For this week’s make cycle I decided to recreate Little Red Riding Hood’s basket. I really enjoy baking and I thought this would be a great opportunity to recreate some things I thought might be found in Little Red Riding Hood’s basket. I made blackberry jam, butter, and biscuits–using the buttermilk that separated from the cream while making the butter. I also made plum galettes, and banana bread.

 

 

 

 

People write all kinds of stories. Biographies, historically based fiction, fairytales and more. Every kind of writing has a purpose, so why are fairytales written? Fairytales started as oral traditions and slowly began to be written down. Oral traditions themselves served multiple purposes, one being for entertainment, or they could be to teach a lesson, or possibly pass down family history. Fairytales, in my opinion, have carried on the purpose of entertainment, but also to teach a lesson or moral.

Little Red Riding Hood is a fairly common fairytale that has been shared for generations. As with many other fairytales people grew up with, Little Red Riding Hood has become, for many, something they just know rather than a story they remember reading. But why does it stick with us and what can it teach us? The simple story, often geared towards children, has been retold by many authors—each with a slightly different take. Does this show us that there are perhaps multiple things to take from this childhood favorite?

Specifically, one can learn that you should not talk to strangers. In “The Story of Grandmother,” Little Red Riding Hood makes the mistake of tell the wolf where she is going and he then beats her to Granny’s and almost eats her. She also tells the wolf where she is going in “Little Red Cap,” but this time she gets eaten and is then saved by the wolf. Metaphorically, one can learn that it is important to be cautious. In “Little Red Cap,” she gets eaten partly because she is a little to trusting. These, however, are only a few things to take away from the story of “Little Red Riding Hood.” There are various ways to interpret a story that change what its meaning is. 

Hello! I am Makayla Harrigan. I am 21 years old. I love to spend time in the kitchen, cooking and baking—and then sharing my creations with others. I also like photography and crafting and DIY projects. I was born and raised in the South Bay Area. I am the oldest of four kids, and I have one brother and two sisters. After graduating high school, I attended West Valley Community College. I enjoyed attending a community college first because it gave me the opportunity to explore some of my options without the stress of costs or time constraint. I did not always want to be a teacher, but my time at West Valley reassured me that this is what I want to do and who I want to be. I transferred to CSU Chico last year and this is the start of my fourth year of college. My goal is to earn a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies with a minor in Child Development, then continue to earn my teaching credential. Next I hope to move back home and teach grades K-2.

In my opinion, to be “a reader” is many things. I think of someone who spends a lot of time reading. They might read a variety of books. A reader is someone who goes beyond just “reading” a book, they pause and ask questions and look deeper. A reader might be inspired for what they have read to explore things within their own writing. I am someone that I never really thought of as much of a reader. I have always enjoyed reading, but it was never the first thing that came to my mind as an option for out of school activities. Reading was more of a “school activity” and can sometimes still be like this for me today. When reading out of school, I tend to pick books that allow me to relax and enjoy the book without putting too much thought into the details. However, as I go further in my education I find myself doing more of what I think of as “school reading.” Analyzing, making connections to other books and topics, and making notes of how it connect to other aspects of my life. The Williams article made me thing more deeply of what and who “a reader” is. Because nearly everyone can read and does in one form or another.