Light Saber Keeper

In case you are wondering what I do with my time when I'm not RV'ing. Here you go:

SURVIVAL!

Yep, as a mom of three very energetic, creative and adventurous kids, it really is all about survival.

My youngest, a little six year old ball of fire, loves Star Wars, pirates, sword fighting, Teenage Mutant Ninja turtles and other such active games which require weaponry (or a stick he's found in the woods that can be used as a sword or weapon).

 

Now in the woods, where there's plenty of room for sword-play, and where sticks can be thrown back into the woods after the game, this is not a problem. However, when I am sneaking into his room, or ahem, when the tooth fairy is sneaking into his room under the cover of darkness, and she trips over some weapon and it lights up and makes Star Wars noises, and it scares the poor Tooth Fairy nearly to death, and she bites her lip so as not to scream out in agony because her shin...I mean HER SHIN!!! Ouch!!

Choose Your Own Adventure!

Anyone remember these books from your childhood? Well, they're labeled classics, which make me feel really old, but other than that, they were awesome books! You would be reading along, and then come to a place where you have to make a choice about your next step. You'd either choose wrong and kill yourself off, or choose wisely and move on to the next challenge.

Yesterday was a bit of a "Choose Your Own Adventure" type of day for us. We had planned to visit Muir Woods on a Sunday. Since the woods are several hours from our house, and since we know Muir Woods State Park is a very popular place, we planned to leave early in the morning for our day trip. Everything was packed up and ready the night before, so early Sunday morning, we fed the troops and hit the road.

Love Yosemite? Hate Crowds?

If so, I'm with you. Look, I get it, the scenery is spectacular, the water is crystal clear and refreshing. The massive granite cliffs, the grassy meadows dotted with wildflowers and butterflies, the roaring waterfalls...Yosemite has it all! The only thing it's missing is readily available campsites, but we'll even put up with that hassle in order to view its majesty. The one thing that is difficult are the crowds. Because Yosemite is so spectacular, it does get very crowded. So many times we want to visit on a three day weekend or holiday, because, let's face it, that's when we have the extra time off! But the thought of dealing with the traffic jams, the throngs of people, and then the possibility of not even being able to enjoy the beauty without someone else elbowing into your space...it really makes you wonder if it's worth the effort at all. Well, I think it is. And we found some ways to enjoy the beauty all by ourselves!!!

Real Butterscotch Sauce

If you haven't gathered by now, I love food. And my absolute favorite sweets belong to the delicious caramel, butterscotch or toffee family. Most of my friends and family are chocolate lovers, but my kryptonite is amber for sure. One of my favorite, and very easy to make caramel-ly treats is homemade butterscotch sauce. Now if your idea of butterscotch is the flavor of the chips for cookies- this will NOT be that type. This is more like a caramel sauce, but slightly richer. The only difference between this sauce and a caramel sauce is that it's made with brown, instead of white sugar. The best news of all is that there are only about 20 minutes between you and this heavenly concoction!

 

Yosemite: Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls

Yosemite. I have a love/hate relationship with this park. I love the roaring waterfalls, the sheer cliffs of granite, the beautiful lush trees and the glorious sound of the rushing river flowing next to me. I love pushing myself to my limits, then forcing myself to go even further; to reach the top of the falls. And what a magnificent reward at the top; rainbows made by the waterfall's own mist, a whooshing flood of water rushing down a granite table, so close you can almost feel its force. This is what draws people to the park. So.many.people. And that brings me to what I strongly dislike about Yosemite. Its popularity makes it crowded, busy, and very difficult to get camping reservations in. But these views...I just can't stay away!

Tri Tip on the Grill

For a delicious, quick and easy summer dinner, you can have this beauty ready in about 30 minutes (or a little longer if you like your meat more well-done). You cook the meat on the outdoor grill so no heating up the house. And the zucchini are so easy to make, even my 11 and 8-year-olds love to cook them. Win, win, win! Let's get cooking!

 

Roasted Chicken, Artichoke and Pasta

This is a great summer dinner that the kids love. Artichokes are in season right now, and they are very popular at our house. I usually steam them on the stove, but I wanted to try them roasted this time. I loved them this way, but 2 of my kids slightly prefer them steamed. That didn't stop them from devouring these ones!