Hobo Camp

We survived Hobo Camp - at the Spring Camporee - Our first Boy Scout Campout - and I have to give it to the Boy Scouts - they certainly know how to camp...

This was Scout's Hobo costume - we packed it to take for the Hobo contest on Saturday...

We got to the site about 6 PM and set up our tents - we didn't take ours as the Boy Scouts have a trailer already loaded with all the tents and cooking utensils etc - remember - they know how to camp...

It was really cold - about 28 degrees - and windy - about 40 mph - so setting up tents was really not a lot of fun - the Scout Hobos were supposed to have Tin Can Stoves made for cooking their breakfast on Saturday - so we got started on that right after we got the tents set up - we melted some leftover altar candles for the parafin...

...and coiled cardboard into the little cans - and poured parafin over them - this makes the fuel source...

Then we took a large coffee can and made vents around the top with a church key can opener and a slot on the bottom to slide the fuel source in...

...after our work was done - we sat around the campfire in the wind and roasted some marshmallows - I took some vegan ones that I got in GF at the health food store - YUM - smores...

Here we are about to cook on our Tin Can Stoves - reveille was at 7 AM...

Washing up was a chilly-hand-chapping event after every meal...

After breakfast - it was time to get started on our Hobo shelters - they had to be made entirely of cardboard - our Scouts made a Hobo Hotel - by joining several large boxes together...

They built a lobby as well and put a room number on each room - they had to sleep in them Saturday night...

We took a break from hotel building to make tin foil packet lunches - they were so yummy - a chunked up veggie burger some peppers carrots onions and potatoes - really good...

After we cleaned up again - we made 'Biscuits on a Stick' - We just mixed some self rising flour with some margarine and milk (soy milk) - patted and rolled the dough into a snake and wound it around the end of a stick...

Then we held the stick over the fire until the biscuit was nice and brown and done on the inside - some of these boys had never had a good Southern biscuit in their lives - and we all thought they were delicious - they said they were going to 'teach' their Moms how to make biscuits - I hope they do...

Then we set out on a hike around the lake - so much fun - these boys are super...

...of course they gravitate to any dangerous point...

After our hike was Campfire - we did a skit called 'How a Hobo tells time' - it's actually the same skit that we did at the Blue and Gold a couple of years ago - of course I blogged about it...

After dark - the Scouts settled into their 'Hotel' for another chilly windy night (we had staked the cardboard to the ground so it wouldn't blow away - and the Scouts all said that the cardboard boxes were much warmer than their tents had been the night before...

It was a great weekend and I'd definitely do it all again....

A Raw Breakfast

We spent the weekend at the Spring Camporee - our first Boy Scout Campout...

It's kind of difficult to be vegan at Scout events - but I'm an experienced 'camper' and can pack my goodies quite easily. This was my Sunday morning breakfast - not this picture of course - this was taken at home - it's super easy to throw together - Just a handful of Raw organic oats - a few pecans - a splash of soymilk and a dash of maple syrup - so good...

Karen - doesn't it remind you of eating handfuls of raw oats in the barn....

PS - I'll post pictures of the Camporee tomorrow...

They've mended the road...

Remember when they cut the road - well - they finally came and fixed it...

...looks purty don't it...

Of course Scout had to check it out...

...and test the water...

and we're happy to report that they did install culverts so maybe this won't happen again next year...

Anniversary

We celebrate our Anniversary in conjunction with Mother's Day most years because they are so close together....

Flowers and a nice dinner out are the norm...

Roast Your Own

Have you ever tried to roast your own sunflower seeds...

At the local (90 miles away) health food store - they sell raw organic sunflower seeds in the bulk section - but I don't like them raw - I probably should but I don't...
So I bought a big bag of them when we were in GF last weekend - cranked the oven up to 450 and roasted them - I was so afraid I would burn them - but they are perfect - I checked them about every 2 minutes - then when they started steaming some - I started checking them every minute - then 30 seconds - with a quick stir every time I took them out - and they turned out perfectly - so I'm happy to have nice freshly roasted Sunflower seeds - I can freeze the bulk ones raw and then roast them as I need them...

