Table setting seems to be the first “job” we give our kids when they are old enough to help us in the kitchen.  If we give them that job to do, we should also teach them the correct way to do it!

The correct table setting is actually quite simple and is based on what is used first, from the outside towards the plate.  Forks are always on the left with the salad fork first, since salad is usually served first; next comes the dinner fork; and, if used, the dessert fork is closest to the plate.  On the right, closest to the plate is the knife – with the cutting edge towards the plate.  Then come the spoons – teaspoon to the right of the knife with the soup spoon on the far right, since soup is usually served before the main course.

The napkin should be set to the left of the forks with the folded edge towards the plate.  It is best not to set the silverware on top of the napkin, because you would have to remove all the silverware to get to the napkin, because it is the first item used at the table..  It can be placed on the plate or where the plate goes to eliminate using too much table space for one place setting.

The Emily Post website is an excellent source to use, with diagrams of place settings and tips on how to remember whose bread plate and drink glass belongs to whom!

And what is a well set table without a centerpiece??  The main thing to keep in mind with centerpieces is that you don’t want them interfering with your conversation to the people across the table.  Either make them low enough so you can see over them or raise them high enough so you can see the person across the table from you.   Depending on the size of your family, the centerpiece could be set on one side of the table if you use the other 3 sides for place settings.  That way the centerpiece could be any height, since it does not interfere with conversation.

Imagination can be your guide for a centerpiece – and kids have great imaginations!  You don’t need fancy, cut glass vases.  Some ordinary bottles are unique enough to hold a some flowers.  Use several small jars or bottles with just a flower in each one.  With fall in full swing, pumpkins, gourds, leaves, etc. can set a theme for your table.  You do not need to use flowers as a centerpiece.  Some of your class artwork can become centerpieces to be enjoyed by the whole family.

I love candles and usually have many candles lit for a dinner!  If using candles, of course, safety is your first concern.  Tapers are most likely to be tipped over, so I like to use several votives when I want candlelight with children at the table.  You can even purchase battery run tea lights that look like the real thing with no fire involved!  As the kids get older, it was an honor to light the candles and to be the one to snuff them out.  A candle snuffer is a safer way to put out a candle rather than blowing it out, since hot wax get blown along with the flame!

Try a formal dinner with your kids, they’ll love it!

To discuss table setting and other home economic topics, please visit our HMHS Discussion Forum.

Anyone with a German background like I have knows that autumn brings the delightful smells of German cooking and Oktoberfest.  The simplest German food is bratwurst simmered in beer and then grilled outdoors, served with sauerkraut and spicy mustard on a rye bun.  You may want to try a more involved German recipe, now that cooler weather should be on the way.  This might also be a good way to incorporate learning about the history, customs, and dress of another country, especially if it is part of your own heritage.

Here is a good menu to try, with the recipes following:

Sauerbraten with Gingersnap Gravy

Mashed Potatoes or Potato Dumplings (I use the frozen ones rather than make my own)

Sweet Sour Red Cabbage

Apfel Kuchen (German Apple Cake)

Sauerbraten

4 Pound Rump Roast

2 Onions, Sliced

2 Bay leaves

6 Whole Cloves

12 Peppercorns

2 Teaspoons Salt

1 Pint Red Wine Vinegar

Place roast in a large zip lock bag with onions and seasonings.  Pour over a mixture of red wine vinegar and ½ cup water (heated to boiling.)  Marinate 3 days or more.  Turn meat twice a day – do not pierce with a fork.  Keep in refrigerator.

To cook:  drain meat and brown thoroughly on all sides in hot fat in a heavy skillet.  Add marinade, cover pan and simmer slowly 3 to 4 hours, or until tender.  (I have used the crock pot.)  Remove from liquid and allow to stand for 15 minutes before slicing.  Serve with Gingersnap Gravy.

Gingersnap Gravy

Pour off any excess fat from the liquid meat was cooked in.  Add 1 tablespoon sugar and 12-16 crumbled gingersnaps.  Cook 10 minutes longer.  Thicken with a flour-water paste (2 tablespoon flour per ½ cup of liquid.)  Bring to boil, and boil 1 minute.  Season and serve.

