Out of this World!

This is a 5 lesson unit (all listed here):

Great teacher resource: Eating in Space | NASA

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Day 1: Astronaut Ice Cream! 

Interactive Read Aloud: Mousetronaut

Recipe:

Ingredients:

6 large egg whites, at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract (or 1 tsp peppermint extract)

Gel food coloring (optional)

Mini chocolate chips for the mint chip flavor

Directions:

Start by separating your eggs and saving only the whites in a large bowl. Begin mixing them with an electric mixer until slightly foamy. Next add in the cream of tartar and mix again until it is white and foamy and soft peaks form. This will take a couple of minutes.

Next you will add your sugar. Be sure not to dump all of it in at once or it will deflate the foaminess! Slowly add it in a spoonful or two at a time while mixing. Add your extract and coloring in at this time, too. Mix it again until stiff peaks form- these will not bend over as you pull up a spatula or spoon.

We made two flavors with ours so I split it in half and made half vanilla and half min chocolate chip. Yum!

Scoop into a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake in an oven preheated to 200 degrees for 2 hours. This allows it time to sufficiently dry out and and get crispy.

Cool completely.

Day 2: I can prepare a meal that could travel into SPACE!

Recipe: Astronaut Soup! 

Potato Soup in Space PIx

This potato soup mix stirs together quickly and works great as an example of what astronauts bring to space! To make the soup you just need to boil some water and stir in the mix. Adjustments made for vegan too! 

INGREDIENTS:

• 1-3/4 cups Instant Potato Flakes
• 1-1/2 cups Instant Dry Milk Powder (or Soy Milk Powder)
• 3 tsp Chicken Bouillon Powder (or Vegetable Bouillon Powder/Garlic Herb Recipe Mix)
• 2 tsp Dried Minced Onion
• 1/2 tsp Celery Salt
• 1/4 tsp White Pepper
• 1/4 tsp Dried Thyme
• 1/8 tsp Turmeric
• 1 tsp Dried Parsley Flakes
• 1 Tbl Dried Chives
• 2 Tbl Nutritional Yeast 

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Stir together all the ingredients.
2. Place the mixture into a food processor and process until the mixture is more powdery.
3. Store the mixture in a jar with a tight fitting lid.
4. To make the soup: Boil one cup of water and then stir in 1/4 cup of the soup mix.

-OR- Boil 1/2 cup of water and then stir in 1/8 cup of soup mix.

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Day 3:

I can bake cookies that astronauts eat.‍

I can tell the ways Skylab cookies are the same and different from cookies on Earth. 

Recipes: Skylab Cookies! 

6 tablespoons (TBS) unsalted butter

8 1/2 tablespoons (TBS) sugar 

1 1/4 teaspoon (TSP) vanilla extract

1 cup + 2 Tablespoons cake flour 

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Directions: 

1. Allow the butter to come to room temperature. 
2. Use a mixer to combine the butter with the sugar 
3. Add the flour and vanilla extract. Mix. 
4. Roll the dough into small balls about the size of a nickel. Place them on a baking sheet and flatten them out. 
5. Bake at 15 minutes at 325*F. Let cool on a wire rack. 
6. ENJOY!

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Day 4: ‍

I can prepare another dessert that astronauts would eat in space.‍

I can tell the ways space desserts are the same and different from desserts on Earth.

Recipe: Space Pudding! 

INGREDIENTS (per serving & ziplock bag)
- 5 teaspoons (1 tbs + 2 tsp) dry pudding mix
- 5 teaspoons (1 tbs + 2 tsp) powdered milk
- 1/2 cups water

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Measure  dry pudding mix into each kid’s plastic bag. Add powdered milk to each kid’s bag. Mix it up. This is how the package would arrive at the space station.
2. We don’t have a fancy potable water dispenser, so we had to use a measuring cup. Pour in just under ½ cup of water and seal the bag.
3. Double check that the bag is sealed, and then squish, squeeze, and mix the pudding until it’s all blended and starts to set up.
4. Cut the corner off of the bag and squeeze it into your mouth, astronaut-style.

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Day 5: I can explain how eating & living in space is different from that on Earth. 

I can eat a holiday meal like an astronaut in space. 

Recipe: An astronaut's holiday meal

Ingredients: 

• ½ cup instant potatoes
• 1 tablespoon powdered milk
• 1 cup dried stuffing
• 2 tablespoons dried cranberries
• 1 oz packet  gravy mix
• 7 oz  pre-cooked chicken

To Prepare:

1. Person 1 (bowl 1): Mix the stuffing, cranberries, and ½ cup boiling water. Stir and set aside.
2. Person 2 (bowl 2): Mix the potatoes and 1 cup boiling water. Stir and let rehydrate for a few minutes.
3. Person 3 (bowl 3): Add the gravy packet to the remaining ½ cup HOT water and stir until thoroughly mixed. 
4. Person 4 (measuring cup): Add the chicken to gravy and stir until the chicken has warmed.
5. Split the food between the table friends, spooning the chicken and gravy over the top. Dig in and enjoy!

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