I might make it...

If you've read my blog for long, you might notice that this time of year I seem to be scrambling around a little more than usual. This is because I am headed off to our annual church convention and I like to have new clothes. It's like getting school clothes for the new year, I/we have just always done it before convention instead. So the past two weekends, I've been sewing madly and have two new dresses completed and a skirt that I can hopefully complete in the morning. It's meant a few late nights, but that is normal for this time of year for me.

What has made this a little more stressful this year is my new dairy free diet. Traditionally, I have eaten in the communal cafeteria with most everyone else. Unfortunately, the menu is not conducive to eating dairy free so I need to make my own food this year. This isn't a campground, convention center, or hotel. I can't easily take an outside camp stove and I don't have ready access to electricity or kitchen accoutrements. I have been using my parents camp trailer the last few years for sleeping accommodations. I figured that, with the trailer, I could fix my own meals without too many problems. I'd miss the social aspect of communal dining but I could manage.

Only, we had the baby crisis and Mom and Dad were in CA and I had no way of getting the trailer to the convention grounds. I was stuck and having a difficult time figuring out alternatives. Fortunately, my parents came home for the weekend to restock, take care of some business, and take the trailer down to the grounds. Thank goodness! I could manage again. But that left me with five days to figure out, plan and pre cook meals for four days.

I put together a plan but the execution seemed monumental, until I got some help. Last night I put together spaghetti sauce but that is one of 8 meals I needed to prep. I had breakfast figured out but I needed lunch and dinner for four days also and it wasn't going to be spaghetti every meal. Tonight Marian and Trudi rode to my rescue. In two hours we cooked a chicken pot pie, put together Thai turkey meatballs, assembled a potato salad, and cooked taco meat. Everything else can be assembled there. As long as I get all the ingredients into my cooler, I should be set for food!

I still have a ton to do tomorrow. There is a little clean up to do from the kitchen marathon. The usual, pre-trip cat care will need attention, I need to do laundry so I can pack, and I'd like to finish my skirt. Wish me luck! I think I may need it to get everything done.