Camp Food: What We Ate On Our Weekend Camping Trip

There are so many components to camping, but one of my favorites, is the food!

My little family recently took a weekend trip to Shawnee National Forest in Southern Illinois. We arrived on Friday afternoon and left on Saturday afternoon, which left us with 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, and 2 dinners to plan and execute. So, here's what we ate!

For our first dinner, we decided to go classic camp food: Hot dogs made over a fire. To add a little extra substance to our meal, we also made a pasta side on our camp stove. And of course, S'mores for dessert! This was an easy, yet delicious, meal.

The next day, we woke up and made pancakes (with mini chocolate chips for my son) with some warmed up, precooked sausage on the side. And of course, we had to have some coffee to wake us up!

Tip: Make your meals as uncomplicated as you can. While we loved our breakfast, the pancakes took way longer to make than I had anticipated since we could only make 1 pancake at a time.

For lunch, we just made sandwiches with lunchmeat and cheese and had an apple and chips on the side. (We were in a hurry though, so I didn't take any pictures.)

Next up: dinner! We made some campfire dip, which was absolutely delicious! Here's the recipe:
In an 8x8 foil pan, spread a brick of cream cheese on the bottom. Pour a can of chili beans in chili sauce on top. Spread a pound of pre-cooked ground beef cooked in taco seasoning. Then, top with 2 cups of taco cheese. Cover with foil. Cook over a fire, or on a camp stove, or any way that is available to you. Stir a couple times so that nothing burns. Eat with Frito Scoops.

To make this just a smidge healthier, we made it with Neufchtel (1/3 less fat cream cheese), low fat taco cheese, and turkey instead of beef.

Tip: Don't forget about the dishes you'll need to do! Because we didn't want to handwash plates with tons of cheese dip on them, we just ate right out of the foil pan and then threw away the pan when we were done.

Tip: Prep what you can in advance. Yes, we could have made the taco meat at our camp, but it was way faster and way less effort to just make it at home, put in in a sandwich bag, and then pull it out of the cooler when we were ready to make it! Easy peasy!

The next morning we made scrambled eggs and turkey bacon with coffee for breakfast. It was so simple, yet so great to have hot breakfast to start our day with.

To make scrambled eggs for 3, I whisked together 6 eggs, 6 Tablespoons of milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper together. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until eggs are the texture you enjoy.

For our coffee, we used these pour over filters from Amazon and just made some hot water in our little kettle on the camp stove.

Our last meal for this trip was lunch. We stopped at a picnic table before our last hike and ate some sandwiches and veggie straws. Super simple. And easy to make out of the back of our car in just a matter of minutes.

That was all the food we ate! Well, except for a couple oreos and some popcorn we had packed for snacks. Camp food shouldn't be complicated. And it helps to prep some stuff in advance. And worse case scenario, go find a restaurant. Don't be scared of cooking while camping, just make sure you leave yourself plenty of time in your schedule. and ENJOY!

I'm Currently Reading...

So, if you've never heard of Virgin River, you may be living under a rock. Well, that may be going too far, but you're definitely missing out. This series of books currently has 21 books. However, I'm just starting and am still reading book number 1. So far, it's pretty good. I quite enjoy Robyn Carr's style of writing and look forward to reading more books in the series.

Virgin River is also a Netflix original series, so I look forward to watching that after I have finished some of the books. I believe there are 2 seasons available right now.

The main story focuses on Melinda Monroe, a midwife and nurse practitioner, who needs a change from the city. She ends up in little Virgin River after a tragic loss. At first, she's not sure if she can handle country life, but she continues to postpone her exit until she finally falls in love with the town and the people living there.

There is an obvious attraction between Mel and the former marine/bar owner, Jack Sheridan that is sheer pleasure to read about.

Every book features different characters, but not necessarily new characters so you get to keep reading about the drama and antics that happen in Virgin River without getting bored by the same main character book after book. I look forward to reading them all! But first, I have to finish the first one...

Crochet Pattern: Valentine's Envelope

I wanted to make my 10-year-old son a cute little Valentine this year. We started homeschooling a couple years ago and he misses getting a Valentine from all of his classmates. Last year, I roped my husband into helping me make a couple Valentine’s for him, along with one I printed off from an email my Dad sent me. I think we did alright. So, this year, we’re going a step further and adding some little gifts in with the regular Valentine’s.

The first thing I made was this cute envelope that he can use over and over again.

