Adirondack Family Time™

Earth Day is Every Day! I hate plastic drinking straws. My children both have been taught  to say NO to the straw when we go out to eat. It isn't a perfect scenario. I understand that some people find it easier to drink out of a straw so here are some options to kick the plastic straw habit. 1) Get in the habit of saying No to the Straw . I have to remind myself to ask for "no straws" at a restaurants. It's a work in progress. 2) Purchase reusable stainless steel straws. I keep a container near the fridge where my children and their friends can grab a straw to use around the house. I also have one in my bag and a few in each car's glovebox. To solve the issue of plastic outside the house, I looked into purchasing paper straws. Though inexpensive, the packaging and shipping can be an issue. 3) Make Your Own Paper Drinking Straws: It seems making paper straws would be a simple enough, and it is. Below are a few templates to make things easy for you. I

Lake George's own Special Olympian Max Jackoski has started a Facebook page to help spread his brand of kindness beyond the shores of the southern Adirondacks. Jackoski and his mother Lisa are more than just mother and son, but a team that can inspire others to make someone's day a little bit happier.  “What I bring to my community.” “This all started because Max loves to text his friends and ask about their day,” says Lisa. “It then evolved into finding out and sharing the national daily celebration. I teach group fitness and Max would hear me announce a bit about the day and he decided to add it to his Facebook page. He does all his own posting and decides what goes on his page.” Today’s special video highlights World Down Syndrome Day , which takes place every March 21. The reason this specific date was chosen was to draw attention to the triplication of the 21 st chromosome, which is the cause of Down syndrome. Since 2006, March 21 has

Valentine's Day isn't just about candy and hearts, don't forget your four-legged friends! They hike the trails and always greet you at the door. Children will also love being able to help make their four-legged friend a healthy treat. Plus the added bonus is a lesson in measurements. Gather all the ingredients first and let everyone involved take a turn, no matter how small. Even give a small portion of the dough to let the kids roll out and cut out the treats. For even more fun, use cookie cutters. Peanut Butter/pumpkin Dog Treats 1 1/2 cups flour 
(I use whole wheat) 1/2 cup peanut butter (no sugar and creamy)* the kind of peanut butter that is just peanuts, no salt or sugar  1/3 cup canned pumpkin puree add a little water if needed until the dough can form a ball Grain-free peanut butter/ pumpkin dog treats grind oatmeal into a flour and substitute for the whole wheat flour Preheat the oven to 350 F. Combine wet ingredients. Mix the flour into the wet ing

REPOST FROM JANUARY 2015: Living in a climate where it snows around 6 months out of the year, we either need to eat it or shovel it. Eating it is always the preferred way of using snow. This recipe for a homemade soft-serve ice cream is easy and fun. It doesn't store well so plan on making enough to eat immediately. My family doesn't seem to mind that they have to eat any leftovers. Enjoy! One quick and easy dessert that is a fan favorite is making a soft-serve ice cream out of snow and simple ingredients found in the fridge and pantry.

Protect dog paws from the cold Recipe and Craft: Do It Yourself (DIY) Paw Winter Protection (Paw Wax) - multi-use formula for pet walking, exploring, hiking, protect from road salt, frostbite, frostnip.  The temperatures around the Adirondacks have been well below freezing, -31º to be exact, but that doesn't stop our golden retriever from wanted to go outside to play. We still need to watch for signs of frostnip in all of us, we also make sure to take care of our pup. DIY Paw Wax ingredients We've always altered between using  Musher's Secret, a food-grade barrier wax made in Canada, and a homemade version of a paw wax. Our dog tends to lick off everything so whatever we use, we need to make sure it is safe for the furriest member of the family. (We have even use it ourselves as lip balm or hand moisturizer while we are hiking.) What is good enough for the dog, is good enough for the children.  Making your own paw wax isn't complicated, but the ingredien

Mirror Lake Inn Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Back by popular demand! My favorite cookie recipe!    *reprinted with permission Mirror Lake Inn Chocolate Chip Cookies , Lake Placid, N.Y. Mix until light and fluffy 2 cups butter 2 cups sugar 1 cup brown sugar Blend and add to sugar mixture:  4 eggs Add: 4 tsp. vanilla 4 cups flour 3 tsp. salt 2 tsp. baking soda 4 cups chocolate chips 2 cups broken walnuts (I omit) Drop onto greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 8 minutes. Yields 4 dozen. Tip: I whip up a batch and keep the dough in the refrigerator and bake a few cookies at a time! Enjoy! *if you stay at the Inn you get complimentary afternoon tea and chocolate chip cookies daily. If not, you can make your own and pretend!

