Thursday, January 16
“Goodbye,” I say individually to Bridget and Spike, stroking their faces as they stand inside the doorway of the Best Little Trailer. “You be good puppies. I’ll be back later.”
I shut the door and hurry away.
It’s good to get away from the nutcakes once in a while.
As howls emanate from the BLT, I slide into the front seat. Nina of Wheeling It blog laughs as she drives us away.
“Listen to them howl!” she exclaims.
When Nina invited me to have dinner with her and husband Paul, she also offered to pick me up in her car in order to save me having to take down the solar panel. I almost said, “Oh, that’s no trouble at all,” but I caught myself. Hey, why talk her out of it? I don’t mind being a passenger for a change!
Paul, Nina, and I sit outside their Class A motor home and watch the sun set over the desert while enjoying a beer and conversation. When darkness falls and the air cools, we go inside.
I watch Paul and Nina finish up the preparation of a lovely, simple meal: marinated roast pork with a delicious brown sauce, green salad, and potatoes. This is my first opportunity to talk for any length with Paul, and I soon see he’s a great match for Nina.
(Thank you, Nina and Paul! I really enjoyed the evening!)
Nina drives us across the very dark desert and manages to find my campsite.
We hug goodbye and I creep up to the Best Little Trailer, attempting to see what state the crew is in without being detected. However, Bridget senses my presence and commences to bark. I unlock the door and out fly the two nutcakes, barking and sprinting around with delight. We’re so happy to be reunited that we chase each other in circles in the light of the full moon.
Friday, January 17
“Well, look at you two sleepyheads. You wake me up to go outside forty times in the night and now you sleep while I’m wide awake.”
It’s 5:30 a.m. I prepare a pot of coffee and go online. Bridget and Spike, having delivered their revenge throughout the night, sleep in sweet slumber until almost nine o’clock.
After breakfast I turn on my XM satellite radio.
Listening to a mix of blues and honky-tonk, I dive into financial reports. The only month of 2013 not yet completed as I type this is October. Maybe I’ll get ‘er done tomorrow. I also reorganized all the “Money” reports by year (see header).
The amount of my monthly recurring expenses changed in October due to my enrollment in Medicare. In summary, my health insurance premiums are: Medicare $102, PPO group health insurance through the teacher retirement system $25.38, and cancer/catastrophic insurance $50.04.
That’s about all I can say about insurance without getting nauseous.
Arnold Palmer iced tea jugs have good handles and last a long time.
The crew and I make a short trip west on Interstate 8 to the rest stop. I toss our trash in the bin and fill up nine one-gallon jugs with drinking water. This is a popular place for boondockers to get water and dump trash.
Okay, on another topic . . .
Readers often ask me about my meals. I don’t show my meals often, because frankly I’m not a very imaginative cook. However, I bet a lot of my readers are great cooks.
So I ask you to share with your fellow readers: What are your favorite camping recipes? What do you like to cook or grill when traveling? What foods do you stock aboard your RV? Do you have special grilling techniques or methods for cooking over a campfire? What grill to you use?
Any comment regarding meal preparation is welcome. You know, I’m going to look awfully foolish with this blog title if no one participates . . . .
Of course, everyone, feel free to comment on topics other than cooking, too!
The sight of the Best Little Trailer waiting for our arrival always gives me a smile.
rvsue
THANKS TO ALL WHO SHOP AMAZON FROM MY BLOG!
Here are a few examples of recent purchases:
ALEKO® All Black 30-Watt Polycrystalline Solar Panel
Pure Protein Ready to Drink Shake 35 Grams Protein, Frosty Chocolate
2x4basics Flip Top BenchTable
Brinkmann 4 Step Pet Steps
Celestron 70mm Travel Scope
Sleep Innovations 12-Inch SureTemp Memory Foam Mattress 20-Year Warranty, Cal King
“FLASHBACK”
August 31, 2012
A short path goes through the trees to the river . . . McKenzie River Campground, Oregon
A good steak and veg is a go to meal for me
Ron
Probably my best purchase was a thermal cooker. I cook lots of different soups and stews and even one pot spaghetti with about 15 cents worth of propane. That and a couple of days of leftovers.
I was thinking of getting a thermal cooker. Would you mind sharing the brand you have and any pros and cons?
Ditto – I’ve been investigating thermal cookers and would sure like to hear first-hand experiences with one. I know they’re pricey; are they worth the initial investment?
