Camping II

I received a few inquires about our camping location, as I only mentioned it was in Marion county. It was just outside a very picturesque unincorporated town called Guild. I never heard of it either. Lets just leave it at we camped on lake Nickajack outside of Chattanooga. LOL
Here is my DH with one of the twins, starting her young, building a blazing fire. The weather was so nice we were able to cook all our meals over an open fire, and have smores at night. I made home made graham crackers, and they were a huge hit. As a matter of fact, the day we got back a snow front moved across TN. The next morning my bff called and asked us to meet her at the church to go sledding. So about five families in all turned up and we also had hot cocoa and my home made graham crackers (recipe to follow). Only crumbs left after 9 adults and 13 kids got done with them! Best recommendation anyone could ask for and no corn syrup, sugar or MSG.

There were two Canadian Geese at the lake, and we enjoyed feeding them. They enjoyed being fed. So they hung around alot. We needed a name for them, couldn't keep calling them "those geese". We ended up calling them Barb and Sid, after a couple at our church.

Here is one of the twins feeding some real ugly ducks! After we got home we looked them up in our "bird book". They are actually called American Coots. Huh.

And here are the twins showing off their "duck dance". All the kids enjoyed feeding the birds, but the twins took to acting like them!

We camped for two full days and then spent the third at the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga. Worked out well as the third day was gray and overcast with drooping temps. (snow front moving in after 70 degree weather, who would have thunk) Tomorrow I will post about how much fun the aquarium is when other kids are in school ~ LOL

Home made graham crackers

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup honey

1/4 cup milk

2 tablespoons molasses

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

In a large mixing bowl using a rubber spatula mix combine olive oil, milk, honey, molasses and vanilla. In a smaller mixing bowl combine the flour, baking powder, soda, salt and cinnamon. Add this to the liquid mixture. Add an extra 1/2 cup flour if your dough is sticky. A little sticky is ok. Pre heat over to 300 degrees. While the oven is heating up divide dough in half. Spray a large cookie sheet with non-stick spray. Now roll out one of the dough halves onto the cookie sheet. Using a pizza cutter, cut dough into squares and poke with a fork to form classic graham cracker pattern. Bake for about 20-25 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheet and recut with pizza cutter to separate and carefully remove them.

Above recipe will make traditional graham crackers, meaning crisp. I didn't halve my dough, thus making thicker, biscuit like crackers. My kids liked that better for smores as they didn't fall to pieces when bitten into. They also really stick with you, the equivalent of one full cracker (broken in half for smores) filled me up!

Enjoy and Blessings, Beth Ann