Materials:
-worsted weight yarn (in 2 colors- a main color and an accent color; I used Big Twist Varsity Navy for my main color and a light grey/silver)
-4mm/G hook
-yarn needle
-small piece of velcro

Pattern:
Using your main color, ch 35.
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc across (34)
Row 2-30: ch 1, sc across (34)
Row 31: ch 1, sc in blo across (34)
Row 32-64: ch 1, sc across (34)
Row 65: ch 1, sc in blo across (34)
Row 66: ch 1, sc across (34)
Row 67: ch 1, sc2tog, sc x 30, sc2tog (32)
Row 68: ch 1, sc2tog, sc x 28, sc2tog (30)
Row 69: ch 1, sc2tog, sc x 26, sc2tog (28)
Row 70: ch 1, sc2tog, sc x 24, sc2tog (26)
Row 71: ch 1, sc2tog, sc x 22, sc2tog (24)
Row 72: ch 1, sc2tog, sc x 20, sc2tog (22)
Row 73: ch 1, sc2tog, sc x 18, sc2tog (20)
Row 74: ch 1, sc2tog, sc x 16, sc2tog (18)
Row 75: ch 1, sc2tog, sc x 14, sc2tog (16)
Row 76: ch 1, sc2tog, sc x 12, sc2tog (14)
Row 77: ch 1, sc2tog, sc x 10, sc2tog (12)
Row 78: ch 1, sc2tog, sc x 8, sc2tog (10)
Row 79: ch 1, sc2tog, sc x 6, sc2tog (8)
Row 80: ch 1, sc2tog, sc x 4, sc2tog (6)
Row 81: ch 1, sc2tog, sc x 2, sc2tog (4)
Row 82: ch 1, sc2tog, sc2tog (2)
Row 83: ch 1, sc2tog (1)
Sc around the outside. Sc, ch, sc in each corner.
Finish off and weave in ends.

Assembly:
Fold the rectangle end of your piece at row 31. Since you worked into the back loops, your piece should naturally fold here. Using your yarn needle and main color, sew the sides together.

I used hot glue to attach my velcro, but feel free to attach it in any way that you want. I first glued one side of the velcro in place on the flap at the top. Then, while the two pieces of velcro were still attached to each other, I put hot glue on the side that wasn’t attached and folded it down in place, and glued that piece. This ensures that the velcro will be positioned exactly where you want it to be and everything will line up correctly.

To add extra details, I used my accent yarn to sew around the outside of the letter as shown below.

Then, I added a couple lines in the middle where you would write an address.

The last detail I added was a stamp in the corner. If you want to make this more “Valentine-y” you could make your stamp a heart, but I just wanted this to be a cute letter.
Stamp Pattern:
Ch 6
Row 1: sc in the 2nd ch from the hook, sc across (5)
Row 2-7: ch 1, sc across (5)
Outside: (starting as though you’re doing Row 8) ch 1, hdc, sl st, ch, hdc, sl st, ch, hdc, ch, hdc (working along the side), sl st, ch, hdc, sl st, ch, hdc, sl st, ch, hdc, ch, hdc (working along the bottom), sl st, ch, hdc, sl st, ch, hdc, ch, hdc (working along the other side), sl st, ch, hdc, sl st, ch, hdc, sl st, ch, hdc, sl st to top of first hdc.
Finish off, leaving a long enough tail to sew onto envelope.

Sew stamp onto envelope in the top right corner.

Recipe: Healthy Dessert Apple Nachos

I LOVE dessert. It's my favorite part of any meal! But when you're trying to eat healthy, it's not always eay to even have dessert, let alone enjoy it. So, here is one of my favorite easy desserts when I have the calories to spare.

Ingredients:
1 apple
2 Tbsp peanut butter
2 Tbsp mini chocolate chips

Steps:
1. Cut your apple into thin slices or rings and place on a plate.
2. Microwave your peanut butter until it is fully melted. This will make your peanut butter appear to go further and get an even coating on all of the apple slices. Pour the peanut butter in a drizzle all over the apples on your plate.
3. Sprinkle the mini chocolate chips evenly over your apples.
Serve and enjoy!

I know this is really simple, but I just love eating them!

Recipe: Breakfast Cookies

I recently tried a new recipe, changed it a little to make it a little more me, and I seriously love it. Bonus: My husband and son love these as well! Extra Bonus: They're pretty healthy for you! I was hesitant to call these cookies because they're more reminiscent of muffin tops, but we'll stick with the word cookies because those are more fun to eat! Right?

