Indoor Camping + Sawmill Gravy

The first 40% of camping is awesome, the other 60% we could do without. Britt and I have camped out twice in our nearly five years of marriage. We love everything about camping until 10:00pm. At that point we feel it’s the perfect time to pack up and head home. However, for some reason, true camping means you must sleep overnight, on the ground, and in the tent. This invariably leads to each of us waking up in 30 minute intervals during the night, severe headaches, back pains, the beautiful sounds of raccoons scavenging all around us (I’m convinced they throw things at my tent), and frigid temps. Usually, by 4:15am we’re awake, packing everything up, and ready to head home. Britt’s a girly girl, so she’s a champ for coming with, and I’d like to consider myself a man’s man but sometimes the experience is overrated. Enter a new experiment for us and the idea for our last date night: Indoor Camping.

Good Eats (Camaraderie)

The weather was perfectly synced with our meal for the evening. The best cold, snowy, and sleety-weather dish in the Good Eats: The Early Years book is hands down the Sawmill Gravy. This was such a simple and delicious meal for us to enjoy together. It starts simple by browning sausage and then creating the gravy with a bit of the sausage grease, flour, milk, salt, and cracked black pepper. We toasted and buttered some sliced French bread and topped off the toast with a smothering of the sausage gravy. To feel healthy, we sliced up some strawberries as a side. Of course, we brewed up some coffee as well. We then headed to the tent to enjoy our dinner and a movie. As a man, sawmill gravy can sometimes bring about tears. We’ll for sure be adding this recipe to our repeat menu; which by the way, is growing evermore unmanageable…similar to my Amazon wish-list.

Browning Sausage and Slicing Bread

Preparing Sawmill Gravy Good Eats Sawmill Gravy Finished Sawmill Gravy and Toast

Good Plan (Initiative)

Britt and I would be on the road all weekend, so we needed a sweet and refreshing evening together before heading into a busy few days. Indoor camping has all the benefits of camping (minus the outdoors, a fire, and the opportunity to cook over an open fire) but you can go to bed when you’re ready to go to bed, in your own bed. We had a great time watching a movie together and enjoyed a perfect winter meal. While preparing dinner and watching the movie, we talked through some fun discussion questions. This evening was a great mix of refreshing time together and something we haven’t done before. Britt seemed to really enjoy it! I’m also always looking for an excuse to bust out our Christmas lights!

Indoor Camping

Indoor Camping Inside

Good Conversation (Depth)

1. What five movies would you want with you if stranded on a desert island?

Britt – Harry Potter’s, Lord of the Rings, Little Women (Elizabeth Taylor version), Pride and Prejudice, and the Incredibles

Matt – Shawshank Redemption, Toy Story, Harry Potter’s, Lord of the Rings, and Dumb & Dumber

2. If you could time travel to any time in your life, where would you travel to?

Matt – Our first ever date to my fraternity formal…the one that I’m sure I floated away from the door step after dropping Britt off.

Britt – Our first “real” date where Matt told me he liked me and wanted to take me out on more “intentional” dates. This is also the one where Matt spilled egg-yolk on his pants and was really nervous.

Britt has our next date, so until next week, cheers!

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