Currently... Recovering from #GirlPop2015 & #GOTRMoco15

It was a busy weekend and I haven’t fully recovered yet.  I'm currently, looking back on a girl-filled weekend.

I took my Girl Scouts to #GirlPop2015 in Philadelphia. Hosted by the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania, it was a full day of guest speakers and breakout workshops on topics relevant to girls.  There were sessions on careers in fashion design and food, STEM and sports, media and entrepreneurship.  Moms also had options; I went to sessions about entrepreneurship and images in the media.  Keynote speakers included Shiza Shahid, co-founder of the Malala Fund; Vivienne Harr, who raised over $100,000 to fight child slavery – when she was 8 years old (only a few years ago), and Dr. Aprille Joy Ericsson, a real-life rocket scientist.  The girls were particularly excited about Mone’ Davis, the star of last year’s Little League Baseball, and Matthew Shuler, a performer from The Voice.  It was a different experience for them, they were expecting something more hands-on. But now, as they are getting older (they’re preparing to go into high school), it was a good next step, of listening and paying attention.

We also had our Girls on the Run 5K this weekend.  This is our fourth season of having a GOTR team at our elementary school and it’s just as exciting as the first season.  Getting the girls to actually run/walk 3 miles is an accomplishment, but it’s the personal development along the way that really makes this program worthwhile.  This season, I’ve had these comments from our girls:

• One with a recurring pain in her foot, who usually does not walk or run, was determined to finish the race.  When we practice, she said that if she goes slow and takes time to stretch her foot, she could finish.  And she did!  (Don’t worry, Mom and doctor knew she was involved in the program.)
• One of our girls has asthma and she was so proud of herself one day when she was having a really good run. She said it was the best she had done in two seasons. A later practice, the weather was awful and she had to walk most of the course and she was disappointed that her pace wasn’t the same. But she finished, knowing that she could do better and she was learning to manage her health.

It's comments like these, when you see the girls actually seeing the potential in themselves, that trumps the sore muscles and tired feet.

I slept very little, drove a couple hundred miles, and spent hours with my daughters. It was a good weekend.

Join the conversation on Facebook: Just Piddlin' with Frances

Currently...Looking forward to Spring!

I was up late, finishing reading "On The Come Up," thus now benefitting from the full pot of coffee as I go through my to-do list for the day.  What else am I currently up to? 

Watching... the sky for the forecasted snow - tomorrow! Can you believe it? More snow, post-vernal equinox. Is that really allowed?

 

Shopping for... silver shoes and dresses to celebrate my upcoming 25th anniversary in my sorority.  Doesn't it always seem impossible to find the perfect dress when you need it? Any other time, there's great silver shoes all over the place. What milestones or special events are you celebrating?

 

Planning... spring break. It's coming soon and we're debating on a way down south where it's warm trip (and thinking about the price of 6 airplane tickets), a road trip (but anywhere far & drivable is still cold), or a relaxing, low-frills eastern shore trip (a couple hours drive & we can take the dog).  In the meantime, I'm piling up books to read and a crochet project.

 

Selling... the last of these Girl Scout cookies! Do-Si-Dos anyone? Whatever's left, I can always bake into these yummy brownies.

 

Hoping... that the DC Police or somebody find this missing 8-year old girl, alive and well.  And that someone have a serious sit-down with her mother about grown men who befriend your daughter and offer to let them stay at their home, without you.  And that this be a lesson to other mothers who don't see the blaring, flashing red flags when a grown man you barely know brings your young child gifts. It's a scary thought, I know, that you can't accept everyone's generosity at face value as genuine and sincere. Unfortunately, there are sick people out there who prey on the defenseless and vulnerable. It is our duty as parents to protect our children, even if that means being a little over-protective sometimes.

 

What are you currently up to? 

Join the conversation on Facebook: Just Piddlin' with Frances 

Are you part of the 80% or 20%? #GivingTuesday

What will you give on #GivingTuesday?

