Exploring, Enjoying and Protecting on Your Vacation

It’s safe to say that this summer has been brutally hot!   Cool off on a vacation that’s overflowing with fun in the sun, outdoor adventure and new experiences!  Check out these eco-friendly travel tips from Sierra Club National Outings to minimize the impact of your next vacation:

1.       Low-impact activities – Exploring and enjoying the planet without leaving a large carbon footprint is easy when you focus on activities such as hiking, kayaking, nature walks, swimming, and snowshoeing.

2.       Pack it In, Pack it Out – Everything you bring into the outdoors should leave with you. Plan meals carefully and repackage ingredients into reusable containers to minimize garbage. And if you see litter on the trail, pick it up!

     3.       Volunteer – Give back to the wild places you love on a service trip.  You’ll work on a variety of rewarding tasks, like repairing trails and removing invasive plants, with plenty of time to relax.

    4.       Group transportation – If you’re driving, plan a carpool. Some national parks even offer shuttle or train access. When visiting an urban area, opt for public transportation.  Mother Earth will thank you, and so will your wallet.

5.       Be a force for change – Want to protect the places you visit after you return home? Visit the Sierra Club’s My Piece of America site to stay up-to-date on threats to our nation’s wild places and opportunities to help save them.

Feeling adventurous, but not sure where to go?  Visit the My Piece of America web site and enter to win the Sierra Club Outings “End-of-Summer Sweepstakes!”  The winner will receive two round-trip tickets to Florida, 6-night stay in the Everglades National Park and kayaking lessons!

Source: Sierra Club National Outings

Homemade Strawberry Creamsicles

By Amy at Super Healthy Kids

You know it is summer when after being outside all day, your kids take a playing break to sit and enjoy a popsicle!  It’s too bad most of the popsicles you can buy in the store are loaded with sugars, artificial flavors and modified chemicals.  The secret all the popsicle makers don’t want you to know is that making your own popsicles is so easy and fast that you won’t ever want to buy popsicles again!

These literally took me less than 10 minutes to whip up.  My strawberry creamsicles only have 2 ingredients!

 First we start out with beautiful red strawberries.  The great thing about this recipe is that you can use strawberries that might be on their way out.  If they are too mushy to eat, use them to make these popsicles!

Rinse well, and cut the greens off.

Blend.  I didn’t add water or juice, or anything.  I love my Blendtec for that reason.  It really does blend anything.  If your blender isn’t quite as powerful, you could add a little water/juice if you want.  I have seen some recipes that just mash their strawberries, but my girls are weary of ‘chunks’ and so I wanted these popsicles to be smooth.

The second ingredient:  Greek Yogurt.  I used a honey flavored yogurt, but you can use any flavor you want.  The strawberries blend into a beautiful puree which you can add right to your popsicle molds.  I borrowed my neighbors ‘Zoku’ which was amazing!  You place the base of it in your freezer before hand, and then it only takes 5-7 minutes to  make a popsicle!  I also have the regular molds and used those as well. 

Spoon some of the puree into the bottom of the mold, and then alternate with yogurt and puree until the mold is full.

Put the handle in and freeze!  These took around 2 hours to be solid enough to eat.

Voila!  You could blend the yogurt with the strawberries, but I liked the swirled look.  My 3 year old said it was the best popsicle she had ever eaten.  Really.  Word for word.  I was curious and a bit nervous to see how my girls would react because they aren’t super sweet.  I was pleasantly surprised that they licked them down to the stick!

I felt good knowing they were getting a fruit serving as well as protein, fiber and calcium!  Store bought popsicles are basically sugar and water and won’t keep you full for 5 minutes.  These creamsicles however definitely have substance and are actually a balanced snack.

I hope you enjoy these as much as we did!  If you are looking for more healthy snack ideas for your kids, visit our meal planning site!