Juicing - Lasted 4 days!

Juice fasting for 10 days?  I doubt that I will ever attempt to do that again.  My goodness!  It was tough.  I mean....who really can go 10 days on juicing?  In the old days, you would go to the store and buy juice.  Now, you need a special juicer and organic vegetables are best.

Day #1 was the easiest for me.  Of course, I had just finished a six week RV adventure where I was eating all that I wanted.  It really felt good to stop eating that first day and drink healthy fruits and veggies.  

Day #2 was a little different.  It wasn't so much the hunger that was hard to deal with, it was the desire to chew.  I would be preparing vegetables for juicing and find myself going to put them in my mouth.  It is such a habit that I realize that most times I eat without giving it a thought.

Day #3 - awful!  Hello????  Why didn't someone worn me?  And....where is all the extra energy that I am suppose to get?  Besides, constantly feeling like I am now living in my kitchen juicing, I was so HUNGRY!!  OK!  They say by day #4, the hunger will subside.  We'll see.  

Day #4 - Were they kidding me?  This was definitely the worst day so far.  I just want to crawl into bed and put the covers over my head.  I'm so hungry that the cows across the street were making me hungry.  

I am not a big recipe follower and decided to throw veggies and fruits together without a recipe.  By far, this was the worst juice that we tried.  It totally ruined all of our efforts to even think about having another juice.  That was definitely the straw that broke the camel's back.  There was a slim chance that we would even make it 5 days.  

When my husband Dave finally confessed that he just had a piece of chocolate, I ran to the kitchen and grabbed a handful of almonds and a hard-boiled egg.  Do you think I was maybe a little low on protein?  I am so glad this fast is over.  I lost 7# in 4 days and wasted no time gaining half of it back two days later.  Will I do it again?  I think it is a great idea to juice and get many servings of fruits and veggies all in one drink.  For me....I will try to supplement my diet and make one juice a day.  :-)  

 

April 17, 2013 Spring has Sprung!

Spring is finally here in Tennessee!  We moved to our country home last summer, and didn't get to see these beautiful Phlox spring flowers.   I wish they would bloom all summer and not just in the spring.  It was a nice surprise for us when we returned home from Carrabelle.

 

April 16, 2013 10 Day Juice Fast!

Stepping on the scale was not fun.  I should probably put a fat picture of me on this post (not...ha!).  Anyway, my daughter Brooke is living with us.  She and I both share a conviction for healthy eating.  I heard a phrase yesterday while watching Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead.     "I knew but I need to DO!"  Wow....I love that saying!  

I am always reading nutritional and have a passion for natural healing and healthy eating.  It's not that I do not understand how important and how to eat healthy, I just am not always doing it.  

Brooke just purchased a new Omega 8004 Juicer and challenged Dave and I to a 10 day juice fast.  We purchased a ton of fruits and vegetables and began juicing yesterday.  A great Internet site for juicing is http://juicerecipes.com/. It's day #2 and I'm hungry but fine once I have some juice.  By day 4, it is suppose to be pretty easy to do.   I am scheduled to have a blood test next Weds, after 10 days.  Last time, my cholesterol was almost 300.  I am hoping that this will make  a difference.  I will keep you posted.   

April 15, 2013 Tax Day!

I might as well put Tax Day down for today's title.  I mean....what else do you think of when you see April 15th?  We made sure to take care of the tax return before we left in February.  It is a good thing that Dave can do it on line with Turbo Tax.  If we ever leave earlier then he would just bring his files with him and prepare them on the road.  We were fortunate that our daughter and family were staying with us so didn't need to forward or hold our mail.  I guess we will have to figure all that out next year.   And maybe also next year.....we'll get a refund! 

 

April 14, 2013 Travel List

We need to create a good travel list.  It was a lot to move everything out when we arrived home.  I think the best way to improve would be to have duplicates of everything.  That will take a little time and extra money$.  It is all a process.  But, I do need to come up with a nice list for our next trip.  It was tiring trying to think of everything that we would need while we were away.  We found some

lists on line but they really didn't apply to us.  I'm starting to gather that this might be a personal preference thing and there is no generic list.  So...what I did was start a list as I took things back out of the RV.  Hopefully, this will save us a little time for next year.

