Vacation in Southern Colorado

Spring Break is upon us. Before we know it, summer vacation will be here. If you are planning a vacation in Southern Colorado, here is a list of places for the entire family.

Mesa Verde is the ancestral home of the Pueblo people that lived there from A.D. 600 to A.D. 1300. It is located 1 hour from Cortez, Colorado and one and a half hours from Durango, Colorado. Fortunately, lodging is available within the park, allowing more time site seeing. You'll need a car to get around as the closest dwelling is 21 miles into the park. Some attractions include the visitor's center, an archaeological museum, hikes, and three cliff dwellings (Cliff Palace, Balcony House, and Long House). Make sure to check park information before making this trip as information changes from year to year. The cost depends on your itinerary.

Cave of the Winds is an attraction available year round near Manitou Springs, which is at the base of Pikes Peak. Our family goes for the tours of the caves, which were discovered in 1881. There are two very educational tours: the Discovery Tour and the Lantern Tour. The discovery tour is 45 minutes and designed for families. The Lantern tour lasts 1.5 hours and is more adventurous. Children under the age of 6 are not permitted on the Lantern tour. If going on a tour isn't for you, your family may enjoy the new Wind Walker Challenge, the Williams Canyon Overlook, the visitor's center, panning for gem stones (designed for kids), or the subterranean play land.

Olympic Training Center- Colorado Springs hosts about 140,000 visitors each year. USOC Ambassadors lead the tours, which is about 70% outside. The tour includes the Sport Center Gymnasiums, weightlifting and wrestling facilities, the USA Shooting Center, Coaching & Sport Science, the Aquatics Center, and Sport Medicine. There are only 7 Olympic stores world wide and the USOC hosts one of them. Your purchase supports the athletes.

Pueblo's Buell Children's Museum is celebrating it's 40th birthday in 2012. It's 7,500 square campus is designed to tantalize children's imaginations through hands on activities for ages 1 to 101. This museum holds the distinguished title of #2 ranked Children's Art Museum bestowed by Child Magazine. The Children's museum isn't limited to art, it also features science and history. Their website features information about the latest exhibit and a coupon, so make sure to get it. An added bonus is that when you pay for admission to the Children's museum, you get free admission to the Sangre De Cristo Art Museum on the same campus.

Have a great spring break and summer. I have listed some other sites that are fun to visit.

While you're trekking between vacation activities, you will need some travel games to keep the kids occupied.

Fruit display idea

I recently wrote an article for Street Articles about the health benefits of wine. Since I'm not an alcohol drinker, I started perusing the internet for fun fruit ideas that had the health benefits I was "missing" out on by not drinking red wine. I found a really fun idea for a healthy "cake." It is made completely out of fruit!

The main cake is a watermelon cylinder. Then, use cookie cutters to cut the rest of the fruit and attach with toothpicks. It is pretty quick to decorate!

This recipe looks easy enough to duplicate as long as I have the right tools on hand. For instance, I would need some really cool cookie cutter shapes. My grocery list would include 2 watermelons in case it didn't cut as neatly as shown in the picture.

One of the reason I gravitate toward this recipe is that my kids' friends have some serious tree nut, milk, soy, and other allergies. I think fruit would be a great option for a party with my sons' friends as long as I run the list of fruit by them to make sure that there aren't any fruit allergies I am unaware of.

One problem I might run into for birthdays not in the summer is that the cost of fruit rises as they are no longer in season locally. The fruit would be imported, raising the prices.

While I was typing this brief article, my 4 year old walked into the room and said this is what he wants for his May birthday. I told him what it was made out of and he was thrilled. I have a baby who will turn one this summer. While the cake won't make the my baby hilariously messy with chocolate, it will be much healthier and still very appetizing! So, thank you to the lady who blogged about this cake!

More delicious fruit displays are found here.

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Dirt Cake Recipes

My son just finished a unit on soil and the different layers found beneath the surface. I think I'll make him some very soon. I was thinking about how wonderful these Oreo recipes will be with mousse instead of chocolate pudding!

