Fall Creek Falls 2012

Last month we loaded up the camper for our first real camping trip in the camper.  We went along with our good friends who also have a camper and their 2 kids.  We headed to Fall Creek Falls in Pikeville, TN. 

The weather was crisp but nice.  Great camping weather.  We hiked, we ate, we sat by the fire, ate some more and shared a lot of laughs.  There is something truly wonderful about being out amongst nature with NO cell phones and good friends. 

A piece of advice when hiking, most of the trails are not meant for strollers.  The only path we were really able to follow was the bike path.  If you have little ones and want to do some intensive hiking make sure you have the proper carrier.  I've hiked the trails a few times and they are a very good work out. 

Time to go home...

Amsterdam December 2011

From Paris we flew into Amsterdam.  I know its only a 4 hour drive but we found it was cheaper to fly than to take a train.  I was really surprised at the cost of taking a train.  When we arrived we again decided to try the train into the city from the Amsterdam airport.  It was super easy and cheap.  You can get on an express train and it will take you right to the main central station.

I don't think we met one person in Amsterdam that couldn't speak English.  It is a known fact that the Dutch like to practice there English so they are ready and willing to speak in English to you.  This is pretty great considering Dutch is a very difficult language to learn. 

Since everyone could speak English they were very helpful in giving us a hand to get around the city.  Once we got off the express train there was a visitor center right outside the front doors.  Here they were able to tell us what trolley to take and what stop to get off for our hotel. We were also able to purchase our tickets here.  The trolleys were very easy to navigate with a stroller as well and it was nice to not have to go under ground to catch a subway. 

One of the first things you will notice about Amsterdam is that you don't see many vehicles around the city center.  There are more bikes then cars.  We even saw a bicycle parking garage!  Crazy I know.  Even if you have 3 children you most likely will manage to all get on one bike one way or another.  You can see as many as fifty bikes coming at you at once when the traffic like changes to green. 

We decided to get around mostly by walking.  You can pretty much navigate the whole city by foot.  One thing we noticed about the city by walking around was that rain or shine, blizzard, or heat wave all of the store fronts are wide open. Forget about small doors they have garage like doors that remain wide open as long as the store is open for business.  I loved how inviting that was.  Especially at Christmas time. 

The first full day we made the decision to do the hop on hop off bus to see all of the sites.  It was a great deal.  You could get on and off the bus as much as you want for 24 hrs.  Each time you get on the bus you can plug in your head phones and listen to the history of the city in the language of your choice.  This was also very easy to do with a stroller as well.  Also included in our package was a boat tour since most of the city is surrounded by canals.  There around a thousand bridges in Amsterdam alone. 


Our first and most important stop to me personally was the Anne Frank Museum.  As a little girl I was fascinated by her story and must have read her diary a hundred times.  The Museum is there actual hide out in her fathers office building.  It was amazing to be in the actual place that they hid for several years before their capture. 

Our next stop was the Van Gogh Museum.  This was also high on our list of things to see.  He had such an interesting and sad story.  The museum also had some great works by some of his close friends.  We spent a good amount of time here so allow your self a few hours.

Next we toured the original Heineken plant.  This was pretty interesting as well.  You see the process of brewing and bottling the beer.  You get to see the Heineken horses.  There are also lots of fun interactive things to do along the tour.  At the end you get 2 samplings of beer or if you are like me you opt for the free Pepsi. 

Amsterdam is a city that we agree we would like to see in the Spring.  They are well known for all of there tulips.  Seeing how amazing this city was at Christmas time makes your wonder how beautiful it would be with hundreds of tulips around. 

If you are interested in visiting Amsterdam it promises to not disappoint.

MVP Chili

My husband and I were out for lunch yesterday and I picked up an issue of Mature Lifestyles of Tennessee.  I thumbed through the pages and came across 3 chili recipes.  One of the recipes really stood out and sounded so delicious.  I decided to try out the recipe and man not only does it taste amazing it smells so good in the house. 

I know the Super Bowl Parties are around the corner so I thought I would share the recipe.

MVP Chili

2 packages (19 ounces) Hot Italiam Sausage Links

1 large onio, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons chili powder

1/4 teaspoon cumin

1 bottle (12 ounces) dark beer (can substitute with light beer or 1 cup beef stock)

1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes

2 tablespoons tomato paste

salt and pepper, to tast

1 can (15.5 ounces) black beans

1 can (15.5 ounces) red kidney beans

1 1/1 cups corn (frozen or fresh off the cob)

*we substituted a few things, we used a dark porter beer and I have to say I think it made the flavor pop and this is coming from a non beer drinker. We didn't have crushed tomatoes so I used a can of diced and a can of Rotel, I also used Ketchup instead of tomato paste, and we left out the corn.

-De-case sausage and saute' in a large pot; use a wooden spoon to crumber sausage as it cooks

-Once sausage is nicely browned, stir in onion, garlic, chili powder and cumin and continue cooking until onion softens, about 5 minutes.

