Journey Across America: Arkansas

This post is part of a 50 state Journey Across America. For information on the basics of this project check out this post.

The Books:
We began by reading N is for Natural State and then Bean used the information she learned to make a notebook page for her United States scrapbook.

For our Arkansas picture books we read Good Morning, Granny Rose and There Goes Lowell's Party.

We also taught the kids about Arkansas using the Our United States of America: Catholic Social Studies textbook.

The Food:
Each year in Little Rock, AR there is a cornbread festival. Yes, a cornbread festival. Here's why: “Cornbread is an integral part of our southern heritage, and we live in a community steeped in history and tradition. It just seems to be a good fit for a festival in Little Rock.” - Anita Davis, founder of the cornbread festival

In honor of the festival, we made cornbread for our Arkansas food. I didn't like the recipe we tried, buy I think you'll be able to find your own.

The Craft:
Sticking with the festival theme, we made a watermelon craft and learned about the annual Watermelon Festival held in Hope, AR. The festival dates back to the 1920's and has over 50,000 in attendance!

I found this craft using a google image search, but when I clicked on the link it redirected to a cigar shop. Pretty sure, their site got hacked. So rather than send you to the cigar shop, I'll let you hone in on your crafty side and figure this one out on your own. Here's a tip, all you need is construction paper.

Michigan is next in line for our Journey Across America! 

Be saints, it's worth it!
Lisa

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Journey Across America: Missouri

This post is part of a 50 state Journey Across America. For information on the basics of this project check out this post.

The Books:
We began by reading S is for Show Me and then Bean used the information she learned to make a notebook page for her United States scrapbook.

We also read several Missouri themed books.

Most kids are fascinated with the history of the Pony Express route, which departed from Missouri. Reading Pony Express! was a great way to capture the short lived, but long remembered history of the Pony Express. Bean also read Classic Start's Huckleberry Finn, Little House Chapter Book's Missouri Bound and Horse Diaries' Koda. Missouri was an excellent state for literature!

And, per usual, we taught the kids about Missouri using the Our United States of America: Catholic Social Studies textbook.

The Food:

When Missouri hosted the World's Fair in 1904 several new foods were invented, or so they claim. Included on this list were toasted ravioli and the ice cream cone.

Rather than deep fat fry these puppies, I baked them. Here's how:

• Boil a container of refrigerated cheese ravioli for 3 minutes
• Dip them in a mixtures of 1/4 c. milk and 1 egg
• Coat them with italian breadcrumbs
• Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes
• Serve with warm red sauce

They are delicious, yet the meal still called for ice cream cones, because no reason is a good reason to pass on an ice cream cone.... at least most of the time.

The Craft:
How do you not do something for the St. Louis Arch during Missouri week? It would have been cool if I had bought this St. Louis Arch 3-D puzzle, but, I went the cheap route and gave the kids card-stock and foil to build their own.

Bean gave her's an airplane, sun, cloud floating above.

Pal gave his some grass and the Missouri river below. Why, oh why, do I ever buy Easter grass?

From here we will be journeying to Arkansas next!

Be saints, it's worth it!
Lisa

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Journey Across America: Maine

This post is part of a 50 state Journey Across America. For information on the basics of this project check out this post.

The Books:
We began by reading L is for Lobster and then Bean used the information she learned to make a notebook page for her United States scrapbook.

There are so many great Maine picture books, we just had to read them all! Lighthouse Dog to the Rescue, The Sea Chest (this one made me cry, which is no small feat), Keep the Lights Burning Abbie, and Birdie's Lighthouse all focused on... wait for it... Lighthouses!

And of course we relished in the Robert McCloskey's award winning books set in Maine. One Morning in Maine, Time of Wonder, and Blueberries for Sal. My kids love these stories and could read them over and over again.

Blueberries for Sal is a classic and a Before FIAR book, so you can find boatloads of story time ideas over at Pinterest.

We also taught the kids about Maine using the Our United States of America: Catholic Social Studies textbook.

