Summer Solstice...

Today is the first day of Summer and for SWLA the first day we have had without rain!!! Here are some fun facts about the Summer Solstice and the longest day of the year. Much Love, Bridget!

Summer begins in the Northern Hemisphere on June 20, 2012, at 7:09 P.M. (EDT). Here’s more about the first day of summer—the summer solstice…

The Summer Solstice

Each year, the timing of the solstice depends on when the Sun reaches its farthest point north of the equator. This occurs annually on June 20 or June 21 in North America, depending on your time zone.

The word solstice is from the Latin solstitium, from sol (sun) and stitium (to stop), reflecting the fact that the Sun appears to stop at this time (and again at the winter solstice).

In temperate regions, we notice that the Sun is higher in the sky throughout the day, and its rays strike Earth at a more direct angle, causing the efficient warming we call summer. In the winter, just the opposite occurs: The Sun is at its southernmost point and is low in the sky. Its rays hit the Northern Hemisphere at an oblique angle, creating the feeble winter sunlight.

The Sun is directly overhead at its most northern point at "high-noon" on the summer solstice, creating more sunlight in the Northern Hemisphere on this day then any other. 

The sun rose at 6:11am and will set at 8:18pm today in Lake Charles, LA… that will give us 14:07 hours of sunlight today!

Did You Know?

Question: Why isn’t the summer solstice also the hottest day of the year?

Answer: Earth’s atmosphere, land, and oceans absorb part of the incoming energy from the Sun and store it, releasing it back as heat at various rates. Water is slower to heat (or cool) than air or land. At the summer solstice, the Northern Hemisphere receives the most energy (highest intensity) from the Sun due to the angle of sunlight and day length. However, the land and oceans are still relatively cool, due to spring’s temperatures, so the maximum heating effect on air temperature is not felt just yet. Eventually, the land and, especially, oceans will release stored heat from the summer solstice back into the atmosphere. This usually results in the year’s hottest temperatures appearing in late July, August, or later, depending on latitude and other factors. This effect is called seasonal temperature lag.

Rainy Day Activities

With all the rain we have been having in SWLA, I thought it would be a great idea to give indoor activities  that won't require leaving the house or spending any money. I hope this activities give you parents some relief to the summer rainy day boredom. Much Love, Bridget!

Movie Day

What's better than cuddling up with your kids, a blanket, and a bowl of snacks for a family movie night? On the next rainy evening, turn the family room into your own personal theater. Find a movie the whole family will enjoy, settle in, and enjoy the show!

Fort Fun

A tradition all kids participate in while growing up is making forts out of furniture, blankets, and cushions. The next rainy day that comes around, help your kids construct their own super fort in the family room. They'll stay busy all day long with fun, quiet activities to play inside their new imaginary castle.

Board Games

Spend some quality family time together with a classic board game. Whether you are snapping up real estate in Monopoly or resisting the tempting treats in Candy Land, playing board games is a great way to spend a leisurely day at home

Scavenger Hunt with your Dog

If you happen to have a furry friend in your family, include him in your rainy day adventures. Hide doggy treats in puppy-friendly places, and see if Fido can sniff out all his hidden surprises. Time his progress and see if he can beat his record on the next rainy-day scavenger hunt.

Kitchen Fun

As long as the kids are stuck indoors, why not spend the day together making a family-favorite recipe? Make cooking fun with your "assistant chiefs" by assigning responsibilities. Not only will they feel important and useful, they'll also be proud of their delicious delicacy. Plus, you get to sit down and enjoy the fruits of your labor together.

Hide and Seek

Hide and seek is another simple game favored by kids. Since kids are restricted indoors on a rainy day, they can use the whole house for this game, with your permission. Your kids won't be too difficult to find--just follow the giggles to their hiding spot. Play it up a bit and pretend they are impossible to find.

Dance Party

Kids can go stir-crazy when cooped up indoors all day. Help release some of that energy with some energetic music and slick moves. Dancing around the house will bring you and your kids closer while you burn off pent-up energy and get some exercise. This fun, physical activity is sure to lead to a calm evening afterwards.

Read a Book

This is one indoor activity that is educational and fun! Reading with your child will improve her reading skills and build her enthusiasm for books. Cuddle up in a blanket with her favorite book and read together. Take turns reading, or have her read to you to keep her focused and interested.

Charades

Charades is a great family game for a rainy day. To begin, split into two teams and move into separate rooms. Each team should write down words, names, places, books, movies, etc. on pieces of paper. These are then exchanged with the other teams. Teams take turns picking a piece of paper and silently acting out what's on the paper. Each time a player takes a turn, use a stopwatch to track the time. The team with the shortest overall time is the winner. This is a great learning game that can help expand kids' vocabulary and knowledge.

Happy Father's Day

Wishing all the wonderful Fathers in my life a very happy day filled with love!

This is what Rowyn and I made for the very special man that she has the honor to call Dad!

