Couchsurfers coming for a visit!

We're excited that we've got couchsurfers coming this weekend! A younger married couple and their dog visiting Canada from the Netherlands.

Finally, we get to give back to the system. We had hosted a couple of times when we owned our home back in 2007, but since we sold we have only hosted once, when we hosted our friend June from South Korea.

We had opened our profile to host when we were at the campground last year, but didn't receive any requests. Likely because we were too far out of the way. But this year, we're only 45 minutes off the trans Canada highway and so we were hoping that some couchsurfers would head our way.

So we're looking forward to that.

I played electrician here at the campground. We have one small section of sites where they only have 15 amp (household) electricity and even though we tell people they can't run air conditioners there, people will try anyhow. Problem is, here's what happens when people try...

Eventually, the breaker trips, but things at the outlets apparently get pretty warm before that happens!

What else? We don't have a pickup truck here at the campground. I know, that's a bit strange. It sure would be handy to have one! Our recycleables are starting to pile up, and the pile will be really high by the end of the August 1st long weekend. Ruth fills the car with them when she goes into town to do her weekly grocery shop, but that hardly makes a dent in the pile. Still, we managed to pack $100 worth of empties into the little blue car. Smelled like a brewery in there though!

This is what was left after we filled the little blue car up!

Ruth made some cookies last night, and she thought you would want the recipe because they're totally yummy!

Chewy Double Chocolate Cookies (Gluten free or regular)

1 ¼ cup butter

1 ¼ cup sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 cups unsifted, all-purpose *gluten free flour blend + ¼ tsp of xantham gum (or 2 cups of regular all-purpose flour for normal cookies)

¾ cup cocoa

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

2 cups chocolate chips (semi-sweet, milk chocolate, or white chocolate)

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy and light.  Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.  Combine flour, cocoa, soda, and salt; blend into creamed mixture.  Stir in chips.  Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 degree F. for 8 to 9 minutes.  Cool slightly; remove from sheet.

*Gluten Free Flour Blend

2 cups rice flour (white or brown or a mixture of the two)

2/3 cup potato starch

1/3 cup tapioca flour/starch (same thing)

1 teaspoon xantham gum

Stir well before using and store in a container with tight-fitting lid.

Subsitute equal amount of flour blend for equal amount of flour in a recipe.

I find it easier to triple the mix and store

6 cups rice flour

2 cups potato starch

1 cup topioca flour/starch

3 teaspoons xantham gum

Our Amazon.com deal of the day?

Have you ever had a rainwater shower head? These showers are fantastic. We've stayed in a couple of hotels that have had these type of shower heads and if we owned a home we would have one installed. 

This one is different though...

It has a built in wireless speaker so that you can listen to music from you smartphone while you're showering! And, it's on sale at a 75% discount. And, it has great reviews!

H2oVibe Rainwater Shower Head with Wireless  Speaker

And, the speaker detaches so you can use it elsewhere in the house.

Pretty cool, the stuff they come up with nowadays!

(Edit 1:53 pm... I just came across this unbelievable deal on a Seiko Men's Dress Watch. Usually you can't buy the wristband for a Seiko watch for this price! Says there are only three left in stock, so don't hesitate!)