Quick Inspiration for the Morning!

Came across this quote this morning. I don't know who Osho is, maybe he's wonderful, maybe he's a bs-er, I just don't know. But I like this quote. It encourages me to do and be something other than my day to day mundane.

Fabulous Fall Hike in Vermilion, OH

The beautiful hint of Fall on the little tree welcoming us to our hike!

Fall is beginning to sneak out on the trees here in northeast Ohio! And I'm absolutely loving it! It means cooler temps are coming, gorgeous trees will be everywhere, and most importantly: my birthday is coming! (I'm an October baby.) My sweet husband and I have hiking and camping fever so we strapped on our hiking boots, leashed up the dogs, and went on a three and a half mile hike today. It was unbelievable and did everything we could have desired to invigorate our souls.

Chief (L) and Ruby (R) ready to hit the trail!

We got a new harness, just like Chief's, for Ruby this week. She is terrible on the leash, pulls like a sled dog, and we're doing our best to train her on the short leash to heel and walk nicely. But on a hike, we like for the dogs to have free reign and be able to run and sniff. I think they get as rejuvenated on our hikes as we do!

These are my two favorite nature-y things that we saw on the hike (we didn't really see anything un-nature-y, though!). I lovelovelove purple asters (at least that's what I call them, who knows what they are really called!). I looked for them the entire hike and finally saw them in the field! Both Matt and I thought the fungus was really cool. It doesn't show in the picture, but it was super bright white.

The river was clean and beautiful! Perfect for the dogs to take a quick dip!

Chief loves the water, Ruby is just learning to appreciate it. Chief wades right in and waddles around to get cooled off. Ruby is still a bit hesitant, but with time and watching her big brother, I'm sure she'll love it, too!

Ruby debating just how fast she wants to run across this boardwalk!

All in all, the hike was magnificent. We spent quality time together and with our beloved dogs. The kids, who were pooped from a busy weekend, got to relax at home. We'd love for them to come join us on our adventures, but hopefully with time it will happen and the desire will grow. I'm not so sure as a 13yo and 8yo I would have wanted to hike three plus miles in the bug infested woods either! 

We have officially started our endeavor to get ourselves and the dogs in better shape for longer backpacking trips. (O! BTW, I found a pack that I love and fits me superbly, too! I'll tell you about it soon!) We also decided that we won't be taking the dogs on our mountain climbing trip next year to the Presidential Traverse. But, we will be taking them on our overnight backpacking trips! Hopefully the kids, too!

Official Camping Menu

I have made the final copy of the menu for my husband's and my campout coming up in a couple of weeks! (so excited, you know!!) It didn't take me long as I took most of my ideas from that fabulous blog of Jesseca's I mentioned in my last post. Her recipes are simple and delicious and freeze so well so I can prep ahead of time. I love to have little to do at the campsite but pop some foil wrapped goodies in the fire and wait for yumminess! I still have to make the corn bread muffins, peanut butter cookies, and the peach cobbler. I want to wait to the last minute to do those so I don't have to freeze them and they can be as fresh as possible. It will just depend on my work schedule at Eddie Bauer as to when I actually make them.
We've never actually cooked rice on a campout, either, but I don't see why we can't over the little propane stove! I'm not looking forward to washing that pot, but adventure is what it is all about, right!? (pretty lame adventure, but I've got to live it up any way I can!)
We'll be able to eat off our new enamelware dishes that I got for Matt. He really only needed the mug, but I the set was cheaper than buying just one mug! So, taadaa! We have new camping dishes!
So, finally the menu. . .

Columbus Day Weekend Camping Trip Menu

Saturday Lunch

PB&J Sandwiches

Chips

Cookies (peanut butter)

Saturday Dinner

Turkey Black Bean Chili

Corn Bread Muffins

Peach Cobbler Bars

Sunday Breakfast

Sausage Gravy with Biscuits

Oatmeal

Coffee

OJ

Sunday Lunch

Roast Beef and Cheese Sandwiches

Chips

Peach Cobbler Bars

Sunday Dinner

Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs

Rice

S’mores or Banana Boats

Monday Breakfast

Breakfast Burritos

Oatmeal

Coffee

OJ

Favorite Camp Meal: Breakfast!

