Momma needs a Cocktail!

It's been a long week.  We went camping, had to cancel a trip & deal with grown-up problems.  Needless to say, I need a vacation. But I suppose I will have to settle with a nice, enjoyable, adult beverage.

I am a huge fan of vodka...there, I said it.  Fortunately for me, it likes me too.  I have become a fan of Pinnacle vodka when it comes to getting creative.  They have lots of great flavors to choose from.  Sometimes it can be a bad thing when decision making time comes along & you want everything! To be honest, I usually buy which ever Pinnacle or Smirnoff is on sale and sounds good at the moment. Stoli Raspberry will always have a special place in my heart. It is my favorite!

My friends and I like to use Sherbet in our blender drinks.  It is especially nice in the summer time on a hot day.  A special shout out to my boy Luke who sold me his very expensive blender for $5 when he decided to sell everything & cycle across the country.  I had NO idea how powerful and pricey it was.  I've assured him it went to a great home, lol!

Tropical Freeze

1 Cup of Vodka 

(I used Smirnoff's Pineapple Coconut Sorbet)

1/2 container of Lime Sherbert

Fill blender with ice

Waaaaaa Laaaaaa

A tasty & refreshing beverage as a reward 

for making through the day!

(Please pay no attention to the grape bombs in the background, hee hee. This is an older picture from the last time we made it.)

TGIF

Enjoy your weekend!

A Camping We Will Go

Most folks had big plans for the 4th of July.  Not me. The hubby was working (as usual) & our Independence celebration didn't kick off til Sunday when we went camping with my Brother In Law, his fiance & most of their kiddos (his 2, their 1 & minus her 2....got that?).

I don't mind camping, especially when I am prepared.  Growing up we didn't have a lot of money.  Our parents would take us to the "beach", AKA Lake Erie.  We would go camping on the beach on Lake Erie right before the peninsula.  It was a blast. There is something about waking up on a beach with miles of water in front of you.  We did this for years, until my parents split.  For a few years after, this was still our vacation spot.  We even cleared our name of being trouble makers, lol. So much that the owner actually had my brother take pictures for him.  10 years later & our tents are still on their website.

Camping takes a lot of preparation.  Especially when going to a new place.  I try to do most of my cooking & food prep before we get there.  Something about cooking with dirt & bugs around is not fun to me.

My Camping Essentials

• Tent
• Tarp
• Sleeping bags, pillows & blankets
• Towels (depending on where we go, I take beach towels & bath towels)
• At least 1 outfit per day & a sweatshirt
• Paper products (plates, paper towels, toilet paper)
• Trash bags, recycle bags, zip lock bags
• Utensils - I took some wraps left over from our wedding
• First Aid kit
• Bug spray
• Candles
• Flash light
• Cards
• Bottled water
• Camping chairs
• Some type of cooking apparatus 
• Matches or lighter
• Cups with lids
• Can koozies
• Extension cord
• Cooler full of food & drinks
• Tote packed with camping supplies

It doesn't look like a lot, but it sure adds up fast.  My BIL loves camping, so he always has the cool gadgets.  Last year he brought his smaller deep fryer & we made Deep Fried Oreos

 Deep Fried Oreos

 We have one more camping trip to go on this summer & it's actually back to Lake Erie!  We are staying at  Sara Coyne Campground It is a great place to take the family. Check it out sometime.  It's a great location for all that the town of Erie has to offer.  I am looking forward to taking my little dude there for the first time.  He is going to have the time of his life.

Summer is flying by so be sure to enjoy it!