April 13, 2013 Home Again!

Home again!  It is bittersweet coming home.  I am happy to see my family again but not happy about seeing my "To Do" list again.  Lucky for me.  I thought I downloaded my list and calender into my I-phone before I left.  I checked after I left and it wasn't there.  For anyone who knows me very well, this is huge!  I mean....I live by my "To Do" list and for the most part am a walking calender.  It did not take me long to get used to only thinking about what we can eat and do today.  :-) 

Since this really is more of an RV travel journal, let me say  how wonderful the staff was at the Carrabelle Beach RV Resort.  Callie went out of her way to accommodate us and find us the perfect site.  While, Jenn was eager to loan a perfect stranger (me) about 8 hard cover Joyce Meyer books to read.  I cannot say enough good things about this park.  It was great!  If I were rating it, I would rate it 5 stars.  It fills up quickly though, so you need to get your reservations in way in advance.  If you are planning to stay during the "snow bird" months of winter, I recommend that you book a year ahead.  

April 12, 2013 Dandy RV Resort

Today we are leaving Carrabelle.  It is sad to leave but we are glad to be coming home to our  family.  We have our memories that we can take with us.  I'm glad that I have taken this time to journal and take pictures of this adventure #1.  I say #1 because there are more adventures to come - next stop Charleston, SC.  But for now....bye, bye Carrabelle!  We will miss you and all the wonderful folks that we met while visiting you.  

Thankfully, the strong winds are over and a sunny day for our drive home.  We drove about 6 hours and spent the night at the Dandy KOA RV Park.  The location is perfect, right off of I65, south of Birmingham.  We made reservations about 4 days prior.  I recommend making reservations, as they do fill up, especially on the weekends.  

Evelyn welcomed us to the park and made us feel right at home.  The park is perfect for an overnight stay.  I wouldn't want to stay longer, as it is right next to the interstate and noisy.  

I was craving some ice cream.  I don't know what it is about ice cream but I always want some when on vacation.  This being our last night, I knew I had to have some tonight or forget it.  We do not keep ice cream in our house.  I know that I would constantly be attacking it with a large spoon.  Oh no...I wouldn't put it in a bowl.  If I put it in a bowl then I would really be eating icecream.  Somehow, sticking spoons in the container is like taking samples and not actually eating it.  Ha Ha!  It's just best for me to keep it out of the house and save for special outings, like vacation.

Evelyn recommended Heaton Pecan Farm about 1/2 mile down the road.  We weren't sure what to expect.  We walked inside and it was like walking into a candy emporium.  It was pristine and bright and light inside.  There were many gifts, preserves, pecans, a counter of fresh chocolates, ice cream and home-made cakes.  The kitchen is in the back with large glass windows.  It was so clean, amazing as they were busy making candy.  

The ice cream is home-made right in their kitchen.  I enjoyed a scoop of praline pecan and blueberry pecan.  Dave loved his chocolate pecan and peach pecan.  We also purchased a couple of pieces of fudge - peanut butter and chocolate pecan.  The fudge was OK, not as good as the ice cream though.  We definitely recommend this place right off I65 on exit 208.  Check out their website as they have mail order, too.

April 11, 2013 Market 30

Breakfast anyone?  We had a nice surprise when we stopped in at the BP in Carrabelle for breakfast.  Yes....I am talking about BP, like in gas station.  We heard this place was a great place to eat.  Breakfast and lunch is served inside the restaurant convenience store.  In the evening, they are supposed to have amazing fresh seafood in the small building attached to the gas station - called Market 30.  I wish we had more time, so we could try their sea food.  

The best part about this place, besides the food is the people.  Everyone that we have met in Carrabelle and surrounding area has been so friendly and down to earth.  They immediately want to know about you and are very willing to share their stories with you.  I wish we had another evening to try their seafood but are heading home tomorrow.  

We finish our last evening in Carrabelle by taking George and Kathy to Indian pass Raw Bar to thank them for their friendship and taking us out so many times on their beautiful boat.  Kathy loves crab legs, so decided this would be a great place to take them.  We had a great time sharing shrimp, crab legs and oysters and had lots of laughs.  They are special people and we are so glad that we met them in this quaint little beach town of Carrbelle.  

