Barefoot in the Grass

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Sourdough

I love to bake bread. There is something so simple and relaxing about putting my hands into soft dough to knead and stretch. I love the sound of the dough as I pat it and the bread as it crackles fresh out of the oven. The smell of fresh flour and yeast is so comforting.

This past year, yeast and flour were difficult to find, so I began thinking about making and keeping a sourdough starter. If I had a starter, then I would not need yeast to bake bread. Instead, I would just need to keep it alive. I read and pondered. Finally I went to an artisan baker, McGrath’s Bakehouse. Melissa was kind enough to give me some starter for free and some advice. I had no idea what I was doing, and we ate a lot of mistakes. Needless to say, the starter is very vigorous and forgiving. I have observed that it does not like it when I switch brands of flour, so I try not to do that unless I can’t find King Arthur whole wheat. I prefer using organic, but it is cost prohibitive.

I have learned what the starter should look like when it is ready to use. Bubbly and increased in volume. My routine is to feed it in the morning and make the dough in the evening. I feed it equal parts flour and filtered water. Usually in proportion to the amount of starter. For example, if I have one cup of starter, I feed it 1/2cup of flour and 1/2 cup of water.

A stroke of brilliance occurred when I switched to using a kitchen scale in grams instead of measuring cups to mix the dough. That made a WORLD of difference.

Much of my knowledge came from experimentation and http://theclevercarrot.com. They have a wealth of information and a delicious recipe for a basic sourdough loaf. That is my favorite!

These proofing baskets have also been key in making beautiful round loaves.

Another reason that we want to switch to sourdough is because it is so much easier to digest and more nutritious. My hope is that we can switch most of our diet over to wholesome, nourishing foods that promote gut-health and decrease inflammation.

Nature Tree

One of our favorite Christmas time memories is decorating a nature tree. Get out in nature and look to see what you can find for a unique tree.

Bird nests, feathers, winter berries, grape vine, deer antler sheds, pinecones, and seed pods can be turned into Christmas treasures.

Wood cookies can be decorated by all ages and hung on the tree. You can cut out your own from a small tree trunk or you can buy these at your local craft store.

Milkweed seed pods can be hot glued together to form star decorations.

Groundhog’s Day Dessert

By Linda Bryce Coulson

Punxsutawney Phil appearing on February 2nd is a fun day that breaks up western Pennsylvania winters. We like to celebrate with these yummy gingerbread groundhog cookies. Will there be an early spring?

Cream 1 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of soft butter. Then, mix in 1/2 cup molasses and 1 egg yolk into the sugar and butter.
Combine 2 cups of flour, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, 1 teaspoon of ginger, 1 teaspoon of ground cloves and 1 & 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon.
Add the flour mixture to the molasses mixture. Stir these together and chill.
Roll dough out. You will need to add extra flour if the dough is too sticky. Use a groundhog cookie cutter which can be found on Amazon or in Punxsutaweny, PA to cut out the cookies. Place the cookies on a greased cookie sheet. Brush lightly with beaten egg white.
Add a currant or raisin for eyes.
Bake 6 to 7 minutes at 350 degrees. This recipe makes 4 dozen cookies.

Serve with vanilla ice cream. Add a hot fudge shadow for 6 more weeks of winter. If your groundhog doesn’t see his chocolate shadow, then it will be an early spring!

Cranberry Orange Muffins

By Linda Bryce Coulson

Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, I am reminded of a favorite family recipe that makes the whole house smell delicious and tastes great with a cup of tea…Cranberry Orange Muffins.

1 cup of Craisins
1 cup of white sugar
3 cups of flour
2 eggs
1 cup of milk
1/2 cup of butter
1 1/2 tablespoons of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon of grated orange peel

Mix the ingredients. Grease mini muffin pans and scoop mixture into 36 mini muffin cups. Bake at 375 degrees for 12 minutes.

For 18 regular sized muffins bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Enjoy!

Exploring Cranberries

By Linda Bryce Coulson

What is a good source of vitamin C, a boost to immunity and a simple science exploration? CRANBERRIES! Young scientists will enjoy this cranberry learning investigation. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas is a great time to find fresh cranberries in your local grocery store.

