Getting the Basic Necessities

Can you imagine a more bucolic name for a place than Nellysford? Just the name of the little hamlet conjures visions of green pastures with cows and goats, long slow days and country stores. In fact, it is the home of Wintergreen Resort, a four-season resort in the mountains of Virginia. While being near Wintergreen and its winery is a nice part of Nellysford, our favorite part is a tiny vine-covered building that houses Basic Necessities, a combination cheese-wine shop and cafe that has become part of our routine when we head to the mountains to camp. Our love affair with Basic Necessities started when we began heading to Crozet for lunch at La Coccina del Sol on our way to Crabtree Falls. Nearly halfway between Crozet and Crabtree, we found this lovely little shop and stopped to check it out.

When walking in, you are immediately assailed by the smell of freshly baked breads and whatever soups and specials are on the menu for the day. While Basic Necessities is tiny, it is packed with culinary treasures from their assortment of outstanding cheeses, to their fresh-baked breads, to their wine room- the focus is on offering customers the best of the best. We got a bottle of wine, some cheeses and a baguette that was still warm and decided to forego the dinner we had planned and instead have fruit, cheese and bread after we set up camp.

The staff at Basic Necessities is always helpful, no matter how busy they are. When they had run out of a cheese we had had before, they took the time to write down the name for our friends so they could look for it in their own area. Owners Kay Pfaltz, Bev Lacey and Keith Dix are a part of the slow food movement and in the summer months offer organic produce for their customers as well. Their affiliation with Blue Heron Farm, a pesticide-free farm less than two miles away enables them to provide local produce to their many devotees.

I can't imagine a more delicious meal than being surrounded by the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains, ripping into a fresh baguette and slathering it with soft and creamy Tallegio cheese. It has become part of camping routine, and now we have taken to stopping on the way down the mountain so that we can bring a bit of Basic Necessities home. If you live near Nellysford or travel to the area, be sure to check it out- you will not be disappointed. They offer high quality, delicious food in a warm, friendly atmosphere. And try the cafe - my family has not done so yet because of our Coccina del Sol addiction, but people line up to eat in their cozy back room, and if the food tastes as good as it smells- you are in for a real experience! If you are near Nellysford, stopping by this shop is a basic necessity!

Foodbuzz 24-24-24:Fall, Family, Friends, and Food- Camp Cooking in the Mountains

If you have read this blog much you know that camping is a big part of our family life, and so when Foodbuzz solicited unique meals as part of their 24-24-24 promotion,it should come as no surprise that I thought a meal in the mountains would be just the ticket. Normally we are tent campers,but one of the cabins at Crabtree Falls Campground came available and my husband told them that we would take it - believe me, it was a decision that made all the difference. The end of October in the mountains is usually a little cool so we were prepared, packing layers, and our zero degree sleeping bags, getting ready for our part of the 24Meals, 24 Hours, 24 Blogs at Foodbuzz. Our friends were driving all the way from North Carolina (a six-hour trek for them) and we expected them to arrive between 10 and 11 PM. We settled in, unpacked, with the girls organizing and setting up the beds in the cabin, and we set up our friends' tent. We had some great cheese and a baguette, my husband made a fire and we settled in, enjoying the beauty of the woods, the babbling of the Tye River (at uncharacteristically low levels) and the changing foliage.

The 24 we weren't prepared for was the nearly 24 hours of rain that started about 8:30 PM on Friday. Starting as a spitting rain, it became a steady drip and then a downpour that chased us to the warmth of the cabin, where my husband conked out, and the girls and I played Pictionary Man with the rain beating mercilessly on the roof as we waited for Julie, Anthony and Lilly to get there. Finally they arrived and we convinced them to sleep in the loft of the cabin instead of unpacking into the tent in the rain (which was a deluge by this time!). Lilly, who is six,climbed in with the girls, and her parents settled onto an air mattress in the loft and after some giggling and joking, finally there was no sound but measured, regular breathing and the beating of the rain on the roof.

