We Survived and Had Fun!

We arrived at our planned campground Friday night to find it hadn't been opened yet.  So we drove back down to the Little Naches campground just down the road.  We found a great spot, and set up camp in a downpour.  Dana and I were soaked and freezing by the time we all ate hotdogs and pasta salad in the trailer.  It didn't look like the first night was going well, but by the time we put the boys to bed, the rain had stopped and we went out and gathered around the campfire Dana made and ate s'mores.

 Brendon

Bryce

Saturday and Sunday were beautiful.  Better weather than they had in town.  While we haven't been camping in over a year and a half, it felt like things were back to normal being outside and enjoying ourselves.  I think the boys really liked their first trip, and we are all looking forward to the next time.

 Just before Kaia fell

Doing what Mo's do best

The back of our campsite, the log provided plenty of fun.

Raven's Roost

It was a long drive up to the top of Raven's Roost. It's a winding, one-lane dirt road. That meant everytime a vehicle was coming the other direction, someone has to pull to the side. Being opening elk weekend, there was plenty of pulling over.

We were blessed with a beautiful clear day. It was cold and windy, but you could see for miles.


When up at the top, you feel like you are on top of the world, until you glance over at the towering Mount Rainier.


A quick glance over the edge reminds you just how far up you are.

I'm not a panicky mama, but everytime Kaia stepped within 4 feet of the edge, I came unglued. I don't mind heights, but I don't like edges. Especially not ones that my girl could trip and fall down, and we'd have no way of saving her. I shudder thinking of it!

The Jeep got a little muddy on the way up, but it got even muddier on the way down!

Notice I'm hanging on tight to my girl, and staying in front of the "barrier". I'm still not sure what that barrier could possibly keep from going over.

Notice there is no Mo in the photos. He sat on my hip for a bit, I let him down for about 30 seconds so he could inspect the radio tower that is located up there, and then he was cold and wanted to go back to his car seat. I was happy to oblige.

It was a nice little break for the day, and fun family time.

Where to Camp?

One of the biggest questions you may face is, "Where should we go?" We are blessed to live in Central Washington. There are camping opportunities all around us. There are at least 4 nearby mountain passes (all within an hour's drive) with numerous campgrounds, and I can think of 4 other nearby areas where there is camping and some campgrounds.

First thing to do: Ask around. Find out where others' enjoy camping. Be sure to ask about the facilities, and what they do while they are camping. I know of a campground that is right on the Columbia River, but it is really meant for people with some sort of watercraft, so it's not an ideal spot for us.

Second thing to do: Look online. Check out ReserveAmerica.com, but remember they don't cover many great US Forest Service Campgrounds. So check out your local Forest Service website. For us, I check the Naches Ranger District site, to find out about burn bans, campground closures, and trail information.

Last, once you have some ideas of where you'd like to camp, take a day trip. Pack a picnic lunch, pile everyone into your vehicle and spend a Saturday or Sunday at the spot you are considering. Many have day parking for a small fee, others have parking nearby, and some may require you to purchase one night. Still a $10 fee to spend the day and decide if you would enjoy a weekend there is much better than spending $20 or $30 to camp during the weekend, and leaving because you are miserable.

Our camping trip this weekend, is now a day trip. As my header explains, it is never dull around here. Our house has been pretty crazy the last 2 weeks, and we have not had time to pack, nor have we found firewood. It is also opening weekend of elk hunting. While there are many responsible hunters out there, there are also some irresponsible ones. Just yesterday, a friend told us that he was up near Ellensburg, WA and there was a truck being driven by two women. There were two men in the back. One guy had a beer in one hand, and his firearm in the other. It was 10 a.m. That is scary! So this weekend, we will take the Jeep up Chinook Pass and go up Raven's Roost. It's a great spot where you can see for miles you are up so high. We'll have some lunch and head back home.

Camp Steaks, Who says you can't eat gourmet on a camping trip?

2 Steaks (I love rib steak or t-bone, Dana prefers sirloin tip)
Marinade (recipe below)
Green Pepper
Onion
Mushrooms

Marinade: Worschestire Sauce, 1 or 2 garlic cloves, red pepper flakes, seasoning salt. Chop up the garlic, use enough worschestire to coat the steaks thoroughly, add just a bit of the red pepper flakes, and about a teaspoon of seasoning salt.

Marinate your steaks in a plastic food storage bag for at least 6-8 hours. One easy thing to do is to put them in to the marinade at home, and just pack the plastic bag.

Cook your steaks on the grill to desired doneness. If you don't have a grill and are using a camp stove, you can buy a griddle that has a grill top and that works well too.

