Meet Our Vintage Canvas Tent

In his relentless pursuit to vintagafy our entire life, Aaron has been scouting out vintage camping gear.

We have our picnic basket and lots of vintage camping dishes, we've got vintage thermoses, and some vintage wool camping blankets.

But there is so much more out there.

I found this set of vintage pots at the thrift store.

Aren't they awesome?

Part of me wanted to keep the labels on, and save these pots to display in the trailer we're going to get someday.
Just display, not use.
Collecting vintage can become a sickness.
So I resisted the urge and we used them on our most recent camping trip.
Even without the labels I love them and was happy every time I used them.

We also used our vintage canvas tent!
A vintage, canvas tent has been high on the list of coveted camping accessories for a long while now.
Aaron put out the word that he was looking for one and a friend of ours said his parents had one they'd sell us.
It's in perfect shape even though it's 40 + years old.
The tent is the colors of the Swedish flag and it's huge.
The 6 of us fit in with room to spare.

Why don't they make canvas tents anymore?
Yes, they're heavy, but it's not like I'm backpacking with it, so who cares?
Canvas tents are vastly superior to nylon.
Unless you're backpacking.
Or caught in a rainstorm.
But we weren't.
So it was awesome.
And, it's been approved by Sir Edmund Hillary.
Definitely a keeper.

Aaron, along with a lot of help from James, got the tent up easily.

The kids raced inside to check it out.

They approved.

But the best part of the tent is the awning!
Isn't it the cutest thing you've ever seen?

I was dying about that awning.

Do you know how many vintage trailers I've seen with awnings like that and just longed for one of my own?

I never dreamt of a tent with an awning!

So until that day when the trailer of our dreams comes along, cute awning included, of course, I'll rest happy under the awning of my vintage, canvas tent.

The tent was pretty popular at the campsite.

We got lots of questions and compliments on it.

But the rest of our campsite is in need of work.

Right now it looks like this:

But we have dreams of making it look a lot more like this:

Are we crazy?

Maybe just a bit.

Crazy for vintage camping gear!

Aren't you?

Love from,

Greta

Back Roads in The Golden State

It's been a while since I've posted here.

There have been more posts over at Lilly and the Brothers.

Sometimes there are posts I just have to write over there, and there isn't time for a post here too.

But I am looking at pictures from our camping trip this weekend, and I just have to share them, and write a bit.

Because I live in such a beautiful place and sometimes I can't help wanting to talk about it.

I love this Golden State.

Here goes.

....................................................................................................................

Aaron and I love to drive country roads.

We search them out.

You know what I mean, the kind of roads that meander.

They are often narrow.

And tree lined.

They twist and turn, and don't lead to anywhere, but somehow always hold an amazing discovery for us.

These kind of drives make up a part of almost every vacation we take--big or small.

Thankfully our kids are good sports, (almost) always up for an adventure, and excellent car travelers.

And we don't even have a tv in our mini van!

After all, who'd want to waste time looking at a tv when there are glorious vistas to feast our eyes upon?

There are not a lot of these kind of drives where we live.

You have to hunt for them, and put forth a bit of effort.

Los Angeles and its suburbs really do sprawl.

That's why we love the coast north of Santa Barbra and on, so very much.

As soon as we're just north of Santa Barbra, the hills open up, and I feel as if my very soul is taking great gulps of the emptiness.

Those rolling, empty hills fill me.

I love wide open spaces.

We camped last weekend at Refugio State Beach.

It was a marvelous time.

We had the kind of weather that makes beach camping perfect and makes me want to stay there forever.

Even with the gross campground bathrooms, and a perpetually filthy 1 year old.

One night after dinner, we hiked the trail above the beach to look for whales and dolphins, and to soak in the views.

It was that magic hour just before the sun is setting when the light is absolutely golden.

I looked at the hills just inland from the ocean.

Covered in the burnt grass of summer heat, they glowed in the golden light.

"This is why they call it The Golden State," I thought.

It made me so happy I almost cried.

Then a kid wandered too near the cliff edge and the moment was over.

Still, the siren call of those hills was too powerful for us to resist.

On Monday, after we left the campground, we headed east on Refugio Road.

Just moments from the ocean, we found this.

And then we crested a small hill and the view opened up to this.

Golden light bathed the hills surrounding this beautiful valley, and we felt like we had found a little piece of paradise.

Both Aaron and I gasped.
Then sighed.
We're both from Fallbrook.
And these kind of views remind us of home.
Perhaps that's why we love country roads so much.
They are a piece of our childhood, our family, and some of our dearest memories.
Fallbrook has changed a lot since we were kids, but the rolling hills haven't gone anywhere.
And there are still citrus groves, and avocados, big skies, and meandering roads.
It's still a beautiful place.
And so was this place.
On one side of the road this.

On the other, this.

We immediately began discussing how we could move to this valley.
The citrus grove is part of this ranch, El Refugio Ranch.

