Sonlight 3 US History Hands On Activities Created by Holly in Maine for the SL 3 Loop in 1999 Weeks 19 through 36 Week 19 This week we will make banners (flags, if you will), and a Humming Toy. On the menu are Breakfast puffs and Hoppin John (a southern, blackeye pea dish). Background: Before our Independence, many different flags flew over our land, from the first Viking banner, the Royal Standard of Spain, the British Union Jack, the flag of the Dutch East India Company, the Royal French Fleur-de-Lis, to the colonial banner of the Revolution. You may make a replica of any flag you choose. Look up "Flags" in an encyclopedia to get ideas, or look under United States History to find model flags. MAKE: COLONIAL BANNERS- 1 yard muslin medium width felt tip markers scissors, tape, a paper bag to place under your marker using area. Cut the muslin into a rectangle 11 x 17" Tape the muslin over the opened paper bag work surface. This is so the markers do not soil your tabletop. Design your flag in pencil before going over the design in marker. You may sew tabs on one side so your banner flag can be hung... MAKE: HUMMING TOY Young Indians, as well as their Colonial counterparts, had to make their own toys and games. Needed: 3" circle of cardboard with two "buttonholes" in the center. Markers 36" piece of string Do: Decorate your cardboard circle. Run the string through the holes in one long loop. To Play: Twist the circle around and around until the string is tightly wound. As you pull the string, the top will unwind rapidly, making a humming sound. COOK: BREAKFAST PUFFS Shortening 1 T. butter 2 eggs 1 Cup milk 1 Cup flour dash salt Preheat oven (colonial fireplace side oven) to 425 degrees. Grease muffin cups. Put muffin pan in oven to preheat. Melt 1 T. butter. Crack and mix eggs Add milk and melted butter to the eggs. Beat until well mixed Mix flour and salt in another bowl Slowly stir in the liquid mixture into the flour mix ONLY until blended. Spoon batter into the warmed muffin tins until each is 2/3 full Bake at 425 for 20 min Bake at 325 for 15 min longer Remove from muffin cups when done Serve warm COOK: HOPPIN JOHN (Black-eyed peas) 2 Cups frozen black-eyed peas 1 med. onion ½ t. salt 1/2t. pepper ¼ t. ground chili 1 clove garlic, minced 1 bay leaf 8 oz. bacon Add frozen peas and 1 Cup water to med-sized pot. Heat on med. heat While heating, add rest of ingredients. Boil, then turn down and simmer 1 hour Stir from time to time If beans get too dry, add water 2 T. at a time Serve with hot, white rice. Serves 2-3 Week 20 This week we make another spinning toy and cook a casserole and a bread. MAKE: THAUMATROPE TOY Need: Circle cut of cardboard, 3" diameter two pieces of string, 6" each colored pencils or markers DO: Punch two holes on opposite edges of the circle. Thread each string through one hole and tie on. Draw a picture on each side of the circle. One part of the picture should be drawn on the upper part of one side, while the lower half of the picture should be on the other side. (example: water on lower part of one side and a fish jumping on the upper part of the opposite side.) Hold strings in your hands and wind up the circle tightly. When you let go, the circle spins and your eyes perceive the picture as one. COOK: SWEET POTATOES & APPLES 5 sweet potatoes 3 large apples butter to grease casserole dish 2 T. butter ¾ Cup maple syrup DO: Preheat oven to 350. Wash and pierce sweet potatoes. Bake 1 hour Set aside to cool Meanwhile: Cut apples into 4 sections each. Remove core and cut off skin. Cut unto thin strips Pull skins off cooled sweet potatoes. Cut into thin slices. Grease casserole dish. Layer apples and potatoes, alternating layers Place small pieces of butter on top of the casserole. Bake 30 min. BAKE: SALLY LYNN BREAD 2/3 Cup milk ¼ cup warm water 1 pkg dry yeast 6 T. butter, softened 3 T. sugar 2 eggs 3 Cups flour 1 ¼ t. salt Butter to grease pan Warm milk over low heat Add yeast to the warm water and stir Mix the yeast and water into the warm milk Cream butter and sugar in another bowl till creamy Beat eggs in another bowl. Mix flour and salt in a separate bowl Stir 1 cup of the flour/salt mixture into the butter/sugar mixture. Add 1/3 of the yeast mixture to the above mixture. Continue adding until everything is in one bowl and forms a smooth batter. Grease a round casserole dish Pour batter into that dish, cover with a dishtowel and let rise in a warm place. After 30 min, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove towel and bake bread 40-45 min. Loosen and remove from pan immediately. Week 21 MAKE: RAG DOLL Your girls can sew a rag-doll this week, but the best I can do describe it is to find a pattern for a gingerbread man cookie cutter and to enlarge the pattern. With "good" sides together, trace your doll pattern, cut and sew edges, turn right side out, stuff and sew the seam closed. Colonial children stuffed their dolls, made from scrap fabric or deerskin, with pine needles or sweet grass. BAKE: BEEFSTEAK PIE Two pastry pie crusts for 9" pie pan 1-2 lb beef rump roast 1 T. cooking oil 2 T. flour 4 T. water 2 Cups beef broth 1 t. dried parsley 1/8 t. marjoram 1/8 t. savory 1/8 t. thyme 2 T. butter Line bottom of pie pan with one pie crust Slice the rump roast into small, thin steaks ¼" thick Pound the steaks with a rolling pin until they are tender. Fry the steaks in the oil until browned on both sides. Place in pie pan. