The Great Outdoors

This past weekend was the best one I have had in a while. Josh and I finally got to use the tent that dad got for us as a wedding gift and enjoy the great outdoors. We went camping with two other couples from our small group and had such a relaxing and enjoyable weekend. Not only was it just a weekend to get away and camp, but it was also a birthday weekend for one of the other husbands. We camped out Thursday, Friday, and came back Saturday afternoon. Thursday afternoon we got their after Ashley and her husband Josh (yes, there are multiple Josh's in our group. One of them being my husband and the other being my husband) had gotten there and set everything up. We cooked chili over the fire and later had s'mores as we sat and talked around the fire all night. We got up Saturday morning and Ashley and I were in charge of breakfast. We were making pancakes and bacon, YUM. Pancakes and bacon...simple enough right? WRONG! First of all we didn't bring any measuring devices so I had estimate on the amount of water to put in. Then my Josh told me to add more and fill it up to the line that was on the pancake container. Well...then our pancake batter looked like milk. There was no way that those pancakes were going to hold form when poured into the pan. Think, think, think. How are we going to cook these pancakes?? Light bulbs comes on for us: we will just make one giant pancake and cook it in a pot! This is what it turned into:

Doesn't look much like a pancake, right? haha

So we started rolling the mixture in the pot, into balls and flattened them out and grilled them.

They definitely weren't the best pancakes I have ever eaten, but at least they were edible. The bacon and the coffee were delicious though! 

Then we decided to go on a little hike, which turned into more than a "little hike." We started traipsing through the woods (off of the marked trails) to try to take a short cut. No such luck. We had to turn around and try to retrace our steps through the woods. To bad we didn't leave and foot prints, that sure would have made it easier! But we finally made it out alive. 

That night we did steaks and baked potatoes on the fire(in the rain) for Josh's birthday (Ashley's Josh). These were the best steaks we have ever had! Cooked perfectly, a nice smokey flavor, and they even had the perfect grill marks from the grate. Amazing! The fact that it rained all night and we had to sit under the pop up tent and eat steaks out of our laps made it interesting. Later that night, Jeremy and Megan joined us and brought a Gator ice cream cake for Josh's birthday. The three guys got pretty wet that night with putting Jeremy and Megan's tent up in the rain. It was the fastest I have ever seen a tent go up and the first time I have ever seen three guys looking at the directions sheet before they started. lol. The next morning Jeremy made an awesome breakfast!! Eggs, sausage, hash browns, and cinnamon pecan pancakes. These pancakes were much more successful than the one Ashley and I did. Then we all packed up and headed home after enjoying a nice weekend in the great outdoors.

Later that night, we rode over to Orlando with Josh and Ashley and went to Uno's Chicago grill. This was the first time I have ever had Chicago deep dish pizza and it was so good! After dinner, we took a field trip to Bass Pro to stock up on more camping gear. But.... we all walked out empty handed. I did happen to find a frying pan that literally half the size of me though. You should have seen me trying to carry it around the store to show my husband!