Friday, July 31, 2009

Camping

When I think of summer I always have a fleeting thought of camping. It is not what I want to do all summer but I have to go at least once. As a child, camping was the "roughing" it way. But, as an adult, I do not want to rough it. But my kids want to the experience, so we compromise. In about a week we are heading to a state campground and staying in a small cabin, last year it was a yurt. It still has communal bathrooms, fire pits, sleeping bags, but I get a roof that will not leak and a mattress!!!

Anyway I am trying to think of some good recipes that I can do most of the prep at home and then cook fast onsite. I am leaning towards kabobs and potato foil packets for one dinner and then hotdogs and potato salad for another dinner. But I would love some other ideas. What do you do for camping dinners? I want easy, easy to prepare and easy to clean up. I have checked websites but I want the foods my friends and family make that have been tried and are make agains.

Do you have any other camping family secrets?

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Laundry all day

So we bought our Washer/Dryer set about 4 years ago. Yesterday we had a repair man look at our dryer and he said it would cost about $450 for parts, not including the labor! He suggested we buy a new dryer. I could have cried. We bought an expensive set at the time hoping it would last longer then this! We even bought the pedestals so they sit higher and we have that storage. Last night, while the kids were at VBS, we went to Salem. The bad news was that there would be NO dryer that would fit that pedestal! NONE. And then the other bad news are dryers are not cheap! I cannot get over the fact that we had to make a large purchase that we had not planned on. I am not in a good mood.

The delivery guy asked if I was excited about a new dryer. I had to say no. And now I get to catch up on all the laundry that I haven't done.

Monday, July 27, 2009

Brownies


I was missing me some brownies. Really missing them. I had gone to the local grocery stores looking for the new Betty Crocker gluten free products they added to their line this summer. Of course I have read reviews of people eating them on the East Coast but not in this area, yet. I have put in a request at my local Roths but I am sure it will be awhile before I see it there. So to pass the time I ordered it off of amazon.com. You have to buy 6 boxes at a time but I knew I would actually eat the 6 boxes at some point.

I finally got around to baking the brownies Saturday night.

They are not the brownies I am used to. . . but I think if I made them you would not know they were gluten free. They are more fudgy then regular brownies and don't have that crust on brownies I kind of like. But they are close enough and I am glad to find a gluten free product that is easy to make! The mix is more expensive then a normal gluten loaded mix so I actually put pieces of my brownie into ziplock baggies and into the freezer and am not sharing them with my family. Then I can take them out as I need a chocolate brownie fix. Or take them with me if I am going somewhere that may not have gluten free desserts.

I am now waiting to try Betty Crocker cake and cookie mixes when they hit a shelf near me. YUMMMMMMM

Sunday, July 26, 2009

"Forever"

So by now most of you have seen the amazing wedding entrance that was posted on youtube and then hit the morning show and then onto evening news. I know I have watched a few times myself. I love it. But it isn't only the feelings you get from watching the couple having fun with their friends and making a great memory but I love the song. And I got to thinking about youtube. One video gets posted, is watched MILLIONS of times and that one song is heard those MILLIONS of times. I hope that Chris Brown is selling a boat load of his song, "Forever". I know I am thinking of adding it to my ring tones. And I would love to add it to my itunes, if I had an ipod :)

The Internet is an amazing thing. It has helped me find my newest favorite song.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

29 weeks

Nope, not pregnant. :)

I started the year off with a goal to read one book a week, making 52 books read by the end of the year. I also began that journey commenting on my blog about the books I was reading. This soon ceased as I was getting comments that my dear readers would like less information on books. (I have some non reader friends and family.)

But I got to thinking about where I am with my goal. So I looked at a calendar and figured I needed to have read about 29 books today, it is more accurately 28 books and then most of a 29th book. I then went and counted the books on my bookshelf, here on my blog, of the books I have finished. Guess what?! I have read, get this, 29 books!!! So I am right on. I actually thought I was going to be short a few books. I am doing it!!! I am past the half way point and I am feeling good about getting the goal done. I have a big stack of some interesting books to be read and I have others I want to get to.
How are your reading goals? Any good or interesting books you have read? Any books that you are interested in? I need to read 23 more books so I am still looking for a few good ones.

