Find the frilufts-love in Week 10 of "15 Weeks of Friluftsliv"
Winter activities and ideas to warm your heart this February week
For the love of friluftsliv
Week 10 of “15 Weeks of Friluftsliv” will end on Valentine’s Day this week, so why not make a date with nature? There are many ways to do this and our activity guide highlights a few. Whether you show the love through gifting yourself time outside, making a love token for wildlife, or supporting your favorite local nature organization, you’ll end up with a warm heart that makes this winter week glow.
Speaking of warm hearts, don’t miss this week’s recipe inspired by Scandinavian woven hearts. Read on and have fun weaving your own designs to eat!
1. It’s a date! - Week 10 Activity Guide
This week’s activity guide shares 3 ways to make a date with nature. Let these ideas inspire you to bundle up and head outside to enjoy some friluftsLOVE.
Download this week’s activity guide and follow us on Friluftsliving Family Instagram to share the love (#15weeksoffriluftsliv)!
2. Woven heart hand pies - A sweet spin on the Scandinavian heart tradition
This recipe was inspired by our love of bandweaving and Scandinavian heart designs. We realized we could have some fun weaving hearts with pie pastry dough! This recipe is all about baking with love and keeping things easy. Experiment with different “weaving techniques” and don’t fret if your designs don’t bake up quite as planned. The flavors taste good together in whatever shape they turn out.
Equipment: medium-sized heart-shaped cookie cutter, baking sheet, parchment paper
Ingredients:
Frozen pie pastry dough, 2 sheets of 9” rounds (or make your own from scratch)
1/2 cup lingonberry jam or other red fruit preserve
2 T turbinado sugar
1 egg
Instructions:
Thaw dough (if using frozen)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Place one sheet of dough onto working surface
Use the cookie cutter to make 4-5 hearts from first sheet
Place the hearts on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Add 1 teaspoon of fruit filling to the center of each heart.
Take the next sheet of dough and place it on the working surface. Carefully cut the dough into small, ~1/4” strips.
Start weaving with the strips!
Use the cookie cutter again to cut out the woven heart shape or weave on top of the heart base layer by hand to fit the size.
Place the woven hearts pieces on top of the base heart pieces on the baking sheet (this part requires some patience), press edges gently so filling won’t seep out too much.
Beat the egg and brush the tops of the hearts with the egg wash.
Sprinkle turbinado sugar on each heart.
Bake for about 12 minutes or until crust is brown.
Learn more in the “Ways to Gather” section about the tradition of Scandinavian hearts. They symbolize love, unity, and goodwill—all things we’re happy to serve up!
4. Ways to gather
Make Valentine’s cards: Gather a group or head to a local nature organization program to create nature-inspired cards. The USFWS has some punny inspiration for love notes.
Learn about Scandinavian woven heart traditions: Spend some time with friends or family learning about the woven heart tradition and symbolism in Scandinavia. Find online tutorials to make some of your own. Host a craft night or invite people over and make the recipe of the week!
Join the Great Backyard Bird Count: This annual event kicks off this year on Valentine’s Day. What better way to show your love for birds?
Full heart under a full moon: February 12th brings the full moon. Head out to watch the moonrise or take a stroll. See our Week 6 Activity Guide for full moon hike tips.
Mark your calendar:
Yoga + Hike at Fairview Farm on 2/15 with Gnome Matter the Weather’s Lauren Theis.
Wintry Mix Dance Party on 2/22, a collab with Bernardsville, NJ’s Dance Local and Friluftsliving Family. It’s an all ages, indoor/outdoor dance party to create the ultimate wintry-mix of music + moves to make you chill in the best way possible.
Not local to NJ? Everything we host and share is something you can modify to do wherever you live.
Here’s to sharing ideas and getting outside with a “free-air-life” ethos, gnome matter the weather. We love weaving winter adventures with you and creating the warmth to get us through the season.