Ants On A Log

Ants on a log

Here at Camp Brighton, we are all about playing with food. As long as the food ultimately ends up in their mouths, they can mess with it any which way. Today, the kiddos were on their best behavior all day because I promised them that they could make their own ants on a log this afternoon when Baby R took a nap. 

The beauty of this promise is that it benefited me in so many ways... first of all, great behavior in anticipation of a messy and delicious snack activity and second, possibly more important, I had minimal involvement in the messy snack activity. They could build their little logs as long as they found it intensely captivating while I could make myself a little (big!) iced coffee and peacefully put away a few dishes.

Ages and ages ago, when I was a kindergartner in Ms. Duksta's 2 1/2 hour kindergarten class, one of my favorite snacks of all time was this one. I actually credit Mrs. Duksta with developing my early love of food ... how many teachers would bring in gouda to share with a bunch of 5 year olds on "g" day? I was wowed. The ants on a log snack is a little more tame than gouda cheese - but just about as good - and all you need are three basic ingredients.

Celery, peanut butter, and raisins

The Details ... 

You will need celery, peanut butter (or something similar), and raisins, a few small bowls, and a butter knife. 

Wash the celery and cut it into about three even sections. Pile up the logs on a plate. Scoop out some peanut butter into one kid friendly bowl and pour a bunch of raisins into another one. 

Let the kids fill their logs (celery) with peanut butter and decorate the tops with the little ants (raisins). If your child is old enough to hold a spoon, he or she is old enough to make this snack. It might be a little bit messy for the younger kids, but it is great fine motor practice and gives them a nice sense of accomplishment!

This snack packs very well in school lunch containers - I size the celery sticks to fit into a little bento box and presto! lunch is ready. My older daughter would take this to school every day if I would let her. 

Making Ice Cream

Have you ever seen this ice cream maker before? My mom bought this ice cream ball for the kids for Christmas last year and we had not used it yet. You can buy this at LL Bean, REI, or even on Amazon. It is marketed as a great way to make ice cream at the beach or out camping - I think that is crazy. However, it is the perfect activity for an afternoon at Camp Brighton.

For little people, I would consider this a two-day adventure. Day 1 - make the custard (ice cream base) and let it chill in the fridge overnight. Day 2 - roll the ice cream ball and enjoy the yummy ice cream.

Group whisking...

Yesterday afternoon, we prepared the custard - very simple recipe but, since it involves the stove, I let the kids do the measuring and I did the cooking.

Ingredients for Sweet Cream Ice Cream:

1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup half and half
1/4 cup sugar
3 egg yolks

Directions: 

Combine the heavy cream, half and half, and sugar in a saucepan. Heat over low to medium heat until the sugar is dissolved.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks.

Gradually add the warm cream mixture into the egg yolks - stirring the entire time. Don't pour too much at a time or you will cook the eggs. After you have added most of the cream into the eggs, pour the entire mixture back into the saucepan.

Heat the combined mixture over medium-low heat. Stir constantly. In about 5 to 10 minutes, the cream mixture will have thickened sufficiently. You will know the custard is thick enough when you can draw a line down the back of the spoon and it stays clear.

Refrigerate the custard for at least a few hours - we let it chill overnight. The process will be much quicker if the custard is chilled.

Making the Ice Cream in the Rolling Ball...


Rock salt is ideal for this project but sea salt or kosher salt would work as well. The rolling ball has two openings - one opening is filled with ice and 1 cup of rock salt. The other opening is the insulated canister where you pour your prepared custard.

Fill the end with ice and salt first. Secure the lid very tightly.

Turn the ball over and pour the custard into the canister. We added 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips to our basic sweet cream custard recipe to make chocolate chip ice cream.

Rolling the ball

Have the kids take turns rolling the ball around. Do not kick the ball, do not throw the ball. We rolled the ball on a mat just in case there were any unexpected leaks. The directions say to check the ball after fifteen minutes - because our custard was pre-chilled, it probably was ready in less than 15 minutes.

The ice cream is ready!

Using a wooden or a plastic spoon, scrape down the sides of the canister and transfer to a serving bowl or directly to your little helpers. Enjoy!

Plant a Pizza Garden

Who says a pizza has to be round?

Do your kids love pizza? My kids love pizza so much that for their 6th birthday we piled into the fabulous Fuel Pizza (a delicious local pizza place) and made pizzas with a tawdry assortment of kindergarten classmates. It was a lot of fun and quite a treat for them to see a "real" pizza kitchen - i.e. not Mom's. Since my daughter has celiac disease (no gluten!) we usually make our own pizza. It's really so easy (click here just to see how easy it is...) and you can top it with just about any fresh veggies you have on hand. Making your own pizza tastes even better when you can put your own home-grown toppings on it!

