Have you ever had shoo fly pie? We hadn't, but it is a popular Pennsylvania Dutch recipe so I figured we should try it while we are studying Pennsylvania. C and R helped me make the pie using this recipe. Before you comment about the recipe, I realize that it is a tiny bit different from the traditional recipe. The traditional recipe includes shortening (I don't typically buy or use shortening so I purposely searched for a recipe that left it out) and was a bit more complicated than I had patience for, so I was happy to find a simpler version. The pie was a bit too sweet for me, but I'm glad I tried it.
Supposedly, the pie earned it's name because the aroma of the molasses as the pie cooled on the window sill would draw flies to the sweetness. Shoo fly!
After placing the pie in the oven, we read Old Black Fly by Jim Aylesworth. This book is an alphabet book about a fly that drives a family crazy by buzzing and landing on anything and everything in the house. That annoying fly lands on objects in alphabetical order starting with apple pie. On every other page, the text reads, "Shoo fly! Shoo fly! Shooo."
C and R drew their own flies on paper and then tried to make them shoo with a spray bottle splatter painting activity. I put washable paint and water in each of the spray bottles, and they sprayed the flies.
This was a risky activity to do in the kitchen but we have had so much rain lately that I finally just gave in. I figured the washable paint mixed with water couldn't make too much of a mess. They did spray each other a few times, but they had fun and cleaned up quickly.
7 comments:
fun art project! :) i migh have to add that to open ended art if you are ok with that?!
I had heard of shoo fly pie my gammo in the south made it some :)
what did you think of the book? my LO think its ok nothing she had me read over and over
Growing up, my aunt & uncle, who live "up north" in Michigan, were surrounded by Amish families. My aunt & uncle used to trade goods & services with their neighbors and I remember one fall day, a neighbor coming over in horse & buggy to deliver two shoo fly pies. As a child, I thought the pie was wonderful, now, I'm guessing it would be too sweet for my taste.
I am really enjoying your 50 states project and we are going to do something similar this fall as I've discovered that my daughter's school is lacking in the social studies & geography areas. I'm also hoping that by trying regional foods, my daughter will not be quite so picky!
You never have shoo fly pie???? That is a sin! It's soooo yummy with vanilla ice cream.. Mmmmm....
I am loving the art project, and how you weren't afraid to get messy. Looks like they had a lot of fun!
We are in desperate need of geography at our house so I am definitely going to check out your other activities!
And... my guy would love the spray painting!
I love your little boy's fly painting. Mine would love to spray the flies too... spray bottles are a fav in our house.
Blessings and magic.
I love shoo fly pie. I have not had it in forever. I will have to try that recipe.
Great art project too.
Wow - what a fun project!
-AZ
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