Saturday started with more rain, and so it was time to improvise. The cabin had a narrow porch with a bench, which became the sheltered place where I cooked breakfast starting with a big pot of coffee -I had bought a new Coleman percolator for this trip, and in the damp cold and steady rain, the sound of coffee percolating was a particularly welcome one. As if the weather wasn't enough of a challenge, a problem in the pumphouse meant that there was no water - for toilets, showers or washing dishes.

About midday, suffering a bit from cabin fever (literally!) we headed to Saunder's Brothers Orchard to get apples for my Foodbuzz dessert. We have visited there often on our trips to the mountains, but the kids were thrilled that they had farm animals and they took turns holding them while we shopped for some apples and local cheese. It was perfect break from the relentless rain for both the kids and the grown-ups. And with bags of apples in our car, as we headed up the mountain we saw something unbelieveable, and welcome... a patch of blue sky!!

Once we returned, I started preparing my Foodbuzz dinner. Now the most important part of preparing meals in the wilds is good planning. I selected the menu in advance - a Chicken Chili based on a recipe I found on the Whole Foods site, Cheese Cornbread baked on the top of the campstove in my cast iron skllet, and for dessert, gingerbread with apples and caramel. Since I was making a new recipe, I used the recipe to check that I had all ingredients as I packed. When you are 30 minutes up the mountain on winding roads from the nearest supermarket it makes sense to check and double check. I had never made a chicken chili before, but with both ground turkey and chunks of chicken thigh meat, lots of onions, pinto beans, corn and a variety of spices, this chili was a big hit with just the right amount of heat. Served with grated cheese, sour cream and chopped fresh cilantro and avocado, there were seconds all around and a big bowl sent up to Dave, the campground owner, who had worked all day getting the water up and running. The chili was just what the doctor ordered as the air cleared and turned cold.

Dessert is an old fall camping favorite, a great excuse to use Saunder's delicious apples, in a hot caramel sauce and whipped cream. I made the gingerbread in muffin tins and carried them with us, and prepared the apples on the campstove by lantern light. Spicy, sweet, rich and fruity- is there a better dessert?

Even with crappy weather, and a few challenges, there is nothing like a great meal with good company in breath-taking scenery, and our Foodbuzz dinner, served to the sounds of the now-rushing waters of the Tye River, and with the crimson and rust backdrop of an Appalachian October. No five star restaurant in the Michelin guide can even touch it!

Campfire Churkey Chili (Serves 8)

1 large onion chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 pound of ground turkey
5 boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into chunks
1 can of white corn drained
1/2 cup salsa (I used a medium salsa)
1 can of pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 can tomato sauce
1 chipotle chili, chopped fine
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon bittersweet paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
Salt to taste (I used about 1 1/2 teaspoons)

Saute onions and garlic in olive oil, and add chicken and turkey to brown, breaking up meat and add spices. Once meat is brown add corn, beans, salsa and tomato sauce. Cook at a simmer for about 20 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Serve with sour cream, shredded cheese, and chopped cilantro and avocado.

"Luxury" items for camping (or how to enjoy the wilderness with arthritis and teenagers!)

Do you remember camping back when there were pup tents? How about sleeping an rocks in a sleeping bag that was either too hot or not warm enough? Well, truth is, technology has made camping a lot more fun and more comfortable for families whether you are taking babies in backpacks or teens with I-pods for a chance to enjoy the great outdoors.

With the economy so tight and gas so high, camping is a great way to vacation with your family no matter the age of your children. When all our children were young we could not afford a "real" vacation because we couldn't fit in one hotel room (fire codes). That was when we first decided to try camping. We hit the camping aisle at Costco and bought a tent, camp stove, lantern and sleeping bags. We had all the best intentions to hit the road with our kids in the minivan, but the camping gear then sat in our garage in the boxes... for three years! But once we got started, we were hooked. There is nothing like being in nature where you have no distractions and can focus totally on each other. Camping builds independence and self-confidence... like Survivor without the million dollars and with better food!

So you won't have to spend 10 years like we have learning what really helps when you go camping, here is a list of things to add to your gear before you go!

