Great family camping

In spite of a terrible weather forecast  we decided to head out camping for the long weekend. A bit of a post operation melt down from me meant that we did not go until Friday morning.

The weather was as predicted. Totally wet wet wet. But we had a great time relaxing, reading and I did some stitching. On Saturday night it was clear enough for a fire to toast marshmallows and do baked potatoes on the fire. So a glass of gorgeous port and my wet sock removed. I was toasty and warm on the inside and out! 

We had a visit from my brother and sister-in-law and kids. They got soaked but had a good time. We were not to know that a day later they would be staying with us again due to another massive series of earthquakes with a tsunami, which meant they were evacuated from their home yet again. Love having them but it is under such awful circumstances.

First outdoor swim of the summer

We went camping for the long weekend and the weather one day was amazing. We all jumped in the river for the first swim of the summer.  

It surprised us as it was not the biting cold we were expecting. Gorgeous

We also went on a walk and to a beach I had never been too. Fossil beach.

I was a bit worried standing at the top of the cliff that I would not get back up but I did OK. It helped that the day was cool. 

Climbing up the cliffs to find the fossils. Fossilised shells, crabs etc. Amazing. I was not prepared to go up the cliff so pottered on the beach.

Molesworth Station

A few photos from our night camping on the Molesworth Station. The weather was not as hot as hoped so only Aaron did lots of swimming. View are spectacular. Then on the way home we did the Superbowl and hydroslide at Hanmer Springs for Jakobs 11th birthday.

The boys loved mucking around in the tent

Amazing scenery

Two tents as it is not a place to tow a caravan!

The last of the summer camping

This weekend felt like the last of the summer... We went camping locally again, just 1 hour up the road.
We swam - but it was a lot cooler and more like a scram (half swim half scream).
We sat outside in the sun and felt the sun beat down and make us toastly - but it was not too hot, we did not need sunscreen or get burnt and there was a feeling in the air of cooling down.
I got some hand stitching done. Actually finished - wow amazing. Though this too has taken longer. I thought I finished about 3 hexi flower ago and it just did not fit, so had to keep doing more.
We relaxed - that never changes no matter the season.

Ahhh, I am already sighing about the wonderful summer that has been.

A little bit of stitching

A busy boy making a hut

The Hut

Jakob

Eli

Our gorgeous sunny camping spot - quilts for a hut

Grrrr - fiddling with my phone.

Aaron did not have his cellphone with me so he fiddled with mine!!! I never know whether to be happy or not about that as it gets too techy for me.

An accidental breakfast

We had a very very hot weekend camping at Balmoral Forrest. Whew this summer is long and hot. It was not only hot outside the caravan but inside!

On Saturday morning I was cooking brunch for everyone (American pancakes with maple syrup) and I cooked more than the pancakes. I was leaning against the stove opening the window to the kitchen area and I saw a bit of smoke. Nope the pancakes were not burning. Then I looked down and thought - my top is smoking!! The time it took me to register that, my top was flaming - literally!!

I must have sqwarked pretty loudly as Aaron came running over saying "what's wrong". But man I was quick. I had that top off and thrown out onto the grass before he could even get near me.

Morris had a great time

The photo shows a really large part burnt but in actual fact a lot of that happened outside before everyone stomped and threw water on it. I was more worried that with the extreme fire danger at the moment that I would set the camping area on fire.

Being a cotton top the flames just went up the material and not on me. I did not even feel any warmth or anything. No marks or red. Just imagine if it had been polyester.

Sigh. Sadly that had been my favourite top all this summer.

The boys spent heaps of time together being pals.

Apart from that we just swam and sat in the shade and swam some more. Bliss.

The gorgeous swimming hole

Gourmet camping food

Blissful bush camping

We have come back from another gorgeous eight days away. We stayed at Pelorus Bridge DOC camping ground. This was our relax and do nothing holiday. Lazy lazy mornings, Lots of yummy food, heaps of swimming and a bit of walking. I read 2 books and five magazines and did a bit of stitching. It was great.

We always say that with the caravan we are "glamping" and our food this time certainly followed that. Here are some food photos. I even made some English Muffins for brunch one day ( I have the recipe on my blog here). Yes excuse the photo - but I was still in my nighty. (With a very naughty Aaron in the background pulling faces. I told him that if he was not careful I would put the picture on the blog!!)    I link into these places sometimes.

Of course there was wine

Olives, pastrami, blue cheese, cumin gouda, gooseberry jam and brie

Put the egg with the flour

knead the dough

Use the Milk frother to melt the butter into the milk

Let it sit to rise while we all have a shower

Cook!! on the griddle

Eat

and eat some more

Camping on show weekend

Well show weekend has just passed and we had a lovely weekend away camping at the Andrew's Shelter off Whites Bridge in the Arthur's Pass National Park. There were two other people in vans, a few sandflies (though not enough that we could not be outside), a little bit of rain one day, a lovely (but very cold stream) and our caravan. I have often looked at people who make bean teepees and though it looked easy. So we made that our mission on Saturday. Had great fun doing it but the result was a bit wonky and too big to fit in the car or caravan to take home. So Mark II will be coming up soon. The kids said we were like Bear Grylls but that he made better stuff!!!

Fantastic food while camping - dinner

A posh chicken rice risotto 

We have this on rainy days as it is nice and warming and it doesn't matter if the gas is warming the caravan during the cooking.

Ingredients
Take all the left over veges that you have in your caravan or tent 

Enough rice for the people you are cooking for. ( I used two bags of rice for four people)

Some oil 

A packet of green thai curry paste.

1 tin of coconut cream.

I packet of chicken drums or whatever you managed to pick up last time you went into town.

Method - Put a non stick frypan or large pot onto your cooker. Place the chicken in and brown. As the chicken is browning cut up an onion and put it in too. Once browned add 2 tablespoons oil and the green curry paste. Let the paste cook for a minute. Add 1 cup of water and bring to the boil. Add the amount of rice you need. Stir well and start adding veges as you chop them up. Once all the veges are in (do lots) then add the tin of coconut cream (or milk) and another cup of water. Let it simmer while you watch a DVD with the kids. Keep cooking until the rice is done and make sure that the chicken is cooked through to the bone. Add more water if needed. Serve in a bowl with rice and vege on the bottom and a drumstick per person on the top.

Vege selection - use anything that is looking like it will not last too much longer as well as what you have fresh

Rice - I keep the boil in the bag only in the caravan as it is tidy in a box and it makes no mess when cooking (which is a big deal when camping - the easier the better)

Oil - I have rice bran oil as it is square and so easy to store in the caravan or your food box and it has a high burn point so will do for everything you need when camping.

Thai green curry paste - I love the Asian Home Gourmet brand as they are very authentic. Also camping they are the right portion size so there is no waste or no bottles etc that you have open that could go off in the summer heat. This is quite spicy for kids. You could use red curry paste which is much milder if you wanted.