Martin Dies Jr. State Park

The kids have decided to fight for possession of the baby laptop

I was a little late on the Memorial Day campsite booking wagon, so there were some slim pickings.  We ended up booking at Martin Dies Jr. State Park in Jasper, Texas.  The only other time I had heard of Jasper was when a man was dragged to death in a racially-motivated hate crime, so I didn't go into this with high expectations.

The last time we camped in early April, Moses parked the camper in the side yard when we got back.  Then the rains came.  I don't even know how many inches of rain we've had, but we had a lot of mud in the yard.  He got the camper hitched up alright, but the wheels kept spinning in the mud.  Then he got it unhitched, but the truck was stuck.  He put a couple of boards underneath the back tires, and all that did was sand down the board and make the tires bald.  We ended up having to call his grandpa to come over with the tractor to haul it out of the mud.  We've GOT to get some gravel down for the camper, but first we have to move the dog pen, and we have to wait for the mud to dry up first.  So sick of mud.

I spent all day Thursday packing up the camper and making food.  I was pooped.  Moses had planned to not go into the office and make it a four-day weekend.  I ran to the bank while he hitched up the trailer again.  By the time I got back, it was raining, so we were pretty cold and miserable by the time we actually got on the road.  I think we left at 11am.  The winds and rain were making us sway a lot, but that subsided once we got to the other side of Dallas.  We stopped at Buccee's in Forney, where we had lunch in the camper.  Bazinga picked out M&M's, I got a chocolate cream pie in a cup, and Moses got a bag of turtle cookies.  All were delicious.  Max got a short walk and potty break.

Texas in general has had some flooding problems over the last week, so there were a couple of places where we had to drive through water.  Other smaller cars were making it okay, so we were fine, but it was a little nerve-wracking.

The babies trotted through the camping loop several times

We finally pulled into the park at about 6:30pm, and there were a couple of deer right by park headquarters.  Our campsite was on the island across the highway, where we saw several more deer.  I think I stopped counting around ten.  It rained all night, and several campsites were under water, but we found one that was dry and about three spots down from the bathrooms.  Dinner was hot dogs cooked on the cast iron skillet and corn on the cob baked in the oven.

I didn't sleep well Friday night.  I was awake around 3am when I heard a small boom and the power went out.  No power means no air conditioner.  This made Saturday uncomfortable.

Saturday breakfast was french toast casserole cooked in the oven.  Bazinga found some kids camping next to us, so she had a blast playing with them.  She also found her whiteboards, so she scribbled on those for a while.  2.0 tried to, but he's 15 months old, so you can imagine what that looked like.  He did enjoy kicking the soccer ball around, and he yells, "Ha!" every time he takes a swing.  Moses took Bazinga up to the nature center at 10am for some sort of educational thing.  He picked up a Junior Ranger backpack while we were there.  2.0 took a nap in the playpen and I knit.  I got the fire going while they were gone, and lunch was baked potatoes.  After lunch, Bazinga and I drove back to the nature center for a watercolor craft.  While we were in there, we saw an electric company truck drive past.  Shortly after that, Moses texted to say that he'd been told that power should be back on in an hour.  It was about three hours later, actually.  Did I mention it was hot?  And muggy?  We smelled lovely.

Dinner was french bread pizza cooked in the oven.  We were at the neighbor's campfire when Bazinga ran up and said her tummy hurt.  Then she went in the camper and came back to say she'd thrown up.  We think she just played too hard, didn't drink enough, and certainly didn't eat enough.  She threw up three more times in the camper with me, took a nap, and felt fine when she woke up.  Early bedtimes for the kids and me.

Sunday breakfast was pancakes & bacon.  We took Bazinga back to the nature center for a snake feeding and rattlesnake craft.  She was selected to show everybody a rattlesnake skin.  She took her duties very seriously.  I declined to pet the dead snake bits.  Then everybody got to pet a live snake.  I declined again.

Somebody had to take pictures, right?

She took her duties very seriously

After we got back, I laid down in bed with Alex to try to get him to go to sleep.  That took a while, because it's a lot of fun to climb over Mt. Mommy.  Once he was finally out, I turned on the oven and baked some enchiladas.  Moses took Bazinga and Max for a hike, which took a very long time.  The enchiladas were cold by the time he got back, but they were still tasty.  I put 2.0 in his stroller and we did a loop around the island.  Dinner was black bean & corn chili cooked in the crock pot, followed by smores with the neighbors.  Bazinga stayed up way too late playing with the other kids, and she had a meltdown at bedtime.