Dirt Cake (source: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Dirt-Cake-II/)

Ingredients

• 1 (20 ounce) package Oreos
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 (3.9 ounce) packages instant chocolate pudding mix
• 3 cups milk
• 1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 15 gummy worms

Directions

1. Put the cookies in a food processor and process until they become fine crumbs. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine the butter or margarine, cream cheese, confectioners sugar and vanilla flavoring. Beat on low speed to mix then beat on medium speed until smooth. Add the chocolate pudding mix and milk to the bowl. Beat on low speed to combine.
3. Fold the whipped topping into the pudding mixture with a rubber spatula.
4. Assemble in the ungreased 9x13 inch pan in layers as follows: first layer, 1/3 cookie crumbs; second layer, 1/2 pudding mixture; third layer, 1/3 cookie crumbs; fifth layer, 1/3 cookie crumbs.
5. Tuck the ends of gummy worms in the cookie "dirt". Be sure to have a worm on each piece. Store in the refrigerator. Chill for at least 3 hours before serving. Cut into 15 squares, or serve with a clean garden trowel or a toy sand shovel if serving in the flower pot.

More delicious recipes and information about cooking available here.

Dirt Cake (source: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Dirt-Cake-I/)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 (3.5 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
• 3 1/2 cups milk
• 1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 32 ounces Oreos

Directions

1. Chop cookies very fine in food processor. The white cream will disappear.
2. Mix butter, cream cheese, and sugar in bowl.
3. In a large bowl mix milk, pudding and whipped topping together.
4. Combine pudding mixture and cream mixture together.
5. Layer in flower pot, starting with cookies then cream mixture. Repeat layers.
6. Chill until ready to serve.
7. Add artificial flower and trowel. Enjoy!

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Mexican Lasagna

This recipe is a spin off from the regular Italian Lasagna most of us are used to eating. I enjoy making this recipe because I can adjust it to what I have on hand. For instance, once I had spicy salsa on hand and substituted it for the canned diced tomatoes. Peppers can be very pricy, especially when they are out of season, so I use celery. Sometimes, I choose to substitute chili peppers for a change of pace. My family prefers the taste and texture of the white tortillas over the yellow tortillas for this recipe.
Mexican Lasagna

• 1 T vegetable (or your favorite) oil
• 1 Large onion, chopped
• 1 med chopped green, red, or yellow pepper; or 2 stalks of celery
• 1 LG clove of garlic, minced
• 1 lb ground beef or ground sausage
• 1 t dried oregano leaves
• 1 can (16 oz) tomatoes, chopped, drained (you can buy them chopped)
• 1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
• 1 cup sour cream
• 3/4 t Tabasco sauce (you could use whatever hot pepper sauce you have on hand, or one packet from a restaurant)
• 10 yellow or white corn tortillas  5" in diameter ( if you have tortillas with a larger diameter, quarter      them and use enough to cover bottom of pan and next layer)
• 1 can (16 oz) pinto, black or black beans (I used dried and soaked and cooked them myself)
• 2 cups shredded pepper jack, Monterrey jack, or cheddar cheese

In a large skillet heat oil; cook onion, green pepper, and garlic 3 min or til tender. Add ground beef/sausage and oregano, breaking up meat with fork as it cooks; cook until browned. Drain off fat; remove from heat.
In medium bowl combine tomatoes, tomato sauce, sour cream and Tabasco Sauce; mix well. cut each tortilla in 1/2. Arrange 10 halves in shallow 11x7-inch baking dish (something of similar size will due). Spread 1/2 of meat mixture over tortillas. Top with 1/2 the pinto beans, half the tomato mixture, and 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Bake 30 min at 350 degrees or til heated through. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
I often double this recipe and use an 11x7 and an 8x8 pans. Then, I can freeze the 8x8 pan and have some left overs for lunch the next day. This is one of those recipes that tastes even better the next day. Have fun cooking!

P.S., I hope you'll give this one a try even though my photography skills do not do this dish any justice!

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Saint Patrick's Day becomes O'Green Day

I never considered Saint Patrick's day a religious holiday even though part of the name includes the word "saint." Perhaps it's because I do not go to church services on March 17th like Irish Catholics do. I do attend church, but my church does not recognize it in any way. While I was researching the history of Saint Patrick's day, I learned that everyone celebrates Saint Patrick's day a little differently. This year, a Massachusetts school took that to a new level.

The principal, Lisa Curtin, of Soule Road School wanted to be more inclusive. She recognized that not all of her students are Christian or celebrate the day in a religious manner. Since the holiday is rooted in religious tradition and bares the name "saint," the school celebrated O'Green day.  They did the same thing with Saint Valentine's day by renaming the day “Caring and Kind Day.”

