Red Planet Survival Camp: Thursday

July 12, 2019

Red Planet Survival Camp: Thursday

Welcome back to Day 4 of Red Planet Survival Camp! As we approach the end of our Red Planet Exploration, we're starting to wrap up a few of our ongoing activities and try some new ones for the first time.

One of the activities that Pepper Groups participated in throughout the day was Wrens and Jays. It's a game that returning campers look forward to all week and new campers delight in learning for the first time! The campers are split into two groups and labeled as one of the types of birds. One group has to hide their "bird nests" and try to secretly add beans to them. The other group attempts to find the hidden nests and steal them. Campers have to be observant of their surroundings as well as the behavior of others. They love trying to sneak around and trick the other players!

There was a lot to be done in the garden today! I was able to visit with the Yellow Peppers and see all of the hard work they were putting in. They collected green beans, lettuce, spinach and arugula. We were even able to use some of the lettuce during Garden Kitchen later in the day! It was offered as a topping for the Vegan Sloppy Joe sandwiches.

Our Garden Kitchen recipes today were SunButter Date Smoothies and Vegan Sloppy Joes. Both recipes presented alternative ingredients to traditional versions that many campers know and love. The Medjool Dates and SunButter created a sweet and creamy combo that took many campers by surprise. The Vegan Sloppy Joes used lentils in the place of ground beef. They provided a heartiness that satisfied the cravings of any traditional Sloppy Joe lover!

SunButter Date Smoothie

1/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup refrigerated rice milk
2 Medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped
2 Tbsp sunflower seed butter
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup ice cubes

Directions: Place the oats into a bowl with the coconut milk and stir to combine. Let sit for 5 minutes. Pour the oat and milk mixture in to a high-power blender with the remaining ingredients, and blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

Vegan Sloppy Joes

2 cups red lentils, dry
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium sweet onion, diced
2 medium red or green bell peppers, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp chili powder, 1 tbsp smoked paprika, 1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp worcestershire sauce, 2 tbsp maple syrup, 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 1/2 cup ketchup, 1 cup water

Directions: Cook lentils according to package instructions. Sauté onion and bell peppers in olive oil over medium heat until the onions are translucent. Add garlic, chili powder, paprika, tomato paste, and salt. Stir to combine and cook for 2 min. Add maple syrup, worcestershire, balsamic vinegar, ketchup, and water. Cook for 2-3 min. Stir in cooked lentils and reduce to medium-low heat. Cook for 15 min. Spoon filling into halved King’s Hawaiian rolls.

Animal chores were on the lighter side this week with most of the goats and sheep being gone. But, this meant our chickens received lots of extra love and hugs! This also gave groups a bit of extra time to work on their STEAM projects and relax with games. Pepper Groups are wrapping up their work on their shelters and starting to bring home Robot Arm models.

It was a beautiful day for canoeing! Campers were all smiles as they partnered up for their rides around the pond. Each pair donned their lifejackets and matched up with one of our teen Stewards/SITs. Before starting their turns, they practiced paddling skills and went over water safety with Miss Madeline. With their safety checklist complete, they were ready to make their way to the water!