Spring Activities and Recipes

At The Colt, we researched some ways to spend time away from screens during the spring and enjoy the warm weather instead.

Recipes

Preparations

Some recipes in this article involve some ingredients that you can make at home. These are quick and easy to make. What you make with these are not limited–you can use these ingredients in many other recipes!

Peppermint Extract

In many mint-flavored foods, peppermint extract is the most natural flavoring method. This recipe is quick and easy and can be completed in under 10 minutes.

You will need:

1 medium to large sized jar with a lid

washed mint leaves (they can be dried but fresh leaves are preferred)

vodka (enough to fill the jar up to where the mint fills up to)

Time and patience

1. Chop or tear the mint leaves. This helps release the oils from the leaves.
2. Place the mint in a jar and pour the vodka just enough to completely submerge the leaves. The vodka doesn’t need to be the expensive kind! Any type of vodka works.
3. Close the lid of the jar tightly and shake the jar a bit.
4. Let it soak for 1-2 months under room temperature.
5. Pour everything out of the jar into a strainer above an appropriately sized bowl. You can dispose of the leaves.
6. Use the extract or store it in an airtight container for later use. Keep the container in a cool and dark area. The extract can last for a year or longer, or until it begins to taste different.

I recommend starting this recipe early in the season or even in the winter since it may take a while to make.

Tanghulu

Tanghulu is a Chinese street food. You may have seen them before if you’ve visited Chinatown or Chinese cities like Beijing. These desserts are fruits coated by a crunchy melted layer of sugar on a bamboo or wooden skewer. Traditionally, tanghulu was made with hawthorn berries on very long sticks with even up to more than ten fruits on a single stick. Sometimes people make smaller tanghulu with blueberries, yam beans, or Shanyao dou. More recently, people have started making tanghulu with more common fruits, such as strawberries, grapes, and blueberries.

You will need:

Firm fruit (not overripe or too soft)

Granulated sugar

Water

Digital or candy thermometer

Stainless steel pan

Instructions:

1. Thoroughly wash and dry the fruit.
2. Place the fruit on skewers.
3. Prepare a medium to large bowl with water and ice. The water should be very cold.
4. Pour the sugar and water together in a pot and simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until the temperature reaches 300°F on a thermometer. Turn off the stove.
5. If you want, pour the prepared syrup into another bowl to make dipping easier. Keep it wide and shallow so you can coat all the fruits.
6. Dip the fruit into the syrup and rotate the skewer to coat the entire fruit.
7. Immediately place the fruit into your prepared bowl of ice water. This helps harden the sugar.
8. Serve and enjoy!

This recipe doesn’t always work on the first try. You have to go through these steps very quickly before the sugar melts and it is crucial for the syrup to be at the right temperature. However, this is a quick and simple recipe that makes eating fruit more enticing. This dessert is one of my favorite things to eat in the spring and summer.

Almond Meringue Cookies

These 23 calorie cookies are diet-friendly and easy to make, requiring just four ingredients.

You will need:

2 egg whites at room temperature

1/8 tsp of cream of tartar

5 Tbsp of white sugar

1/4 tsp of almond extract

Serves 12 cookies

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 225°F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or cooking spray.
2. Use a hand mixture to beat the egg whites and cream of tartar on high speed until you can form soft peaks by lifting the mixer.
3. Gradually add sugar and beat until the peaks become stiffer.
4. Add the almond extract and beat for one or two more minutes.
5. Scoop spoonfuls of the mixture on the baking sheet or use a piping bag to give the meringues some texture.
6. Bake for 60 minutes. After turning off the heat, let the cookies cool in the oven for 90 minutes.

No-bake Mint Chocolate Brownie Bites

These bite-sized brownie bites are a healthy alternative for tasty desserts.

You will need:

Crust

1 cup of chopped walnutes

1/2 cup of pitted Medjool dates

2 Tbsp of unsweetened cocoa powder

Pinch of sea salt

Mint Filling

1/2 small ripe avocado, peeled and pitted

1/4 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt

2 Tbsp melted coconut oil

2 Tbsp honey

1/2 tsp mint extract

Chocolate Topping

1/4 cup melted coconut oil

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

5-8 drops of liquid stevia

Serves 24 brownie bites.

Instructions:

1. Place 24 mini muffin liners in a small muffin tray.
2. Process the walnuts, dates and cocoa powder in a food blender until it becomes a sticky dough.
3. Place 1 teaspoon of the crust at the bottom of each paper liner.
4. Blend all ingredients for mint filling in a blender or food processor until smooth. Add about 1 teaspoon of filling per muffin liner.
5. Place the muffin liners in the freezer for 15 minutes or until firm.
6. In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients for the chocolate topping.
7. Drizzle the chocolate topping over the firm mint filling.
8. Place the liners back in the freezer to set before serving
9. Store in the freezer. Before serving, let the brownie bites thaw for a few minutes.

Activities

Journaling

Journaling isn’t only about self-reflection and personal growth – it is also about creativity. Have you noticed that journal pages aren’t just long paragraphs? Sometimes there’s almost no writing at all. People like to decorate their pages with different fonts, palettes, images, stickers, and more. You can jot down tasks, goals, anything interesting that happened today, or just decorate a page.

Here is an example of a journal page:

Some people might want to do journaling but don’t know where to start. Here are some ideas that can get you started:

• What is your favorite season?
• What is your favorite holiday?
• What subjects do you like most? It doesn’t have to be from school.
• Where would you want to go for summer vacation?
• What is your favorite music genre?
• What is your favorite type of environment: desert/plain, polar, forest, or ocean?
• What is one skill you want to improve or learn?

Some basic materials you might want to use for journaling are notebooks, assorted highlighters, pens and pencils, stickers, images, washi tape, paper clips, and more.

You can also make journal pages for tasks, schedules, and reminders. It’s like a to-do list, but more diverting.

Birding

Birding, or bird watching, is a low-cost hobby that involves identifying birds in their natural habitat. People often use binoculars to view birds. By birding, you will probably notice plants or animals around you that you never recognized before. It is also a great way to have fun without your cell phone, and you can enjoy this hobby by yourself or with family or friends.

I recommend using binoculars from brands such as Leica, Swarovski and Nikon. I use the Leica 40093 Ultravid 8 x 42 HD Plus in black. It is not very heavy, easy to focus, and has comfortable eyepieces. Yes, these binoculars might be pricey, but it’s worth the money. You will find that these binoculars are very clear, and in my opinion, looking through its lenses seems to be clearer than looking at animals and plants with naked eyes.

In Westport, here are some common bird species to look for:

Northern Cardinal

The Northern Cardinal is easy to spot with its bright red feathers and its large crest. Males are bright red in warmer seasons and females are typically orange or brown.

Tufted Titmouse

This small bird has a sharp, echoing voice. It has wide, black eyes and grey feathers across its back, head, neck and wings. It has a white underbelly with copper feathers that peek out from under its wings.

Eastern Bluebird

The Eastern Bluebird has blue feathers over its head and backside. On its belly, there are copper and white feathers. Maybe you’ve tried to attract them to your bird feeder before; however, the Eastern Bluebird’s diet mostly consists of mealworms and other insects. Adult bluebirds often bring their fledgelings to feeders with them, so they’re great to have around in the spring!

Sources:

https://www.acozykitchen.com/tanghulu-recipe

17 Pretty Bullet Journal Daily Layouts to Inspire You

https://www.nps.gov/articles/birding-for-beginners.htm#:~:text=Birding%20is%20very%20low%2Dcost,space%20to%20do%20that%2C%20too.

Tanghulu Candied Hawthorn Traditional Recipe

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