Fall Glamping fun with the family

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #FallGlamping #Glamping #CollectiveBias My husband and my kids love everything about camping and would do it every weekend if they could. I, on the other hand, love almost everything about not camping. Luxuries like beds, refrigeration, and running water are pretty high up on my lists of must-haves for weekend fun and I prefer to give them up only in moderation.

This is how we became glampers, or people that camp glamorously by pairing camping and luxury. The family loves being one with nature, and I love them, so glamping together suits us all.
My camping journey started with the purchase of a Weekender camper van that appealed to my bed and icebox-loving self. But while it’s great because it gets us out camping as a family, it isn’t exactly glamorous. Yet. 

We’re still working on getting my must-have list fully met by making additions to our van that add luxury without taking up precious space. So, for now we found camping buddies in my in-laws who supply the running water and a large refrigerator and who just so happen to not mind our littlest campers taking over their living space.

Meet my RV-in-law. Isn't she a beauty? When glamping as a family, we like to combine our camping styles. Rugged and utilitarian for the camping diehards. Elegant and luxurious for me. The diehards handle things like grills, lanterns, and thermoses. I handle the little details that make camping as a family more like an outdoor dinner party but with more nature. One big benefit of the RV is that we have plenty of space for glam without sacrificing space for living. My RV-in-law swallows up coolers, chairs, grills, and still has plenty of room for books and toys for the kiddos and all of the creature comforts I love about not camping. Like, you know, beds. This past weekend, we all piled in the RV-in-law and headed up north out of Seattle to Arlington, WA. The weatherman was predicting rain, but we are rarely scared off by a drizzle or two, so we proceeded with our trip and just made sure to book a spot near a shelter if we needed to have more rain-free space for kiddos. It ended up being a gorgeous day, but I appreciated the extra covered area because it gave me an opportunity to really throw together a glamping dinner party with the grandparents where we could all sit and eat together. Even the dinner menu was created to give us an opportunity to sit and enjoy ourselves, and not spend the entire time cooking and preparing food. Since pizza is always a big hit at gatherings, we decided to pick up a few Freschetta pizzas when we stopped by Walmart to purchase some glamping accessories for our trip. Once I saw that Freschetta made a Brick Oven pizza line, I was all about it. With various toppings and styles, I was in heaven. Brick oven pizza is one of my favorite things, so we decided to make our own pseudo-brick oven by grilling the frozen pizza on a ceramic pizza stone while we glamped. Spoiler alert: it turned out amazing, and it is now my favorite frozen pizza, ever. The crust was especially amazing. Maybe it’s the natural yeast and no chemical leaveners that make the crust so delicious, but it was just the way we love it – crispy and grilled just around the edges like traditional brick oven pizza. Topped with real tomato sauce, premium toppings, and then covered with cheese, the combination tasted just like what I would expect from a pizza restaurant, not from a camping grill. Here’s how you can grill Freschetta® Brick Oven or Gluten Free pizzas on an outdoor grill:

• Keep Freschetta pizza frozen until ready to cook
• Preheat grill on high for at least 5 minutes with pizza stone inside
• Remove pizza from carton and clear overwrap film
• Place pizza on pizza stone in center of grill
• Turn grill to low and cook for 13 to 16 minutes with lid closed. Pizza is done when all cheese is melted and bottom of crust is golden brown. Keep in mind that weather conditions such as wind or cold air temperature may affect cook times
• Let pizza stand 2 minutes before serving
• Refrigerate or discard any unused portion

Don’t have a pizza stone? Place double layer aluminum foil large enough to cover the bottom of the pizza on center of grill and you can still get the same brick oven taste. You can also use Freschetta® Naturally Rising pizzas to get a thicker crust pizza.

We went with the Freschetta® Brick Oven Crust Pepperoni & Italian Style Cheese Pizza and the Freschetta® Brick Oven Crust California Club Pizza. Since my kids are addicted to ranch, I found a basic ranch dip recipe that I thought paired well with the pizza and would be perfect on the spinach salad.

Ranch dressing recipe:

•    1 cup mayonnaise
•    1 cup sour cream
•    1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
•    1/2 teaspoon salt
•    1 teaspoon paprika
•    1 teaspoon pepper
•    1/2 cup buttermilk This is how you do a glamping dinner.Since we were already using the pizza stone for the main dish, I thought we’d try something different and make S’mores on the pizza stone, too. I was hoping that it would toast the Honey Maid graham cracker just perfect and go well with the ooey gooey marshamallowy and chocolatey goodness, and it didn’t disappoint. The kids were thrilled to create their S'mores recipes and then have an adult set them on the grill, and as much as I still love roasting marshmallows, this was a really fun way to let the kids be creative.
Because we weren’t doing a traditional roasting method, I went with the Kraft Jet-Puffed StackerMallows that are easier to stack before cooking. The kids obviously enjoyed the stacking method a bit too much when they created the DoubleDecker StackerSquares using the Honey Maid graham crackers.
Want to try double decker S’mores on a pizza stone? Here’s what you do:

• Construct your S’mores using Honey Maid graham crackers, chocolate bars, and StackerMallows
• Fire up grill and immediately place S’mores on pizza stone {if the stone is too hot, your graham cracker will stick, so make sure you place your S’mores on before the stone heats up}
• Close lid and let the S’mores sit for 2-4 minutes
• Flip S’mores with tongs and leave on pizza stone with grill open for another 1-2 minutes before removing

Keep in mind that the marshmallow and chocolate will not change shape drastically, but they will be very hot. Supervise children {and adults with no patience} to make sure they don’t burn themselves by biting into the super hot S’mores.
No wonder these kids love glamping.
The big kids loved them, too. As great as all our glamping food was, the best part about our trip was the bonding that happens when you get out as a family. I love that the kids are growing up going camping with their grandparents, and I love that their memories will be filled with moments like these. Are you thinking of going glamping? Freschetta and Honey Maid are perfect foods to help you make your camping experience amazing. You can find both Freschetta and Honey Maid at Walmart. While you're there, be sure to check out their sporting good section for glamping accessories as well as shopping the housewares to really take your glamping up a notch.
I can think of no better way to bond and have fun with the family than glamping.Have you ever gone glamping? What are your favorite glamping tricks and tips?