 We’re studying this week about Native Americans. We were able to go on a field trip to a local Nature Preserve to learn about the Native Americans in our area of the country. When learning about foods they ate, we were reminded of the “3 Sisters,” corn, beans, and squash. Yesterday we shucked some corn to start our corn husk wreath, after reading the book Corn is Maize. We’re getting ready to eat the corn for dinner tonight. Then last night we baked a pumpkin pie. All of this got me thinking that it would be fun to make a “3 Sisters” dinner this weekend, sort of a prelude to Thanksgiving dinner. Yes, I know most people include corn, beans, and squash into Thanksgiving dinner in some form or fashion, but I wanted to highlight these 3 items in a special dinner. So dinner
White Chili (beans)
Cornbread (corn)
Pumpkin pie (squash)
Friday, we’ll read the story about the 3 Sisters from our Native American History Pockets, and do the craft to go along. Should be a great day of learning about the importance of these foods in the lives of Native Americans.
I have a wonderful recipe for White Chili. It’s from a local restaurant and is so yummy. So I’m going to share that recipe with you all!
Timothy’s Famous White Chili
1 pound large white beans Combine beans, broth, garlic and half the onions in a large soup pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until beans are soft, three hours or more, adding more broth if necessary. In a skillet, sauté remaining onions in oil until tender. Add chilies and seasonings and mix thoroughly. Add to the bean mixture. Add chicken, and simmer one hour, stirring occasionally. Serve topped with grated cheese, salsa and sour cream. Serves 8 to 10. Enjoy!
(oh, and the directions for the corn husk wreath are in the book!)
ETA: here are a couple of pictures of the corn husk wreath thus far. It still needs to dry and be embellished, but at least you can get an idea of what it looks like and how it’s made.
 shucking the corn
 corn’s all shucked and a wire hanger formed into a circle
 looping the husks around the hanger
 the wreath so far
We shreaded all the husks after we were finished. As it’s drying the ends are curling up, making the wreath look “bushier.” We’ll probably embellish it with small nuts and cranberries. I’ll be sure to post a final picture in a few days, when we’re finished with it.
|
