today for our Civil War lesson we talked about what the soldiers on both sides ate. So we decided to try some of it out and made the hardtack that they ate daily...I wish I'd have gotten pictures....ICK! the kids couldn't believe how horrible it was nor that the soldiers lived on that and coffee the majority of the time. They then understood why they sang songs about longing for the day when they didn't eat it any more!! To be honest it just really makes you appreciate even more what our soldiers then and our soldiers now endure for us!
If you want to make hardtack here is the recipe we got from this site:
Union Hardtack Recipe
2 cups flour
1/2 to 3/4 cup water
1 Tbsp of crisco
6 pinches of salt
Mix the ingredients togther into a stiff batter. Knead several times and spread out flat on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 30 min at 400 degrees. Remove from oven, cut dough into 3 inch squares and put 4 rows of holes into the dough. Turn dough over and return to oven. Bake another 30 min. Turn oven off and leave the door closed. Leave in the oven until cool. Remove and "enjoy"!
I was interested to learn that the Union soldiers fared better because the north already had a comissary system set up before the war, but the confederacy didn't so it took them several years to learn how to get, store and distribute rations to the troops. I was also interested in how little they knew back then about nutrition in general and thus the soldiers truly suffered on both sides not getting what fuel their bodies needed.
I am constandly amazed at what I get out of teaching my kids!! I might in a few years have enough knowledge to feel comfortable playing trivial pursuit......nah...doubt it!!
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2 comments:
It is true that you learn a lot when you are teaching!! Maybe you could eventually try out for that "Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader" show!! I bet a homeschool mom could win the million!! I have a ton of wonderful homeschool memories. I think it is great how you can spend extra time and effort on the things that really interest you & your kids. It is like a personal trainer-for you mind!
Ok, that is just disgusting!!!! I wish I could homeschool Austin, at this point I'm just hoping we can afford Arlington.
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