Look who can climb rocks, stay in her gym clothes all day and have huge biceps at the same time…this girl.
Okay, it was more like….’crap, BILLY how the heck are we going to get down from this thing…..HOLD ME!!!’
The mother in law took us on a nature hike. Along the way there was SIXTEEN markers where we would stop and she would read from the pamphlet about tree’s, how to find water, build a shelter and how snakes build their nests.
We were the only family with no one under the age of 8. My MIL is a pre-school teacher, I kept wondering if she was just testing her next field trip on us since our maturity levels are probably about the same.
We had a rule on our nature hike, you were not allowed to look at the ground because then you might miss an eagle or a flower….good thing I almost re-broke my femurs 4 times due to tripping over rocks.
Okay, it was actually A LOT of fun and I hate to admit that I really did learn a lot. My family NEVER did outdoorsy natury things growing up (I clearly never learned how to spell) and so I am CLUELESS to anything nature unless it has to do with how to trail run or cooking s’mores over a fire.
The grandparents outdid themselves once again and cooked up the best shish kibobs I have ever had. Melon rocks my world, that is all I have to say. The glaze for the shish kabobs was orange juice, soy sauce, garlic and butter. Cook it in a sauce pan before marinating.
And the grand finale……….
That would be strawberry shortcake with HOMEMADE whipped cream and strawberries. Why does taking a beautiful photo of dessert make me so happy….it is a little strange!
A sugar coma did occur while watching HOUSE HUNTERS!!! I think Billy’s shortcake could have eaten him. Good thing he ran 5 SPEEDY MILES and ran sprints that made my BIL who runs a 5:32 mile loose all of his stomach contents.
Early bed time tonight because we are waking up EARLY to go MOUNTAIN BIKING!!! Taking a ski-lift up the mountain and biking down= a workout right?
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Growing up did you and your family do outdoorsy things like hiking, camping, boating etc?!?
-Nope, we went to art museums, Dairy Queen and historical places for family time.
What is on your ideal shish kabob?
Shrimp, steak, every vegetable possible and PINEAPPLE.
What are your top 3 ‘reality-like’ shows!?!
-Bachelorette (ps who do you think she is going to choose), House Hunters and the Hills (yes, I still rewatch old episodes).
What is your FAVORITE thing about today!?!?!
-Going BIKING!!!
Favorite thing about today: Going to dinner with the husband and friends!
Favorite reality shows: Big Brother and Survivor. LOVE THEM!
I heart homemade whipped cream :)
My family ONLY did outdoorsy things. All of our vacations involved hiking, biking, etc. Once my parents made us walk the entire length of Manhattan to see the sites even though I was sick (and ended up throwing up in a potted plant) because they thought I was faking because I didn’t want to exercise lol.
Umm…can I come to California and hang out and have some of that strawberry shortcake? Pretty please??? :)
Today I am going to go hiking and have a barbecue and since fitness and food rule my life I am going to chalk it up to a good day ahead!
Have fun biking!
the most outdoorsy thing my family did was go camping!….in our backyard. hahahaha
um best sishkabob= shrimp, scallops, papaya, cilantro, peppers, onions..all grilled YUMMMMMMMM
reality shows= laguna beach cause i am cool like that, the hills obviouslyyyyy, and i just love that real world road rules challenge thing..it gets me PUMPED
and today is THURSDAY…PT appointment to get my hips feeling better and back to training for my FIRST HALFF!!
That hike looks beautiful! Looks like you had a blast! I always did (and still do!) outdoorsy things with my family like hiking, camping, swimming/tubing/waterskiing, and summer camp. I loved it so much, and now I work at the same summer camp as a counselor. It’s pretty much an excuse for me to play games, hike, and have campfires everyday.
I LOVE outdoorsy things but my family as a whole was never into camping/hiking/etc…we spent a lot of time outdoors gardening and being lumberjacks (my dad has an obsession with cutting down trees for firewood) but all of my favorite outdoor things (camping and hiking) I always did with friends!
oh. my.. goodness. that strawberry shortcake looks faantastic! and I’d also like a shrimp/steak/veggie kabob. ;)
The Bachelorette is an unhealthy addiction for me!
Top Chef, SYTYCD, and Hell’s Kitchen! Actually, those are the only ones I watch so by default they are my top 3 favorite. :-)
My family never did outdoorsy things which is probably why I’m a hermit most of the time. My family taught me the finer things in couch potatodom.
