'Tis the season for Elk!

Hunting season this year isn't looking so good.  Bull elk season ends here today and the snow is supposed to start really flying tomorrow.  Figures.  The animals have been safely hiding high up in the mountains and unless you have pack horses, four wheelers, or a week of time, you are sorta out of luck!  Husband has been scouting when he has a chance, and we got to go with him a bit this weekend.

I was thrilled to get outside and the kids were content and loving it!  J kept talking about looking for elk and wanting to eat it.  I don't think he really gets it, but I guess we expose him to what we can.  I grew up eating game (mostly Moose and Caribou) and far prefer it over other meats.  One of these days he will learn where it comes from and we believe it is best to not make it a scary ordeal, but instill a healthy respect for the animals and all things hunting related (gun safety, leave-no-trace principles and predator awareness.)

We also wanted to check out a couple of packs that we will be reviewing formally in the next few months. So here is your sneak peak of the Deuter Kid Comfort III and the Kelty Pathfinder 3.0 (new for 2012.)  We will say that they are both top of the line for their brands and both incredible.  Parents and kids were happy hikers!
*We may not win a fashion contest, but all are comfortable and content! :)*

this kid cannot stay out of puddles, ice or not! :)

...and he could throw rocks in the river all day long!*

Mountain Hardware Dome Perignon Hat

 I have officially been converted.  Husband has been singing the praises of the Mountain Hardware Perignon Hat for years now and after stealing his for a couple of winters, I finally got my own.  If you live anywhere with wind and cold (like Wyoming) this is THE hat.  Wind proof (not sure of their official term), great ear coverage, and super warm.  Not the most stylish in the world, but when you just need to stay warm, that doesn't matter at all!  Just thought I would share!

This Moment

*No words necessary, just a moment from our life!*

WINNER!

Ann F., you are the randomly-chosen winner of the Mountain Mama: Expecting Adventure giveaway for following via GFC!  CONGRATULATIONS!  I am emailing you!

Bitti Tutto Cloth Diaper Review and *GIVEAWAY*

**CLOSED!  Congrats to Leslie G. for liking Itti Bitti on Facebook!  Your diaper will be on its way to you shortly!**

As a family, we have been using cloth diapers for over two years now.  I must say it is a completely different ball game with two kids instead of one (especially when traveling) but we absolutely think it is worth it.  Great for the environment, chemical-free and saves us a bundle of money (around $2000 a year with two kids...and that is a modest estimate.)

Most of our stash is full of BumGenius All-In-Ones but lately we have been able to try out a few other brands.  I was one of the lucky ones chosen to be able to review Itti Bitti's brand new Bitti Tutto in the carnival print (limited edition.)  I have to honestly say this is my new favorite diaper, hands-down.  J agrees (and P certainly would if he had the words to express it!)

Active Mama! *Guest Post*

I was an active girl long before I was pregnant. I’ve been running since training for and completing a marathon in 2002. Over the years, I had kept up running and that didn’t change when I got pregnant. I was lucky enough to enjoy a very healthy pregnancy and was able to run until I was about 6 months pregnant and transitioned to run/walking and walking as I grew into that last trimester. Naturally, a jogging stroller was on our baby gear wish list. I had visions of putting the wee one into the stroller and getting my run on every afternoon.

Then reality struck. My wee one, Hudson, arrived in April. A perfect baby boy. But at 7lbs 10ozs, he was too small for the jogging stroller! It was only then, after he arrived, that I realized you’re not supposed to use the jogging stroller with them until they have developed good neck support, which is often closer to 6 months old. On top of that, he was a terrible sleeper with digestion issues that left this momma too exhausted to think about running, let alone do it while pushing a stroller and baby. But, not one to be deterred, I found an alternative that allowed me to stay active. I knew I needed something more than the casual stroll that would get us out and about.

Heading out for a hike near our home

*Winner!*

Shannon said...

I chat with my girlfriends on my BlackBerry. It makes me social, keeps me connected with them and makes the 30 minutes on the eliptical fly by!

October 19, 2011 

Congratulations, Shannon!  Email me at mountainmamatales.blogspot.com to claim your prize!