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Measure flour and water into a bowl and stir with fork into a paste Measure beef broth into the skillet to boil. Stir the flour paste into the broth. Turn heat down Simmer 3 min. Pour gravy over the steaks in the pie pan Sprinkle herbs and spices over gravy and meat Dot top of the pie with butter Cover the top with second pie crust Press edges together and pierce the top with a fork several times Bake 50 minutes of until crust is golden BAKE: ALMOND TARTS Pastry: ¾ Cup flour 6 T. butter 1 egg 1 T. cream extra flour for rolling out dough Filling: ½ Cup butter 1 lemon 1 cup ground almonds 1 T. orange juice 3 eggs ½ cup sugar Cut pastry flour and butter together till crumbly Crack egg into the bowl. Add the cream and stir till smooth Chill the pastry dough for 15-30 min. While dough is chilling, preheat oven to 325 degrees To make filling Melt butter over low heat. Separately, grate the outer part of the lemon (yellow part). Measure 1T of grated peel into a lg. mixing bowl Add the melted butter, almonds, orange juice, eggs, and sugar. Mix well. Set aside. Remove pastry dough from fridge. Divide into 12 pieces Shape each piece into a ball. Roll each ball on a floured butting board to a thin circle, ¼" thick Fit each circle into a cup in a muffin pan. Pat to fit the cup Put 2 T. filling into each muffin cup. Bake the almond tarts for 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted comes out clean Cool before serving week 21 cont. CHRISTMAS FRUIT CAKE 1 cup butter 6 eggs 3 cups flour ½ t. salt ¼ t. baking soda 2 ¾ Cups sugar 1 t. lemon extract ½ t. vanilla 1 Cup sour cream 1 cup chopped cherries, candied pineapple and candied orange peel (total 1 cup) ½ cup golden raisins extra butter to grease the pan sifted confectioner's sugar Preheat oven 350. Grease tube pan Mix butter and the eggs till fluffy. Add flour, salt, and baking soda Add sugar. Mix well Add lemon extract and vanilla Add sour cream Stir until all is creamy Finally, add all of the fruit and stir well. Bake in greased tube pan 1 ½ hours or till toothpick inserted in center is clean. Cool and sift confectioner's sugar on the top. serves 16 Week 22 For Week 22, before starting the Westward expansion/ Pioneer segment of our studies, have a Colonial party. Use any of your favorite crafts and recipes, invite some friends over, and enjoy! Week 23 Two wonderful books that will greatly help you in this area 1. The Little House Cookbook by Barbara M. Walker, 1979 Harper Collins books 2. The Encyclopedia of Country Living by Carla Emery, 1994, Sasquatch books The Little House book is where nearly ALL of the recipes for this next section come from. The other is a HUGE, thick manual on modern-day homesteading. I say modern-day because she mentions cars, electricity, canned soup and fertilizers. Other than that, it could pass as a manual for pioneer life! HOW to raise crops & animals, how to butcher a hog, make tallow candles, pollinate plants, cook very simple fare, etc are all in Emery's book. Check it out (of your library, that is!) MAKE: BRAIDED RUG Pioneers believed that all things should be put to good use. Women and girls mended and patched clothing until it wore out. Then they used it for rags to scrub dishes and to make rugs. How many clothes do we send to Salvation Army when we are done with them? Are they truly 'worn out'? Make a braided rug!! Need: 9 strips fabric, each 1" wide and 3' long tape scissors needle & heavy thread DO: Tie 3 fabric strips together at 1 end in a knot. Tape the fabric strips to a table, just under the knot Braid the strips together. Stop braiding when there is only 2" left. Tape the end of the braid to the table Sew 3 new strips to the 2" ends of the ones just braided to lengthen them When all of the strips are braided, tie a know at the end You know have ONE long, braided rope. Coil the rope around itself and backstitch as you go to hold it together in a flat curl. When the entire circular, braided mat is sewn into a flat curl, sew ends under the mat to