Container Gardening

This summer we have planted three large raised bed gardens(one for the boys, one for the girls, and the biggest one for mom) and a few container gardens. Raised bed gardens are very easy to maintain and can be tended by adults and children, however, nothing beats the ease of a container garden. Our largest container garden is called "The Pizza Garden" because it contains many essential pizza ingredients. I have picked up large pots for container gardens at quite an assortment of stores - Marshall's, Big Lots, end-of-season sales at local nurseries and garden shops... you don't have to pay a lot of money to find a suitable container. Be creative - do you have something non-traditional you could use? A small boat? A baby pool? A small tub?  

At the "boys' garden" ...

Whether you are new to gardening or are a seasoned pro, container gardens are so easy to plant and very easy to maintain. If you have enough room, each child could even have their own. For our "pizza garden" we planted a cherry tomato plant in the center, a small pepper plant off to one side, and fresh basil, thyme, and oregano, all around the edges. This is the second year that we have grown a pizza garden and, although very few cherry tomatoes actually make it inside because they are usually eaten by the no-wage pickers, we always can put the peppers and herbs to great use.

What you will need to plant your pizza garden: 

1 large pot
Soil suitable for container gardens
1 cherry tomato plant
1 small pepper plant
Assorted herb plants ... basil, oregano, and thyme

In less than an hour, you can have your pot filled with dirt and plants, watered and ready to grow! Have fun! It's definitely not too late to plant some veggies. Go out and give it a try. If you are even more adventurous and are interested in raised bed gardening, check out the Gardening Gals website - a Charlotte, mom-owned business - if you are here in Charlotte, they will install your raised bed garden in no time at all so you can get right to the planting!

For more information on container gardening, check out the links below...

Gardening With Kids: Information on Container Gardens
Charlotte Parent Magazine: Planting a Pizza Garden
Growing Ideas Classroom Projects: Container Gardens With Kids

Apple Peel Jelly

Frozen peels from our beautiful N.C. apples

Although we love to compost veggies, fruit, egg shells, and coffee grounds, it is always nice when you can find something to do with fruit scraps that would otherwise be headed to the compost pile. If your house is anything like ours, you might be able to accumulate a lot of apple and pear peels. Over the course of a month or so, we collected two gallon freezer bags full of apple cores and peels - ready to be simmered and turned into apple peel jelly! Amazing. Camp Brighton often requires its campers to make their own lunches ... and sometimes the campers kindly provide lunch for the head counselor. Why not make a yummy sandwich with apple peel jelly or top some crackers with goat cheese and jelly? Delicious!

I scoured around the internet to figure out the best way to make apple peel jelly. Because apple peels naturally have pectin in them (the main ingredient to help make jellies gel), I figured it shouldn't be too hard to make this concoction work for us. Fittingly, the best recipe I found came from Backwoods Home Magazine. Far, far, far from the backwoods, this recipe even worked in our little urban oasis here in Charlotte...

How To Make Apple Peel Jelly:

Strain the liquid

Place apple peels, lightly packed, into a 4.5 qt. pot with 5 cups of water. There should be about 3-4 inches of peels in the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and boil for 15 minutes, stirring as little as possible. Remove from heat, put the lid on the pot, and allow to stand overnight. (Optional, add a cinnamon stick when you let it sit overnight.) Strain the liquid into a measuring cup, and make certain you have 5 cups. Return to the pot. Gradually dissolve 1 box of pectin into the liquid and bring to a full rolling boil, over high heat. Add 7 cups of sugar (all at once), stirring to dissolve. Return to boiling, and boil hard for 1 minute.


Pour into sterilized canning jars - I sterilize mine by running them through the dishwasher. I like to use the 1/2 pint Ball jars (you can pick them up right at Harris Teeter if you are in my neck of the woods). Tightly seal with new lids. Because I do not have a fancy pressure canner, I fill a large heavy-bottomed pot with water and bring it to a boil - I put a wire cake rack in the bottom of the pot so the glass jars don't touch the bottom. Using tongs, I place my jars into the boiling water, cover the pot, and let them sit in a hot water bath for about 5 minutes. Remove the jars carefully with the tongs and set aside. 


Fun Facts: Did you know that canning and preserving have been seeing a huge resurgence in popularity? Not only is canning fun, inexpensive, and delicious, but it is also practical and helps promote a more sustainable local food system...if you love those local blueberries now, think how great they might taste come mid-December when you can have a little blueberry jam on your morning toast! Click here for a recent story on NPR about canning swaps in New York, or check out The City Cook: The Essential Kitchen website for some more specific information if canning and preserving seems to really tickle your fancy.