Most definitely!! I love waking up in my warm sleeping bag to hear my husband rustling around at the firepit, getting it ready for me to make breakfast for the family! On our next campout I am trying some new recipes. We've tried waffles and pancakes and eggs, and I would love to expand our camping recipe box!
Both of the recipes I'm trying come from this fabulous blog called One Sweet Appetite, written by a lovely lady in Utah named Jesseca. I actually just went through her blog the other day and bookmarked almost a dozen recipes that I want to try! Yummy!
Matt, my husband, along with our two dogs, are going camping in October in Pennsylvania together. One of the first places we camped before we were married was at a beautiful spot called Heart's Content, so cute, right? That site was all booked for the weekend we're going, so we're camping at Chapman State Park, right next door! We plan to hike at Heart's Content the morning we arrive at camp, before we can check in. Hopefully we'll bring back some good memories!
We always wake up with coffee (for Matt) and OJ (for me) and then some instant oatmeal. Then we move on to the main course, which I prefer to prepare ahead of time; makes it so much easier! The first morning we're at camp we'll have sausage gravy with biscuits - makes me think of my dad eating at Bob Evans! I used turkey sausage, it is so much cheaper than anything else right now and I love that is kind of good for you!! Here's the recipe at Jesseca's site. By the way, the pic is Jesseca's, too! I totally forgot to take any when I was cooking ahead of time. I've frozen the gravy and will make the biscuits the day before we leave. Thank you, Jesseca!

The next morning Matt and I will be eating these super yummy breakfast burritos that Jesseca dreamed up. I made so many but my family gobbled them down immediately so I'll have to make another batch before we go! They are super easy to make and even my kids loved them, (btw, I have super picky eaters!) I'll freeze the rest after I make them, but all you have to do to reheat them is pop them in the microwave or stick them in the coals of your fire to heat up. Here's the recipe!
So our gratitude goes out to Jesseca at One Sweet Appetite! We're looking forward to some hearty breakfasts thanks to her love for cooking and sharing!

Back in the game. . . and with a goal this time, too!

So we put our house on the market this summer, after we fixed and painted and did a ton of yard work.

But nothing happened, I guess it just wasn't meant to be at this point in time, so we took if off the market until March or so. We're going to hopefully (my fingers are crossed that we follow through with this one) finish the basement over the winter.

Unfortunately, hiking and camping didn't happen as often as I had hoped this summer because of the house being for sale. But now that we are "back to normal" I'm hoping to get a good couple of hikes in each week. I am working at an adventure-y type clothing store right now, and having a ball doing it, and I am so inspired by many of my customers! They show me pics of their adventures and tell me their tales and all I want to do is get out there and do it myself! My new goal, or number one on my bucket list, which I've never had before, is to climb a mountain in the eastern U.S.

We can easily drive to Mount Washington in a day, camp there and then hike the mountain the next day. The not so easy part is getting in myself and my husband and the dogs in shape to do that type of exercise! We have, as my husband says, "gotten a bit soft". Yeah, no kidding on that one! Our puppy is the fittest one of us all; she can go all day. But our cattle dog needs a lot more exercise, just like Matt and I do. Maybe with this grand goal in mind I'll spend the winter walking and hiking with the dogs so when Spring comes I'll be ready to go!

Matt, the dogs, and I are going camping over Columbus Day weekend. That's supposed to read: WE'RE GOING CAMPING!!!!!!! I am so excited and have already done most of the prep cooking for the trip. We're not taking the huge tent since it will just be the four of us. We'll take the six man and we've already decided to take the kids' old sleeping bags for the dogs to ensure that they stay warm at night. Chief, the cattle dog, has a hard time sleeping in a tent, so I may pack an extra pad for him so he is more comfortable. 

I'm hoping Matt orders the backpacks for the dogs before the trip so we can start getting them used to carrying gear and having a job. I think it is really important for a dog to feel important and giving him a job, such as carrying gear, is just the way to do it! 

I'm off to get ready for work tomorrow, pack lunches and iron. So I guess if I were to preach a lesson today it would be to dream big! (though I'm not much of a preacher, so just dream, I think that is definitely good enough!!)

~Beth