We continued on down the road, with promises that our next stop would be at our favorite park in Santa Barbara.

The road narrowed and grew shady from the live oaks and sycamores growing alongside it.

James and William both said, "are we in Fallbrook now?"

There are roads just like this in my home town.

Fallbrook is a second home for them and they know it well.

I like that.

The road opened up again to more golden fields, more oak trees, and more quiet emptiness.

I loved it.

As we continued the drive, we found the Circle Bar B Guest Ranch where you can spend the night, ride horses, or attend a dinner theater.
It looked like a pretty great place.

The road goes on quite a ways from there, until the pavement ends at the top of the hill, and it turns into a dirt road.

From there you can park and hike or ride your mountain bike along the dirt road for more spectacular views of Santa Barbra countryside.

Our kids, however, were not up for that, so we turned around and headed back to the 101.
The views going back were just as beautiful and I soaked them up.
We were going to be driving back south, to our urban/suburban life, and we'd be saying goodbye to country roads for a while.
I'm glad for these little escapes down country roads to fill up that part of me that needs them.
I love my little house in the burbs.
I love our trips to the city.
But I might love these rolling hills best of all.

I'm curious, do you love exploring country roads?
What are some of your favorites--in The Golden State or somewhere else?
Maybe one day we'll get to try them.
More camping pictures and stories to come.
I've got lots!
Love from,
Greta

Made From Scratch: Cherry Tomato Pasta Sauce

It's tomato time.
Some lucky people have vines in their gardens absolutely dripping with them.
But if you're not one of the lucky ones, you can still visit the farmers market and buy some.
The stands there are full of the fragrant, red, beauties.
Whether you pick your own, or buy a bucketful, you'll need to do something with them.
The easiest thing to do, of course, is to slice them, drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and eat them with thick slices of fresh mozzarella and basil, like this.
You can also make tomato sauce.

If you've ever made tomato sauce from scratch, you know it is a time consuming, hot, messy, and somewhat tedious process.
It's not something you can start an hour before dinner.
It's also not something you want to do when it's 90 degrees in your kitchen.
All that peeling, seeding, and boiling--it's a lot of work.

That's why I want to tell you about my favorite tomato sauce: Cherry Tomato Pasta Sauce.
No peeling, seeding or pots of boiling water required.
It's fast.
And best of all, it's completely delicious.

This sauce is simple to make:
4 ingredients.
5 if you want a bit of spice.

You'll start with a bunch of cherry tomatoes.
These are just the red ones, but I also like to use the yellow ones--they make a really pretty sauce.

The only prep you have to do to these tomatoes is to wash them and remove the stems.
Could it be any easier?

Using a generous amount of olive oil, you'll start by sauteing the garlic.
Don't let it burn, just get lightly brown.
If you like your sauce with a little kick like I do, you can add some red pepper flakes to the hot oil and garlic.

As soon as the garlic is ready, add the tomatoes.
You just dump them right into the pot whole--remember no prep needed.

Let them cook in the hot oil, stirring every couple of minutes with a wooden spoon.
Pretty soon they'll start to get soft and then split.

Once they begin to split, take your potato masher, or a big fork, and begin to crush the tomatoes.
You don't have to fully crush them.
Just smash them enough to release their juices.

Add salt and pepper to taste, and a spoonful of sugar to cut the acid.
Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer.
Allow the sauce to simmer until it reaches the consistency that you like.
It can get quite thick if you allow it to cook a while.
The sauce will be full of skins and seeds, but it really doesn't matter.

It tastes so good that you don't notice.
Really.
The cherries are different than the giant beefsteak tomatoes--the seeds are smaller and the skins are softer.
My kids ate this sauce and loved it.
I really don't need to say anything other than that, right?

I've been making this sauce for years.
It is one of my all time favorites.
It's very fresh and light--perfect for a hot summer night.
After it's done cooking, I like to add fresh basil to the sauce.
That adds another layer of freshness and really makes this sauce pop.
It tastes really good over a pasta like orecchiette.
Those little pockets catch the sauce perfectly.
The sauce also freezes very well.
You can freeze it in mason jars, or flat, in freezer bags to save space.
I don't add the fresh basil if I am freezing.

If you think it's not worth the trouble to make up a big batch and freeze, let me convince you otherwise.
Come December or January, when it is cold and overcast and there isn't a good tomato to be found anywhere, you'll take out a bag of Cherry Tomato Pasta Sauce, defrost it, warm it, and pour it over some hot pasta.
The beautiful color will brighten your day.
The fresh tomato flavor will explode in your mouth and you will be instantly transported back to the long days of sunshine.
This tomato sauce tastes like summer.
Make it!
Love from,
Greta

*The batch I made for this recipe was very small.
I just needed to use some ripe tomatoes I had on hand.
2 cups of tomatoes filled 1 quart mason jar.
It was just enough for us all--and none of us drowned our pasta is sauce.
Obviously you can double, triple or quadruple it and make a whole lot more.
It will be totally worth it.