The Food:
After reading Blueberries for Sal and because the wild blueberry is the official fruit of the state, we made blueberry muffins using this recipe from food.com.

The Craft:
And after all of those lighthouse books, we made our own little lighthouses. We used directions from Spoonful.com to create them out of plastic cups, and then the kids took it a step further and added their own landscapes. Pal's is still sitting on top of the fridge. We made these a few months ago. I'm behind in blogging.

After spending a week in the most northeastern corner of our country, we are now head to the middle with Missouri up next.

Be saints, it's worth it!
Lisa

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Journey Across America: Alabama

This post is part of a 50 state Journey Across America. For information on the basics of this project check out this post.

The Books:
We began by reading Y is for Yellowhammer and then Bean used the information she learned to make a notebook page for her United States scrapbook.

The kids and I then read A Picture Book of Helen Keller (she was born in Tuscumbia, AL) and Wind Flyers.

We also taught the kids about Alabama using the Our United States of America: Catholic Social Studies textbook.

The Food:
For an Alabama treat we made Alabama Fried Cherry Pies. (Although, we actually baked ours :).

The Craft:
After reading A Picture Book of Helen Keller, the kids created their own braille messages using... hole punched dots... I really don't know what to call them. We used this braille chart to show us how to create the letters.

And up north we go next to Maine!

Be saints, it's worth it!
Lisa

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Journey Across America: Illinois

This post is part of a 50 state Journey Across America. For information on the basics of this project check out this post.

The Books:
We began by reading L is for Lincoln and then Bean used the information she learned to make a notebook page for her United States scrapbook.

I read the kids Country Crossing, for our Illinois picture book. While the setting of the book is in Illinois, the book is about trains and not the state... my 5 year old son did not complain. American Girl Molly is an Illinoisan, so Bean also read some of her books as well.

We also taught the kids about Illinois using the Our United States of America: Catholic Social Studies textbook.

The Food:
We enjoyed some deep dish pizza straight from Old Chicago for our Illinois food. I think we studied Illinois about the time that meals from our friends were running out after the birth of Baby Peanut.

The Craft:
Good ole Abe Lincoln spent the majority of his life living in Illinois and rests there in Springfield, IL. Because of his many ties to the state we spent an afternoon playing with Lincoln Logs, which were named after Abraham, who was born in a one room log cabin.

We are moving on to Alabama next!

Be saints, it's worth it!
Lisa

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Journey Across America: Mississippi

This post is part of a 50 state Journey Across America. For information on the basics of this project check out this post.

The Books:
We began by reading M is for Magnolia and then Bean used the information she learned to make a notebook page for her United States scrapbook.

For Mississippi picture books we read Freedom Summer and Growing Seasons. 

We also taught the kids about Mississippi using the Our United States of America: Catholic Social Studies textbook.

The Food:
Was there really any contest for our Mississippi food? Of course we made Mississippi Mud Pie! We used an easy recipe from food.com and made it even easier by using a pre-made graham cracker crust.

The Craft:
In honor of The Great Mississippi River Balloon Race, we made a hot air balloon mobile using instructions from Sew Homegrown. We didn't paint them like she did... I know the cuteness factor just went down, but this mobile is still hanging in Bean's room, so it's okay.

Our Journey takes us to Illinois next!

Be saints, it's worth it!
Lisa

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Journey Across America: Indiana

This post is part of a 50 state Journey Across America. For information on the basics of this project check out this post.

The Books:
We began by reading H is for Hoosier and then Bean used the information she learned to make a notebook page for her United States scrapbook.

For picture books we read The Floating House and Log Cabin in the Woods.

We also taught the kids about Indiana using the Our United States of America: Catholic Social Studies textbook.

The Food:
For a quick snack we had some Orville Redenbacher popcorn, because Orville was born in Brazil, Indiana.

