Postcard-Geography Album: New Jersey, "The Garden State"

This week we studied the state of New Jersey.

 These pages are so nice because they learn a lot about the states by just coloring. We sometimes have to research to accurately color some things on the pages. For example, this week we had to look up how the finch was to be colored.

Hippos don't have anything to do with New Jersey. Our NJ postcard is from Adventure Aquarium in Camden.

Student sketch of the state.

What is New Jersey known for?
inventor Thomas Edison
 Revolutionary War heroine Molly Pitcher
Various landscapes: the Highlands, the Pinelands, and shoreline
 The Seeing Eye training institute for seeing eye dogs
 Haddy, the largest complete dinosaur skeleton of its time, found in 1858 

One of New Jersey's largest crops is blueberries, so we decided to make blueberry muffins for a tea time snack. The leftovers will be breakfast for tomorrow.

This recipe comes from Martha Stewart, so it is a bit difficult, but the results are worth the trouble.

Makes 1 dozen

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups fresh blueberries
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Directions
1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Generously butter a standard 12-cup muffin pan and dust with flour, tapping out excess; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Working over the bowl, toss blueberries in a fine sieve with about 1 1/2 teaspoons flour mixture to lightly coat; set aside the flour mixture and the blueberries.
2.In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using a handheld mixer, beat butter and 1 cup sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined. Mix in vanilla.
3.With the mixer on low speed, add reserved flour mixture, beating until just combined. Add milk, beating until just combined. Do not overmix. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the blueberries. Divide batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups. If desired, in a small bowl, mix together remaining 1/4 cup sugar and nutmeg. Sprinkle sugar mixture on top of muffin batter.
4.Bake, rotating pan halfway though, until muffins are golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center of one muffin comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool 10 minutes. Turn muffins on their sides in their cups, and let cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Other possibilities for state foods include hoagies, or submarines, which are a popular food in all the mid-Atlantic states. The fresh tomatoes, onions and cucumbers are representative of the nickname The Garden State. Saltwater taffy originated in a candy shop on the Jersey Shore. 

visited 41 states (82%)

We still need postcards for these states: Mississippi, New Jersey, Vermont and Wyoming. 

If you live in any of these states and would like to help us with this project, please leave a comment on how I can get in touch with you. Thank you!