April/May And The Last Day of School!!!!

Time has it's way with you as you get older. We have checked off 1st grade as of 12:30 today. Its a welcome moment as we have struggled a little with Sam and his hair trigger temper this year. Needless to say, Sam and his parents are glad we get to take a break for the summer. 

This summer is going to be a big one for us and in the same fashion of last year, we get to kick it off with the 2016 St. Louis Rib Fest that also happens to be in our back yard. It is an awesome way to start the summer. 

This Sunday we depart for 4 nights of peace and quiet at Rend Lake in Illinois. A celebratory trip for the end of the school year and honestly I need a break from the same old thing.  On tap for early June is Kentucky Lake and the Smoky Mountains. Summer has just started and its already 1/2 way booked. 

Below are some the going's on over the last few weeks. 

Sam's last day of 1st Grade!!!

Homemade Pastrami Sandwich with House Smoked Corned Beef!!!!

Scored a Portable Ice Maker on a Buy/Sell Facebook Site. 

Our first trip of the season was to Johnson's Shut In's Near Acadia MO. It has become one of our favorite spots in Spring. Zero cell service, Zero TV. Get outside, Ride bikes and enjoy fresh air.  We even stayed in the same spot as last season. My parents also went with us having never seen this part of the state. This place has a certain feel that makes it special. The weather was warm enough that getting your feet in the Black River was a welcome treat. 

RTIC 20 Qt

RTIC Coolers.....I have always been intrigued by the YETI Cooler guys and how they justify pending $400-1K for a cooler. Truth be told as I have learned, it is more of a status symbol for those folks in the Midwest. If you are a offshore fisherman, or sport hunter that needs to keep your catch on ice for possible days with out replenishment, I get it completely. Up until recently Spending YETI money for a flipping cooler seemed ridiculous for the benefit of a colder beer. RTIC Seemed to have Clued into this and made the YETI Type cooler more cost effective for every day folks. As a Rv'er we use coolers and really beat them to hell. My current two Coleman's have had the hinges replaced, They are stained and beat up but they work well. I have been seeing the RTIC brand out for a while, their slogan is "1/2 the price, holds more ice!" The lack of really any real feedback on the coolers from consumers initially made me think it was a scam or a joke early on. Then I ended up springing for one of their Yeti Like Tumblers and It was solid value. Think Less expensive than a Tervis Cup.   Then they popped up as sponsor for a NASCAR team and it became pretty easy to see that they were a legit company. I ended up purchasing a 20 and 45 qt coolers. I did not really need them but I gave in to the hype and went for it.  They Rock. There is a definite difference in the Cold factor these coolers have over the typical. The Coleman Extreme Coolers that we have had for almost 10 years are good and work well, but there really is not a comparison. 

Roaming  the Neighborhood 

More work on the Cart, New Batt's. Did not really want to do this, but I am glad I did. Night and Day difference. The old ones would have not made it through the season. 

Winding down a Wednesday Night at the lake. 

Spring Has Sprung

It's the most anticipated time of the year around our house (Other than Christmas). The Start of the Spring travel season and the beginning of the warm months. This winter was not that bad if you don't count the horrible rains in December.....that does not mean that it didn't suck. Glad to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Plenty of RV trips planed this season including some new spots and some familiar. 

Sam for some reason got an OCD idea to build a birdhouse...So we did. 

Every few minutes he had to check if we had a renter. Wouldn't you know within a few hours there was a bird in it.

A little surf and Turf a few weeks ago. 

Last weekend we took a trip to Branson with out the RV. Yep. First time anywhere as a family in over 3 years that did not incorporate the small spaces and tight places. It was a good change of pace. however upon waking up the first morning, I did miss the bed in the RV. Didn't miss the Towing, waste water and slow going of dragging the RV down the highway. I did miss my stuff such as towels, pillows, chairs and so on. 

Ali found a very affordable rental property in StoneBridge just to the west side of Branson. Turns out that's the side to be on based on the traffic in Branson. We were on the ground level of a villa on the 13th hole. It was a very nice place, even with the people above us bumbling around like a pack of pachyderms. 

We stopped at the Hillbilly wonderland that is Bass Pro in Springfield and found a new mailbox. 

We also hit Silver Dollar City and will say that was the highlight of the trip. I didn't get many photos but will say this is indeed a top notch theme park. It was a little over the top in some respects but all around a great experience. We would have done two days has we known how much there was to see. FYI....If your kids talk you in to the "Grandfather's Mansion" fun house, bring along a puke bucket. It is Vertigo inducing for anyone over the age of 12.

Took advantage of an excellent little grille at the country club two nights in a row. They serve the snooty menu on Friday nights at the Bar. This place is a hidden little gem and was really close by. Good food and really reasonably priced. Not the menu above mind you as we did not order off of it but rather had the Grille menu.

Went to a pretty cool Zoo, that turned out to exceed my expectations. Sam, however was eaten by a bird.

Saturday Night we hunted for Easter Eve Golf Balls on the 13th hole. It was actually a really good time. Walked the whole thing including the green while the sun was going down.

Needs no Explanation. It was not good. Avoid the Branson Golden Corral.

It's Gumbo Paux Paux

If you follow this with any regularity you will likely see some of the same things over and over again. One thing that I have not written about is some of my Southern Louisiana cooking attempts. Much to my family's dismay, I seem to have the only southern pallet in the house so I rely on my taste and most recently my neighbors to make a judgment call on what I have made. I have tried it all to be honest with varied success. Being born and raised in the Corn belt its hard to get the ingredients much less the knowledge of what it takes to make an authentic Gumbo, Sausage or Jambalaya. The Internet has changed much of this of course, but the down side is that it no matter what you will invest a good bit of time and likely cash to try anything new.

I have made this before and honestly the ingredients are key. Not exactly Low Fat based on the Roux is made with bacon fat and flower but it without a doubt is the key to the flavor.

Above... the Evolution of a Roux. Botch this up and you may as well toss it all in the trash.

Onions, celery, garlic and bell peppers chopped fine in food processor. Add the Sausage and cook. Note: I need a larger SS skillet.

Okra when cooked can get slimy, one trick is to cook it with vinegar separately before you dump it in the pot. It for sure cuts down on that slime but didn't entirely take it out of the equation. 

This is good stuff, however at

$11 a can, its not cheap.

Store Bought Gulf Shrimp. Peeled and Cleaned. 

There you have it Paux Paux. It made a ton so it went into Freezer Bags for another day and seeing how I am the only one who really likes it, it will last for at least 6 months.