submitted by Susan Garfinkel
I’ve always included the Moms when I feel I need to and when i feel that the event will help us to keep that important bond with our girls. When we were in elementary school, we needed the coverage at camp, for fires, clean up in the dark, buddy system, and we happen to have one mom who is a guidance counselor, so she was designated as our conflict resolution mom.
Once the girls were older and didn’t need the supervision, the mom’s used the weekend as an excuse to bond with each other. I include them in all of our activities. Whether it’s making kick the can ice cream, or coal pizza, or baking in a boxed oven, the mom’s have their chores and kapers to do along with the girls. One of my favorite memories is having uncontrollable giggle fits trying to teach everyone how to knit with a tin can, nails and duct tape and one mom just couldn’t figure it out.
How to Make Kick the Can Ice Cream
What you need:
- 1 pint of half and half
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons of your favorite instant pudding mix (chocolate was used here)
- 10 cups ice
- 1 1/2 cup rock salt (kosher salt or sea salt can be used too)
- 3-pound coffee can, emptied and rinsed
- 1-pound coffee can, emptied and rinsed
- Duct tape
1. In a medium bowl, put half and half, sugar, and pudding mix in and then stir until thoroughly mixed
2. Put the 1 pound coffee can inside of the 3 pound coffee can and pour the ice cream mixture into smaller can, cover with lid and seal with some duct tape.
3. Now you will surround the smaller can with ice and salt, by layering 5 cups of ice with 3/4 cup of salt.
4. Now seal the 3 pound coffee cup with duct tape and now start rolling, the girls need to do this for 10 minutes. (find some songs to sing with the girls while they roll their ice cream)
5. Then have girls take out the smaller can and check their ice cream. Have them stir it a few times, the ice cream on side will set faster then inside.
6. Dump out the remaining salt and water from large coffee container. No replace the smaller one inside the larger one, and place the remaining salt and ice into larger container, reseal both containers, and repeat step 4 one more time.
7. Once done take out smaller can and now its time to serve the ice cream.
Fun Outside with Cadette Girl Scouts
We also use our camping time to work on outdoor activities. Whether it be a nature badge, getting fit badge or doing Journey work, we weave and intertwine the activities together throughout the weekend. Our record is earning 5 Brownie try-its in one weekend (before the Journeys). The girls (and moms) love being outside and creating things out of what’s around them. We have done weaving with tree branches, shell centerpieces, painted rock gardens, done edible fires, created dinners and snacks.
I truly feel that it is good for all of us to unplug for a weekend and have to actually talk to each other and figure things out. We always order from Makingfriends.com for our patches and craft supplies which helps keep our costs low for the weekend.
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