One of the things about the Army is living in different places throughout the country. Some places are great and some, well, not so much. But its about making the best no matter where the military sends me. I was excited when I moved into my new rental and realize the entire front slope was covered in blackberries.
This weekend I took the opportunity to pick some before the birds eat their fill and I decided to play around with a making a blackberry crisp. BLACKBERRY-LAVENDER CRISP Author: Jennifer Lenz Recipe type: Dessert Serves: 6 Ingredients: 5 cups fresh blackberries 1/4 cup white sugar 1/4 cup flour 1 tsp lemon juice 1 tbsp culinary lavender For the crisp: 1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal 1/2 cup flour 3/4 cup brown sugar 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/8 tsp salt 1/2 cup cold butter, cubed Instructions:
Enjoy!
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Throughout my travels I've tried a lot of different bags, outfits and bought tons of travel accessories. Some things were a definite keep, others not so much. The key to travel is making things as comfortable and easy as possible. With my luck, a flight is always delayed or I end up departing from a gate on the complete opposite of the terminal. So it's important to choose an outfit and bag that with make each trip easier.
Outfit: My go to outfit is a pair of cotton blend leggings or pants, comfortable fit shoes, general an athlete shoe for me, and a loose fitting shirt that doesn't show a lot of wrinkles. I tend to avoid shorter skirts or shorts because you end up sitting in a lot different places throughout the day and that just adds to the travel grime. I will wear maxi dresses from time to time if I'm not going to have an extended flight. For shoes, I'm a huge fan of light weight tennis shoes and socks. While I normally get pre-check, I still avoid sandals or flats because you'll have to walk barefoot through the security check point. Finally, I bring a light sweater, regardless of the season. Most airports are kept slightly chilly so it always comes in handy. Bag: I try to avoid checking a bag whenever possible. If the trip is under two weeks and not in the winter, I'm usually able to fit everything into a carry-on size bag. I'll post later about how to pick outfits and pack to avoid checking bags. I have three types of bags that I will rotate through depending on the trip. Standard Roller bag. I choose this bag when I am going to a special event and need to keep my clothes wrinkle free or have to carry a couple of different types of shoes. This bag is convenient for longer layovers and when flying on larger aircraft. It also provides a great place to rest your personal item, making moving through the airport even easier. Weekender. I use this bag when I'm flying on smaller aircraft. When I pick seats and the aircraft has four or less seats across, the overhead space is often quite limited. The weekender bag allows you to still fit in the small overhead or under the seat if necessary. The downside to this bag is that you have to carry it and sometimes when carry your personal bag, trying to get food or through security it can cause additional stress. But not having to gate check the bag and spend time waiting when the plane lands makes up for it. Backpack. This bag is often the easiest when my trip involves a lot of additional travel like flying and public transportation. It is the most comfortable because the weight is evenly distributed and you aren't worried about pulling something along side you. It is not ideal if you need to keep a dress from being wrinkled or have to carry a lot of different pairs of shoes. However the use of packing cubes can over come this hurdle. Personal bag. For this, I choose a larger purse that has the ability to zip closed. I like to carry leather because its easier to clean than a cloth purse. The trade off is that it can get scratched throughout the course of the travel. Accessories: Travel Wallet. This is a must. I carry a larger wallet when I travel. My requirements are that it is big enough to hold a boarding pass, my passport, a pen, have pockets for paper currency as well as coins and most importantly zip completely closed. A bonus is if it have a strap. The wallet I currently have is made by Coach however Vera Bradley makes great budget friendly wallets as well. This wallet allows me to only pull one thing in and out of my bag when I trying to checking, go through security or customs. It limits the chances of things falling out of your bag and allows you to keep your bags zipped making you less of a target for pickpockets. The strap is convenient because you can loop it around your wrist of clip it to the strap of your personal bag when your not using it. Pillow. This is always helpful. The key is to pick a pillow that is washable. I also replace it every couple of years. Blanket. I always throw a travel blanket or large scarf in my purse. I prefer the window seat and it pretty cold. Happy travels! |
AuthorJennifer Lenz. Wife. Soldier. World Traveler. Fur Mom. Archives
September 2017
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