Whole-Grain Daily Bread

Due to the fact that we live in a small town, the grocery store is not always super accessible.  We do have a great little one in town, but hours are limited and if you roll into town hungry after 8 pm (especially in the winter) you could just be out of luck.

For this reason (and the fact that I just like to do it,) I make most of our bread (unless I am pregnant or have a bitty newborn and doing anything extra is completely out of the question.)  When we invested in a Zojirushi bread machine, I also bought "The Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook" by Beth Hensperger.  I honestly only use a few of the recipes on a regular basis, but have not tried one that hasn't turned out well.  If you like making bread at home in a machine, get this book!

So with my little modifications noted (If you haven't noticed, I am not super great at following recipes 100%) here it is:

Whole-Grain Daily Bread

2 pound loaf (it is embarrassing how fast we can go through this)

1 1/3 cups buttermilk (I often just use baking buttermilk powder)
1/2 cup 5 grain cereal (or 7 or 9...)**
1/2 cup water**
**or you could follow their directions and use 1 cup of cooked whole grain, firmly packed**
3 T. canola oil
3 T. honey

3 1/3 cups bread flour
2/3 cups whole wheat flour
1/3 cups rolled oats
1 T. + 1 t. gluten
2 t. salt

2 1/2 t. SAF yeast (or 1 T. bread machine yeast)

Use basic cycle on your machine!

I have to note also that one thing I love about this bread machine is the fact that it has a pre-heat function.  This is especially handy when your home is often less than 60 degrees before noon (until the sun warms it up...or we make a fire!) and bread can be sensitive to temperature.  I highly recommend it!

Obligatory Photo (not the most beautiful loaf in the world, but yummy anyway!):

Winners! :)

Today I am working on getting back on my feet after a family weekend away full of laughter, biking, God and (almost) no computers! :) Laundry is high, 5 am workout this morning was EAR-LY and the dog needs a good bike ride today!

But, I am excited to announce the winners of the Kavu bag giveaway, Annie (our guest post from this past week) for following via GFC and Anna for liking Tales of a Mountain Mama on facebook!

Congrats to both of you - check your inboxes!

Coming up this week:
Itti Bitti review and giveaway
A guest blogger
....and our favorite bread machine bread recipe.

Don't forget to enter the itunes and the Mountain Mama: Expecting Adventure giveaways!!!

A chocolate chip cookie that is HEALTHY! Thank you, Katie!

Tell me this doesn't look amazing!?!?!?!?!

Found a great site, Chocolate Covered Katie, where the author, Katie, is revolutionizing desserts.  We love dessert and we love to be healthy, so I was all over it!

J was a big helper as we tried out this Deep Dish Cookie Pie.  It is healthy, delicious and totally deserves to be eaten with a spoon.  Mine wasn't as beautiful as hers, but our taste buds loved it anyway!

You can find the recipe here and I copied and pasted it from her site to make it easy for you:

Deep-Dish Cookie Pie

(High in fiber… and gluten-free!)

• 2 cans white beans or garbanzos (drained and rinsed) (500g total, once drained)
• 1 cup quick oats
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 3 T canola oil
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 and 1/2 cups brown sugar (Seems like a lot, but this makes a big pie. I think we got like 20 servings from it! You can try adding less, if you’re used to healthy desserts; I chose to use this much because the people to whom I served it are used to “normal” desserts. Also, white sugar will work if you don’t have brown.)
• 1 cup chocolate chips

So easy to make!

Blend everything (except the chips) very well in a food processor. Mix in chips, and pour into an oiled pan (I used a 10-inch springform pan, but you can use a smaller pan if you want a really deep-dish pie.) Cook at 350F for around 35 minutes. Let stand at least 10 minutes before removing from the pan.

Try it and let me know what you think!