OBSERVATION: Scientists use their senses to learn about things around them. Take a close look at your cranberry. What does it feel like? Describe what it looks like.

Cut the cranberry open. What did you discover inside? Describe how it smells.

SINK or FLOAT: Make a prediction or a good guess…will a cranberry sink or float in water? Drop some cranberries in a large bowl of water and find out. (Note: Cranberries have pockets of air inside of them that make them float.)

Harvest the cranberries by scooping them up. (Note: To harvest cranberries, farmers flood a cranberry patch and the ripe berries float to the top of the water. Then the berries can be scooped up to sell in stores.)

BOUNCE TEST: Drop a firm cranberry. What does it do? Drop a squishy cranberry. What does it do? (Note: A bouncing cranberry equals a fresh cranberry. Cranberries have to take a bounce test before being sold to stores.)

TASTE TEST: Have your child taste cranberry juice (I like to use a cranberry grape juice because pure cranberry juice can be tart.), Craisins, cranberry sauce and cranberry muffins (A favorite recipe can be found under recipes on this blog).

Which food do you like the best? Which food do you like the least? Try the taste test with family members to see which they like the best and least.

EXTENSION ACTIVITIES: Search YouTube for Ocean Spray cranberry harvesting videos to see how cranberry farms harvest the fruit.

Add cranberries to the bathtub and let your child play, harvest and swim in the berries. Have fun exploring!

Managing Garden Pests

Not only do we enjoy tasty vegetables and fruits from our garden, but many critters and insects are also drawn to the smorgasbord that we work so carefully to produce. So how do we protect our hard work so that it becomes fruitful? It all begins with observation and a little creative problem solving!

Teaching the children to garden carefully is a learning process.

First, identify the problem.

Are deer or groundhogs creeping in to your garden to browse? We had some pesky groundhogs that were burrowing under our fence. Solution: We trapped and relocated them. You can also try natural or store bought repellent. Make sure that it is plant safe. Many repellents are made from a mixture of essential oils, rotten eggs or dried blood.

Are bugs eating the plants? Solution: Try to identify the pest. I had to pull up one of our summer squash plants because it began wilting from striped cucumber beetles. I prefer an organic approach to gardening, so I use manual removal verses chemical. My favorite pest management device is our pet quail. She spends her days roaming the garden eating bugs without scratching it to pieces like our chickens do.

Ladybugs have also been busy helping in the garden by eating aphids. With a little research, you may be able to locate a retailer that offers ladybugs for sale.

Don’t remove this from you plants! It’s the pupae stage of a ladybug.

I plan on experimenting with crop rotation, diatomaceous earth, and Japanese beetle traps, but overall, our garden isn’t doing too badly.

With a little creative problem solving and research, your garden will flourish (with small donations to the animal world!)

Strawberry Freezer Jam

When Pennsylvania strawberries come into season, I rush to make lots of jam to preserve for the winter. In my opinion, these small berries pack loads of flavor and make jam that is far superior to store bought. Freezing the jam keeps the flavor fresh.

Our favorite jam to make by far is the Sure-jell quick and easy freezer jam recipe with fresh picked strawberries. The directions in the box are simple and straightforward. I have tried several different kinds of pectin, but I think that the Sure-jell brand sets up most reliably.

As with any freezer jam, begin with fully ripened fruit. Wash and hull the berries and crush them.

Crush the berries, and add the sugar according to the recipe. I cover it and let it rest for more than 10 minutes to make sure that the sugar dissolves.

In the meantime, prepare the jelly jars and lids. Since we are freezing the jam, there is no need to prepare a water bath.

Follow the instructions on the pectin. Some pectin needs to boil before adding to the fruit. I allow my jam to sit on the counter for 24 hours before freezing. Once set, it will last all year in the freezer (unless your kids are like mine!).

Keeping Quail

Quails are a great addition to any urban, suburban, or country farm. They are well suited to a diversity of environments because they require very little in terms of space or care.

These quiet birds may also be permitted in areas where a rooster is not. Even though the male crows, it is not a noisy bird.

