The Kids Make - Buttermilk Biscuits

Today we're making buttermilk biscuits! I've made them a few times and the kids just love them. They told me that the next time I make them that they wanted to help out. I told them I'd do them one better and that they could do it themselves! 

Pizza at Home - Philly Cheesesteak Pizza

Happy Sunday! Today is another pizza day! I love pizza day. And because we're doing all this traveling, I've been theming every week's pizza to the state that we're currently in. This week we're in Pennsylvania and when I think of Pennsylvania I think Philly. And when I think Philly I think of the classic Philly Cheesesteak. 

Philly Cheesesteak was on my list of foods to "Make at Home", making the buns, and everything, but I never did get to it. That's okay! I'll just make a pizza out of it instead!

The Flowers Explore - The Great Smoky Mountains National Park - 2021/08/01

While we're all out on this grand RV adventure we want to make sure we visit as many National Parks as we can. We're currently in Pigeon Forge Tennessee and the Great Smoky Mountains are a pretty short drive away. Let's go explore them!

Saturday Morning Cereals - Dunkin' Donuts Cereal - Mocha Latte and Caramel Macchiato

Dunkin' Donuts is making a cereal now? We've got to try it!

Technically the box just says Dunkin'. I guess that's because it's not based on their donuts today, but on their coffee instead. Specifically their Mocha Latte and their Caramel Macchiato. But how will they fare as a cereal? We'll have to taste them and see!

And if we're tasting the cereal, you know we've got to get the real thing to go with it!

Chobani Flips Taste Test Comparison

The kids love to have a yogurt snack every once in a while. Theresa found all these Chobani Flip flavors and since they're a good deals, she bought all the flavors they had. She must know us or something. 

Looking at the Chobani Flip website, there's 20 different flavors available, but I think we've got some good ones here!

Riverbend Tennessee RV Park - 2021/07/30-08/03

Time to move the RV again! It was a great time in Kentucky at the Diamond Caverns RV park. The kids had a fantastic time. 

Today though it's time to go on to Tennessee and our next location. The Riverbend Campground in Pigeon Forge Tennessee! 

We'll be going south in Kentucky until we hit the Tennessee state line. 

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls but in the RV

Alli to me - Daddy, can you make cinnamon rolls?
Me - Did your Mommy ask you to say that? 
Alli - No. Well, yes. 
Me looking knowingly at Theresa. 
Theresa - Wait, wait. She told me she wanted them, and I told her that she needs to ask you. 

Happy Birthday to Joe - Plus a Bruster's Real Ice Cream taste test

Happy Birthday to me! It's my birthday and we're on the road in the RV! I'm sure we can figure out a fun way to celebrate!

Pizza at Home - Virginia Ham and Potato Pizza

It's Sunday and we're in a new location! This week us and the RV are in Virginia, right alongside the Chesapeake Bay! And you know that Chesapeake Bay is very famous for their Crab Cakes. That's why this week for my state themed pizza, I'm making... Virginia Ham! I hate seafood. 

Alli loses her second tooth! - National Tooth Fairy Day - August 22nd

Alli says another tooth is loose already? She just lost one a few weeks ago on 7/14. Now she's saying her next tooth is hurting when she's eating and she's ready to pull it out. 

The Flowers Explore - Mammoth Cave National Park - 2021/07/28

Today we've got something pretty amazing planned. It's a visit to the biggest cave system in the world! Today we're going underground to learn about Mammoth Cave! We'd just gone to Diamond Caverns earlier in the week, so I was wondering how much different this would be. 

Summertime Lays taste test

I love it when Lays comes up with new flavors. We've been doing some version of this every year since 2013!  

First a recap of past years.  

In 2013 there was Chicken and Waffle, Sriracha, and Cheesy Garlic Bread.
2014 brought Cheddar Bacon Mac & Cheese, Cappuccino, Mango Salsa, and Wasabi Ginger.
2015 had West Coast Truffle Fries, New York Reuben, Greektown Gyro, and Southern Biscuits and Gravy.
2016 showcased Chinese Szechaun Chicken, Brazilian Picanha, Greek Tzatziki, and Indian Tikka Masala.
2017 had Everything Bagel with cream cheese, Crispy Taco, and Fried Green Tomato.
In 2018 there was an incredible 12 regional flavors. West Coast Truffle Fries (returning), Thai Sweet Chili, Chile Con Queso, Fried Pickles with Ranch, Bacon Wrapped Jalepeno Popper (returning), Fried Green Tomatoes (returning), Deep Dish Pizza, Cajun Spice, Ketchup (returning), Pimento Cheese, Chesapeake Bay Crab Spice, and New England Lobster Roll.
For 2019 we had Lay's Turn up the Flavor Music Icons with Wavy Electric Lime and Sea Salt (inspired by Pop Music), Flamin' Hot Dill Pickle Remix (inspired by Hip Hop), and Kettle Cooked Classic Beer Cheese (inspired by Rock and Roll).
In 2020 Lay's partnered with different restaurant chains around the country to deliver Flavor Icons of each city. There was Kettle Cooked New York Style Pizza, Nashville Hot Chicken, Philly Cheesesteak, Carnitas Street Tacos, and Chile Relleno. 