I am what some have termed a “professional volunteer.” I’m an active PTA mom, I help out with the summer swim team, I’m a Girl Scout troop leader, I crochet scarves for homeless women, I assist with my sorority conferences. Yes, I’m busy. But here’s the thing, between you and I, a quietly kept secret. I don’t volunteer for everything. There are some “signup to volunteer” messages that I hit “delete.” Guiltily so, but I do.

I believe in the 80/20 rule. I accept it – 80% of the work is done by 20% of the people.  I know that often, I am part of the 20%.  I’m now telling myself that I don’t always have to be part of 20%, sometimes I can be part of the crowd of folks that sits back and enjoys the fruits of everyone else’s volunteer efforts.  That’s fair, right?

I’ve never heard of the 100/100 rule, meaning that all of the work is shared equally among all of the people. In fact, I’ve never been involved in an organization where that has been true. Never.  I will thus conclude that this is an improbability of human nature.

Instead, I think that everybody can do something. I have friends who pay their PTA dues and then leave everything else to people like me.  And in turn, I do nothing more than show up and cheer at my daughter’s basketball games, while other parents man the clock and keep the statistics and blow up basketballs.  I manage the ticket sales of our sorority’s fundraising event to support our scholarship program, but I don’t tutor at the high school.  This balance seems fair in the overall cosmos of volunteering, right?

No-one should be dragged into volunteering.  It’s like the Bible says about tithing, you should do it willingly and happily, not grudgingly.  You should consider what you have to offer and where you can make a contribution.  We all do have something to offer, we all can make a difference, we all have value.  And there’s the perfect spot for everyone to share their gifts.  If we each give somewhere, then we all can rest sometine, too.  If we all take turns being part of the 20%, 100% of the work will get done.

What will you give?

Join the conversation on Facebook: Just Piddlin' with Frances

Kayaks, Campfires, and S'mores

We trekked out to Cape Henlopen this past weekend for our annual Girl Scouts trip. We had a great time and I think the girls might've actually learned a few things while we were gone. Imagine that!

The weather was beautiful for hanging out at the beach.  For September, that means sitting on the beach in a cozy sweatshirt - for adults. For teenage girls it means running into the cold water and acting like its not cold at all.  That's where my duty as Troop Leader kicks in to make sure no-one gets swept away in a tide or shivers to death.  We also enjoyed kayaking.  Last year, we were on a nearby river because of the high waves, this year, the guides decided to let us brave the waves.

Kayaking at Cape Henlopen

One of the girls was really nervous about kayaking, the tide and cold was not helping. After a few minutes in the boat, she demanded to be let out back on shore.  She watched her fellow troop members for about 10 minutes, and then softly suggested that she might try again. She took a deep breath and climbed in the boat with me and we paddled on down the shore a little ways.  When we were back on the sand she sighed, smiled, and said she was glad she tried it again.  To me, that's the whole point of these adventures - not to make them expert kayakers, but to build the girls' self-confidence and learn to deal with their fears and nervousness.

Back at our site, we worked on our camp-cooking skills.  Forget the hotdogs and pot of beans.  I made myself a grilled cheese sandwich.  Cheese and a flat-bread wrap, wrapped up in foil and thrown on the grill - it was delicious!  For dessert we had Campfire Apple Crisp. Last year we made banana s'mores and peach cobbler, we're expanding our camp dessert repertoire.

Campfire Apple Crisps

• Slice the apples, one apple per girl
• Place the apple slices on foil
• Sprinkle with oats, brown sugar, and cinnamon - to each individual's taste
• Wrapped up the foil, making sure to close the packets so any steam would stay inside
• Put the apple packets over the hot coals/campfire.