Thinly slice your pepper, onion and mushrooms. If using a stove, saute, if using your grill put them in foil with some butter and cook on the grill.

When steaks reach the desired doneness, top with the veggies and enjoy! These are great served with potatoes baked over the fire!

Camping Fun

One key aspect to enjoying your camping trip is to have fun! For many people the question is, "What do we do once up there?" The answers are many, and all depends on what you enjoy.

1. Growing up camping meant hiking to me. We'd set out and follow the trails around Mt. Rainier. Or, we'd just climb right up a hillside to see what there is to see. Many campgrounds have nearby trails that you can follow. Just being out in the fresh air, enjoying the beauty of God's great earth, and getting some exercise can make your day a lot of fun.



2. Water is fun! Whether it's camping by a lake, a pond or near a river, having water to play in makes the trip fun for kids and adults. Our favorite campground is across the road from a river where in the warm summer months we go to cool down and look for the crawdads and small fish that live near the banks of the river. In the early spring there is the frog pond, which also houses salamanders and in the nearby rocks are small snakes. Another great camping spot we enjoy is on Rimrock Lake. We just wade in the water, but many lakes have some place nearby that rent paddle boats. Also if you are near water, you can go fishing, just be sure to check out the rules and regulations for your area.



3. Camp near an event or activity. Jennifer mentioned in the comments of my last post that they used to camp out for a football game. Great idea! We went camping in 2007 near Silverwood Theme Park. We were able to enjoy camping, and go have fun on the rides. Many outdoor concert venues in Washington have campgrounds nearby so that you can enjoy your favorite band without driving all night to get home.



4. Invite family and friends. One of the best things about camping is having friends and family come up to join us! Whether it's a day trip for them, or they camp beside us, it's always enjoyable to spend time with those we love. If you don't have family and friends willing to join you, take a note from Kaia's book of life: Make some! She always meets a new friend camping, and we've been able to chat with the parents and get to know them. On one occasion, her new friend, was the son of my friend from high school.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you are coming up with some ideas, and maybe thinking about future camping trips. On the sidebar you will find a link to all of my Camping Menus. Here are a few food ideas:

Corn on the Cob:

Corn is a delicious and easy side dish to your camping meals. We've cooked it several ways, but here are two of our favorites.

On the grill: Shuck the corn as if preparing to boil it. When the grill is hot, baste the corn with seasoned melted butter. I like to add garlic salt and seasoning salt. Place corn on the grill, turn and baste often, until cooked. The corn will get a little dark in spots, but it just adds more flavor.

Over the fire: Shuck corn and lay it on a square of foil. Add a tablespoon or more of butter and any seasoning you would like. Wrap corn with foil, making sure the ear is completely covered. When the fire has nice hot coals, place the grate over the coals and put corn on it. If you just have one of those little half grates, make sure there are coals under it. If you don't have a grate at all, you can put the corn in the pit, as close to the coals as possible. Turn a few times, and check for doneness after 20 minutes or so.

Camping 101

To start my camping series I'd like to start with the basics of camping. If you haven't been camping, then it may seem like a daunting task. What do I need? Where do I start?

I grew up camping. I was never a fan of the backpacking trips where you hiked in with everything, and you brought it back out. My dad and my brother lived for these trips though. Instead I enjoyed the family going up with our tents and coolers. There was an outhouse, and at some locations real flushing toilets, and always fresh water to use. I'm going to assume, that is the kind of trip you will take too.

1. Make sure you have enough. That includes everything. Think you have your meals all planned out and don't need anymore food? Take a box of mac and cheese or a can of ravioli, just in case. No one is sick? Still take some fever reducer/pain reliever with you and a basic first aid kit. Always have an extra pair of socks and shoes, and an extra change of clothes too. Also, plan an extra blanket per person. Even with a trailer like ours, things happen. Heaters can go out, and then you are in need of those extra clothes and blankets. If you have a propane stove, make sure you have plenty of bottles. If you are using battery operated lights, have extra batteries.
   
2. Have water. We always fill the water tank up in the trailer before leaving. Even though we have all that water, we also take some water jugs with us. We set one up on the tailgate for handwashing. Another is used to fill the dogs water bucket. And if you are tent camping you will need it for washing dishes and drinking/cooking water. Most organized campsites have a place to refill the jugs as needed.
   
3. Setting up camp. The first night at camp can be a bit hectic. You have to level a trailer or set up tents, a campfire to start and everything to unload. A good idea is to plan a quick and easy dinner for that first night. Something made ahead that just needs reheated, or something with very little prep. We've tried to do hamburgers, but it just takes too long. Spaghetti, chili, or even hot dogs are good first night dinners.
4. Have fun! Camping is a time to kick back and relax. It's also a time to play. So go for a hike, play in river, catch frogs and snakes (and release them), just enjoy your time playing. We also have a bubble machine, horseshoe set, and books and magazines to enjoy.