This Moment

*No words necessary, just a precious moment*

Mountain Mama: Expecting Adventure - Marin Nursing Top Review

A few weeks ago I contacted Teresa, founder and CEO of Mountain Mama:Expecting Adventure about helping me get families with young children (or pregnant mamas) outside and adventuring. I was thrilled when she said YES! and offered to let me review a couple of their shirts (and a little something for you too... ;))


I found out about Mountain Mama Expecting Adventure this past winter when I was pregnant with P and so tired of making due with sweatpants and hand-made (poorly, by yours truly) fleece belly covers.  I heard from a friend that there were maternity long underwear being made (wahoo!) and they were awesome. Mountain Papa is always an advocate of getting me outside (and staying sane...for all of us...) and so bought me a pair of those said long underwear (see here and here) for my February birthday.  They.Are.Awesome. (and so is he! :))  I wore them comfortably skiing and just being outside for the next few months.


What they say about their clothing: The world's first technical outdoor apparel for maternity. Because adventure doesn't end with pregnancy... It's just beginning!


The other thing that really impresses me about ALL their clothing is the fact that they aren't JUST for pregnancy.  They are made to work from "washboard abs" to baby belly and back again.  I love that I can keep on wearing these shirts for a long time.  


Another great thing about Mountain Mama:Expecting Adventure is that they source their materials and build their clothing as close to home as they can.  In fact, nothing travels more than 20 miles in the entire process.  Local and sustainable (and super impressive!)


So, Teresa sent me a Marin Nursing top and a Clouds Rest Baselayer Crossfront (that review will come later....but I must say that I have worn it every day in the past week!)


This is the photo from their site of the Marin:

*Guest Post* A Movin' Mama

Every mom needs a different outlet or renewal time. For me that means getting of the house and being active. My husband is in the military and we recently moved across the country from our family and friends so not only did I want to lose my baby weight, but I wanted a social outlet too.

To achieve these goals, a jogging stroller was a must for me. After my baby was born and I was feeling up to it (probably about 2 weeks), I started walking. Just to the end of the block and back. I just would walk a little farther every time. By 5 weeks, I started jogging. Now, 7 months later I have done two 5Ks and am doing a 10K at the end of the month ~ wish me luck!

Outdoor Blogger Network

I am super excited about a new discovery I made today that opens up a whole new world of opportunity to connect with other outdoor adventurous families. It is called the Outdoor Blogger Network and it is a central place for outdoor bloggers to show what they've got and for people to find some really great outdoor information.

I also managed to find this wealth of information at a perfect time because this week they are having a 1 year birthday celebration and offering a bunch of giveaways for OBN members (you must have an active blog listed in their directory.) This is totally worth checking out! Love that there are places to win the opportunities to review great gear, an easy avenue to search out other like-minded bloggers and tons of great photos.

Anyway, just wanted to share!!!
Click here to visit and see it for yourself!

*GIVEAWAY* Gear OFF the trail....

I am a big proponent in gear that performs (and really have no interest in products that don't do their job and serve a function.)  My "fashion" sense revolves around performance clothing and "performance accessories" (bags, etc.)  Instead of having a million pairs of shoes or fancy purses like some women, I have a lot of coats, bags and boots that work for  me.  They handle dirt and abuse well.  That is just how I work because I want to continue getting outside!

I love Kavu purses and have used them for years and years.  I contacted them to see if they would be interested in sponsoring a giveaway (so I could share the love!) and they generously agreed and sent me two bags to give away + 1 for me to review.

Bag #1 - Secret Squirrel

Outside. Every day.

We have a rule in our family - 15 minutes of outside time daily no matter what the weather is.  Usually this is super easy to accomplish (and is followed by hours more) but sometimes we can just barely stand it.  When that Wyoming wind starts whipping along with blowing snow, 15 minutes feels like a long time.  Thanks to great gear, determined parents and hearty kids we can do it safely.  Crazy to think we are headed into that season of winter weather (not that I mind a bit!)

Today we spent as a family working and playing as we got another load of firewood and then finished off with a good tromp through the woods.  J was a trooper and hiked most of the way himself, climbing over the logs and sticks and trees in his way.  Husband and I spent some time trying to figure out what that horrible smell was - we were alert and watching for bears and elk (because they both tend to smell musty and downright yucky....)  The mystery was solved when J was loaded onto Husband's shoulders for a break and we realized his diaper was loaded too.  Whew - that will keep ALL the animals away!

And because clear fall days have been so beautiful here lately....

Can you find the ball J just threw for Katmai in this picture??

Winner!

