Whew! Home from Wisconsin

Road trips are always an adventure. In the past part of our adventure was the places we would stop to eat. All of them were fast food grease pits that left us groaning in pain because we would all stuff our faces then climb back in the car and sit for long periods of time.

Packing all healthy alternatives in a couple of coolers this time around was GREAT! We ate sandwiches and pretzels and veggies and fruit. We were not bloated and having to stop every couple of hours. We had lots of food left over to bring on the trip home. I plan to travel by packing good healthy meals for our trips from now on. We did stop once on the way back and had a burger because my husband wanted hot food. It was ok but I preferred the sandwiches over that burger any day!

Our eating habits slipped a little. We stayed with my mother in law and the kids get spoiled by Grandma. Wisconsin is known for Friday night Fish Fry and we went out for that. I got a bad case of heartburn after eating a couple pieces of fried fish. The following Friday I opted for baked fish tacos which was much healthier! My husband loves these potato chips they only have in the Midwest called Old Dutch Potato Chips - his favorite flavor is Dill Pickle.



I tried these chips for the first time and they are soooooooo good. They are vinegary with salt and real dill. I was happily munching on these chips when I thought to look at the ingredients. I know chips are not healthy but I allow myself to enjoy some things in moderation. I was bummed when I saw that these chips have MSG in them. I bet they could be just as good without that darned MSG! Grrrrrrrr.

Another Wisconsin tradition is to drink. Not really for any special reason they just like to drink and be merry. My favorite beverage is the Brandy Old Fashioned Sweet. You can get it sour too. I like it both ways but had it sweet more often. No one here in Denver knows how to make it right so I love going there to drink it. I had to look up a recipe for it and found one here: http://wisconsinology.blogspot.com/2007/11/real-state-drinkis-not-beer.html

I noticed people in Wisconsin like to pickle everything. It took me a few trips to really get used to some of the things they eat. I finally got the nerve to try pickled brussel sprouts and now I can't get enough of them! The put everything they pickle in their drinks and I have to admit these Old Fashioned drinks are not the same without a pickled brussel or mushroom on top!

Another huge activity out there is hunting. Deer seems to be the big game out there. I have eaten deer in the past, as my Father in law is a big hunter. I am not a fan of deer meat unless it is the tenderloin and it is wrapped in bacon. I don't particularly like the mealy taste of deer meat. This time he made elk and it took me a while to get up the nerve to try it (can you tell I am not the adventurous type?) I have to admit I really liked elk meat. Apparently it is really lean and just as good for you as chicken breast. I have also heard this about Buffalo meat.

All in all I really enjoy going to Wisconsin. It is like a different world out there. People actually take time to stop and smell the flowers. The trees are amazingly beautiful this time of year as they turn their fall hues. Everywhere you look yards are brightly decorated with pumpkins and lights celebrating the arrival of fall and Halloween. People actually listen and dance to Polka music. The wedding we went to was Catholic/Polish and it was so fun to watch them get out there and dance to the Polka Band all night. My husband's whole family is living in the heart of Wisconsin and someday when we can get out from under our home we hope to join them out there. Sure it is damn cold in the winters and there are ticks and monster sized mosquitos in the summer but I can put up with those things to give my family the gift of getting out in the woods and sharing traditions. Enjoying their Grandparents and taking in life at a slower pace where all that matters is gathering around a campfire and rocking out to polka tunes.