How to Make the Best Damned Smoked Turkey – Christmas 2010

December 27, 2010 //

In our family, my father is known for his smoked turkey. So much so that even his ex-wife/my mother won’t turn down a chance for a bit of the juicy hickory-smoked meat. Being a man who grew up in Mesquite, Texas and barbecues weekly, if not monthly, he seems to know what he’s doing. And each year, I appreciate that damn turkey more and more.

The Bird.

Dad has been involving me in the process the past few years and I decided this year to get some video of the process, Classic Dad/Former TV Personality Commentary included. This four-part segment goes from putting it on the smoker to the first taste test, over a course of 18 hours. Dogs, snow, fire and bad Star Wars music included.

Putting the Bird on the smoker (it’s a little long; the first 1/3 of the video is prepping the grill and the last 1/3 talks about prepping the bird):

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Categories Family, Food

Response to AAI’s belay glove confession, i.e. Rant

December 11, 2010 //

This came across Twitter: http://alpineinstitute.blogspot.com/2010/11/belay-glove-confessions.html

My first thought: Really? Really. Belay gloves and hand jammies are a pansy-ass thing that will get a big climber boy beat up because he doesn’t want to get his pwueety wittle paws dirty and roughed up? Seriously? Can you smell the testosterone and insecurity reeking from this post?

Second thought: Give me a frackin” break.

Third thought: This is why i prefer climbing with girls and the boys who don’t reek of testosterone at the crag. In fact, a climbing girlfriend just introduced me to the hand jammies the other day at Joshua Tree. I could care less about my hands getting dirty. If they give me more girth on my small hands to make up it up the crack, bring it on.

Fourth thought: I wear gloves. I wear the gloves b/c I don’t like the rope friction burn feeling. Given most everyone I belay is heavier than me, that tends to be a problem, no matter how slow or fast I lower them. Deal with it. It’s a safety thing.

Categories Climbing

Mel Torme is my new ski boyfriend

December 10, 2010 //

One of my favorite parts of the holidays is the music. It’s tried, true and traditional. It always lifts the spirits and usually we all know the words. OK, maybe just the first verse.

This was the case recently, coming back from The Snowshoe Adventure and I’d just realized, after a long 12-hour day and in the middle of the 3-hour drive home, I’d lost my wallet. I knew exactly where it was too. Back toward the mountains another hour or so. Read the rest of this entry »

Categories Music, outdoors, skiing

Trip Report: Adventure Snowshoeing with Team McRoysen

December 10, 2010 //

It’s been a few years since I snowshoed. I asked for a pair for Christmas soon after I discovered the sport in 2003, early in my days of learning how to play outside in the Pacific Northwest. I soon realized that, well, snowshoeing is kinda boring. Groomed flat trails and packed snow? Meh. Not super interested.

But after a recent weekend, I learned all about the virtues of what we called “Adventure Snowshoeing.” My snowshoes and the sport were redeemed.

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Categories Hiking

What I would put on MY Thanksgiving table

November 23, 2010 //

I’ve never hosted Thanksgiving before. I’ve always headed to someone’s house for a potluck, bringing the Midwest staple of Green Bean Casserole and my family’s Texas Pecan Pie. Or I’ve actually gone to Texas to celebrate with family, lugging some vegetable from the PNW to cook up as my contribution.

This year will be no different – I’ll be headed to the immediate homestead of Cincinnati, Ohio, where the Vetrano Family reunion will be held, instead of Houston.

But as I was listening to a cooking segment on the radio this morning, I started thinking about all the amazing yummy things I’ve come across over the years that would make up an amazing Thanksgiving table, with a take on some traditional staples. Here is my list of what would be on my table: Read the rest of this entry »

Categories Family, Food

#JTreeTweetUp Adventure #2

November 18, 2010 //

(Video Coming SOON!)

I went into the 2^nd Annual #JTreeTweetup sick. Not too sick, just a head cold, but I treated it like it was a disaster so I would force myself to get better. I knew it was bad when I didn’t even want to pack last week; I just wanted to sleep.

Joshua Trees make everything better.

But this is THE climbing trip of the year for me, even if I spent this year training for other sports and laying off the rock to rest injuries. Getting to reunite with friends from last year, make new friends this year, and embrace the post-tweetup glow (very similar to the awesome first-date-glow) was worth feeling like hell the first half of the trip and coming out the other side feeling 100%. There’s just something about the #JTreeTweetUp.