Breakfast Monday morning Pioneer Woman's cinnamon rolls from the freezer.  While they were tasty, the caramel made a huge mess to clean up, so that pan rode hom with a bit of water in the sink.  We got everything packed up and were back on the road at about 11:30am.  We stopped for some fuel and Moses got a deep-fried chicken/sausage/onion kabob.  It was tasty.  I pulled out some guacamole & chips and we snacked on that.

We stopped at a rest stop north of Jacksonville, Texas.  Here's the panorama from the scenic overlook.

Bazinga was more interested in less scenic views.

Another stop at Buccee's on the way home, because who can resist Buccee's?

Since it was Memorial Day, Pie Five Co. was giving away free pizzas to veterans, so we stopped there and split a pizza and salad.  We pulled in our driveway around 8:30PM.

Scarborough Rennaisance Faire

Little brothers are stinky

This weekend we took the camper down to Cedar Hill State Park.  We left around 4pm on Friday, so naturally traffic was miserable.  Part of the park was shut down due to recent flooding, and they were pretty much booked up, so it's a good thing we had reservations.  We got there around 6:30, and I think Bazinga fell asleep three times on the way.  The site was nice and level, and we were right across the street from the bathroom.  There was a nice little trail from our site directly to the playground, so Bazinga had a blast, except for when she got stuck on top of some playground equipment.  I heard what sounded like a baby goat, so I wandered over there with 2.0.  I found Bazinga on top of some climbing doohickey, yelling, "Dad!  Dad!  Dad!  Dad!" with all these kids standing around staring at her.  I told her how to get down, but she wouldn't do it.  Finally I sent Moses over to get her down.  I don't know exactly what she did, but they both came back, so I guess it worked.

Bratwurst "pizza"

Dinner on Friday night was a Tombstone pizza.  I'd sent Moses to Albertson's to stock up when there was a sale with some coupons, but I didn't check what pizzas he'd purchased.  He came back with this monstrosity.  It's brautwurst pizza.  It has mustard on it.  Mustard does not belong on pizza.  I'm not sure this even qualifies as pizza.  You'll notice that the "pizza" is already cut in half.  That's because as I was packing the camper, I realized that our freezer will not hold an entire Tombstone pizza, so I had to cut it in half and rewrap it with Saran wrap.  Bazinga didn't eat the same dinner as us, because that would just be rediculous (insert eyeroll here) so I warmed up some chicken nuggets for the kids.  After complaining that her tummy hurt, she walked over to the trash can, calmly pulled her hair back, and proceeded to puke.  Twice.  And she didn't even make a mess.  Moses had thrown up late Thursday night, so I wasn't horribly surprised.  She slept on the couch because it's easier to clean than her bunk, and she woke up feeling pretty good the next morning.

Saturday morning we got up early and had cold cereal.  Then Bazinga put on her Cinderella dress, I braided her hair, and off we went to Scarborough Faire.  Just as we came up on the exit on I35, traffic came to a standstill.  Then I remembered the traffic the last time we came here.  It took us 45 minutes to get from the exit ramp to the front gates.  That's less than two miles.  We already had tickets, but the line just to get in was pretty long and slow as well.

Once we finally got in, Bazinga did not know what to make of it all.  I think she thought she'd be the only one dressed as a princess.  She was wrong.  Santa Claus was there, but she got very shy when we went up to say hi.  She gravitated toward all the rides, which cost money.  Of course.  I wouldn't let her ride those, but she did get to pet a unicorn, go in the petting zoo, get her face painted, and meet mermaids.  That wasn't good enough, so we had some meltdowns and pouts.

Dweezle and I split a scotch egg, which was good, but I can make that at home.  Around lunch time, he went out to the truck to bring in the sandwiches I'd packed. (Ham, turkey, and swiss for us, PB & banana for Bazinga, which she wouldn't eat.)  2.0 needed a nap, but he showed no signs whatsoever of going to sleep, so I decided to wear him.  It started to sprinkle, so I went out to the truck and brought back jackets for the kids and myself.  Dweezle said he didn't want his, but I did offer.  Just as we were going back in, the skies opened up and it was a very cold rain.  2.0 seemed warm enough since he was right up against me, and he laid his head down a few times, but then he perked back up.  We darted in and out of shops to dry off, but eventually we'd had enough.  It was just too cold and wet with little kids.  I took 2.0 back out to the truck and waited for Dweezle and Bazinga.  Getting out was just about as bad as getting in, until I decided to go the back way to Maypearl and Venus instead of out to I35.