Air mattresses-Why sleep on the hard ground and wake up stiff and sore?Air mattresses are easy to pack and make for much more comfort (especially as you get older). I have to say that we even have a queen-sized air bed that makes for a great night's sleep. You can even buy air mattresses that are self inflating.

Portable DVD/video- An essential, especially for long car trips to eliminate the "Are we there yet?" and "Stop touching me!"

First Aid kit-This is more than just band-aids and aspirin. Make your own medicine kit with bandages, elastic wraps, antacids, antihistimine, and anti-diarrheal (changes of food and water can have that effect).

Good(heavyweight) plastic tablecloth - This makes eating and cleaning up so much easier I have a Coleman one made for camping and metal clips to hold it on the table no matter the wind.

Antibacterial kitchen wipes- These make keeping your cooking and eating area clean to keep away bugs and bees.

Zip-Loc bags- I take different sizes- good for marinating,mixing pancakes and storing leftovers.

Frozen bottled water- We keep about 20 bottles of water frozen starting at the beginning of hurricane season and use these in our cooler when we go camping. Then when we go camping, we have cold bottled water while we are hiking. On our latest trip,after 3 days we had some water at the bottom of the cooler that was still frozen!

Playing cards - We play Speed and Spoons while the coffee is perking or after dinner dishes are done, and these are critical if you get a rain shower. Other games that are easy to pack like Left, Right, Center are also a lot of fun around a picnic table.

Extra trash bags- Besides holding your trash, extra bags can carry your wet shoes or clothes back home or cover rain-dampened wood picnic benches, or cover your gear in case of a shower.

Essentials for camp cooking

We are preparing for the second time in two weeks (thanks Hanna!) to go camping in the mountains this weekend. If you have been reading this blog regularly you know that usually by this time we have been camping several times, but this summer was full of summer school and freelancing, and home projects and so we are getting a late start.

Food is one of the most important things for a successful camping trip, and preparation is essential to good meals in the wild. I thought it might be a good idea for those of you who also enjoy camping, or would like to try to share some of what I have learned about cooking and camping, what equipment you need and some of our favorite dishes and ways to convert dishes to a campstove or campfire.

Let's start with equipment you need if you are planning to cook more than trail mix and freeze-dried meals or hot dogs on a stick (Which can be good too!)

1) Campstove- We use a propane stove by Coleman with two burners and electronic ignition that is now about 13 years old. It works well, is easy to carry and provides enough space to make a meal for a crowd. Some people, including some of our friends use liquid fuel stoves which do provide higher BTUs if you are a heavy duty camp chef, but I have never been fond of the idea of carrying liquid fuels and funnels with me in the car.

2) Cast iron griddle- Essential for making breakfasts of bacon and pancakes that are must for cool weather camping.

3) Camp percolator- No instant coffee for us- we love the real thing and it tastes twice as good in the wild. Ours is the old granite wear and about as old as our stove!

4) Silicon or other heat-proof oven mitts- These are essential when camping since often handles get hotter than they might on your home stove. Burned ands are no fun, especially in the wild.

5) Long-handled lighter- This is great for lighting your stove or the campfire.

6) Heavy pots and pans (without non-stick coating)- Some of our friends carry their Le Creuset, but I don't have any, so I have to settle for a large cast-iron skillet which is a great all-purpose pan for camp cooking, and a set of Eddie Bauer camp pans that nest together.

7) Cutting board- I love these new flat flexible ones that I bought for my kitchen and I carry one along.

Next Installment: Extras that make camp cooking (and eating) better

The Best Laid Plans... Camping : Day 2

Part of the fun of vacation is having choices to either do something or do nothing but relax, and that is never more true than when we go camping. And so after breakfast (which Bridget did not get up for, even after three attempts saying she didn't feel well) we were discussing our options for what to do. Molly and I were swinging in the hammock, and my husband was teasing her betting her $5 that she could not be quiet for 20 minutes. About 11 minutes into the bet (and the resulting silence), all of a sudden Molly started screaming, saying that a bee stung her in the eye. Gavin ran to the camp store to find out where the nearest doc in the box was and I grabbed some ice for Molly's eye and tried to calm her down.