We also made Indiana Bread Pudding from The United States Cookbook. The book selected bread pudding for it's Indiana recipe because Indiana is a leading producer of eggs. This was an easy recipe for the kids to do without much adult help!

The Craft:
Indianapolis is home to the Indy 500, so we made some race cars! I found these cute toilet paper tube cars on a hungarian blog. While I couldn't read the directions, the blogger took detailed pictures so I was able to figure it out! We also watched the highlights of a recent race on youtube. 3 to 3.5 hours compressed into 16 minutes... perfect.

Mississippi is up next!

Be saints, it's worth it!
Lisa

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Journey Across America: Louisiana

This post is part of a 50 state Journey Across America. For information on the basics of this project check out this post.

The Books:
We began by reading P is for Pelican and then Bean used the information she learned to make a notebook page for her United States scrapbook.

I found some Cajun versions of several children's classics for us to read during Louisiana week. Check out Jacques and the Beanstalk, Petite Rouge, Three Little Cajuns, and Little Pierre (not based on a classic... it was just okay, definitely not our favorite) for a fun twist on some known tales. And to be boring and educational like, you can be like me and make your kids read Louisiana Purchase.

We also taught the kids about Louisiana using the Our United States of America: Catholic Social Studies textbook.

The Food:

Options for Louisiana food are nearly endless, but we aren't a family who loves cajun food, so we went with beignets, because we are a family who loves donuts. You can make them from scratch, buy boxed mixes, or make them from frozen dinner rolls. We did the frozen dinner rolls, because it's the easiest of the three options :). Check out Shower of Roses' recipe!

The Craft:

For our craft we made Mardi Gras masks. I found the supplies at The Dollar Tree, but if it's not Mardi Gras season, you can find them at Michael's.

Indiana is our next stop!

Be saints, it's worth it!
Lisa

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Journey Across America: Ohio

This post is part of a 50 state Journey Across America. For information on the basics of this project check out this post.

The Books:
We began by reading B is for Buckeye and then Bean used the information she learned to make a notebook page for her United States scrapbook.

Picture books for Ohio included Lentil (one of our all time favorites!), One Giant Leap (Neil Armstrong was born in Ohio), and Warm as Wool. American Girl Kit is set in Ohio, so you can read her stories this week as well.

We also taught the kids about Ohio using the Our United States of America: Catholic Social Studies textbook.

The Food:

Tasty buckeyes were an easy pick for our Buckeye state food. They look like buckeye nuts, but aren't poisonous... just addicting. Kids can pull these off with minimal help!

The Craft:

In honor of Neil Armstrong, we made astronauts out of toilet paper tubes with this free printable from DLTK. Such a cinch!

Louisiana, we are coming for you next!

Be saints, it's worth it!
Lisa

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Journey Across America: Tennessee

This post is part of a 50 state Journey Across America. For information on the basics of this project check out this post.

The Books:
We began by reading V is for Volunteer State and then Bean used the information she learned to make a notebook page for her United States scrapbook.

Then we read some Tennessee picture books: A Picture Book of Davy Crockett, Davy Crockett: A Life on the Frontier, Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind Crockett, and Daniel's Duck.

We also taught the kids about Tennessee using the Our United States of America: Catholic Social Studies textbook.

The Food:
It was impossible to not make the former official sponsor of the Grand Ole Opry, the Goo Goo Cluster, for our Tennessee state food. Invented in Nashville, the Goo Goo Cluster is the world's first ever combination candy bar. I thought about buying them online, but at $26.95 for 12, when we only needed 2, I opted to make them instead. We used a recipe from food.com that omitted the carmel, but I thought it was close enough.

The Activity:
With Tennessee being home to "Music City, USA" (Nashville) I opted to share with the kids the rich music history that Tennessee holds. We listened to some country music (Bristol is the Birthplace of Country Music), some Elvis (Graceland, need I say more?), some Beale Street Blues (Memphis is the Birthplace of the Blues), and some clips of the Grand Ole Opry and Jubilee Singers.