Nope we weren’t an outdoorsy family either!
Pineapple, Red Pepper, Zucchini, Mushrooms and Shrimp!
Well with Big Brother starting this weekend, that is number one for sure! The Hills and then it would be a toss up for a few Food Network shows that I have started to watch this last month.
Toady is our Friday! Tomorrow is Canada Day so it is a long weekend! Woohoo! Hoping for some quality beach time this weekend :)
We did outdoorsy things, my parents took us camping as a family all the time, it was something inexpensive we could all do together!
3 favorite reality shows: The Bachelorette, I think she’s gonna pick JP! :), Any Real Housewives shows, I know trashy TV but I am addicted! And Jerseylicious and my favorite thing about today, my husband comes home and gets to stay for over a week, I’m so excited!
Oh my goodness, that shortcake looks delicious! That is one of my favorite summer time treats. I think I’m going to have to make some this weekend for the 4th of July cookout!
My dad always took me and my sister on nature hikes when we were kids. Your hiking reminded me of that. He was a science teacher, so he would point out various plants/wildlife and then quiz us the next time we went out. I still remember a lot of things about trees and animals because of those hikes. Pretty cool!
My grandparents had a couple of lake houses in Michigan when I was growing up, so our outdoorsy activities consisted of renting jet skis and speed boats, swimming, and going on bike rides. We never did the whole camping thing though…to this day, I still prefer a soft bed and electricity!
Oh my gosh! Your day in the mountains and on the nature trail looks SO MUCH FUN! :-D We live for outdoorsy nature things, now and when I was little – love nature and the outdoors so much!
Dude, heads up but you are gonna be so sore after mountain biking, lol! :-P Tom has taken me a few times and I couldn’t MOVE the next day – my arms (from holding so tight to the handlbars in completefear ;-)) my legs, everything was in pain! But it was SO much fun! :-D I had to give myself little pep talks out loud though all the way, because it can be pretty scary going round sharp corners downhill, and over bumps and jumps and stuff, on dirt. But awesome, still! :-D
Hope you have an AMAZING time! Can’t wait to hear all about it. It’s so fun sharing hobbies with your S/O – and you get to try so many new things that way, I love it! <3
My favourite things on kebabs are hands down prawns and vegetables. SO GOOD! I drool :-) xyx
ahhh we went mountain biking a few years ago in Park City, Utah! Terrifying but awesome :) I can’t wait to hear about it!
Ahh it’s strawberry shortcake season in America…I think i will have to make it here in South Africa!!It’s one of my faves! Looks delicious!! I can see why taking photos of dessert makes you happy!
My family was very outdoorsy!! Stayed outside all day on the weekends, always moving, always doing something! I loved it! That’s why I can’t sit for the 10 minutes at a time now! Not really conducive for any kind of work :)
Have a lovely bike ride- be careful!!
That Strawberry Shortcake looked heavenly. Scrumptious. I love Survivor and Amazing Race!
Outdoorsy family activities: Yes! My family is always running and biking everywhere. Growing up in a city we didn’t do too much nature type things but now that I have trails all around me Im always out exploring . I love it
Reality tv: umm bachelorette for sure!! I have to agree with you on the hills and house hunters, I like property virgins too. I became obsessed with the hills after spending all of middle and half of high school watching laguna beach.
Oh my gosh, what a fun hike! I want to visit Cali so bad!
P.S. Your blog continues to make me laugh every day. Love it!
Yum! Homemade whipped cream is the one and only substitute for an entire can of Reddi Whip
My family hates the outdoors. Well, okay my brother and I don’t mind, but my mother and father are not outdoorsy people at all. When we went to Hawaii my brother and I played outside all day, every day, while my mother shopped and my dad worked. Who shops in Hawaii?!
Ideal Shish Kabob: Fruit! I love grilled fruit :-)
Top 3 Reality Shows: THE VOICE (my new absolute favorite- so happy for the winner!) The Bachelor/Bachelorette, anything on MTV (yeah I admit it)
Favorite Thing About Today: My horrible morning run…haha it really was bad. I was so tired but at least I didn’t stop like last time and call my mother at 6 am CST to complain about how I can’t run anymore haha. :-)
Oh yea, my parents were all about the national parks. Yellowstone, Grand Canyons, Rocky Mountains, Smoky Mountains, we did them all. But we also went to museums and historical places too.
