Latest news with #Sobczyk
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Family's controversial caravan move to save annoying $97 expense: 'People don't understand'
When you think about living in a small space, particularly somewhere like a campervan, logically you'd think you need all the same appliances as you'd have in your home. Who can survive without a washing machine, a fridge, and an oven? It turns out that maybe that last one is not quite as crucial as you'd imagine, with the camping community divided on whether or not having an oven is a necessity. While the debate is mostly raging within the online forums for keen caravanners, it could be applied to anyone living in a confined space. Sharing her side of the conversation is mum of three, Kat Sobczyk, who has been travelling around Australia for the last two and a half years and, during that time, she and her husband, Stuart, have bought four different vans. When they were rookies, they bought their first with an oven but quickly realised the error of their ways. RELATED Kmart find transforms caravan family's kitchen for $10: 'We don't have drawers' Kmart shoppers praise 'brilliant' kitchen storage idea using unlikely $9 item Kmart shopper solves common storage issue with $20 'must-have' item: 'So easy' 'We had three young kids and we needed to cook quickly, but the oven was so slow,' Sobczyk told Yahoo Lifestyle. 'Plus, we spend 90 per cent of our time off grid, so we were constantly chasing gas bottles. We like to be remote, and we've had to pay up to $97 for one in some places.' It means when they bought their second van, the oven was quickly taken out, and a simple stove top and air fryer were put in. 'The difference in weight was 38 kilos, which is a lot. It also meant more storage space and we could run it all on renewable energy from our solar, so no more gas bottles,' Sobczyk, who shares their journey on @retreating_into_the_sunshine, said. The Sobczyk's are now on van number four and haven't reverted back to using an oven. They've even gone one step further, replacing their stovetop with a clever Kmart hack. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Stu ☀️ Kat ☀️ + 3 (@retreating_into_the_sunshine) 'We have a $54 induction cooktop from Kmart. It's given us more bench space, and you can use it outside,' Sobczyk said. It's something she loves about her air fryer, too, as being stuck in the van making dinner wrecks the camping vibe. 'You can be part of the conversation or the sunset,' she said. It also means the van doesn't heat up, which is what used to happen with the oven and stove top on. 'I get it in winter – it's nice, but not on a hot day. The van is pretty well insulated, so it would be hard to cool it down afterwards, too,' she said. When it's not sunny and the solar is out of action, the family has another option with their gas Weber BBQ. 'You can use the BBQ as an oven with an extra trivet,' Sobczyk explained. 'It redirects the heat from the bottom to all around, and it works a treat. We've made birthday cakes, muffins, rolls and bread on that. You just make them like you would in an oven.' 'I'm definitely pro Weber! I don't think an oven is really needed in the van either. The Webers do everything! We love doing pizzas in ours,' said one woman. 'I do so much baking in our Ziggy [BBQ]. We make cakes, pizza, potato bakes, bread. Whatever you can do in an oven can be done in a Ziggy,' agreed another. A recent discovery is the little camp oven, which allows them to cook on an open fire. 'You get this authentic camping fire vibe. We've made zucchini slice and apple crumble on it, and the kids love it,' Sobczyk said. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Stu ☀️ Kat ☀️ + 3 (@retreating_into_the_sunshine) While the Sobczyk's are anti-oven, she said her posts about it online are a mixed bag. 'Some people don't understand it. Traditionally, people are talking about simplifying and making life easier, so why would you complicate things with extra appliances? But for us, this is our lifestyle,' she said. 'Love our oven. I wouldn't be without,' said one woman on a Facebook post asking whether ovens are necessary. 