We let them cook long enough to enjoy lunch and a game of volleyball.  We opened them up and - tada! - enjoyed moist, sweet individual apple crisps.  I've mentioned before, I'm not a big fan of "let's cook with the kids for the sake of fun," but I do believe kids need to be taught to cook.  These were really easy to make and something the girls could try with their families at home, using the oven.  They can even expand their cooking by trying different fruits like  peaches and blueberries.

Do you ever outgrow S'Mores?

And as Girl Scouts, everyone's got to contribute to the event.  Our assignment was supplying the s'mores for the big campfire. Yes, chocolate, marshmallows, and graham crackers for 150+ girls and leaders.  Accompanied by guitar playing and campfire songs.  And as it always seems at the beach - lots and lots of stars!

Find out more about the Girl Scouts at the official website - www.girlscouts.org.

Join the conversation on Facebook: Just Piddlin' with Frances

Camp Cooking - Banana S'mores

As I mentioned in my post yesterday, I went camping with my daughters' Girl Scouts troops this past weekend.

We went kayaking in Lewes, DE, then made our own "banana boat" desserts later

In our down time, we made a couple easy, tasty dessert treats - Peach Cobbler, (which I posted yesterday); here's the Banana S'mores.

Banana S’mores – because it’s not really a Girl Scout camp without s’mores.

The girls loved these, even the one who claimed she didn’t like bananas.

Ingredients

Bananas

Chocolate chips

Mini marshmallows

Mini graham crackers

1. Do not peel the bananas, slit them length-wise
2. Push the ends of the banana towards each other or use a knife to “open” the slit a little bit
3. Fill the banana with the remaining ingredients
4. Wrap in foil
5. Place in oven or on grill for about 7-10 minutes, depending on temperature of oven/fire.
6. Unwrap and enjoy!

with crushed graham crackers as a topping

a very chocolate-y version

I barely got pictures of the finished products before they were eaten!

Granola, peanut butter chocolate chips, and chopped nuts would also make tasty toppings for these banana treats.

Each girl made their own; it was so simple and easy, it could even be made my much younger kids, too.  I think I may even have the banana s'mores again for a troop meeting since they are simple and quick.

Mini S'mores made with the extra ingredients

Click and keep on Just Piddlin' with Frances on Facebook.

Camp Cooking - Peach Cobbler

This past weekend, I took my Girl Scout troop on our first activity as Cadettes (we just bridged up to this group this past spring) - a beach trip with about 200 other older scouts in our county to Cape Henlopen, Delaware.

Lighthouse at Cape Henlopen, DE

The weather was great and Cape Henlopen was a nice location, which I’ve never been to before.  It’s an old military base which is now used as a state park, complete with beach, fishing, campgrounds, biking and walking trails.  The girls went seining – dragging a huge net through the tide to observe what sealife they could collect, then returned it all back to the water – and kayaking.  One of the things I like about the Girl Scouts is the opportunity for girls to try things that they wouldn’t in their regular day-to-day, like the seining activity which none of my troop has done before.

We also did some camp cooking.  Although I had planned to make these treats on a charcoal fire, we lucked up with an oven in the dining hall so I used that instead to save us from the possibility of a raging wildfire (there is no patch for that in the Girl Scout handbook).  We made two desserts: Peach Cobbler and Banana S’mores. I found a few variations of these on Pinterest and internet, neither is my original recipe, but I’m going to list them for your convenience.

Campfire Peach Cobbler

I split the recipe into 2 cake pans, but it could be made in one large one.

Ingredients

4 – 15-oz. cans of peaches (light syrup)

1 – 16-oz. bottle of Sprite

1 box of yellow cake mix

1. Drain peaches and pour into baking pan.

2. Pour cake mix on top of peaches.

3. Pour soda into pan and mix with cake mix until relatively smooth and not bubbly.

4. Put over grill or into oven at 350 degrees. 

5. Let bake until done.

When we did it, it took forever to bake, as in I put it in before dinner and it wasn’t ready until after.  But I did have the oven on low because I wasn’t familiar with the controls and didn’t want to mess with it too much.  But it should take about 30-40 minutes.  It was delicious when it was finally done.

