Hi friends! How the heck are ya?!
And how has it been ages [read: 5 days] since we last talked? I’m thinking it might have something to do with the fact that I just up and vanished without a trace, and I apologize for that.
But it wasn’t my fault! I was kidnapped!
See, I was innocently going about my daily life as usual, when Mother Nature decided to throw some crazily nice weather our way. Long story short, someone [read: my friend T] decided it would be a good idea to take full advantage of the weather and head out of the city for a day [read: one day].
It sounded like a good idea at the time. Sun. Nature. Fresh air.
Okay, I lie. The main reason I went was for the promise of roasted marshmallows. It’s been ages since I had any, and I was not letting another summer go by without a taste of that ooey, gooey goodness.
Being out in nature was just an added bonus. A very pretty one…
In any case, someone also decided that it would be a good idea to turn our day trip into a long weekend trip, so one day became two, two became three, and three ended up as a four day “camping” excursion. I use camping in quotations because we were going through the motions without any of the gear. No tents (we slept in cars). No sleeping bags (thank goodness it was warm). Not much food (mostly marshmallows and hot dogs).
Not gonna lie, it made me rather uncomfortable and pushed me way out of my comfort zone. Spontaneity has never been my strong suit, especially when I find myself caught in a situation where I don’t know what I’ll be able to eat (due to allergies and ED history).
But I managed! 😀
All I can say is thank goodness I’m crazy smart enough to carry a jar of AB in my purse…
… which sacrificed itself so that I could live. That, along with some fruit, cheese, yogurt, bread, milk, and cereal that we were able to find in tiny convenience stores got me through the weekend.
I kid, I kid. It wasn’t that bad. I ended up having a great time, and I’m proud of myself for being able to roll with the punches and adapt to what was thrown my way. Still, I was more than happy to come home to my bed, my shower, and my food. Absence definitely makes the heart grow finder, which is probably why this morning’s breakfast tasted extra delicious…
I missed my oats! After five mornings without them, I was beginning to experience withdrawals. Shakes. Headaches. Cold sweats. I kid. But I was more than happy to see them again.
I was also more than happy to be able to enjoy some of my favorite morning snacks…
Fresh summer berries (which I’ll miss like crazy!) – Greek yogurt with honey.
And having access to a blender again meant I was able to whip up my favorite post-workout shake after this morning’s lifting session…
… which gets incredibly thick with the addition of chia seeds.
I have to say, though, that the best part of being able to eat at home again is being able to enjoy actual meals as opposed to constantly snacking on whatever I can throw together in a pinch.
I can’t deny that a few pieces of untoasted bread smothered in nut butter makes for a delicious camp-style lunch, but there’s nothing quite like a good pizza…
… especially when it involves pumpkin and hummus.
And I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t miss my favorite afternoon snack…
Vanilla ice cream – Cone – Chocolate sprinkles.
… or I guess I should say afternoon snack(s)…
The thing I love most about camping food is that the most basic things can taste absolutely amazing. It’s like the act of being outside in nature amps up the flavor intensity of everything, making the simplest sandwich taste like it came from a 5-star restaurant.
Still, that effect dims with time, and after too many simple sandwiches, nothing sounds better than a slightly more elaborate warm bowl of comfort for dinner…
Eggs scrambled with mushrooms and spinach – Broccoli – Avocado – Quinoa with cranberries.
It was good to get away, but it feels good to be home. Even though this won’t be home for much longer. Eight more days until I move… EEEEEeeeeEEEE!!! Hope you guys enjoyed this week’s party 😀
. – . – . – .
Are you a fan of camping? What’s your favorite food to enjoy while you’re roughin’ it?
What do you miss most when you’re away from home for a while?
Do you ever carry strange snacks around in your purse? Fess up!
Missed you! Camping sounds like so much fun and so worth the food situation! I think I could live off marshmallows 🙂
I remember when I went camping in Germany not to long ago I was so happy to eat my oats again!
My go-to camping foods are crackers, eggs, fruit and canned beans. All of the above keep well without a refrigerator and they’re easy to carry around and prepare. Of course if I had a nut butter (like I do now) I would take that along as well.
Weird snacks I carry in my purse – mainly fruit or home made protein bars 🙂
Sounds like a great trip! I’ve never been much of a camper, peeing in the bathrooms always grosses me out, haha!
Oh going home is always so nice! I always miss the restaurants, my family and my big room when I’m away from home!
