State-by-State Baking :: Texas Cookies

Independence starts with I,
a big and important word.
Texas has been victorious - 
freedom has been assured.

  ~ L is for Lone Star: A Texas Alphabet
(affiliate links included in this post)

Bud ended up sharing his stomach virus with the rest of us... Since Friday everyone has gotten sick at some point, except for Ranger.  This is the first stomach flu we've had since that traumatic trip to Nebraska, and the first ever for the two youngest.  I've been so careful to stay home and away from all the germs, but I guess with all that running around last week we were bound to catch something.  It has made for a very long and exhausting few days and nights.

Anyways, I guess I was feeling a little optimistic on Saturday (Bud was feeling a little better and no one else had gotten sick, yet) and went and signed myself up for Jen's 7 posts in 7 days again this year!  I can still do it, right?  I did manage to find a little computer time this afternoon and finally finished up all the State-by-State posts that had been stacking up (just like that fun app!) in my drafts folder. I have this one last post for you and I promise I will move on to another topic tomorrow!



For the state of Texas, the 28th state in our State-by-State Study, the girls baked Texas and Star Sugar Cookies, using a Texas shaped cookie cutter from our favorite Texans, after reading L is for Lone Star: A Texas Alphabet and completing their Texas Notebook Pages.

Texas Cookies 

• Sugar Cookie Dough (we used this recipe)
• Texas Shaped Cookie Cutter 
• Star Shaped Cookie Cutter
• Texas Outline (optional) 
• Red and Blue Food Coloring
• Powdered Sugar mixed with a few drops of water for a thin glaze
• Red, White, and Blue Sugar Sprinkles

Shape, Decorate and Bake Cookies! 

Resources we used for this State Study:

L is for Lone Star: A Texas Alphabet

L is for Lone Star Teaching Guide 

Texas Notebooking Page from United States Maps

United States Coloring Book (Dover)

State Birds and Flowers Coloring Book (Dover)

The United States Cookbook: Fabulous Foods and Fascinating Facts From All 50 States

Other Posts of Interest: 

State-by-State Scrapbook

State-by-State Scrapbook :: Texas

State-by-State Baking :: Maine's White Pine Cone and Tassel Snack

"F stands for Forests,
with trees tall and straight.
The majestic eastern white pines
are the official trees of our state."

  ~ L is for Lobster: A Maine Alphabet Alphabet

For the state of Maine, the 23rd state in our State-by-State Study, the girls considered making Lobster or Clam Chowder, but ultimately decided on a fun "Pine Cone" themed snack after reading L is for Lobster: A Maine Alphabet and completing their Maine Notebook Pages.  Their Daddy is a Forester after all!

"More than 90% of Maine is covered in forests.  No other state has such a high percentage of woodlands. In the early days, forests were full of eastern white pine, so it was a natural choice for our official state tree.  The pinecone tassel is our state flower. The "Pine Tree State" is our nickname."  

~  L is for Lobster: A Maine Alphabet Alphabet

White Pine Cone and Tassel Snack

adapted from Family Fun

Ingredients: 

• Round crackers
• Cream cheese
• Almond slices
• Pretzel stick
• Celery, thinly sliced

Directions:

For each, spread a generous amount of cream cheese onto a round cracker. Starting at the bottom, layer almond slices on top of the cream cheese for the scales. Add a small piece of a pretzel stick for the stem and serve with thinly sliced celery pine needles.

Resources we used for this State Study:

L is for Lobster: A Maine Alphabet

L is for Lobster Teaching Guide 

Maine Notebooking Page from United States Maps

United States Coloring Book (Dover)

State Birds and Flowers Coloring Book (Dover)

The United States Cookbook: Fabulous Foods and Fascinating Facts From All 50 States

Other Posts of Interest: 

State-by-State Scrapbook

State-by-State Scrapbook :: Maine

State-by-State Baking :: Alabama Fried Cherry Pies

"D stands for Dixie,
all Alabamians have great pride in.
Our state is "The Heart of Dixie,"
a heritage passed from kin to kin."

  ~ Y is for Yellowhammer: An Alabama Alphabet

We've been wanting to make our recipe for Alabama for a few weeks now, but we had to wait for a Sunday. (Since it is Lent and we gave up sweets this year, and since the girls were set on making this recipe!) The last couple Sundays didn't work out for one reason or another, but this afternoon (on Laetare Sunday!) we finally had the time to spend in the kitchen frying pies inspired by a quote from The United States Cookbook.  The girls had previously read  Y is for Yellowhammer: An Alabama Alphabet and then completed their Notebook Pages.

"Fried pies are a specialty of Alabama. Fried pies are made by filling dough, often with peaches or peach butter, then folding the dough into a half-moon shape, and frying it in fat."  

~ The United States Cookbook

Alabama Fried Cherry Pies

Ingredients:

• 1 can Cherry Pie Filling
• 1-2 cans "Flaky Layers" Biscuits
• Powdered Sugar
• Oil/Fat for Frying 

Directions:

On a floured surface, roll each biscuit into a thin circle.

Place one spoonful of pie filling into middle.

 

Fold over one part of the circle onto the filling, making a semi-circle. Press down to seal the edges using a fork.



Heat about 1/2" of oil in a frying pan. Carefully, fry the prepared pies for 2-3 mins on each side over medium-low heat until golden brown.

