Feb 222012
 

I would like to introduce our two very special photographers who have joined us on our winter ski trip to Red Mountain in British Columbia!  I can’t even begin to say how honored we are to have them along with us.

Kenny Blum and Matt Small!  Just take a look at their photography and be amazed.  These guys are very, very talented!

Thank you Matt and Kenny!!

Please do check out their photography websites, incredible!

Kenny Blum’s Website

Matt Small’s Website

Here’s Kenny skiing Red Mountain!

Matt Small Photography

Matt Small Photography

. . . and here’s Matt skiing Red Mountain!

Kenny Blum Photography

Kenny Blum Photography

As we spend our days here skiing, exploring the village and just enjoying ourselves in general, we are amazed with the views and the kind people here.  Red Mountain Resort is sure to please any skier be it beginner to uber expert.  The ski school is excellent for children and the instructors are kind and gentle (and according to B “They make me laugh mommy.”)

The snow is plentiful and everyone is smiling here.  What a better place to spend our winter holiday vacation!

Red Mountain Resort, Rossland, British Columbia

The lodge you see below has a great ski shop for accessories and also a restaurant above.  There are tons of lockers to store your gear and again, everyone is so helpful and friendly!

Red Mountain Resort, Rossland, British Columbia

Thank you Red Mountain Resort for the memories!!  We will definitely be back again!!!

 

Jan 282012
 

The week before last, the Seattle area was greeted with a record breaking snowfall. This meant no school and no work.

We. Were. Stuck.

Snow in Seattle, 2012

But that was okay. Actually, it was good!

It is times like this when the best memories are made, I think. B and I went through scrapbooks and photos rekindling our memories of the past. We played board games and we baked bread.

Oh the bread. It was delicious.

Today I sit in my Airstream as I type this. The snow is gone and B is back in school. But I still have that bread we baked.  It is a buckwheat loaf with seeds and honey.  If you like a heavy, dense type of bread that is full of natural earthy flavors, this is the recipe for you.  It freezes very well and when you toast it the flavors deepen, the outside becomes crunchy and the inside is nice and soft.  Did I mentioned how delicious it was?  You can find the recipe here if you like.

I’m enjoying my lunch this afternoon in my Airstream. It is our bread with a salty ricotta and pepper spread topped with crunchy radishes, green onions, grape tomatoes and some watercress which is nice and peppery. I have drizzled just a tiny bit of olive oil ontop with some crunchy sea salt. I can eat this every day.

I am also in my Airstream because I am planning. I am planning in my mind about our upcoming ski trip hubby, B and I are going on. I have never been on a “cat” skiing adventure before.  As I go through the pictures of hubby’s last ski trip I begin to get excited.  Our trip will be a rather lengthy one and I am thinking on how to pack everything, deciding on our meals and putting them into my recipe book and generally making sure we have everything we need. I am a little overwhelmed and think that a list is in order. But not just any list, but rather an on-line list of sorts that I can share with you on how I prepare for these trips of ours. Packing, organizing, planning. Things like that.

In the meantime, I would like to share with you two great articles about Airstreaming and skiing as well as advice about towing in the snow.  These articles are not only a joy to read, but are full of invaluable information.    These articles come from the Airstreamer newsletter.  If you have not yet read it, here is the link.

Also in this newsletter is an article about me and my book. It was my very first interview. I was SO nervous. But I was also SO very, very honored.

As the next few weeks evolve I hope that you will join me in my journey as I get the Airstream ready for our big trip.  I am really excited about it.

Ricotta Spread with Crunchy Veggies

And that ricotta spread?  It was so easy to put together.  Simply take some low fat ricotta and put it in a bowl, mix in (to taste) your salt and plenty of pepper along with a dash of olive oil.  Mix well and spread on your bread of choice and top with whatever veggies you have on hand.  Today I had crispy radishes, grape tomatoes, green onions and watercress.  Finish with a dash of olive oil and crunchy sea salt.  Have you ever tasted Maldon’s sea salt? It’s my favorite salt for finishing :)

Dec 292011
 

Ski season has officially begun.  Oh what fun it has been so far.  It has been especially fun bringing our  mobile ski lodge Airstream with us for toasty warm accommodations!  This is only just the beginning of our winter Airstreaming and we are very excited.

If you are using your Airstream in the winter, I would love to hear about your adventures!

Alpental Skiing, WA State

Summit at Snoqualmie and Skiing at Alpental, WA State

Jan 232011
 

Hubby is a ski instructor and B takes ski lessons every weekend while daddy teaches.  This typically entails early morning rising (read: 5 am) and a rushed experience to get out the door in order to get to the slopes on time for hubby’s first class and B’s ski lesson.

“Honey – the weekend will be beautiful at the pass, why don’t we take the Airstream up?” Hubby hollers to me from the office.  “…and the roads?” I reply back with great skepticism.  After all, towing the Airstream in snow and ice isn’t exactly what I would call a pleasant experience – its rather like a nail biting experience (my manicurist can attest to that).

Leaning over hubby’s shoulder and reading the weather forecast on line, I did in fact see that the forecast called for beautiful sunny weather and dry roads.  Then it dawned on me, taking  the Airstream to the pass would give us more time in the morning to prepare for our day while gaining another hour or so of zzzzz’s.  Brilliant!

Here are just a few photos from our weekend.