And congrats on stepping outside of your comfort zone! Always good to do once in a while 😉
xo
That sounds like such a fun trip! Kudos for stepping out of your comfort zone like that! I still find spontaneous decisions like that really hard to deal with… I’m such a planner so it really irks me when there isn’t a plan! 😛
I love camping! Growing up I did long canoe trips in northern Ontario every summer – I really miss those days! My favourite camping food ever is this one camp recipe called fried granola. It is heavenly! I keep on meaning to do a post on it.
I’VE MISSED YOU AMANDA!!! At first I was worried that you’d been kidnapped or something, but I figured you had just disappeared to have some time alone with your pudding oats (which I am seriously considering doing btw). Anyway, MISSED YOU!!
I’ve actually never been camping! 😛 Someday… I definitely miss my breakfasts and nut butter collection when I’m away! And my DOGGIE who gets practically strangled when I return haha! And I ALWAYS keep a jar of nut butter in my purse too!! Constant PB fingers throughout the day is the BEST thing ever!! 😀
I’ve never been camping, but my mum used to go all the time as a kid and she has so many amazingly funny stories to tell.
Vacations are awesome and a must every once in awhile! 🙂
Hope you had a really great time!
As long as you are *capable* of stepping outside of your comfort zone and your routine, I think you’re doing just fine 🙂 Vacations are nice, but coming back to normal life always feels good afterwards. I always carry around snacks in my purse. Mostly because everyone else seems to be a one huge meal in the middle of the day kind of person and I’d rather just bring my own snacks than interrupt the vacation because I, unlike everyone else, am hungry!
A weekend spent enjoying fresh air and roasted marshmallows (eeee!) sounds absolutely heavenly to me. When I was young, my family would take several camping trips each summer, so “roughing it” in the outdoors definitely invokes childhood nostalgia in this girl. Ghost stories told over the campfire, mini cereal boxes (the only time I was allowed to eat sugary cereal!), lake swimming, apple picking…It was all so much fun!
I agree that food *always* tastes better when consumed on a camping trip. I remember opening a can of Spaghettios and thinking that it was the best thing I’d ever eaten! Ha.
So glad you were able to get away, and break out of your comfort zone a bit. I still struggle with remnants of food anxiety when I travel, but I’ve learned that packing a few “essentials” (like peanut butter, fruit/veg and GF munchies), usually does the trick. When I know that I have my staples in my purse (yep, I hoard food in my bag too!), I’m more comfortable being adventurous.
Yayayayay for moving in eight days! So excited for you!! xoxo
I will only camp if it involves a five star hotel. (;
I’m glad you had a nice escape! I haven’t been camping in years — but I actually like sleeping in a sleeping bag and not showering for a few days 🙂
All that food looks so good, you’re making me hungry! I haven’t really been camping in a long time, but When I was younger I loved dragging my mattress outside and sleeping under the stars!
I used to pitch a tent in my backyard too 😀
Way to roll with it! I enjoy spontaneous things, but they do kind of make me uneasy. I can’t say I carry around goodies in my purse. The only time I do that is when I’m headed to the mall for a marathon shopping session. Food court ain’t got nothin’ on me!
I wish I could tell you something really funny that I carry around in my purse, but whenever I know I’m going to need something to munch on when I’m out of the house, I just pack a bar! Boring, I know.
What I miss most when I’m away from home is exactly what you mentioned: my bed, my shower, and my food. Even if I go on a vacation where I eat fabulous food and stay in a really nice hotel, I still look forward to coming back to my simple things at home!
Oh, and I always miss my gym! That’s a big one too!
I missed you! But I’m so glad you had so much fun and had some time to get away and just roll with the flow 🙂
I’m not a camping fan at all. I like hiking and being outdoors but I’d like to go back home afterwards.. Bugs and I are not friends in anyway.
hahaha weirdest thing I carry around with me is probably a hard boiled egg and some steamed veggies. Those two things are always a must.
Looks like you had perfect eats for your first day back to normality! 😉
Hate camping. I don’t think it’s fun to not sleep in a bed and eat out of a stove or ration packs. I used to do this scheme award at school and you had to go on expeditions which involved several nights on the trot in tents after hiking all day- it was awful. The walking = good but the sleeping bags/no showers/creepy crawlies = bad!!!
Glad you had a great time though and you should be really proud of how you handled it all.
Oh my gosh all your meals look soo good!
