Ode to camping

Some people may think that camping is nature's way of promoting the hotel industry, but I love to camp.  It's actually one of those things that my husband and I feel for each other doing.  Our courtship consisted of rock climbing adventures, mountain biking accidents and good ol' camping fun.  One time, a few weeks before we got married, we were sitting around the camp fire and "nature called".  I quietly muttered under my breath, "Dude, I hate peeing in the wilderness."  I went and did my thing and came sat back down next to my honey.  All of the sudden, he got icy cold with me.  We're talking wouldn't even hold my hand!  What had I done?  Was this the end of the dynamic duo?  After about 20 grueling minutes of intense silence I finally asked what on earth his problem was.  He looked me dead in the eyes and said, "I thought you liked camping and all this outdoor stuff.  You just said you hated being in the wilderness!!"   Oh the look of sheer joy and relief that washed across that poor man's face when I told him what I had really said was PRICELESS!  "Peeing Chad...not being!  Geez, man!"  Ah good times.  Here's to more stupendous camping memories to come!!

Smore's Bars

3/4 cup butter
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
18 whole graham crackers, crushed, about 3 cups
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 milk chocolate bars, approximately 1 1/2 ounces each
3 cups miniature marshmallows

Heat oven to 350°. Beat butter and sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Stir in crushed graham crackers, flour, and salt. Reserve 1 cup of the graham cracker mixture and press remaining mixture over the bottom of a greased 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Arrange chocolate bars, in a single layer, over graham cracker crust mixture in the pan. Sprinkle with marshmallows. Crumbled reserved graham cracker mixture over the marshmallows. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely and cut into bars. 


It's not the best camping weather here in WA just yet, but it's right around the corner...I can feel it!  Hopefully I can bribe the weather gods with these treats!  Eat well my friends!