And so for 2021, my brother Patrick made sure to get this year's Limited Summer Flavors.

There's just three this year, not 12 like back in 2018. 

For 2021's Summer Flavors, we've got Summer BLT, Wavy Jerk Chicken, and Chile Mango. 

The Flowers Explore - Historic Diamond Caverns in Kentucky - 2021/07/27

Today we've got a special excursion planned. We're in Park City Kentucky, staying at the Diamond Caverns RV park. It's no surprise that while we're here we're going to visit the Historic Diamond Caverns!

Starburst Drink Mix

It's time for another Starburst taste test! This time it's Starburst Drink Mix and we'll be trying three different flavors.

We'll see how it stacks up to the Starburst Yogurt, Starburst Gelatin, Starburst Gum, Starburst Fruit by the Foot, and Starburst Strawberry Sorbet bars that we've tried previously. 

There's three flavors we're going to try today. Starburst Blue Raspberry, Starburst Strawberry, and Starburst Cherry. I collected these over a few weeks from multiple grocery stores. I've seen that a Starburst Lemon Drink Mix exists, but I haven't been able to find it. 

The Flowers Explore - Diamond Caverns RV Park 2021/07/23-30

Missouri was fun, but it's time to move on to our next campsite. Next we're going to Diamond Caverns RV park in Kentucky!

We're going to drive through Missouri, barely clip Illinois, and then go into Kentucky. 

Pizza at Home - North Carolina BBQ Pizza

Time for another pizza day! I'm still trying to theme it to the location that we're visiting at the moment and today we're in North Carolina! And there was really no question about what kind of pizza this was going to be. North Carolina BBQ Pizza!

You might have had BBQ before, but have you ever had real North Carolina BBQ? When I lived here previously, my family would always go to Bill's BBQ in Wilson NC. Bill's closed back in 2017 after being open for nearly 56 years, so I can't get it from there, but you can't forget the flavor. Even after we moved away from North Carolina my dad would still make North Carolina BBQ for us. Today I'm going to try making it myself. 

Instead of being tomato sauce based like most BBQ you might be familiar with, North Carolina BBQ is vinegar based, giving it a very different taste. Let's make some pizza!

Krystal versus White Castle taste test comparison

I do love Sliders. I grew up eating Krystal hamburgers since my Mamaw worked there for 35 years! Krystal burgers are regional though, and I don't often have them available. 

Instead, what I do see more often are White Castle hamburgers, since they're available in Michigan. 

White Castle and Krystal don't usually overlap, but while we're on the road, we found a city that has both! And it's my birthday today! You know what that means? We're going to do a taste test comparison!  

Which burger chain will win out? Let's find out!

Not everyone enjoys these types of hamburgers. Actually some people think there's pretty terrible. 

Alli - Can I just have one bite and then eat my real dinner?

Good thing we're not just tasting the hamburgers. We're looking at 3 categories. Burgers, Fries, and Desserts. 

Faygo Soda Taste Test Comparison - 20 different flavors!

Wow, it's time for another giant taste test. This time I've been able to find a ridiculous number of Faygo sodas!

Based out of Detroit Michigan, Faygo boasts over 50 different flavors on their website. While I couldn't find all 50, I was able to find 20 of them. Of those 50, 8 of them are sparkling water flavors, and another 11 of them are diet flavors, so I think 20 isn't actually too bad. 

Visiting with Grandma and other family friends - 2021/07/22

We're wrapping up our time here in Missouri, but there's a few more things we've got to do before we leave. The main reason we came though Missouri and met up with all the family is so that we could go see Theresa's Grandma (Ian and Alli's Great Grandma). 

The Flowers Explore - Greenville Campground - 2021/07/19-22

It's time to move again. Today is another travel day. 

This was the first time I had to pull over to the side of the highway. I was checking my side mirrors and noticed one of my side panels had opened up. I hopped out, shuffled some things around that might have pressed against it, relocked it, and we were off down the road again. Luckily nothing fell out. 

We've got about 6 hours ahead of us to move from Tompkins Bend in Arkansas over to Greenville Missouri. 

Scoops Ice Cream shop in Arkansas 2021/07/17

We couldn't possibly have ice cream three days in a row, could we? 

