To stay away from the cold we spent the winter in Florida. At some point we went to visit some friends who told us about the small town of Helen, a small German-themed town in Georgia at the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. We were told to definitely go and visit. On our way traveling to the North-East we stopped at an RV-park in South Carolina on the border to Georgia, so we decided to make a day-trip to Helen.
Screenshot
Helen is a small town in a beautiful part of Northern Georgia at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains adjacent to the Chattahoochie National Forest and Unicoi State Park. It started as a mining town and the forest of the mountains provided lots of timber for a sawmill. After the mines were closed in the 1920’s and the over-harvesting in the wood jobs went away and the town started to decline. In 1968 a group of local business men decided to give the town a Bavarian make over. Soon tourism picked up and visitors came in floods. Oktoberfest is a big occasion but German beer and food are available year round.
We stopped at Roper’s Clothing where the 88 year old Mrs. Roper spent a lot of time with us and told us about the history of the town. That alone was worth going into the shop but they also have high quality western wear and boots and other clothing.
We decided to go on a small hike first, while in the area and Anna Ruby Falls was very close to town. The road goes up the hills high along Unicoi Lake. The entrance fee was $5 per person above 16 years old. After a few miles we reached the parking lot and had a small picnic. With our stomach filled we set off on the half mile hike up to the waterfalls.
The short hike was beautiful. Although the scenery was constantly changing the view always was stunning. It was one of the prettiest hikes we have been on. The paved path along the beautiful mountain creek was pretty steep with lots of rocks and trees to climb for our children. They needed to burn some energy after a good hour in the car. There were plenty little lookouts along the winding river and lots of opportunities for a photo shoot.
Once you get closer to the falls you can already hear the gushing water and see them through the trees. They were magnificent and if you had not already taken a million pictures you sure would now. There are two falls of two creeks coming together.
One of the falls is is 5 feet high and the other cascades over 150 feet into the bolder filled basin at the bottom. The two creeks become Smith Creek which flows into the Chattahoochie River which flows through Atlanta.
After our hike we went to visit Helen. In Washington state we went to visit Leavenworth, another Bavarian town in the Cascade Mountains. There you have the impressive mountain back-drop while those hills in Helen are not as magnificent the river with several restaurants either side is a beautiful highlight. We spent a couple of hours walking through the small town and finally looked for some liquid nourishment and a snack.
We picked a restaurant by the river and had beer, cider and sausages. Normally I do not look for German beer in the US but the Dunkel was on tap, refreshing, delicious and hit the spot. Once refreshed and a couple beers later we headed back to the car for our one hour drive.
We had a great day in Helen and the hour drive was well worth it. The architecture looks authentic and could be out of Germany. But at the end of the day German people make a German town. If I was in the area I would definitely go back for the hikes, the country side and the brew. A lot of people come here from Atlanta and I can see why.
On our travels South along the West coast we spend about a month in Washington before we entered Oregon. Mount Rainier (YouTube) was our favorite hike possibly on our entire trip so far. Everything had been perfect for us, the weather, the time of year, we saw animals, found blueberries and most of all enjoyed that amazing scenery.
A family picture at Mount Rainier
Of course we wanted more like that but we knew Mount Rainier was going to be hard to beat. Mount Hood was close to the Washington Oregon border so we decided to stop and see what hikes were available for us. Dogs are unfortunately not allowed in the Mount Hood National Park area and we did not want to leave anyone behind because of her. So we decided to hike outside of the park where we could take Freya, our beautiful boxer. Mirror Lake Trail seemed to be perfect for our family. Its a loop around a lake with Mount Hood mirroring in it. It started near a skiing area with parking 5$ per vehicle.
Mount Hood from our boondocking spot
We were boondocking a few miles from the entrance. there were probably 15 campers in the strip off the main road, but everyone had plenty of privacy. there was a Thousand Trails RV park nearby but we had just left one in Washington state and could not get into the next one for about 5 days or so.
Pauline makes it look easy
We wanted to stay only for a few days anyway so boondocking was perfect for us. Mount Hood is one of about a dozen of volcanoes in the Cascade mountain range. It has not been active for a while and is a popular destination with close proximity to Portland. On the day of our hike we had breakfast, packed a few snacks and some water and headed to the trail head. The ski resort is right by the trailhead and you can see the lifts and the slopes.
Romi is carrying her own water and snacks and is doing well on the trip up.
We headed up towards the lake on a 2 mile trail with an elevation of about 460 feet. There were a lot of switchbacks mostly through the forest so there were not many view points but streams and bridges made the hike interesting enough.