April 10, 2013 Cape San Blast!

Fisherman's Choice!

Cape San Blas Beach

I

Indian Pass Raw Bar

Finally, We are heading to the beaches at Cape San Blas!  We love this beach and discovered it 4 years ago while renting a  house in Indian Pass.  Dave wanted to stop for breakfast on the way.  Ha!  It gives him a little break from cooking.  We decided to stop at the Hut Restaurant in East Point, right on our way.

Unfortunately, it was too late for breakfast so we had lunch.  I ordered the lunch special - roast beef sandwich and Dave had their special fried pork chop.  I have to say that this was the worst meal that we had on this trip.  The roast beef was thin slices of processed meat on plain white bread and covered with gravy made from a mix and instant mashed potatoes for $6.99.  I added the salad bar for $1.99 which was just OK.  Dave thought his pork chop was good but green beans had no flavor.  The atmosphere was very nice with friendly employees.  Maybe, it would be worth going to have their seafood plate, not sure.  I am usually not very picky when it comes to food either.  But, this was pretty bad and left most of it on my plate.  I think we will cross this place off our list for next year.

Fisherman's Choice Bait, Tackle & Seafood Shop is across the street from the Hut.  Dave likes to stop here for his live shrimp bait.  It has a hodge podge of fishing stuff and convenience store items.  I was thrilled to see this old cooler filled with ice and glass bottles of various sodas - Nehi Orange, cream soda, Faygo Red Pop, A&W & Dog & Suds Root beer.  I had to buy a Dog & Suds Root Beer.  Oh my goodness!  It brought me back to my high school years when we used to get our root beer in a large glass mug.  This tasted like the real deal & no corn syrup.....just sugar - good old fashioned sugar!  :-)

Our afternoon at the beach was amazing!  The sand is pure white and the water is crystal clear with nice large waves.  Dave had good success fishing for Whitings.  If he only would have know there is not a size limit on Whitings, as he threw about 8 fish back into the ocean.  He still had a good time and that is all that matters.

Since our lunch was such a disappointment, we decide to stop at the Indian Pass Raw Bar.  This place is popular, so we got there early.  I'm sure glad we did, because it was packed by 5:30PM and it's on a week night.  This Raw bar only serves raw and steamed seafood - crab legs, shrimp and oysters & no sides.  Now, this is what we have been waiting for!  Incredible fresh seafood in a fun atmosphere.  Everything is on an honor system.  You help yourself to your beverage.  They even had "self-serve" draft beer on tap for $2.00 a glass.  When you are finished, you tell the cashier what you had and they ring you up.  This place is a MUST STOP to place and we will be coming here a lot next year!

April 9, 2013 Fishing in St. Joe Port

Sunny Sky Rainbow

Dave's Black Drum Fish

Shrimp Boat

Before spending the day out on George and Kathy's boat, we went to their home for breakfast.  George's friend sent him a new recipe called Bacon Cheddar Puffs.  We were delighted to try the new recipe with them.  Yummy!  It's a keeper recipe for sure.  Kathy served it with a bowl of mixed fresh fruit which was perfect.  I definitely plan to make this, especially when traveling.

BACON CHEDDAR PUFFS

1 cup milk

1/4 cup butter

1 cup all-purpose flour

4 large eggs

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

8 slices bacon, cooked crisp & crumbled

1/2 tsp onion salt or onion powder

1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

1.  Combine milk & butter in medium saucepan.

2.  Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until butter melts & mixture is simmering.

3.  Add flour, stir until mixture forms a ball.

4.  Remove from heat.

5.  Beat in 1 egg at a time until mixture is smooth.

6.  Stir in remaining ingredients; mix well.

7.  Drop heaping teaspoons of mixture onto greased baking sheet.

8.  Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

9.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes approximately 36 puffs!

Dave, George and Kathy enjoyed some successful fishing out by the St. Joe Bridge.  Like I mentioned before, I am not a fisherman (yet).  I enjoy getting out on the water.  I am the official boat shrimp girl.  Ha!  I keep busy getting them live shrimp for their bait.  They were getting a lot of bites and losing a lot of shrimp.  Dave was happy with the Black Drum that he caught and George and Kathy reeled in some big daddy fish - Red fish & black drum.  Dave's fish looked a little small next to their fish but he was happy to have finally caught a black drum.    