Gavin ran to us and said we needed to get in the car because the clinic at the bottom of the mountain closed at noon. It was 11:30AM. Bridget, pale herself, climbed into the car and we headed down the mountain at breakneck speed. Molly had never been stung before and since I have a brother who is very allergic to bee stings, we were very concerned that she may have a reaction. Besides, we were not sure yet where, exactly she had been stung. Her eye was already swelling shut and she had what looked less like a sting and more like a scrape about an inch from her right eye.

After what seemed like an eternity, we pulled into the (very full) parking lot at the Blue Ridge Medical Center, a sight for sore eyes, literally as well as figuratively. We walked in and there were people waiting in chairs and a line at the in-house pharmacy, two phones were ringing and people came in behind us. We decided since Bridget was not feeling well and we had risked our lives, we would see if they could see her as well. Luckily for us, the fast-thinking Sue Mathes, CTF Campground owner had called ahead, but there were two sets of paperwork to fill out, and while I was pulling out insurance cards and filling out forms they were ready to take Molly so Gavin went with her and I stayed with Bridget who was frantically looking for a bathroom. After she retched on their carpet (still looking for the bathroom), they also took her back. I cannot say enough about all of the staff at BRMC. From the people at the front desk to the nurses, to the doctors who saw the girls to the pharmacist they were all about helping our daughters. Even another lady in the waiting room (a patient) helped her when she was sick! The attitude there was more like the country doctors of old than the medical mills we so often have today. With six children, I am sure you aren't surprised that I have spent my share of time in hospitals, urgent care facilities and doctor's offices, and from the beginning to the end of this experience, I was incredibly impressed with their patient-centered approach.

I wish I had the name of every person who helped us that day so I could thank them, but I have to thank Dr. Lois Alderfer who treated Molly - she gave her Benadryl right away and sent us on our way with an epi-pen and by the time I saw her Molly's eye was already looking much better and she was even cracking jokes! Bridget was seen by Dr. Stephen Willing, who diagnosed her with strep throat, and worked around her recently discovered allergy to penicillin. When we were leaving, the nurse told us that he had been in the movie Evan Almighty, which was filmed in nearby Crozet (we are definitely renting that movie!) Over an hour and a half after their normal closing time, we headed out to pickup some OTC medicine the doctors recommended and to grab some Gatorade and soup for Bridget who was still feeling very puny.

So what to do? Pack up and go home or stay and let everyone take the day to recover? We left it up to the patients, and they voted to stay (Bridget didn't think that she could take the car ride without being sick), so we pumped their medicine in them, gave them both cold drinks, and fussed over them. Bridget retired to the tent to sleep and I read in the hammock (Molly would not get back in) and played a speed card tournament with Molly and Gavin. Bridget finally emerged from the tent at about 5:30 to have some Gatorade and crackers, which I took as a good sign (especially since she had thrown up her first dose of zithromax) and we even played a game around the campfire. I did make my venison stew, but I still won't share the recipe since I was too distracted to write down ingredient amounts or preparation steps, however I will give you a tip for some great and easy dumplings that I used in the stew.

So of all the things that we had planned to do, there was some relaxation (before and after the adrenaline rush), some good food, beautiful scenery (even if some of it went by really fast!), and an experience that demonstrated to us the kindness of strangers as well as the flexibility and adaptability of our family under pressure. We had a great meal, we shared the birthday of little Jonathan at the campground whom we have known since he was a bump on his mom's belly, I finished a book, we made a reservation to stay in one of the cabins in two weeks (a miracle in itself, since October is prime leaf season, but a cancellation came in while we were there) and we even met a movie star ! All in all, still not a bad weekend in the mountains!

My "Prescription" for Easy, Delicious Dumplings

1 small box or bag of biscuit mix (Jiffy or Martha White)

1/2 cup milk2-3 ounces crumbled goat cheese with herbs

Stir together the mix and milk, until just combined. Stir in crumbled cheese until just combined. Drop by tablespoons into simmering stew and cover. Let simmer with stew for 10-15 minutes and serves. These dumplings are light and flavorful, a great compliment to any fall soup or stew.

