Welcome to Homeschooling Friday (well, looks like it's turned into Homeschooling Saturday), week weeks four and five! Homeschooling Saturday is a recap of our week in homeschooling, with any new or exciting crafts we've tried along the way.
So I think I am going to make Homeschooling Saturday a biweekly thing. I think I am going to share one craft or recipe we did those weeks instead of an overview of everything. It's just too hard to take pictures of everything! This week I will do a general recap of what we did, then start the new format next time.
Last week, we reviewed the letters A, B and C. We made them out of clay as reminders so we can look back on them.
We have been having lots of fun with sand lately, too:
The kids draw what they want in glue, then sprinkle with sand. I think it's a little like magic to them. Then mommy is left with the cleanup, which isn't so magical to me.
I like this project because not only does M love it, but it's something that can be touched as well as looked at later. The sand has a funky texture, which M likes to trace when the glue is dried. It really drives home the shape of the letter we are learning that week.
It requires only two things, plus whatever you're gluing the sand onto:
Well, those two things and a cleanup crew.
I taught M about mixing two colors to make a third:
This coming week I will add the third primary color, and gradually teach that those three colors can be used to make any color imaginable. She likes smooshing the water around on the wet paper.
Last year,
my friend Amber taught us about Diwali.
We celebrated for the first time a holiday I plan on celebrating the rest of my days. Amber has since moved off island, but we still celebrated with friends last week. I was thinking of her and was grateful that she had shown us such a rich and beautiful tradition.
In celebration of Diwali Magdalena and I made naan bread to bring to the party:
I love this bread. It is one of my favorite things to make. I would recommend trying it, and maybe consider making it a staple in your home! After all, it's only about 150 calories per piece and pretty low in fat. Magdalena loves these and cannot get enough, and she's one tough cookie when it comes to what goes in her gullet. Here's the recipe I use:
Ingredients
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
2 teaspoons sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
3 tablespoons fat free milk
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse sea salt for sprinkling
Directions
* In a large glass, dissolve the dry yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar with 3/4 cup warm water (about 100 degrees F). Let it sit on your counter until it's frothy, about 10 minutes.
* Meanwhile, sift the flour, salt, remaining 1 teaspoon of sugar and baking powder into a large, deep bowl.
* Once the yeast is frothy, add the milk and the olive oil into the glass, and stir to combine. Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients and gently mix the ingredients together with a fork. When the dough is about to come together, use your hands to mix. It will feel like there isn't enough flour at first, but keep going until it transforms into a soft, slightly sticky and pliable dough. As soon as it comes together, stop kneading. Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and let it sit in a warm, draft-free place for 2 to 4 hours.
* When you're ready to roll, separate the dough into 6 equal portions.
Shape the naan. Using a rolling pin, roll each piece out. It should be 8 to 9-inches long, 4-inches wide at its widest point and about 1/4-inch thick. Once you've formed the general shape, you can also pick it up by one end and wiggle it; the dough's own weight will stretch it out a little. Repeat this method with the rest of the dough.
* Warm a large cast-iron skillet over high heat until it's nearly smoking. Make sure you have a lid large enough to fit the skillet.
* Gently lay one of the naan in the skillet and set your timer for 1 minute. The dough should start to bubble.
* After about 1 minute, flip the naan. It should be blistered and somewhat blackened, don't worry - that's typical of traditional naan! Cover the skillet with the lid and cook 30 seconds to 1 minute more.
* Remove the naan from the skillet, and sprinkle with a little coarse sea salt. Place the naan in a tea towel-lined dish. Repeat with the rest of the naans and serve.
* Adapted from: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aarti-sequeira/naan-indian-oven-baked-flat-bread-recipe/index.html
What did you and your homeschooler learn about this week?
