Stonybrook Day Camp Thanksgiving Recipes

THANKSGIVING RECIPES AND A CHANCE FOR US TO SAY THANKS!

We wish our entire Stonybrook Day Camp community a HAPPY THANKSGIVING! We are truly thankful for our fabulous summers and most importantly our campers and their families, as well as our staff, who join us and make it all happen. This Thanksgiving we wanted to share some recipes (most are very quick and easy for our busy families) in case you still needed some inspiration. If you end up making any of these dishes or desserts, let us know what you think!

Amanda Black’s CARROT SOUFFLE (passed down from her mother, Alice)
This is one of Roger’s favorite holiday dishes of all time. I promise it will be a hit!
2 lbs. carrots
1 cup sugar
6 eggs
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 tbsps. flour
2 tsps. baking soda
2 tsps. vanilla
2 sticks butter

• Preheat oven 350 degrees.
• Carrots should be peeled and cut into pieces and boiled. Cook carrots until tender.
• Grease a 3 quart souffle dish.
• Drain and puree carrots in cuisinart.
• Add all ingredients except eggs.
• Add eggs one at a time to cuisinart, pulsing it each time until smooth and fluffy.
• Bake at 350 degrees for one hour


Jen Huberts’ BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUFFLE PIE
Filling
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
3/4 cup margarine - melted
12 oz box pureed butternut squash - defrosted
4 large eggs
3/4 cup soy milk
1/2 cup dark brown sugar - firmly packed
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

Topping
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons chilled margarine, cut into small cubes

• Preheat oven 350 degrees
• Combine graham crackers with melted margarine in a small bowl, press into bottom and sides of a 9 inch spring - form pan.
• In a large bowl combine squash, eggs,soy milk, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt, beat with a mixer at medium speed.
• Pour into crust and bake for 35 minutes.
• Prepare topping - mix the flour, brown sugar, Cinnamon with a fork.
• Sprinkle in the margarine and use your fingers to knead the mixture together into crumbs.
• 7. Sprinkle over the partially baked squash pie.
• 8. Return to oven, bake for 25 minutes uncovered.


Shelly Brittner’s SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE
5 pounds fresh sweet potatoes
2 or 3 eggs
One stick margarine or butter
3 Tablespoons Cinnamon
Marshmallows

• Wash and Cut sweet potatoes into 3rds; boil until soft
• Let sweet potatoes cool and the skin will come right off
• Place sweet potatoes in large bowl and start mashing ( you can add two or 3 eggs if you want)
• Add one stick of margarine or butter; continue to mash.
• Add 3 tablespoons of cinnamon; mash more (you can use electric mixer to get it very smooth.
• Place in a large baking pan and bake at 350 for about 40 min.
• Add marshmallows on top.
• Bake until marshmallows melt and turn brown.


Stacey Rubinstein’s CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE PIE (passed on from a friend Jen K.)
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 stick butter (melted)
1 12 oz bag chocolate chips (my Mom's recipe calls for 6 oz
of chips, but I like it extra chocolaty - it's up to you!)
1 tsp vanilla
Graham Crust- store bought
Optional - 1 cup walnuts

• Preheat oven to 325
• In large bowl, beat eggs
• Add flour, sugar, and brown sugar - mix
• Blend in butter
• Add vanilla
• Stir in chips (and nuts if desired)
• Pour into pie shell
• Bake at 325 for 45 to 50 minutes (bake it for one hour if you do not want it mushy)
• Let cool
• Serve with vanilla ice cream


Jamie A’s OREO TRUFFLES (passed on from a friend)
One package of oreos
8 oz of real cream cheese
semi sweet chocolate
sea salt or sugar

• crush up oreos
• in food processor blend oreaos with 8oz of real cream cheese; form into balls.
• cover with melted semi sweet chocolate
• sprinkle with sea salt or sugar
• refrigerate




Don't forget to check out http://www.facebook.com/stonybrook to see all of the latest happenings from camp!

10 Great Things to do on a Rainy Day

Today is a bizarre weather day- can you believe it actually snowed at camp!!!! Post school you may have needed an activity to do with the kids. You might have baked cookies….. or maybe you took out the jumpy house or Wii…. or maybe, just somehow, a holiday present was given early. Well, this rainy/”snowy” day inspired us to share some of our favorite rainy/”snowy” day activities:

1. Have your own film festival. Pick a theme and rent several movies that fit the category. Make popcorn and if you feel crafty, design tickets.

