What’s New
From Family Camp to Camp Dorothy in 48 Hours
On late Tuesday morning, I was still at Family Camp in the Idaho mountains, enjoying cool nights, sunny days, and naps in the hammocks on cabin porches and strung from trees in hammock heaven. Less that 48 hours later, Camp Dorothy began with typical July weather in...
Noodle Stir Fry
Vegetable season is here, and I'm constantly looking for recipes that can be easily adapted to use whatever produce is in our weekly CSA share. When sugar snap peas, my favorite stir fry veggie of all time, I pulled out a recipe for Noodle Stir Fry that was in the...
Top 10 Signs It’s Time to Go Home
After a week in Alaska followed by another week in the Idaho mountains, it's time to head home. Here are the top ten signs that say "It's time to go back to Iowa." 10. The mosquitoes found us two nights ago. 9. I ran out of calcium supplements yesterday and have...
The Shadow Valley Guitar: First You Cut Down a Tree
Yesterday, this view was the backdrop for Sunday morning worship at family camp. Beautiful guitar music accompanied the singing. The beautiful guitar was made from wood cut from a tree that grew only yards away from where we gathered to worship. The only...
Shadow Valley Grocery Shopping Spree
Shadow Valley Family Camp's first official meal was supper last night, July 11. But the carpenters and cooks who make camp a reality were planning construction projects and meals for months before they arrived. Many have been here for a week or more, doing advance...
It’ll Put Hair on Your Chest Iced Coffee
I love really good (translation: expensive) coffee shop coffee. But on our budget, it's a once-in-awhile indulgence rather than a regular treat. So I'm always experimenting with the French press at home trying to imitate the coffee from my favorite shop, Burgies....