The Dyckman Farmhouse Museum will be closed Friday, February 7th and Saturday, February 8th for repairs and maintenance. We apologize for the inconvenience.
It’s EarthDay! Enjoy our videos and games and join in on the fun! Please feel free to share your Earth Day celebrations with us on social media!
DECOR
Tin Can Lanterns
Get creative with us! Follow along with Stephanie to make candle lanterns out of tin cans. Using eco-friendly candles or energy-efficient bulbs can cut back on electricity use and your monthly bill!
Cut roll into pieces (the more the bigger the decor!).
Shape into leaves/petals.
Color or paint pieces in different colors.
Glue pieces together into desired shape.
Cut, curl, and glue other pieces for a more creative design.
Let the glue dry completely before displaying.
EATS
Drink
Lemonade Two-Ways
It’s 5 o’clock somewhere! Enjoy fresh farmers market mint and blueberry lemonades with locally sourced (no processed) ingredients and no packaging! And hey adults, they taste great as cocktails!
6-8 fresh mint leaves OR 1/4 cup fresh blueberries
2 ounces (4 tbsp) lemon juice
1 ounce (2 tbsp) simple syrup*
1 cup cold water
Ice cubes**
Directions:
Tear and muddle mint leaves OR muddle blueberries in a drinking glass.
Add lemon juice, simple syrup and water.
Stir.
Add ice and enjoy!
*To make simple syrup, combine equal parts granulated sugar and hot water. Mix until sugar dissolves. Cool before using. ** For more fun and flavor, freeze mint and blueberries into ice cube trays!
Snack
Yogurt-Dipped Pretzels
Here’s an Earth Day snack that all ages will love to make! No baking and few ingredients required, this snack will taste great and look great at your at-home Earth Day party!
¼ cup 5% greek yogurt (2% and fat free are ok, but won’t be as thick and won’t harden)
1 cup powdered sugar
Green and blue food coloring
9 or 10 oz bag of mini pretzels (or your preference!)
Directions:
Gradually mix powdered sugar into greek yogurt in a bowl.
Pour half of the mix into a separate bowl. Add food coloring in each bowl (one green, one blue) until you’ve reached your desired color.
Line a pan or plate with parchment paper.
Dip one side of the pretzels into yogurt mix. For earth like colors, dip into both!! (If using a lower fat yogurt, you may want to chill the mix before dipping the pretzels). Place yogurt side up on parchment to dry.
Chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes, then enjoy! (Freshly dipped pretzels in yogurt will not last long, so consume right away).
Entree
Plant Based Guilt Free Blueberry Salad
Eating plant-based for one day saves: 1,100 gallons of H20, 45 lbs of grain, 30 sq. ft. of forested land, and 20 lbs of carbon dioxide equivalent. Plus it’s delicious. Enjoy this yummy Blueberry Salad recipe!
1 small bulb of fennel, trimmed and shaved (optional)
1 scallion, sliced
8 to 10 basil leaves, chopped
2 TBSP white rice vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
1 TBSP pine nuts, toasted (optional)
Directions:
In a bowl combine ingredients, Farro through Basil.
Drizzle with vinegar, salt and pepper and toss to combine.
Garnish with pine nuts.
Dessert
Plant-Based Earth Sugar Cookies
What better way to celebrate Earth Day than with cookies that look like the third rock from the sun. This sugar cookie recipe is also plant-based, so good for you and good for the Earth!
In food processor, combine flour, sugar, and baking soda. Add margarine, 3 Tablespoons water, and vanilla. Pulse until doughy and add more water if needed.
Divide dough and add desired color of food coloring. Stick the dough in the fridge for 5-10 to keep cool.
Take two bits of dough, one of each color and roll the dough into a ball. Place on a cookie sheet and leave a good amount of space between cookies
Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges brown.
Dessert
Vegan Aquafaba Chocolate Mousse Recipe
What is one of the easiest, cheapest, and healthy things to eat? Canned chickpeas (or garbanzo beans). Did you know the juice from the can, called aquafaba, can be used as a great egg substitute? It holds the same consistency and can be whipped into stiff peaks for a meringue-like texture. Here’s a great Earth Month recipe that requires simple and few ingredients, including reusing aquafaba.
1 cup of aquafaba (liquid from one 14oz can of chickpeas)
2 tbsp sweetener (maple syrup, agave, or powdered sugar work great)
1/2 tbsp lemon juice (to stabilize the foam)
1 cup of melted dark chocolate* (8oz hard chocolate and 1 tbsp of cocoa powder works too!
splash non-dairy milk (optional)
½ tsp vanilla (optional)
½ tsp cinnamon or chili powder (optional) *Different chocolate can be used, but non-dark will not be vegan)
Directions:
Drain chickpeas and empty the water into a large mixing bowl.
Add the lemon and sweetener; beat with a hand mixer (or any electric mixer) until stiff peaks form. Stand mixer can take 2-3 minutes while a hand mixer can take 10-12 minutes. It is fully whipped when it has tripled in size and the bowl can be held upside down. Don’t be afraid to whip too long, aquafaba cannot be overwhipped.
Melt the chocolate, mix in optional non-dairy milk, and make sure it is cooled down to not deflate the aquafaba! Pour it (and optional cocoa powder and spices) over the whipped aquafaba and gently fold with a spatula until combined. It will deflate a bit, but you should see a mousse-like consistency start to form.
Scoop into individual bowls, cover and refrigerate for at least three hours to firm up!
ENJOY!!!
Dessert
Plant-Based Seedling Cupcakes
A fantastic plant-based and Earth friendly cupcake. Great for chocolate lovers, dessert lovers, snack lovers, you name it!
1 cups plant based milk + 1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/3 cup oil (or applesauce for a healthier option)
3/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
Icing
1/2 cup butter, try a plant based like Earth Balance
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder sifted
2 1/2 to 3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-2 tablespoons plant based milk
Garnish:
Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
Sprigs of your favorite herb
Directions:
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line prepared muffin tins with paper liners. Lightly spray with non stick cooking spray and set aside.
In a measuring cup, stir plant based milk and vinegar together. Set aside to curdle.
In a large bowl, using mixer, beat oil (or applesauce) and sugar together. Mixture will be gritty. Add in vanilla extract and mix.
In a different bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients together until evenly mixed. Mix in wet until well combined.
Pour evenly into prepared muffin tins with paper liners, fill 3/4 of the way full and bake 15-18 minutes.
While cupcakes are cooling, Using a mixer, whip butter and cocoa together until smooth in large bowl. Stir in vanilla and powdered sugar. Add in almond milk and whip until frosting reaches desired consistency until light, fluffy and smooth, 1-2 minutes.
In a separate bowl, place chocolate sandwich cookies and squeeze with your fingers or smash with a spoon until it resembles dirt.
When the cupcakes are cool, spread frosting on top of cupcakes. Once iced, sprinkle with crushed cookies and top with a sprig of herbs of your choice.
Enjoy!
ACTIVITIES
Egg Carton Planting
Seeds are easy to start at home. Get creative and grow something in your window or on your balcony/fire escape. Don’t forget to share photos with us on social media. We want to know what you grow!
Place seeds of choice on soil and lightly cover. (Add more soil if needed)
Water and soon it will grow!
Earth Day Bingo
BINGO! Try out this board. How many of these items can you complete for Earth Day 2020? Post this in your social media story and encourage others to play along.
BLOOPERS
Blooper Reel!
Our social media managers are not used to being in front of the camera but had a blast this week learning to film for Earth Day.