Travel Tuesday: Quarzsite

    Quartzsite is a unique place. Because of all the BLM (Bureau of Land Management) land surrounding it, there is lots of space for RVers to meet up. And meet up they do! In droves! Bunches here, circled wagons there. The Escapees RV Club have several smaller groups called BOF (Birds of a Feather), and this year the Boomers moved to Plamosa Rd where several other Escapee groups meet. This made it easier for us to stay put and visit other groups nearby. This year we decided to meet up with the Christian Fellowship BOF for the first time. But we were also within walking distance of the Boondocker BOF as well as the Boomers BOF. Solos BOF were next to us and we had some fun inviting them to a biscuits and gravy breakfast with a raffle and concert following. We also had a fundraising auction where everything was wrapped and there were only obscure clues as to what you were bidding on. There was a lot of hilarity and it was fun to anticipate what the clues might point to.
     We really enjoyed getting to know many in the group, having potlucks and starting the day with Worship and Bible teaching. It was a treat to have Barb Maxey there for the worship and also a concert. Nancy (on guitar) and I on keyboard got to play with her for worship and that was great fun. She's very encouraging, so instead of feeling intimidated, I learned and grew in my abilities to follow and fill in. Love that!
      We then moved over to Boomerville where I taught another class on Foods That Heal. It got scheduled late, so there were only six, but a perfect size to fit inside the rig out of the wind and cold. I might just keep to small classes since it was easier for me than hauling all my stuff outside.
       Next we moved over for a few days with our Boondocker friends and enjoyed catching up with a few friends we hadn't seen for awhile.

Barb Maxey doing her concert.

My quickly seen recycled jeans leg bag for the auction.

Fabulous Quartzsite sunrise!

Fermenting Fun

Showing how fermented salsa is made. Lots to sample!

Friends gathering to taste while I concentrate on a question.

Today at our 'Home Base' in Olympia, WA, I taught another class on fermented foods and their wonderful benefits. I love teaching these classes! Over the winter I did three of them in our travels and it's so much fun to meet up with people again and hear of their successes and the benefits these foods have brought them. I love it that eating live foods brings life to the body. I love sharing this knowledge that I've learned over the years in hunting for answers to my health challenges. To see the lights go on as someone 'gets it' is pure joy! I have long been accustomed to being the odd one who doesn't eat like everyone else. I don't make a big deal out of it, it's just part of my journey. The benefits by FAR outweigh the crazy comments, sidelong looks and no food I want to put in my body at a potluck. I just bring my own food, smile at the looks and joke about being an oddball! So it's a delightful surprise when I encounter people who want to learn about what I do and why I do it, and best of all to embrace it and head off on their own journey of health and a happier gut.
  The microbiome is getting to be quite a buzzword these days. That's the name given to the trillions of microbe friends that live on and in you. They outnumber the cells of your body 10:1! They are super important and do more than was ever suspected. When I first learned about it about 5 years ago after doing the GAPS Diet (which made a huge difference for me--it's a way of healing your gut) you didn't really hear about it. I did find some great books talking about the research on the microbiome and the importance of nurturing my gut microbe friends. (See the list on my Class Notes page). Now that I eat to keep them happy, they return the favor by keeping me healthy and happy. And, yes, keeping your gut happy is more effective than antidepressants.

Sunshine and friends

Boondocking area of Jojoba Hills SKP Park.

  One of the joys of traveling south is to meet up with friends we've made along the way. We are at Jojoba Hills SKP Park in Aguanga, CA and I finally feel like we've 'arrived' in the Southwest! No more Casino camping until our return. We love visiting this place and these people and enjoying the amenities and many activities.
   We went to church on Sunday at the Chapel in a neighboring RV community and it was a great experience. Songs we knew, friendly people, good teaching from the Word of God. And we got to ride over in an old restored trolley! I wish I'd gotten a picture of it, but I didn't even think of it at the time. In the afternoon I joined the Zumba Gold class and really got a workout!

Roasted drumsticks and pumpkin cheesecake cooked in the Sun Oven. Yum!