More camping fun and ideas, coming up! Here is a recipe for an easy, one skillet breakfast:

Dana's Camp Breakfast
2 Large Links of Spicy Sausage
1 Green Pepper
1/2 white or yellow onion
6 eggs
2 T oil
Cheddar cheese to taste

In a large skillet heat the oil. Cut the sausage into small pieces and add to hot skillet. Cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly. Add diced green pepper and onion. Cook until soft. Reduce heat to medium/medium low. Break eggs into skillet, and stir lightly. Let sit until eggs start to firm underneath, then gently push the eggs around. Let sit again. When eggs are almost set, add some cubed or shredded cheddar. Stir, then turn off heat, cover and let cheese melt. Serve with Tabasco sauce or Tapatio and enjoy!

Camping Theme

Thank you all for your patience as life has been more important than blogging lately. Next week, we are planning to go on our last camping trip of the year. It will be the last weekend of October, the same time we took our last and fateful camping trip last year. This year, however, Mo is not going to get pneumonia and spend 5 days in the hospital scaring the crap out of his parents, it's just not allowed!

Something that I find amazing, is that most hits I receive from search engines are people looking for camping menus. So next week, my posts will all be camping themed. I cannot promise a post everyday, but I do promise some great camping ideas, and food. If there is one thing we Kihn's enjoy, it is camping!

Please take a moment to let me know, if you have any camping questions in the comments. I'd be happy to answer them.

September Camping

In the midst of this healthy food challenge, I should tell you a bit about our camping trip from this weekend. I promise there wasn't much healthy food there. Although it was better than some trips. We had spaghetti, sausage and eggs (with sauteed onion and green pepper), turkey dogs and Louisiana hot sausages dogs with chips and watermelon, burgers with baked potatoes and corn on the grill, and huevos rancheros. My parents came up for the day with my grandma. We had a great time just enjoying the outdoors. The weather? Perfect! Nothing like mid-70's almost all day long.

Here is most of the family. Dana was taking the photo (notice my dad is also), Grandma was up a bit higher, and I believe Kaia was with Dana.

Butterfly at the river. I don't know how Dana gets these awesome shots!

My grandma presented me with some "family heirlooms" her hankies that have fallen apart from so much use. I collect hankies, just usually not this used.

The campfire. The fire ban was lifted the weekend before, and we enjoyed it's warmth during the chilly mornings. It also roasted some great dogs and made good baked potatoes.

We made the most of the great weather. It's supposed to continue being nice here. Our next trip may be just a bit chillier.

Here he is: Mo

See, we really did take Mo camping with us. His shirt says "Naturally Sweet. No Sugar Added." Apparently the mosquitos agreed, as he got a bite right in the middle of his forehead.

Ahhh... If they were only this nice to each other all the time!

All tuckered out after playing hard all weekend long.

Both of them! One of the few times Kaia naps is on the way home from camping.

This weekend in photos

We had a wonderful time camping for Dana's Birthday this weekend. We were especially happy that our friends were able to come up and join us. The weather was warm, and the bugs weren't too thick.

Birthday Boy

Trouble? Who me?

Tammy and Samantha

Kaia telling Jeff and Tam something VERY important.

Me

Charlie, obviously thrilled to be camping.

Sampson loved every minute of the trip (especially the leftovers)

This sign next to Kaia says "No Motor Vehicles." The lake is typically small by this time of year, but a good snow pack meant a high lake, which meant not so much beach and lots of mud.

Update: My mom called to tell me that I left Mo out of this post. WHAT?! I can't believe I did that. Of course we have tons of cute pics, and this airhead here just forgot to post them! I will soon.

Grilled Pizza Lessons

We tried some new things this last camping trip. First thing we did was buy a charcoal chimney starter. They are environmentally friendly and save money because you do not need to use lighter fluid. We heard how great they worked, but we were still a bit skeptical. No need to be, though. That puppy heated up the coals so well! They were extremely hot and perfect for cooking.

