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  • Home
  • Get Involved
    • Enroll Now!
    • Volunteer Opportunities >
      • AVLO >
        • 2021 AVLO Forum
    • Volunteer Requirements
    • 4-H Alumni
    • Donate
  • District Programs
    • Anchorage
    • Bethel
    • Bristol Bay/Dillingham
    • Fairbanks/Tanana District
    • Kenai Peninsula
    • Kodiak >
      • Kodiak 4-H At Home Kits 2021
      • Kodiak Celebrates National 4-H Week
      • Interested Members
      • Kodiak Agriculture - Inspiring the Next Generation
      • Kodiak 4-H Camps
    • Mat Su/Copper River >
      • MatSu/Copper River 4-H News
      • MS/CR Scholarships
      • MS/CR At-Home Learning
      • 4-H at the Alaska State Fair
      • Livestock Program
    • Nome
    • Sitka
    • Southeast >
      • AK Experience Camp
      • Enroll in 4-H
  • Statewide Programs
    • Citizen Science
    • Teen Leadership Opportunities >
      • Youth in Governance
      • Youth Ambassador
    • Learn By Doing At Home
    • STEM / Healthy Habits
    • Shooting Sports
    • Public Presentations >
      • 2022 Alaska Statewide Presentation Contest
    • Alaska 4-H Livestock >
      • State Livestock Contest
    • Alaska 4-H Horse Program
    • 4-H Exchange Program
  • Resources
    • Learn & Lead Series
    • The 4-H Brand
    • Volunteer Resources
    • Professional/Volunteer Development and Training

learn by doing
at home series

Baking Kulich

3/30/2021

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Russian kulich is a sweet yeast-risen bread typically served at Easter.  As with most recipes,  the specifics of the recipe varies from family to family.  The recipe we share with you today comes from Ellen Lester, former leader and longtime supporter of Kodiak 4-H.  She learned the recipe from her mother, and says it is an Old Kodiak recipe that has been passed down, originally from Kaba Chichenoff.  
Project Discipline: Baking
​Ages: All ages!!
Difficulty level: Medium (Cloverbuds will need help)
Supplies needed: See ingredient list!  In addition, you will need cans or bread loaf pans, several large bowls, a wooden spoon and a mixer is optional.
Timing: 
Don't Delay!! This recipe takes time. Ellen says that she typically starts the process at 7:30 AM and sometimes doesn't finish up until late into the evening.  Let's get started!

Ingredient List

For the sponge:
1 package yeast
2 cups warm milk
3-4 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
For the creamed ingredients:
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
​1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp lemon extract (optional)
​
To Mix In
1/2 cup slivered almonds
​1 cup raisins
3-4 cups flour
For the Topping:
Confectioner Sugar
Dash of Vanilla
Milk
Multi-colored polka dot Sprinkles (optional)

Step 1 (Early in the morning): Make the sponge

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Ingredients for this Step:
1 package yeast

2 cups warm milk
3 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
Heat milk until warm to touch, but not too hot!  It should be warm to your wrist or between 105-110 degrees. Dissolve yeast in warm milk.  
Add flour and sugar.
​Mix together, then cover and set aside to rise for at least 1 hour in a warm spot.  

Step 2: Cream Remaining Ingredients

Meanwhile, mix ingredients as indicated below.  
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Ingredients for this step: 
1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 cup sugar
4 eggs
​1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp lemon extract (optional)


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​Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs, salt, nutmeg, vanilla and lemon extract.  It's a good idea to crack the eggs into a separate cup before adding to the mix. 
 

Step 3: Combine Risen Sponge with Creamed Ingredients

First, put raised sponge in larger bowl.  Add creamed ingredients.  Mix well. 
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Step 4: Add remaining ingredients, then knead dough and let it raise.

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Ingredients for this step:
1/2 cup slivered almonds
​1 cup raisins
3-4 cups flour
Add raisins and almonds.  Add flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until dough is stiff enough to handle and not sticky.  
Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. 
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Put dough into a large greased bowl, top side down then flip it over into same bowl, so it has a little grease on the top. Cover with a light kitchen towel and let sit in a warm spot about 4 hours, until double.

Step 5: Transfer dough into cans and let raise.

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Decide what you'd like to bake your dough in. 1 pound coffee cans or large soup/tomato cans are ideal to get the traditional shape, but bread pans will work too. 