Dinner that night was crock pot chili, and I'm very glad I didn't have to cook anything once we got back.  Dweezle took a nap with 2.0, and Bazinga played with her dolls on the couch while I knit some socks.

Sunday breakfast was a sausage & tater tot casserole from the freezer.  We decided to stop by REI and Stonebriar mall so I could pick up my wedding ring, which I'd had resized.  While Moses was getting the camper ready, I took the kids over to an area that had some bluebonnets.  I had visions of nice pictures worthy of framing and gifting to grandparents.  I got this.

And this.

And this.

I had to make fart noises to get Bazinga to smile.  Here are the best ones of each kid, because I never did get a decent one of the two of them.

We stopped at REI and I saw a backpack that I really like.  However, it's much cheaper online.  It had lots of compartments and organization, unlike the backpack I use as a diaper bag now, which is basically a giant sack.  I set a pricewatch on camelcamelcamel.com on that one.

Bazinga thinks she has to go to the LEGO store anytime we're there.  2.0 now agrees.

More Sourdough

I used the same recipe I used last time, and I wound up with this:

Om nom nom nom nom.  This loaf was perfect.  I let the dough rise in the windowsill, and it wasn't runny at all like the last loaf.  You can really taste the sourness in this one.  Needless to say, it's all gone now.

Adventures in Sourdough

First attempt at AB's sourdough loaf,
following the directions to the letter

I've been on a bread-making kick lately, even though I just got rid of the bread machine.  I've had bread machines before that I loved, but this one made a tall round loaf.  Like a regular loaf of bread, but in a cylinder.  It's weird.  Also, I could never get that particular machine to thoroughly mix the ingredients.  So, off to the thrift store it went.

I've made Alton Brown's Knead Not Sourdough a couple of times, and I've been very pleased with the texture and the crust.  And it's very easy to make, even though it takes about a day from start to finish.  However, I don't know if it's a true sourdough since it doesn't utilize a starter.  Instead, any sourness it develops comes from a scant 1/4 teaspoon of yeast and a 19-hour rise time.  I want something a little stronger than that.

Braumeister's Wife loaf

Then I found The Braumeister's Wife's series on sourdough and followed her directions on creating a starter about two weeks ago.  That was easy-peasy.  When I feed my starter, I use half flour and half distilled water.  It has tiny bubbles and a strong odor, so something is going on in there.  I made her loaf, but I wasn't thrilled with the results.  It was a little too dense on the bottom, but it had the air bubbles I was looking for on the top.

So now I'm attempting to modify AB's loaf to use a sourdough starter.  Here's the original ingredient list:

• 17 1/2 oz bread flour (Note, I didn't have any bread flour so I searched for a substitute.  I've been using 15 oz by weight of all-purpose flour, 1 TB of vital wheat gluten, and then I finish out the weight (a little less than a quarter cup) with whole wheat flour.)
• 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
• 2 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 12 oz filtered water (I used distilled.)

Here's my finished ingredient list:

• 1/2 cup starter (this makes 1/4 cup flour and 1/4 cup water)
• 15 oz by weight of all-purpose flour
• 1 TB vital wheat gluten 
• 1.66 oz by weight of whole wheat flour
• 2 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 9 oz filtered water (personally I think I can lower this a bit)

I mixed all the ingredients in a stand mixer outfitted with a dough hook.  I wasn't going to add the whole wheat flour, but the whole dough was a tad on the runny side, which is why I think I may need less liquid next time.  I proofed the dough in a cold oven with just the light on for two hours, and then moved it into the fridge for a couple of hours.  I read that a cold rise helps the sour flavor to develop better.  Before I went to bed, I pulled it out and let it sit at room temperature on the stove overnight.  At this point, I wasn't too terribly sure it was going to work because the dough didn't rise a lot, and it wasn't really holding its shape.

In the morning, I turned the dough out onto a floured cutting board and tucked the edges under and rolled it a bit.  Then I sprinkled a piece of parchment paper with cornmeal and put the dough on that.  I sprinkled the top of the dough with cornmeal as well and covered with a floursack towel.  I let it rise for about an hour and then preheated the oven to 450 degrees with the dutch oven inside.  Then I put the dough and parchment in the oven and baked covered for 30 minutes.  When the timer went off, I removed the lid and meant to reduce the temperature to 375, but apparently my oven didn't get the memo, so it baked for another 15 minutes at 450 and then I really did reduce it to 375 until the internal temp was 200.  I removed the dutch oven from the oven and moved the loaf to a cooling rack.  Thirty minutes later, I had this:

The crust is a bit darker and harder than I prefer, but I think that's due to the temperature mixup.  But the inside?

