Imagine Childhood : Magic & Memories That Last a Lifetime

. . . red white & blueberrry

With the 4th of July just around the corner, and with a string of hot days lately, we wanted to. . .

. . . make. . .

. . . something. . .

. . . wholesome. . .

. . . flavorful. . .

. . . and refreshingly good.  Yep, these will do, these will definitely do.

 

Raspberry Mint + Blueberry Lemon Yogurt Pops

Ingredients: Makes 8  2.5oz Popsicles

• 2 cups plain yogurt (full fat works best, but you can also use fat free)
• 6-8 tablespoons Maple syrup (to taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup blueberries
• 1 cup raspberries
• 1 teaspoon freshly chopped mint
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons water

*Soak your popsicle sticks in water for about an hour before using them so they don't float to the top when inserted.

In a saucepan, combine the raspberries, 1 tablespoon maple syrup and 1 tablespoon of water.  Bring to a simmer and cook just until the fruit falls apart and resembles a loose jam. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Rinse the pan and then follow the same process for the blueberries, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, and 1 tablespoon water.

When the two bowls of quick preserves have cooled, add 1/2 cup plain yogurt to each and stir.

Add the mint to the raspberry yogurt and stir.  Add more maple syrup to either or both if desired.

Mix 2 tablespoons of maple syrup into the remaining cup of plain yogurt as well as the vanilla. Add more maple syrup to taste if you prefer a sweeter pop.

Layer the different flavors in the popsicle mold as you fill them.  I made some that were just blueberry and vanilla, just raspberry and vanilla, and some that were raspberry, vanilla, and blueberry for the upcoming holiday.  I also  sprinkled a bit of lemon zest here and there in the blueberry pops as I was filling them.

Freeze overnight and run the popsicle mold under hot water briefly to release the pops.

 

Enjoy and stay cool!

~ Sarah

*Last time in Recipes: Camping

 

... nature walk: oneonta gorge, or

This week's lovely Nature Walk comes to us from the steep stone walls of Oneonta Gorge, just outside of Portland, OR. There, Finn and his family waded through the chilly spring water and marveled at the lush greenery at every turn, all the way back to the waterfall at the end! Thank you Finn for sharing your weekend adventure with us!

If you would like to contribute to our weekly Nature Walk series, you can learn more about submitting photos here, or you can also visit our Nature Walk Group Pool on Flickr to add your adventures to the collection.

Thank you again, Finn for sharing!

 

* Last time in Nature Walks: Exploring the World Through Your Eyes

... weekend links

Here are a few things that kept us curious this week.

- A very sweet film about a young girl, her garden, and the community it brings together.

- See a baby beaver's first swim.

- How the turtle got its shell. 

- This summer squash pasta bake looks pretty darn amazing. Yum!

- Check out what school chalkboards in the 1920's looked like.

- This little octopus is the cutest thing we've seen all week. Well played Mother Nature, well played.

- There's an incredible new nature trail in the Adirondacks, and we can't wait for it to open.

- Going camping this weekend? We have some great games that will keep everyone happy and entertained!

 

Happy Weekend!

 

xox

~ i.c.

. . . camping games

Can you tell we're excited about camping season this week?  What with a camping recipe round-up, a Bush Craft book giveaway and here, today, our favorite camping games?  These lovelies are lightweight, portable and guaranteed to bring a lot of joy to your next camping trip.  So, go ahead and. . .

. . .tie some knots and play some games. . .

. . . perfect your map reading skills during a round of capture the flag. . .

. . . hone your tracking abilities on a scavenger hunt. . .

. . .learn more about nature with fantastic Fundanas. . .

 . . . or brush up on your shadow puppets for flashlight fun after dark.

Oh how we do love camping so.

 

Portable Camping Games & Activities:

1. Knot tying tutorial (if the tutorial piqued your interest, you could try this awesome kit)
2. DIY Convertible checkers and tic-tac-toe game board.
3. Capture the Flag Geography Game (grab a paper map for the kit instead of the globe and it's super portable and ultra fun)
4. Scientific Scavenger Hunt (perfect for learning to use a compass and nature study)
5. Fundana Bandana Games (the come in all sorts of themes and are great prompts for play/exploration)
6. Shadow Puppet Fun: Download this lovely free book of shadow puppets from 1859 before you go, or make a portable shadow puppet theater and cards like this one here.
7. Make a set of camp craft cards!  We made these printable cards to play a game of camper's go-fish and more:

To make the game simply click on the image above for a full size printable download. Drag the image to your desktop or print from the page directly. Each page will print templates for 4 playing cards.

To start off, pick four different plants/bugs/camping knots.  Make those into the different card suits by drawing pictures of them in the center of the blank side of the cards numbering them like a regular card set up to the number 13 (we used the numbers 11,12, and 13 instead of Jack, Queen, and King). You would then have four groups of 13 cards, with cards like a "4 of hitching knot" or a "6 of poison oak".

Use these cards to play a standard game of go fish like you would with any other card deck.

Alternately you could also play camp craft trivia by making many different cards with the plants/bugs/camping knots etc. drawn on one side and the description on the other. Players would then choose a card and have to guess the name from the drawing on the front of the card.  When players guess correctly they get the card. The player with the most cards at the end wins, but really, everyone wins because all the players are learning more about camp craft while they are playing.

Happy Trails!

~ Sarah

*Last time in Crafts and Activities: Something to Do, Something to Make

 

... tell me a story: bush craft 101 + a giveaway!

 Can you hear it? The wild is calling. It's calling for adventures great and small, it's calling for time well spent in high mountain valleys and winding creeks. Summer is officially here, and I couldn't think of a better way to usher her in than to send you all out.

 But first you need to be prepared. Safety in the wild is imperative, and knowing what to do in a sticky situation can make all the difference. That's why I love Bush Craft 101: A Field Guide to the Art of Wilderness Survival by Dave Canterbury. To quote the book: ""Bushcraft" is a term for wilderness skills and is the practice of surviving and thriving in the natural world."

 Survival books can be a bit daunting at times, and can be a little intimidating, really. Not this one. Bush Craft 101 does a wonderful job of piecing out the details in an easy to understand format, including well thought out drawings to help the ideas sink in.

 Basic concepts like tying knots, making your own tools, tracking, foraging, and shelter are covered with ease and sincerity. Canterbury's writing is matter of fact yet inviting, making it easy to keep turning the pages.

 What I loved most about this book though is the importance Canterbury places on how little you really need to make it out there. Gizmos and gadgets are great, but most of the things we buy to "survive" in the wild are unnecessary, or can be found or created with materials on hand. 

Self sufficiency is a beautiful thing. Knowing what to do and how to make it happen out in the wilderness is vital. But what I found most fascinating about Bush Craft 101 is the connection that is forged with nature when you're out there roughing it. So I implore you, take a good long look at your survival skills, and then take a peek at this book, it will make all the difference. 

We want all you lovely people out there to be safe this summer, so we are giving one lucky reader a copy of Bush Craft 101!

 

To enter to win a copy of Bush Craft 101 simply leave a comment on this blog by Thursday, July 1st at 9am MST. The winner will be chosen by the lovely Random Number Generator and announced later that day.

 

And the winner is Lynn who wrote:

 "With 2 boys in our family, camping is an adventure we enjoy with zeal!"

 

Thank you to everyone who participated!

 

 

~ Jordan

 

* Last time in Books and Stories: Solar System + A Giveaway!