Oh, what do we do in the summertime?

By: Amberly Asay

Summers in Provo are some of the most fun summers ever.  There are so many things to do and so many adventures to have.  I suggest making a list of 50 things you want to do this summer.  There are also many day trips that you can make to National Parks.  Gather your friends into a car, all pay for gas and then you are set.  Write them all down and put them in a mason jar.  Every couple of days pick one of the slips of paper and make sure you do the event that week!  Below I have gathered some great and fun ideas:

There are 8 Utah Restaurants that are worth the trip try to visit most of them, especially when you are traveling to different state parks: http://www.newscastic.com/news/8-utah-restaurants-worth-the-trip-1337644/

THINGS TO DO

1. Visit the "Up House" in Herriman, Utah
2. Canyoneer the Subway at Zion National Park
3. Swim in the Crater at the Homestead
4. Visit the Four Corners! (Where Utah, New Mexico, Arizona and Colorado all meet) 
5. Visit Bryce Canyon 
6. Visit Arches National Park 
   
7. Visit the Kennecott Copper Mine 
8. Dress up like Safari Guides and take a trip to the Hogle Zoo
9. Go and float down a river and then soak in some warm water by visiting Lava Hot Springs  
10. If you want to be really ambitious visit every Utah Temple!  This will not only be a memorable experience for you and your friends but also be spiritually strengthening
11. Find someone with a boat and visit Lake Powell!  Or just go to Lake Powell and enjoy the water
12. Take a trip, and be a part of history by visiting the Anasazi Cliff Dwellings 
13. Take a trip to Cedar City, and go back over 400 years by attending the Shakespeare Festival . You will not only be entertained, but you will take part in a really fun celebration.
14. Probably one of the most popular things to do in our community, attend the Twilight Concert Series! Admission is only $5, and all events are held in Pioneer Park.
15. Take a nice relaxing drive through the Alpine Loop.
16. Join Carrie Underwood and enjoy the Stadium of Fire.
    
17. If you thought Drive-In Movies were gone, then you are wrong!  They are still in West Valley and a great date or group activity. 
18. Cool off at Seven Peaks- Provo's Water Park.
19. Rock climbing is available to people of all ages in Provo.  There are several indoor facilities as well as many outdoor routes in Utah County.
20. Be sure to visit Bridal Veil Falls.  It's a breathtaking double cataract waterfall.  Great for hiking, and there are even some bike trails. 
21. Eat a snow cone! Thankfully Provo has many shacks which offer such treats. 
22. Want to have a fun date roasting treats but don't want to make a fire?  No problem just light some candles and roast fruit snacks (which crystalize very nicely) and candies over the flame.  
23. Visit one of Utah county's reservoir or lakes.  You can go swimming or fishing.  You can purchase your fishing permit at Wal-Mart or online.
24. Hike the Y! If you hike it around twilight, you can watch the sun set and see the city below light up.  Remember to bring a flashlight or headlamp for the hike back down.
    
25. Go to the Mormon Miracle Pageant- June 19-21 and 24-28
26. Wishing you were spending the summer near an ocean?  Don't worry here in Provo you can have the beach.  Just go to the Provo Beach Resort for surfing, ropes courses, arcade games, virtual golf, bowling, croquet and much more. 
27. Want to become more cultured and learned over your summer holiday but don't want to go to school?  Don't worry!  The Springville Museum of Art offers several free concerts, tours and relaxing days in the sculpture garden. 
28. Dive into the depths of the sea by visiting the NEW Living Planet Aquarium in Draper.  They just opened March 25 and are a fun activity for people of all ages. 
29. Get an individual annual pass to Thanksgiving Point.  For just $55 (the price of one decent dinner date), you can get yourself free admission to the gardens, museums, and Farm Country for the whole year.  Then, every time you bring a date, you only pay half price for your date's admission and nothing for your own, which makes for some inexpensive dates with a fun and often romantic atmosphere.  There are additional benefits like discounts on food and retail purchases, discounts on classes, early admission to the TGP gardens, early notification for classes, events, and other programs, a passport that gets you free admission to hundreds of museums nation wide, and the opportunity to support a local community cause.   
    
    

Potato Chips and Dip

By: Amberly Asay


Going to BYU we really have no use for a wine glass or a margarita glass, but there is one trick that will make you want to use one.

Use a large bowl and fill it with your favorite types of potato chips.  Put the wine glass or margarita glass in the middle of the bowl and fill it with your favorite instant chip dip.   This makes it easy to dip and gives you more space on your counter.