So the lessons learned in making grilled pizza is:

1. Don't use the nasty retro recipe from Betty Crocker Recipe Card Library. Really, Bisquick and catsup (ketchup), YUCK. I listened to Jenn at Frugal Upstate's suggestions (in my comments on the Tuna Salad Mix-ins Post) on bread dough, but then decided to buy the Pillsbury Pizza Dough in a can.
2. When using really hot coals, it's important to protect your dough. The above recipe called for 5 inches from the coals, well our little grill didn't give us that room. So my crust was blackened. By the time we got to Dana's and the kids crusts, we were getting slightly better results. Next time we will use foil to protect the dough while we precook the crust.
3. This is an amazingly yummy and fast camp food. Best part is that we each got to put what we want on our pizza. So Dana had lots of meat and cheese. Kaia had lots of meat and cheese with some mushrooms. Mo had a bit of everything but the mushrooms. I had light pepperoni and light cheeze with lots of mushrooms.

Thanks to Jenn for the suggestion, as I was considering the grilled pizzas, but wasn't sure due to the icky recipe I had. Also visit her site for this week's Frugal Food: Beans! I hope to get a post up, but no guarantees with how busy I am this week.

Skeeters

I'm still here my friends. You may not know that I have completely lost it, but the good news is I never really had it in the first place. No worries, I'll get back to some sense of being normal eventually, although I'm sure there is a padded room somewhere with my name all over it!

Our camping trip went well, and I discovered that Mo is just as tasty to the skeeters as I am. Kaia and Dana both left with a few bites each. I have the kind of itchy bites that makes me want to cut flesh off. Mo doesn't seem too fazed by his, but I have been giving him some benadryl in the evenings to keep the itching down.

So let me show you Skeeter Mo

The bites are all over his head poor kid. You don't see all the scrapes and bruises from the many times he attempted to kill himself. He fell off the tailgate of the pickup, was clotheslined by the dog, and fell from the picnic table just to name a few.

She's smiling because she isn't nearly as yummy or clutzy as Mo and I.

Finally the waterfall. It was really huge Memorial Day weekend. By the end of summer it will be a trickle. This was actually our first time stopping there. We just never noticed it until this May, and I read the sign about it being a trickle toward the end of summer, which pretty much explains why.

Have a wonderful day! I will be back later this week to talk about grilled pizzas and an upcoming 5th Birthday party.

Frugal Food: Tuna Salad Mix-ins

It's the second week of the frugal food series at Frugal Upstate. This week it is tuna, so head over to see all the great recipes.

I'll admit that we aren't huge tuna eaters, but we do enjoy tuna salad sandwiches. One thing I have learned, if you don't have much in with the tuna, it doesn't go very far. So have some fun! Take a look in your fridge and see what you can throw in. Here are a few of my favorite combinations start with tuna and mayo:

1. Mustard, celery, dill pickle, lemon pepper, dill
2. Mustard, dill pickle, pickled jalapeno
3. Sweet zucchini relish, red onion, celery

I look forward to seeing all of your tuna recipes! Also I would love some assistance. We are planning another camping trip, and I'd like to mix it up with some new frugal camping recipes. Please if you have some great recipes perfect for the outdoors, leave them in my comments.

More from Memorial Day

Our camping site was just across from the frog pond, which is also where the salamanders, periwinkles, and snakes could be found. So I'm sure you can imagine where the kids spent most of their time.

This guy posed for a shot on Monday afternoon. If you ever want a peaceful camping experience, head up on Monday of Memorial Day. The place was completely cleared out, and the frogs were obviously feeling the relief of not being manhandled by the hordes of children.

Camping with a trailer isn't all fun and games. We decided to pay the $5 to dump at a tire place on our way home, instead of driving the extra 12 miles to use the free one. At the price of fuel, it pretty much evens out. This sign caught my eye, and Dana laughed when I took a picture.

What I Did This Weekend

1. Tripped near the campfire, fell and busted my lip (on Dana's knee)


2. Caught a small salamander


3. Took photos of Kaia with the salamander she caught


4. Caught a green frog


5. Got muddy


6. Pet a small snake (very unusual for me, but it was teeny tiny)


7. Had a great weekend!

This will almost be us!

These are the funniest commercials! They mostly focus on the West Side of the State, but I remember a few camping trips like this when younger (well not quite this wet). We are going to get rained on tomorrow, but we have a trailer, and a plan to have fun!

Accountability!

We aren't going as far as Rainier, Chinook Pass is still closed due to snowfall. The good news in that is almost no one from the West side of the state will be at our campgrounds. Due to snowfall, many campgrounds are still closed, so less people from the population dense West side means a better campsite for us! (click on photo to read part of the article)

So I'm really good at having a plan and then not following through. However, this week I posted my menu on Menu Plan Monday and have stuck to it! When I hadn't pulled the ribs from the freezer this morning, I almost said, "Forget it!" Then quickly my brain said, "No, you said you were making ribs and coselaw, you better do it!" So I grabbed the ribs and let them defrost slightly on the counter (oh hush on the food safety stuff, it wasn't for very long) and then put them in the crockpot and covered them with sauce before I left for work.