finish it. BAKE: HARDTACK Hardtack is the simplest of all non-perishable meals. Until as recently as WW1, it was the staple food of traveling armies. It was eaten dry only in emergencies, and then it was sucked on more than chewed ( nick-named "tooth-dullers", we can understand why). Dipped in hot coffee, hardtack becomes edible. Soaked in water and fried in salt pork fat it is palatable. How would you like to eat not much more than this for weeks at a time while traveling west in a covered wagon?! One can understand why there was much illness and death along the way. Need: for 16 pieces: 3+ cups white flour, unbleached Salt, 3 teaspoons 1 Cup water DO: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix the flour and salt Add 1 cup water and stir until it becomes too difficult Knead dough in bowl by hand, adding more flour to make it very dry Press, pull and roll the dough into a rectangle ½" thick Cut into 3" squares. With a knife or nail, poke 16 holes in EACH square Bake 30 min on ungreased cookie sheet or till crisp & lightly browned Cool & store in closed container COOK: MEAT JERKY Use lean, red meat (beef, deer, elk, or moose) Remove fat & bone Cut into 5" x 1" strips about ½" thick (Cut along the muscle, not against the grain) Parboil 15 seconds or till the color changes slightly Soak 24 hours in a salt brine of 1 lb pickling salt in 1 gallon water. To dry: Pioneers would have dried meat over a smoky fire. Dry at 150 - 200 degrees oven for 5-8 hours, until dry & leathery COMPLETELY dry jerky will store well in airtight glass jars Week 24 PATCHWORK PILLOW Need: 2 different colored materials, each 8 ½" square 11" fabric square for the back of the pillow Needle & thread, pins Polyester batting (or pine needles, straw, etc for filling) DO: Lay one 8" fabric square on the table. Cut corner to corner to cut into two triangles. Cut the second 8" square the same way as the first. Place one fabric triangle, colorful side facing you, on the table. Lay a triangle of the other fabric, colorful side down, on top of the first. Pin one of the short sides together. Sew together the two triangles (colorful sides facing the inside). Repeat for the other two triangles. Now open the triangles you just sewed. You will have two, larger triangles, each made of two smaller triangles of differing fabric sewn together long one edge. Place one of the two-colored triangles on the table, facing you Place the other two-colored triangle on top of the first, colorful sides together. Sew along the longest edge. Open your work to reveal an approx. 11" square made of 4 triangles. Place backing on the table, 'right' side facing you. Place the sewn square of 4 triangles on top, colorful side down. Pin three of the four edges. Sew closed. Open the pouch and turn right side out. Fill with batting, pine needles, or hay, gently fold raw edges inside and sew closed. Remove all pins as you sew edges. Sew a button in the center where the four triangle points meet. COOK: SOURDOUGH STARTER A sour-dough starter is a leaven that develops from microscopic wild yeast and bacteria present in the air. Its usual form is a batter. For traveling it was worked dry with flour and stuffed in the flour sack. Home bakers who were far from yeast supplies used sour dough to raise bread, biscuits, pancakes. Sourdough has a distinctive tart flavor and chewy texture. Making a starter is very tricky and may take several attempts. Pioneers treasured their starters because of this. White flour, 1 ¼ cups Water, 1 Cup lukewarm WELL or BOTTLED water (not chemically treated 'town' or 'city' water) 1 Qt. glass jar with lid DO: Mix flour and water and let stand until the batter bubbles and rises. This may take anywhere from overnight to a week! Batter must be warm, between 80 - 95 degrees. In cool weather, warm jar under a 60 watt light bulb or place near the furnace. Starter needs humidity to start. If you live in an arid area, try placing it in the bathroom when family members shower! Cover the jar loosely with cheesecloth or a lid to keep bugs out. Stir ONLY if liquid rises to the top. Aroma should be pleasantly sour. If after a week it smells very foul, throw it out, scald the jar and start over. A new starter needs to be "fed" to keep from dying (You new have new "pets"!) In another bowl mix up another flour & water starter and mix it into the older one. This is called "doubling". Leave the starter in a warm place for several hours until is bubbly. Return half to the jar. Give the rest to a friend. Store starter in the fridge for a few days to ripen. After that it will be ready for doubling again and to use for biscuits or other breads. week 24 cont. SOURDOUGH BISCUITS Now, after two weeks of growing your 'pet' starter, you are ready to