 

The inside is soft and chewy, and it has a hint of sourness.  I'd prefer a little more flavor, so I may use more starter next time.

Stars Game

Last Saturday Moses and I were fortunate enough to go to a Stars game at the American Airlines Center.  The marketing rep for one of the companies for which we sell auto insurance came by a few weeks ago and invited Moses.  We all had appetizers at Cook's Hall in the W Hotel across from the AAC before the game, and that was pretty tasty.  Then we sat in a suite for the game.  The food in the suite consisted of chicken fingers (okay, as far as chicken fingers go), popcorn, chips & dip (did not care for the cold cheese dip), and salad.  There were also soft drinks, bottled water, and a variety of liquor, which I didn't try and couldn't tell you anything about.  So I took a picture instead.

The Stars won over the Islanders, 3-0, so I'd call it a good evening.

Chewy Brownies

From the 1999 Taste of Home Annual Recipes, page 140.


2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purposeflour
1/3 cup bakig cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a mixing bowl, combine sugar, flour, cocoa, salt, and baking powder.  Combine oil, eggs, corn syrup, and vanilla; add to dry ingredients.  Spread in a greased 13 in. x 9 in. x 2 in. baking pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25-27 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.  (Lisa's note: This usually takes 40 minutes in the purple glass pan when the oven is FULLY preheated.)  If desired, dust with confectioner's sugar while still warm.

Sales!

I've been meaning to start posting my day-to-day activities, but, well, my day-to-day activities get in the way.

Bazinga had a sleepover with her grandparents last night, so the morning was pretty calm.  2.0's highchair was still outside from being hosed off due to an unfortunate puking incident, and then it got rained on, so it wasn't dry yet.  I got his booster seat from the camper and did my best to attach it to one of the chairs.  He had three sausage links and was quite happy.  He's still snotty due to allergies or a cold, not sure which, but he sounds better than he did a couple of days ago.

I made a bread dough yesterday morning and let it rise in the oven all day and overnight.  When I turned it out onto the board, it was pretty runny, so I wasn't sure if it was going to work.  I baked it in my new Le Creuset dutch oven (in Carribbean blue!) with a piece of parchment paper in the bottom.  The loaf didn't rise as much as the first loaf I made, but I also didn't follow the directions exactly, so maybe Alton Brown really does know what he's talking about.  *insert eyeroll here*  I also fed the sourdough starter that I put together earlier this week.  It doesn't smell as weird as it did the other day.  Since I'm new at this, I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing.

I got all the laundry folded and most of it put away.  I knew I needed to go to the grocery store, but right as I was ready to go, 2.0 decided to rub his eyes and be cranky, so I let him nap.  And nap.  And nap.  We lost his morning bottle, so I'm sure I'll find it in three months filled with mold.  Yum.  I spent naptime going over coupons & sales for my trip today.

Lunch was a burrito made from last night's leftover taco meat.  Not bad, but not great either.

2.0's first Easter basket

2.0 and I headed to Target since they had a $10 off $40 coupon for pet care products.  I got a month's worth of pet food for about half price.  Once I got back home I realized I had another coupon I could have used, and I find myself dwelling on the $1 in savings that I didn't get instead of the $27 that I did get.  Go figure.  I also had a coupon for Easter candy (the good stuff, not Robin's eggs and crap like that), and I got to stack that with the Cartwheel app, so I wound up getting two chocolate bunnies for the kids' Easter baskets, plus two bags of mini Snickers/Twix/Milky Ways for $2.05 each instead of $3.59.  I also picked up an Easter basket for 2.0.

Then over to Albertson's, which was my real reason for going to town.  They had boneless pork loins for $1.49/lb, and our eMeals plan calls for that once or twice a week, so I figured it was a good idea to stay stocked up on that.  They also had shredded cheese for $5.99 for two pounds, which is pretty good these days.  It's not quite as good as Sam's Club's $12.50 for 5lbs, but since we don't have a membership there anymore, it's the best deal I've seen.  I grabbed some mozzarella and cheddar jack.  Then I went to pick up Bazinga from mom's.


When we got home, Bazinga "entertained" 2.0 long enough for me to trim & portion the pork.  My uncle the butcher would probably be horrified at my technique, but hey, the meat is cut and I am uninjured, so I'm calling it a success.  I had picked up a couple dozen plastic eggs and filled those with the mini candy bars, along with the eggs left over from last year.  Bazinga is under strict orders to not open any of the eggs.  They're on top of the cabinet, so now I'm hoping that I remember to send them to school with her.