Well camouflaged Coturnix (left) and tuxedo (right).

This dual purpose bid matures very quickly. They begin laying eggs at only seven weeks! The eggs are small, but beautiful. Some are brown and speckled and some are blue. They lay vigorously for the first six months. Ours stopped laying in the winter and began again in the spring. It laid for a week or two and then quit (we are down to one lone quail due to a series of misfortunate events).

Many people use these birds for their eggs at first and then meat after. Then they begin again with chicks. Quail are also used as a game bird.

The male has a rust colored breast. The female is speckled.

Recently, I have begun letting our quail roam in our fenced garden. She picks the bugs off of the plants without viscously scratching the garden to pieces like my chickens do!

Homeschool 2022

So much learning occurs that can be documented in photographs. Here is a collection of field trips, discoveries, nature outings, art experiences, and physical education opportunities that have contributed to our family’s growth and development. It is a celebration of all that we have done and discovered.

Children are always learning. I have heard that education is not filling a bucket, but rather lighting a fire. Much of our most memorable lessons and moments have stemmed from natural curiosity as we interact with the environment. Many of these photos are projects that we have worked on throughout the year. When questions arise, we observe further and read to find answers.

This year, we have moved from a very structured and rigorous Charlotte Mason curriculum to a natural integration of delight-directed learning. We practice reading, writing, and arithmetic daily and rotate additional subjects (history, science, art, nature study, Bible, poetry, music, physical education, etc.). I am freed in being the master of the lessons and curriculum rather than feeling like I need to finish every lesson in the curriculum.

The boys found toads in our gutter. We observed them in an aquarium for a few days and then returned them to their original habitat.

We try to keep lessons short and maintain full attention throughout. We read really good books together, we get outside and explore everything, and we narrate in the style of Charlotte Mason. We take time to play! Learning is delightful to curious children who are permitted to explore. We must still practice the basics, but that can be accomplished in fairly painless manners.

Delight directed learning means that I follow the interests of my students. I observe their skills, passions, and abilities and we attempt to go deeper. They guide decision making as far as which curriculum, book, or material is working. I do not allow them to make all of the decisions, though. We are not “unschooling”.

Building a Wetland: The kids decided to make a wetland. They added wetland animals, rocks, and plants.

A fire safety lesson at the Slippery Rock fire station

Homeschooling has been a blessing in making relationships with siblings.

Color Wonder

By Linda Bryce Coulson

Wondering is….exciting for all ages.

Wondering will…spark imagination.

Wondering can….make connections in our brain to enhance learning.

Read the book Mix It Up by Herve Tullet. The book is a fun way for young children to interact with reading and colors. The story gives directions to the reader to pretend to mix colors on the pages with their fingers, flip to the next page and discover the new colors made.

Then you can explore on your own with good color and water!

You will need 7 glass jars, water, and red, yellow, and blue food coloring.

Fill jars 1,3,5, and 7 halfway with water.

Add red food coloring to jars 1 and 7.

Add yellow to jar 3.

Add blue food coloring to jar 5.

These are primary colors. All other colors are made from these.

Place jars in a row. Jars 2,4, and 6 should be empty.

Roll a paper towel into a roll. Place one end of the rolled towel into jar one, and fold the opposite end into jar two. Then add another paper towel from jar 2 to 3. Keep doing this until your jars look like this….

Let your child wonder…. What will happen next? What colors might we make? Can you label the empty jars with you color predictions?

It will take about three hours for the colors to mix in the new jars.

Then we just had fun mixing. Too many mixed ended up with dark brown, but that’s okay! It’s all about trying and wondering and trying again.

Heritage Frosting

This light and fluffy icing is so creamy! It has a wonderful buttery flavor without being as sweet as a regular buttercream. Also known as cooked flour paste or Ermine frosting, this old-fashioned recipe is sure to please!

It wouldn’t be a celebration at our house without cake and this frosting. I remember so many special birthdays that my mom decorated cakes in any theme imaginable with this icing. She has passed down a tradition of family parties that she learned from her mom. I think that heritage frosting is the perfect name for this treat!