Note:  Be sure that the oil is over medium-low and not high, or the pies might burn on the outside and still be gooey on the inside!  Ask us how we know... ;)  After a couple attempts (and turning the heat down) we finally were successful!

Sprinkle the warm pies with powdered sugar.

 

Resources we used for this State Study:

Y is for Yellowhammer: An Alabama Alphabet

Y is for Yellowhammer Teacher's Guide (pdf)

Alabama Notebooking Page from United States Maps

United States Coloring Book (Dover)

State Birds and Flowers Coloring Book (Dover)

The United States Cookbook: Fabulous Foods and Fascinating Facts From All 50 States

Other Posts of Interest: 

State-by-State Scrapbook

State-by-State Scrapbook :: Alabama

Happy Rose Sunday! 

State-by-State Baking :: Illinois Deep-Dish Pizza

"Now C is for Chicago
it's called the windy city,
and also for the cardinal
singing clear and pretty."

  ~ L is for Lincoln: An Illinois Alphabet

Yesterday afternoon the girls finished up their study of Illinois, the 21st state, by making Deep-Dish Pizza! Before choosing a recipe to bake, from their copy of The United States Cookbook, the girls read  L is for Lincoln: An Illinois Alphabet and then completed their Notebook Pages:

"Deep-dish pizza was first made at the Pizzeria Uno restaurant in Chicago in 1943.  Becuase it's baked in a deep dish, it can hold more toppings than a regular pizza."  ~ The United States Cookbook

Illinois Deep-Dish Pizza

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons butter or shortening
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1 cup lukewarm water
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 1/2 cups all-pourpose flour (we used "better for bread flour")
• 1 15 1/2-ounce jar pizza sauce
• 6 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
• 4 ounces sliced pepperoni 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425˚F.  Grease a 9x13 baking pan with the butter.  Dissolve the yeast in lukewarm water.  Stir in the sugar, salt, vegetable oil, and flour.  (Our recipe suggested kneading the dough for 3 minutes by hand, but we used the Kitchen Aid with the hook attachment.) 

Place the dough in the greased pan, spreading it evenly along the bottom and halfway up the sides.

Spread the pizza sauce on the dough, sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese, and then top with pepperoni slices.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the crust is lightly browned and the cheese is melted. 

One pizza wasn't nearly enough for our family, so I helped the girls make two more!  Yummm!!

And, yes, I did eat some of this delicious homemade pizza... In fact, I didn't regret it for a second, at least not until I stepped on the scale this morning.  :/  Still, this recipe is a keeper!   I think I am going to have the girls make it again, next time without the pepperoni and topped with lots of veggies instead for one of our upcoming meatless Lenten meals!

Resources we used for this State Study:

L is for Lincoln: An Illinois Alphabet

L is for Lincoln Teacher's Guide (pdf)

Illinois Notebooking Page from United States Maps

United States Coloring Book (Dover)

State Birds and Flowers Coloring Book (Dover)

The United States Cookbook: Fabulous Foods and Fascinating Facts From All 50 States

Other Posts of Interest: 

State-by-State Scrapbook

State-by-State Scrapbook :: Illinois 

State-by-State Baking :: Mississippi Mud Pie

"R is for the greatest river
flowing through our land.
The mighty Mississippi River
is awesome, strong, and grand."

  ~ M is for Magnolia: A Mississippi Alphabet

It's been months since the girls studied Mississippi (sometime last fall) but I am just now getting around to adding it here.  Anyhow, for the state of Mississippi, the 20th State to join the Union, the girls read M is for Magnolia: A Mississippi Alphabet and then completed their Notebook Pages.

We didn't have to look very far to decide what to make for Mississippi - the Mississippi Mud Pie recipe from The United States Cookbook: Fabulous Foods and Fascinating Facts From All 50 States sounded perfect!  According to our cookbook, this pie got its name when a waitress at a Mississippi restaurant remarked that the melted chocolate pie "reminds me of that Mississippi mud."

Mississippi Mud Pie

Ingredients:

• 1 quart coffee ice cream (we used Almond Mocha Fudge)
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups finely crushed chocolate wafers (we used chocolate graham crackers)
• 1 1/2 cups fudge sauce, refrigerated

Directions:

Let the coffee ice cream soften at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Melt the butter over low heat.

Let the butter cool for a minute, while you crush the wafers (graham crackers).

 

Pour the melted butter it into a mixing bowl and add the crushed wafers.

Mix well.

Press the chocolate wafer mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a pie plate.

Fill the pie shell with the softened ice cream.

Smooth the top of the ice cream evenly with a knife or a spatula.

  Put the pie into the freezer until the ice cream is firm, about 20 minutes.

Top with the fudge sauce...

...and spread with a spatula.

Slice and serve.

Resources we used for this State Study:

M is for Magnolia: A Mississippi Alphabet

M is for Magnolia Teacher's Guide (pdf)

Mississippi's Notebooking Page from United States Maps

United States Coloring Book (Dover)

State Birds and Flowers Coloring Book (Dover)

The United States Cookbook: Fabulous Foods and Fascinating Facts From All 50 States

Other Posts of Interest: 

State-by-State Scrapbook

State-by-State Scrapbook :: Mississippi