Archive for the year 2012
Let’s Talk About Summer Plans Posted by yelena on Jun 8, 2012

Is your summer bucket list ready? In case you don’t know what a bucket list is, it’s a list of things you want to сделать (to do), выполнить (to accomplish), достичь (to achieve), увидеть (to see), попробовать (to try, to taste), and otherwise испытать (to experience) before you сыграть в ящик (kick the bucket; die)…
Power Up, Down, and Out Posted by yelena on Jun 6, 2012
Have you had a power outage lately? If you have, then you probably have a story to share about living by candlelight and having to grill all those hamburgers you had in the freezer. Would you like to know how say all that in Russian? First thing first, let’s start with “power outage”. You…
My recipe for something sort of like black bread Posted by Rob on Jun 5, 2012

Мой рецепт для хлеба, напоминающего чёрный In part 1, I described my attempts to reproduce “authentic Russian black bread” at home. And now, here’s the step-by-step recipe for those who want to try it! My instructions tell how to make the bread ручным способом (“by hand”), but you can certainly use a хлебопечка (“bread machine”)…
Baking genuine Russian-style black bread in a “Yankistani” kitchen: Can it be done? Posted by Rob on Jun 4, 2012

Выпечка настоящего чёрного хлеба на “пиндостанской” кухне: возможно ли это? In one of her Easter posts, Yelena mentioned the challenge of making baked goods — such as the sweet Easter кулич — from дрожжевое тесто (“yeast dough”). And indeed, yeast loaves can take a bit more practice, and are more labor-intensive, than “quick breads” raised…
Vroom, vroom, VOM! (Verbs of Motion on a Harley) Posted by Rob on May 30, 2012

Here in Washington DC and the пригороды (“suburbs”) surrounding it, канун Дня поминования (“the day before Memorial Day”) becomes the occasion for a really big event — a privately organized парад байкеров (“biker parade”), entirely на мотоциклах (“on motorcycles”)! In English, it’s called “Rolling Thunder”; in Russian, it’s been translated as Раскат грома (“A resounding…
Just a Story About Grilling Posted by yelena on May 29, 2012
School’s out! Finally, it’s time for летние каникулы (summer break). Before you head out to the beach, ask yourself this: нравится ли мне этот блог? получаю ли я от него удовольствие и/или пользу? (Do I like this blog? Do I get pleasure and/or usefulness from reading it?). If the answer is, then please голосуйте за…
Эта книга изменила мою жизнь… Posted by Rob on May 28, 2012

(“This book changed my life…”) …and it could change yours, too! No, I’m NOT talking about Dianetics, or Think and Grow Rich, or Lose Two Pounds A Day The Herbal Way, or whatever. Я имею в виду вот эту книгу (“I have in mind this book here”): ВНИМАНИЕ! Чтение этой книги может привести к новой…