If you buy a Wonderbag Thermal Cooker through Amazon, one is donated to a family in Africa. (Sue, I did not include link without you approval). Great instructions and recipes are included. Ordered mine today.
Thanks, DeAnne. Here’s the link:
Wonderbag Portable Slow Cooker with Recipe Cookbook, Blue Batik
MESSAGE TO READERS: If you have experience with a thermal cooker and have a recommendation (or one to avoid), please share. Thank you!
I’m a little late with this, but here’s my experience. I used a Zojirushi 5.5 qt. thermal cooker for many years until someone lost the lid. I couldn’t find a replacement lid and a new unit cost nearly $200! So I ordered a Saratoga Jacks brand from Amazon (5.5 qt. with 2 inner pots) for ~$110. It felt flimsy and rust already showed on some rivets, so I returned it. Next I ordered a “Thermos Nissan Thermal Cookware” via Amazon shipped by M.V. Trading for ~$162. Build quality was even better than my old Zoji. I’ve had it for a few months now and it looks like it’ll last for many years.
If you’re on a really tight budget, then find an Asian grocery store. They have cheap thermal cookers in the $60 range. It won’t retain heat as well, so you’ll need to adjust your cooking times. You’ll also need to make the effort to dry & oil certain areas to prevent rusting. I wouldn’t trust the outer handle of these cheaper units to hold a full pot of food.
For me it’s worth spending more for the higher quality. The Zoji is well over 10 yrs. old and would still be going if I can ever find a lid.
Mary, Marsha, et al…
Ed of The Peregrinating Graybeard posted info on thermal cooking, including his cooker, several comments below here.
Thanks, Sue. And thanks for this great post. Keep those camping recipes coming!
Detta makes a dish I love and it’s so easy I could probably do it. It’s a “tatertot” casserole.
Brown a pound of ground beef salted and peppered to taste.
Spread it in the casserole dish.
Add on can of Cream of mushroom soup.
Spread slices of American cheese on top .
Cover the entire top layer with “tater tots”.
Place in oven at 350 for 40 min. covered with alum. foil for 2o min. uncovered the last 20 minutes.
I LOVE this dish.
Serves 4 hungry people or lasts for days in the refer.
I have made Tater tot casserole FOREVER; my son’s soul food.
Hi, Din… Welcome to my blog and to this wonderful group of chefs! 🙂
For steak . . . Season with coarse ground pepper and salt or use a BBQ sprinkle available in most stores spice rack. Put the BBQ on high cook each side around 4 min. for a medium rare steak. Remember when you BBQ steak you are trying to cook the outside to ensure it’s safety but that inside needs to be pink to be tender. Overcook a steak and you should be arrested by the cattlemen’s association.
Thanks, Ron, klbexplores, and AZ Jim, for getting the ball rolling. I think I’ll step out of the way and let readers take over. This will be a great resource if lots of folks participate!
We are car/tent campers and sometimes backpackers, so I’m always looking for items that minimize the cooking time. … and sometimes weight. I finally tumbled to the idea that it’s easier to put a chili or a stew on top of couscous (add boiling water and cover) instead of making rice, even boil-in-bag rice. Even mass-produced couscous is tastier than bad rice anyway. (Good rice would take way too long to cook.)
p.s. also easier than boiling water for pasta.
Quinoa might be yummy too, Linda. It also cooks really quickly & is super nutritious.
We use a pressure cooker a lot in our RV. Quick cooking with little propane. I cook up a bunch of boneless skinless chicken breasts in a can of chicken broth and spices and water…. 15 minutes they fall apart tender. I shred them up and freeze in small ziplock baggies. You can thaw one serving at a time.
Use them for a quick casserole with leftover pasta,
or mix with mayo for chicken salad sandwich,
spice up with some taco seasoning and fold in a tortilla with tomatoes, lettuce and sour cream for a taco…
and save the rest of the broth with small pieces of chicken in it and freeze in a bag for soup. Thaw and add fresh carrots, celery, onions and rice for soup!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Karen and Steve
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
… and save the rest for Spike and Bridget … of course!
Hi, Gayle… You have two devoted canine followers now!
What a good idea. I have a pressure cooker that I use for cooking raw vegetables …some times corned beef. Going to try your chicken idea.