Once your dough has doubled in size, punch down.  Divide dough into 8 pieces to fill 1/3 of your cans (or equal pieces to fit the cans you have, so that they fill 1/3 of container). Shape the dough into a circle, tucking sides under until it's a nice smooth ball.  
Grease cans or pans WELL with shortening or cooking spray. 

Fill containers 1/3 of the way with dough pieces, and press down into cans to get rid of any air space. 

​Cover containers with light kitchen towel.  Set aside in a warm spot until dough raises to the top of the containers (about 4 hours).

Step 6: Bake & Add Topping

Once dough has risen to the tops of at least half of your containers, it's time to put them in the oven!  Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.  Kulich is done when you can shake it out of the can, but it might take some effort depending on how well you greased your cans!  
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Cool out of cans for 15 minutes on a rack.  While still warm, frost with confectioner glaze, and sprinkles if you'd like! 
To make the glaze, start with 1/2 cup of confectioner sugar, add a dash of vanilla and then mix in milk, 1 tsp at a time, until it reaches desired taste and consistency.  Icing should be thick. 
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Enjoy!!  Share with friends or freeze for later.  Don't forget to share your photos with us at kodiak4h@gmail.com. We'd love to show them to Ellen!

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A Gallery of Our At Home Activities

6/16/2020

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At Home Kits

How Does Your Garden Grow?
Coding Kit
Stem Challenge

Learn By Doing At Home Blog Series

Looking for some fun activities for the summer? Look no further! Our Alaska 4-H team pulled together to provide some awesome activities over the spring, all designed to be done at home, without having to go out and get a ton of supplies.  Learn by Doing, and Have Fun!

Baking

Irish Soda Bread
Scones
Pizza Pizza!
​Sweet Dough
​Pretzels for Two
​
Earth Day Cookies
​Quick Breads
​Stromboli
​
Bagels
Sourdough
​Kiluch

Healthy Living

Seed Tape for your Garden
​
Make Your Own Stress Ball
Green Smoothies
​
Chopped! Snack Style
​
Happy Earth Day
Frozen Treats
Fruit Sorbet, Bone Building Game
Fruit Salsa and Cinnamon Chips!
Get Outside!

Yoga

Yoga for the Young at Heart
​
Create your own Animal Yoga Pose
​
Explore Your Inner Rabbit
​
Earth Inspired Yoga
​
Yoga Under the Sun: Part 1
​Yoga Under the Sun: Part 2
​Yoga Basics
 Sun Salutations

STEM

Build Your Own Boat
​Hand Crank Winch
Catapult 
​
Scale
​Plastic Bottle Burping
​
Balloon Fun
Sink or Float?
​Chemical Reactions
Egg Fun
Water Challenges
Rube Goldberg Challenge

Arts & Crafts

Rock Painting
​Rainbow Hunting
Watercolor Wednesdays
​Bird Seed Eggs
​Purple Up! with Gak
​Parade of the Species
​
Finger Knitting
Whale Origami
​
Wanted: Alaska 4-H Art!!

Creative Writing

Shine Bright Journal
​
Dear Mr.Nelson
​Alaska Caring Notes
​
World Museum Tour

Animals/Vet Science

Taking Vitals
​Dog Obedience 
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Get Outside!

5/29/2020

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Our last post is a challenge that we would like to pose to you for the whole summer, and it will hopefully be easy and FUN for you to do.  Get outside! 
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Today, I took my 4-Her's out in search of grey whales (and we even found some).  More importantly, we had a blast and got so much out of the fresh air and beautiful scenery. We hope you will do the same! 
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We look forward to seeing your photos on the Alaska 4-H facebook page...And don't worry, we'll be back soon with some fun project ideas, just not quite so often!

- Kate Schaberg, Kodiak 4-H Project Coordinator, mom of 4-H Cloverbuds and Designer of the Blog
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Rube Goldberg Challenge

5/28/2020

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Are you ready to create something amazing?!

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​A 
Rube Goldberg machine, named after American cartoonist Rube Goldberg, is a machine intentionally designed to perform a simple task in an indirect and overly complicated way. Usually, these machines consist of a series of simple unrelated devices; the action of each triggers the initiation of the next, eventually resulting in achieving a stated goal.

