On our first day of camp, we were greeted by bright new starts eager to learn about nature, gardening and cooking.
We started the day with some yoga movements and breathing with gratitude in mind. We gave thanks for trees that give us fruit, mushrooms that give us food but also medicine, water that keeps everything hydrated and alive. After doing in poses in nature we were thankful for, we went around the room to ask what each of us were grateful for in our lives. Ryanne was especially grateful for chocolate chip pancakes, Ryder for the earth, Owen for his guitar shirt, Gabi for his guitars, Garrison for his dirt bikes and family, Sam for rainbows, while Julia, and Emma were thankful for their families and friends, and Gorin for Ironman--yes, we certainly are thankful for our superheroes!
We read The Beeman by Laurie Krebs to find out where our honey comes from and enjoyed Apple Honey Muffins--the very same ones that Grandma made for the Beeman and the boy at the end of the story.
Then we headed out to the garden to learn about herbs and all their culinary, medicinal, and decorative uses. We touched rosemary and thyme to understand that these particular plants have beneficial oils and can be smelled on their hands. We guessed at what the lemony smelling leaves were. We identified the beans, tomatoes and peppers just starting to grow.
Ms. Angela talked about lavender and as luck would have it, they would not fit into our ceramic pots. So instead we planted bean seeds and learned firsthand how a seed becomes a plant. We were able to make two "face plants."
In the afternoon, Lori Osborn from Happy Baby Food came to teach us about the importance of quality, organic ingredients and how we can take something simple like yogurt and make it a masterpiece. To add to the organic strawberry or vanilla yogurt, she brought goji berries, raw coconut, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, purees of apple, pear and even sweet potato and squash. The kids were eager to try all the different textures. Oliver, who is very discerning about his cuisine (his mom is a chef, after all), wanted to try goji berries when he found out they make him really smart. Ryder, Emma and Julia created parfaits made with lots of topping, sprinkled with a little yogurt. Some mixed in their toppings, others wanted to see what they were enjoying on top.
