For those of you following along… yes we are jumping ahead a bit. I am switching Week Four with Week Six because we went apple picking this weekend and it just makes more sense for us right now.
Week Four (Sep 22th-29th)
Johnny Appleseed
How Do Apples Grow?
D is for Double Daisy
We will be coloring the Double Daisy page from our Flower Fairies Alphabet Coloring Book and reading the accompanying story in the Flower Fairies Alphabet Book.
Cut one apple in half from top to bottom and another in half across the middle. Dip the apple halves in paint or large stamp pad and make prints on a page. Note the star shape made by the apple cut across the middle. If you make a bunch of Red and Green apple prints on large sheets of butcher paper, save them for cute Christmas wrapping paper.
Consider reading Ten Apples Up on Top as another add on book. You could then print a photo of your child (head and shoulder shot works well), cut it out and glue it to the bottom edge of a large sheet of paper. Then make Ten Apple Prints Up on Top stacked on top of your child’s head.
Hand Print Apple Trees are also a fun activity. Cover your child’s arm in brown paint from the finger tips to elbow. Place the entire hand and arm down on a sheet of paper (fingers outstretched). This forms the trunk of the tree. Then make green thumb prints for leaves and red finger prints for apples.
If you haven’t already, go pick some apples. If you don’t have a u-pick orchard near you try going to the store and getting one of each type of apple (or at least one red, one green, one yellow) and then doing a taste test to see which one you and your child like best. If there are several of you performing the taste test, try graphing the results.
Dutch Apple Pie
INGREDIENTS
1 (9 inch) pie shell
FILLING:
5 cups apples – peeled, cored and sliced (I like Granny Smith’s for baking)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2/3 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
2 tablespoons butter
TOPPING:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 cup butter
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Fit pastry shell into pie pan and place in freezer.
To Make Apple Filling: Place apples in a large bowl. In a separate bowl combine 2 tablespoons flour, white sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Mix well, then add to apples. Toss until apples are evenly coated.
Remove pie shell from freezer. Place apple mixture in pie shell and dot with 2 tablespoons butter or margarine. Lay a sheet of aluminum foil lightly on top of filling, but do not seal.
Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.
While filling is baking, make Streusel Topping: In a medium bowl combine 3/4 cup flour, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, brown sugar, oats, and lemon peel. Mix thoroughly, then cut in 1/2 cup butter or margarine until mixture is crumbly. Remove filling from oven and sprinkle streusel on top.
Reduce heat to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Bake an additional 30 to 35 minutes, until streusel is browned and apples are tender. Cover loosely with aluminum foil to prevent excess browning.
No, not I. For if I do he’s sure to cry.
Little Boy Blue
Little Boy Blue,
Come blow your horn;
The sheep’s in the meadow, the cow’s in the corn.
Where is the boy who looks after the sheep?
He’s under a haystack, fast asleep.
Will you wake him?
Oh, the Lord is good to me,
And so I thank the Lord,
For giving me the things I need,
The Sun, the Rain and the Appleseed,
The Lord is good to me.
Kindergarten/Preschool Term One Overview: Harvest Time
It has been another perfectly beautiful fall day. We got out to apple orchard to get in our wagon ride pulled by a tractor. Of course we had to pick apples, watch the cider press and eat lots of hot, fresh doughnuts too.
With all these apples we now have on hand… I may pull ahead some of our Apple Stories for next week and save The Little Red Hen for a few weeks from now.
I think following my pre-planned schedule exactly for three weeks in a row was a ‘good run’ lol. The joy of homeschooling, life happens and you get to embrace it rather than stress about working around it. I envision a week filled with applesauce and apple pies. Yumm!