Winter Wonderland on a Tray Blog Tour!

Today I am joining a Katherine of Katherines Corner along with 23 other bloggers in a Tray Tour blogging event. Now I will be totally honest, I am not a lifestyle blogger. Don't misunderstand, I love a beautiful home. But my lifestyle ( I am proud to say!) is Scratch Made Food! & DIY Homemade Household. So, you may notice that my tray will be a bit more on the rustic side than the others you will see on this tour! But I thought why not have some fun, as we spend winter in the desert, come a take a peek...

We are currently sitting in the desert for the winter. This is our second time doing so and the sunny 70+ degree weather is quite enjoyable. But one thing is for certain, although it seems like summer and feels like summer, the truth is Thanksgiving has passed and Christmas is just around the corner. And no matter the weather this is wintertime in the desert. When we go shopping for groceries the Christmas tree lots tend to remind us that this is winter and we better be ready for the cold evenings as well as the holidays ahead!

When I signed up for the Winter Wonderland on a Tray, Blog Tour, I had a couple of rules that I placed upon myself. First I could buy nothing for the tray tour, only using what I already have, and borrow very little, if anything at all. For a couple of reasons. First there is no room in a 24 foot fifth wheel to store extra decor and crafting supplies. Also, we were over an hour from a large shopping center, and supplies were limited in the closest town to us.  

The whole idea came from a gift given last Christmas when my husband gave me this cute little truck and camp trailer salt and pepper set. It seemed only natural to use this little S&P set and our current circumstances as the theme for my tray. We started out our winter stay close to the Superstition Mountains here in Arizona working as camp hosts, and in guest services. With such beautiful surroundings, it seemed only right to use our beautiful campsite as part of the design as well. Come and see how I did!

And now that you know the inspiration for my tray, Winter in the Desert, let's take a look! As you can see from the photos above, it really does look like summertime! However the nights do remind you that it is in fact winter time, and you need at least two thick blankets on the bed! Now let's take a look at how the tray of our campsite and the surrounding area turned out...

From around our campsite, we gathered natural stones, dirt and gravel for the tray, but rest assured they were returned to the desert just as soon as the photos were taken! The natural materials were placed on an old cafeteria tray we keep in our little RV kitchen. 

The hardest task was to find rocks that would stand together in the same way the mountains stand strong and stable. From there dirt and smaller stones made paths just like the ones found in the campground. 

Then my little salt and pepper set were parked! And as it turns out, the only thing that was borrowed, is that black chenille stem/pipe cleaner I fashioned into the fire ring! Fallen tree sprigs were gathered and made into "firewood" for the fire ring, and stacked beside it. 

The cactus were purchased at a gardening shop prior to arriving at camp, they usually sit on our picnic table, but they are perfect to lend a desert feel to the tray. 

This was also a family activity as we gathered the large stones when taking our grandson for his morning walk, along with a couple smaller ones of his choosing.  

A desert is not a rainy place, but it is not unusual to have a heavy rainfall in the  in the winter. But as fast as it falls, it dries up or is carried off in a "wash". Often in the mornings you will see coyotes walking about on their food hunt route. And if you are lucky, at night you will hear them singing a conversation to the rest of the pack. That is a bit of the interesting parts of life in the desert. 

The Superstition Mountains are full of intriguing folklore and apparently gold, if you study the stories. But my favorite memory of these mountains is the gentle lightening strikes that are commonplace along the mountain range, starting in the late afternoons and lasting through the evenings. 

Thank you for visiting Winter in the Desert, here at Scratch Made Food! & DIY Homemade Household. I invite you to continue on with the tour with a visit to Bubbling with Elegance. 

But before you go, I would love for you to come back and visit our recipes for delicious, whole food ideas for your own table. Blessings my friends!

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