I want to go mountain biking SO BADLY. But I’m kind of afraid of getting hurt or falling off the edge of a cliff… I can’t wait to hear how it goes!
I love that your strawberry shortcake is made with pound cake!! I love that version, and don’t understand why anyone would eat it with biscuits…
LOVE the Hillsss!! And Laguna Beach!!! And So You Think You Can Dance, and pretty much any show on Food Network :)
Today, I love that I have a day off and I’ll finally be able to see my friends :)
We were so no outdoorsy as a family! Sounds like you are going to have a great time today. I hope you enjoy it. My favorite shows are The Voice, Idol and Biggest Loser. Kind of addicted to them! Today is a good day because it’s my last day at my part time job!!! Woohoo!!!
Can I have your life please?? For reals.
And you will be happy to know that in Plant City, Florida (where we grow millions of strawberries) there is a strawberry festival every year where you go and make strawberry shortcake double the size of your face :)
Loving that shortcake right now!!
Growing up, we did outdoorsy things, but mostly sports. We weren’t the camping/hiking kinda family.
Ideal shish kabob…chicken, pineapple, peppers, onions…
Oh, well unless, in fact, you can put fro yo on a shish kabob? ;)
Okay tell Grandma I no longer want to marry Grandpa, I just want your family to adopt me! Hellooo strawberry shortcake!
Your MIL totally looks like she is in teacher mode- so cute!
My family didn’t exercise unless it was organized sports for the kids. But for fun we would go to the river! Classy! We camped, swam, boated (is that a word?), and fished. We had fun but it is kinda looked down upon around here! Ya know we were called river rats and stuff! ;-)
That strawberry short cake looks delicious, I need to make something similar for the 4th… Maybe I’ll add blueberries to make it red, white and blue! Perfect!
I’m obsessed with the Bachelor/Bachelorette! The preacher at our wedding talked about my addiction to the show and the fact that my husband has to watch it with me lol. :) I don’t usually watch any other reality tv, but recently I’ve been watching MasterChef -it inspires me to get in the kitchen!
Love the Bachelorette! I think she is going to choose JP, hes a cutie. Laguna Beach and the Hills are other addictions. I could rewatch them a million times and never get bored. haha
My favorite thing about today —> Getting on a plane to SOCAL!! So excited :)
The best thing about today is that the sun came out :) This doesn’t happen too often in Ireland!
We have always had a lot of land, and my dad would take us on family hikes and identify every single tree. He always told me that if I ever got lost/stranded outside to watch what the birds ate because then I would know I could eat it too (and it wouldn’t be poisonous). However, he didn’t stress the “only if you are lost” thing and my friend and I ate bird seed when playing outside one day… oops!
Shish kabob – I love steak, chicken, shrimp, pineapple, cherry tomatoes, onion, squash, zucchini and mushrooms.
All the reality shows I like are food shows – Top Chef (best ever), Chopped, and currently Next Food Network Star.
I love that today is my RECOVERY day in Insanity, so I won’t be pounding my body with intense cardio. However, I will still be burning like crazy during the slow pulsing lunges and the nine million insanely slow military pushups. Also, I get to teach Zumba today – which I LOVE! One last thing that I love about today…it’s exactly one week til I will be in Cancun!!!
Have fun mountain biking!
We did a lot of outdoorsy things, but most centered around whichever soccer tournament we had on the weekend.
Favorite thing of today: 1 day closer to the weekend!
And, pineapple is the BEST shish kabob ingredient ever!
We did outdoorsy things when I was growing up. My mom’s family vacations when she was growing up were white water rafting trips, and that kind of thinking passed from my grandpa to my mom. I remember one day she said we were going to the “park” and I got so excited and grabbed my shoes and ran out the door. Well, it wasn’t until we got the STATE PARK that I realized her definition of “park” was wildly different than my definition of “park.”
I’m super excited about the fact that I threw food in the crock pot before I left for work this morning, so I’ll have a fabulous dinner ready for me when I get home from work tonight. That, and my calves are sore from my awesome run last night in my new NB Minimus shoes. Despite the pain, I definitely feel a sense of accomplishment for having kicked out some of my fastest miles to date.
That rock is gigantic! I would be seriously scared once I got up there. I would love a piece (the whole thing) of that strawberry shortcake! Perfect 4th of July treat!