Thanks
Since I am not yet an RV’r, this was a question I had to think about, but in my future plans, I would like a small propane grill as I hate the mess of charcoal, a dutch oven, to make chili, stews, or other one pot meals. My idea of cooking is prepare in 15-20 minutes, cook 30 minutes or less unless in a crock pot or slow cooking dutch oven. Since I believe you mentioned purchasing a crock pot, you can search recipes on the net, or just use a dutch oven and cook slow. I also like stir fry dishes as most can be made in one skillet or wok. There also fast and easy recipes on net for these.
I also get tired of trying to think of different things, so I just go to the kitchen and throw things in a pot. My husband calls these the :Barb concoctions.” LOL
Does the solar panel give you enough juice to use your crock pot? If so, I would use it often to save time and money. Just be cautious not to make too much or you will be eating it for days, unless the crew helps out. I know your freezer is small. Keep us posted.
Barbara, you sound like you cook like I do. 🙂 Keep the basics on hand and throw something together. I call my concoctions “Eat it or starve”. 🙂
Mary,
You got that right. I see you are from Minnesota. My dad grew up near Ely. Are your frozen up there. It sure has been a cold winter for you.
Hey Sue n crew…..hey is southern for hello all you non southern folks. My fav recipe when camping is stick meat and tin foil veggies with sweet potatoes and pear for desert. Marinate strips of any meat in your fav marinade, mine is a simple mix of pineapple and vinegar with salt, pepper and garlic. Make sure the strips are sorta thin. Put any mix of veggies with a chopped onion in a sheet of tin foil sprayed with pam and fold it closed and lay it on some coals raked out of the fire, care only a few are needed. Fix a second Pam sprayed tinfoil with cubes of pear and sweet potato with butter and cinnamon to your specs. Put it on with the veggies and bake turning every once in a while.
Put the strips on a stick, I use those fork toasting things from Walmart, anyway fold it back and forth and hold over the fire to cook, each person cooks their own meat. Try it cause I assure stick meat is awesome in flavor! Cookin cowboy style folks!!!! Yall thought we ate beans n biscuits didnt you? Second fav is stick bread with butter and honey. Wrap pillsbury cresant dough around your stick and cook over fire until done and butter and drizzle honey on it…..yummy!
Campfire forks for all you cowboys out there!
Coghlan’s 9670 Telescoping Fork
Camp Chef Extending Safety Roasting Fork 30″ (4 Pack)
Yes Sue thats the fork to use, slided out so u can sit back nice and comfortable and toast your meal! Also thanks for fixing my recipe. I am not sure my Samsung tablet and wordpress r going to be a good matchup.
What a great idea the second forks are! Great for the grandchildren to use–no more worries that they’ll put someone’s eye out!
Hobo Dinner (may be known by other names as well)
diced or sliced potatoes, carrots, onion; slice of tomato, slice of American cheese;
season to taste, sandwiched in between two beef patties (fresh or frozen), wrap in foil.
You can also change up the vegetables to your liking, even the type of cheese
What, nobody said s’mores yet?
I just bought a house, no plans for the rv life. But I am going to use Karen and Steve’s great idea for chicken. I buy a lot of boneless skinless breasts but never thought to cook them like that and shred. That’s going to add a lot of variety to my life. Thank you!
Not really a recipe, just how I cook. 🙂
For camping or at home a standby is the ole fried egg sandwich or pancakes. For a more robust meal, steak and either baked potato or mixed vegetables. If baked potato, make enough to combine with eggs for the next day. Save enough steak for a stir fry the next day.
I agree with Linda on using couscous, fast and easy, combine with fruit,veggies or meat – whatever you are in the mood for.
Since I don’t ‘always’ read the comment section………But I do read your
blog faithfully……….Have you ever mentioned if you purify your drinking water
that you seem to get, just about all over? Do you just store the gallon jugs and drink them without any treatment. I read about all the elaborate water
systems that so many RV’rs have. Just curious.
Truly enjoy every blog!
Hi, Linda,
No, I haven’t purified any water yet and I haven’t had any digestive/intestinal upsets. I never fill up the drinking jugs with water from a spigot near a dump station. I think backpackers carry purification tablets for water from streams.
Uh sue…didnt you just have a night of digestive problems, right before you took your blog break?
Yes, two months AFTER I made the above statement. It was due to eating packaged, pre-washed greens in a salad, not from my water supply.
I know about those pre-washed greens for salads. It did the same to me.. I did notice that the ones that bothered the intestines were labeled from the USA and Mexico.
I haven’t bought a package of prewashed greens since.