Ohio is our next stop on our Journey Across America!

Be saints, it's worth it!
Lisa

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Journey Across America: Kentucky

This post is part of a 50 state Journey Across America. For information on the basics of this project check out this post.

The Books:
We began by reading B is for Bluegrass and then Bean used the information she learned to make a notebook page for her United States scrapbook.

Then we read three Kentucky picture books. (Yes, we studied Kentucky in the fall, like four months ago.) The Last Black King of the Kentucky Derby (what would a study of Kentucky be without it's Derby?), A Picture Book of Daniel Boone (he explored and helped settle Kentucky), and That Book Woman (about a woman who delivered books in the Appalachian Mountains).

We also taught the kids about Kentucky using the Our United States of America: Catholic Social Studies textbook.

The Food:

We did it.

I'm not ashamed, Baby Peanut was 3 weeks old.

I forgot how salty KFC is.

Maybe make your own fried chicken.

The Craft:
Using pipe cleaners and tissue paper Bean, and my superstar Jr. High helper who does most of the JAA activities with the kids, made a blanket of roses for Bean's horse Apples. The blanket of roses is placed on the winner of the Kentucky Derby, get it? Bean had the blanket of roses placed on the back of the horse, but I thought it went around the neck. I was wrong. Sorry about that. Peanut was 3 weeks old.

And we're off to Tennessee!

Be saints, it's worth it!
Lisa

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Journey Across America: Vermont

This post is part of a 50 state Journey Across America. For information on the basics of this project check out this post.

The Books:
We began by reading M is for Maple Syrup and then Bean used the information she learned to make a notebook page for her United States scrapbook.

There were lots of books for Vermont week! Daisy and the Doll, Waiting for the Evening Star, and Sugaring were read for picture books, and on her own Bean read Understood Betsy, Justin Morgan had a Horse, and Bell's Star. And for a video you could watch Liberty's Kids' episode on the Green Mountain Boys on YouTube.

We also taught the kids about Vermont using the Our United States of America: Catholic Social Studies textbook.

The Food:
After reading Sugaring, which is about collecting sap from maple trees to make syrup, we enjoyed some real maple syrup with apple pancakes, because Vermont is known for its many orchards. (I can't remember what apple pancake recipe we used, sorry!)

And of course we couldn't leave out the Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream! It's Vermont's finest :).

The Craft:
Vermont week lined up with the first week of fall at our house, so we made a maple leaf rubbing banner to add to our fall decorations.

And we're off to Kentucky!

Be saints, it's worth it!
Lisa

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Journey Across America: Rhode Island

This post is part of a 50 state Journey Across America. For information on the basics of this project check out this post.

The Books:
We began by reading R is for Rhode Island Red and then Bean used the information she learned to make a notebook page for her United States scrapbook.

Next we used Rhode Island Red as a read aloud (I changed the words of some of the rude banter as I read) and Bean read Finding Providence on her own.

We also taught the kids about Rhode Island using the Our United States of America: Catholic Social Studies textbook.

The Food:

Pizza Strips, a popular Rhode Island treat, served as our easy to make Rhode Island food. The kids covered Flatout Bread with pizza sauce and then used a pizza wheel to cut it into strips. You eat pizza strips at room temperature, so that was it! They really enjoyed them, especially because they were able to make them completely on their own.

The Craft:

Apparently we never made the Rhode Island craft that I had in mind. I'm thinking it's because this was the last state we did before Peanut was born. Anyway, we were going to make these paper tube violets because Rhode Island's state flower is a violet.

There you have it! Next on our journey is Vermont!

Be saints, it's worth it!
Lisa

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Journey Across America: North Carolina

This post is part of a 50 state Journey Across America. For information on the basics of this project check out this post.

The Books:
We began by reading T is for Tar Heel and then Bean used the information she learned to make a notebook page for her United States scrapbook.

Next we read a few North Carolina picture books: My Great-Aunt Arizona and The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree.