Bazinga was assigned homework.  Actually, I was assigned homework.  The church that is affiliated with the preschool is having some sort of lunch, and they wanted construction paper handprints of all the family members.  This isn't so difficult for Bazinga, the Dweeze, and myself.  2.0, on the other hand . . . Instead of tracing his hand, my brilliant solution was to get his hand wet and slap it down on the paper, then trace the wet handprint.  Turned out well enough as far as I'm concerned.

Dinner tonight is some lemon chicken with capers dish from the eMeals plan.

Scheduling

Bazinga started karate lessons this month.  She goes on Monday & Wednesday afternoons, which are the same days that she goes to preschool.  In an effort to minimize my trips into town to conserve fuel, I've had to rearrange my schedule.  I used to go to the gym in the morning with 2.0, then do some grocery shopping if I had time, and then pick up Bazinga and head home.  Now, because the child care in the gym isn't available in the early afternoon, I stay home with 2.0 until it's time to get Bazinga, find something to do to kill time for a couple of hours, go to karate, go to the gym, go grocery shopping, and then head home.  I need to clean out the cooler and put it in the truck so maybe I can use grocery shopping to kill time without having everything go rancid on me.

This time, we went to the park.  Bazinga found friends wherever she went, whether she knew them or not.  She climbed on top of the giant rock, then told a little girl on the ground that she couldn't climb up or she'd fall and crack her head open.  She's one to talk.  2.0 toddled all over the place.  He mostly enjoyed the swing.

Bazinga's karate uniform finally arrived, so here is her first ever ninja picture:

She takes ninjing very seriously.

Bonham State Park

This weekend took us to Bonham State Park.  It's a fairly small park, with maybe 20 RV sites total.  Only two were available when we got there on Saturday afternoon, so the Dweeze had to back it in.  There were trees on either side of the site, so I had to get out and guide him in.  I'm sure we looked pretty stupid, but oh, well.  At least we didn't hit anything.

Bazinga and 2.0 on the "beach"

The community area was right behind our campsite, so Bazinga had a blast playing with other kids. 
There was a "beach," aka a sand volleyball court, where she spent some time building sand castles.  She rode her bike and left her toys all over the place, so 2.0 and I wandered around picking up after her.  At home I make her pick up her own stuff, but out there I just wanted to make sure it didn't get carried off.  She tried out the horseshoe pit, and her method involves marching up to the stake and chucking the horseshoe at it from about two feet away.  Whatever works, I guess.

2.0 in  his new carrier.  He
enjoyed it.

It was really windy Saturday afternoon and evening, but it calmed down by Sunday morning.  We loaded 2.0 in our new carrier that I picked up at the JBF sale.  I had to do some adjusting, but I did the whole two miles with him strapped to me.  I wasn't too sore when we were done, either.

The Noms

Dinner Saturday: smoked sausage on the grill and mac & cheese heated in the dutch oven
Breakfast Sunday: tater tot breakfast casserole
Lunch: hamburgers

Mac & Cheese

This is modified from BettyCrocker.com

2 c uncooked elbow macaroni (rotini works well too)
1/4 c butter
1/4 c all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp ground mustard
2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 c milk
2 c shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 c bread crumbs

Heat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 2qt casserole dish with cooking spray.  Cook macaroni as directed on package.  While the macaroni is cooking, melt the butter in a 3-qt sauce pan over low heat.  Stir in flour, salt, pepper, ground mustard, garlic powder, and Worcestershire sauce.  Cook over medium-low heat until the mixture is smooth & bubbly, stiring constantly.  Slowly stir in the milk and heat to boiling, stirring constantly.  Boil for one minute while the sauce thickens.  Stir in the cheese and keep stirring until melted.  Drain the macaroni and stir into the cheese sauce.  Pour into the casserole dish and sprinkle with bread crumbs.  Bake uncovered for 20 minutes or until bubbly.  Then turn the broiler on low and heat until the bread crumbs are golden brown.

Bazinga Tales

This Sunday, I picked Bazinga up from Sunday School.  She handed me a drawing and said, "This is me pooping."  Then she turned the drawing to the other side and said, "This is me not pooping."  I nearly died laughing.  Unfortunately, the drawing was ruined in the car before I could take a picture of it, but the "pooping side" had a brown Bazinga stick figure with a brown circle around the middle, with lots of brown spots underneath the circle.  There were other stick figures, but hers was the only brown one.  She'd clearly put some thought into it, but I'm guessing the teacher made her draw one that didn't involve poop.