Roses from Diana Ruelen's garden.

    Now that we're where the sun shines and not in a parking lot I can finally get out my Sun Oven and do some solar cooking. Since the sun goes down so early (whose bright idea is this 'daylight's savings time' anyway?!) I have to get things going pretty early in the day. I made chicken drumsticks and veggies, then wrapped the pot in a wool blanket while I baked pumpkin cheesecake. Yum! We ate dinner a bit earlier than usual, but I didn't mind one bit! Then we went off for a walk, ending up at the Clubhouse. I got pulled into playing Hand and Foot (not at all hard!), but Jerry managed to sneak out. He's not a fan, and that's OK. He has enjoyed jogging the hilly streets around Jojoba as well as relaxing in the hot tub--when he's not puttering around checking or fixing things on the motorhome.
   We have taken advantage of the great shopping in Temecula, so we're all stocked up and ready for the desert. My freezer is packed! I've made more fermented salsa and Curtido, as well as water kefir, milk kefir and kombucha. Travels with my ferment-friends keeps me going. And I love to share these with anyone interested.
   All too soon our visit here is over. A week here just isn't enough time to do all we want to do and see all the people we want to see. But we made the most of our time here and we saw those we wanted to the most. Now off to another lovely place.

2 jars of Curtido and one of fermented salsa. Yumminess!

Boomerville gets busy

  We left Ehrenberg for Quartzsite on Jan 15th, arriving in Boomerville held at Scaddan Wash. There were a number of rigs already here even though it hadn't officially started. We were #34. It was great fun to be reunited with friends made last year and to meet new ones. Last year there was a total of about 110 or 120 rigs coming and going during the 2 weeks. This year by the official start date we already had nearly that many! The word has gotten out that this is a fun place to be.

   We are only a few days into the activities and already the schedule is filling up. Since I was here early, I was able to get my "The Why and How of Veggie Ferments" class done right away. It was well attended and well received. I enjoyed the feedback and sharing the fermented foods I love so much and have done so much to improve my health and energy. I have had several people express disappointment in missing the class because of something else they were doing, so I may have to see if I can find time on the schedule to do a repeat.
   I have enjoyed a few nights around the campfire and have played my tenor recorder to an appreciative audience. Last night I was able to join in with some ukulele players and we made music together! It's always fun to find other musicians. I anticipate more musical fun.
   We braved the crowds and went in to the Big Tent RV Show today briefly and met a few people we knew. We saw lots of interesting things and bought 4 postcards! Then we got groceries and made it back in time for the announcements at Happy Hour.
   This evening there was a presentation on RV travel in Europe by a guy who takes 6 - 8 small rigs (they call them Caravans in Europe) on tour in several places in Europe. The pictures were beautiful and it made me want to do that. What a fun way to do any European country!

Onboard Bucha!

Jars peeking out of their warm jacket.

My four happy gallon jars.

  Even though we have parked the RV in the driveway, and have acclimatized back into “Sticks-n-Bricks” living, my kombucha jars are still happily brewing away in the motorhome. Since we have the solar panels and I have the heated jacket set-up, it just seems easier to keep them in there, ready for the next trip! The thermostat keeps the temp fairly even by turning on the seedling mat when needed and the insulated jacket keeps in the warm while allowing it to breathe.

   I had the fun of giving away some kefir grains (connection made through Freecycle) but then she came back for a kombucha SCOBY and watched as I bottled my latest batch in the motorhome Which also led to some discussion of RVs! I love teaching people about kombucha and how to brew it, and since she had done her homework, it was more a matter of answering questions and filling in things for her.

The thermostat running the seedling mat.

   I also left some kefir ‘grains’ with my sister on our way home, and I enjoy her enthusiastic reports of the things she is making with it, how much better she feels drinking it, and her excitement over the first time she got the share her ‘grains’ with someone. The ‘grains’ grow, so it’s kinda like Friendship Bread, only healthier. It is such fun to share these life-giving foods with people.

