The Adventures of the Gouda Caravan

I have many fond memories of camping as a child, and a few appalling ones from the past few years.  The highlights include nursing an 8 week old little chef while having epic food poisoning in a camper bathroom, and barfing every 20 minutes while snowy camping while 8 weeks pregnant with little sous chef.  But my optimist has been rubbing off on me (and obviously rubbing up on me… hence all the babies) and I craved going camping again this year.

So the hunt for a trailer to call our own was on.  Farmer John, is a strongly opinionated fixture of the family farm, and seems to always have the line on some good deal.  If you are looking for something, you just let him know.  We told him we were looking for a camper, and had a max budget of $1,000.  We had looked on kijiji and everything in our budget was a rickety, mouse infested piece of crap (much like my late Jeep).  But Farmer John, the deal wizard that he is called Jamie one day and told him he had a rig for him to look at.  The optimist and the legend went off on a mission to “check it out”.  And by check it out I mean talk the guy down from $1500 to $1000 and BUY IT.  Without showing me, not even a picture.  Jamie called me (on speakerphone) with a giddy sound in his voice and said “Guess what?”  I said what…. And he told me he bought us a trailer.  I was equal parts shocked and excited and said a few un-ladylike words.  We are not the kind of couple who spend $1000 without discussing it first.  So he rolled in with this giant shit eating grin on his face with the world’s cutest trailer.  Steal of a deal my friends.  It’s re-done inside by someone with a Pinterest page dedicated to style and sweet 60’s flair.  It’s almost nicer than our house.  He got major brownie points.

Inside Gouda
Inside Gouda
Little Sous Chef camper napping
Little Sous Chef camper napping

So of course we took it out for it’s maiden voyage that weekend.  And then 7 more times this summer.  It was fabulous.  Our little home on wheels.  And we named her “Gouda”.  As in the amazing Dutch cheese, and the fact that it is “Gouda” (like good, but better).

Camper naps for little chef's
Camper naps for little chef’s

Of course our adventures included a lot of spectacular food, and even some butter chicken and Naan fire-style.  And popcorn, and so much meat.  All the meat.  Jamie is in meat sales now so our bank of meat related jokes has grown immensely.

Campfire popcorn
Campfire popcorn

 

Bone in pork chops, asparagus, fried mushrooms, and campfire biscuits.
Bone in pork chops, asparagus, fried mushrooms, and campfire biscuits.
Smoked brisket and roasted chicken
Smoked brisket and roasted chicken
Little boys eating campfire baked apple crisp and hand whipped cream.
Little boys eating campfire baked apple crisp and hand whipped cream.
Campfire butter chicken and grilled naan bread.
Campfire butter chicken and grilled naan bread.

We also had our fair share of ridiculous moments, because we have children.  Most of them involved poop, and epic meltdowns over nap and bedtime.

Little chef
Little chef

little-chef-and-bestie-camping-cultivatingfoodies-2016little-chef-on-woodpile-cultivatingfoodies-2016

Little sous chef loved it.  She is such a nature baby.  She spent quite a bit of her first 5 months of life snuggled up beside a campfire.  In fact yesterday she was a right bear so little chef and I built her a campfire out in the back yard and she finally had a peaceful snooze in the stroller beside it.

 

Bucket bath.
Bucket bath.

I can’t wait for next year so we can do it all again!

-Stephanie