Packing The RV For The Climb

I just needed to fill the holding tank in the RV and then off to fill the Propane tank. Sounds Easy, right? Except for the fact that when the tank was full the kitchen area sink was leaking and needed a new faucet set and I learned the prior owner - we'll call him Mr. Caulk - had caulked the sink drains instead of using plumber's putty which is the appropriate product for sink drains. If I just taught you that pretend you always knew it anyway.

That was the bad news. The good is that the propane tank was already full so the trip to the station to fill it  used more gasoline than I got propane. Oh well.

It sounded pretty easy. Just figure out what we'll need for the climb and a week of travel after and pack it into the RV. The travel BBQ fits in the area I wanted it in as long as I remove the lid. The jacks had to come out of their tool box so I could accommodate the BBQ, but there was just enough room in the area to also stow the propane tank for the BBQ. Whew!

Since I plan to cook most of the meals I needed to pack an adequate travel kitchen. Big cutting board, 3 knives, pancake griddle for Sunday breakfast after the hike -Pam signed me up to make Buckwheat Blueberry pancakes- and some additional pans. I finally get to re-season my other cast iron skillets so I heated them up with oil in them and wiped them around and then baked them in the oven. So then I needed to pack dry food and spices and pretzels and popcorn for the air popper - oh yeah the air popper, and make sure we had sheets for all three sleeping areas, and OK THIS IS MORE THAN IT LOOKED LIKE IN THE BEGINNING!

I'm glad I have a couple more days to finish all this stuff.

Nutrition:

Without the commitment to eating healthy you will yoyo and need to start over time and again. Doctors agree that this type of weight loss and gain are very bad for your health. Among the dangers of YoYo dieting are the following:

·    Liver problems

·    Loss of muscle

·    Lower metabolism

·    Heart disease

·    High blood pressure

·    Stroke

·    Diabetes

·    Cancer

·    Shortened life span

I don’t see one item on that list I’m interested in having. The real changes are worth it for you and your family.

Recipe:

Carrot Muffins
Makes 12

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 Teaspoon sea salt
2 Teaspoons cinnamon
1 Teaspoon nutmeg
2 Teaspoons baking soda
1/4 cup Pure Maple Syrup

¼ cup Honey

1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup water
2 Teaspoons vanilla
3 medium to large eggs, beaten
2 cups grated Carrot (If you juice you can use the pulp from juicing carrots)
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease approximately 12 muffin tins thoroughly. Mix dry ingredients first. In separate bowl, mix sugar with olive oil, water and vanilla.  Add beaten eggs and blend thoroughly. Lightly incorporate the carrot pulp and nuts.  Finally add dry ingredients.  Put into muffin pan and cook  for about 20 minutes. Let cool for about 10 minutes and serve.

More soon....