Monday, July 20, 2009

A New Look

I have been blogging for awhile now. I have watched my friends make themselves beautiful blogs and wonder how in the world they accompished such a feat. This weekend I was out with some girlfriends and they let me in on the secret. (Thanks Kim and Karen.) So this morning I put aside a chunk of time to see if I could actually find myself a template I liked and to see if I could do this without somehow erasing all my posts. But you know what? It only took about 5 minutes to see how easy it was. It took about another 15 for me to actually settle on a background but it is done. And it was easy!

It is a bit addicting though. I think I may change it every season as there are so many to choose from!

Friday, July 10, 2009

Blueberry time


So this morning my daughter convinced me it was time to go picking, blueberry picking that is! Last year we went 3 times, freezing it all. A few weeks ago we used our last ziplock baggie up. We enjoy crepes and smoothies all fall/winter with our horde. It was actually perfect weather for it and the kids are much better this year then last at actually putting blueberries in their containers.

So tonight we eat CREPES.

By the way, for those of you who want to go, there are a few weeks left out at Olsons. Their berries are still pretty green. (And they are $1.00 a pound u-pick.)

Thursday, July 9, 2009

SYTYCD or "So You Think You Can Dance"

Summer may mean the ending of a lot of our favorite television shows but it means the beginning of one of my favorite seasons. SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE. I really don't care for reality shows about dance or singing or skating. They bore me. So I was surprised to really fall in love with SYTYCD a few years ago. Last night was the night where the 12 dancers, down from 20, dance to see who will make the Top 10. I picked two favorites the first night, Evan and Caitlin. To me they seemed to have good stories and I liked their styles of dance. I am afraid though that they both could be going home tonight. I liked their personalities but last night the other contestants showed much more skill. The very last dance of the evening was so good I even rewinded my DVR to see it again, never done that before. It was two thieves about to steal some jewels and was really really well done. I think it was so good because I don't really like the guy, Brandon. I didn't think he was that good. BUT I was WRONG. He is very talented, just doesn't have that personality I can grab onto.

Anyway I am going to be sad to see my favorites go but I don't think they are the best dancers. :( Sadly I don't think many of the guys this season or worthy of staying. The young ladies are much better. (That is a switch from last year when I thought the guys were much stronger.)

Monday, July 6, 2009

Happy Birthday Amy



Happy Birthday my friend. Wish I could see you more often.

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Jeff Foxworthy and "Living in Oregon"

THIS IS WHAT JEFF FOXWORTHY HAS TO SAY ABOUT 'LIVING IN OREGON!

If someone in a Home Depot store offers you assistance and they don't work there, you live in Oregon.

If you've worn shorts, sandals and a parka at the same time, you live in Oregon. Think this could be me.

If you've had a lengthy telephone conversation with someone who dialed the wrong number, you live in Oregon.

If you measure distance in hours, you live in Oregon. Doesn't everyone do that?

If you know several people who have hit a deer more than once, you live in Oregon. I like this one, probably because I can think of a few people.

If you have switched from 'heat' to 'A/C' and back again in the same day, you live in Oregon.

If you install security lights on your house and garage but leave both doors unlocked, you live in Oregon.

If you can drive 75 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard without flinching, you live in Central, Southern or Eastern Oregon.

If you design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a 2 layers of clothes or under a raincoat, you live in Oregon.

If driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow and ice, you live in Oregon.

If you know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter, and road construction, you live in Oregon.

If you feel guilty throwing aluminum cans or paper in the trash, you live in Oregon.

If you know more than 10 ways to order coffee, you live in Oregon.

If you know more people who own boats than air conditioners, you live in Oregon.

If you stand on a deserted corner in the rain waiting for the "Walk" signal, you live in Oregon.

If you consider that if it has no snow or has not recently erupted, it is not a real mountain, you live in Oregon.

If you can taste the difference between Starbucks, Seattle's Best, and Dutch Bros, you live in Oregon.

If you know the difference between Chinook, Coho and Sockeye salmon, you live in Oregon.

If you consider swimming an indoor sport you live in Oregon.

If you know that Boring is a city and not just a feeling, you live in Oregon.

If you never go camping without waterproof matches and a poncho, you live in Oregon.

If you have actually used your mountain bike on a mountain, you live in Oregon.

If you think people who use umbrellas are either wimps or tourists, you live in Oregon.

If you buy new sunglasses every year, because you cannot find the old ones after such a long time, you live in Oregon. I like that one too.