Ginger H., you are the winner of the Patemm Pad! Thanks for commenting on the blog!  Hope you love it and it sees lots of adventures!
Congratulations!
I sent you an email!

This Moment

* No words necessary, just a precious moment. *

Summer - Short and Sweet!

I am not a fan of the heat.  I would rather be cold a million times over than be hot.  My theory is you can always add another layer if you are cold, but if you are hot, you are just out of luck (there are only so many layers you can take off!)  Living at 7000 feet, we don't have TOO many days that stop me in my tracks (thanks to the dry climate) but July and August are usually plenty hot enough for me (must be my Alaskan blood!)

However, it still amazes me that we (meaning Husband and J) were skiing in June (this adventure taken less than a week before P was born...I adventured by going along and waiting in the car :/ ) and we had our first snow this past weekend.  That means we had three months snow-free (barely since made it JUST into October before snow) and I have to mention that it is not unheard of for it to snow on the 4th of July.  I love the crazy weather patterns living in the mountains!

p.s. It was 78 degrees two days before it snowed. :)

Heading out to Ski Two Ocean (J slept the whole way up and giggled the whole way down!)

Not the best snow, but Husband loves saying he skied in June! :)

It was super warm this day - J was toasty in just his snowsuit and his BumGenius! :)

*Guest Post* Camping in a Hurricane!

Hurricane weather is the best kind for camping with babies.

I should clarify: the day before a hurricane is the best time to take babies into the woods.  All that warm tropical air being pushed ahead of the storm made our October camping trip one of the warmest I have ever taken, at any time of the year.

My daughter, Sylvia, is almost 18 months old.  It was high time she spent a night in a tent.  We were not exactly roughing it: there was a double stroller, a bottle of wine and a hammock.  But this was car-camping.  There's time enough to take her into the backcountry (next year!)  We made it an all-girl trip; my friend and her daughter of a similar age joined us.

I didn't know what to expect from the kids, but I knew Sylvia would adapt well enough.  I've never balked at taking her anywhere.  I don't believe children should limit your adventuring or experiences in any way.  I've always believed this.  I doubly believe it now that I have my own daughter, so Sylvia is well used to new surroundings.  As long as she's got snacks, she's happy!  I was hoping the rain would stay at bay, because tenting in the rain is no great picnic at any age.  The rain did stay away, and any concerns I had about not having a walled and roofed shelter were quickly allayed by the balmy weather and brilliant starry sky.

If Sylvia had the language skills to express herself, I can imagine her saying something like this:

"Outside? 24/7?  Why, this is just the natural order of things, Mommy!"

Sylvia eating one of "Those Cookies"

Magic Muffins

When we are out adventuring, I really HAVE to have food with us or things just never go well.  I will often grab a bunch of fruit and some granola bars, but sometimes we want something different...  I have made and brought these muffins a few times and they always go over well (in a the-entire-batch-is-gone-in-a-day way.)  They just have to travel in a container of some kind to avoid smashing (less trash that way too!)  I found the recipe here and improvised a bit.  I doubled the batch and then froze half of them.

This is the recipe I used:

1 cup wheat flour (again, that Prairie Gold that is a light wheat flour)
2 T wheat germ
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats (we buy them by the 50 lb. bag)
1/4 cup bran flakes cereal
1 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
1 t. ground cinnamon
a dash of other spices (nutmeg, ginger, etc.)
pinch of salt
1 large egg
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 T. olive oil
2 t. vanilla extract
2/3 c. + 1 T. milk
1/2 cup grated squash
1/2 cup cooked chopped spinach
1/2 cup grated, chopped carrots
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup craisins
1 finely chopped apple.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line your muffin pans (I actually used stoneware ones so no lining needed.)

Whisk the dry ingredients.
Whisk the wet ingredients (minus the fruits and veggies)
Add the wet ingredients (plus the fruits and veggies) and stir until just blended.

Bake for about 20 minutes (or until done....depends on the size of muffins you are making) and cool.

Hide from all family members until the adventuring begins. :)

Yes, my kid IS the one with the dirty face....

WINNER! :)

Out of 74 entries, Emily was the winner of the SmartWool socks from Wind River Gear with her blog post comment:

EmilySJD said...