Soda Pop Ice Cream

By: Amberly Asay

Soda Pop Ice Cream is easy and affordably!  It is the perfect treat for a hot summer day.
Things you will need:

• 2 liters of your favorite soda
• 14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk
• Ice Cream maker

Put all of the ingredients into your ice cream maker, and turn it on for 30 minutes.  You will then have a creamy blend of delicious, refreshing ice cream.  You can use orange soda for a dream sickle taste or root beer to give you a root beer float taste.  The possibilities are endless! 

BYU is Number One!

All Things Mango

By: Amberly Asay

Summertime is here and it is time for delicious mango recipes!  We have gathered a few links to mango food ideas for you to check out before you go and create your own amazing dishes.

1. Chicken Mango Tacos
2. Mango and Yogurt Smoothies
3. Make your own dried mango
4. Grilled Tilapia with Mango
5. Mango Salsa
6. Fish tacos with mango salsa
7. Chicken and Mango Kebabs 
8. Mango pancakes

Cinco de Mayo

By: Amberly Asay

Cinco de Mayo is upon us, and there are a lot of really fun things that you can do in order to have a great party.  We have gathered some great ideas and recipes.  But the most important thing is to have many different types of salsa and to have lots of friends!

Big hats and mustaches for a photo booth. 
Parties these days tend to have a photo booth.  You can't just go to the party. You have to go and have proof that you were there.  Putting mustaches on a stick and providing big sombreros will help set the mood for your party pics.

Homemade Piñata - Or you can just buy one
What would be a party without a piñata? It is really easy to make and it can be loads of fun for you and your friends.

What you'll need:

• Flour
• Water
• Salt
• Balloon
• Newspaper
• Colored tissue paper
• craft glue
• design accessories

Directions:

You'll need enough flour to be able to mix 5 parts of water for every 1 part flour.  Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in am medium saucepan.  Mewanwhile, in a separate bowl, mix 1 cup of flour with 1 cup of water until the lumps are gone.

Once the water is boiling, add the separate flour/water mixture to the pot and stir constantly with a silicone spatula while it boils for about 3-5 minutes.  The mixture should be smooth and thick like glue.  you can add more flour/water in small amounts if needed to achieve desired consistency.    Add 1-2 Tablesppons of salt to help prevent mold and stir.  Remove from the stove and cool.  Once it's at a comfortable temperature you can use it for your paper mache piñata! 

Use your homemade paste to glue strips of newspaper to the balloon until it is covered all over with the paper mache.  Let it dry.  When it is dry, you can cut a hole in it and pop the balloon leaving the cavity free to fill with candy and toys.  Fill it up, plug the hole.  Then use your favorite craft glue to attach colored tissue paper to your piñata, and decorate it however you like.  You can embellish your design with things you have around the house or add crafty bits like rhinestones, glitter, and buggy eyes.  Remember to add a hook, wire, or some means of attaching the piñata to a rope.

Mexican Parfaits- 7 layer dip
Lots of people know how to make the delicious 7 layer dip, but here is an even better idea.  Make the 7 layer dip in individual parfait cups.  That way everyone can get one and you won't have to worry about double dipping!  You will need: refried beans, olives, salsa (or pico), cheese, sour cream (mixed with taco seasoning) and guacamole.  In each cup but the ingredients down in order.  A layer of beans,  a layer of sour cream, a layer of guacamole.  Then sprinkle cheese over the top, add your pico and top with olives.  Then you have your delicious Mexican parfaits and an easy clean up for you!


Mexican "Unfried" Ice Cream 
1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream
5 cups coarsely crushed corn flakes
2 Tbls butter, melted
4 Tbls sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Coat a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.  In a large bowl, combine corn flakes, butter, sugar and cinnamon.  Mix well and spread on the baking sheet.  Bake for 5 minutes or until lightly browned and crisp.  It amy help to stir it around or turn it once while baking.  Remove from oven and cool.  In a 9x13 casserole dish, spread 1/2 of the corn flake mixture evenly across the bottom.

Open the cardboard ice cream box and lay it flat.  Cut ice cream into seven slices that are almost one inch wide.  Lay the slices in the pan to cover the entire pan.  As the ice cream will soften a bit in the process, use a knife or spatula to smooth the pieces together.  Cover the ice cream with the remaining corn flakes mixture and pat it down.  Cover the ice cream with the remaining corn flakes mixture and pit down.  Cover the pan with tinfoil and freeze for 2-3 hours until firm.  Serve with honey on top.