While I was researching the how people celebrate, I found out that most of the countries that recognize Saint Patrick's Day see it as a secular holiday and as a day to celebrate all things Irish. During our country's history, the Irish were the butt of many jokes and were marginalized. While their plight was nothing compared to those of emancipated slaves or blacks during the integration years, being remotely Irish set back many people as they tried to get jobs, run for political office, and more. Was it really necessary to rename the day?  In a society that celebrates our heritage with Black history month and Columbus Day, does it really hurt to teach our kids about this holiday? I do not think so.

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Raising backyard chickens

 Last fall, we decided to raisebackyard chickens that were two days old and raise them for their eggs. We selected 7 chickens. As a family, we decided to raise them like pets. Our children held the chickens and played with them from the day they came to live with us.

The chicken's first home, once we got them, was in the garage inside a wading pool we bought from a local store. Our neighbors, who also have chickens, told us that this home wouldn't last for long. They were spot on. The chicken's second home was in a box with tree branch perches by night and by day an old play pen that was no longer suitable for babies to use due to a hole that was created in the netting. We sewed it up so the chickens couldn't escape.

The box with perches

The playpen

Eventually, it was time to finish our plans for the chicken coop. My husband's work place manufactures products that have parts that arrive in large crates. He was able to bring home some of the wood from one or more of the crates and made a chicken coop. One side was for storing the food so that it would be nearby. The other side was where the chickens lived.

We decided it would be good to have a chicken run attached to it so that when the chickens were little, they would have a safe place to live. We looked on Craig's List for used dog and chicken runs. My husband found one made of chain link fencing that was being sold by a family who was downsizing their flock of chickens. He had to disassemble it at the seller's house. He attached it to the chicken coop he made and applied chicken wire under the dirt and at the bottom of the chain link fence.

You can find more chicken coop plans online.

The chicken coop and chicken run

A view of the storage side of the chicken coop

We started off letting them wander the yard most of the day once they were old enough to go outside. However, we had to limit their free-range time to when we were outside because our Golden Retriever, Tigger, killed one of the chickens. My kids were devastated that a chicken had died. I thought about finding a way to use the dead chicken for food because the dog didn't mangle the chicken. Its feathers were ruffled, but that was about it. I figured that Tigger broke its neck and was bringing us his kill the way retrievers were bread to hundreds of years ago.

When our chickens were old enough to eat adult chicken food, we decided to feed them Layena Plus Omega-3. Our chickens have been laying eggs for more than a month. I decided to test Purena's claim that their eggs had richer, more golden yolks compared to eggs without the marigold extract and found that the eggs were more golden.

We are having fun with our chickens. My kids ask to go outside to play with the chickens several times a week.

The first egg

Our remaining 6 chickens are doing well. Just yesterday, 3/15/12, our 6 chickens laid 8 eggs. Today, we paid our neighbor in eggs for aerating our yard. Soon, we hope to sell the eggs we don't need because the chickens produce the eggs faster than we can eat them. I think that raising chickens at home was a wonderful choice for our family.

Would I recommend raising chickens in your backyard? Yes, but first check your neighborhood's covenants, city and county laws about raising chickens and erecting a chicken coop.

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How to help the people of Sudan

Have you heard about George Clooney and many others who were arrested outside the Sudanese embassy in Washington DC because they wanted EVERYONE to take notice of the Sudanese Government's campaign to block aid to more than 200,000 people. These people are starving and the UN says that there is a looming famine.

What can we do to help the people who supported South Sudan and went up against the tyrannical Sudanese Government?

I don't know the best answer, but there are people out there who can help directly. For the rest of us, I suggest we write our congress and encourage them to take action. I don't normally think that we should get involved in other country's business. However, when I consider the hundreds of thousands of people who cannot protect, let alone provide food, for themselves, action must be taken.

On the CommonDreams.org site, I found this quote:

“We should not allow the tragedy of Darfur to be repeated. Hundreds of thousands of people died before the international community and United States took action. The question for the people in the Nuba Mountains and Blue Nile is will the U.S. government act now, or will the response be too little, too late,” states United to End Genocide Director of Global Partnerships Niemat Ahmadi who is originally from Darfur, Sudan.

It would be terrible to let so many die when we have the power to protect them.