Kathy brought some great veggie dip that she made.  It is so good and very different from any dips I have ever tried before.  Here is her recipe, if you would like to make it for yourself.

Kathy's Veggie Dip

2 bars cream cheese

5 beef bouillon cubes

1/2 cup boiling water

Dissolve 5 bouillon cubes in 1/2 cup boiling water.  Blend together with cream cheese.  Serve with veggies or chips!

April 8, 2013 Beach Day

I am glad we extended our stay, as we would be packing up today to go home tomorrow.  Instead, we spend the day on the beach by our resort.  It was very relaxing.  I read while Dave fished.  He had one catch after another but all catfish.  We finished the evening with a wonderful fish dinner assortment of spanish mackeral, whiting and flounder.  It's all good!  

April 7, 2013 DOG ISLAND

Shrimp Boat

Ahhh....

Flounder!  Good Catch Honey!

Back side of flounder!

Beach Babes!  :-)

Today was a perfect day!  It was definitely my favorite day since leaving home. Thank you Lord for the many blessings you have bestowed on us.  This rainbow is a reminder of your beauty.  Just look at this beautiful sunny day - 80 and not a cloud in the sky!  George and kathy are nice enough to invite us out for a day on their boat.  Our destination is St George Island. 

St. George Island is a popular area for tourists.  Dave and I tried to camp at the state park but it was full.  The best part about going there by boat  is that you are pretty much by yourself.  This area of the beach is mostly accessible by boat.  We had the island to ourselves for the entire day.

The guys fished off the boat, while Kathy and I scoured the beach for shells.  I love to look for shells and so far I have not found a single shell.  Searching for things is my element and I especially enjoy looking for shells.  We walked the beach and started picking up small shells while wading through the crystal clear water.  It reminded me of snorkeling without having to have snorkels or swim. You could see everything on the bottom, including many different types of hermit crabs.  It was so amazing and beautiful.  

Then the shells started to get larger and one spot was just covered up with shells.  These were the biggest shells that I have ever found!  There were so many that we could not get them all.  We had bags full!  These beautiful shells were larger than my hands!  Kathy found a conch shell, too.  It was amazing!  I cannot wait to take these home to my grandchildren.  I plan to check out Pinterest for some art project ideas.

We ended this perfect day with a BBQ on the beach.  As it turns out, we could have spent the night on the beach, too.  That wouldn't be  fun, as the "No see 'em" bugs are vicious!  Those little tiny gnats must have big old teeth!  They just want to bite away at you. They remind me of a flying flea!  The bites are as bad as a flea bite. It is a good idea to bring bug spray with you, if you are out in the evening or late afternoon in Florida.  I recommend using Northwoods Bug Off spray.  It really works great!

OK....were you wondering why we may have had to spend the night? Well.....the tide went out and the boat was close to being a beached boat.  Not good!  Luckily, the four of us were able to get it into the water before that happened!  Close call.  Whew!  Still.....it was definitely my favorite day on this trip - beautiful weather, gorgeous views, plenty of shells, good food and great new friends!  Thank you Lord!

April 6, 2013 CAMP GORDON JOHNSTON WWII MUSEUM

We were thinking about heading to the beach today.  I mean really...what is better to do around here than head to the beach?  We had no other plans.  It's a nice day, so why not?

Our plans changed quickly when George texts - "Good Morning.  Didn't know if you heard about the airplane races today in Carrabelle!  We are going to head over and check it out after breakfast.  Planes are to travel faster than a cab driver taking an expecting mother to the hospital!!  RU interested in checking it out for a bit?" I say "Sounds good?  What time does it start?  He quickly texts back "No rush.  It started at 8 and goes till 5:30.  As a world wide event, I expect both planes will race all day!!  Let us know when you are done eating."  

Wow!  Who would not want to go watch planes race?  That is something we never done before.  I was a bit skeptical about how they would take off and race, especially here in Carrabelle.  But then again....there is an Army base here, so why wouldn't they?  Little did I realize that Dave was envisioning remote control planes, like we watch when we go to visit my parents in Vegas.  

