Go To A State Park For Free! -

To celebrate Washington State Parks Centennial,  Saturday, March 30th is a "free day".  So go and explore some of our beautiful state parks.  The other "free days" this year are:

April 27 - 28: Recognition of National Parks Week
June 1: National Trails Day
June 8 - 9: National Get Outdoors Day and WDFW Free Fishing weekend
Aug. 4: Peak summer season free day
Sept. 28: National Public Lands Day
Nov. 9 - 11: Veteran’s Day weekend

Create Fire(Starters)

Spring is upon us and therefore camping season is right around the corner.  We love spending time under the stars, roasting marshmallows over a campfire.  And one of the best ways we've found to ensure we have a roaring fire is to make sure we have plenty of these fire starters on hand.  These are made from stuff you would normally throw away so some pre-planning is necessary. 

You will need:
an empty egg carton
dryer lint
paraffin wax
a tin can to melt the wax in

 Start with a simple double boiler to melt the wax.  Fill a sauce pan with about 1 1/2 to 2 inches of water and place your tin can in.

 

Add your block of paraffin wax and turn the stove to medium.

 While that melts, move on to the next step. 

Take the dryer lint and stuff it into each of the dimples.

Once you have stuffed each of the dimples with lint it's time for the wax.

Pour your melted wax evenly over each lint pocket.

And that's it... let it dry and store it with your camping gear.  When you need a fire starter, break off one or two of these and add them to your kindling.  They work great.   

Two-ingredient Macaroons - I Will Create Food!

I love to cook and I love to bake, but there are times (and recipes) when i don't have the time to make what I would like.  I have found a few recipes that are quick, easy and I can make with the 4-year-old helping me out.  One of them is Cheater's Fudge , another is Two-ingredient Macaroons.  These macaroons can be made in 15-20 minutes, including baking time, and last about as long around here.  If you like sweet, toasted coconut then these are for you.

You will need:
1 package of coconut (14oz or so)
1 can of condensed milk (I use the lowfat variety, but that's just personal preference.)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Pour the coconut into a mixing bowl.

 It's about here that your helper will have to do a mandatory quality control taste test.

Once the taste test is over, add the condensed milk.

And mix it all together.

Mix it until the coconut is evenly coated.

Drop spoonfuls onto a parchment paper covered cookie sheet.  (this was a team effort)

 Pop them in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes.  Check them around the 9 minute mark to make sure they're not burning. They should be browning around the top and edges. 

 Let them cool off and you can store them in fridge until you are ready to eat. To make them more decadent melt some chocolate chips and dip the bottoms in it.  They will not last long wither way.

Recreate History - Lego reproductions

Construction Workers on the Death Star and Empire State Building respectively

There have always been images that have drawn a visceral, as well as intellectual, response from people.  And nothing shows appreciation like a LEGO homage.  Over the last year we have created a variety of Lego interpretations of  art, photography and pop culture. We work together to build our creations all the while discussing the history behind the originals.  These are some of our favorites.

Raising of the flag at Iwo Jima

Scene from the Walking Dead

Scene from the Walking Dead

First steps on the Moon

Happy Pi Day!

 

HAPPY PI DAY!

Eat Healthy - Vegfest

There are many opportunities to try new food in Seattle, but none are as unique as Vegfest.  Sure Bite of Seattle has a wide variety of food styles and flavors, but Vegfest gives you that with the added challenge of presenting them as a vegetarian fare.  Not just for the non-meat eaters out there, this event covers a wide variety of foods from veggie meats to vegan donuts and everything in between. It's worth going for the samples alone!   http://www.vegofwa.org/vegfest/

Travel Through Time - MOHAI

Time travel is high on my list of impossible things to do.  I would love to experience moments in history first hand (or at least observe them safely from a distance.)  That's why I love the Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI).  The history of Seattle, and to some extent the Pacific Northwest, is laid out in an entertaining and informative way.  Many icons from the past are on display along with interactive displays that kept all of us, from the 4 year-old on up, entertained.  The museum sits on the south end of Lake Union in a beautiful park that is perfect for picnics and boat watching.  http://www.mohai.org/