Meals to Cook When Hiking

Hiking is a favorite type of activity for many people. Traveling through mountain ranges and forests brings a lot of positive emotions. In addition, you can be alone with nature and enjoy the silence. Considering the length of the hiking trip, you should think about food in advance. You can, of course, buy a couple of MRE packs and a flameless warmer. But what if you want to cook a culinary masterpiece in 20 minutes? Here are meals to cook while hiking.

Chili Mac and Cheese

This smoked macaroni and cheese dish is as simple as possible to prepare. Cook it over an open fire or a charcoal grill. You need to boil water and add some beans. Wait 10 minutes and add noodles. After all the ingredients have boiled for another five minutes, you can add cheese and chili powder. The proportion depends on your culinary preference. The main advantage of this dish is its simplicity. You need to add all the ingredients in turn. It is worth noting that you are best off choosing instant macaroni, so you don't have to wait long.

Jerky Noodles

The second recipe is also fairly simple. You need to boil water and add rice noodles. After fifteen minutes have passed, you can pour out the water and add beef jerky and peanut butter. Whisk all ingredients and add salt or pepper as desired. The butter adds a pleasant astringency, and you can enjoy every bite of beef jerky. But do not forget to take all the ingredients for the hike in advance.

Also, you should pack all your things in a backpack so as not to be left without lunch in the forest or the mountains.

Mediterranean Couscous

The third dish is also very simple and will suit even beginners. All you need to do is add the ingredients one at a time. Boil water, add couscous and wait about 10 minutes. As soon as you see that the groats are ready, you should drain the remaining water, grate the cheese and add the pesto mix. Stir all ingredients and add 5-10 olives.

This dish has a delicate aroma and is very easy to prepare. It will take you no more than 20 minutes to complete all steps. Any student can use this recipe to enjoy a delicious meal somewhere in the woods near the tent.

Chicken and Rice

What could be simpler than this dish? You need to buy pre-cooked chicken cut into small pieces. Boil water and add broccoli. Once five minutes have passed, you can add instant rice and wait 4-6 minutes. Pour the water out of the pot and add chicken, soy sauce, and olive oil. This type of recipe does not require salt or spices, but you can add any ingredient if the dish's taste seems inferior to you. In general, even a child can prepare all the ingredients according to the instructions.

Eggs and Bacon

If your plans do not include a long stop in one place, then you can eat eggs and bacon. Boil water and add powdered eggs. Stir the powder until smooth. Next, you can add bacon bits and mashed potatoes. As you can see, it will take you no more than 10-15 minutes to eat deliciously and not waste time on complicated culinary processes. You can even bring a flameless heater and some water with you if you don't want to stay in one place for a long time.

Trail Mix Butter

Imagine that you wake up in a tent somewhere on the side of a mountain and observe a beautiful coniferous forest. Most likely, you don't want to spend about an hour preparing complicated dishes. Boil water and make coffee. Next, you need trail mix, peanut butter, and honey. All you need to do is take a plate and stir all the ingredients. It will take you no more than a minute to start eating. This breakfast is full of vitamins and minerals. Plus, you get enough energy to continue your hike.

Cereal

Here's another great option for those who love quick breakfasts. Sprinkle powdered milk and add cereal or granola and dried fruits. Pour boiling water over all the ingredients. Wait about five minutes and start eating. Such a simple dish will be a great addition to tea or coffee.

Final Words

When you walk through the woods or climb a mountain, you hardly want to burden yourself with complex culinary recipes during a lunch halt. All the dishes on the list are quite simple to prepare. It will take you 5-20 minutes to start eating. Plus, you will be surprised by the delicate taste and texture. Now hiking will become even more comfortable for you.

6 Summer Decor Crafts and Activities for the Whole Family

 Summer is around the corner and what a relief! With the state of the world right now, your family needs every bright moment it can get to have fun and enjoy more time together. And that’s exactly what the sunny and relaxing summer season brings with it. Of course this summer your family might not jet off to a far off land for a vacation, but who says you can’t have fun in your home?

While summer is the idyllic time to relax and have fun, it can quickly become monotonous if you’re not creative enough. You can only play so many lawn games or visit the beach as a family. What about those sweltering hot or rainy days when you can’t venture outside?

The last thing you want is for your kids to go back to their gizmos and lounge on the couches all day long.

With some creativity, you can get everyone busy with the following summer décor craft ideas. Here are fun activities that suit the whole family and the best part is that you give your house a touch of warm summer décor style while also bonding. So, here you go.

Outdoor Wall Art

Love painting? Well, maybe you don’t have a potential Picasso in your house but who said you can’t have some with colors? Kids love working with paint and you can bring some summer fun to your outdoor walls with colorful art. Homeowners have always welcomed summer with a proud display of art and this is a fun DIY idea for your home.