Cherry Tomato Pasta Sauce  
inspired by an old recipe from Martha Stewart Living magazine
2 cups cherry tomatoes (red, or a mix of red and yellow)
Olive oil
Red Pepper flakes to taste
2 large cloves garlic (the original recipe calls for much more, but I like it a bit more mellow--you can adjust it to your own taste)
1 teaspoon sugar (you can add more if you like the sauce a bit sweeter)
Salt to taste
Fresh basil leaves

Cover the bottom of a large, heavy bottomed, pot with olive oil and heat
Roughly chop the garlic and add to the pot
Add red pepper flakes to taste ( a little goes a long way)
Stir the garlic and cook until it is lightly browned
Add the tomatoes
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes start to split
Smash the tomatoes with a potato masher or fork until juices are released
Add sugar and salt to taste
Simmer tomatoes until the sauce reaches desired consistency
Remove from heat and add basil
Enjoy!

What's Your Favorite Summer Time Meal?

It's August already.

People are starting to talk of fall.

Beach chairs, sand toys, and blowup pools have been relegated to the back corners of every store.

And there is nary a package of water balloons to be found.

I know.

I've looked.

Meanwhile, school supplies are front and center.

But I'm not ready for summer to be over.

Are you?

Have you had enough summer time meals?

You know: picnics at the beach, or on a blanket at the park, in the back yard, barbecuing with friends, burgers, corn on the cob, and sweet, juicy watermelon.

All of those are wonderful summertime meals.

But this one might be my most favorite of all.

It's pretty simple, and takes me back to the summer Aaron and I trained through Italy.
I'm sure that's one of the reasons I'm so fond of it.
We ate lots of riffs on this meal.
Cheese, bread, good olive oil, cured meat, chilled, white wine, and perfectly ripe, deliciously fresh, produce.
If it's a picnic, you can prepare everything right there, and it's lovely.
If you're at home, you can take some extra steps and grill some of the vegetables, and the bread too.
Then it's even lovelier.
It's the kind of meal that's best eaten outside, under a shady tree.
And with enough time to linger at the table afterward.
The Italians know how to do that over lunch.
We're much more likely to jump up and clean up, or dart off to the next event.
Americans have a hard time sitting still.
Or is it just me?

We snuck in a long(ish) lunch last Sunday when were home with sick kids.
It wasn't nearly as long as a proper Italian lunch would have been, but we did the best we could.
I had ripe tomatoes from my mom's garden, fresh mozzarella, and just picked squash, ready for grilling.
I picked some basil from my herb garden, grilled the bread, and we sat down in the backyard at the turquoise picnic table.
If I closed my eyes and ignored the kids, I could pretend we were back at Francis Lodge in Sienna.
Ahhh, Tuscany.

I've got Italy on the brain right now.
I'm hosting my book club's next meeting this weekend at my house.
We read A Room With a View, and we're inspired by Italy, just like Lucy Honeychurch is in the book.
(Have you read A Room With a View?  It is such a great book.  You really should try it.)
So our party will be an Italian themed meal, spread out on a big table, under our sprawling avocado tree in my backyard.
There will be candles everywhere and lanterns hanging in the tree.
It will be very romantic.
I can't wait.

So another week goes by with next to no blogging.
I'm a little distracted.
Case in point, it's midnight and I'm up making things for the party.
What can I say?
It's how I get things done--late--in every sense of the word.
I can't wait to share pictures with you.
And to tell you about our trip to Palm Springs.
And the amazing cherry tomato pasta sauce I just made.
And so much more.
Why can't there be about 6 more hours in my day?

Hope your weekend finds you enjoying some favorite summer time moments, and meals!
Love from,
Greta 

Summertime Breakfast

William asks for pancakes and bacon, to be eaten on the patio, almost every Saturday.

Lately the mornings are too cool and overcast with our typical June gloom to eat on the patio.

And often we're just too busy for making pancakes and bacon.

But today was the first time in a long string of Saturdays that we weren't hosting a party, heading out somewhere, or had a big project to conquer.

And the sun was out!

So breakfast on the patio it was.

Oh how I love a sunny, summer, Saturday!

To make things even better, we had our first peaches from the bare root tree we planted last year.
And I put some of our black berries in the pancakes.
I think they were the best pancakes I have ever had.

And, I'm feeling better.
Not 100%, but about 80%, and that feels about a million times better than I have for the past 3 days.
No more body aches and fevers.
Instead a mommy who feels like getting up and making breakfast.
Breakfast together at the turquoise picnic table?
It's one of my most favorite things.
Ever.

Good idea, William.
You are a boy after my own heart.


Now I have the rest of the day to enjoy.
I'm going to try to resist the urge to get things done since I am feeling better.
Instead, I'm going to play chess with William while the baby naps and the rest of the family is out looking at a vintage fridge.
Yes, that's right.
A vintage fridge.
I'll keep you posted.
Happy Summer Saturday!
Love from,
Greta