Join us on an educational adventure through each state in the USA! Each post in this series focuses on one state, and includes a regional recipe from that state. This is a fun way to get your kids involved in cooking, as well as learn a bit about United States geography! The post also includes a link to the featured state’s website, where you can learn more about the state. We also include free forms that you can download and print to use along the journey. Geography has never been so delicious!

Make sure to check back each week for the next post!

Did you know that the climate in Oregon allows for a wide variety of crops to be grown? Oregon leads the nation in winter pears, blackberries, boysenberries, and hazelnuts. Other products include potatoes, carrots, watermelons, cranberries, cheeses, and fish (especially salmon, halibut, ling cod, and shellfish).

This recipe uses cranberries that are grown in bogs or marshes in the coastal regions of Oregon. Cranberries blossom in late June or early July, and the berry harvest begins right after Labor Day.

OREGON Cranberry Cookie Bars

What You Will Need:

• Vegetable Oil Cooking Spray


• 2 large Eggs, beaten


• 1/2 cup Butter, softened


• 1-1/2 cups Sugar


• 1 teaspoon Vanilla


• 1-1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour


• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder


• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)


• 2 cups Cranberries, fresh or frozen


• Large Mixing Bowl


• 9″ x 12″ Baking Pan (a glass pan works best)

What You Do:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.


• Spray vegetable oil cooking spray in a 9″ x 12″ baking pan, then set aside.


• In a large mixing bowl, beat together eggs, butter, sugar, and vanilla. (Kids love to stir these ingredients together)!


• Add flour and baking powder to the above mixture, and stir together well.


• Add cranberries and nuts to the mixture, mixing well.


• Spoon the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. (We recommend you check the bars after 30 minutes, depending on your oven).


• Remove from oven and allow to cool before cutting into bars.


• Serve and enjoy!

Variation:

• For a slightly different taste, use brown sugar in place of the white sugar.


• Frost the bars with a cream cheese frosting for extra flavor.


• This recipe works with raspberries, boysenberries, or blackberries, too!

Oregon State Information – Click this link to learn more about Oregon attractions, activities, and to request free brochures, maps, and so much more!

US Geography Journal Pages – Use these journal pages to create a geography journal as you collect information about each state.

Oregon Outline Map – Use this state map to label capitals, major rivers and lakes, and other areas of interest. Draw a star on the place you would most like to visit in this state!

United States Outline Map – Use this USA map to track your journey as you “eat your way across the USA”! Color in each state that you’ve tried one of recipes for.

• The United States Cook Book – Take a Tasty Tour of America’s 50 States, and learn a lot of United States geography along the way! (PLEASE NOTE: The recipe featured above is not included in this book.)


• US History Cook Book – Serve up a heaping lesson of history with delicious recipes from our nation’s past… from the pilgrims’ first feast to today’s high-tech, low-fat fare.


• Maps of the United States – This reproducible book contains geopolitical maps of each of the fifty states; political maps of the six regions; and political, physical, and thematic maps of the United States. You’ll also find fun facts, geography bee-type questions, and review pages.


• DK State-by-State Atlas – More than an atlas, this book shows and tells young geographers who, what, when, where, and why.


• The Geography Book – From finding directions by the stars, to mapping your neighborhood, to making an earthquake in a box, you’ll have a great time learning about the world with The Geography Book.


• Professor Noggins USA Geography Game – From rural farming communities to urban cities, from snow-capped mountains to tropical islands, this game covers both the natural and political geography of the United States. Learn about the states, cities, and natural geographical wonders that make this country such an interesting place to visit.


• State by State Card Game – Learning about United States geography is made fun and memorable with this unique deck of cards!


• GeoPuzzle USA Puzzle – GeoPuzzles provide a hands-on approach to learning geography.

Make sure to check back next week for the next state in this series!

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