Shubhankar Roy

Article 1 Campgrounds are a great place to unwind. Get away from it all, relax and be close to nature . Although camping season starts from the beginning of summer and parks are generally open till the onset of winter...  4th of July weekend is a great time for a family camping trip. There are a ton of activities that you can indulge in with your family and friends. Keeping the kids busy is one of the biggest challenges but once they start to enjoy being in the lap of nature, they will want to come back. If there’s a water body next to your campsite… fishing, tubing or just plain swimming are some fun activities that kids would love to try out. Stargazing and campfires are another great way to keep adults and kids engaged when the sun goes down. Gathering around campfires is a nice way to spend quality time with your loved ones while sharing ghost stories, singing songs, playing truth and dare or trying out smores. If you are the quiet types there’s nothing better than a good book. You might be tempted to go camping right now, and if you have no clue where to go… here are some camps we chose in the state of Pennsylvania that are fun to be at during the Independence long weekend. Ricket Glenns State Park: This state park is a little over an hour south of Scranton heading on the I 81 S and state highway 118 W. The major attractions here are a 600 ft beach with designated swimming areas and over 10 trails ranging from easy to difficult that you can hike. Though fishing isn’t legal here, you can go hunting, horseback riding or boating. The Ricket Glenns Park is one of the most scenic areas of Pennsylvania and has a 94 feet waterfall with multiple varieties of flora and fauna spread across the park. There are a number of grills in the picnic area, perfect for a family picnic. Make sure you to reserve a spot ahead of time, to beat the last minute rush.   Prince Gallitzin State Park: It’s situated almost 2 hours east of Pittsburgh off the US-22E. It has 26 miles of shoreline and is a favorite spot for fishing enthusiasts and boaters. Anglers will find a variety of catch including bass, pike, and muskellunge There’s no dearth of activities at this state park. You’ll find hiking and cycling trails and areas where you can go boating. There are overnight camping facilities available for trailers, and designated areas for pitching tents. If you don’t want rough it up there are cottages and cabins also available here. Camping enthusiasts are very attached to their tools and equipment sets. They always like to keep things handy... be it the tents, cooler boxes or camping stoves. If you have a friend who is an outdoor enthusiast, gift them a pocket knife from this range of pocket knives to add to their toolkit on 4th of July. If you like to go camping, get yourself this multi-utility knife… a perfect companion for your next outdoor adventure. We wish you and your family a Happy Independence day and hope you have a great time camping this 4th of July. Article 2: What’s 4th of July without family, fun, and celebrations? And how can you imagine that without some lip smacking food? If you’re planning to join a picnic or if you’ve been invited to a gathering, we’re gonna share with you some of our favorite recipes that are perfect for bringing out the red, white and blue in all of you and make your 4th of July party fantastic   Let’s start with salads, that’s what people love to load up their plates with, especially potato salad. And here’s how you can create one that’s filling and wholesome:   Potato Salad: Total Time To Make: 55 mins Serves: 10-12 Ingredients:   Red Potatoes: 5 lbs. Mayo: 1-½ cups. Milk: ⅓ cup. Yellow Mustard: 2 Tablespoon. Salt and pepper to taste Green Onions: 1 bunch sliced Eggs: 6 hard boiled, peeled and sliced.   How to make the salad:   1. Boil the potatoes for about 30 minutes or until they are tender. about 20-30 minutes. If you’ve got a mix of medium and large sized potatoes… you’ll need to take the smaller ones out before, as they will get tender quicker than the larger ones. They're tender when you can easily stick a fork into the potato. Once they are done, place them on a wire rack.   2. For the dressing blend the mayonnaise, milk, and mustard in a large bowl. Use a wire whisk to make sure there aren’t any lumps. Add salt and pepper as required. Store the dressing in the fridge in a screw top jar. 3. Peel the potatoes when they have cooled down.   4. Cut the potatoes into cubes and add the dressing while folding it carefully. Add the sliced green onions next and blend them in. You can mix the eggs into the salad or get creative with them and use them as a top decorative layer on the salad.     5. Keep the salad bowl in the fridge to chill before you serve it.   Voila! We’ve got your side dish covered. If you’ve been invited over for a dinner and you’re not someone who enjoy’s cooking, you could bring your hosts a thoughtful gift.   As it’s the 4th of July, a commemorative watch from the war veteran watches collection would be a great choice. You could also browse the site for gift ideas in the apparels section.   Moving on to the dessert. A well made dessert is always a hit at any party. Even if you’re not the best cook in the world this easy to make cookie recipe could make you famous. Give it a shot or get some help from your friends.   Rolled Sugar Cookies   Total Time To Make: 20 mins prep time, 3 hours in total.   Ingredients:   Softened butter: 1-1/2 cups White sugar: 2 cups Eggs: 4 Vanilla extract: 1 teaspoon All-purpose flour: 5 cups Baking powder: 2 teaspoons Salt: 1 teaspoon How to make Rolled Sugar Cookies:   1. In a large bowl, mix butter and sugar together until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla next. Now, add in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill the dough for at least an hour (or overnight if you can plan ahead).   2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll the dough out flat on a floured surface. The thickness shouldn’t be more than  1/4 to 1/2 an inch. Cut out shapes with a cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.   3. Bake them for 6 to 8 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool completely before you serve.   We hope you enjoy your 4th of July gathering and get a bunch of compliments for the effort you’ve put in.