All the kids had their feet in the water and some went in but the water was cold.
Once we arrived we walked around the lake and sat down to stick our feet in the water. It was a beautiful sunny day and the kids had fun splashing in the crystal clear water. I explored the area and discovered a few primitive campsites. It must be pretty quiet up there at night.
Mount Hood in the background
The view of Mount Hood was very pretty, too. After the children had spent enough time in the lake we headed back down got on our way back to the camper. We drove past a sign for Timberline Lodge so I had to stop there and have a look. Timberline Lodge is also known as Overlook Hotel from Stanley Kubrik’s “The Shining”.
Noah in front of the main entrance to Timberline Lodge
We parked the car and I went into the hotel to have a look. You are able to walk around the ground floor and there were a few exhibits. The axe or a axe with ‘here’s johnny’ written on it was one of them. Theodor Roosevelt stayed there with his wife as well and is remembered. Most of the movie however had been filmed inside a studio so the inside of the hotel did not look much like in the movie.
The skiing area at Mount Hood has the longest season in the continental US. It is open year round as long as there is snow.
Overlook Hotel as it is known in The Shining
We headed back to our camper and left after a few days. Mount Hood is well worth visiting, our hike may not have been as memorable as the one on Mount Rainier but it is a great place to spend time in the outdoors. definitely go visit if you’re in the area.
At the end of July we arrived in Washington state so we made the trip from Florida to the opposite side of the country. It felt like a little achievement. (Un)fortunately we had spent way more time in Idaho than we had planned so that we had to rush down the West coast faster than we would have liked or than this part of the United states deserved. In Washington State we visited, among other things, the little German town of Leavenworth and Mt Rainier (check out our video) but missed the Puget Sound- Whidbey Island, San Juan Island, the Olympic Peninsula etc. In Oregon we went to see Mt Rainier, Mt Hood, the Oregon Coastline, went mushroom foraging and more. The last sight we went to see in Oregon was Crater Lake.
We parked our house on wheels on a forest road off of route 138 and stayed 3 nights. After driving a couple hundred miles and setting up we took it easy, discovered the area a bit and had dinner. With our T-mobile mobile internet we had a decent signal and were able to work online.
The next morning we set of to go to the lake. With our National Parks Pass – America the Beautiful – we had quick access but there was not a long line at the gate anyway. The road to get to the lake is quite long but when you drive up to the rim you are in awe with what you see.
The view is spectacular, there is a steep drop and slopes to the lake, the water is very clear and the sky is perfectly mirrored in the lake as there is not a lot of wind at the surface of the lake. Wizard Island is the center of attention. There are plenty of view points where you can park your car and take photographs.
Crater Lake was formed through an eruption and collapse of a volcano (Mt Mazama) and is the deepest lake in the United States at 1949 ft. The lake is 5 by 6 miles across and the rim is 7000 to 8000 feet high.
We wanted to hike the Garfield Peak Trail so we drove to one of the lodges and started our hike. It started of through trees and then got moderately steep and there were a few switch backs. We walked for about 50 minutes but two of our girls started slipping on the gravel and I was uncomfortable taking them further up. Along one side of the trail was a steep drop-off. So we turned around and drove a little more along the rim.
The next day we came back and drove in the opposite direction. We arrived at the trailhead of Cleetwood Cove Trail and parked the car so the kids could run around and have a look. I walked down part of the trail. It was steep and had switch backs pretty much all the way down to the cove. The trail is 2.1 miles long with an elevation change of 610 feet.
There is a boat that will take you to Wizards Island or just around the lake. The lake was stocked with fish until 1941 but fishing is allowed and welcome. Two species remained, Kokanee salmon and rainbow trout.
After that we carried on a little further but it started getting dark so we went back to the camper for dinner.
Crater lake is definitely worth the visit even if you just drive around the rim. I would love to go back one day to hike and maybe swim in the lake. But for now we are headed to California to see more of this beautiful country.
Our travels along the West Coast took us through Oregon, both along the coast and the Cascade mountains.
Somewhere at a beach in Oregon
Most of the foraged mushrooms I ordered as a chef in Virginia and Pennsylvania came from Oregon, so I was excited to get to Oregon and go mushrooming.
