Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!

Ok, there were no lions. Or tigers, for that matter. Bears are another story, though.

So yesterday I decided to take a stroll through a local park. It was early evening, so the weather was mild and even the critters of the forest decided to come out and enjoy the woodsy trails of the park. I greeted squirrels and chipmunks, birds and bugs... But I never expected to stumble upon Milton.




Milton was just lounging against a tree when I walked by. Naturally, I was a little afraid, with him being a bear and all. However, his mischievous smile urged me to ask him to join me on my walk. He did look rather lonely.



Our first stop was at the swing set. Milton was very excited as he had never been allowed to swing before. He expressed with some sorrow that most people saw him and were too afraid ask him to play on the swings with them.

"It's terribly hard to tell a nice bear from a mean bear!" he explained to me.




After we finished at the swing set, we continued our walk. Milton wanted to see the ducks but the walking quickly made him tired. So we stopped and he hitched a ride in my bag till we made it to the pond.




Once we arrived at the pond, Milton was a little nervous about leaning over the edge of the railing.

"Will you please hold my paw?" he asked. Soon he was eagerly peering out over the water.





But bears will be bears and Milty was no exception. As soon as he saw a tree nearby, he was determined to climb to the top and pick the very best leaf.




It took a few different tries and a few different trees, but Milton's persistence was proven worthwhile as he proudly showed off his special leaf.



It was soon after that that I noticed Milty's yawning. I knew that the time had come for us to part ways though neither of us really wanted to.

"Goodnight!" said the little bear, as he headed back into the forest. "Come play again!"

Oh, what a lovely evening!

Art 101. AKA Finger Painting.

Ah, summer time. The birds are singing, the sun is shining, the grass is greener than ever. It's the time of year that we all expect to spend ours outdoors, just enjoying those warm breezes.

Turns out Mother Nature has had a few other ideas in the past week or so. Just about every time my kids and I plan to head out to our local park, the skies grow dark and some form of rain or storm ensues. (Either I have the worst luck ever or really bad timing. Please, nobody clarify this for me.)

So what's a bored family to do when cooped up inside? Finger paint!

Few things are more fun than finger painting. Even the adults like to get in on the action around here. (And by adults, I pretty much mean me.) But we like to get a little more hands on with our fingerpainting. May I present to you DIY Finger Paints.


It's seriously one of the easiest activities ever.



Aaaand it doesn't hurt that all the ingredients are items you can find in your kitchen.




Start by mixing 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1/3 cup of cornstarch in a saucepan. Gradually add 2 cups of room temperature water. Stir constantly over low heat until a thick gel forms. Then add 1/4 cup of clear dishwashing liquid and remove from heat.



Once the mixture has cooled enough to handle, divide into containers. This is the fun part. Using food coloring, color each container. I went with very common colors but feel free to go wild here. This is also the stage to mix in any additives. Glitter and scents make for very unique paints.



And the final step... Grab some paper and have fun!






Finger Paints

• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 2 cups water
• 1/4 cup clear dishwashing liquid
• food coloring

Mix sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan. Gradually stir in water.
Using a whisk, stir constantly over low-med heat for about 10 minutes or until mixture is a thick gel.

Add dish liquid and remove from heat.

Once mixture has cooled, divide into containers and mix in dye.


Finger Paint Recipe #2

• 3 cups water
• 1 cup cornstarch
• food coloring

Bring water to a boil and remove from heat.

Dissolve cornstarch in a little bit of cold water and add to boiling water.

Boil, while stirring constantly, for about 1 minute or until mixture thickens.

Divide, dye and enjoy!

Summer = Strawberries? (It's recipe time!)

It's that time of year again. You know, the time of year where you can't go more than 30 feet without seeing one of these signs as you drive.



I'll tell ya, normally I drive right on by these signs without even thinking of stopping. I'm just not a big strawberry fan. In fact, I'm not a fan of most berries. I know, I know. You're shocked. This year, however, I decided to enjoy the strawberry season (and support some local farms) by making a family favorite.

