It is gorgeous outside today. And it was gorgeous yesterday. Let’s hope this trend continues, because we are planning on going camping this weekend up at Scenic State Park. We went there last year for Labor Day weekend, and it was gorgeous, and they have lots of hiking trails and you can rent canoes and stuff, so we thought it would be fun to go back. Now we just have to pray for fabulous weather.

I feel that to be fair in my updating I should let you all know that I DID make the guacamole and stuffed chicken breasts I was talking about the other night, but in the process I almost cut off the tip of my thumb. It is still pretty gross looking, but at least it didn’t fall off. And I was able to finish making dinner because I’m hardcore like that! Tonight I’m staying simple with a garlic pasta. But I’m going to use the elk-shaped pasta we got at Ikea because it’s fun. Which means I should probably get off my ass and go cook.

What are your favorite camping recipes? We are going at least 3 times this summer (plus maybe 1 backpacking trip), so we’ll have lots of chances to try different things! One thing we are going to try for sure is making our own “pasta bar.” They have a pasta bar at a deli downtown every week, and Ryan and I (and a group of his coworkers) are huge fans. But the chef cooks everything over little butane stoves; the same stove that Ryan has. So all we need is some precooked pasta, precooked meat, minced garlic, olive oil and whatever veggies we want. And some sauce, which we can also make in advance. It’ll be yummy, although it’s definitely a “lazy camping” (ie. drive up camping) dinner. Not so much a backpacking one.

Anyway, I’m off to go try not to mangle my thumb again. Happy Monday!