bake something!! For 24-30 biscuits: 1 Cup starter 4 ½ cups White flour 1 t. salt 1 t. baking soda 2 t. drippings (or oil) DO: 4 hours before baking extend the starter by stirring it in a bowl with 2 ½ cups flour and 2 cups of lukewarm water. Cover and let stand at 75-80 degrees. When the mixture is bubbling, remove a cup of it to the refrigerator jar for future use. In a second bowl mix well the remaining 2 cups flour, salt, and baking soda. Stir in the bubbling sour batter until it is blended With floured hands press the dough flat on a floured breadboard. Roll lightly to ½" thick. With floured cutter (dip cutter or glass rim in flour), cut out as many biscuits as possible. Put leftover scraps with the refrigerated starter. (nothing is wasted) Place on greased baking sheet and let rise 30 min. Grease skillet. 'Fry" in the drippings for 10 min on each side on med-low. Biscuits will develop a tough crust if cooked to quickly at too high a heat (say a prayer of thanksgiving for Poppin-fresh dough in the refrigerator case at your grocer!) Week 25 MAKE: BUNNY PINCUSHION Your child should be pretty good with a needle and thread by now if he/she has done all of the sewing projects thus far! This one should seem easy after last week's sewing project. Need: Two oval fabric pieces, about hand-sized but identical Needle, thread, pins cotton balls or other filler small buttons, felt, other doo-dads for decorating DO: Place ovals on top of one another, with colorful sides together (on the inside of your fabric sandwich) Sew about ¾ of the way around the ovals along the edges. Turn the fabric right-side-out Fill with cotton balls, pine needles, etc Turn remaining raw edges in, pin, and sew closed. If you left the end of the oval for this, your new stitches can be concealed when you decorate your bunny with a tail. Decorate to look like a bunny (felt ears, button nose, felt whiskers...) BAKE: LONG WINTER BREAD In the Little House On The Prairie books, one winter was so severe that the Ingalls family nearly starved. At that time, Laura's ma baked this bread that, "had a fresh, nutty flavor that seemed almost to take the place of butter". If you were near starvation, you may say that, too. It is a heavy, coarse loaf. It was the Ingalls' only food for the day, so it was relished with delight! Ma's recipe calls for 2 cups starter, so you must start several hours in advance by extending your sourdough supply (see last week) by mixing 2 ½ cups of the flour and 2 cups lukewarm water and the starter you already have on hand in the fridge. (DONT have starter ready? It is a good thing you were not a pioneer, or your family would be mighty hungry!) Cover and let standing a warm place till bubbly. Need: Sourdough starter, 1 cup White flour, 2 ½ cups Dried bread, several slices Wheat berries, 1 pound, to grind in a coffee grinder to] produce 3 ½ cups of flour Salt, 2 teaspoons Baking soda, 1 teaspoon Drippings, 1 teaspoon coffee grinder DO: Clean the grinder of coffee by grinding the dried bread. Dispose of all crumbs. Now your grinder is clean! Grind the wheat berries into flour Mix 2 cups of the starter you just extended, salt, soda and the] hand ground flour. When stirring gets too difficult, knead with your hand. Use more flour to prevent sticking Return remaining starter to fridge Shape dough into a loaf and place in a greased loaf or round pan, With a knife, score lines to designate 6 portions Preheat oven to 350. Bake loaf for about 45 min Cool before dividing along lines What would it be like if this was your only food for today?? Think about it! Were the pioneer days really such 'good old days' after all?? Week 26 MAKE: YARN DOLL Many pioneers kept sheep. The sheep were sheared (given a haircut) in the early Spring, when the coldest weather was over. After shearing, the wood was carded, or untangled with metal brushes, and spun into yarn. Yarn could then be dyed different colors with berry juice, walnut shell dye, etc. Unless you keep sheep or know someone who does, you will have to skip the hard work and use purchased yarn. Wool that the colonists & pioneers would have worked with was thicker and more inconsistent in its thickness than the acrylic products available today. Materials: 12 yards of yarn Cardboard, 7" x 5" (this morning's cereal box?) 7 pieces yarn, each 5 inches long scissors Styrofoam or rubber ball (wad of hay?), 1" wide fabric glue to decorate with a face (opt) bits of yarn & ribbon for mouth and hair DO: wrap yarn around piece of cardboard the long way. Take a short piece of yarn and slip it under the wrapped yarn Pull the short piece to the top of the cardboard and tie all the yarn together tightly with a double knot Cut the yarn open at the bottom of the cardboard Place