A few notes :

Sponsors: A HUGE thank you to @Rockgrrl who organizes this event. And our sponsors! We were sufficiently equipped with calories, hand salve, cleaning supplies and sun protection with Clif Bar (Luna Bars, Clif Shots and experimenting with Rock Shox), Climb On! salve, Coach’s Oats, Eastern Mountain Sports trucker hats, Action Wipes and Boulder Canyon chips, plus backclip.com generously donated stickers!

Diversity of People: I love meeting new people. I love meeting climbers even more and finding out who they are, what makes them tick, why they climb and what they do outside of climbing. This event, which attracts folks from all over the country via Twitter, provides such an awesome platform for doing such investigative work. Rocket scientists, architects, farmers, software engineers, hobby engineers, artists, musicians, teachers, students, graphics designers, bloggers, media folks, outdoor industry folks … and many folks are many of these things at the same time.

Why are there lasers at #JtreeTweetup? Because they're LASERS.

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Categories Climbing, Joshua Tree

Confronting a Childhood Fear – Applesauce

October 10, 2010 //

I’d never been one for mushy foods. Applesauce, maraschino cherries and oatmeal make the top three. Maraschino cherries just never tasted good. Oatmeal bothered me because my mother would eat it super soupy and it grossed me out. Applesauce disgusted me for the same reason. A little too mushy. Never ate it out of a can, jar or little cup; it just never appealed to me.

Until my friend Liz brought her homemade sauce to a party a few years ago.

A tablespoon and I was a changed woman. I never knew applesauce could taste SO good.

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Categories Food

15 Minutes: Lunchtime break

September 23, 2010 //

12:36 p.m. Sept 23, 2010

I figured it’s a good time to replace that old (*closing door, turning up Passion Pit on Pandora*) post about how girls pee like guys and where I sleep in the woods. My belly is full of a whole wheat wrap with black forest ham, swiss cheese, tomatoes, dijon mustard and avocado. Earl Grey tea sits in snug in my Hershey Kiss-shaped blue/green mug that I cherish. I purchased it at the Kingston Farmers Market a few years ago. I think. I just know it’s locally made. And heavy.

Speaking of, the Bremerton Farmers Market is today! It’ll probably be rainy and drizzly, but who cares – the market is over in THREE WEEKS PEOPLE! Get your fresh fruit to nosh on and freeze for throughout the winter. The veggies haven’t been as abundant this year as most would like. I don’t want to hear your bitching about it – it was hard, cool summer for our farmers. Typically, we should have zucchini growing out of our EARS but even that we haven’t had this year. That REALLY means it was a bad year for our farmers. Read the rest of this entry »

Categories 15 Minutes, Food

Gear Reviews: Pink Funnels and Solo Tents!

August 14, 2010 //

I’m quite excited to post my first gear reviews here – one for a favorite piece and one for a brand new piece!

Favorite Piece: The Freshette

It’s about time for me to write about this little piece of equipment that goes on every trip.

Uncharacteristically for me, and for climbing gear, it’s very girly and pink. It was odd to use at first, but it’s become my 11^th Essential. And I tell just about anyone about it who will listen. Read the rest of this entry »

Categories Climbing, Hiking, Travel

Pack Attack!

August 2, 2010 //

More like Panic Attack.

It’s 2.5 weeks to Rainier.

I’m as trained as I’m going to be, given shoulder/back issues that have prevented a nice variety of cross training. But Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Adams and Camp Muir 2x are all under my belt and I did pretty good on each one.

All my fundraising money has come in, plus some – $4,085! – thanks to everyone out there who was gracious enough to deal with my incessant begging, pleading, dramatizing, party-throwing, cooking-baking and again, begging, tactics.

I have 99.99% of all my gear purchased, rented, borrowed and planned (except those damn hardshell pants – can’t decide if the low end Sierra Designs will suffice or I should buck up and purchase some GoreTex). (and Trekking Poles, please don’t be stubborn and please cooperate on Aug 20, ‘K?).

But there’s one piece of gear that’s got me on edge. The ONE THING I wasn’t planning on having to worry about.

The Pack. The Bloody Freakin’ Pack. Read the rest of this entry »

Categories Climbing, Hiking, Summit For Someone, Technical Difficulties

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