It was a lot of fun to hear and see what they students had to say about this experiment. It was also interesting to see what they used to measure with (their hands) since the recipe didn't say to use measuring cups.
After the lab we went on to talk about proper measuring procedure and utensils. I hope it sinks in sooner or later!
Today at school I had a former student (from my 1st year of teaching), April (Brooksby) Nielsen, come guest speak in my Foods class. It was so much fun to see her again! When I told my students that we were going to have a guest speaker on home canning instead of doing a lab they were kind of whiny and not very excited. Then April showed up! She had the students helping can a few things and helping to prepare the meal she served.
She did an awesome job and she fed the students applesauce, burritos (with lemon rice and re fried beans plus cilantro/lime dressing) and cake- they LOVED it! Plus they learned how to do some home canning! 
My FACS students had their first lab today. They are wearing the aprons they made last quarter! They made Thunder Juice (Orange Julius) and Thunder Twists (Pretzels). For the most part they did a great job. Before the lab started we had a short chat about following directions so I think the lab went a little more smoothly than it otherwise would have.
Yesterday in Foods we had a bread lab and it was an...experience. It is amazing how taking notes and discussing techniques on how to do something helps. It is also amazing how having the right ingredients for a lab helps. This lab was a great learning experience. I learned that it is a good idea (whether you have to push the lab back a day or not) to discuss various techniques as far as biscuit and muffin methods before student attempt to make them. I also learned that while corn starch makes a decent substitute for eggs in a recipe, it is not the same. Hopefully in class tomorrow we will some good conversations about the products. They tasted okay, but they didn't look that great. With the exception of the Raspberry/Pecan Muffin group- they did great!
In Foods yesterday we had another lab. We made homemade ice cream and apple crisp. I think the food turned out pretty good. Some of the labs struggled with the ice cream (they didn't shake it enough), but the flavor was still good!
My clothing students have turned in the work they have been doing since the beginning of the quarter. These backpacks are two of the examples of what they have been working on. Students did a great job. They learned how to use the embroidery machine, how to do a button hole, and how to do a mitered pocket. Great job!