the yarn over the small ball with the tied end on top of the ball. (to make the head of the doll) Tie yarn tightly underneath the ball. To make body and arms, divide the remaining yarn that is now hanging down from the 'head', into 4 equal sections. Use two short pieces of yarn to tie the arms about halfway & cut short so the tie is now the 'wrist' Tie a short piece where you want your doll to have a 'waist' by gathering the remaining yarn and tying together. Legs: separate the yarn below the 'waist' and tie at the 'ankle' Add a face & hair if you wish & play with your doll or give it away. DOUGHNUTS Lard for frying (oil) 1 egg 1 t. baking soda pinch salt 1 cup sour cream 2 ¼ cups flour powdered sugar, a shaker full DO: Melt lard in a large kettle over low heat. Beat egg, baking soda, and salt into sour cream. Beat in 1 cup flour until well mixed Work in flour, ¼ cup at a time, until you have a dough that can be rolled. Roll dough into a strip about 4 x 16" and ¼" thick. Cut (flour the knife) into 4" strips about 5/8" wide Heat the lard to 375 degrees (use a candy thermometer to check) Twist a strip like a corkscrew, bring ends together and pinch. Drop twisted dough into the hot fat. I fry for about 2 minutes, till brown. If browning takes a shorter time, fat is too hot (and dough may not be cooked in the center!) Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve immediately Week 27 MAKE: BLOCK PRINTING Prints are made by putting paint on a stamp and then pressing the stamp onto a flat surface such as paper, wood, or fabric, The pioneers used plants to make their dyes and paints. Onion skins can be used to make a dark yellow, and berries make red. Today you can buy paint, but to do this activity pioneer style, make your own stamps with potatoes, leaves, or other objects. Need: 2-3 potatoes water based paint wide paintbrush paring knife (careful!) Damp rag leaves, sponge pieces, other objects DO: Cut potato in half Draw your design on the flesh of the potato Cut away the parts you do not want to show (only raised areas will be on the print) Dip stamp into paint & press onto paper or wood Try dipping a leaf (or brushing paint onto it) and seeing the design you get You can make your own greeting cards, envelopes and gift wrap with your printed paper! CREAMED DRIED CORN 1 ½ cups dried corn 2 T cream (or 3 T milk + 1 t. butter) Fill half kettle with water and bring to full boil. Strip ears of corn of husks + silks. cut off ends flat drop into boiling water and leave them until boiling resumes. Remove ears and drain Cut corn from the cob (a messy, sticky job) Place corn on a tablecloth , outside, in the bright sun. Put a second cloth on top to keep away the birds! When dried thoroughly, save the corn for use in the harsh winter. *Corn can be dried in a 150 degree oven for 18 hours!! (your electric bill will go up!) TO PREPARE: Put the 1 ½ Cups already dried corn in water. Bring to boil Remove from heat & cover with water Set aside till corn absorbs the water, about 1 hour Reheat and stir in the cream Serve piping hot Week 28 MAKE: POTPOURRI POT REST Follow the directions for the patchwork pillow (week 24) or make it simpler by using two 8" squares of solid colored material sewn together and stuffed lightly. Remember to add a little potpourri and do not overstuff. To give a quilted look, thread pieces of yarn through the pot rest with a needle Tie into bows. STEWED PUMPKIN Make sure you grow COOKING pumpkins. Today's hybrid jack-o-lantern types are not good eating When pumpkin is ripe in the fall (and after the family cook has taken the best ones for pie making), find a ripe one about 10 pounds Cut pumpkin in half with a butcher knife (definitely need mom's help with this!) Clean out the seeds (save seeds for roasting in a slow oven for an hour or so later) Pare the rind off long sections you cut from the pumpkin Cube the long sections Place into a large pot, add some water and boil slowly all day. The water and juice must all boil away and the pumpkin must never burn. Pumpkin will turn into a thick, dark, good smelling mass that will boil slowly with slow, large bubbles that explode like little volcanoes from the mass. When pumpkin reaches the consistence of applesauce (which, is made the same way, of course) turn up the heat for about 10 min and stir frequently. To make a pie, take about 2 cups per pie. The rest can be eaten with salt, pepper and butter, accompanied by bread. Pioneer children liked to mound their pumpkin blobs into shapes as many of our children do with mashed potatoes today! PUMPKIN PIE May as well include this one, since it follows the stewed pumpkin recipe and our families are probably not as wild about eating pumpkin mush as the pioneers had to be! 2 cups