fun events like the zoo guy who brought a tortoise and a kangaroo, the library provided a steady staple of summer adventures. While in the Czech Republic, we even got a library card at the local library! Online Libby and Hoopla covered the bases in between. Just last night, the (soon-to-be) Sixth Grader explained to a twenty-something how Prague became a city - a detailed, descriptive retelling of what she'd read in The Three Golden Keys by Peter Sis.

Zippel Bay State Park - The perfect place for a last summer hurrah, the best things about swimming here are the underwater sandbars and shallow waters that let kids go quite a ways out with no fear of drop-offs. On this particular day the wind was producing some pretty bully waves. Ever curious and observant, we enjoyed the tug of water and experimented with the force of nature, sometimes diving head first into the white caps then floating and letting them push us toward the shore.

Best Western Plus in Winnipeg - This hotel had a clover leaf pool with a slide, a raining umbrella, and a whirlpool section that reminded us of our wonderful swimming adventures in the Czech Republic. If you're looking for a hotel that is affordable, family-friendly, with a good breakfast that's near the airport, I recommend this one! We usually take 90 (Kenaston) north which is constantly thick with traffic. However, the drive to the airport from this hotel on the west side of Winnipeg was a convenient (relatively empty for 9am on a Thursday morning) drive east on the Trans-Canada Hwy 1, then a quiet and quick drive up Berry Road.

We did make it to the school on Friday to pick up Chromebooks and scope out the new school year scene. The (soon-to-be) Sixth Grader will have a locker and most of her classes in the high school wing this year. "Locker combinations are hard, Mom!" and "Why is there so much walking?!" were the key takeaways. But at least there's breakfast and lunch for all students this year and she already knows where the library is.

But let's not talk about school just yet. Today, it'll be swimming and family and this maková bábovka I made from my new favorite Czech cooking website Cook Like Czechs. And, yes, mine even looks like the picture!

YEAST BUNDT CAKE WITH POPPY SEED FILLING
by Cook Like Czechs