Our outdoor adventures are usually just the backyard or the park, but I love my Moby wrap so I can carry the baby and still keep up with the 3 year old!

Congratulations, Emily!  I will be emailing you shortly, or email me at mountainmamatales@gmail.com

Don't forget!  There are still a few more days left on the Patemm Pad giveaway!!!  Good luck!

Boys and Mama Hike

Husband is a brave man and spent the weekend chaperoning the local middle schoolers on a trip to Yellowstone (his 6th? year!)  Which meant it was me and the boys this weekend!  

I love that we can literally walk from our home out to the Badlands and hike.  It is a great place to run too (unless it has been wet and then it is much to mucky-slippery-gloopy to manage anything.)  The temperatures have been cooler, but the wind wasn't too bad and so we went.  J always gets excited about an "adventure" and I literally had to bribe him to get him to agree to get BACK in the pack after running around a bit so we could make it home before it started to rain (though it never did....)  

                     

The Joys of Trail Mix...

Trail Mix is a beautiful thing. In our family it is almost considered a staple.  Packed full of protein, crunch and, of course, chocolate.  It is great for Husband in his lunch since his job by its very nature requires a lot of energy.  We love it for hiking, for skiing (it won't even freeze!) and try to not let it be just a daily snack.  

This is a batch I made up the other day (the Pretzel M&Ms were on sale + I had a great coupon for them.)  It is never really the same from time to time, but this time it included:

M&Ms

Light Popcorn

Rice Chex Mix Cereal

Raisins

Craisins

Lightly salted peanuts

Cheerios 

And I just had to show this....taken from our wedding.  I filled a HUGE tub of whatever I could find - a bunch of different kinds of cereals, a few different types of M&Ms, pretzels, raisins, peanuts, cashews (we went all out!) - and it was the after-dinner snack for our 150 wedding guests (plus a center decoration.)  People still talk about it (or how they got to go home with a jar of it themselves.)

**Happy Weekend Adventuring!**

This Moment

*No words necessary, just a precious moment*

CLOSED! Changing Diapers and Cutting Wood (really) plus *GIVEAWAY!*

Fall is coming to Wyoming (very quickly....) and that means we need to get firewood now.  Our plan was to be restocked back in June, but with Husband's super busy fire season + the birth of P, it just was not going to happen.  So, this weekend we took advantage of TWO days off in a row as a family (really, that has not happened since June) to get some firewood and enjoy just being outside.

The whole infant thing (especially the ones that loves to be held) completely paralyzes me as a possible help to cutting or loading the truck, but I took on the job of going on an "Adventure" with J and P in the woods.  J found plenty of rocks to throw, dirt to roll in (and eat?!?!), and sticks/grasses to swish around.  P loves looking at the swaying leaves in the trees and slept soundly when he wore himself out.  The dog was thrilled to have no limitations. :)

Yes, we would have rather been hiking as a family (communicating is difficult over the sound of the chain saw) but we took advantage of an opportunity to explore and be together while we (ok, he) worked.

*Guest Post* Gardening With Kids

One of the most engaging, exciting outdoor things you can do with a kid is garden.

Now in our eleventh year at about 7500 feet, I feel like we've finally gotten the hang of gardening here. Unlike the ripe fertile soils of my youth, we battle gale force wind, quarter size hail, forty degree temperature changes in 24 hours, all manner of furry mammals and ungulates, and last, but certainly not least, winters that end in July and begin in September. And we are VICTORIOUS.

CLOSED! Great Things in a Small Town...**GIVEAWAY!**

Dubois is 70 miles from the nearest real town of any size (one that goes beyond a gas station and a bar.) It is one of the most secluded towns in the entire country. It boasts a population of about 1000 people, and residents are proud to call it home. Nestled in a valley and surrounded by mountains, this "Valley of the Warm Winds" is a gem in its own right and a stop-off point for travelers on their way to Yellowstone and Teton Parks.

Yes, I miss having some of the conveniences close to home (a trip to Wal-Mart is an all-day affair and the nearest Sam's Club, Costco or Target are 3+ hours away.) But, there is something about it here - the people, the striking beauty of the mountains and the opportunity for tons of community events that lure people in to stay....