Finally we taught the kids about North Carolina using the Our United States of America: Catholic Social Studies textbook.

The Food:
We used a Pork Barbecue, North Carolina Style recipe from food.com for our state food this week, however I replaced the pork with chicken. The recipe calls for 1 cup of vinegar, which consequently made for a very strong taste in the sauce.  So, if I were to make it again, I would cut back on the vinegar.

The Craft:
Each year Banner Elk, North Carolina hosts a Woolly Worm Festival with 20,000 in attendance. It's believed that the thickness of the center band on the woolly worm predicts the upcoming winter weather.

For our state craft we made our own little woolly worms by wrapping pipe cleaners around pencils and using lots of glue!

Now on to Rhode Island!

Be saints, it's worth it!
Lisa

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Journey Across America: New York

This post is part of a 50 state Journey Across America. For information on the basics of this project check out this post.

The Books:
We began by reading E is for Empire and then Bean used the information she learned to make a notebook page for her United States scrapbook.

There are a plethora, cornucopia, smorgasbord (ooh, I've never used that word in a blog post before) etc., of books on New York. It is the home of our nation's largest city, so no surprise there. Let's break them down into picture books and chapter books.

First the picture books.

We enjoyed Uptown, Hattie and the Wild Waves, Journey Around New York, The Adventures of Taxi Dog (Pal loves dogs... well the stuffed kind that is, he thinks real, big dogs will eat his food), and Abuela this week.

And now for the chapter books...

The Orphans Find a Home: A St. Francis Xavier Cabrini Story (YES!), The Mystery in New York, Lexi's Tale (this was a fun read aloud), and The Cricket in Times Square made the list.

You can also read American Girl's Samantha series, The Snowy Day, and The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge. The last two are both Five in a Row books!

Finally, we taught the kids about New York using the Our United States of America: Catholic Social Studies textbook.

The Food:
Okay, this was eclectic because we were in the middle of our kitchen restoration.

New York cheesecake (store bought), Jello (store bought, as if that would have been really difficult to make) and potato chips (I wouldn't have tried to make those even if I had a functioning kitchen) on a Papa John's paper plate. (I'm using a lot of parentheses in this post.)

Jello was invented in Le Roy by a cough syrup manufacturer. Potato chips were invented in Saratoga Springs when a customer at a resort complained that his french fries were too thick. To rile the customer the cook cut the potatoes paper thin and the rest is history. I don't think I need to explain New York cheesecake.

The Craft:
We made mini Statues of Liberty using this free printout from Paper Toys.

Our Journey will take us to North Carolina next!

Be saints, it's worth it!
Lisa

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Journey Across America: Virginia

This post is part of a 50 state Journey Across America. For information on the basics of this project check out this post.

The Books:
We began by reading O is for Old Dominion and then Bean used the information she learned to make a notebook page for her United States scrapbook.

For our picture books this week we read The Promise Quilt and The Relatives Came. Bean also read two chapter books: Misty of Chincoteague and Boxcar Children's The Mystery in Washington, D.C. (I know D.C. is not really in Virginia, but it is kind of.) You can also read American Girl's Felicity series, as Felicity lived in Virginia.

Last suggestion, although it's not a book... Episode 11 of Liberty's Kids is on Virginia born George Washington and you can watch it on youtube!

Finally, we taught the kids about Virginia using the Our United States of America: Catholic Social Studies textbook.

The Food:
In the back of The Mystery in Washington, D.C. there was a recipe for Apple-y Ever After Pancakes. Bean was so thrilled about the idea that we had to use it for our Virginia food and I'm so glad we did because it was simple and so delicious! I would compare it to apple pie, but WAY less work!

Here is the recipe:

The Craft:
The Flowering Dogwood is both Virginia's state tree and flower, so we used this template from Catholic Inspired to make a Dogwood flower craft. The post explains the legend of the Dogwood and how it relates to our faith!

We are headed to New York next!

Be saints, it's worth it!
Lisa

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