Strawberry Shortcake.

"But that's so boring!" I know. Trust me, I do. So let's up the ante and make it Strawberry Chocolate Shortcake. (Women around the globe are rejoicing. Wait... maybe it's just me who loves chocolate enough to rejoice.)




The recipe is simple. Mix your shortcake ingredients in a bowl, turn the dough onto a flattened surface and press it out into a half inch thickness. Then cut 3" rounds with a biscuit cutter, cookie cutter oooor you can be classy like me and use the rim of a wine glass. Place the rounds on a greased sheet and bake for 17 minutes.


While the shortcakes are cooking, you'll wash, hull and slice your strawberries. Toss the strawberries in a few tablespoons of sugar and put to the side.

Next, beat some heavy whipping cream, sugar and vanilla together for an amazing whipped cream. Unfortunately, I missed getting any pictures of this process. It's tough to take pics AND beat the mixture. (Please don't ask what happened when I tried...)

That's it! Assemble your shortcakes by slicing each cake in half and sandwiching strawberries and cream and adding a dollop of cream on the top. Garnish with a strawberry if you'd like


.
Finally, Enjoy!





Chocolate Strawberry Shortcakes

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup plus 5 tablespoons sugar
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons cold butter, cut in pieces
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 quart strawberries
• 2 cups whipping cream (or heavy cream)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the over to 350 F and butter a baking sheet.

Sift together flour, 3/4 cup of sugar, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Mix with a spoon. Using your fingers, work the butter into the dry mixture until the mixture takes on a coarse consistency. Stir the milk in until a dough forms. Don't be afraid to use yours hands to mix as the dough stiffens.

Turn the dough onto a floured surface and press into a 1/2" thickness. Cut 6+ 3" inch rounds from the dough, place on the sheet and bake for 17 minutes or until the centers are firm.

Wash, hull and slice strawberries. In a medium bowl, toss with 1 tbsp of sugar. Feel free to add more, if you prefer a sweeter strawberry.

Pour the whipping cream into a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium high till the cream forms soft peaks. Beat in 4 tablespoons of sugar and the vanilla.

To assemble, slice each cake in half and places berries and whipped cream on the bottom half. Add the top portion plus more whipped cream and a crowning berry.

Already June? Where did May go?

So, I've recently had the awesome pleasure of visiting Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA. I won't lie... when I first thought of making the long trip there, to a garden, I was not enthused. I mean, I appreciate plants and flowers and all that but enough to make that kind of drive and pay $18 to get in?

Puh-lease.

Luckily, I had a reason to go and excellent company for the drive. Upon arriving, I wasn't all that impressed. That soon changed. Within minutes, I was discovering many of the gardens most beautiful spots. And amazingly, there are little hidden treasures all through out the 350 acres of garden.

Yes. 350 acres.




Beautiful. But let's face it... What are you really looking for in a garden?

Flowers.

Longwood did not disappoint. Between the 4 acre conservatory and the gorgeous rose gardens, beauty was abundant.



Whether or not you're a floral fan, you cannot leave Longwood Gardens without a deep desire to cultivate your own lovely little garden. Unfortunately for me, I was born with a dead thumb.

No, seriously. I have plants. I love them. They do not feel the same about me... I'm the only person in the world who can over water and under water in the span of a few days. I'd show you, but I'm too embarrassed.

So what's a girl to do when she wants to bring a little bit of that spring time flower feelin' into her kinda sorta drabby bedroom?

Bust out some craft supplies, suffer a few minor burns from a hot glue gun and Ta-DA!!!!



I have to admit. I'm pretty pleased with the ease and simplicity of this project. And luckily, I had all supplies on hand... 2 canvases, some paint, hot glue... and for the flowers?



Yep. Just a few cardboard toilet paper and paper towel tubes.

45 minutes, $8 in supplies with some awesome new wall art? I'm thinking "Score!!!!"

Yay for being a cheapskate DIYer!