Southeast Idaho Family Magazine | Summer 2017 “He just had to sit and watch.” Brandi became discouraged during these moments, wishing her son could play with the other children on the playground. Fortunately, help wasn’t too far away. Mother of five, Laura Lind, of Soda Springs, approached Brandi at the park one day, and asked about Aiden’s situation. Laura explained how she had seen Brandi before and other mothers with their children at the park who struggled to get their children to and from the different equipment, and how the community could benefit from a play area where all children of all abilities could play. Brandi loved the idea of a place where Aiden could play freely with the other kids and not be worried about his safety. Laura started recruiting her friends and other people in the community to help raise funds for the new play area that will be called Caribou Community Playground. This playground will be located on the northeast side of the Soda Springs City Park, and will feature rubberized flooring that is wheelchair accessible, special swings
for moms and babies, a “tot lot” and much more in one convenient location. The playground is expected to start construction May 2018.
play together and separately.”
Aiden is excited for the new playground and has even put his own personal touches on the project. “When the designer asked the community what they wanted the playground to include, Aiden said he wanted a combine tractor that he and other kids could play on, so the designer fit that into the plan,” Brandi said. Local mother and volunteer coordinator for the project, Kara Harris, said, “This playground means kids get to play together, my kids won’t have to look at those with disabilities and wonder why they can’t play. It means kids with disabilities will get to feel and know what it’s like to be a ‘normal’ kid. I am so excited to see this playground come together, and watch kids play equally.” Another mother, Danielle Stoor, said, “This playground means great and safe fun for my family. My eight year old, five year old and six month old can go
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Like these other mothers, Brandi said everyone’s child can benefit from this new playground. “You might not need this playground right now, but you never know what will happen in the future,” she said. Co-general coordinator for the project, Georgia Brown agreed with Brandi and said, “No person in our community can say, for a fact, that their families will never need a playground like this. You never know when a day may come that your family will cherish a playground like this. It is something every community should have. That is why our committee has put so much time and effort into this. We literally are trying to level the playing field.” People can support this project by spreading the word to family and friends, volunteering their time to help with fundraisers and making a donation. Donations can be submitted through their website at friendsoftheparksoda.com or deposited in their account at Advantage Plus in Soda Springs.
Rhubarb Raspberry Pudding Cake Sherelle Christensen sherellechristensen.typepad.com Whether you’re fixing a sweet summer treat for your family, or making the perfect treat for a summer BBQ or potluck, this delicious little cake can make the most of whatever berry or fruit you have in season. This version uses tangy rhubarb and raspberries, but you could easily substitute for another fruit. Cherries, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and even peaches or apples would taste great. This delicious cake makes it’s own “pudding” around the fruit, and is best served warm with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.
Ingredients 1 1/2 cups chopped rhubarb 1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries 1 3/4 cup sugar divided 4 Tbs. butter, softened 1 tsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract 1/2 tsp. almond extract 3/4 cup milk 1 cup all purpose flour 1 Tbs. corn starch 2/3 cup boiling water
Instructions Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Layer fruit and rhubarb in bottom of a greased 8”x8” glass baking dish. Combine 3/4 cup of sugar, butter, baking powder, salt, extracts, and milk.
Stir until smooth. Pour evenly over fruit. Combine remaining 1 cup sugar and cornstarch. Mix well, then sprinkle over batter. Bring 2/3 cup water to rolling boil and pour over entire pan (it sounds strange, but the results will be a crispy top, with a gooey pudding underneath). Place in oven and bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven, cool slightly, and top with vanilla ice cream.