Ingredients:
1 cup whole-wheat flour
¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup Hershey’s special dark cocoa
1 ½ Tbsp instant coffee
1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp kosher salt
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 ripe banana, peeled, microwaved 30 seconds, then mashed
½ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
½ cup honey
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 ¼ cups blueberries
¾ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions:
1. Heat oven to 350 F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flours, cocoa, coffee, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.

3. In another bowl, whisk together eggs, banana, yogurt, honey, oil, and vanilla until well combined (small lumps of banana are OK).

4. Stir egg mixture into flour mixture, gently stirring until just incorporated. Fold in blueberries and chocolate chips. Do not overmix.

5. Scoop balls of dough, about 1 ½ Tbsp each, onto prepared sheets, about 2 in apart. Flatten cookies slightly by pressing lightly with fingers or back of fork (to keep from sticking, use nonstick spray).

6. Bake until firm around the edges, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool completely on sheet on wire rack.

Servings: 40
Calories: 73 (When I made these, I used a small scoop and ended up making 46, making them 63 calories a piece.)

I hope that you like these as much as my family does. I put two "cookies" in a snack bag and then put those into a bin. Now, we have an easy 146 calorie breakfast filled with fruit and chocolate that we can just grab in the morning with no extra prep.

Crochet Pattern: Half-Circle Earrings

I saw some earrings that were similar to these on a shopping website and just had to have them! And since I know how to crochet, I decided to make them myself, instead! And since I liked them so much, I just had to write up the pattern to share with all of you! So, here it is:

Materials:
-5mm hook
-worsted weight yarn (I used Big Twist yarn)
-yarn needle
-round clasp (I used these)
-jump ring
-fish hook earring
-pliers

Pattern:
Ch 2.
Round 1: sc 4 in the 2nd ch from the hook, ch 1, turn (4)
Round 2: sc 2 in each hook around, ch 1, turn (8)
Round 3: (sc, sc inc) x 4, turn (12)
Round 4: ch 1, (sl st, ch 3, sl st in same st, sl st in next st) x 6

Top: ch 1, sc x 7 across the top, sl st to beginning of round 4.
Finish off and weave in ends.

Attach earring hardware:
I used these clasps for the rounded, metal part. I thought they really added a cute detail to the earrings. Plus, you only have to squeeze them into place. The ‘teeth’ on the clasps hold nicely to the yarn.
Now, using a jump ring, attach a fish hook earring to the clasp, completing your earring.

Repeat the entire process so that you have 2 earrings!

Homeschool: Book Review for Read Aloud

A couple months ago, I shared the awesome books that we read aloud while my son was in 4th grade (see that post here). And I'll have some amazing books to tell you about in a couple months when we finish 5th grade! But you know how I know that these are great books? Well, one way is because I have my son do a 1-page book review after each book. Go to the bottom of this post for a free downloadable copy. It looks like this:

It's got everything you would want to know about the book. But at the same time, it's only one page so it doesn't take too long to complete.

Click here for a downloadable copy!

Recipe: Taco Bowl

One of my son's favorite foods is tacos. So, when we started eating healthier and I saw how many calories were in a single tortilla shell, I knew we had to do something else. My husband and I did a little thinking and decided to make a taco bowl, instead. We got our inspiration from Chipotle and Taco Bell. So, I'm here to share that recipe with you, today!

Ingredients:
1 lb ground turkey
1 packet of taco seasoning
1 can pinto beans
1 can corn
Salsa
Low-fat cheese
2 cups Brown rice (4 cups cooked)

Instructions:
1. Cook rice, corn, beans, and taco meat according to the directions on the container.
2. Layer rice, pinto beans, corn, and turkey taco meat, using 1/5 of each. Top with one serving each of salsa and cheese.

Servings: 5
Calories: 480

We love to eat this, probably at least every other week if not once a week. It is so filling and definitely works with my "diet".

I'm Currently Reading...

As a homeschool mom, I don't get a lot of time to myself. However, we do have reading time every single day. This allows me half an hour to read my own book of choice while my son reads his. I think it's important for him to see me reading for joy to show that when you find the right book, reading is an adventure that you should love to be on.

For my first book of 2021, I have chosen to read The Alice Network by Kate Quinn. I had seen it recommended somewhere, but to be honest, I can't think of where.