And here is our gift to our Dad! I am not sure how he survived 3 daughters, but I am very proud to call him Dad.

Recipe Week!

Keeping in line with all things healthy during my recipe week... I give you homemade energy bites! These are super yummy and super healthy. This will make a great after gym snack for the kiddos and for you! You have a punch of protein and taste of sweetness all rolled into one yummy bite. I have also at times added seeds or nuts to this recipe, this can make for a great substitution for the shredded coconut. Have a great weekend and enjoy.  Much Love, Bridget!

Double Chocolate Energy Bites

Prep time: 5 mins

Total time: 5 mins

Serves: 12

Ingredients

◦                1 cup almond butter (or other nut butter)

◦                1.5 cups unsweetened shredded coconut

◦                8-10 dried black figs, stems removed

◦                1/2 cup  Dark chocolate chips

◦                1/4 cup flaxseed meal

◦                4 tablespoons raw honey

◦                2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

◦                1-2 scoops  Protein powder of choice

◦                1 teaspoon vanilla extract

◦                pinch of salt

Instructions

1.              Add all ingredients to a food processor (except for the chocolate chips)

2.             Turn food processor on.

3.             Let ingredients mix until dried figs are completely broken down and incorporated.

4.             Then add chocolate chips.

5.             Shape mixture into bite size balls.

6.             Place in the refrigerator to help harden.

7.             Consume.

8.             Keep leftovers in the fridge!

Recipe Week!

I decided that since we have been so dreary here is SWLA and lots of yucky rain, that today would be a great Soup day. I have the recipe for one of my favorite soups... Roasted Tomato Soup... Yummers!!! This is a fairly easy recipe and most items again will be something that you will find in your pantry. I hope you guys enjoy it. Much Love, Bridget!

Roasted Tomato Soup with Garlic

Ingredients

            3 pounds plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise

            8 tablespoons olive oil

            3 tablespoons minced garlic

            1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary or 1 1/4 teaspoons dried

            1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme or 1 1/4 teaspoons dried

            1/4 teaspoon (or more) dried crushed red pepper

            6 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt broth

            6 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place tomatoes, cut side up, on large baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle tomatoes with 3 tablespoons olive oil. Roast until tomatoes are brown and tender, about 1 hour. Cool slightly.

Transfer tomatoes and any accumulated juices to processor. Using on/off turns, process until slightly chunky.

Heat 3 tablespoons oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, rosemary, thyme and dried crushed red pepper. Add chicken stock; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered until soup thickens slightly, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

Rewarm soup over medium-high heat before continuing.) Stir in basil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Recipe Week!

Today I tackle the infamous GREEN SMOOTHIE!!! They are actually very tasty, very healthy and very easy to make. As an added bonus I have given you different variations for the Green Smoothie, although you really can make it anyway you want! I also added the Green Smoothie Popsicle recipe for the kiddos. Enjoy and let me know how you like it. Much Love, Bridget!

Green Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 frozen sliced banana

1 Tablespoon peanut butter

1/2 cup 0% Vanilla Chobani Greek yogurt

1 cup Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Breeze (or other kind of milk)

4 cups baby spinach (or more, or less)

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Nutritional stats:

350 calories, 10g fiber, 21g protein

Variations

Part of the fun of a green smoothie is experimenting. Try adding different types of fruit or different leafy greens. Here are some smoothie combinations I’ve really dug:

•                banana + kale + frozen mango + almond milk

•                banana + spinach + pineapple + coconut milk

•                avocado + romaine lettuce + frozen blackberries + almond milk

•                banana + Swiss chard + frozen strawberries + coconut milk

•                banana + parsley + pineapple + almond milk

Green Smoothie Popsicle Ingredients:

•                2 cups spinach

•                2 cups frozen berries (your choice)

•                2 bananas

•                1 cup water

Blend until creamy smooth, pour into Popsicle molds, freeze and enjoy a healthy snack as a treat. Going green never tasted so good!

Recipe Week!

Today we will talk BREAKFAST!!! I could eat a breakfast meal for every meal of the day... I LOVE breakfast. These are yummy chicken muffins, but you could use ground turkey, beef, deer or bison. You can bake these then put them in freezer and heat them up every morning, great cook ahead option. Much Love, Bridget!

Chicken Muffins

Ingredients:

2 lbs ground chicken
3 egg whites
1 cup quick cooking oats
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp dry yellow mustard
2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp chipotle pepper spice
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp garlic powder (2 cloves minced)
1 small onion (finely chopped)
2 celery stalks (finely chopped)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Spray muffin pan with canola or olive oil.
3. Mix all your ingredients together in one large bowl.
4. Roll the mixture into balls and place in muffin pan. Muffins should be about the size of a racquetball.
5. Bake for 40 minutes.

Each muffin is about 80 calories, 11g of protein, 4g of carbs, and 2g of fat. Enjoy!