weekend in the wilderness.
i’m back from camping!
hope you guys enjoyed kara’s guest post and also had a chance to enter my tofuXpress giveaway :)
i spent the weekend exploring the desert. not to be confused with dessert.. although i do like the idea of a weekend full of dessert exploring so i am not opposed to that. this past weekend, however, was spent here:
goblin valley.
i am unpacked and clean.. just doing some laundry and relaxing on the couch. too bad i have to go back to work tomorrow!! ah well, such is life. at least i had a nice mini-getaway.
there are over 600 photos of the trip! for sanity’s sake, i will break this recap into two parts ;)
FYI: half of the trip was photographed with my point and shoot and the other half with my DSLR. you may see drastic differences from one photo to the next, that’s why.
we got a late start friday after work. we initially wanted to leave at 4 PM but, of course, that never happens! we ended up hitting the road around 6 PM. the kids were happy to be coming along!
the drive was a rainy one. i felt pretty bummed because camping in the rain is no bueno. we were keeping our fingers crossed for clear skies! i snacked on an apple, a kombucha, and plenty of yogurt covered pretzels & veggie chips on the drive down south.
we got to our destination after the sun went down so we drove aimlessly down a dirt road until we found a camp site fully equipped with a fire pit. we parked our cars and set up camp!
the boys built a glorious fire. because that is what guys do.
penny helped.
the gals set up the tents. because that is what gals do.
the next item of business was obviously FOOD. the dinner menu was taco soup & quesadillas.
SPORKS!!
i actually made the taco soup (using my original recipe) friday in the crock pot, so all we had to do was warm it on the camp stove.
the quesadillas were a last minute decision, i threw some cheddar between some flour tortillas and cooked them in the cast iron skillet over the fire.
after slicing up some avocado, dinner was served!
delicious.
after dinner we relaxed by the fire, happy it wasn’t raining. eventually my sweet tooth got the best of me and it was time for some dessert in the desert!
it’s a given that dessert=s’mores!
my marshmallows almost fell of the stick! side note: whenever i type “marshmallow” i have to backspace because i accidentally type “marshall”.. EVERY time.
i know that most people typically make their s’mores with a chocolate bar and graham crackers.. but it is much easier (and, in my opinion, tastier) if you sandwich your toasted ‘mallows between two keebler fudge stripe cookies.
gooey and delicious. i had one more toasted marsh(all)mellow for good measure.
we ended the night all tucked into the tent!
good night!
saturday.
we woke up to sunshine! hooray for clear skies. it was fun to wake up and see what our surroundings looked like since we’d arrived when it was pitch black outside. turns out our camp spot had some outrageously amazing views.
each of us had our morning duties :)
kristen gave randy his morning workout with a little chasing around!
she caught him ;)
marshall made coffee. we bought a french press that is made specially for camping. read: plastic and it won’t shatter into a zillion pieces if dropped (like my glass french press i have at home).
rory got the fire going so we could get some coals that were prime for a cast iron cooked breakfast.
janetha cooked breakfast!
penny helped.
i cooked turkey sausages first and then and scrambled eggs~
and once the eggs were done i warmed the sausages up again because they had cooled off a bit. this campfire cooking is a little tricky!
breakfast was perfect! i had two sausages~
eggs with ketchup~
and a couple slices of delicious honeydew melon~
i went back for more melon. i am addicted.
after breakfast we hung around camp, relaxing and enjoying the sunshine.
utah weather is always unpredictable and saturday was no exception. it went from scorching hot and sunny skies to overcast and storming.. we quickly put everything into the cars or tents and bundled up in our rain gear.
the rain quickly turned to hail!!! i ran for cover and penny & randy joined me safely in the tent, away from the hail pellets. marshall waited the storm out in the car and kristen & rory were in their car, as far as i know.
it was gnarly! the tent was shaking and the hail was super loud.. i was nervous.
but the dogs just cuddled up and it didn’t phase them.
they don’t grasp the concept of a hail storm.. in a tent.. in june.
