Parks and Recreation

Parks and Recreation

                How many times have you had your children say what can we do, I’m bored? Even my husband can say this sometimes too. While we were gone on our Solar Eclipse visit to Kentucky, we had an extra day to just sit in the Bed and Breakfast place or find something to do, so our gracious host suggested going to a local park with hiking trails. We decided to try his idea out and visit the park. We were amazed at how many hiking trails there were to hike and discover. Here are some pictures of the park we saw while in Kentucky. They had a beautiful welcome center and eating area. They gave us maps and off we went. They had over 12 miles of trails we could hike with different degrees of difficulty for hiking. We spent several hours here enjoying the scenery. Since this was a state park we had to pay only $5 dollars for a car load. We thought this was cheap considering the amount of time we spent in the park.

               

There are so many parks around in any state for hiking and any kind of recreation you want. I recommend checking out your state's parks and enjoy them for little to no cost. Parks are a fun way to spend time with your children or grandchildren. Some parks have swimming pools and other fun things for your children and your grandchildren to use at a very low price. Taking the time to find different parks to see and do different things is half the fun. Have your kids help look up parks online and let them pick out the ones that they find interesting and fun. Not all parks are just for hiking trails.

                Parks have so much to offer at little to no cost. You could spend an hour or more at a park enjoying nature. Make a day of it and pack a pick nick lunch and take this time to reconnect with your children and grandchildren. Get them outside and off the electronics for a few hours and everybody will be much happier and healthier. Enjoy a day in the park from Suzie Homemaker.

Solar Eclipse Mini Vacation

                Last week I told you the Suzie Homemaker family was going on a mini vacation to see the Solar Eclipse. We were first going to go to Missouri but at the last minute were offered a place to stay in Kentucky. This man who knows my husband through his blog was a very gracious host, and let us stay for three nights at his mother’s and father’s Bed and Breakfast for free. The Bed and Breakfast have not been used for many years because his mother is now passed on and his father is in a nursing home. His brothers and sisters now use it to entertain guests when needed. Here are some beautiful pictures of the place that we stayed at. We each had our own rooms and bathrooms.

              

  We had to drive for a little over 9 hours to get to Kentucky, but it was well worth it. The Solar Eclipse was two hours our away from where we were to the totality zone. We were in Princeton Kentucky for the Solar Eclipse. We were able to meet several different people from all over the United States viewing the eclipse. We started watching the sky an hour before the total eclipse with our special glasses. This was really fascinating to watch. As the totality got closer the sky stated getting darker. When totality occurred we were able to take off the glasses for 2 minutes and 20 seconds which we timed out to be on the safe side to protect our eyes. We could see the stars at 1:30 in the afternoon. The birds started flying away and the crickets started chirping. Then we watched the sun coming back and the daylight returning. The whole Solar Eclipse lasted a little over an hour and a half. This was a great thing to view with our two girls and they will always remember this for the rest of their lives and we will too. Here’s some picture we took of the solar eclipse.

              

  We came home with many memories and picture to carry with us for a very long time.  The next time you travel I recommend you check out some Bed and Breakfast places to stay at. These places are so homey and the old antiques are just beautiful. I hope you enjoyed my mini vacation to see the Solar Eclipse from Suzie Homemaker.

Solar Eclipse Vacation

                Suzie Homemaker and family are going on a mini vacation next week. On August 21^st it is the day of the Solar Eclipse. We are going to take a day to get down to the site we want to go and then see the Solar Eclipse the next day. This will be our first solar eclipse for our family. We are all excited about going to see this event. This is a once in a life time event and is our first total solar eclipse we have ever been able to go see. This trip will be 3 days in total and will not cost a whole lot of money. We will be staying in a hotel for 2 nights and I am packing sandwiches for lunch. Breakfast is included with our hotel stay, so all we have is supper to buy.  This mini vacation for 4 people should cost us under $ 250.00 dollars.

                What is a solar eclipse? During the total solar eclipse, the sun is completely covered by the moon. During the solar eclipse, you need to wear protective eye wear to protect your eyes from serious eye damage or blindness.

If you decide to do this trip go online and order some special eye glasses to use for the solar eclipse. During a total eclipse- it is a very strange feeling to experience in the middle of the day. Just before than after, people see the cloak of darkness moving toward them across the landscape, and then moving over them and moving away. People who watch the solar eclipse report seeing great jets and ribbons of light, twisting and curling out into the sky. The whole solar eclipse lasts for about 2 minutes and 40 seconds.

                If you plan on going to see the solar eclipse plan ahead and reserve a hotel room.  Have your trip planned out and decide which state you want to view it in. Go online and look at the best states to view the solar eclipse and get there early. The solar eclipse is a very big event and 12 million people live in the prime viewing areas. The news predicts that close to 25 million people will try and view this event, so plan accordingly.

                For Suzie Homemaker and family this is a once in a lifetime event, because the next total eclipse is scheduled for 2024 in or around Texas. This solar eclipse can be seen from Oregon all the way to South Carolina. Check online for times to see the solar eclipse from the state you decide to view the solar eclipse.

                If you decide to take this mini vacation drive safe and take your time, they are warning already that August 21^st will be the busiest day for traffic going in and out of the Solar Eclipse places. I hope you have fun seeing the solar eclipse if you decide to go. Be safe and enjoy the view, I know our family will be. Happy Solar Eclipse Day Everybody, from Suzie Homemaker.

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

                Today I would like to talk to you about your favorite childhood lunch dish. How many of you loved macaroni and cheese? How many times a week did you have macaroni and cheese? Like most kids, we all love Kraft macaroni and cheese and it became a staple in our house. It was quick and easy to make and it didn’t cost too much.

                My youngest daughter came up to me the other day and said, mom that boxed macaroni is not very healthy for us can we try and make some homemade macaroni and cheese? I was shocked but happy that she wanted to eat more healthy foods. So we sat down and we looked up some family recipes and made a fear tweaks to the recipe. She really loved it and decided she wanted the real macaroni and cheese instead of the boxed Kraft macaroni and cheese. So today I will give you my recipe for homemade macaroni and cheese.

What You Need

                Macaroni, Colander, Sauce Pan, Spoon, Cheese, Milk, Butter, Flour, Salt, and Garlic

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

                2 Cups Macaroni Noodles                                          2 cups Shredded Cheese any flavor

                2 cups milk                                                                    ¼ cup melted butter

                ¼ cup Flour                                                                   Salt and Pepper to taste

                1 Tablespoon Garlic minced (optional)

1.       Boil your 2 cups of noodles according to directions

2.   

    Drain your cooked noodles and put to the side.

3.   

    In your sauce pan, take your ¼ cup of butter and melt it over medium heat and add your ¼ cup of flour. Stir in the flour and butter to make a paste.

4. 

      Add your 2 cups of milk and two cups of shredded cheese to your butter and flour mixture. Stir until the mixture starts to thicken. If you like garlic add this while you are mixing and melting your cheese mixture.

5.       Take your noodles and add to your mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste.

We like to use sharp Cheddar cheese and the garlic to give it a little twist. This macaroni and cheese will come out very creamy and delicious. You can add just about anything to this recipe and it will be delicious. If you like it a little hotter try adding some green peppers for a little-added hotness.

I hope you like my daughters Homemade Macaroni and Cheese from Suzie Homemaker.

P.S. Suzie Homemaker and family have been very busy the last couple of weeks, we had a mama kitty disappear and she left behind some 2-week old kittens. We have been bottle feeding them and giving them wet cat food for the last two weeks every 3 hours. This week we will be giving them to the local Humane Society. So if anybody wants any kittens, check out the Appleton Humane Society.