A wonderful start...Fall Camping: Day 1

After the planning and packing, and loading the car in a hot and hazy mist on Thursday night, and finishing up on Friday morning, we were (miraculously) able to get in the car early and hit the road for the mountains. It was humid and hot when we left and I was really looking forward to some crisp fall weather as we headed up to Crabtree Falls. The girls were set in the back seat (Bridget sleeping after working late the night before, and Molly watching Cars on her portable dvd player), and I was reading The Kite Runner (having unencumbered time to read for pleasure is one of the best things about getting away!). Our plan was to travel to Crozet, Virginia to visit Fabulous Foods Marketplace, and to have lunch at the famous Crozet Pizza, then head up the mountain and set up camp for the weekend. The weather was great and traffic (for once in Virginia) was minimal, and we made great time. Our first stop was pulling into the little town of Crozet. Let me explain that if you look up Crozet, you can see from the Crozet Gazette, a town that looks like something out of another era. Crozet got its first fast food restaurant when a Subway moved in in the late 1990's and with stories in the Gazette about Crozet population reaching 24,000, and a picture of Crozet's first paper boy, you can see why its charm is attracting new people to the area in droves. Crozet's most recent claim to fame is that it was where the Steve Carrell movie Evan Almighty was filmed, complete with an ark and exotic animals.

Fabulous Foods Marketplace is an unassuming edifice from the outside, but inside was a wealth of herbs, botanicals, natural foods, and local produce, and other perishables. We walked through aisles of homeopathic remedies, organic and whole grain foods, an bulk foods. I am attracted immediately to the cheese in any market, and here we made our two purchases - a cheddar cheese ball made locally in Waynesboro, and a pound of Mennonite butter. FabFoods also carries Polyface meats raised organically on the Salatin's family farm in the Shenandoah Valley. The staff was very friendly and helpful, it was like going to an old corner grocery, only better! After browsing and buying everyone was excited to head to Crozet Pizza, but when we got there we found they were not open for lunch! Not wanting to head for one of two fast food restaurants in Crozet (Subway and Dairy Queen), we headed back toward FabFoods, where we had seen an appealing Mexican-looking cafe across the street and we decided to give it a try. La Cocino del Sol is a family restaurant owned and operated by Myrna Montiel, the sister of acclaimed Boar's Head Inn chef Alex Montiel. Since the day was warm we passed up the opportunity to eat in one of the two outdoor cafe areas and took a spacious (even for my 6'5" husband) booth. The menu was very appealing as was the decor, which I would describe as modern upscale Mexican, very charming, warm but sophisticated. We were on the early end of lunch so we enjoyed very attentive service. The lunch menu offered a number of options, and after some waffling (especially Molly!) Bridget settled on Chicken tortilla soup and a Mexican burger with cheese and guacamole, Molly ordered Oaxacan cheese sticks and a cheese quesadilla, Gavin had a Mexican steak sandwich and I had a vegetarian patty sandwich. The tortilla soup came first and we all took a taste- it was delicious and at least 2 others at our table wished they had ordered that. The sandwiches all came on a delicious roll that was hearty without being overpowering and burying the sandwich fillings. My veggie burger was uncharacteristically good, made so mainly by the toppings and bread (the veggie patty was good, but commercial). My husband's sandwich was good and hearty with meat that appeared to have been blackened or grilled and sliced rather than braised. All the sandwiches were served with fries. We had a leisurely and delicious meal in nice surroundings and we were fortified for the trek to our campsite... but not before we agreed that we would try Cocina del Sol again.

After we set up camp, hung the hammock and had gotten a fire going, we pulled out the cheese ball we purchased at FabFoods. Made in Waynesboro by Linda Weaver for her company called Simply Cheddar, the cheese ball looked like something you would make yourself, not in a perfect factory-pressed ball, but a squat, nut covered orb. You could tell this was going to be extraordinary when you cut into it and could see distinct shreds of cheddar cheeses and bits of onion inside. Linda Weaver prides herself on using no processed or cream cheese and when you bite into her cheese ball you can see she has a lot to be proud of. The flavor was incredible, highlighting superior ingredients and care in its production, presentation and packaging that could only be done by someone who loves what they are doing and are committed to doing it better than anyone else. My regret of the day? That we didn't buy two or three. Lucky for us (and for you) you can order Linda's cheese balls online.