Get a large DIY wall board and brainstorm what to paint. This is a simple yet exciting idea to bring everyone outside. Let everyone have a go at the brush and create a welcoming message to display on your lawn. When you have a cookout or a get-together, this becomes the highlight of your outdoor space.

Glass Jar Flower Vase Garland

The applications for glass jars in your home are endless. Summer is synonymous with splashes of color and you can bring your house to life with your favorite summertime flowers. Collect glass jars in the house or even buy some and line them up.

Tie the jars together in a garland, put some water in each jar with your favorite flower cutting. Hang these indoors on your windows, dresser, or anywhere else to bring some life to your living space. 

Decorative Leaf Garland for Your Book Stand

If you love books, the bookstand is hallowed ground where you always find yourself when looking for peace. And what better way to appreciate this space than with a simple but decorative leaf garland. You can work on the leaf garland and create any design that your family suggests.

Remember, any décor craft ideas are only fun if everyone chips in. At the end of the DIY project, you’ll bring some rainforest vibe into your living room. This will easily turn into the focal point of your home’s décor.

DIY Summer Wreath

What better way to prepare your home for an exciting summer than with a colorful porch wreath? This is a classic summer craft idea, and it gives your home a touch of beauty and elegance. The best part about a summer wreath is the fact that it requires all hands on deck.

Source the right flowers to bring color to your home décor. This is where your family comes in handy. You also need some simple items from the dollar store to add some fun to the wreath and to personalize it. Whether you want a wire wreath, branch wreath, or any other type, you have all the time to prepare.

Milk Carton Birdhouse/Bird Feeders

If you have a nice garden, chances are you have beautiful guests from nature throughout the summer. Birds also love their summertime out. Why not create some fun activity from this? Birdhouses and bird feeders not only add some beauty to your garden but also attract more birds to your compounds.

You can create some fun activity out of DIY birdhouse or bird feeders using recycled milk cartons. Bring everyone outside for some fun. Design how to build the birdhouses and feeders. Your kids will love the idea and you’ll add some color to your lawn. This DIY project might not be permanent but it sure is fun.

Decorate With Your Kids’ Art

You have to agree that summer brings out the artist in everyone. The kids especially have a go at creating amazing stuff every time they go out. Whether you’re at the beach or in the park, kids are always making stuff.

From seashell crab magnets, ice cream cone key chains, shell people to crayon drawings, you can collect all these pieces and use them to bring your living space to life. Think of a board on the wall where each piece goes. It soon becomes a competition where the best piece of art competes for space on that all-important board. This is one of the fantastic decorative ideas for your home.

The opportunities for summer décor craft projects are limitless. You’ll have so much fun and bring the family together while at it. Whatever idea you have in mind, you can always make it work if you bring all hands on deck. To move from crafts to interior design, visit Home of Cozy for furniture reviews and get started! Go on and add some simple family fun to your summer.

5 Things To Consider When Moving To New House

The apartment or house where you live, well aware of it. But, when moving to the new house, the process involves understanding and managing lots of things. Some details like furniture, fixtures, appliances, or devices are hard to adjust in your new house due to the space issue. There are more details that require different attention such as paint, settings of utilities, changing of locks, etc. Do you know how to deal with each type of detail differently?

Here we come with 5 important things to consider when moving to a new house.

1. Check room sizes: 

The first and foremost important thing is to check room size, it helps you to plan out things and decorate your rooms easily. You can even plan to buy new appliances or devices for your home. For instance, when it’s winter, an electric fireplace is essential to keep your room cozy, check out what size electric fireplace do i need that fits in my new house. Then go with the best option among wall mounted, freestanding, or TV stand fireplace as per budget and space. Similarly, for the other devices too you can choose the best option for your house size or needs.

2. Set Up Utilities

Before shifting to a new house, make a contact with the nearby utilities service provider. Some of the common service providers are electricity, gas, water, internet, and other services providers. By calling them can help you to schedule a meeting with them and conduct necessary changes in your home. If you want to save up a few bucks you can too ask for an activation date, it saves you from paying regular charges on standby meters.

3. Give A Fresh Paint Coat

Paint gives your house a new and refreshing look. Therefore do not forget to give a fresh coat of paint to your home before moving there. It also helps you to plan and settle things easily in a new place. You can choose a color shade to select the perfect color combination for your new home. Keep in mind, do not move into a fresh coated house until it has 24 hours completed or it is dry. Otherwise, there is a high chance of spills on walls. 

4. Change Locks And Keys

You may never know how many keys of your house are floating in your society. There are chances that the past house owner has given keys to neighbors, workmen, relatives, house cleaning services, or other trustworthy persons. But you cannot trust anyone and take a chance for your and your family’s safety. Therefore, it will be essential to change the locks and keys of your house in the first place and before moving there.