Quoted from GoodReads
"In an enthralling new historical novel from national bestselling author Kate Quinn, two women—a female spy recruited to the real-life Alice Network in France during World War I and an unconventional American socialite searching for her cousin in 1947—are brought together in a mesmerizing story of courage and redemption.
1947. In the chaotic aftermath of World War II, American college girl Charlie St. Clair is pregnant, unmarried, and on the verge of being thrown out of her very proper family. She's also nursing a desperate hope that her beloved cousin Rose, who disappeared in Nazi-occupied France during the war, might still be alive. So when Charlie's parents banish her to Europe to have her "little problem" taken care of, Charlie breaks free and heads to London, determined to find out what happened to the cousin she loves like a sister.
1915. A year into the Great War, Eve Gardiner burns to join the fight against the Germans and unexpectedly gets her chance when she's recruited to work as a spy. Sent into enemy-occupied France, she's trained by the mesmerizing Lili, code name Alice, the "queen of spies", who manages a vast network of secret agents right under the enemy's nose.
Thirty years later, haunted by the betrayal that ultimately tore apart the Alice Network, Eve spends her days drunk and secluded in her crumbling London house. Until a young American barges in uttering a name Eve hasn't heard in decades, and launches them both on a mission to find the truth...no matter where it leads."

Intriquing, right? Well, I'm only about half-way through the book, and every day during our half hour reading time, I am so curious about how the book is going to end. I look forward to reading it. And I think that in and of itself shows that this is a good book. The Alice Network is definitely a mature book that should not be read by children. It's dramatic. There is pain and suffering and embarrassment and war. There are some sensitive topics like abortion and sex. However, there is also love and friendship. Overall, I'm excited to see how this book ends.

If you have any recommendations of books for me to read, please leave them in the comments below.

My Noom Experience

A lot of people have made their New Years Resolutions. We're 13 days into the year, and some of you are still going strong. And to you, I say, WAY TO GO! I personally don't make resolutions anymore. I'm more of a goal person. My goal this year is to really work at living a more relaxed life. And we can talk about that in a future post, but the real reason you're here is to hear about my experience with Noom.

If you're like me, you've seen the ads for Noom on TV and on social media. It's more than a diet. That's what you've been told, right? Well, I can tell you 100% that they deliver on this promise!

On August 1st, 2020, I was unhappy. I weighed 360 pounds. I was always tired. I was incredibly self-contious. I always felt overwhelmed. I never truly felt happy. There was just something missing in my life.

On August 2nd, I decided to make a change. Now, I'm not about to tell you that Noom is some wonder-working, miracle program. However, if you do the daily lessons, follow their eating guides, stick to your calorie budget, try some new things, experiment, and truly work your butt off, you will lose weight and you will be a healthier, happier person. I have learned so many things. I am so much happier than I used to be. I used to overthink everything, until Noom pointed out to me that I was trying to mind-read what others were thinking, and I had no proof that people were thinking anything close to what I had in my mind. It sounds so obvious, but that really did change my life, and while my thoughts do get the best of me sometimes, Noom has given me the tools to work past my "negative" thoughts and feelings. And I put the word negative in quotes, because there is no such thing as a negative emotion, only emotions. It's okay to feel, you guys! Just don't let those feelings take over your life.

But it's not just about your mental health, it IS also about your physical health. I don't necessarily work out very often, but I am so much more active than I used to be. I was so lazy at one point in my life that there would literally be DAYS every single week that I would get less than 500 steps. Now, that seems insane to me. While I'm not the most active person, I do still hit a minimum of 3,000 steps every day, most reaching about 10,000. That's a pretty big improvement for me! I also choose to do yoga every single morning. I have a couple different flows, depending on how much time I have, and you can check those out over on my YouTube channel.

I am also eating completely different foods than I used to. I used to eat every single fried thing you could find. And while I do still eat burgers, (cauliflower) pizza, wings, and (sweet potato) fries, as you can see, I have changed some ingredients to be healthier like whole wheat buns and smaller serving sizes. I've also started eating some fish. One of my favorite meals is blackened tilapia with pearl couscous and green beans. I will be sharing some of my favorite recipes with all of you this coming year.

But to sum up everything, I have had an amazing experience with Noom and I am excited to continue my journey. I am by no means at my AFTER. But I am working toward it. In just over 5 months, I have lost 65 pounds. I am officially under 300. I am feeling pretty good about myself. Don't get me wrong, I'm still tired sometimes (but not nearly like before). I'm still pretty self-contious (but surprisingly-to me, not as much as I used to be). I have learned to make my to-do lists and take things off that don't bring me joy and aren't NECESSARY, which help me to feel less overwhelmed. And I'm finally starting to feel happy. And that happiness is not directly related to my weight loss. It may be a factor, but it's not my entire reason. My mental health has greatly increased. So, are you ready to see some progress pics? Cause I know, that's one of my favorite things to see!