A simple summer and homemade pleasures - TEAM Resources

Have you ever spent money on items that you do not use?

Recently my boys cleaned out their toy box because they could not find anything. This probably happened because they have so many toys, and the box is too full. Yet every time we are within sight of a toy store they want more, and more times than not, I let them pick out a treat.

How do I teach them to be creative, and to play without spending money?

Just this past week we stopped while en route to the cottage and I gave in again and bought a toy to play with at the lake. Once we arrived, they played with the items for a short time and announced to me that they were bored. How could they be, with new toys, plenty of kids around and a lake to play in? I quickly told them what my friend, Kelly, tells kids when in the same predicament: “only boring people get bored.” They looked at me like I was going crazy, and quickly ran to find something to do.

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Later that day while relaxing on the deck, I heard a strange noise in the cabin. When I went in to check on them they told me that they had learned their lesson, and found something to do without spending money. They also informed me that they were crafting. I couldn’t have been more thrilled, my children were listening to me. I immediately asked what the noise was. They had found an empty tissue box, then emptied a full one to make a pair of shoes. They were thoughtful enough to put the extra tissues in a grocery bag for easy handling. Also, they had unrolled a roll of toilet paper to make a telescope. The extra was placed strategically beside the toilet in a big ball. All of the items were beautifully decorated with markers and gave hours of playtime – much more than the toys that we purchased at the store. I bit my tongue about the paper that they fooled with, and told them what a great job they did of entertaining themselves. Finally, they learned to have fun by exercising simplicity.

And while we are on the subject, I would like to share some easy recipes that do not require electric beaters, food processors or blenders. All you need is a good old spoon, some elbow grease, muffin tins and a cake pan. I use these recipes at the cottage as my rendition of simplicity in the kitchen.

Banana muffins

2 cups mashed bananas 500 mL

3/4 cup sugar 175 mL

1 egg

1/3 cup melted butter 75 mL

1 teaspoon baking soda 5 mL

1 teaspoon baking 5 mL

powder

1/2 teaspoon salt 2 mL

11/2 cups flour 375 mL

Mash bananas and add sugar and egg. Stir. Add melted butter. Stir. Add dry ingredients. Stir. Bake at 375 F (190 C) for 20 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.

Rhubarb cake

1/2 cup butter, softened 125 mL

11/2 cups sugar 375 mL

1 teaspoon vanilla 5 mL

1 egg

1 cup sour milk 250 mL

1 teaspoon baking soda 5 mL

2 cups flour 500 mL

2 cups raw rhubarb, 500 mL

cut fine

Topping

3/4 cup brown sugar 175 mL

1 teaspoon cinnamon 5 mL

Mix butter and sugar well, then add vanilla, egg and sour milk. Stir. In a bowl, mix soda and flour. Add to the first ingredients. Stir until thoroughly combined. Fold in rhubarb and pour into a 9 x 13 inch (22 x 33 cm) pan.

Mix topping and sprinkle on top.

Bake at 375 F (190 C) for 35-40 minutes.

I have substituted apple for the rhubarb.

Summer slowdowns

On a busy summer day do you ever feel the need for an afternoon slowdown? Do you feel like a car that is running out of gas? If you are one of those people, here are some ways to keep going:

Exercising can help keep energy levels up, especially if you exercise in the morning. And when you feel the slump coming on, get up and go for a 10 minute walk to get your blood flowing.
To start off right, eat a healthy breakfast of carbohydrates such as cereals, grains and fruit, combined with a bit of protein like cheese, yogurt, milk or peanut butter.
Avoid lunches heavy in carbohydrates. Make sure your lunch has a balance of carbs and protein.
Avoid refined and processed foods, especially sugary treats. While they can cause an initial energy spike, they are usually followed by a sharp decline in energy.
Cut back on coffee. A coffee drinker’s energy cycle is usually controlled by coffee – energized early in the day, lethargic and slow in the late afternoon. Try decaffeinated or herbal teas as a substitute.
Remember to drink water frequently, since being outside during warmer weather means you can become dehydrated more quickly. Carry a water bottle and take frequent small sips. Watery fruits can help, too. Watermelon, grapes and strawberries are other ways to keep hydrated if water gets boring. Try freezing the grapes for an extra special cool treat. A good way to tell if you are drinking enough fluids is if you are urinating regularly.

Darker than normal urine or infrequent urination may indicate you are not drinking an adequate amount. Other symptoms of dehydration include dry mouth, fatigue, headache, dizziness and difficulty breathing, particularly during periods of increased physical activity.