Check back tomorrow for the Banana S'mores.

Happy 100th, Girls!

Girl Scout Mission: Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.

As a Girl Scout, I’ve enjoyed ice skating and bowling.  I’ve learned about the native cultures of the other girls in my troop, while tasting homemade tortillas and injera and sipping Jamaican soda.  I’ve used all my inventory control skills in managing sales of 200-300 cases of Thin Mints and Samoas.  And I survived camping, in the mountains in early spring and in the woods at 32 degrees – the hiking, the canoeing, sitting around a campfire and toasting marshmallows for s’mores.  I have to be organized for my bi-weekly meetings and have my assignments done, learn to get along with others, and get over being nervous about speaking and singing in front of others.  I hope my girls are having as much fun as I am!

Like most parents, when my girls were invited by school friends to join their Brownie troop, I also became a part of Girl Scouts.  I thought I found a safe place as “cookie mom” and then I was convinced to become the Troop Leader.  Other than being insanely over-committed, I looked forward to the opportunity to spend a little extra time with Breeze, my middle daughter, in a way that would be uniquely her own activity (all three of my girls are scouts, but its me and the middle one who are Juniors together).  Every other week, I experience one of my most exhausting hours – corralling 15 4^th and 5^th graders into an active, learning activity to earn a badge.  We’ve discussed goal setting (what do we want to do this year) and budgeting (what are we going to do with our cookie money), committed to community service (donating food to a local pantry and sending cookies to servicemen serving abroad), and making the right choices, while singing, painting, and, yes, even sewing.  My girls often come straight from the soccer fields in muddy cleats or rushing in from music lessons, but they are consistent in coming every other week because being a Girl Scout is a little bit different from their activities.  There’s no score, there’s no competition.  It’s the chance for the girls to get together in a social setting, where they learn to work together and enjoy each other’s company.

Today marks the 100^th Anniversary of the Girl Scouts, a celebration of Juliette Gordon Lowe’s plan to offer girls the opportunity to develop physically, mentally, and spiritually through community service and physical activity.

Everyone can encourage the development of girls through the Girl Scouts: 

• Volunteer - make a commitment to volunteer with your daughter’s troop – chaperone a trip, take a snack for a meeting, lead an activity.

• Join – to get your daughter involved in scouting, contact the Girl Scout council in your area to find a local troop.  

• Inspire – women, offer to visit a troop and tell them about your career and your education, volunteer with a troop, be a role model

• Support - buy a box of cookies when you pass by them at the grocery store – the troops use the proceeds to fund their activities (can't seem to find any Girl Scouts - check the Cookie Locator)

• Donate – make a donation at the cookie booths - most troops will in turn donate the cookies to another well-deserving group like our local firemen or service men serving abroad

 

Then, collect your graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate and make yourself a s’more in honor of the Girl Scouts.  And if you are/were a Girl Scout, share a favorite memory or Girl Scout song!

*try something new - see my post a few days ago for a delicious Cookie Brownie

Girl Scout Cookie Brownies

As a Troop Leader, Cookie Mom, and mom of three Girl Scouts, there is no shortage of Girl Scout Cookies in our house this time of year.  Combine that with a household love of brownies and we have this tasty, easy treat.

Ingredients
Brownie mix - I used Pillsbury, use your favorite packaged mix or if you're really feeling Betty Crocker-ish, make them from scratch

A box of Girl Scout Cookies - my favorite are Thin Mints and Tagalongs; I think Samoas would work well, too and maybe Do-Si-Dos.

Preparation
1- Place cupcake liners in a muffin tin.  I used different colors to mark the two flavors of cookies, and a another color for plain brownies.

2- Put a cookie in each cupcake liner, pour batter on top of cookies.


3- Bake according to the package directions, or your recipe.

4- Enjoy!