    With all I have learned, I have come to appreciate the amazing diversity of microbes that normally inhabit our bodies and guts and the critically important roles they play in our health and wellbeing. As I eat I am conscious of the need to protect and help these beneficial microbes to flourish. Hence my food choices. And herbs rather than drugs when possible. (See my Page on the Ferments: Terrific Trio)

    Since today’s post is all about these foods, here is a recipe for those of you who want a little walk on the Wild Side: 

Kefir Cream Veggie Dip:

½ Cup kefir cream* (put ‘grains’ in whipping cream for 24 hours)

Pinch of salt – to taste

Pinch of pepper—to taste

½ tsp Dried onion flakes

½ tsp dried dill or basil   (can use fresh, use less)

Still all together and chill for 10 – 15 min. This makes a very creamy, high probiotic veggie dip.

*you can also use kefir that has been drained in a cheesecloth for 12 – 24 hours. 

Enjoy! And feel free to ask questions.

BOOMERVILLE!

Strawberry lemonade. Yum!

BOOMERVILLE! Current location:  33.649956,-114.151274   No longer an empty part of the desert, it is currently a hive of activity with over 100 RVs of various sizes and types:  The Boomers are a “Birds of a Feather” (BOF) group of the Escapees RV Club. When they have a gathering, they call it Boomerville! We heard about them at Jojoba and were invited to join them here at Quartzsite, AZ. Every year at this time, thousands of RVers flock to Quartzsite to hang out in the desert, shop at the HUGE RV and Recreation Show big tent (this week only), the several swap meets, or the ongoing Rock and Gem shows. It is quite an experience. We had planned to ‘Do Quartzsite’ anyway (“everyone should at least once…”) and check out a few BOF groups who typically gather here. So far we have only been hanging with the Boomers, they are a laid back and fun group and we seem to fit right in. Several of the people we met at Jojoba Hills are here, too, so we have already seen some familiar faces.

    Every day there are different activities that various people volunteer to host or lead. Each day’s activities are written on a white board at “Headquarters” (a pop-up with tables and information) and you can choose to join whichever interests you.  We quickly discovered that no one starves in Boomerville, as Boomers have bountiful potlucks, free pancake breakfasts, and chili cook-offs with all the trimmings.

    4:00 daily is Happy Hour whose main purpose is for everyone to gather to hear announcements, greet newcomers; find out what activities are coming up, or any things that the group needs to know about. Activities have included potlucks, stargazing with someone who knows the names (the stars are spectacular here!), yoga or walking in the morning, “Boondocking 101” where we picked up a few good ideas of how to make resources last longer, TV shows (Downton Abbey) or pictures of travels (Albuquerque Balloon Festival) shown on the side of someone’s RV. The list goes on! I got in on a gathering of crafters, all making things and showing what they were working on. I took my card weaving which was quite a novelty. The lady hosting it has a toy hauler filled with lapidary equipment and thousands of beads! She does beautiful metal and bead/gem work.

Bottling the kombucha in my RV.

   Also a couple of times a week, several people with pickups volunteer to collect everyone’s trash and make a dump-run. Someone else coordinates to have a holding-tank pumping truck come in for those who need it, as well as fresh water refills. This place is like an instant little city where things get taken care of and people look out for each other. It’s fun to talk to experienced RVers and those who have boondocked for years and hear their tricks and tips, some of which we’ve already discovered.

My gallon jars with kombucha SCOBYs in new tea/sugar solution, ready to sit and do its thing.

Newly bottled kombucha.

    It’s not all been desert and socializing. I have also been making kombucha (bottling every 8 - 9 days) as well as kefir (daily) and cultured veggies (every couple of weeks). I am delighted to be able to continue my ferments as we travel. Mainly I’m motivated by wanting to have them always available since I love having some every day and certainly reap the benefits. It has taken a bit of planning and finding space, but it is working. They all seem to like the winter desert.

   We’ve been gone 3 weeks now and it seems like a blink of the eye! Fulltimers have told us that the 10 years they’ve been traveling seem like nothing and that the times goes by so fast. There always seems to be something to do, something to see, another place to visit, people to meet…