That strawberry shortcake looks amazing!!! I’m a huge proponent of homemade whipped cream. It is so simple to make and really kicks dessert up that extra notch!
okay so ur grandparents REALLY know how to do it right, that strawberry shortcake mountain has me drooling! umm, the good news is that ur BIL ate it later and didn’t have to refund that beautiful piece of foodage. :P that said, major props to the billy machine and those sprints!
don’t worry, you’ll be right back there and forcing others to barf too soon enough; i know setbacks can be frustrating but you’ll be back with some femurs of steel. remember the healing powers of fro-yo. :)
hope ur early morn bike ride is off to a great start!
oh and my reality show fixes have been The Bachelorette, i was sucked into the Real World (i think they were on season a million) and Audrina’s show before it wraped.
I want that dessert RIGHT now! Yes it’s 8:31am in SF, no I don’t care. I neeeeed it!
my family LOVES the outdoors :lake trips, swimming, hiking, boating, biking. We love it all!! Good luck today :)
We always did outdoorsy stuff when I was growing up. I’m still super outdoorsy :)
My favorite shish kabob would be shrimp and veggies. Mmmm… Now I’m hungry.
3 favorite reality show… Survivor, America’s Next Top Model, and So You Think You Can Dance.
That strawberry shortcake looks amazing!!
When I was younger we usto always go camping. My boyfriend Craig is such a nature guy so we are always fishing, four wheeling, hiking, hunting, etc. I love doing it all, but at times I can still be a girl when it comes to the camping thing.
3 favorite reality shows would be Four Weddings on TLC, The Bachelorette or Bachelor, and Real Housewives.
When I was little I loved strawberry shortcake, might have to have some again!!
Um I love trail running ergo I love hiking! We did some outdoor things some not a good mixture! I want to try grilled pineapple it just never lasts long enough to get to the grill! Best part of today? Job with lululemon can we say amazing day!
My family had a boat growing up(still do)… So we grew up in the outdoors boating, biking, hiking, camping in Lake Powell, and more. Only when we had a soccer break that is! Wish I was biking today.. I need a new shock asap!
Chicken, peppers, tomatoes, pineapple and mushrooms.. Yummy
I watch the Bachelorette… I like Ben, JP and Aimes! I also watch Biggest Looser, Apprentice and Amazing Race!
Today I am taking my daughter to the park… Can’t wait!
Those strawberry shortcakes should be illegal!!!
Glad you are having so much fun and eating so much yummy food!
I am salivating over your strawberry shortcake right now. While sitting in a Panera.
My family took a day during each vacation to go to the closest state park and hike, bike, or canoe. It was really fun. We also did museums and water parks. And souvenir shops (not that it was my favorite part, or anything like that).
I grew up going tubing down the river, jet skiing on the lake and camping in tents in the woods. I had to add the tent part bc I know several people also consider sleeping in a trailer camping. Not that I’m knocking it, bc it saves you from mosquitos which seem to be the state bird in Texas, but my parents got down with nature. My husbands family on the other hand prefer anything indoors. On our vacation this past week, we went on nature walks, hung out at the river, and spent 95% of our time outside. I’m winning him over.
Btw, that strawberry shortcake looks DELICIOUS!
Okay, now I’m hungry again. That strawberry shortcake looks so GOOD!!!!!!
The closest thing to something “outdoorsy” that we did was go to Disney World haha! ;)
Top 3 reality shows: Bachelorette (I think JP is going to win…. at least I hope so because he’s my favorite!), Big Brother (it starts again next week!), and Top Chef. :)
Wow, I am craving a HUGE plate of strawberry shortcake! Yum!
Today, I am most excited about moving into my new condo tonight! After work I am planning on getting salads-to-go and having my wonderful boyfriend help me move all my stuff from my old place to the new place.
…..And then I may have to make strawberry shortcake to celebrate! :-) yay!
I LOVE Survivor, The Bachelor/Bachelorette (and she is going to choose JP, FO SHO!), and American Idol. Love love love.
I haven’t done Shishkabobs in FOREVER! I need to get on this, that recipe sounds delish!
We went camping EVERY summer up until I was 13 – I wish I appreciated it more back then because now I miss it a ton!
I watch waaaay too much reality TV to only pick 3. But anything that is based in Orange County gets me every time!