George and Kathy pick us up & we head out to the plane race.  :-)   So, you can imagine our surprise when we find out that it is not a plane race but a local drag race!  What?  Hellooooo...??? We could have stayed for $10 a person.  Oh my goodness!  We got back in the car and could only laugh. When I say laugh, I really mean BELLY LAUGHS! Did we seriously think that we were actually going to  an airplane race?  Ha Ha!  

Since that didn't work out, we needed something else to do.  We decided to go to the Camp Gordon Johnston WWII Museum and are we glad we did!  It was an honor and a privilege just to enter that building and see all the artifacts an memorabilia on exhibit in this old high school building. A sweet lady showed us around and told us many touching stories of soldiers and events that happened during this war.  She had tears in her eyes when she talked about many stories and of her own father who had served in this war.  It became even more personal to us as Dave and Kathy's dads both served in this war, as well.

If you are in Carrabelle, please stop in and see this museum and pay tribute to all the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for us so that we could be free today.  It is a large exhibit and totally privately funded by donations.  She said that the museum and many like this are now in jeopardy as their just isn't enough donations to continue to operate them.  I highly recommend that you visit Camp Gordon Johnston WWII Museum you are in the Carrabelle area.  

April 5, 2013 TINY HOLES

Today started out as a cloudy, cold day but ended up sunny and breezy.  You never know what the weather will be like this time of year in Florida.  Even the Meteorologist on the local news station admitted to having a hard time predicting the weather.  You just go with the flow and enjoy each day, no matter what it is like outside.  Everyday is a good day!

I might as well do a couple of loads of laundry.  Dave is happily reading his book Killing Lincoln.  So, while I am doing laundry and folding my T-shirts, I start to wonder again about all the little holes.  What I am talking about is..."what are all these tiny holes in my T-shirts"?  I have had this issue for several years and have not figured out a cause.  The holes are always in the front by my waist/belly button area.  What is causing this?  Again, I set out to google and find my answer.  Why is it that we always go to Google to find the answer?  LOL!  OK...back to my dilemma.  

There are actually over 10 million posts on this subject and many suggested causes.  I checked out several and not one person has the affirmative answer. It may be caused by moths, my washer, seat belts, inferior fabric (I believe this to be true), granite counter tops, bugs, pets, baby carriers and the list goes on and on.  I am leaning towards the granite counter top theory.  After all, this problem started about 7 years ago when we moved to a home with granite counter tops. When I get back home, I am going to wear an apron when I do dishes and see if this helps.  Some people have even put clear packaging tapes on the edges of the counter.  I say...what ever works!  I am going to definitely give this a try. It only happens to knit t-shirt type fabric.  The photo above is a knit top from the Gap.  All three of my "Life is Good" T-shirts had holes in them within the first week.  What is that all about?  And these shirts are $30 a piece!  OK...actually, I paid $15 at TJ Maxx - my favorite place to shop!  :-)  But, even though they were a deal, I am tired of throwing away almost new clothing.  If someone has some insight into this, please let me know.  I will be forever grateful!

Another note to myself or for anyone planning to stay at the Carrabelle RV Resort is about doing laundry.  The washers are very small and dryers twice the size.  The first time I did the wash at $1.25 load, I used separate dryers for each load.  This time, I set the dryer to hot and dried 2 wash loads in 1 dryer.   It worked!  The clothes dried perfectly and I just saved $1.25.  :-)  Things like this mean a lot when you are traveling in your RV and having to do laundry out.  

April 4, 2013 FEELING GUILTY?

What day is it today?  Seriously.  We do not know what day of the week it is. Ha!  That is truly saying that we are on vacation.  We love it!  Although, we have been feeling a little guilty for leaving our family for so long.  But, why? Both of our girls are in their mid to late 30s with families of their own.  They have their own lives and know that soon we will return and have our times together, like we normally do.  It's been good for us to get away and focus on ourselves.  It feels selfish at times but I guess that is a normal feeling.  

