Showing posts with label Laura Ingalls Wilder. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Laura Ingalls Wilder. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Going Back In Time

Literally, we're going to go back in time for our Thanksgiving dinner.

Literally, in the sense that our Pioneer Unit ended last week. And literally, in the sense that we're going to be Pioneers for Thanksgiving.

We're going to try to do as much of our dinner as though we were Pioneers (with some cheating, of course...)

We finished reading Sarah, Plain and Tall and Little House in the Big Woods.  Now we're reading Little House on the Prairie. The boys love the Little House books! (It's our bedtime book and they actually beg to go to bed early to listen to a chapter!)

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Anyway, here's what we're going to make for dinner:

HOMEMADE BUTTER - Butter (link to a different recipe)
and yet another recipe:  Homemade Butter

1/2 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon sour cream
pinch of salt, optional

Put both creams into a jar with a tight-fitting lid; shake vigorously. After a lump of butter forms (about 15 minutes), pour off the remaining liquid (whey - buttermilk). Place the butter on a plate and press it gently with a spoon to remove the remaining liquid. If desired, sprinkle with salt.

SUNDAY CORN PUDDINGMix together

2 tablespoons melted butter
1 beaten egg
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 cups milk


To this mixture, add 2 cups corn. Pour into buttered baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees, about 30 minutes (until firm).

If only we had some snow...

SNOW CREAM Snow cream was a winter treat, enjoyed in many areas of America long before the recipe for Ice Cream was brought from France (about 1800).

1 cup cream (or milk)
1/2 cup sugar
1 beaten egg
1 teaspoon vanilla


Mix well together in a large bowl. Stir in soft, fresh snow until you have an icy sherbet consistency.

JOHNNY CAKE (We just read about these in Little House in the Big Woods)

1 cup cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon molasses
1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted

Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients. Blend this mixture into the dry ingredients, mixing just enough to combine. Put the batter into a greased 8 inch square pan. Bake at 425 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Serve hot with Homemade Butter.
 
Another Johnny Cake recipe:


JOHNNYCAKE

3 cups cornmeal
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons molasses
3 cups buttermilk
2 well-beaten eggs
 
Sift together dry ingredients. Slowly stir in molasses and buttermilk and mix well. Add beaten eggs and beat hard for two minutes. Pour into shallow, well-greased pans and bake at 400° for 30 minutes.

 


NAVOO GINGER COOKIES
 
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup water
1 egg
3-1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
 
In a large bowl, mix together the sugar, molasses, oil, and water. Beat in the egg. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Add the dry mixture in three parts to the wet mixture, stirring well after each addition. Shape the dough into 1 inch balls and place them on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-12 minutes.
 
We'll maybe add to this. But for today, this is the goal for tomorrow!
 

Thursday, October 25, 2012

United States & Laura Ingalls Wilder

Laura Ingalls Wilder - wonderful addition to our Sarah, Plain and Tall/Pioneers Unit.  Here's a great website for research:  Laura Ingalls Wilder


And now we're learning about the United States - its regions, its states, the capitals and oh, so much more.

One site for fun:

USA Capitals Game

And back to that 50 Nifty United States song!

Another helpful tool:  50states.com

United States Capitals Map



US Map


































State Name                    Abbreviation                     Capital                                    Region

 

1. Alabama                             AL                                Montgomery                          Southeast

2. Alaska                                  AK                               Juneau

3. Arizona                               AZ                               Phoenix                                   Southwest

4. Arkansas                              AR                               Little Rock                               Southeast

5. California                            CA                               Sacramento                             West

6. Colorado                             CO                               Denver                                    West

7. Connecticut                         CT                           Hartford                                  Northeast

8. Delaware                             DE                               Dover                                      Northeast

9. Florida                                 FL                                 Tallahassee                             Southeast

10. Georgia                             GA                               Atlanta                                     Southeast

11. Hawaii                               HI                                Honolulu                   

12. Idaho                                 ID                                Boise                                       West

13. Illinois                               IL                                 Springfield                               Midwest

14. Indiana                              IN                                Indianapolis                             Midwest

15. Iowa                                  IA                                 Des Moines                             Midwest

16. Kansas                               KS                                Topeka                                    Midwest

17. Kentucky                           KY                                Frankfurt                                 Southeast

18. Louisiana                          LA                                Baton Rouge                           Southeast

19. Maine                                ME                               Augusta                                  Northeast

20. Maryland                          MD                              Annapolis                                Northeast

21. Massachusetts                  MA                              Boston                                     Northeast

22. Michigan                          MI                                Lansing                                   Midwest

23. Minnesota                         MN                              St. Paul                                    Midwest

24. Mississippi                         MS                               Jackson                                   Southeast

25. Missouri                            MO                              Jefferson                                 Midwest

26. Montana                           MT                               Helena                                     West

27. Nebraska                           NE                               Lincoln                                     Midwest

28. Nevada                              NV                               Carson City                             West

29. New Hampshire                NH                               Concord                                  Northeast

30. New Jersey                        NJ                                Trenton                                  Northeast

31. New Mexico                      NM                              Santa Fe                                  Southwest

32. New York                           NY                               Albany                                     Northeast

33. North Carolina                  NC                               Raleigh                                     Southeast

34. North Dakota                    ND                               Bismarck                                 Midwest

35. Ohio                                  OH                               Columbus                               Midwest

36. Oklahoma                         OK                               Oklahoma City                        Southwest

37. Oregon                              OR                               Salem                                      West

38. Pennsylvania                     PE                                Harrisburg                              Northeast

39. Rhode Island                    RI                                 Providence                              Northeast

40. South Carolina                 SC                                Columbia                                Southeast

41. South Dakota                   SD                               Pierre                                       Midwest

42. Tennessee                         TN                               Nashville                                 Southeast

43. Texas                                 TX                                Austin                                     Southwest

44. Utah                                  UT                                Salt Lake City                          West

45. Vermont                            VT                                Montpelier                             Northeast

46. Virginia                             VA                               Richmond                               Southeast

47. Washington                      WA                              Olympia                                  West

48. West Virginia                    WV                              Raleigh                                    Southeast

49. Wisconsin                         WI                                Madison                                 Midwest
 
50. Wyoming                          WY                           Cheyenne                               West