5. Prioritize Repairs

If you are going to move into a house that was previously vacant for a long duration, chances are high for its repair. Therefore, before shifting, take a general idea for the key areas that require emergency repair, even look for other areas whose repair can be postponed for some time. Hire a professional service provider that can conduct all repairing tasks. You can also hire a local service provider for a quick visit and local service providers have better ideas for the common issues in a similar locality.

So, Next time when moving to another house, just check out these details to make your daunting task easier.

Tolsby Frame Message Board IKEA Hack

This Ikea Tolsby Project turns old frames into something unique and useful in just a few moments.

I love Ikea. I could spend a few hours there every week, day dreaming up projects and ways to transform my home! I also love the little bargains; the scrub brushes and napkins. The glass bottles, and place mats and all of the deals to be had at under $1. Hello? Awesome Toilet Brushes, handy waste paper baskets and picture frames! Last year before they discontinued the Tolsby frame, I bought a bunch for about 70 cents.  

 

I found a cute way to repurpose them and share info the gool ole fashioned way; with a note. This Tolsby hack only needs some basic supplies like the frame, washi tape, some string and a dry erase board to create something useful and cute.

Supplies:

Tolsby Frame

Washi Tape

Embroidery Thread

Dry Erase Pen

Directions:

Begin by covering the frame with washi tape.

Cover the base, and both sides, using small strips of the washi tape of your choice.

When your frame is covered, tie a 16" section of embroidery thread on to the base and screw it together.

Tie a dry erase pen to the thread.

We use this to leave important info for each other. This is also awesome for writing the wifi password on if you are having guests.

You can find all of my other DIY projects here.

Favorites include:

Dragonfly Bookmarks

iPad Mini Stands

Photo Puzzles

 

Teaching Children Sustainability Through DIY Projects

 Sustainability is important as it promotes a different way of living that doesn’t revolve around consumption, spending, and pollution. However, implementing sustainable principles is not always easy, especially if you have small kids. Simply, teaching them how to be more sustainable individuals can be tricky, because first, they’d need to grasp the concept of sustainability and accept it. 

In case you’re a minimalist parent, or you just wish to go more in that direction, here are some DIY projects and other tricks that are a perfect opportunity to teach your children about a sustainable way of living. 

Start your own garden 

Growing plants is the best chance to teach your kids about nature, plants, and how they grow in reality. If you have a backyard, then you’re already set, so you can use that space to grow some useful vegetables that you’ll use later in cooking. Besides, growing fruits, vegetables, and herbs are also an excellent way to reduce your spending and eat true, organic foods. So asking kids to give you a hand while planting seeds or watering the plants will teach them how nature works, plus they’ll feel proud of themselves. 

Try making DIY laundry detergent 

Laundry detergent can be expensive, plus it’s often full of chemicals that may cause certain health issues, while also harming the environment. But, there is a solution: making your own laundry detergent! There are many recipes online, and usually, you’d need borax, baking soda, and a bar of soap. These ingredients are less processed than the commercial ones, so if you feel crafty, try making your own laundry detergent and teach your kids to do the same. 

Show them how to recycle 

Recycling is a staple in one’s eco-friendly journey. This activity will also show you the importance of using less, while your kids will learn a valuable and noble skill. Also, if you’ve ever wondered how can we reduce plastic waste, then recycling is definitely one of the ways to do it. Basically, almost all commercial products that we use are made of plastic, and recycling and reusing them will definitely reduce plastic waste consumption, and therefore, pollution. 

Clean the garbage

Collecting the garbage to compost is another fun DIY activity that can teach children about sustainability and saving the planet. Unfortunately, in some places, people still throw trash and empty their pockets carelessly, and many parents don’t teach their kids about proper behavior. The trash that we often see outside is also polluting the planet, so if you want to teach your kids about eco-friendliness, then collecting some of the garbage is a definite act of kindness that will also show them how to care for the planet. 

Make homemade art supplies

Most kids love art and anything that goes with it: drawing and painting are some of the most popular ones, that’s for sure. So, you’re probably super tempted to buy them all the amazing art supplies, but did you know that you can make them at home? That’s right, you can make your own paintbrushes, paints, stamps, and even crayons? There are many recipes that will teach you how to do it, plus your kids will definitely enjoy the whole process of creating something fun and new that they’ll be able to use later. 

Final thoughts 

These DIY projects and activities are a perfect way to start teaching your children about sustainability and living a greener lifestyle. They will learn to appreciate the environment while also learning new skills that will boost the environment, lower pollution, and make the world, one truly happy place.