  • To get started, think backwards.  What is the task you want to perform?  A simple task.  Some ideas: turn off a light, open a door, pop a balloon. The options are endless. 
  • Once you've got your idea, make a plan for how to get there.  Get creative, sketch out your design, watch some videos for inspiration. 
  • Next get your materials together.  It can be literally anything.  Some ideas: dominoes, fans, ping pong balls, blocks, magnets, duct tape, marbles, miniature toy cars, toilet paper towel tubes, string....the list could go on. ​
  • Finally, get started! Remember, it won't work perfectly at first.  Trial and Error will be important.  We can't wait to see your short videos posted to the Alaska 4-H page! 

Need some more help to get brainstorming? Enter our Rube Goldberg Studio below, designed by Kendra Calhoun, Youth, Family and Community Development Faculty at UAF. ​
Rube Goldberg Challenge
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Fruit Salsa and Cinnamon Chips!

5/27/2020

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School is either out or ending this week for most of our Alaska youth, summer is almost here, and we think that calls for a celebration! Thank you to SNAP Ed Nutrition Educator Adair Harman with Cooperative Extension Service at UAF for this great idea.

​Project Discipline: Nutrition and Health
Ages: All Ages
Difficulty: Easy (cloverbuds may need help with the oven)
Supplies: flour tortillas, sugar, cinnamon, fruit, cutting board, knife, cookie sheet, bowls


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​The first thing to do is to wash your hands and gather your supplies.
Ingredients:
10 (10-inch) tortillas
4-8 teaspoons water
2 Tablespoons cinnamon sugar
3 cups mixed fruit of your choice ( example: I cup apple, I cup peach, I cup mixed berries)
Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees. 
​
Lay your tortillas out on the counter and brush water onto the tortillas with a pastry brush. If you don’t have one, you can just use your fingers. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture onto the tortillas. Next use a pizza cutter or small knife cut each tortilla into eight wedges ( like a pizza) and place the wedges onto a cookie sheet.  Bake the wedges for 10-15 minutes.
​​
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While you are waiting for the chips to bake, let’s make the fruit salsa!  This recipe calls for peaches, apples, and berries but you can use any fruit you like.  I chose grapes, kiwi, strawberries and peaches because they are some of our favorite fruits and I love the mix of colors.

To make the salsa all you need to do is chop the fruit into very small pieces. Try and get all the pieces similar in size just like you would see in regular salsa. Once it is all chopped just put it in a bowl and mix it together.
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​When the chips are finished in the oven you can serve them alongside the salsa. So dip away and enjoy!

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Sun Salutations

5/26/2020

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Join us today!

Today we will meet at 4:30 PM AK Time, for Sun Salutations with Kendra Calhoun, Youth, Family and Community Development Faculty with UAF Cooperative Extension Service.
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Review the poses, then join us to put it all together! 

Yoga Under the Sun: Part I
Yoga Under the Sun: Part II
Register Here!
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4-H Memories, Heading into Summer

5/22/2020

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For many of us, things look a little different these days, and 4-H is no exception. As we head into summer, we'd like to create a sort of virtual 4-H yearbook full of messages for each other!

For today's activity, we'd like you to take a minute to ponder what you LOVE about Alaska 4-H.  We can't wait to hear it and share it with our 4-H community. 

​

Record Your Own Message!

When you're ready, click the button below (password Alaska4h), and you'll have 30 seconds to share your stories about  Alaska 4-H and how it has impacted you! We miss you, and want to hear from you...here's your chance!

Have fun with it - you can video record, audio record, post a photo, type a message - whatever your heart desires! 

Record Here!

Here's some photos to get you thinking!

Some questions to consider: 

For 4-H members: 
  • What was your favorite 4-H activity prior to the COVID-19 pandemic?
  • What has your favorite 4-H experience been since we started social distancing?
  • What would you like to see offered through 4-H this year that maybe we haven't thought of?
  • What other activities would you like to see on this blog?
  • Who is your favorite 4-H leader and why? 
  • What project have you loved the MOST in your whole time as a 4-H member?

For 4-H leaders:
  • What do you miss about your 4-H'ers the most!?
  • What do you love doing with your members? Your favorite 4-H memory as a leader
  • How has your 4-H state office helped you?
  • Why do you continue to volunteer for 4-H?