I remember going mushroom-hunting with my parents in Germany. I learned quickly which ones were good to pick and to leave the ones I did not know. I enjoyed the flavor from a young age and learned to appreciate them even more as I entered my culinary career. I knew Porcini mushrooms and other boletes, parasol mushrooms and chanterelles as a child but morels, blewit mushrooms, lobster mushrooms, winter chanterelles, hen of the woods, chicken of the woods and others I got to know whilst working in the kitchen both in the UK and in the US. At the Inn at Little Washington we had foragers bring us mushrooms through the back door. Most of the mushrooms I bought from a purveyor came from Oregon, though.
As we arrived in Oregon I asked around and was surprised to hear that the season starts in September with the rainfalls. It had been dry the whole summer and we arrived at the end of August. So we had to wait for rain. Someone told me that clouds at night move over the coastal mountains and that the humidity could be enough for mushrooms to grow. So I set out with some of the children to see if we could find any. We had some success and found some chanterelles and lobster mushrooms. We had enough to make a delicious risotto.
Lobster mushrooms and chanterelles
A few days later there was a sprinkle of rain and we find a few more than the first time. Finally we had a full day of rain and I went with just Jojo and we found a lot of mushrooms. We found the most beautiful chanterelles but the majority were Lobster mushrooms.
Jojo and I found a lot of mushrooms after it rained all day the day before.
Lobster mushrooms are russula or milk cap mushrooms that have been compositionally altered by a parasitic mold. This may not sound very nice but they are actually delicious. They have a firm texture and a nutty, woodsy flavor and some say hints of seafood aroma. We had a blast and used the mushrooms as a side with meat, made omelettes and a tasty mushroom pasta. Coincidentally we found the perfect wine to go with the pasta to make it one of those memorable meals one always remembers.
the pasta dish was delicious.
The season was short for us as we had to leave for California but in the end we had our fill of mushrooms and I can look forward to go morel-hunting in spring again.
More mushrooms
A couple of things are important when cooking mushrooms; make sure you wash the mushrooms well before cooking and drain them well so they are dry.
Secondly, the pan should be thick so it holds the heat well. Get it smoking hot before adding the mushrooms.
Do not overfill the pan or it will cool down and the mushrooms release a lot of water and will steam rather than sear.
Butter herbs (thyme, Tarragon , rosemary) and garlic are perfect to finish the mushrooms at the end of cooking.
I love adding bacon bits to the mushrooms when I cook them as a side dish or for my omelet.
After visiting Phoenix for a LV conference we decided to spend some of the winter in Southern California. There are a few Thousand Trail RV parks in Southern Arizona but they are all age limited (55+). So we decided to go back to Southern California where there are a few Thousand Trails as well.
We went to Palm Springs Thousand Trails and had the best time there. The park is clean, the pool area is great, there were lots of children for ours to meet; but most of all the staff there are super friendly and forthcoming. They helped us with our future reservations and we never had an issue with anything. There were also daily activities for the children.
The pool area at Thousand Trails, Palm Springs. We went there on a day pass to do Laundry and use the pool.
After 2 weeks we had to leave however and decided to spend a week on the BLM land at the South-entrance of Joshua Tree National Park. I had read about it researching where to stay and only found positive feedback. we arrived in the afternoon filled up with water and gas and were ready to spend the week.
As you get off route 10 and head towards the park after about half a mile is a road running parallel to route 10 with a lot of spots. To our surprise there were already about 30 RVs, something we had not experienced before. Usually there are 5-10 spots. but here was room for probably 50 more easily. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land is just outside the park and stretches for miles in both directions. Because the area is so large there is plenty of privacy. Our closest neighbors were about 100 yards away from us. So there is plenty of room for our children to play, to make lots of noise and still not bother anyone.
The beginning of the dirt road leading to many boondocking sites.
We stayed there in mid November for a week and came back again at the beginning of December. The weather was very comfortable but it got chilly at night. You are supposed to only stay 14 days at one place but we never noticed anyone stop and check.
Sunset in the desert.
As we are a large family we go through our water very quickly and after 3-4 days we are usually out. If you enter Joshua Tree National Parks South entrance you head towards Cottonwood Campground. There is a dump station and fresh water so we took the trailer to dump and fill up with fresh water. There was no sign so we did not pay anything. We have the annual America the Beautiful National Parks membership so we entered the park with that but there is no barrier or ranger station you have to pass.
The dirt road stretches for miles.
You are in the desert here but there are plenty of shrubs, bushes and small trees. The ground was mostly gravel but it was compact enough for our rig not to get stuck. The kids played ball and bocce outside, rode their bikes and dug holes with the shovel we have.
We had plenty of space and spread out.