With that being said, Dave and I decided to extend our trip for 3 more days.  (guess we are not feeling that guilty!)  We see some 80 degrees ahead and what will 3 more days do, if we don't head home as scheduled?  It's a good feeling knowing that we still have a week of vacation left.  This has all been so much fun.  

So far, so good and no rain.  It was suppose to storm today, instead it is a nice partly cloudy day.  I went with Dave into town to check out the beach shop, Two Gulls Gift Shop.  After yesterday, I am now in shopping mode.  It's hard to stop. :-) Dave and I each bought a local T-shirt and a gift for a friend's birthday.  It's too cool to hang at the beach.  Dave went fishing and I headed to my computer to work on this blog.  As I said before, I am not a writer.  I am just glad that I have this adventure documented with pictures and words.

April 3, 2013 APPALACHICOLA

  

"It's raining, it's pouring.  The old man is snoring!"  Ha Ha!  Both true!  I didn't sleep too much last night from all the heavy rain & snoring.  Tired today!  But, that doesn't stop me from going souvenir shopping with Dave for the day.  We head back to St. Joe.  

We went back to Bluewater Outriggers and their swimsuit/beach store, Walter Green.  The rain was pouring down the entire day. What did we care?  At least, we're not on the beach trying to catch some rays.  We walked through downtown St. Joe and  and then headed to Mexico Beach.  It was a lot of fun stopping to all the little shops in search of the perfect gifts to bring home to our grandchildren. 

We ended the day by having dinner at a Mexican Restaurant in St. Joe's called Peppers.    We stopped there around 5:30 and were able to quickly get a seat. By 6PM, this place was packed and had a waiting line.  We both had their burrito dinner.  Dave had the steak and I had Pepper's chicken.  Both our meals were very good.  I was disappointed with my house margarita though.  It tasted more like a "virgin" margarita with lime & sweet & sour.  Other than that, the service was great and loved the atmosphere.  It was a refreshing break from seafood.

April 2, 2013 FISHING ST JOE

Upside Down Fish - Still tastes the same!  :-)

What a beautiful day to go fishing!  We headed out to Port St. Joe, about an hour away and met up with George and Kathy at Bluewater Outriggers to purchase bait.  I love this store.  I remember shopping here a few years ago while renting a beach house in Indian Pass.  Dave and I have plans to come back here tomorrow and do a little souvenir shopping for our grandchildren.  

We spent the rest of day out on the water fishing on George and Kathy's beautiful boat.  Since this is Dave's first year salt water fishing, we only purchased a pole for him and not me.  I am excited to join him and do my own fishing next year.  Right now though, I am content to be out on the water on this beautiful day and with such good company.

Dave hooked  a couple of Spanish Mackerels - both keepers.  Both met the minimum 12" requirements.  Then we moved out towards St. Joe's Bridge where George snagged his Red Fish.  Low and behold, he does it again.  George caught a 25" Red Fish.  Anything 27" or above must be thrown back in the water. Back in the water fishy.   Dave and Kathy try their hardest to bring some in, too but with no luck. It was a great day and so much fun watching George catch his the red fish.  It reminded me of our days fishing for Northern Pike in the Upper Peninsula in Michigan.  You need a net to bring it in.  That is fishing at it's best! 

We get back to our camp site and Dave is eager to fillet the fish and add to his other fish in the freezer.  He finally gets it filleted and mess cleaned up when George sends a message to him to "make sure you take the red part out".  Dave checks on line and not only was he suppose to get the red out but also leave the skin on, as Mackerels do not have scales.  Oh well....he's learning.  It's all part of our big RV adventure.  :-)

SITE WITH A VIEW!

Our New Site with great views

It's April Fool's Day!  I just realized this at the end of the day.  Luckily, there were no April Fool's Day jokes on us today.  But then again, the day is not over yet.  Ha!  

We moved to another site today - #44.  Great Site!  I think I prefer this one, as it has the bath house behind it, as well as the pool.  Plus, there is a nice view to the lake.

It's 85 and sunny - our warmest yet!  Ahhh....yes.  What a wonderful day for the beach.  Dave caught one Whiting.  One more & we'll have another fish dinner.  

It is the end of the day and only one whiting which means into the freezer and no fish dinner.  Maybe, tomorrow.................................