High End See-Saw

Please don't mind the laundry in the back. The line is almost never empty!

Wild Mushrooms!

I know. The first reaction of most people is "aren't they poison?". I understand this to be from years of tale of toadstools and witchcraft all making it's way into the mind and ensuring that we never stray too far off the beaten path. I, too, read all those same tales. It only takes one taste to melt those fears away.
These, above, are Giant Puffballs. The dark one is Bolete. Food from the wild. What more could be a blessing? Or more aptly, which of these blessings do you deny?
Mushroom hunting is a great way to get outside. It is educational and teaches the kids how to be conscious of their environment. It will increase the palette from which to pick from when even thinking of food. Why should everything be sweet, pretty, or packaged?
Most mushrooms need to be cooked. Some like the Chantrelle can be dried and pulverized to be used as a 'pepper'  garnish. Can anyone turn away healthy and free food?
The field guides are a great start to get out and begin looking at the fungi that is in your world. They grow everywhere. Kids love this. It is a game of hide and seek. If need be you can use it as a lesson on foraging and relate it to how early peoples were gatherers of wild foods. They are in many shapes, sizes and colors. If you can, find someone that eats from the wild and get them to teach you. Get comfortable with identification, look at recipes and attend a festival. You and your family will be glad you did.
Click here for Mushroom Guidance


NOTE; All wild mushrooms MUST be identified correctly. If you have doubts as to the id, err on the side of caution, do not eat it.Throw it out.

How to build a Yee Pee

The city had to trim trees in our neighborhood. We like to cook and smoke our meats so I told the kids to put the maple and pecan wood over the fence to save it from the chipper. My good little squirrels did just that. The workman who watched was a bit alarmed that I would still insist on clean-up by his crew but I assured him this was not not the case. As i returned to my day I realized the kids had remained outside. This is what I found....

The beauty of home education is just this, a moment in time . Not tied to a desk or a schedule. We are free to explore and create. What do you do with your trees?