Curtains!! Maybelle gets a makeover.

It was time for Maybelle to get a camper version of a makeover-  new curtains.  We found some fabric at a discount fabric place for $4.99  a yard.  I don't think that is a huge discount, but the place was closing in 5 minutes and we were getting the evil eye from the Mildreds and Gertrudes.   After convincing Paul that we were not getting the vivid blue and purple fabric depicting a killer whale breaching in front of a sunset, we finally decided on a yellow and rose pattern.   We also got some blackout fabric to line the curtains with.. it was only $4.99 a yard too. 

My elaborate chicken scratch measurements. 

I did a 1.5 increase on the width for each window and added three inches on the length.  I haven't done the door yet so I won't talk about it. 

Two side windows:  22x45

Big back window: 22x67.5

 Here is my sewing machine designed for a 12 year old girl. I bought it while living in Alaska - wanting something tiny that I could travel with. It hasn't let me down yet!  I was certain it couldn't handle the blackout fabric...and I was dead wrong.  She beasted it. 

 For the blackout fabric, you need to cut that fabric a few inches smaller than your actual fabric. I just folded the edges over and didn't get fancy with it.  I am way too impulsive and sloppy for anything else.

I will take some pictures of these beauties when I am finished.  We lost power for some reason today and I had to stop sewing.  We did what most people do when they lose power..we headed to the camper and had tea.

 Maybelle naked and waiting!!

Vegan Pesto on the Road

Here is Zelda and Maybelle eagerly awaiting their Alaskan journey together. The trip was an amazing success with only one flat tire and one windshield crack as far as damage went. 

Some days of the 6 month trek were more memorable than others...

The Quinoa explosion of June 19th in Fairbanks, AK (a faulty lid on an enormous container of quinoa made an impressive mess...we still find an occasional quinoa bit here and there..)

Meeting John Hartford's ex wife in Tok, AK (http://johnhartford.com/)

Cooking very fragrant dinner countless times in grizzly country...and somehow surviving...

We love comparing ourselves to others haha!

What a beautiful campground...we love Hope AK!!

Hope AK...an absolute must visit when in Alaska. There is one bar in town with live music...one campground and about two restaurants.  Breathtaking scenery...and some of the nicest people we have ever met as well....we miss it so much!! 

Ok so what were we eating on the road? One of our favorites was an easy meal involving only one pot and one bowl. You got to keep it simple out there...but never sacrifice taste..never. 

Vegan Walnut and Arugula Pesto with Quinoa

You will need....  

1/3 cup of walnuts

3 to 4 tbsp of lemon juice

3 tbsp olive oil

one large bunch of arugula (can also add in some basil or cilantro)

2 tbsp nutritional yeast

2 cloves of garlic minced

salt and pepper to taste

One large tomato chopped

One cup of uncooked quinoa

Directions:

First lightly toast the walnuts in a pan over medium heat - until they become slightly browned and fragrant. Then put all other ingredients in a large bowl and blend with an immersion blender (Add the nuts too)  If you don't have an immersion blender you can put the test of the ingredients into a regular blender and blend until very smooth. 

Serve over quinoa and garnish with the chopped tomato. 

Easy Quinoa

2 cups water 

1 cup rinsed quinoa

Combine water and quinoa in medium sized pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling reduce to a simmer and let cook for 20 minutes or until quinoa has absorbed the water and is soft.  You can add a pinch of salt for taste if you like.

Do you like the fork spook? I think all but one has broken right in half by now.....not meant for stirring peanut butter apparently. 

Thanks for stopping by!  Come back soon!!

The American Dream

Here is our baby, Maybelle.   And that is us proudly standing by.  This photo was taken on the day we purchased her (on Mother's Day) in May of 2011 in Sarasota, FL.  When we got her home to NC we plugged in the radio and started cleaning.  The first tune to come on was Wildwood Flower as sung by Mother Maybelle Carter. 

We picked her out of endless options on craigslist for her light weight and ease of towing.  The first trip was a 14,000 mile North American tour from Asheville, NC to Alaska (where we lived for a couple months) and back down the West Coast cross country again.  

By creating this blog, we hope to inspire folks all over the world to stop doing what they are "supposed to do" and start doing what they want to do.  We hope that you will step out of the box with us, question the things that are expected of you, hit the road and experience this beautiful land and most importantly, throw out that awful alarm clock!   

As you can see from the blog name, eating healthy is important to us and is a huge part of who we are.  Being vegan and traveling in a camper is not impossible and we are excited to share our food knowledge with all of you!  Tips...recipes...best vegan restaurants in our travels...etc!!  Stay tuned...

A peek of the inside

Here is Paul on our last day of driving through Canada....finally seeing Alaska from a distance.