We went camping every weekend since Callie got out of school. A few days out of our hectic schedules to be outside, alone with nature. Nevermind that we had to make what we considered sacrifices being from the country camping was just something we took for granted. In the middle of Hampton Roads you’ll be hard pressed to find the environment that my husband and I would find ideal. But we caved and decided to go to a campsite with all of the fixings and amenities. Pools, bathrooms, showers, even entertainment.
We turned up our noses and considered skipping the trip altogether, but gave in and decided to give it a try.
A weekend with no television. No teenybopper TV shows or watching Wonderpets for the upteeth-hundred times that day. I never once heard the phrase “I’m bored” uttered. There was no bickering or fighting between the children. When the sun set at the end of our day both of our girls announced that they were tired and went to bed, willingly, on their own.
That left only us adults. We sat around a campfire and told stories and talked all night, sharing libations and anecdotes. We learned about each others pasts and swapped useless knowledge. We laughed and genuinely enjoyed each others’ company.
When it was finally time for us to go to bed we were too tired to even hold our eyelids open. Our beds consisted of earth, tarp, and piles of blankets. We fell asleep close to each other and woke up in the morning, serenaded by birds.
My sister came with us last week and brought my nephew. They jumped on giant pillows. My almost-two-year-old jumped in the pool again and again, fearless, yelling “cannonball!” just like her big sister. The entertainment this particular weekend was a terrible magician. The children laughed so hard. They didn’t know I was taking these pictures, and I assure you the emotion on their faces is genuine.
But aside from prompting you all to camp more, I also wanted to talk a little about food. Over the course of the summer I plan on sharing some of our campfire experiments with you all.
A problem that we always have when camping is learning how to pack correctly so that last minute stops at the convenience store can be reduced. That means snacks that are healthy, easy to store, and filling. With just a little bit of prep work in advance here are some ideas for on-the-go snacks that will fill all of those requirements.
Click on the pictures to see recipes and instructions!
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