2. Finger-paint with chocolate pudding on a paper plate or cookie sheet. Make sure aprons are worn and yes, this has the potential for lots of mess!

3. It’s a twist on baking cookies…. wrap some and give them to your family or friends just because. Zip lock sells plastic bags with gift tags on them for the holiday season or you may get creative and decorate cookie tins or tupperware with ribbons, stickers etc.

4. Tell some family stories and learn about your family history. If your kids are older, maybe do a little online research. Think about recording your family history through pictures or video.

5. Have a picnic lunch, complete with picnic basket, on your living room floor. Or create a restaurant complete with menus.

6. Draw pictures to send to the grandparents and other relatives. Sit down and write actual letters to everyone.

7. Go to the library! Its free, educational and as an added bonus…. They have computers. It’s just less stress when your four-year-old uses the library computer instead of your work or family laptop.

8. Camp in the house. A tent can be set up without the stakes or you can always drape a blanket over a table. And for a real treat make s’mores in the microwave!

9. Play or teach your kids jacks or pick up sticks.

10. For the really brave family- Fill a large plastic bin with different shaped dry pastas, dry beans and/or rice. Give your kids cups and "sand" toys and you have a winter alternative to a sandbox. Bury some treasures (matchbox cars etc.) and let the fun begin. It is advised to put a sheet down underneath the bin just in case (and we know it will be needed. See below for a situation that just got way of control).

Now, aren’t you glad that for at least 8 weeks all the crazy fun and messy activities happen at your child’s favorite home away from home, Stonybrook Day Camp! Stay dry and have fun.

Don't forget to check out http://www.facebook.com/stonybrook

Halloween

We absolutely love Halloween at Stonybrook Day Camp! The day is all about dressing up, having fun and trick or treating! And we hope you collect many a treat…. especially snickers and M&Ms. Regardless of what kind of candy you prefer, we wish you a nice evening with family and friends. And remember you can always swap your candy!

We wanted to share some fun Halloween activities. The Swamp Juice most likely requires a trip to the supermarket but the printables and games can be accessed right on the computer. And the face paint recipes just may save you another trip to the costume store!

QUICK AND EASY HOMEMADE FACE PAINT
Need to get some face paint to complete your costume…. try making it after a quick trip to the kitchen.

Make your own by mixing a tablespoon-and-a-half of shortening with three tablespoons of cornstarch and the food coloring of your choice.
This is best for large applications.

For more detailed face painting, try:
1 Tbsp. cold cream
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 Tbsp. water
food coloring
Mix together cornstarch and cold cream until well blended. Add water and stir. Add food coloring one drop at a time until you get the desired color.


HALLOWEEN COLORING PAGES AND PRINTABLE GAMES
Need some last minute coloring pages or printable games to keep your ghosts, princesses and superheros occupies…. Go to http://familyfun.go.com/halloween/halloween-printables/

HALLOWEEN SWAMP JUICE DRINK
FamilyFun Magazine wowed us with their SWAMP JUICE! Drink up for a spooky time! Filled with gummy creatures and fish eggs made from tapioca pearls, this sweet, bubbly drink looks like something scooped up from a deep, dark bog.

Ingredients (8 servings)
• 1/2 cup small tapioca pearls (found in the baking aisle of most grocery stores)
• Food coloring
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 8 gummy fish
• Seltzer water
• Lemonade
• 8 gummy worms

Instructions
MAKE THE EGGS: Bring 6 cups of water to a boil and add the tapioca pearls. Reduce the heat slightly and boil the pearls, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 25 minutes.

COLOR THE EGGS: Divide the pearls, with the remaining water, between two bowls. Add 4 drops of food coloring (we used 3 drops of yellow and 1 drop of green in one bowl, and 4 drops of blue in the other) and 2 tablespoons of sugar to each bowl. Stir the mixtures, then allow them to sit uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes. Drain and rinse the pearls with cold water.

ASSEMBLE THE DRINK: Spoon 2 tablespoons of pearls into each glass and drop in a gummy fish. Fill the glasses with seltzer water, then add a splash of lemonade. Place a gummy worm around a spoon as shown.

Go to http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/swamp-juice-784944/ to see a picture of this spooky creation!

WISHING YOU A FABULOUSLY SPOOKY AND FUN HALLOWEEN!


Don't forget to check out http://www.stonybrookdaycamp.blogspot.com to see all of the pictures from camp!