I have the garlic bread and spaghetti stuff purchased. I am hoping to get it cooked up tonight so that tomorrow night after we set up camp, I can just heat it up. First night at camp always gets a little crazy in the rush to set up, eat and then get the kids settled down (the last being the hardest part). This will be a good trial run with a prepped dinner. If it makes the first night a bit less crazy, we'll definitely stick to it for future trips.

Menu Plan Monday

This is my first time participating in Menu Plan Monday. I always say I should, and then don't. Because of the holiday weekend, and trying to make sure everything is ready, I need to be super organized these next few days. So here it is:

Monday:
Baked Italian Chicken (chicken thighs marinated in italian dressing) with vegetable rice and asparagus

Tuesday:
Chef Salad with homemade ranch dressing

Wednesday:
BBQ Beef Ribs, coselaw and french bread

Thursday:
Take-along Spaghetti and french bread

Weekend (dinners just depend on what sounds good each night):
Grilled steak with mushrooms and peppers, corn on the cob (cooked on the campfire)
Taco-ish salad (ground beef, iceberg lettuce, kidney beans, red onion, olives and Catalina dressing served with Doritos)
Burgers, chips and fresh veggies

Missed Opportunity

We had a great weekend! Housework didn't get done quite as much as I had planned, but yard work was finished, and we enjoyed ourselves on Sunday. The kids and I stayed after church for potluck before heading home. We then all hopped into the truck (including Sampson) and Dana drove us up to Little Naches. We checked out the weather and the roads.

After having carried the camera around for several weeks, I took it out of my purse. Of course up in the Little Naches area I wished I had it. It was a warm 65 degrees up there. I was in a tank top and flip flops. Mo and Dana both had short sleeves. Yet, there was snow piled all around us! The campgrounds are all still closed, but we are looking forward to Memorial Day weekend.

On the way home we stopped by Jeff and Tam's. They were roasting hot dogs over their fire pit. We enjoyed visiting with them and Mo found a new friend. She is about his age and they were so cute playing together. I think Tam got some good photos, but I had really wished I had the camera.

Mo has learned so many new words and phrases. Just in the last few weeks he's said: Bible, river, I got it, honey, and show. There are so many more, and every day I look forward to hearing his new words.

Show & Tell: Home Away from Home

It's Show & Tell at Kelli's and I want to show you our home away from home.
I know my last post was about being "green" and here I am showing your our truck. It definitely is a gas hog, but not as bad as some. Plus it isn't a daily driver, except during the winter months. Behind it is our portable home. When we made the decision to purchase the trailer, we decided that we needed to use it at least 8-10 times a year to make it worth the expense. We did that just fine last year, and it has saved us a lot of money on hotels. This photo was taken on Sunday when we left the Yakima River Canyon.

Here is our kitchen and sofa. The sofa quite often becomes a coat rack and toy holder as you can see.
Here is Mo enjoying a game at the table, which is also the kids' bed come night time.

Here is Mo getting ready to wash his hands in our bathroom. He stands on the toilet to reach the sink. To the right is the shower/tub. Yes there really is a small tub, which comes in very handy when the kids get filthy!

Finally here is Dana's and my bedroom. Believe it or not, the trailer stays much cleaner than our other home. Also if you look on the ledge you will see my frugal find. That's a pink Liz Clairborne purse. Looked brand new. I picked it up for $4.99! I Love it! All Dana could say was, "You really like pink, don't you?" I had to laugh and ask where he had been the last 10 years.

Thanks for visiting. I am leaving for my conference in Vegas this weekend, so I may not be able to visit all of you right away, but I will when I return! Also, please visit my Global Warming post and tell me what you are doing to live "green." I'd love to hear from you.

2 is coming...

Manly enough to ride a girlie bike
A rare photo of the dad...he kept ducking out of them
Hey is that Big Foot?

Here are a few more camping photos. Quite often Mo was out blazing a trail. He's becoming an independent little man. 2 years old is just days away (eek!) and that brings new drama to our life.

Mo actually had 2 time-outs last night! He's had them before, but these were full 2 minute time-outs where he cried and attempted to get out of it. Both times it was because when I have told him "no" as he picked something up, he threw it back down. For some items that may not be a problem, but when it's the digital camera and the coffee pot carafe... big problem. He did survive his time-outs, and took them fairly well.

Another update, Cinnamon is ok. I am still amazed at how much she will put up with from the kids. Kaia kept wrapping things around her neck, Mo likes to lay right on top of her to snuggle, and through it all Cinnamon is calm and patient. (a lesson maybe I should learn)