marshall grabbed the point and shoot so he could take some photos of the craziness while i waited warmly in our bed.
check out the hail pellets!
ridiculous.
when marshall told me the storm was over, i emerged from the tent.. and wouldn’t you know it, the sun was shining again! it was like there was no storm at all. aside from the hail remnants, of course.
randy was happy that his daddy was OK. i think they missed each other during the storm ;)
it’s ok, randy dog.
all that anxiety made me hungry.
peanut butter filled pretzels? yes please.
and that will conclude part 1 of my goblin valley recap. yeah.. i know.. part 1 didn’t even include our visit to the actual valley. but i have a lot to show you guys! so next time i will talk about our hike amongst the goblins and the remainder of the trip.
stay tuned!
hope you all had a great weekend.. i am going to go join the pups in my bed :)
no Qs tonight!
xo. janetha b.
Gorgeous pictures! I love the pic of y’all bundled up getting ready to go to bed, too cute (what’s also too cute is the Marshall/Marshmellow thing).
The Keebler smore is a fabulous idea and I’ve only been camping once but we definitely did not have food like yours. I believe we had franks and beans (blech) so if I was guaranteed to have your food, I would definitely do it aga—get some peaeful rest!
HEY GIRL!!
AHHH THESE PICS ROCK! you get the award for the COOLEST weekend blogged about today. seriously- i love camping and you have an AMAZING campsite there!! great job with the breakfast too girl! I gave you a shout on my last post :) :) LOVE YOU
Shaddup with the Fudge Stripes! That’s genius!
What crazy weather! Sun finally came out here in the PNW, and we’re officially into summer.
We have all the stuff for camping (ie the French Press), but we’ve never gone. We camped at Dave Matthews but that doesn’t really count. Hmmm, guess we’ll have to try it.
Smores. Omg love them. Havent had one in about 20 yrs. But i swear, this post reminds me of Girl Scout camp and smores woulda been on the menu.
The fact that you cooked eggs and sausages over an open fire is like more than i do in the comforts of my own kitch!
So sorry about the hailing pellets Ugh.
Cant wait to see the photo diff between the cameras!
French press and coffee supplies, you are my homegirl.
Thank you soooo much for the kind words you left me on my FB and blog and I am truly touched. To have met you and to call you a friend! Love to you Janetha!!!
xo
that is crazy weather! glad it all worked out and looks like you guys were really prepared. good work.
that’s hot that you cooked over an open fire/wood like that. true gangster cooking. hope it was fun!
Loving all the doggie love in this post!!
I am in complete awe of the campfire cooking! Wow mama! Thanks for posting the pics it is sooo beautiful, that…I’m itching to see the next post ;-)
And thanks for clearing up the concept of s’mores for an obviously deprived European! I’ve come across the concept often on various blogs of course but I guess I’ve been too lazy to google it…thought it was just something cracker/cookie-ish. NOW I see… – I see how these can become quite myhtical: I remember totally clearly the taste as a kid when a friend of mine who had been visiting the US introduced me to toasted marshmallows :-)
wow! i’m not an outdoorsy gal but you make camping look fun!
Ahh it looks so fun! I love listening to a storm in a tent, it makes me feel all cosy! lol! xx
Ooops, I have to add: just made my gluten free version of your almond chiaseed muffins AGAIN. I was supposed to be doing some work right now but I’m having one fresh from the oven with coconut oil on it and I’ll be damned if that’s not worth another comment, thank YOU. ;-)
oh my gosh! I can’t believe you cooked all that good looking food on the camp fire! You’re a true pioneer woman :) And you braved the cold (I’m such a wuss for cold weather). Your puppers look like they had fun. And now I want a yogurt covered pretzel ;)
I would’ve been in hell. There’s no way I could sleep in a tent. I’m such a light sleeper that sleeping in a bed is a project for me.
I can’t believe it hailed!
Your pictures are amazing. I can only imagine what the views were like in person. Thanks for sharing with us!
those pics are amazing!! i love the scenery, like I said before, I have NEVER been camping! can you believe that?!?! if I lived in utah, I would be much more apt to since the scenery is BEAUTIFUL!