stewed pumpkin Pie crust (use your favorite recipe) 2 eggs 2/3 Cup brown sugar 1 ¼ cups rich milk or half & half 1 t. maple flavoring (would maple syrup work?) Ground cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, or ginger - a pinch to your taste Line a buttered pie pan with one layer of rolled crust Preheat oven 425 degrees Mix all ingredients and pour into pie plate Bake 425 for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and bake about 30 min more or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Do not chill before serving (cool & set on a counter, but away from flies and the family dog!) Week 29 STITCHED STORY SQUARE Pioneer women often sewed a story onto each square of a quilt. This type of quilt was given to a bride-to-be or passed down from mothers to daughters. You can make a pillow cover with one square, or make a quilt by putting together a series of sewn pictures. NEED: paper fabric scraps 1 large piece of fabric craft glue needle, thread and yarn DO Draw a scene on your paper (snow scene, your house, a pet, etc) >From fabric scraps, cut out shapes that make up your scene Lay the scraps on the large fabric and glue lightly with craft glue. Use running stitch to sew each little piece to the large fabric piece Add buttons, yarn, etc as you desire! (for a pillow cover, add aback piece to create a "pocket" for your pillow. PORK SAUSAGE PATTIES First, raise a pig! Almost every pioneer family had at least one hog to raise and butcher. They used every part of the animal. Pigskin was tanned to make leather. Bristles made brushes. Brains were fried in lard and eaten as a breakfast treat. (today's 'scrapple' is generally made of all the butchering 'leftovers'!) 1 ½ lb lean ground pork ½ t. salt ½ t. pepper Mix everything & roll into 12 equal balls. Flatten each ball into a patty Fry in skillet on medium heat till brown on both sides. Keep warm in 200 degree oven while other batches are frying. Week 30 MAKE A LANTERN Needed: nails (various sizes) hammer newspaper to cover work surface sand flashlight shorter than the can tin can, wrapper & glue removed, bottom left on coat hanger (metal) black crayon wide duct or masking tape DO Fill can with sand Draw a picture on the can Tap holes in can along your picture lines Use tin snips to cut a coat hanger for a handle. Attach through two holes you make in the can on the open 'top' side. Roll a piece of wide tape and place in the can bottom. Stick flashlight on the tape and turn it on. MAPLE SUGAR CANDY Sap was collected in the very early Spring in buckets. It takes several gallons of sap to boil down into one gallon of syrup. This was done hot for many hours and through the night until the sap thickened into syrup (the water gets cooked out and evaporates). Today we have the luxury of being able to buy maple syrup at the store. Be grateful to the family who spent their time trudging through snow-covered woods to collect the sap and then spent many hours tending a roaring wood fire to boil it down for you! Indeed, if they were not watchful, and their syrup over-cooked, it would have crystallized into candy, as you will do here! Need: hot plate 3 Qt. pot ½ gallon maple syrup butter candy molds hot mitts DO: Butter the candy molds Boil 2 cups maple syrup slowly. As syrup begins to turn grainy, pour it into the buttered candy molds Allow to set for 30 min or until hard. Pop candies out of molds! Week 31 APPLE POMANDER BALL Apple whole cloves cinnamon plastic bag ribbon or thick yarn Hold the round part of the clove and stick the stem into the apple Continue sticking cloves into the apple until it is completely covered by the cloves. Pour some cinnamon into the bag. Put the apple into the bag and shake it Tie two pieces of ribbon around the apple so they criss-cross at the bottom and knot at the top. Tie a third piece of ribbon to the top of the apple so you can hang it in your kitchen! PULLING CANDY Pulling candy was a favorite youthful activity in years gone by, just as going out for pizza is of youths today. Enjoy this old-time activity! For 1 ½ pounds of candy you will need Butter 1 Cup Brown sugar 2 cups molasses 1 T. vinegar 2 (15") platters, or larger 3 Qt. saucepan 6 oz. glass container DO Butter the platters generously Combine br. sugar, molasses and vinegar with ½ cup water and stir over high heat till it boils Lower heat to medium & add a walnut sized piece of butter, continue cooking and stir frequently. After 10 min. drip syrup from a spoon into a glass of cold water. The drops may dissolve or they may be making soft balls. Repeat drip tests every few minutes, using clean water every time. The candy is ready to remove when a sample forms a hard ball in the water (250 - 260 degrees on a candy thermometer) Pour