I LOVE House Hunters!! It makes me want to move!! And Ashley is totally going to pick JP in the end…I think.
I love summer in that I can stay in my gym clothes ALL DAY long too! Holy shortcake mountain, right? Is it bad that I could eat cups of whipped cram-love it.
I love that your families take advantage of the weather with their cooking and food choices–I never tire of summer food!
You have turn Billy into quite the runner! GOOD JOB!!
With my family we were outdoorsy: went for hikes, bike rides every summer, fishing (no, I still don’t know anything about fishing :D ).
I love Top Chef, and… Pretty much all those shows that I’m too ashamed to tell (Big Brother, Teen mom, Keeping up with the Kardashians…. ).
I’ve been so happy all day, so this might be one of my favorite days this summer: at morning some asthanga, then lunch with my mom, sis and fiance, after that some hanging around in town and eating icecream, strawberries… And in the evening we went to orienteering (I don’t know if that’s the correct term, but running in forests, trying to find marked places with map and compass). Love it, although I’m no good in it. :)
My family was all sports. So we were outside but we didn’t go on family hikes or anything like that. Plus I grew up in an oven (tucson). We spent most of our time at the pool.
I love fruit kebabs, chicken, shrimp, and any kind of veggies!
I really like ben c more than JP. . . there is something off about JP and I can’t put my finger on it.
Favorite thing about today:
Cycling class today was fun. . Rona had her redline before class so yeah I dont even need to explain that.
p.s. everyone in class today wanted you to come back from vacay and teach class!
Did you do Snow Summit? I did that last year, and thought I was going to die nearly 1000 times. I have since decided that going from road biking to all of a sudden mountain biking off a ski lift is not the greatest idea.. Can’t wait to hear how it was!
I love shish-ka-bobs! I’d say shrimp and veggies would be my favorite. My favorite part of today was working with people I love and now I’m off to yoga! Can’t complain. :)
Wow that shortcake looks amazing! I love grilled pineapple too – add some peppers, onions and chicken and its my ideal kabob!
We camped a lot when I was growing up which I still love…and that also means that I have many years of experience making bomb s’mores!
My fave reality shows are the bach, keeping up with the k’s (although its so ridic this season, but i still watch it) and i love those HGTV shows like house hunters and property virgins.
My family did a mix. Growing up to a big city filled with museums and the like, we did a lot of that. I went to the art museum at least twice a year. I was the weird kid with a favorite painter. But we also had a cabin in the middle of nowhere, so we spent a lot of time doing outdoorsy stuff then and we learned a lot about nature. Like, that really loud banging outside at night is probably a bear.
Also, I’m pretty sure we’re the only ones watching The Hills reruns. Thanks for helping me keep the show alive!
That strawberry shortcake looks delicious..Yummo! It is so beautiful where you are and it looks so incredibly relaxing.
Favorite thing about today was running in the rain and having a picnic at the zoo.
I love that you are in Big Bear right now! My family has a cabin there and just seeing the hiking trail you went on today takes me back to when my family and our two dogs would go there and then to the lake down below. It’s been a while since we’ve been and we were planning to go for the 4th of July weekend but sadly no! I hope you’re having a fantastic time! PS you should go to Alpine Slide! It’s a kid thing and it’s obviously been a while but I remember it being fun (maybe as an adult it isn’t anymore?)!
OMG I love Strawberry Shortcake! You are having the best summer so far! I’m super jealous!
You know.. if that strawberry shortcake really did eat me, I think I would die happy :)
isn’t billy’s shortcake serving a little small? i would have probably needed a mixing bowl to fit my strawberry shortcake. sooo good!
Growing up did you and your family do outdoorsy things like hiking, camping, boating etc?!?
-We spent time outdoors, but we didn’t do activities per se. My brothers were 10 and 12 years older than me so usually we would just ride bikes or wrestle.
What is on your ideal shish kabob?
-Shrimp, Chicken, Onion (giant chunks)…I love shish kabobs!
What are your top 3 ‘reality-like’ shows!?!
-I hate most reality shows! If I HAD to pick, I enjoy “101 Ways to Leave a Game Show”, “The Voice”, and “So You Think You Can Dance”.
What is your FAVORITE thing about today!?!?!
-My discovery of Laughing Cow Cheese
Is there a recipe for the strawberry shortcake? It looks delicious!