Spring Break Camp 2013 – Day 4

Let’s recap today’s events, Peppers!

With this most recent sunshine kick and warmer temperatures, I think it’s safe to say that Spring is here, my friends! So what better way to start the season than preparing for planting in the Hoop House! The Orange Peppers headed out with some stakes and tubing and got right to work. Kat took extra care in measuring out the right length for each stake, and Van and Neel were in charge of the hammering. What a great team effort, Orange Peppers!

Measuring for placing stakes.

Garden Kitchen was so great today. The Peppers really got to use their creativity with salad dressing recipes. Mr. Alan was very open to adding new ingredients and trying out different flavors. My Pepper friends made not one, but two delightful dressings for their fresh salads! The first dressing was a creamy Italian and like many of our recipes, required lots and lots of shaking to mix up all the ingredients. The other dressing was our camp ranch, which is always a crowd-pleaser. For our special ranch, the Peppers added a secret ingredient, which I promised not to give away! (Okay, you got me. It was parmesan cheese!)

Is it mixing?

Our salad!

Next up on today’s agenda was animal chores. The Orange Peppers were in charge of all the mammals today. Jenna needed milking, the goats needed to be fed, I needed my bottle and our stall was getting pretty dirty. These Peppers are really catching on to this whole milking craze! They were even eager to help me clean out my stall! The goats and I can be pretty messy, so we felt extra special when everybody chipped in to help clean our home. Thank you so much Orange Peppers!

Finishing up the chores.

Miss Mandy’s group, the Yellow Peppers, made a special trip to visit me today too! I was just getting the royal treatment today! My little friends visited for a while, learning all about calves just like me! The campers found out about the differences between herbivores and carnivores. They learned all about my flat teeth, which are great for munching on vegetation and the horizontal pupils in my eyes that make it easier for me to spot approaching predators. All the features that make me a great herbivore!

Saying hello to our friend.

Best buds

After lunch, the Yellow Peppers finished up their nature hike and their natural art! My little friends are the most creative little friends on the whole farm. They came up with so many unique and one of a kind works of art. I snuck out of my pen last night (Shhh! Don’t tell anybody!) to see all of their creations. I saw the three butterflies created by Sofia and Sabrina and a lion with a large mane crafted by Angie and Joanne. There was a giant spotted fish with large fins made by Takumi, the appropriately titled “Nutty Tree” by Michael and Jessica, and even a wooden bed. Alayna used sticks to create a house, while Abby made a beautiful horse.

The artists

Almost done!

The Peppers had a quick story time and munched on homemade honey berry bars that Miss Rachel had prepared earlier that day. The bars were nice and sweet because they were filled with the jam that my tiny campers made on their first day here! How resourceful!

It was lovely outside!

The day ended with a quick segment on honey bees. The Orange Peppers behind the activity center to take a peek at our four bee boxes. After a trek up to the volunteer center, my friends experimented with beeswax and even crafted their own candles!

Silly Orange Pepprs

Cheers to another successful day at camp, Peppers! See you tomorrow!

With Love,

Murphy the Calf

 

Today’s Recipes

Dressing

  • Mayonnaise
  • Buttermilk
  • Parmesan cheese
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Paprika
  • Garlic and onion powder
  • Oil
  • Vinegar

Instructions:

  1. To make Ranch, all you need to do is make sure the mayonnaise to buttermilk ratio is 1:2. So if we used 1/3 cup mayonnaise, we added 2/3 cup buttermilk.
  2. The rest is up to you! Combine your favorite herbs and spices. We used paprika, salt and pepper, Parmesan cheese and some garlic and onion powder.
  3. Stir, stir, stir and eat over top of your favorite salad or use as a dip for veggies!
  4. To make Italian, combine the oil and vinegar, salt and pepper and garlic and onion powder! Put all ingredients in a jar with a lid and shake, shake, shake! Salad dressing is so much fun to make because you can add whatever ingredients you want! Get creative and just have fun!

 

Salad

  • Carrots
  • Cucumbers
  • Green Peppers
  • Fresh lettuce from the farm
  • Spinach

Instructions:

  1. Wash all your vegetables. Dry off all the lettuce; we used a salad spinner.
  2. Chop or peel your veggies and combine all your ingredients in a large bowl.
  3. Dish out and serve with your favorite dressing!

 

Honey Berry Bars

  • 1 cup butter (softened)
  • 2 1/4 cups flour
  • 1 cup honey or maple syrup
  • 1 cup quick oats
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup berry preserves
  • 1/2 cup to 1 cup fresh berries

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter your square baking dish.
  2. Add the flour, oats, honey and salt into a mixing bowl. Add in the butter and mix. Keep mixing until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
  3. Set aside 2 cups of crumb mixture for later on.
  4. Press the crumb mixture on the bottom of your baking dish. Spread your preserves and berries over the top, leaving a small border on the sides.
  5. Crumble the remaining 2 cups of oat crumbs across the top
  6. Bake until lightly browned, 40-50 minutes. Cool and serve!

 

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