Wheels Taking Us Around

One of our favorite activities on HHI has been bike riding. We hitched our bikes on the back of our vehicles and took them across the bridge just outside of HHI to the Pinckney Island Wildlife Reserve. There is no admission to this beautiful place. There are miles of trails in the Reserve, surrounded by all sorts of birds. My Dad even spotted a crocodile in one of the marshes. People have been known to see armadillos, but we weren't so fortunate.

We biked around 8 miles on our trip and were blessed with fantasic weather. May is an ideal time to venture to the island as the crowds are minimal and the temps are hot enough for getting in the water but comfortable for lounging outside.

Harbour Town

Our day of exploration today took us to the western end of the island to Harbour Town. We visited the popular Harbour Town Lighthouse, perused the shops, tested out the playground (it passed my toddler's fun-test), and had a few scoops of ice cream while rocking in the red chairs while watching the boats come in and out of the harbor.

Beach Day at HHI

Today's adventures at Hilton Head Island (HHI) took us to Coligny Beach. One of the things that I appreciate so much about HHI is the pride that the developers and/or owners in the area have taken in the grounds of the area. From the sidewalks on the way to the beach, to the bathrooms and dressing areas, everything is so well cared for and manicured. It has made us feel welcome.

Right after breakfast we loaded up our wagon and popped the little man in a stroller and headed for the beach. It was a pleasant 10 minute walk from our resort.

The entryway at Coligny Beach is flanked with swinging chairs and private changing areas for beach-goers. We had a beautiful, blue sky as the backdrop for our day. What was funny was the song and dance that we found ourselves having to play with the tide as it inched closer and closer to us.

When we first arrived there was a large wading pool that was created by the outgoing tide. It was just the perfect spot for toddlers and kids to wade around in to alleviate parents from having to worry about the waves. As the time passed by we found that the wading pool was disappearing and was being replaced by the larger body of ocean itself. My kiddos soon realized what was happening and were scurrying back to safety under our beach umbrellas and within a short time we were taking up beach-camp and moved several yards back up onto shore so that we wouldn't have to dodge anymore incoming waters.

The temperature felt like it got up in the low 90s, but the continual breeze made it very comfortable to be outside. The breeze was so nice that we took out a kite and were entertained by the kids trying to maintain control of the kite and try to keep it from making a nose dive into the growing crowd of sun bathers.

After several hours of sun and surf, we headed by to the resort for the traditional dip in the pool and a nap for our little guy!

 

 

 

 

Stop Plop & Enjoy

Hilton Head is absolutely beautiful. The scenery, the close proximity of all the amenities, and the variety of eateries make it great stop-plop-and-enjoy vacation destination.

Just yesterday we were able to take in the local sights, all on our bikes. The sand is packed so hard on the shore, making it a welcoming location for joggers and bikers.

This morning the hubby and I got up early and soaked in the sun while we jogged.

Anyone Seen the Sun?

Toes painted, stocked with a book, and sunglasses awaiting sun.

After many, many months of quiet land on the blog, this Momma is anxiously back and in full effect. In the immediate timeframe, I won't be picking back up with stories from our past school days, though I will recap in the coming months.

I thought that it would be more of a joy to blog about sun, sand, surf, and maybe a few things more.

Hilton Head, SC is our location of choice this year for our end of school year family vacation. A new place for us.

Everyone has a vacation style. What's yours? Are you a back country, wilderness-loving, cozy-in-cabin sort of person? How about the adventurer? Does hiking high elevations and jumping from moving contraptions fit your fancy? If you're like us, you're a mixture of both of these. When we vacation we simply love to get away from our normal routines and just relax, but we also thirst for activity. A heart pumping hike that takes us some place unimaginable or a bike ride that always ends up with a kids versus parents race.

We're hoping to do some chillaxing and  moving and shaking in Hilton Head.

There's one more item on our to do list that I can't close this blog entry without mentioning. Food. My family has acquired a growing appreciation in recent years for food. Good food. We'll be taking in the local cuisine as well on this vacation.

Relaxing, action, and cuisine. Here we come.

Cooking With a Plan... That Is Smart!