The internet there was good enough to stream video over our T-mobile internet gateway. The mountains of Joshua Tree are right behind you and there is an area that is managed by the LA water district which you are not allowed to enter. As long as you stay away from it you are fine to spread out as much as you want. We saw several groups of trailers in a circle who met over the weekend. There were expensive motor homes, Trailers, camper vans and people camping in tents.
We had plenty of campfires whereas most of California has a ban. There are stone rings set up everywhere.
There are plenty of things to do in Joshua Tree NP as well. We took the children on a hike, bouldering and also just drove from one end to the other with plenty of stops for all the different sites. All in all we felt very safe as there very a lot of campers and we left our trailer by itself to go to town for shopping etc. It is definitely a place we will use again if we feel in need to stay somewhere in Southern California.
There are 8 active volcanoes in the cascade mountains, the most famous one probably Mount Saint Helens after it’s eruption in 1980. The Tallest one is Mount Rainier with a height of 14,410 feet. We were between Mt Rainier and Mt Saint Helens at a campground and decided to hike in Mt Rainier National Park with our kids (watch on YouTube). We did climb up Cathedral Rock and Bell Rock in Arizona’s Red Rock Country and the children loved it as much as Andrea and I did. There is a big difference in the climate between Arizona and Washington state. Arizona was dry, hot and dusty whereas Washington gets a lot of rain and the weather is more moderate. Obviously that has a huge impact on the vegetation. The Pacific North West is very mountainous with tall conifers. We fell in love with northern Idaho and Washington is growing on us much the same.
We take a small break close to Glacier Vista
Our ride to Mt Rainier National Park took a bit longer than an hour and we stopped along the way to get some snacks. We made sandwiches which we ate on the ride to the park. At the entrance was quite a long line of cars. We have the “America the Beautiful” Pass and were able to skip much of it. After getting through the gate we had to drive about 10 more miles to get to Paradise where you find the visitors center and the Paradise Inn. We had looked the night before and knew which trails to hike. A ranger at the trail head gave us some more information and we were ready to start.
This is the view from the the visitors center, the Paradise Inn is in the backgrond.
Unfortunately we could not take our oldest son, Noah, with us. He volunteered to stay behind with our dog as pets are not allowed on the trails. Everybody else came with us. Andrea carried Bodhi pretty much all the way and I carried Romi. We started hiking the Alta Vista trail and were surprised how steep it was. This was hard especially with the kids on our shoulders. It felt like we were very out of shape but this was also the steepest part of the hike. Once we had reached the top of the trail which is only .6 miles long, we were rewarded with some spectacular views and a pretty good outlook of what was to come. There was the snow-covered top of Mt. Rainier at one end and smaller mountains all around us, rivers, waterfalls, trees and meadows with beautiful wild flowers. It was stunning.
This is past the steepest part of the Alta Vista climb walking towards Rainier.
We headed further uphill, now on the Skyline Loop Trail, which we followed until the end, toward Glacier Vista but the hike was much more comfortable from this point on. Just before Glacier Vista we had reached the tree line. We also saw patches of snow for the first time. Of course the kids had to play on it, touch it and make snowballs. I am not sure when we saw snow for the last time. There were a few flurries before we left Virginia in December, so it must have been in the winter before. It was strange to see snow but we were wearing shorts and t-shirts. It just shows you how much snow there must have been.
There is still snow left but it is relatively warm.
The trails are open from June or July until October.
The hike is partially paved and the we love the trees all around us.
At Glacier Point you stand right by the mountain at the level where the snow starts. There were waterfalls and more beautiful views. The kids got a break, Pauline walked up until here and the rest of the way which impressed us a lot. We did not expect that from our little five year old but it shows how resilient kids are. We carried on uphill towards Panorama Point at an altitude of 6800 feet (almost 2000′ higher than Cathedral Rock). The trail was now rocky and dusty but the views all around werestunning. The weather was gorgeous and a few small clouds floated by the top of Rainier.
Mount Rainier with a few clouds above it.
There is a platform at Panorama Point and you can see much of the Cascade mountain range. Mount Adams, Mount St Helens and Mt Hood are all visible from here along with other mountains.
In the background you can faintly see Mt Adams
The view down into the valley never ceased to amaze, always changing into another beautiful picture as we moved along. The path kept on going uphill for a little longer and at we soon reached the crossing onto Golden Gate Trail which was a direct line back to the parking lot. But we were not ready to head back yet. so we decided to stay on Skyline Loop. The kids enjoyed more patches of snow along the way.
