Take the kids camping!

Here at grasshaven, family time is our primary motivation!  We also have no geographical boundaries so when our friends over  @gocampingaustralia shared five reasons to take your children camping, we knew we had to repost!  Think about it, kids today, all over the world are plugged in...plugged in to computers, watching television, playing video games.  Some estimates put a child's total multimedia hours in the 10 years between the ages of 8 and 18 at over 30,000 hours.  How can the estimate be so large, you might ask....kids are often interacting with multiple devices at one time.  So as parents, how can we reduce this time?  Grasshaven's answer: take the kids camping and experience the outdoors!  Sit around the campfire laughing at made-up stories; find an uncharted trail; reconnect as a family.  While you're at it, build some memories through amazing family time in the great outdoors!


Here are five great reasons to get the kids camping:

1. Family bonding time - we think this is one of the best ways to build family memories
2. Experience nature - a fluttering butterfly, birds singing its nature at its best
3. Learning experiences - what an amazing way to learn new things (for both kids and their parents)
4. Fresh air and open skies - breath it in and relax!
5. Exercise everyone wants to do - the gym or a walk through the great outdoors?  It's not a hard question in our minds to answer

So go ahead and get the kids outdoors!

Remember Better·Living·Is·Surprisingly·Simple™ in the outdoors.

Getting the kids camping · Enjoy

http://gocampingaustralia.blogspot.com.au/2012/11/5-reasons-to-take-your-children-camping.html

Food keeping: cooler storage

After a day of exploration, laughs and family bonding (or that is what we call it), everyone is tired and hungry. Now how do you keep everyone fed but safe?

Meal planning before heading on your next outdoor excursion helps make every adventure easier and more seamless.  Many times left-overs and foods brought for one meal become components for another meal. Mr and Mrs Weaver at the Prepared Pantry offer some working guidelines for how long different foods should be keep in a cooler.   

Fresh fish, poultry and ground meat: 1-2 days max

Steaks and chops: 3-4 days

Cured meats: up to 1 week

Eggs: 1-2 weeks

Butter and margarine: butter: 1 week; margarine: 2 weeks

Milk: 2-3 days

Yogurt, sour cream, cream cheese: up to 1 week

Cheese: at least a week

Fruit:  berries and cherries: 1-2 days; soft fruits like grapes, melons, pears, peaches, plums etc: 2-4 days; apples and citrus: up to a month

Fresh vegetables: broccoli, peas, summer squash and lettuce: 2-3 days; carrots, cabbage, cucumbers, green peppers etc: 1 week; potatoes, winter squash and dry onions: couple of months

Happy meal planning!

remember Better·Living·Is·Surprisingly·Simple™ in the outdoors.

Cooler food keeping · Enjoy

http://www.preparedpantry.com/How-Long-Will-Food-Keep-in-a-Cooler.htm.  

Using a dutch oven

Outdoor cooking meets indoor ease

Many people do not realize that a dutch oven can be used similar to a regular oven; the possibilities are endless.  To begin, start a cooking size fire.  Once the food is prepared and the dutch oven is filled with gastronomic goodness, place the oven on top of the cooking fire.  

Begin a second, new fire on top of the dutch oven.  Heat is transfer both above and below the food - similar to an oven in the home. Use pot grippers to open the lid or a heat resistant digital thermometer to check on food doneness.  

As soon as the food is cooked, use pot grippers and fire gloves to remove the top fire.  Transfer to a heat resistant surface and enjoy whatever deliciousness awaits inside!