At the end of the day, we sat by the fire until our eyes grew heavy, and went to bed serenaded by the sound of crickets, and the gentle melody of the Tye River. Take it from me... it's better than Lunesta!

Camping, Episode 3: Adventures, Culinary and Otherwise

One of the most important ingredients of a successful camping trip, besides the weather is the food. When you head to Crabtree Falls there are lots of food and wine resources to draw on in addition to what you bring yourself. In the heart of Virginia wine country we have visited a number of the local vineyards such as Wintergreen Winery, Veritas Vineyard, Mountain Cove Vineyard, and one of my favorites, Hill Top Berry Farm and Winery, where native fruits are turned into wines and meads. I have to say, for fun, while the other vineyards have more traditional wines, Hilltop Berry Farm and Winery is a family business and has some of the most enthusiastic and welcoming emissaries for Virginia fruit wines that there can possibly be. I learned a lot about mead and who can't like a place where they make persimmon wine?

For food, there is our favorite Thai restaurant Thai Siam (pictured right), where we stopped for a delicious lunch. Some friends of ours who travel to Wintergreen have been known to drive all the way to Thai Siam and take a night at Wintergreen just to enjoy what they call the best Thai food they have ever had! Another favorite place is the Colleen Drive-In which serves hamburgers and some of the best onion rings that I have had. It is an old-style type of drive-in (the kind I remember from my youth), that also serves real milkshakes (okay, so I'm not watching my diet when I go camping, setting up camp burns a lot of calories).

Since we anticipated it taking longer to set up camp, we planned for hot dogs for dinner, Nathan dogs to be exact, roasted on sticks over the wood fire. They turned out great and we ate all but one. After a walk to the river and many trips up to the camp store to catch up with Sue and Dave's news and for the girls to play with baby Jonathan, and several card games (including BS and Speed), we went to bed. Normally, we wake at first light, but we were so relaxed we slept in until 7:30, and Gavin made the fire and played some rounds of speed to let the girls sleep in. By the time we started breakfast, Andrew arrived with his girlfriend, who was about to enjoy her first camping experience. I had planned pancakes, breakfast sausage that Gavin and "good David" had brought back from Cibola Farms, and a fruit salad of cantaloupe, mango and other mixed fruit. The sausage was great and we had fresh maple syrup with our stacks of pancakes, and amazingly everyone was out of appetite before I was out of food.

The rest of the day was spent walking to the second overlook at the Falls (with temps in the 90's we decided not to make the trek to the top this trip), and a trip to Saunders Brothers to stock up on the delicious produce and products that they carry (you can see what we came home with right). We got a peck of Mr. Carson peaches, some hot chow chow, some Bing black cherry cider, some raspberry chipotle sauce, and some caramel corn puffs and peach gum balls for the kids. We cooled off by going for a dip in the chilling waters of the Tye River (see Andrew, Bridget and Molly hamming it up, left).

Our dinner was flank steak that I had frozen in a marinade of red wine and italian salad dressing, Feta potatoes, and green beans with bacon and onions. By the time I got food on the table, it was a struggle to keep everyone out of the food long enough to get a picture (you can see that clearly at right!)

Our excitement for the evening was a quick pack up of non-essentials to avoid an evening thunder and lightning and rain storm. After the worst of the lightning was over we retired to our tent (covered by the rainfly and a huge tarp) and got a good night's sleep (except for Andrew who slept in the car (we only had one extra tarp and we used that to cover Jess's tent). We began packing up and I fixed a steak omelet and made hash browns out of the leftover feta potatoes, and browned some turkey bacon. Along with our percolated coffee (that could be smelled all across the campground), it made a perfect meal.