Yes we could! When Theresa was looking at what each state was known for, she found a site that talked about all the best ice creams. Scoops Ice Cream is rated one of the best! And it's not too far away! 

Fruity Cereal Kit Kat

Who likes Froot Loops? We do! In fact, it's Alli's favorite cereal. Normally I'm the one finding the interesting treats, but this time Theresa was walking through Walmart and saw these bright pink Kit Kats. We've got to try them!

Alli - It's pink! And my shirt is pink too!

And of course we'll be having them a bowl of that sweet frooty cereal too. 

Pizza at Home - Nashville Hot Chicken Pizza

Pizza Time! This week we're in Tennessee! When I think of foods that Tennessee is famous for, I think of Nashville Hot Chicken. So in keeping with the pizzas themed to the areas we're in, I'm making a Nashville Hot Chicken pizza! Let's get started!

The Flowers Explore - Quartz Crystal Mining in Arkansas - 2021/07/16

Today we've got a special experience. We're going quartz crystal mining! 

After the Diamond Mining we did earlier in the week, the kids weren't particularly thrilled to be going mining again. Theresa and I had even considered skipping this and just figuring out something else to do. I'm so glad we didn't! Everyone had such an awesome time searching for quartz crystals and it blows the diamond mining experience out of the water. 

Baja Blast Mountain Dew Trio Taste Test

You know who loves Mountain Dew? My brother really really loves Mountain Dew. He's got a whole Mountain wardrobe, and even had a Mountain Dew Groom's Cake.   

So it's not a surprise that he's got all three flavors of Mountain Dew Baja Blast that Mountain Dew has released for us this summer. 

In 2004, the original Baja Blast was only available at Taco Bell. Fans wanting it would have to go to Taco Bell for their fix. In 2014 though, Baja Blast was released in bottle form for the first time ever. It's made multiple limited summertime releases since then, and this year Mountain Dew is adding 2 new flavors to the mix!

The Original Baja Blast is "A Tropical Lime Storm" "DEW with a blast of natural and artificial tropical lime flavor."

Baja Flash - "Delivers the taste you love with a tropical kick of pineapple and coconut flavors."

Baja Punch - "A twist of punch with hints of orange, cherry, and pineapple."

The Flowers Explore - Tompkins Bend Arkansas - 2021/07/15-19

After leaving Crystal Springs, it was just a short 20 minute drive to Tompkins Bend. I could get used to these short travel days. Normally we'd stay in the same place, but Theresa couldn't reserve a single site at Crystal Springs for the entire week. That's okay though. We like seeing new places too. 

Going back to visit Michigan again 2021/06/12

We were just in Michigan for Austin's Graduation, but it was really hectic while we were there with everything and everyone being there. Two weeks later Theresa had flights for us to head right back there for some more quality "hang out" time. 

Alli loves hanging out with her cousins, and when that cousin can drive it means that they get to go get treats! A family friend recently opened a Steak & Shake franchise and milkshakes were on the menu. Yum! 

Making Garlic Cheddar Pull-Apart Bread

Theresa does a great job at planning our meals for the week. With a small-ish RV fridge, we don't have a lot of room for extra stuff. Today's meal is one of Alli's favorites, spaghetti, but out of the blue, Theresa asked me if I could make bread to go along with it? 

I certainly can! And I've got just the thing that's been in my queue. Today I'm making a Garlic Cheddar Pull-Apart Bread!

The Flowers Explore - Hot Springs Arkansas - 2021/07/15

We're in Arkansas and we're so close to Hot Springs National Park that we have to go visit. Not too long ago we were in Colorado visiting Manitou Springs and tasting their naturally carbonated spring water. Here in Arkansas they have naturally hot water that's been heated by the earth! Let's go see it!

Pizza at Home - Kentucky Fried Chicken Pizza

I love pizza day. It's a great time to be creative. Last week we were in Missouri and I made Wild Blackberry Pizza. 

This week we're in Kentucky. I asked the kids what Kentucky is famous for, and of course we think of their famous fried chicken. I've never made a fried chicken pizza before, so I'm really looking forward to seeing how all of this will turn out!

Major Melon Mountain Dew

Today we're doing another soda taste test and I'm excited for this one. My brother Patrick brought me this one when we were in Colorado. 

One of my favorite candy flavors is Watermelon, so I was thrilled when I saw that Mountain Dew was going to be making a new watermelon flavored soda. Back at Club Cool in Epcot years ago, I remember  my favorite soda was a watermelon flavored soda from China. Can this compare? 

And I had heard from others that this soda tastes a lot like the Jolly Rancher Watermelon Hard Candy. We're going to compare the two today.