Creativity shines with menu of nature finds

On a recent hike in the California redwood forest, I came upon a charming scene right out of a storybook. In front of me, 11-year-old Molly Hofer was busily preparing a smorgasbord of imaginative dishes with a creative dose of nature finds in every "recipe" for her 5-year-old twin brothers.

Molly doesn't just stop and smell the wild roses outside her grandparents' cabin. She gathers them and anything else that catches her fancy from the forest floor (minus the poison oak) for her imaginative culinary creations.

I perused her handwritten "Molly's Forest Cafe" menu offering "Mulch meatloaf sprinkled with sawdust," bark French fries and tempting "Clover upside-down cakes."

"My Danish-American grandmother had an old aebleskiver pan, so I stirred up dried pine needles, dirt and seeds with water from the creek, pressed the mixture in the rounds and topped them with wild clover," she explained. They flip over nicely to look like muffins after they set for two hours, she adds with the confidence of an iron chef. And they are gluten-free.

"I'll take two," I said, as she politely offered me a cup of mud tea.

The great outdoors provides a natural opportunity to bask in beautiful scenery and breathe good-for-you fresh air. On your next outing to a beach, forest or city park, encourage your kids to imagine all the things they can do with the natural treasures they find from the ground. They might be inspired to open a restaurant like Molly's, or enjoy one of these simple ideas:

• Touch and feel game: Place finds such as pinecones, feathers and acorns in different containers. Cover your eyes, feel an object and guess what it is. Encourage kids to use adjectives to describe how it feels.

• Frames: Glue shells, seeds and pods on an outdated picture frame, insert a new family photo or drawing and hang on the wall.

• Collections: Kids of all ages like to collect things, whether they are rocks, shells or colorful fall leaves. Count and sort them by size and color, and display on a tray for conversation starters when friends come by.

• Happy outside: Set up a table on your front porch or under a backyard tree for an al fresco meal. Let the songs of birds above and beauty all around entertain you. Identify the specific names of the bird perched on the branch above and the varieties of flowers growing in the garden.

Campsite breakfasts

Whenever we head into the woods for a weekend getaway, roughing it or not, we always love a campfire and cooking on a grill. The outdoor meal we look forward to the most is breakfast. The sun rises early, and the family is raring to go. Here are two quick and very easy, yummy recipes that will start any camper off on an active day connecting with the great outdoors.

French toast roll-ups

Makes 2 servings (6 roll-ups)

1 egg

2 tablespoons milk

Pinch of salt

6 slices soft bread, crusts removed

Butter

Cinnamon

Sugar

Favorite syrup

1. Whisk together egg and milk in a shallow bowl. Add salt. Spread a slice of bread with butter, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, then roll up and seal ends by pinching the bread slightly. Roll it in egg batter. Carefully poke a roasting stick through the roll-up at its midsection.

2. Hold the stick over coals until all sides are lightly browned, about 1 1/2 minutes on each side. Remove from the stick, set on a plate, sprinkle with more cinnamon and sugar, if you wish, and serve with syrup. Or, let it cool a bit on the stick, remove with your fingers and dip in the syrup.

Stuffed bagels

Makes 4 servings

4 bagels, tops sliced off and insides scooped out to form a narrow trough

3 scrambled eggs

1 cup shredded cheese, such as cheddar or Monterey Jack

2 scallions, chopped

3 slices Canadian bacon, chopped

1. Layer scrambled eggs, scallions, Canadian bacon and cheese into scooped-out bagels. Replace tops. Wrap the bagels upside down in aluminum foil, and place on a grill.

2. Heat about 3 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Unwrap and serve for breakfast, or leave wrapped and serve as a midday snack. (Keep chilled until serving.)

Tip: Make a hand protector for young campers to use when roasting. Poke a hole in the middle of a disposable foil pie plate, and insert it onto the middle of a toasting stick. To identify one another's sticks, children can decorate their pie plate with designs and add their name with a nontoxic permanent paint pen. Or, simply poke holes into the design to create the alphabet letter starting their name.

Donna Erickson's award-winning series "Donna's Day" is airing on public television nationwide. To find more of her creative family recipes and activities, visit donnasday.com and link to the new Donna's Day Facebook fan page. Her latest book is "Donna Erickson's Fabulous Funstuff for Families." (c) 2016 Donna Erickson. Distributed by King Features Synd.