'I don't want BBQ or stuff that is BBQ-flavoured every day, and love it on rainy days. Plus, you can still use it as storage space. And I often think those who think it stinks cooking inside must be bad cooks or eat lamb chops every day.' SHOP: 🧽 Aussie mum's $6 solution to most hated household chore: 'It smells incredible' 👯♀️ Aussie sisters create product that sells every 55 seconds: 'Couldn't believe it' ⚡️ Secret spot to get away from the crowds at Sydney Harbour during Vivid 2025: 'Incredible' 'I wondered this also,' said another camper. 'Then I thought, why the heck not have it. Gives you the feeling of your van feeling like home.' However, plenty of people agree with the Sobczyks. 'I've never used the oven once!! I don't like cooking in the van at all!! I cook everything outside on the BBQ, or air fryer, or on the gas cooker, or in camp kitchens,' said one camper. 'We had one [an oven] and didn't use it often as it wasn't great. We have just got our new van, no oven. Plan to use the Weber and possibly look at an air fryer if I miss the oven. I wanted the extra storage space,' agreed another.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Palm Desert's second-half surge leads Aztecs to CIF playoff win over Jordan
Palm Desert High School has just three seniors on its boys' basketball roster. Head coach Justin Sobczyk has said that the future of the program is bright. But on Wednesday, Sobczyk and his team were all about now. And the Aztecs looked like a team that won't go out easy in the CIF Southern Section playoffs. Trailing at halftime at home, the Aztecs outscored Jordan High (Long Beach) by 19 points in the second half to roll to a 78-63 win in their 3AA Division first-round matchup. Palm Desert will now hit the road to face Linfield Christian on Friday. Palm Desert (21-8) made its first eight shots following the intermission and opened the third quarter on a 13-3 run that gave the Aztecs the lead for good. 'We started playing a lot harder,' Sobczyk said, 'and we made shots in the second half.' Junior guard Wil Wilson was 4-for-4 and drained a trio of 3-pointers in the third quarter and 6-foot-7 junior forward Jake Brande dunked the ball emphatically over a defender that sent the home crowd into a frenzy. Palm Desert outscored Jordan 23-11 in the quarter and then successfully navigated Jordan's full-court press throughout the fourth quarter to seal the comeback win. Sobczyk had his guys locked in. 'Basically, he just said work on our defense, box out, rebound and just take care of the ball,' Wilson said. In the fourth quarter, it was junior guard Jecory Jones who had the hot hand. He finished the quarter with seven points and junior point guard Paul Dreisbach made 4-of-5 free throws down the stretch to keep the Aztecs in front, even after Jordan cut the lead to 71-61 with two minutes remaining. Wilson finished the game with a team-high 20 points, including four 3s, but the Aztecs benefited from a balanced attack. Brande added 16 points, Jones had 15, Dreisbach had 14 and senior Diego Montes finished with 10. 'I just love this group,' Sobczyk said. 'I love the camaraderie. I love the unselfishness. And if we continue to do that, it's going to take us a long way.' Palm Desert shared a Desert Empire League title with Rancho Mirage and Palm Springs, and the Rattlers and Indians will now face one another in the 2A playoffs after each team won on Wednesday. Rancho Mirage traveled three hours in the rain to Rio Mesa (Oxnard) to play its first-round game, and drive home with a 58-52 captain Vincent Davis finished with 13 points, including the game-clinching 3-pointer. Sophomore captain Marcus Gragg-Buchanan scored 15 points, and freshman Cash Gervin led the Rattlers with 16 points in his first CIF playoff Baaree, Christian Perez and Roland Barnett each played solid defense, head coach Rob Hanmer said. The Rattlers host Palm Springs at 7 p.m. Friday. Andrew John covers sports for The Desert Sun and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at Boys' basketball 2A: Palm Springs 64, West Ranch 33 2A: Rancho Mirage 58, Rio Mesa 52 3AA: Palm Desert 78, Jordan 63 3AA: Beckman 69, Desert Christian Academy 37 5AA: Anaheim 68, Desert Hot Springs 61 5AA: Diamond Ranch 77, Desert Chapel 24 5AA: Eisenhower 98, Palm Valley 30 5A: Indio 43, Riverside Prep 41 5A: Coachella Valley 79, Hesperia Christian 48 Boys' basketball 2A: Palm Springs at Rancho Mirage 3AA: Palm Desert at Linfield Christian 5A: Coachella Valley at Indio This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Second-half surge leads Palm Desert to CIF playoff win over Jordan
