Field Trips

We had a wonderful time at the Hay Creek Festival on our Field Trip. SO many things to see.

This woman was demonstrating several "period" stringed instruments.

The highlight of the day was the glassblowing demonstration.
Here he is rolling out his first gather. It's such a science and an art!

We were in for a "treat" because they were attempting to blow a bottle with a new mold they had obtained. They had never used it before. They had to heat the mold to 400-500 degrees beforehand. The guy then got his second gather, rolled it, and quickly put in in the mold and blew in it. The guy on the ground closed the mold for him.

He was standing on a stool to be able to blow in his tube, it started to tip and the announcer grabbed him by the britches!

They took it out, here is the first try. You can see there is a lot of glass inside the bottle. After about their 3rd try they were able to get it right.

Here is the usual glass blowing technique we have seen before.

After a long hot dusty day... I thought this was a great shot, a mix of old and new. I call it "Colonist holding soda"

Homemade Delectable Applesauce

Apples!

My favorite fruit because it's so variable. You can eat it raw, saute it, bake with it, and cook it down into delicious applesauce!

After you wash the apples, peel them.

I like to cut them in quarters and then peel and core them. That's how my mom taught me and I can manage it fairly quickly. I have an apple peeler thingymabob, but for saucing, it's takes too long. I can peel an apple quicker than I can work that thing. However, it's a great gadget for apple tarts because it can also slice the apple at the same time in very thin slices. Pretty cool!

I cut up a bunch at a time into a bowl and then dump the bowl into a large pot already heating on the stove. I start with medium high heat and then lower it as it begins to break down.

Notice they are starting to break down.

Stir! I just use a wooden spoon. You can also use a masher. I just don't have one! A spoon works just fine. I'm a substituting kind of girl. It's my life. I thrive on it.

Now, you add the "all important" CINNAMON! I love cinnamon. I buy it in bulk. I have been known to buy it one pound at a time. The goat farm I get hubby's goat milk at now sells it in baggies. It's organic and oh so good!

I'm quite generous with it as you can see. Add as much or as little as you like.

Keep stirring every so often.

Now, doesn't that look good?

It didn't last very long.

I had to go to the orchard on our mountain yesterday and buy another peck of apples. The owner is SO nice. I get seconds from her which are really nice. They kind of look like the apples you get in the bags at the grocery store (somewhat banged up and little spots here and there) but for a fraction of the price. My next batch will be Gala applesauce!

Yum, my mouth is watering already.

Give em' fabric!

I was driving by my local fabric store (which happens to be a fabric outlet) and saw a sign in the window..."$1.00/yd all bolts"


I HAD to stop.


Okay, I don't sew. I DO have a sewing machine which died when Mom tried to sew denim curtains. So, no, I did not stop for myself.


I had the boys in mind. I thought to myself..."Self, get the boys each some fabric and see what they can come up with." A sort of "impromtu" Art Class! I love watching the boys create.

So, it turns out they were all 79 cents/yard!! For $6 something I had 8 yards of nice fabric!

Here is what they came up with...

Here's L4...a little glum? He's striking a pose (he's usually the big smiley one!)

I chose a nice flowing red fabric for him. Each boy had 2 yards.

I think he's quite good at draping. I should have bought some more to make a dress for myself.

NOT that I know how to sew or anything...

Nice face L3! He got a flowing black silky fabric.

He somehow incorporates sports into everything he does.

I think he is trying pose as if he is fighting, however, it looks like he "up at bat"

So fierce!

Then there's L2...

He didn't like the fabric I picked out for him. It was too itchy. I should have known...

He was going for the "one-eyed" look, apparently. Anyway, L3 kindly let him use some of his fabric. He pieced this warrior looking thing, I guess it's more of a ninja looking thing...

L1, now he was going for a Wizard look...

He looks rather like a "Sand Monster", it was nice fabric too.

He has conquered!!!

Or something like that.

Notice the "staffs" they are holding. The lady in the store sent them home with us for free since she heard that we were homeschoolers. They ended up turning them into rifles.

Sigh.

Boys WILL be boys.

Coffee Cake...This one's a PEACH

Aahh Peach Cake....

There is nothing like slicing into a juicy fresh peach...