I love the idea of keebler cookies and ‘mellows! its so easy taht way to get the cookie crunch AND the chocoalte! duhh you are a genious girl!
and yogurt covered pretzels are so so so amazing, yours look blue in that pic :) maybet hats just the lighting but either way they are mouth watering!
love you!!
ps-my brother is going to utah tomorrow for work…booooo I wish I was going with him and we could play!!
Goood food?! Maybe I would like camping after all!
Janetha!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WOW that hail is crazy!! Cant believe that! Im glad the storm was not too bad and you guys made it through and the doggies too!!
I would love to go camping with you, would be a blast! I love that you cooked yummy stuff and I love the smores! Love the keebler cookie smore sandwich! Great Idea!!! I can eat smores til I explode, lol!!
I love the pics of Marshall and the dogs!!! I never can get enough pics of the cutest dogs ever!!!
So glad you had a great trip!
Have a great week!!!!
xoxo
Wow, good for you for being able to rough it for an entire weekend. I really think I would only be able to last about 1/2 a day before I had enough. Camping always sounds like a cool idea to me in theory, but when I’m actually in the woods without a stove or a fridge or a bed, I rethink that idea super fast! :)
Seriously, it looks like you guys had a wonderful time. Hope you got a chance to relax and enjoy yourself love! :)
I had to call Mike over to look at the dogs packed up in the car. He said Randy was going “get me outta here”! Like the crazy lady in Happy Gilmore.
Weird weather the world is having huh?
I don’t like camping but i’m glad you’re having a fabulous time!
thats happends to me every time I go camping. weird weather but we always end up having so much fun in the end. Get some rest for this week. I’m sure your loving your bed right now.
I freakin’ LOVE s’mores. And SO much easier in between Keeblers! Yum!!
Looks like such a fun trip- I want to go camping now!!
xo
Kris
These are the best pictures! I felt as if I was right there in Goblin Valley too. :D
That hail storm is rediculous! I would have stayed safely in the tent too.
Looks like fun despite the hail!
Before I forget (again) THANK YOU for putting the comments at the bottom of your posts! For some reason I find it a lot easier than scrolling back up. :)
That is some serious hail!! Looks like the tent was surrounded by a mound of salt. It’s crazy to think that you’re in the desert (I just wrote “dessert” and had to backspace…Freudian slip?? ;)) and it’s sunny one minute and then hailing the next! Is it pretty hot there? The scenery looks BEAUTIFUL as do you, as always. Looks like a great trip!
I will never eat s’mores the same way again!! Great idea to use keebler fudge stripes cookies!! :)
LOVE Randy dog!! And Penelope too!! They are so adorable, just can’t get enough pics of them!! :)
Crazy weather, but looks like yall managed just fine. Looks beautiful there!! :)
Love the pictures! The weather looked nice! We have that same coffee- is it from Sams Club??
I haven’t camped in years. I love how you’re eating real food while camping. I wouldn’t think to cook eggs + sausage in a skillet… or make quesadillas. Brilliant! :)
Awesome photos! The spoon/fork/knife utensil is so cool! I’ve never seen them before.
LOVE all of the pictures!!! Your pups are just soo dang cute! I think my mouth literally dropped when I saw the pictures of the hail! That is nuts! Can’t wait to see the rest of the pics! Sounds like you had a great weekend!
Fun!! So fun! I’m jealous beyond belief actually. Camping is well and truly on my to do list this summer and I will cry if it doesn’t happen.
I am also mega impressed by your fire cooking skillz. High five!
janetha–you REALLY know how to do it up right. seriously, when I go camping next I’m emailing you for all the tips b/c you obviously made the camping trip amazing.
I like your keebler cookie idea–but nothing tops a graham cracker and hershey bar in my opinion :)
Your camping trip looks like so much fun! I can’t wait to sleep outside for the first time this summer. Hopefully we’ll be taking a camping trip soon! I <33 it.