Sweet-Sour Red Cabbage

1 Head Red Cabbage, Thinly Sliced

4 Slices Bacon, Diced

2 Tablespoons, Brown Sugar

2 Tablespoons Flour

½ Cup Water

1/3 Cup Vinegar

1 Teaspoon Salt

1/8 Teaspoon Pepper

1 Small Onion, Sliced

Steam cabbage in a small amount of water until crisp-tender (5-8 minutes.)  Drain.  Fry bacon; remove bacon and discard half of the bacon fat.  Add brown sugar and flour to remaining bacon fat; blend.  Add water, vinegar, seasonings and onion; cook until thick, 5 minutes.  Add bacon and cabbage; heat through.

Apfel Kuchen (German Apple Cake)

4-5 Cups Baking Apples (Granny Smith or other)

1 ¼ Cups Flour

1 Teaspoon Baking Powder

2 Teaspoons Sugar

¾ Cup Sugar

1 ½ Tablespoons Flour

2 Tablespoons Butter

1 Egg

2 Tablespoons Milk

½ Cup Butter

1/3 Teaspoon Cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 305 degrees.
2. Mix 1 ¼ cup flour, the baking powder, 2 teaspoons sugar, and salt and sift once.
3. Cut ½ cup butter into dry mix with a pastry blender to pea size.
4. Beat egg with 2 Tablespoons milk and add to dry mix.
5. Mix thoroughly and pat dough into a greased 9X13 inch baking dish
6. Pare and core apples.
7. Cut apples into thin wedge slices and place on dough in rows until dough is covered.  We would cover the thin end of one apple with the thick end of the other.
8. Dot apples with 2 Tablespoons butter.  Mix ¾ cup sugar, 1 ½ Tablespoons flour and the cinnamon together.
9. Spread dry topping over dotted apples and bake in over for 30-45 minutes until golden brown.

Shelly will be featuring information on German culture and the history of Oktoberfest in tomorrow’s blog, so check back or subscribe to our email list or RSS feed to make a full unit study!

To discuss unit studies, recipes, or other homeschooling topics, please visit the HMHS Discussion Forum.

How to cook perfect hard boiled eggs

The first thing to know about cooking eggs is that you DO NOT BOIL them.  At higher temperatures, the protein in eggs can become very rubbery.  Also, there is a greater chance of the “green ring” showing up around the yolk when the eggs are boiled.  Here’s the best way to come up with a perfect hard cooked (“boiled”) egg.

1. Choose eggs that are at least a week old.  They will be easier to peel.  Bring the eggs to room temperature.  Place in a saucepan in which you can cover the eggs with water.

2. Bring the water and eggs just up to a boil.  (Simmer is when little bubbles appear rising from the bottom and a boil is when you see larger bubbles start.)

3. When the eggs just reach the boiling point, cover the pan and turn the unit off.  Leave the pan on the unit to capture the residual heat.

4. For soft cooked eggs, leave in the water for 8 to 12 minutes, depending on the size of the egg.  For hard cooked eggs, leave in the water for 14 to 16 minutes, depending on the size of the egg.

5. When they are cooked to your desired amount, drain the hot water and put the eggs into a bowl  of cold water and ice.  This will immediately stop the cooking, which will prevent the hydrogen sulfide gases from the egg yolk combining with the egg white which forms the green ring around the yolk.

6. When cooled, you can peel the eggs easily by breaking the shell and running the egg over the counter under you palm to get lots of tiny cracks.  Then peel a piece of shell from the large end of the egg, getting the membrane along with it, and peel the remaining egg under running water at the faucet.  Be sure to refrigerate what you do not immediately use.

An entire series of lesson plans can be centered around the egg.  A good resource is http://incredibleegg.org/egg_facts.html and http://www.wikihow.com/Hard-Boil-an-Egg.

Come back tomorrow for my favorite egg recipe!!

Grammy Sheryl