Plan to snack every couple of hours. Dried and fresh fruit, vegetables, cereal and nuts, small juice boxes, frozen juice bars or a higher fibre cracker or bread are all good choices.

Looking for jerky recipe

Dear TEAM: I am looking for a beef jerky recipe that uses honey and not liquid smoke. – C.J., Estevan, Sask.

Dear C.J.: This recipe was first found on the internet a few years ago. I have tried it and it is tasty. I must admit though I prefer it sweetened with brown sugar.

Beef jerky

Cut the meat into strips one inch (2.5 cm) wide and no more than one-fourth inch (0.6 cm) thick.

Mix the following ingredients:

2/3 cup Worcestershire 150 mL

sauce

2/3 cup soy sauce 150 mL

1 tablespoon salt 15 mL

1 teaspoon pepper 5 mL

1 teaspoon garlic 5 mL

powder

1 teaspoon onion 5 mL

powder

1/4 cup brown sugar or 50 mL

honey

3 pounds steak, cut 1.5 kg

into 20 strips

Put all together in a large zip-lock bag and marinate overnight in the refrigerator. Next day, stretch meat out on paper towels to drain while you clean the top oven rack. Place a sheet of aluminum foil on lower rack to aid in cleanup. Set oven at lowest temperature setting to dry meat. Crack open the oven door to allow moisture to escape. Smaller pieces will be dry in about 21/2 hours – larger pieces may take four or five. Drying times vary due to oven differences and meat size. You can also use a dehydrator.

Spicy edition: Add in two or three teaspoons (10-15 mL) Tabasco sauce and/or one or two teaspoons (five to 10 mL) crushed red pepper.

Rose hip tea

Dear TEAM: Do you have any information on rose hips and making tea? – M.S., St. Paul, Alta.

Dear M.S.: To answer your questions, I turned to the ATCO Gas Blue Flame Kitchen, which steered me in the right direction. To begin, rose hips, which are a source of vitamin C, should be gathered after the first frost of autumn. Be sure not to gather from bushes that have been treated with chemicals. The colour of rose hips varies, but in general, orange hips are not quite ripe, and deep red hips are overripe.

Snap off the tails as you pick, or later when you reach home. Spread the hips out on a clean surface and allow to dry partially. When the skins begin to feel dried and shrivelled, split the hips and take out the large seeds – all of them. If you let the hips dry too much, it will be difficult to remove the seeds. If not dry enough, the inside pulp will be sticky and cling to the seeds. After the seeds are removed, allow the hips to dry completely before storing or they will not keep well. Store in small, sealed plastic bags. These will keep indefinitely in the freezer or for several months in the refrigerator.

Here is the first tea recipe that I found:

1/2 cup dried rose hips 125 mL

1/4 cup dried lemon thyme 50 mL

1 quart water 1 L

Simmer rose hips in water for one hour. Strain through two layers of cheesecloth to clarify. Steep lemon thyme in one cup (250 mL) of boiling water; then strain and add to rose hips. Makes one quart (one L).

Omit lemon thyme for a tarter tea.

Kodiak rose hip tea

Here is another variation.

1 tea bag

1 tablespoon dried rose 15 mL

hips

3-4 whole cloves

sugar or honey, to taste

1 cup boiling water 250 mL

Steep tea bag, rose hips and cloves in boiling water for five minutes. Remove hips and cloves. Reheat, if desired. Sweeten to taste with sugar or honey.

Makes one serving.

Rose hip nut bread

juice of one orange plus

water to make 1 cup (250 mL)

1/2 cup chopped raisins 125 mL

3/4 cup seeded and 175 mL

chopped wild rose hips

2 tablespoons melted 30 mL

butter

1 teaspoon vanilla 5 mL

1 egg, beaten

11/2 cups flour 375 mL

1 cup sugar 250 mL

1 teaspoon baking 5 mL

powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda 2 mL

1/4 teaspoon salt 1 mL

1/2 cup nuts or sunflower 125 mL

seeds

In a large bowl, mix the first six ingredients. Sift together and then add the dry ingredients. Mix until well blended but do not overmix or bread will be dry and heavy.

Gently stir in nuts or sunflower seeds. Spoon batter into a well-greased loaf pan and bake at 350 F (180 C) for one hour.

For more rose hip recipes, please visit www.producer.com and click on links in the news.