I love the pic of you in the tent that's almost all white-ish! Your green eyes TOTALLY pop in it!
Camping is so much fun! I can’t wait to go again, looks like a blast! Next time you should totally try a roasted banana instead of marshmallow. Trust me, it’s so good :)
Awesome pictures! You and Marshall seem like SUCH a fun couple together.
I can’t believe that crazy weather! I think that’s even more bipolar than Illinois!
Looks like a lot of fun! Loved looking at all the pictures. You are getting good with that camera.
Fudge stripes! Man I miss those cookies!
Looks like a fab first day camping!
What the HAIL?! Sorry, I couldn’t resist.
Can’t wait for Part II!
LOVE the idea of those cookies with the marshmallows. I’m doing that next time!
Love the pics of Goblin Valley it didn’t storm last month while we were there but the wind was awful and never stopped. Still had a great time though! Can’t wait to see more pics!!
Such beautiful photos. I would like to visit Utah. Flying into Salt Lake City is my favourite cinnection; the lakes look so pretty.
I’m jealous of the hail storm!! There’s nothing I like more than experiencing a little weather while in a tent :D Don’t get me wrong, a downpour for days is no good… but a little hail or rain is sweet. I love the sound it makes. Can’t wait to see the rest of the pics!
Ack! I’m not a huge camper, and would have freaked out at that storm! But it looks like you had a blast and the desert looks gorgeous!
That’s cute about how you always type ‘Marshall’ instead of Marshmellow :)
Loving your s’more idea- I really don’t like regular s’mores..but I like your idea with the Kebler cookies.
Your ring looks BEAUTIFUL in your picture of you kissing Marshall!!!!!
And I LOVE LOVE LOVE the picture of you where it’s like all white- GORGEOUS! Your eyes are beautiful.
I loved your recap! Great pics!! You’re one smart “cookie” with your Keebler Fudge Striped S’mores! I haven’t had one of those cookies in FOREVER! They used to be a fave of mine. Your dessert/desert reference reminded me of a sub in elementary school. She taught us the difference between the two by saying that the “s” in desert is for “snake” and the “ss” in dessert is for “strawberry shortcake”. I never forgot that lesson. It stuck with me from that day on.
Glad you had a nice experience, besides the hail. You always look like you’re having so much fun!
Great pictures! I just love your pups, so adorable!
I am a huge fan of those peanut butter pretzels…I could keep eating them and eating them…!
That is the greatest idea for s’mores, ever. And I seriously cannot believe that someplace in America is still having hail storms like that. It is SO hot here!
LOVE it. You have the best camping food! next time I’m camping I’m going to aim for that kind of stuff because it all looked good!
And I love that your dogs went too. So cute.
You know I haven’t been camping in years! Your trip looks like so much fun, and you managed to make such great meals! That is incredible! Your pictures are gorgeous too! I used to love keebler fudge house cookies, but never tried them with melting marshmallows. GENIUS!
hahaha seriously ONLY YOU would be able to make eggs look hot in the middle of the dessert. and by hot i mean ridiculously awesome and completely better then the ones i just made on my stove in my kitchen in suburbia.
bring. it. on. part 2.
Dang! You know how to camp! It makes me want to try it again.
I always LOVE reading your desert camping recaps. I amazed at how you all find so many fun things to do in well – the desert! LOL I can’t believe it hailed – crazy! I would’ve totally taken to the tent too :)
xoxo ~ me
I LOVE the camping photos! Makes me want to go camping right now! It’s been years since we went camping… I miss everything about it. But I’m debating whether I’m up for camping with the toddler yet… I remember taking the teenager when he was even younger than the toddler is now, but I was young then… :) Anyway, looks like you guys had a fabulous time!!!!
That photo of Marshall and Randy gazing at each other is amazing! Beautiful shot.
Hail. Psht. It’s sad that it’s not surprising….esp in June!
Ahhhh, I missed seeing Penny and Randy’s faces!!! (and yours, of course ;) ) Next time I go camping, you’re coming with me to cook… mmkay??