Category Archives: Travel

Exploring on Horseback

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amazing viewOur trip to Costa Rica provided our family with lots of new experiences and adventures.  When we were in Cahuita, we went horseback riding on the beach and through the rainforest. It was amazing and the view from the top of the horse gave us a magnificent perspective. Nevertheless, I have to admit, I am still torn about the environmental impact the horses make on the beach and rainforest.

Mathew riding in the rainforestThere are two beaches in Cahuita, Playa Blanca, where the Parque Nacional Cahuita (National Park) is, and Playa Negra which is more rugged and where they allow horseback riding. There are two companies that provide horseback riding in Cahuita we chose Brigitte’s Tours. I had never ridden a horse on the beach nor through a rainforest before and it was a fantastic experience. Mathew had a ball, as this was the first time he rode a horse all by himself. We even trotted a couple times along the beach. He did great and kept saying, “This is AWESOME!” And it really was.

Mike and Mathew riding on the beachI was grateful the beach was rather deserted and we weren’t interrupting other people’s fun. Then one of the horses relieved himself, it made me even happier that people weren’t around and would not need to negotiate where there were walking. However, it did make me think about the environmental impact we were making. Sure, the companies are small and are limited by the number of horses they own, so most horseback riding parties are rarely larger than 6.  Yes, the solution to pollution is dilution and most of the waste left on the beach washes away, but I am sure there is a negative impact nonetheless.

I have to say that Costa Rica is one of the most environmentally conscious countries I have ever visited. They do walk the talk and it was obvious everywhere we traveled; recycling and conservation was practiced and preached far and wide. I guess I need to believe they have weighed the pro and cons and decided to allow horseback riding because it has a minimal impact – it really was AWESOME and I am so grateful that we had the opportunity to experience it.

Taking a break and enjoying some coconut water.

Taking a break and enjoying some coconut water.

Do you think of the impact you are making when you travel or explore beautiful areas? Please share, and I will continue to share.

 

 

Traveling with Muffins

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Our Midwest Road Trip

Our Midwest Road Trip

When Mathew was turning one year old, we decided to introduce him to all our relatives and friends in the Midwest. During those 3 weeks, we traveled over 5,000 miles from New York to Minnesota down to Oklahoma then on to Virginia and back to New York. We spent Mathew’s 1st birthday, in Chicago at the Shedd Aquarium. Before we left, I wanted to stock up on nutritious unprocessed snacks for the ride. I had never been much of a baker but I thought muffins were a good choice. I could pack them full of nutritious ingredients and they would travel well. After a great deal of searching, I found this amazing woman, Cathe Olson; she wrote cookbooks with delicious recipes using basic ingredients. I actually started to correspond with her via email and she emailed me several recipes to choose from and has since then sent me several more. Most of her recipes were for loafs but they easily converted into muffins. After the trip, I started to make different types of muffins each week and froze half the batch. After a month, I had a freezer full of a variety of muffins. This kept snacks fresh and from getting too boring.

YUM!

YUM!

Here’s one of Mathew’s favorite muffin recipe:

Apricot-Nut Muffins

This moist, delicious bread supplies vitamin A and iron. You can omit the nuts, of course.

1 cup chopped dried apricots

1 1/2 cups boiling water

1/4 cup maple syrup, brown rice syrup, agave nectar, or honey (always used maple syrup)

1/4 cup oil

1 cup apricot soak water

1/4 cup orange juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 cup wheat germ

1 cup walnuts, chopped

Place apricots in a heatproof bowl. Pour boiling water over apricots and let sit about 15 minutes. Drain apricots, reserving 1 cup of the soak water.

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Oil a muffin pan. Beat together sweetener, oil, apricot soak water, orange juice, and vanilla. In separate bowl, sift together flours, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt. Stir in wheat germ. Stir in liquid ingredients until just mixed. Gently fold in apricots and nuts. Pour into prepared muffin pan. Bake about 20 minutes, or until tester inserted in center comes out dry. Remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack.

If you bake this in an 8 or 9-inch square baking pan or loaf pan, it will be like a cake. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until tester inserted in center comes out dry.