4-H supporters: 
  • Why do you support 4-H?
  • How has 4-H helped your community? 
​

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Sourdough Pancakes

5/21/2020

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Our friends in Kodiak, AK 4-H would like to share an annual tradition with all of our fellow 4-H'ers at home!   You WILL need some sourdough starter to participate - find someone in your community who has some, or make your own with the recipe below.

Step 1: Find your starter!

Ask around your community to see if anyone has some they can share, otherwise use the instructions below to start your own.
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Step 2: Feed your starter!

This video gives instructions for 4-H'ers wanting to get sourdough ready for pancakes on Memorial Day.  
Feeding your starter (as explained in video):
Day 1: 1/4 cup warm water, 1/3 cup flour
Day 2: 3/4 cup warm water, 1 cup flour
Day 3: 1 + 1/2 cup warm water, 2 cups flour
Day 4: 3/4 cup warm water, 1 cup flour (once or twice depending on amount you need..if only doing once, feed it in the evening)

Note: Leave sourdough on counter, covered with towel in between feeding. Sourdough should be bubbly each morning when you check it.  That indicates it is alive and well! 

Step 3: Make Your Pancakes!

Use the recipe below to make your own sourdough pancakes - they're DELICIOUS!
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Step 4: Share some leftover sourdough with a friend, and keep some for yourself for later!

Our 4-H starter has been passed around for many many years - we hope this tradition will begin in your own 4-H communities! 
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More Info On Sourdough from Alaska Sourdough Book

Kodiak 4-H is collecting photos of everyone who participates in this project! Please consider submitting to Kodiak4h@gmail.com.

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Water Challenges!

5/20/2020

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Our goal with this blog has been to get you started with some fun activities, using materials that you have around the house.  Who doesn't have some water at their house? Let's experiment! Share your favorite water experiment with us on the Alaska 4-H facebook page! 

Bending Water!

Defying Gravity!

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Watch the power of static electricity!
​All you need is a water faucet with running water, a latex balloon, and a nylon comb. After rubbing the balloon against the nylon comb to create a static charge on the comb, slowly and carefully place the teeth of the comb next to the stream of water. Watch what happens to the water.
​

Elephant Toothpaste! 

Please note: this is CALLED toothpaste, but it is NOT.  Wear safety goggles and do it outside or into a tub if you have one! Activity complements of Scientific American!
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You'll need: 
  • Empty plastic bottle
  • Dry yeast (found in the baking section of the grocery store)
  • Warm water
  • Liquid dish soap
  • 3% hydrogen peroxide
  • Safety glasses
  • Large tub or tray to catch the foam 
  • Liquid food coloring (optional)
  • Measure 1/2 cup of hydrogen peroxide, and carefully pour it into the bottle.
  • Add a big squirt of dish soap into the bottle, and swirl gently to mix.
  • If you want to make your foam a single color, add a few drops of food coloring directly into the hydrogen peroxide, and swirl the bottle gently to mix. If you want to give your foam stripes like some toothpastes, put the drops along the inside rim of the bottle’s mouth. Let them drip down the inside of the bottle, but do not mix. 
  • In a measuring cup mix together one tablespoon of yeast and three tablespoons of warm water. Stir for about 30 seconds. 
  • Pour the yeast mixture into the bottle then quickly step back, and watch your reaction go! What happens? How long does the reaction last?
  • Extra: Try the activity without the dish soap. What happens? How was the result different?
  • Extra: Try the activity with different-shaped containers. What happens if you use a bottle with a narrower or wider neck—or a cylindrical drinking glass with no neck?
Results/Observations
Having too much fun? Check out some more ideas for fun water experiments! Design a "magic" show for your family full of the experiments you've learned! 
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Yoga Fun!

5/19/2020

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While you're practicing your sun salutation poses, we have some fun yoga challenges for you to pick from, and we also wanted to share a bit with you about the basics of yoga. Enter the yoga studio below to learn some yoga basics, then try out a fun yoga activity!  
Enter The Yoga Studio
This week, we thought we'd do some farm animal poses. Try some out with us - which is your favorite? 
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Maybe you're an artist at heart: try some yoga art therapy! 
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Share a photo of your yoga activities to our Alaska 4-H Facebook Page!

Poses to practice for next week's Sun Salutation Zoom Party: Tuesday May 26 at 4:30! Register here!
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