Dinosaur Party

We did this at our April Pack meeting - the theme was Jurassic Pack - so cute - but I thought I would post it here because it would be a super idea for a kid's dinosaur themed birthday party.

We made Coffee Ground Fossils

1 cup of used coffee grounds
1/2 cup of cold coffee
1 cup of flour
1/2 cup of salt
Small dinosaur figurines
Directions
􀀹 Stir ingredients until well mixed.
􀀹 Knead the dough together.
􀀹 Mold dough around a dinosaur figurine covering it
completely.
􀀹 Press your dinosaurs firmly into the dough.
􀀹 The boys should carefully pull the “dirt” away from
their “fossil” using tooth picks or a toothbrush and
water.
􀀹 For harder products - let the fossil dry overnight - will
still be slightly soft (not rock hard).
􀀹 For softer products, place them in a sealed container
until used.

Obviously just a version of Salt Dough - but they do look amazingly like rocks...

Each Cub got a baggy to transport his 'rock/fossil' home in...

Then I made two sets of these huge dinosaur tracks out of cardboard...

We divided into two teams and had a relay race...

You had to stay on a track and then move the other track forward...

It was interesting to see all of the different 'techniques' for this process...

The leaders participated too (me included)....

It was a lot of fun and hilarious (especially the adults - the cubs pretty much picked up one track and hopped onto it and then picked up the other)

TVP Helper

Scout and I were on our own for dinner and so I asked him what he wanted for supper and he said 'Hamburger Helper'...
Since the Man is not much of a Hamburger Helper eater and he wasn't here - I thought it would a perfect time to make it...

First cook some noodles - we used small shells...

Then add some TVP to some boiling water with some beef flavored bouillon - I only had soy curls - I just whirled them in the food processor when they were soft - that made some suitable 'crumbles'...

...then add that to a pot with the noodles - a couple of tablespoonfuls of tomato paste and a couple of tablespoonfuls of Gee Whiz Spread - I almost always have some of this on hand in a jar in the fridge - it's so perfect for spreading on crackers for a snack or adding to sauces - or even making grilled cheese sandwiches - I got the recipe originally from my Uncheese cookbook - but I was happy to find it online...
...then add a couple of shakes of onion powder - garlic powder and paprika - we're going for authentic Hamburger Helper flavor here - nothing fancy...

Then serve it in a bowl on a TV tray - and watch a movie (we rented Alvin and the Chipmunks from the Red Box) with your family - good fun!

The First Cookout of the Year

We had our first cookout of 2009 - we made kabobs - KaBubbas - as they are affectioknit-ly known around here...

I chopped up some lovely organic red/yellow/orange/green bell peppers and some onions and tofu...

Scout helped me skewer everything and he and his Papa fired up the grill...

You can see the grass is just starting to turn green...

Apparently no cookout is complete without fireworks...

Scout lit a couple of smoke bombs that were left over from last year...

And for some strange reason the smoke bomb wound up in a tree...

Good Times!

Essay Award Ceremony

Remember when Scout won the Essay Contest for his essayWhat Freedom Means to Me...

Well the Award Ceremony for the State Essay Contest was this morning...

We didn't have very good seats as the gym was rather crowded for the award - but this is when they called his name...

and here he is with his award - a $100 Savings Bond - YAY Scout!!!

Mother's Day Update

I thought I'd post a little update of how my wonderful Mother's Day was spent with my two boys... First thing in the morning - I had to open my presents - isn't Scout's little package awesome - it says Happy Mother's Day in yellow - so you can barely see it and Love you a lot in red...

Inside was this awesome placemat - carefully stitched in secret by Scout - I absolutely love it...

Then a present from both of the wonderful men in my life - a lovely little tea set - so pretty...

Next of course we went to church - where our 4th and 5th graders played some lovely special music for us...

Then we had a nice cookout - veggie burger style followed by a nice afternoon tea...

For supper the boys ordered pizza - I think just to keep from having to do the dishes on my special day off - haha....