View towards the visitors center from our hike down
Once we reached the tree line again we found more streams, waterfalls, green meadows, pretty wild flowers and even saw groundhogs and chipmunks. There only seemed to be green from the trees and and the blue of the sky sprinkled with the colors of the wild flowers.
Subalpine Daisies
When we were within a mile to the visitors center we found blueberries. That obviously added some more time to our trip. How could you pass up something as delicious as wild blueberries and there were plenty and they were delicious.
We spent well over an hour picking these beautiful and delicious oval-leaf blueberries.
Sluiskin Falls is another place of interest. You walk over a bridge and have the opportunity to walk down steps in oreder to get right in front of it with Mt Rainier as a backdrop. A perfect opportunity to take some more photographs.
In front of Sluiskin Falls, Mount Rainier is in the background but here can only see the bottom with snow.
After that we found a bunch more blueberries and had a groundhog walk the opposite direction on the same path we were taking. It took him some time to build up the guts to walk past us but he needed to get to the other side of us to get some of the blueberries. The trail ended by the Paradise Inn. From there we had about 10 more minutes to walk to the car.
Paradise Inn
In the parking lot we saw a couple of hikers who were preparing to go to the top at night. We were a bit confused at first as to why they would go at night but they explained that it was safer as the snow and ice get soft and unsafe during the warm weather. It was only the two and they did not have a guide so they decided to walk at night. We started our hike at around 1pm and got back to the car a little before 8pm. We had a lot of brakes and walked a slow pace because of the little ones but we were amazed at Pauline as she walked the whole 5.5 miles although it seemed a little longer than that.
one of the many bequtiful vistas.
This hike was something we will remember for the rest of our lives. As we will remember Cathedral Rock and Bell Rock. Thee constant beauty of nature, the sight of the mountain, the snow the flowers and animals will always be in our mind. We love that we did it with our children as they hopefully have another beautiful of our trip through the United States.
Had the most epic day hiking around Mt. Rainier in Washington State! It is breathtakingly beautiful, with the snowcapped mountain tops, flowing brooks, waterfalls from melting snow, a pristine view of the Cascade mountains, abundant wildflowers, tall pines, blue skies, hundreds of chipmunks scurrying about, marmots, mountain goats and delicious wild blueberries. I couldn’t but feel an immense gratitude. For years all we wanted was more time together as a family when it seemed so impossible at the time with Andre working long hours, weekends and holidays as an executive chef at fine-dining restaurants or country clubs. Somehow, we’ve been able to transition building our own business that is location independent, gives us opportunities to travel full time and explore this beautiful countryside and have so much quality time as a family!
This didn’t happen by chance!!
I had to be sick and tired of being sick and tired.
I had to work on my mindset!!
I had to believe it was possible!!
I had to be consistent and committed!
I had to trust the process!
I had to get comfortable being uncomfortable!
I had to unlearn and relearn and learn no skill sets.
I had to make temporary sacrifice for long term gain
I had to deal with disappointment and move on!
I had to fail many times and get up again and again!
But it’s all worth it for the person I am becoming in the process, the life we are creating and the lives we’ve changed and continue to change for the better!!
Anyone who has a burning desire for a better life has everything they need to create it!
There is one quality which one must possess to win, and that is definiteness of purpose, the knowledge of what one wants, and a burning desire to possess it.
Napolean Hill
Stay tuned for a video from Andre and more posts about Mt. Rainier!!
Andre and Andrea at Mt. Rainier, Washington
Pauline and Josephine are absolutely delighted to see snow after 8 months of chasing summer!
Brad, a fellow hiker, took this photo for us! Missing are Noah our oldest and our boxer dog, Freya. Dogs aren’t allowed at national parks.
Short answer: absolutely yes!!! In fact, the greatest contribution you make to this world may not be something you DO, but rather someone who you RAISE.
Often, very often, we hear from concerned, young men and women, who would love children, but say they don’t want to bring them into this world of corruption, toxins: a country that is on the brink of communism. They ask our thought as parents’ who are very aware of the issues we face today while simultaneously raising 7 children … and open to anymore God sends our way.
First off, the world is going to need your children and their leadership and stewardship. God needs your children so He can do mighty things through them, and He needs us to be faithful and trusting and co-create our posterity and hope for the future! Children are a blessing from the Lord and each one is “made for such a time as this” and we, their parents’, are equipped to raise up these arrows when we cooperate with God’s grace! His command has always been to “be fruitful and multiply”, so have faith and trust the process. Faith always, always proceeds the miracle. If we are going to change the world, it begins in the home; a Christ -Centered, loving home that is the schoolhouse of virtue and character formation. We need strong families more than ever.
