Every summer for the last five years, my in-laws have hosted “Camp Kenai” at their home, where they invite their children with their spouses and all seven grandchildren to meet for one week to make memories as a family. In previous years, this week has been a joyful but challenging experience that left the children drained and the adults depleted. This year was different. Our children are old enough now to be allowed to play together without an adult or four constantly hovering over them, so they enjoyed many free hours together this year. The focus was less on organized excursions, and more on unstructured play, which allowed the children to develop their friendship without the stress of an agenda, and which also gave the parents an opportunity to rest and appreciate each other’s company as well.
We enjoyed water sports, playground trips, berry picking, biking, rollerblading, beach walks, and countless water balloon fights. My in-laws were also generous enough to extend an invitation to my niece and nephew to join the rest of the cousins for part of the week and even threw a birthday party at the pool and lakeshore for my nephew’s 10th birthday. The highlight of the week was the completion of our very own archery range and the first annual archery tournament, with kid and adult divisions. Grandpa built the range and won the adult’s division (great job on both, Paul), and my son won the kids’ division and earned a prize of an extra scoop of ice cream at dessert that night.
For me, camp this year was about sisterhood. I don’t spend very much time with my three sisters-in-law, but we always get along and we always work well together as a team. We give each other advice and offer helpful suggestions and commiserate with each other with nodding heads of solidarity when we complain about the frustrations of motherhood. They have always been kind to me and welcomed me warmly into their family, but I’ve always felt a little like an outsider among them. But this year, for the first time, I truly felt like I was one of them, and I reveled in the glow of that sisterhood. We have history now, not just future, and I look forward to the next time we can all be together.
On the last morning of camp, I asked them for suggestions for my next article dish and my lovely sister Audrey suggested scones, as they are a recent fixation of hers. Happy to oblige, Aud! These easy scones feature fresh local cherries grown at O’Brien’s Garden & Trees. Check them out on Facebook to see what’s ready for picking. Right now, they have strawberries, cherries and honeyberries, among others.
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup sugar (plus some for sprinkling)
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons cold butter, cubed
¾ cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup fresh chopped cherries
½ cup chopped dark chocolate
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment.
Whisk together the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Stir together the cream and almond extract in a separate bowl.
Cut the cold butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is crumbly.
Toss the chopped cherries and chocolate into the dry ingredients and mix gently.
Add the wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
Turn the bowl out onto the parchment and gently press into a flat disk about 1 ½ inches thick.
Use a spatula to cut the disk into wedges (like a pizza) and sprinkle on some extra sugar.
Bake for 10 minutes, remove from the oven and gently separate the wedges on the sheet.
Return to the oven for an additional 5-7 minutes. The tops should be just beginning to brown.
Allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Tressa Dale is a writer, Pre-K educator, culinary and pastry school graduate, and a U.S. Navy veteran. She lives in Kenai with her husband, 5-year-old son, and beloved black cat. Find her on Instagram @tressa.m.dale.