This is actually the batter of my favorite muffin recipe. I have become so comfortable with it that I am experimenting with it as a coffee cake. It's a known fact in the culinary world that one can often interchange muffin recipes with cake ones, consider it a giant muffin, if you will.

Anyway, the recipe will follow at the end of this post. It's an easy one, part of the reason I use it. Okay....the only reason I use it.

I made this up. I put half the batter in a greased 9x13" pan.

Then I made a layer of fresh sliced peaches. But really, ANY fruit will do.

Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, apples, pears, oh, the list goes on...

I think I'll do a combination of these, but since I have tons of peaches (I have bought 4 bushels so far) I had better use peaches today.

Fill the entire layer with peaches.


Okay, now here is where I goofed with my pictures. I was in such a hurry to get my cake done before we went on our picnic to hear the Readings Pops Orchestra play in the park, that I forgot to take pictures of the rest of the cake, which we, of course, consumed almost entirely for our dessert!

So, sorry, the remainder of this post is pictureless.

Simply finish layering the remaining batter on top of the peaches and Bake.

Now, I think that the next time I make this, I will add another layer of peaches on top as well. That would make it "over the top" good!

Here's my true and tried recipe:

3 cups flour ( I use organic whole wheat pastry or spelt)

4 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 cup sugar (but I use 3/4 cup agave nectar)

2 eggs

2/3 cup oil (I use grapeseed oil) sometimes I use half applesauce half oil

about 1 cup milk (explained in directions)

some cinnamon

1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

1. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl

2. In a 2 cup pyrex measuring cup, add oil, then eggs. Add milk to the 2 cup line.

(This is where I deviate and add 1/3 cup oil and at least 1/3 cup applesauce and then milk about to the 2 cup line. I also add my agave at the same time as I add the wet ingredients to the dry)

3. Add wet to dry, stir till just moistened.

4. Use batter however you want, but I suggest the cake or muffins, it's quite sticky any other way, really.

5. For muffins, it makes 24. Bake 12-17 minutes, till done, depends on your fruit etc...

6. For cakes, about 20 ish minutes. Check it often.

Here are some more pictures I took of all different fruit coffee cakes I've made recently...


A small (8x8) peach cake. Didn't last very long...

(I halved the recipe for this one)

Here's a slightly larger pan.

This was our Labor Day "flag looking" coffee cake.

Of course I had to mix up all the colors or we would be fighting over the fruit.

The baked version...

De-lish! Those are raspberries from our bushes (frozen) and NJ blueberries and local peaches.

It doesn't get much better than that.

Enjoy!

The unassigned Assignment..OR..Why I love homeschooling.

I'm still waiting for our Art curriculum (Come on already UPS! They are supposed to deliver it today...)

This morning we were working on our History project, making the Flag the way it looked with just 13 Colonies. We were unsuccessfully trying to use markers on our fabric banner flags and as I was digging in my paint drawer, I came upon a box of chalk pastels.

I gave them to Lance (age 8). This is what he came up with (after he finished his flag)

Now, mind you, I didn't tell them to do anything but the flag. This came of their own creativity. I was reading "Johhny Tremain" to them and they are supposed to keep busy while I read our "read alouds."


He shares a table with Liam and since they share just about everything and are very competitive...
Liam (age 10) made these two...


Oh, and UPS JUST came! Talk about timing...



I love Art, especially when it's an unassigned assignment.

Car trip and balloons

The highlight of our 2 hour drive to NJ to see Oma (Grandma) was the hot air balloons. I didn't capture a good picture of all 6 of them.


One, two, three...wait, where's Liam?

Oh yeah, Liam's the 10 year-old. When you turn 10, apparently you don't like to have your picture taken.


We have an arm and a hand, covering the cute face of my only boy that REALLY likes to have his picture taken.

I should capitalize on that.


Oh...a smile from Lance.


They are all watching a DVD, keeps them nicely occupied for longer drives.



The balloon.


Closer


and closer.


Ahah! I got him!

The mindless numbing effect of the DVD overpowers his ability to hide for too long.


I've been spotted, again.

I need a screen too. There's nothing else to do but take pictures...

The world, as Lucas sees it.


Hubby, the driver


Logan. Couldn't think of anything funny to say about him.


See? He can't disappear for long.

Logie, get that hand out of your mouth!

I really need to keep myself better occupied...