We were on the road back home by 11 AM, and after a stop at the Charlottesville Whole Foods, we made our way home. Despite the heat and rain, it was a great weekend and we are already planning for a September and October trip to the mountains.

Feta Potatoes

2 lbs potatoes with skin, cut in chunks (red or yukon gold are best, but any will do)

1/2 stick butter

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup feta broken into pieces

3-4 tablespoons fresh chopped chives (yes, I carried cut fresh chives with me to the wilderness!)

Boil the potatoes until soft. Drain and add butter, salt and pepper and feta. Stir until feta is distributed then sprinkle chives over and mix in. Enjoy!

Banana Boats

1 banana for each person served

chocolate chips

mini marshmallows

On the inside curve of the banana, pull a strip of peel down, but do not disconnect. using a teaspoon, scoop out a trench from the banana, and fill with a mixture of marshmallows and chocolate chips. Cover back up with peel. Wrap in foil and put on perimeter of fire for 10 minutes, turning periodically until chocolate an marshmallows are melted. Eat with a spoon (with Redi-whip, if desired). Great alternative to s'mores as a camping dessert!

Camping Episode 2- On the Road Again...to Crabtree Falls!

As I stated in my last post, a successful camping trip depends on two things- preparation, and the weather. We have developed a fairly organized method of packing that we have perfected since we downsized from a mini-van to a "cross-over" vehicle to save gas (Making final preparations, right). We use a Sears rooftop car carrier that we have now had for about 12 years, to give us more room inside the car. The rooftop carrier holds our tents, air mattresses and sleeping bags and our camping chairs and tarps (for the appearance of any inclement weather). In the car goes a plastic container with locking lid for all our packaged food ingredients, another lidded box called the "chuckwagon" that holds all out camping pots and pans and food preparation equipment, and then another container that holds all the camping related gear (tent stakes, lanterns and flashlights, camp axe, matches, etc.) The last thing to be packed is the cooler which holds frozen bottled water (cools food and provides really cold water for hiking, excursions), all food ingredients and meat (frozen) and staples like butter or cream cheese, and snacks like hummus and pimento cheese all sealed with my Foodsaver (keeps air and water out). Our fully packed car is pictured left.

Over the years, we have developed a list of must-haves for packing- PAM makes cleanup of camping pans much easier, different sizes of Zip-Loc bags (for leftovers), extra batteries (for everything), a hammock (we have a great Mayan hammock that we ordered from Hammocks.com and tree-straps that allow you to hang it wherever there are two trees), and our luxury item, a queen-sized camp bed that folds up to a 12x12x36 case with wheels (the older you get the harder it is to get up off the tent floor). We have a propane camp stove that is almost 12 years old, a propane lantern (great for lighting up the entire camp site area to minimize chance of falling over the many trip hazards in the wilderness) and a bag full of water shoes essential if you want to traverse creeks, streams rivers and lakes with slippery rock bottoms! We also have a tent that is a large cabin tent with clear skylights that give you the feeling of sleeping under the stars without the bugs!

We packed up the rooftop carrier the night before and only had the car to pack early Friday morning with a target of leaving by 8 AM to get to Crabtree Falls Campground by noon (we were out of the driveway by 8:30!). As I stated in my previous post, we have been going to CTFC since Molly was about 2 years old (she is now 12!), and going there is like going to visit family. Their motto "Just west of nowhere, straight south of heaven" pretty much captures camping at Crabtree Falls Campground. Dave and Sue Mathes are the owners, and they treat their campers like family. The campsites there put the emphasis on the natural beauty on the banks of the Tye River, with trees preserved in favor of concrete pads to provide campsites that surround you with greenery rather than concrete and satellite dishes. Sue and Dave have a camp store, a game room (pictured left-very popular during bad weather), restrooms, a playground for kids and a bathhouse, but there are no swimming pools, or satellite TV, or organized activities (except Sunday chapel for those who want to attend). But frankly, who needs them? There is Crabtree Falls to hike, rock-hopping on the Tye River, sitting around the fire, great places to go about 30 minutes away like Saunders Brothers orchard and farm market (home of the famous peach slushie!) or if you want company, you can go up to the camp store and talk to the proprietors or their daughter Christy and her son (he's the little bald one with the really cute smile!) They can tell you the best places to go, how to get there, tell you all about the area, and funny (and some not so funny) stories about their experiences as the owners of this family campground.