-Add beer and allow it to simmer for an additional 5 minutes, scraping up any brown bits from bottom of pan

-stir in tomatoes, tomato paste and allow it to simmer, uncovered for an additional 10 to 15 minutes on medium-low, stirring occasionally.

-taste and adust seasonings with salt and pepper

-Finally, stir in beans and corn. Let this come to a simmer, and it's ready to serve

* I let the pot sit on the stove most of the day so that all of the flavors would have more time to fuse together.

Makes 12 cups (6 to 8 servings)

Putting in a Zipper

If you are a beginner at sewing and have never put in a zipper have no fear.  I sewed my first zipper last night.  I watched this tutorial on internet and it was very helpful.  I hope its helpful to you as well.

http://video.about.com/sewing/Zipper-Sewing.htm

Paris at Christmas Time

Have you ever dreamed of Paris at Christmas time?  Well I have and this year I actually got to experience the dream first hand.  My family and I once again ditched the camper for a plane and flew over "the pond" to Paris. 

Christmas Markets by the Eiffel Tower

We weren't exactly sure what to expect weather wise.  It made us a little nervous that it would be too cold since we usually go somewhere warm in December for vacation.  It was cold but we had sunshine everyday that we didn't even really notice.  Besides, I wouldn't have had it any other way.  It just wouldn't have been the same walking through the Christmas markets without a scarf, hat and gloves on.  I did a lot of reading before our trip and everyone suggested layers.   So we took the advice layered up and were just fine.  Wool knee high socks were the trick for me.  I went one day without them and realized they were the one thing was keeping my whole body nice and toasty.

If you have a little one I suggest a weather protector for your stroller.  It was the best thing we did for our little guy.  It kept him dry the few times it rained and nice and warm.  We would throw a blanket over him, put on the protector and was more than comfortable all day long.  This is what ours looks like.

I am going to start with transportation advice.  My husband and I decided cabs were too easy and we wanted a bit of a challenge.  So we opted to take the train from the airport to our hotel.  It was super easy to do and a 1/4 of what a cab would cost you.  It would have been a lot easier if I would have email the hotel beforehand to ask what line we should take.  All of the train employees were very helpful and willing to help out a few lost American tourist.  If we can do it with a large suitcase and a stroller anyone can. 

The trip from the airport was the only time we took the train.  We were pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to get around the city by foot.  We must have walked miles each day but the exercise was welcomed after escargot and creme brulee every night for dinner.  My husband made a good point that if you are underground in a train you miss out on a lot and you most likely won't stumble on unique little neighborhoods like this one we stumbled on.

 

We did all of the normal tourist things like the Louvre, Notre Dame and of course the Eiffel Tower, but our favorites were the unexpected things around every corner.  One fun thing was walking along the shop windows like Chanel's. Their Christmas window displays are phenomenal and must take months to put together.  There are hundreds of people gathered around all of the windows to get a glimpse.  

We started each morning, afternoon and some evenings with an espresso and a chocolate croissant. Almost every dinner began with an order of escargot.  To some it might sound kind of gross but to us the delicacy is simply delicious.  Every dinner was rounded off nicely with an order of creme brulee.  Like I said, walking was a must after all that.   Don't fear if you do not speak French, as soon as the server figures that out they will bring you an English menu.

One of my favorite spontaneous stops for cafe creme and a chocolate eclair to die for.

  After a few wonderful days in Paris we were off to Amsterdam...

Phil's Fish Market (CA Culinary Stop #2)

Please excuse the Iphoto blurry pictures.  I didn't have my camera with me.

Phil's Fish Market, winner of Throw Down with Bobby Flay, is another must stop.  If you are a fan of clam chowder and sour dough bread then you have to pop in for a bowl.  The chowder is so delicious and you can have all the fresh sour dough bread you can eat. 

We decided to add another little treat to our order this time.  We chose the seafood stuffed artichoke.  It was as good as it sounds.  My mouth waters as I type. 

Cafe Campesino (CA Culinary Stop #1)

This year for Thanksgiving we headed to my brothers in Northern California then headed down to my sister's in Southern California for a few days.  I must say that we had a few very tasty encounters.  I'm going to share just a few in case you are ever in their neighborhoods.

We headed into Santa Cruz, CA for one of my favorite places.  This is a must eat on any Santa Cruz culinary tour.  Cafe Campesino is what it is called.  I confess that I have only had one thing on the menu.  The Chicken Tinga.  Its just too good to not get it every time I am there.  I'm determined to find a recipe for this and perfect it.

If you are expecting a fancy dinning room when you arrive well then think again.  You will be eating outside on one of the tables on the side walk.  Cafe Campesino is only about 5' x 5'.  You order at the window from one of the two lovely ladies and you wait for them to bring you the yummy goodness.