Week 10: Make a Masterpiece with Sand

We are down to our last week of our fun projects for the summer.

We all like to play and dig in the sand, right? The last project is to create something unique with sand and have fun doing it. As usual, print out your Scorecard if you're keeping track. Post pictures with your creations when you get the chance!

Week 9: Create a New Ice-Cream-in-a-Bag Sensation

We're almost done with our summer challenges! This week's challenge is to make some homemade ice-cream in a bag! Try it out and make your own recipe and let us know how it turns out! Have fun!

Here's the Scorecard if you're interested!

Week 8: Get Wet 'n' Wild in Your Backyard

We are getting close to the end of our 10-week summer challenge! I hope that those of you who are participating are having a lot of fun with these challenges every week.

Our Eighth Challenge is to dream up a brand-new water game or activity that can be done in your backyard. There are links on the page that describes the activity, or you can come up with your own idea. This one sounds like a fun one, especially now that we're into August and it's HOT! Post your game or activity for the rest of us to try it out, and print out your Scorecard if you need to. Have lots of fun!

Week 7: Rediscover Your Hometown

It's that time again for a new challenge. This weeks challenge is to "tour and explore the place you live, then devise a way to show it off to others or simply celebrate it in your own home". It will be interesting to see what everyone comes us with and to see where everyone lives! Post pictures if you want and again, print out your Scorecard if you're keeping track of all your weekly challenges. Have fun!

Weeks 5 and 6

We have been out of town for the last week and a half, so I apologize for not updating our weekly challenges.

Challenge 5: Make it with Milk Jugs

Our 5th Challenge involves empty milk cartons and some creativity. Come up with some new ways to use the cartons and post your pictures when you can. There are some ideas on the link, or you can come up with your own ideas. Good luck!


Challenge 6: Create a Family Treasure

The 6th Challenge is to re-create a treasure jar with your own special collection as a family. It can be made with anything you like and as sentimental as you wish. Again, we'd love to see what you can come up with when you get the chance.

Here's the Scorecard if you're using them.

Cupcake Heads

We made our family portrait using cupcakes and candy. We had a lot of fun making these and thought they turned out alright. Clockwise from top: Wally, Ronni, Caleb, Brandon, and Kelsie. We each made our own, Kelsie made Caleb's.

Week 4: Create a Family Portrait

How is all that kite flying going? We had a good time making our kites and had even more fun with them when they actually flew!

Our fourth challenge is to create an informal family portrait, being creative with the things that you use. We would LOVE to see your portraits with this challenge, so post them if you can. Also, if you're doing the scorecard, don't forget to print it out again to keep track of all your projects. Good luck coming up with your idea, it will be interesting to see what everyone comes up with!

Yummy Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream

For our second challenge, we decided to make some homemade strawberry ice cream using our Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker. We have tried it before, and haven't been very impressed, but we decided to give it another shot! I have to say, it turned out AMAZING!! This will be a common homemade ice cream around our house! We had a great time making it and even added some chocolate dipped strawberries as an extra treat!

Here's the recipe:

Base Ice Cream:
Found in the Cuisinart Recipe book
2 cups heavy cream, chilled
1 cup whole milk, chilled
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Strawberries:

Cut berries into quarters or however desired.
For every 4 cups of berries, add 1/2 C. of Sugar.
Leave berries at room temp. for berries to juice and dissolve sugar.
(you can also freeze these to save for other times!)

Place ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and combine until well blended. Pour into freezer bowl, turn the machine ON and let mix until thickens, about 20 - 25 min. Add strawberries and juice from the strawberries. Remove ice cream from freezer bowl when strawberries are well mixed in the ice cream. Eat immediately or freeze for firmer ice cream.

YUMMY!!

Week 3: Go Fly a Homemade Kite!

It's that time again for our next weekly challenge. I hope that everyone has had fun doing the projects together! Don't forget to post pictures when you get the chance.

This week's challenge is to design and build a colorful, high-flying kite! Go beyond the norm and come up with something original and fun for your family. Again, print out your scorecard to keep track of all your projects through out the summer. This challenge will end next Sunday, July 8.

HAPPY FLYING!!

Raspberry Daiquiris

For this challenge, we stopped by a local market and bought some fresh raspberries. They were so yummy to snack on until we found "the" recipe to make. We decided to make a fresh raspberry daiquiri, virgin of course. The kids had a great time making them and blending up all the ingredients. We learned a few things from this project:

1) When the recipe calls for juice concentrate, don't try to invent your own.

2) This probably wasn't the best recipe for a "fresh fruit" challenge.

3) Sugar isn't necessarily the cure-all like we thought it might be.

Having said that, Brandon LOVED it and drank most of the batch that we made. He apparently doesn't have much for taste buds. Kelsie decided that she didn't like the seeds from the raspberries (we probably should have sifted it through first). Wally said it was OK, but wouldn't have another glass. It was too tart for me, even with all the extra sugar in it. So, unfortunately we didn't have a great experience with this one. I think we'll try it again with the right ingredients and perhaps some frozen fruit like the recipe calls for. Here's the recipe if anyone is interested:

Raspberry Daiquiris
Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book

1/3 cup frozen limeade or lemonade concentrate
10-ounce package frozen red raspberries and, if desired, 1/3 cup sifted powedered sugar
2/3 cup rum (optional)
2 1/2 to 3 cups ice cubes

In a blender container combine limeade or lemonade concentrate, rum (again, optional), and fruit. Cover and blend till smooth. With blender running, add ice cubes, 1 at a time, through opening in lid. Blend till slushy. Makes 6 4-ounce servings.

"The Adventure Begins"

We decided to call our family t-shirt "The Adventure Begins". We have been to a lot of fun places and have even driven across the United States twice! We're always looking for new adventures to take and thought this would describe our family to a "T"-shirt, at least! Wally drew the picture of us in our car, complete with our roof carrier and bikes on the back while Kelsie wrote the words. We scanned our picture into our computer and worked together filling in the color. We then printed it onto some iron-on transfer paper we bought at Michaels and then just ironed them on the shirts. It was really easy to do. Here is a picture of the kids in their shirts and our design:

Week 2: Turn Fresh Fruit into a Delicious Treat

Hello again! I hope that everyone has had a lot of fun working on their t-shirts together! We can't wait to see how they turned out! Don't forget to post your pictures!

Our second challenge involves a farmers market, fruit, and a little creativity. Whip up a delicious treat and share your recipe with the rest of us by next Sunday.

Don't forget to printout your Scorecard and to post your results when you can! Happy cooking!

Week 1: Design and Create an Official Family T-Shirt

Welcome to the "official" site to post pictures of our Summer Fun Challenges! I thought this would be a fun way to post pictures and stay updated on everyone's progress.

Our first challenge starts today, June 17, and will run until next Sunday, June 24. When you complete your project, post a picture for all to see and add any commentary you'd like about the reason why you chose your design and the fun you had while doing it. Try and get your t-shirts done by next Sunday so we can all stay on track with our 10 week challenge.

Good luck and don't forget to printout your scorecard so you have something fun to put together at the end of the summer. I'll post the next project next on Sunday, June 24. Have fun!!!

P.S. If you can think of anyone else who would have fun participating in these challenges, let me know.