candy on greased platters. Let cool about 5 min. Grease your hands well with butter and begin to "work" the candy by pulling the edges toward the middle. Pull it with fingers to about one foot length, then fold over the center. Press ends together. Keep pulling the edges out and folding over until candy stiffens. When it is cool and fairly stiff, twist into a long rope and place on a well greased surface (or coil it on the platter). Mark with a knife for breaking into small pieces. Break up the candy when it is completely cool. NOTE: IF candy fails to harden, return it to the kettle with additional ¼ cup brown sugar. Cool Test and repeat procedure for cooling and pulling Week 32 Cooking activity MAKING BUTTER (in a canning jar) For ½ pound of butter: Carrot, 1 medium Milk, ¼ cup Heavy whipping cream, 3 cups, chilled DO: To prepare coloring, grate the carrot and heat it with the milk. Scald all utensils. Rinse and chill. Strain warm, tinted milk into a jar. Add cream from refrigerator Shake one minute, then open lid to release gas Continue shaking for about 15 minutes (alternate with a partner) When a thick mash forms, pour through strainer into bowl Pour off milk Pour water over the butter , stir to rinse, and discard water. With wooden spoon, press butter against side of bowl to squeeze our liquid. when all liquid is out, press in a little salt and then press into a mold or dish. Rinse with cold water and chill. Serve with homemade bread. In pioneer times, as well a colonial times, butter was made not in jars, but in a churn. A churn was a tall (1 - 2 foot high) container with a wooden lid. The lid had a hole in the top where a pole with paddles on the bottom would fit through. The family would take turns forcing the pole up & down many, many times into the milk mixture below. After milking, the top (cream) was skimmed off to make butter. The did not have packages whipping cream to start with. They did, however, get very tired arms in the process. The things we take for granted today!! WEEK 33 DO: Wash by Hand Heat a big pot of water over an open fire or wood stove. Toss in dirty laundry (there were no delicate synthetics back then, mostly cotton, hemp or linen) and boil to start the cleaning process and disinfect. Add homemade soap. Using a stick or rubber toilet-type plunger, push up and down about 25 times for lightly stained items, about 100 times for really dirty clothes. Rinse at least twice and twist to wring as much water out as possible. Hang behind the wood stove in winter, or out on a line in summer. You can imagine that colonists and pioneers had many fewer items of clothing than we do. They also washed them less frequently (their 'dirty' clothes really were DIRTY. Note: wash plungers are still available ! (So are non electric washing machines!) Write for a catalog and send $4 to Lehman's, Box 41, Kidron, Ohio 44635. Lehman's caters to the Amish & Mennonite population as well as those who live too far from power lines or have cabins in the woods. The catalog is wonderful and well worth its price! My 1998 catalog also shows a web site at www.Lehmans.com Phone #303-857-5757. Email GetLehmans@aol.com COOK: MAKE YOUR OWN VINEGAR For ½ gallon of cider vinegar you will need ½ gallon spring rain or well water (Poland Spring bottled water will work) 2 cups honey Peels and cores of 12 or more apples 1 ½ t. dry yeast (optional) Small barrel or plastic gallon jug, cork or lid, sipping straws Wash and scald the container. Find a place in a warm kitchen where it can rest on a side. Cut an opening on the top surface to receive a cork (should not be airtight) Boil the water, pour it in the jug, stir in honey, peels and cores. Cover, set aside and check daily for bubbling. If none occurs in a week, add the yeast. If mold forms on the top, skim it off without disturbing the contents. After a month the bubbling will have stopped and souring begun. To take a sample, plunge a straw into the mix, cover the straw top with your finger and draw the straw out. Judge by comparing to commercial cider vinegar. In two months the vinegar may be sour enough to use in cooking and salad dressings. Pour off needed amount without stirring up the contents. At some point a milky film may form on or below the surface. At this point, remove the milky film as well as the other solid matter in the barrel. Use your homemade vinegar in most uses EXCEPT pickling. Pickling requires a vinegar of consistent and proven acidity. VINEGAR PIE Pie crust (homemade or store-bought) Butter, ¼ cup Eggs, 2 Granulated Sugar, ½ cup White flour, ¼ cup unbleached all-purpose Nutmeg, few grindings Vinegar, 3T homemade Line buttered pie pan with crust. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Melt butter in a tin cup. Beat eggs in a small bowl. In large bowl, blend both sugars, flour, nutmeg with fingers till not lumps remain. Stir in vinegar, eggs, butter, and 1 cup water till well mixed. Pour into pie shell and bake 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove and cool until the filling is firm enough for cutting. WEEK 34 MAKE: HEADACHE PILLOWS A Midwestern Pioneer Recipe. Needed: ½ oz. cloves 2 oz EACH of lavender, marjoram, rose petals, and betony rose leaf Small fabric pouch Mix ingredients and stuff into a fabric pouch. You are supposed to sniff it to cure your headache. NOTE: Spices in the grocery are very pricey. Try finding a bulk supplier or health food store for the ingredients. COOK: Poached Fresh Eggs In the pioneer home, eggs were seasonal, as chickens will not lay in cold weather. Today heat and light are artificially provided in hen houses so we have eggs year round. If possible, find a farmer who has chickens and use the freshest eggs possible! To test freshness, break eggs into saucers. If the yolk stands up in a neat mound, the eggs are fresh. If the egg spreads in all directions, better scramble them that to try poaching! Put 1 inch water into a skillet. Boil. Break 3 eggs into a saucer. Remove skillet from heat and slip eggs one by one into the water. Let them stand until the clear parts whiten and set. Return pan to heat and boil once more. A second or two of boiling should cloud over the yolk and complete the cooking. The yolk should remain fluid. Remove eggs with a slotted spoon to a warm plate. Serve with toast, hash browns, biscuits... WEEK 35 CANNING APPLESAUCE Cut large fruit into pieces. Simmer until soft. Add small amount of water to prevent sticking, if needed. Put through food strainer or mill. (My Victorio strainer removes all the skins, pulp, and seeds. If you do not have one, peel, core and de-seed apples before boil-ing) Add sugar to taste. (I add none) Simmer again and pack into scalded jars, leaving ½ inch head space. Place on top scalded NEW lids and twist on scalded tops. Place in boiling bath canner. After water re-boils after placing jars in, start timing. Pints 20 min, Quarts 25 minutes. Remove with a canning tong, place on counter on a towel and leave to cool. When cool, store in a cool, dark place. HINT: Use your peelings to make vinegar! COOK: CORN DODGERS These are a descendent of the Native American corn pone, small cakes they baked directly in the fireplace embers after wrapping with wet corn husks. They can be eaten hot, with butter, or cold, with molasses. Which do you prefer? For 1 dozen corn dodgers: 2 Cups yellow stone ground cornmeal 1 t. salt 1 T. lard (Crisco will work) ½ Cup whole milk 1 T. bacon drippings (oil in a pinch) Mix cornmeal and salt. Press in the lard Boil ½ cup water and pour over the mixture. Stir till crumbly Stir in enough milk to make a sticky batter, about ½ cup. Heat 1 T. drippings/oil in a skillet. Shape the paste into 'corn ears' (or drop by spoonful) and drop into the hot drippings. Brown on both sides, about 15 minutes in all. WEEK 36 DRYING APPLES Peel and core apples. Mix 2 cups water with ¼ cup lemon juice and drop apples into mixture to prevent browning. String on a thread and let hang in the sun. (Or dry at 140 degrees in an oven until leathery. This could take several hours! Turn once while drying. COOK: ROASTED, STUFFED GOOSE Geese are all dark meat, so are perfectly suited to long, overnight cooking. Many homesteads had geese in the farm flock, or the men hunted in the fall when the geese where flying overhead. 1 dressed goose, 6-12 pounds Butter, 2 T., Potatoes, 10 medium Onions, 2 medium White flour, 1/3 cup unbleached all-purpose Egg, 1 beaten milk, 1 ½ cups Salt Pepper Dried sage, 1 T. crumbled Dried parsley, 1 T. crumbled Dried thyme, 1 T. crumbled Thaw the goose & remove the giblets. Simmer giblets in 3 cups water. Reserve for later Fry liver in skillet in 1 T. of the butter. Stuffing: mash peeled & boiled potatoes. chop onions fine and fry in skillet in remaining butter. Blend ¼ cup flour with beaten egg. Mix with potatoes. Add onion, butter, salt, pepper, herbs and mix all together with potatoes. Spoon into main and neck cavities of goose. Tie securely. Bake at 165 degrees for 8 hours. Test for doneness by trying to move the leg back & forth. Re-test every 30 min. In 10 hours the goose should certainly be done. Remove goose to heated platter. Pour clear pan fat (there will be lots of it) into a jar without disturbing particles in the pan. Mash liver in the pan, add remaining flour and blend. Stir in giblet broth, heating pan as you do. When liquid boils and thickens, season it to taste and pour into a warm serving bowl. CELEBRATE THE COMPLETION OF SONLIGHT 3 AS YOU FEAST !!!!