Another thing we really like about Crabtree Falls is the weather. Usually you can go in August and the nights will be cool enough to sleep comfortably and the Tye River is still bracingly cool. However, this weekend was supposed to be unseasonably hot, with chance of the tyope of afternoon thundershowers that come with those temps. Yet we were not deterred. The chance to relax in the mountains was just too appealing, and unless they were calling for a constant deluge, by God, we were going!

The drive was relatively uneventful, we were on the road before Friday tourist traffic was bad, so we made good time. We stopped at Saunder's to get some hot pepper jelly (it turned out that they had mild pepper jelly and peach-jalapeno (we opted for the latter to go with our goat cheese on crackers) and Asian pears, and then hit Thai Siam on the way up the mountain for lunch (incredible authentic Thai food in the middle of nowhere) and we at the campground by 11, and had camp set up by 12, thanks to exceptional camp set-up specialists Bridget and Molly. While Gavin gathered wood, unpacked the car and got the fire going (maybe a bit redundant at 90 degrees, but a tradition, all the same) the girls and I set up the tent, inflated air mattresses, set up the camp kitchen, and otherwise made our home away from home. It was a great start to a well-earned vacation, and while a bit later in the season than usual, a great first chapter of our 2007 camping experiences.

Coming next- Adventures in camping (and of course, the food!)

Camping- Episode 1: The Preparation

Finally, the work on our rental house is done, our new tenants are safely moved in, and we can try to salvage what is left of the summer. Usually by this time we have been camping 3 or 4 times, but this summer has not been typical. Now before I talk about how to prepare for camping, let me tell you how we got started. About 15 years ago when we had 5 children at home, we could never afford to go on vacation because we needed to rent either a suite or two rooms because fire codes would not allow us to stay in one room, so even going someplace overnight was prohibitively expensive. When Costco (the Price Club) first opened here they had a whole aisle of camping gear and we thought, "wouldn't this be a great way to take an affordable vacation with the kids?" And so we bought a cabin tent, sleeping bags, a propane stove and lantern, with the very best of intentions. And these items (except the sleeping bags) sat boxed in our garage for almost 3 years. The problem? While I camped a lot as a Girl Scout and my husband had camped before, it was mostly pup tents and hot dogs on sticks, but when you are taking children, there is so much more involved.

Luckily, some friends of ours who at that time had no children told us about a great place to go and invited us to go with them... and a tradition was formed. We have been going to Crabtree Falls Campground for over 11 years (Molly was a young toddler when we went the first time), and we have adopted its owners (and they, us) as part of our family. Right there by the Tye River, there are no phones, no TV, (even no wireless) just the people you love , good food and great scenery. It makes for a great vacation that helps recharge your batteries.

Now , back to the preparation. If you think stocking your pantry and planning meals at home takes time, camping, unless it is near a metropolitan area (and then what is the point?!) takes some planning. But careful planning at the front end will make you trip and camping meals very enjoyable. There are lots of sites you can go to that will help provide packing lists for what you need and suggestions for food and recipes for camping. I created my own on the computer based on what we like to take and what we need to enjoy a long weekend in the wilderness. A car-top carrier holds our cabin tent, camp chairs, air mattresses and sleeping bags. The cargo area of the car holds a container for food, cooler, the camp box with equipment (lanterns, camp ax, matches, etc) and, our luxury item - a queen sized folding camp bed (the older you get the harder it is to get off the ground!)

Since this trip is just the Core Four (seen left, camping last fall), we don't need as much gear, or as much food. We have planned meals and snacks, and what we plan to do (hike Crabtree Falls, go to Saunders Brothers nursery, and spend lots of time rocking in the hammock reading a book!) So, the bottom line is that I will not be posting for a few days, but when I get back I will post pictures of our adventure, and share the recipes and how-tos for a successful foray into the wilderness!