I love having oatmeal for breakfast! Nut butter is a great oatmeal topping, too! 🙂
I carry snackbars around with me in my purse and sometimes a small ziplock bag of cereal..just in case! 😀
I. Missed. You.
Wow Amanda, I know I definitely would not have handled that situation well. I know that I’d have fun in the long run like you did, but the whole thing is so spontaneous! I may start carrying around jars of nut butter with me just in case… I think i would get a lot more servings out of that than the bars I usually carry with me!
Aww girly, I really missed you!!! <3 So so glad that you're okay..I always think the worst when I don't hear from someone when I really shouldn't because often it is for good reasons like this one!
I am incredibly proud of you for coping with such a spontaneous getaway! That is just proof of how strong and healthy you are now and that is truly amazing. Even though I'm towards the end of my recovery now I don't think I'd be able to cope with that kinda thing so I really really admire you for that.
I have to admit, I really HATE camping. I guess I'm a bit spoilt and have always stayed in lovely posh hotels with big beds hehe 😛 And I just like my comfort! I went camping once with school and I was NOT happy! I lived on snack bars and pasta and sauce cooked on a little portable gas cooker thing and I hate pasta gahhh!!
Whenever I go away I always miss my squash but I do my best to get it (which I did in NYC hehe), having like a million pieces of fruit a day (my fridge is packed full of every kind!) and my muffins!! That was the first thing I ate when I came back lol! I also really miss all my cereal stash..I'm a funny one hehe 🙂
Glad you had a nice time and enjoyed the gorgeous scenary – won’t be much left of the sun soon booo, so thats awesome! I totally agree with camping food always tasting so much better, I think it’s about being outside and the chilly air and then having something yummy and comforting in your belly haha.
I love camping but can’t stick it for more than a few days, especially as the guys I go with aren’t ones for moving around much. Last time I ate sooo much tuna haha but we cooked a paella on a big skillit thing which was lovely and ate it round the campfire.
Oh my gosh quinoa with cranberries!!? Sounds REALLY good. Happy WIAW 🙂
Haha that sounds like a lot of fun! I love being spontaneous!
I carry bars in my bag or homemade cookies but I never carry around nut butter. That’s just too chunky for my purse 😛 I tend not to stress about not having “special” food with me coz I know I can just get a takeaway or something. It’s no biggie. But I guess if I was super allergic to a certain food then I would be more careful.
That sounds like such an awesome little getaway! I would love to do something so spontaneous! I used to hate camping but now I love it, next summer I’m hoping for lots of camping trips 🙂
Woo for being back – I was wondering where you were! Camping sounds great in theory to me but the actual doing part is not my scene…I don’t really enjoy ‘roughin it’! When I’m away from home, I miss my kitchen and being able to make elaborate meals..and by elaborate I am referring to being faced with a huge selection of breakfast toppings!
Mmmhhh, heaven in a bowl…I want some!! 🙂
Amanda, I am so proud of you that you managed the whole situation and enjoyed the camping in the end! It can be a rather uncomfortable to be without proper food, proper bed and such for 5 days, but you did it! I am sending you a big hug 🙂
I love camping, but food is usually a problem. I always end up eating mostly cookies, granola bars and apples 🙂
Ive missed you so much while you were away!! Happy to have you back!
You are one of my biggest heros ( 😉 ) and inspirations when it comes to eating. And it is easy for me to think that things comes easily to you. But I kbnow so well that you have fighted hard to get were you are today! It makes me so happy that you are pushing youself out of your comfort zone, and that you were able to enjoy the trip!
Im sooo scared of things like that! And mostly because I dont know how I will be able to eat how I want! I look forward to the day I feel comfortable with those situations!
Your meals looks so so good- no wonder you missed them!
Im one of those people with nut butter in my purse too 😉
<3
お帰り！Or just welcome back 🙂 .
When I am away from home, the thing I miss the most is… home. Because when I leave home I almost always leave it for long and it takes time before I am ready to call a new place home.
I am not the kind of person who goes camping for days so I don’t need a lot for my trips. I usually take nuts or something sweet with me in case I can’t find anything decent to buy or hide a package of instant soup in my bag. But it seems like you and the jar of AB had a great time in the wild 😛 .
I’ve actually never went camping. It sounds like you had a ton of fun though! I’d love to go some day. When I’m away from home I usually miss my routine, having oats every morning, and knowing where everything is 😀 I love that you had almond butter in your purse! haha. I don’t have any strange snacks in my bag. Just granola bars or some type of an energy bar. All of your eats look extra delicious today! I missed seeing your morning bowl of oats 😀
I missed seeing them too 🙁