Cooking with a plan is so much more rewarding than trying to come up with meal ideas on a whim. My family has found great enjoyment in using the Cooksmarts meal planning website for our weekly meals this past month. We've made the most flavorable meals we've ever shared as a family in our very own kitchen.

Here's how we've incorporated Cooksmarts into our family meal routine. 

I set aside one day a week (typically Saturdays) to review the upcoming CookSmarts recipes. Once I review the upcoming recipes, I select the meals that I would like to cook for the upcoming week. If there are specific meals that I know that my family will strongly oppose, I search through CookSmarts archives to find a recipe that I know my family will be receptive of based on the list of ingredients and after reviewing the comments of Cooksmarts users that have made the recipe and had success with it.

Black Pepper Beef Stir Fry

Once I have selected the meals that I plan to cook, I use CookSmarts grocery list builder to check off the ingredients that I already have in my kitchen. Next, I request that the list be emailed to my email address. It’s that simple!

I’ve been taking advantage of my local grocery store’s 24-hour store hour schedule and have been getting my grocery shopping done before my family even gets out of bed in the morning. The only people that grace the aisles in the wee hours of the morning are the employees stocking shelves. I’ve found myself grabbing items that have just arrived off the truck!

Broccoli and Cheddar Quiche with Rice Crust

The one difference that I can see in dinnertime since joining CookSmarts is the excitement at our kitchen table to try something different. I can say that every meal that we’ve tried thus far has been full of flavor. My oldest has also found such joy in helping me in the kitchen. She will typically take on the starch or the salad that is part of the meal and make it all by herself using the step-by--step instructions from the CookSmart website. We also appreciate the set of Preparation instructions that are provided with each and every recipe. If I have time to prep ingredients (i.e., chopping onions, marinated the meat, etc.), I take care of doing this preparation when time permits and this cuts down on cooking time.

CookSmarts has my family’s vote for meal planning!

Not One of the Usual Meal Suspects

In an effort to expand our palettes and add new recipes to our revolving list of daily dinner meals, we've had the opportunity to have a Blue Apron experience and try several of the recipes from Cook Smarts.

We were fortunate enough to cook several Blue Apron dishes after receiving a free gift certificate from a friend. All of the ingredients required for the three meals that we were receiving arrived at our doorstop, packed with ice. The box also included detailed recipe cards, detailing every step required to prepare each meal. My oldest daughter and I worked shoulder to shoulder in the kitchen to prepare two of the three meals one evening for dinner. Our taste buds were pleasantly surprised to experience something new that didn't require the hands of a gourmet chef! 

This first pictured meal was a hamburger with a homemade aioli sauce and green bean salad. The second dish pictured was a Taiwanese Chicken and rice dish with Choy Sum. 

I would have never selected these recipes from the internet had I done my usual search online for new recipes, so it was a nice change to have a special meal on our dinner table and it not be one of "the usual" meals from our regular weekly meal list. 

While the Blue Apron experience was unlike any other at our dinner table, the price of the meals isn't cost effective when we considered how it could fit into our budget. We decided to do a little searching to see what other meal planning programs there are online that may be more cost effective. 

We happened upon the Cook Smarts Program. With Cook Smarts, you are provided with a weekly set of recipes. If you do not like a specific recipe for a certain week, you can search through their archives to select one that suits you and your family. Once you've selected a recipe to your liking, you have the ability to generate and be emailed the grocery list with the ingredients necessary for each recipe. So far we've tried two recipes from Cook Smarts. 

This first meal was Chicken Thigh Kabobs with a cucumber salad (the pasta shown was the 3rd Blue Apron meal that we received). The second meal was a Chicken Udon Noodle Dish with Broccoli. Both meals were very good and definitely worth a repeat. 

You can join the Cook Smarts Program for $6 a month, receiving weekly recipes, gaining access to their recipe database, and having your grocery list sent to you as you shop for your ingredients for each meal. My family has always enjoyed gathering around the table each day. It is the one moment out of the day where we get to break bread together and share the ups and downs of our day, laugh a little, and eat till our hearts content. It is a nice treat when there's something new on the table to add to our conversation. If either of these programs are not a fit for your family, doing some searching online and reading through the comments on recipes will help you find new meals that you can bring to your family's table. 

(For a look back at a previous blog entry on meal planning go here)