Only the stubborn stay...

The rally is now a memory. Sad... but we had such a good time. We met lots of new folks, re-acquainted ourselves with some old friends, and ate well at the potlucks.

Airstream potlucks are the best! My favorite pot luck item was the smoked turkey with the homemade red pepper cranberry jelly. It was awesome! Close second was the rotel dip. I don't get that often so it's a HUGE treat for me.

Most everyone left yesterday. There are a few of us stubborn ones here... LOL!

I told hubby that we need to quit wandering on our WBCCI membership and join a unit. I suggested that since we know some of the GA folks, we should join that unit. They also have a killer airstream park nestled in the mountains. Our membership is up for renewal, so he's considering this....

Yesterday we lazed around and then drove around the mountains. Folks, this is just beautiful country. We stopped off on a couple of scenic overlooks and took in God's glory. It took my breath away!

My crackberry photos don't do the colors justice. Imagine a dry brush painting technique using green, ochre, yellow, red, orange and a bright magenta/purple...

These were taken on the road to Franklin, NC (Hwy 64).

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We celebrated our last night here with a wonderful dinner of beef short ribs. They are a dream in the crockpot! How did I make them? Please forgive my lack of measurement. I'm a dump and throw type of cook.

I threw some beef stock into my crockpot. To this, I sliced an onion, a handful of carrots, and a bit of celery-- just enough to cover the bottom of the pot. I was using the veggies to flavor the meat and stock. I also added some garlic powder. I didn't have any, but I'd also recommend a little worcestershire sauce, too.

At this point you can dredge the ribs in flour, salt and pepper to make a gravy in the crock pot then sear them -- I skipped the flour part. In a hot skillet I poured in a bit of oil (hot pan, cold oil -- food won't stick) and browned/seared the ribs. Then I threw them into the crockpot for a heated swim. I de-glazed the pan with some Merlot and poured the wine-y goodness into the crockpot.

Two meals worth of short rib goodness!

I was a bit lazy in getting this going, so I set the crockpot on high and cooked them while out on our drive. When we got home, I took some of the stock/juices and poured it into a skillet, added more merlot, and reduced the liquid down (I used a skillet on an outdoor grill, but you can easily do this on your stove.) To finish the sauce, I added a bit of butter, and poured it over the ribs.

 I like using the crockpot while camping. I have a table set outside under the awning just for cooking. The best part is that the trailer doesn't smell like what you just cooked. Believe me, that helps with cleanup as well. Oh, and those crockpot liners... they're da'bomb! Remove the liner and the crock is uber-easy to clean. Don't travel without 'em!

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We toyed with going somewhere else, but nothing is really "hitting" me. Plus everywhere we can go, it's gonna rain. No fun! We thought about  going to the smokies to camp, but we're not prepared to boondock.  This morning we found out about the rock slide on I-40 so that further knocked East TN out.

I think we'll head toward home and park the trella at Gladys and Darryl's farm. This way hubby has a place to work on the trella and putter around. Plus, the campground is free... It comes complete with two puppies and loving family... now that's a bargain!

So this morning we'll ready the trailer for travel and head on out.

See y'all on the flip side... We're marking this rally a huge success!