At the summit of Elephant Head overlooking Lake Titus Distance =  0.5-mile from parking area to summit. Seasonally the road in is impassable, adding an additional  1.5-miles from road to parking area Elevation   = 1,939' Vertical Ascent  = 464' We don’t usually choose our hikes for the name of the mountain, but when daughter found out that there was an elephant in the Adirondacks, she wanted to see it for herself.   One such hike is the 0.5-mile hike to the summit of Elephant’s Head Mountain, part of the Titusville Mountain State Forest.  Depending on the weather and the type of vehicle, getting to the trailhead can be part of the issue. We turn onto the dirt road at the familiar brown sign marking the entrance to Elephant’s Head mountain. This time there are potholes to maneuver, but the road itself is manageable.

Sundews are a carnivorous plant from in the Adirondacks Nature Detective?   Yes, please!  At least with Adirondack carnivorous plants, you don't have to worry about it eating your pets or smallest child. This isn't A Little Shop of Horrors,  but Mother Nature's pest control.  Pitcher Plants at Ferd's Bog There are carnivorous plants that are native to the Adirondack Park, but they are much smaller than the mythical Venus Flytraps. The sundew, pitcher plant, and bladderwort are beautiful as they are resilient.    These   plants use various natural disguises to lure in its prey. No carnivorous plant completely relies on insects as a food source. Photosynthesis is still at play.   The sundews' sticky leaves glisten in the sun, tricky insects onto the leaves. There they are trapped and "eaten" by means of the plant's digestive enzymes.   The pitcher plant uses its brightly colored "trumpet " and nectar to lure insects into the

Looking for a rainy day activity  or have you lost your favorite bookmark? Don't dog-ear those pages, make a quick corner bookmark out of recycled materials. Enjoy reading your favorite books! Directions (print-out tutorial at bottom of page) 1) Cut out a 6" or 7" square piece of paper or use the tutorial print-out to the left. We have used old maps, children's artwork, candy wrappers, and catalogs as material for bookmarks. 2) fold in half diagonally: bring corner 4 to corner 1, fold along corners 2 and 3 to form a triangle pointing up. 3) Fold corner 2 to meet corner 1 and fold corner 3 to meet corner 1, crease along folds 4) turn the diamond 180º so flaps face down.  (See diagram) 5) Gentle open the flaps 6) in the center there will be folded lines forming a square. Fold the top layer Corner 1 up. 7) Refold corners 2 and 3 down to form the diamond shape. 8) Fold the top layer of Corners 2 and 3 to Corner 1. Crease at line 7. 9) Fold Fl

This certainly has been a spectacular autumn. There have been so many options for viewing the changing season and a quick walk to Moose Pond is one of our favorites. Even as the season wanes, there seems to be plenty of color in the mountains. This easy Adirondack family hike begins between two fields on Rt. 3 between Saranac Lake and Bloomingdale. Since it is midweek and no other cars are around, I park at the canoe carry at the Saranac River bridge. There is parking for three cars by the bridge, but during busy weekends and summer days it’s best to park at the pullover on Rt. 3 and walk the additional 300 yards.  Moose Pond Loop Trail Map ©AdirondackFamilyTime.com According to Historic Saranac Lake the Rt. 3 trail to Moose Pond was once a logging trail and then became the access for a private club called “Bel-Lago Park” in the 1920s. It has since converted back to state land. It has long since overgrown and narrowed to become the current foot access only trail. The

The pale green lichen in the  Usnea "ooze-ne-a"  f amily ,  also known as Old Man’s Beard, can easily be spied hanging in tree branches around the Adirondacks. I Its green lacy tuffs remind me of the Lorax and the Truffula trees and as Dr. Seuss says, "Truffula trees are what everyone needs."   Did you know? • lichens are not really plants but a blending of two separate organisms: fungus and algae. • It is commonly known as a tree moss or beard moss.  • It is sometimes confused with Spanish moss, which is not found in the Adirondacks. • Usnea was used a  respiratory antibiotic since 1600 B.C    • Important in ancient Greek and Chinese medicine • Has anti-microbial properties so can be directly applied to an open wound to stave off infection.  • Make a tea or tincture out of it to treat lung infections.  • Has been used to combat tuberculosis in studies. Identify •A white, stretchy, thin cord can be found when you pull the Old Man's Be

Enjoy these simple plans for this simple bench that provides a perfect place to observe the natural world.  C onsidered by many as the father of wildlife management and of the United States’ wilderness system, Aldo Leopold was a conservationist, forester, philosopher, educator, writer, and outdoor enthusiast . “That land is a community is the basic concept off ecology, but that land is to be loved and respected is an extension of ethics.” Though his book, The Sand County Almanac is a must read, it may be something that can wait for anyone with very young children. For everyone else, it's a wonderful example of nature writing that is a timeless connection to the land. My family first made our first  "Leopold Bench" as a group effort at the Aldo celebration at the A dirondack Interpretive Center in Newcomb, NY. It remains one our most comfortable outdoor benches. It also was a project that allowed us to work together. © Diane Chase, author of A dirondac