Secondly, you are never on the right track when you make a decision based on fear, lack, despair, doubt or any other low emotion. That’s a sure tell-tale sign that it is not from God.
Bodhi and Andi
Honestly, I think that fear is deliberately placed on people’s heart by the Satan, so they won’t have children! The enemy is afraid and is a masterful illusionist. The truth is there has never really been a perfect time of ease. Each era has had its challenges and hardships.
Good things are contagious and when one person chooses goodness, joy and Truth, others will follow their lead and do the same! We can’t change the World ourselves, but we can cast a stone and create many ripples that eventually will make the change! Our children are the solution. It’s not for us to know the future but to have faith and make the next right decision, after the next right decision.
Be a Warrior, not a Worrier!
Love God, love and honor your spouse, and live a life of faith, integrity and joy!
One of my first childhood food memories is when a friend invited our family and a large group of friends to visit at his country home to a wild boar which he cooked for hours over a fire on a spit. I loved everything about it, the fire, the company, many of my childhood friends came from some of the other families, the flavors etc.
When we bought our house in Pennsylvania I decided to buy a spit as well. We had a few parties cooking a hog with friends from church and from work.
Porchetta I cooked at the Accomac, a restaurant I worked at for over 7 years
We are getting on the road
I decided to bring the spit when we left for our trip through the United States. For the longest time I did not use it as a lot of the time we were not allowed to make open fires because of the drought. When we arrived in Idaho we boondocked on top of Mount Coeur d’Alene. It was one of the most beautiful spots we ever camped. As it happened we had to shop at Cosctco and we grabbed two chickens. We picked up fire wood which was lying all over the place and cut it up with a saw and Basti’s hatchet. Then one day I decided the time was right and started a fire in the afternoon. I put the chickens on the spit, put some seasoning on that friends gave us in Louisiana and started cooking.
I made a nice large fire to get lots of embers and little flame
A word on the seasoning
The seasoning was a mix of herbs and spices that came in a package. Normally I don’t like prepackaged spices but it came from a friend so we had to try it out.
I would use fresh harder herbs like rosemary, thyme and maybe tarragon, sliced lemon, fresh garlic, cayenne or any other pepper, olive oil etc to make my own rub or seasoning. Store bought mixes usually contain preservatives, stabilizers, anti caking agents etc. It does not take much to make your own and it will always taste better.
Cooking the chicken
It is always fun to cook anything over open flames. You can hang out by the fire with some friends, chat and maybe have a glass of wine or beer. You have to keep the food far enough from the heat or else it will burn outside and still be raw in the center. I had the chickens relatively far away from the flames and knocked the stakes further into the ground as time went by. After about two hours and a couple of cold brews the chicken was ready. It looked beautiful. Because it was cooked so slowly the muscles did not contract very much and the meat stayed very moist and tender. I would have maybe liked a little more color but everyone was ready to eat.
The chicken is close so we placed the potatoes in the embers
In Texas many of the State parks have grills for smoking meat. I picked up Mesquite wood but never got to use it because of burn bans. So I used some of that towards the end to get some extra flavor. I am not sure if that worked because there was not too much smoke flavor on the chickens but it tasted delicious anyway.
Because we already had a fire going we wrapped up potatoes and baked them in the embers.
Thge broccoli was cooked in the cast-iron pan simply with salt and pepper
The broccoli we just threw into a cast-iron pan that sat straight on the glowing wood. Andrea and I feel this is the best way to cook any brassica, whether it is cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower or broccoli, cooked hard with some color-even some black, seasoned with salt and pepper and maybe finished with some olive oil, delicious.
Ready for carving
This is by far my favorite kind of cooking. It is nice to do it with family but even nicer if you can have friends around sitting by the fire with a couple of drinks. I hope we can have this again very soon.
It is breathtakingly beautiful, with the snowcapped mountain tops, flowing brooks, waterfalls from melting snow, a pristine view of the Cascade mountains, abundant wildflowers, tall pines, blue skies, hundreds of chipmunks scurrying about, marmots, mountain goats and delicious wild blueberries. I couldn’t but feel an immense gratitude. For years all we wanted was more time together as a family when it seemed so impossible at the time with Andre working long hours, weekends and holidays as an executive chef at fine-dining restaurants or country clubs. Somehow, we’ve been able to transition building our own business that is location independent, gives us opportunities to travel full time and explore this beautiful countryside and have so much quality time as a family!
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