Our go to meal on the road is fish tacos.The frozen tilapia at Wal Mart grill up nice on the propane grill outside and with paper plates there is minimal clean up.Add anything you want and a beer.
Please make sure your Walmart frozen fish doesn’t come from China or Viet Nam! Filthy fish farms there! Yuck!
But the beer from there is great!!!!!
Good Topic! I have to have both gas and charcoal grills and I use them. Just had Az Jim’s steak method… salt,pepper and grill 4-5 on each side. Yummy rib-eye steak and baked potato and salad. Fixed it last Wednesday ,but usually chicken which I cut up still frozen into strips(easier to handle) and fry on burner and add to frozen vegetable medley into pan and eat.. For dessert always milk and cookies 🙂
one of my favorite subjects!!! we tent camp, have been since April 1, 2013.
we have a 2 burner propane stove, small portable bbq(charcoal). occasionally we
use our cast iron Dutch oven to cook a small roast, game hens or other larger pieces of meat as well as to do some baking(muffins, biscuits, cobblers, fruit desserts)
most times I do one skillet meals(meat,starch,veggies) all kinds of combos on the propane stove. I grill chicken thighs, pork chops/boneless ribs, steaks, hamburgers.
If there are leftovers, they get turned into soup for the next days lunch. The combos I create are better than the canned stuff anyday…
I keep a small supply of canned veggies on hand, and we also have a supply of dehydrated veggies on hand…lightweight and are pretty versatile, have a longer shelf life than fresh or frozen veggies…since I have limited cold storage(2 medium size coolers) I can only keep a 3 day supply of fresh meat/dairy items on hand so plan meals ahead of time. I make skillet breakfasts several times a week using breakfast meat/potatoes/dehydrated veggies (mushrooms/ green peppers/onions) and 4-5 scrambled eggs.
lunch is usually soup &/or sandwiches, sometimes salad greens with meat and cheese.
We also use some prepackaged side dishes to give us a little variety(pasta, rice, and potatoes).
No crockpot/ thermal cooker or camp oven so that’s where the cast iron Dutch oven is put into use.
Christmas day I made homemade apple fritters for the first time ever…mmm,mmm,good.
GOOD EATING everyone!
Charcoal grills:
Fire Sense Notebook Charcoal Grill
Weber 10020 Smokey Joe Silver Charcoal Grill, Black
For links to gas grills, see reply to George and Suzie’s comment below.
We have the Fire Sense Notebook Charcoal Grill, Black. It folds down to nothing, cooks very evenly, and does not use much charcoal. Easy to clean and store. We also have a propane grill but I prefer charcoal. Even with the long name above!
The very first thing I bought off of your Amazon link was the toast maker apparatus that goes on the stove. I love toast! And you can put about anything on a hard piece of bread. So that will be a part of my camping cooking repetoire.
On another note, went tow vehicle shopping today. It was quite hilarious the dealership was having a Driving for Diamonds promotion. Test drive, pick up a number, and 1 out 3 win a diamond. So I went to pick my number and all the salesman start clapping and hollering, just like they do in a restaurant when it’s your birthday, awkward. I pick 444 and win a 1/8 carat diamond. I think I will see if the dentist can put it in my tooth or maybe the next time I get my nails done.
My research was exhaustive the one thing that I am having second thoughts is 4×2 or 4×4 and that’s not a math problem. Help……
Phyllis in Oklahoma
Congratulations on winning a diamond!
I don’t have 4×4 and don’t miss it. Here’s why: I don’t want to go on 4×4 roads in the outback by myself. My Benchmark atlases show what roads require 4X4 and I stay off those roads. I’ve been able to boondock and go where I want with the PTV’s 4×2.
The only time I want 4×4 is when I go hiking/exploring with someone else (as I did recently) and they drive THEIR 4×4. Hope this helps…
A state trooper buddy of mine years ago said, the thing is with a 4×4 is they mostly just get you in deeper and deeper. He reasoned that people really believe the salesman and think they can go anywhere in their 4×4.
Well, this is very helpful, thank you both! All those wild stories, I just assumed you had a 4×4.
I’m already in way deep AZJim.
OK then, decision made, 4×2, and that saves me a couple thousand bucks.
Phyllis
Contraption for making toast over a campfire or propane stove burner:
Coghlan’s 504D Camp Stove Toaster
Before I head out on the road, at home I make up and freeze a few little pizzas. I use those Boboli or Mama Mia premade crusts. I add chopped artichoke hearts, black olive slices, diced tomatoes, and lots of Mozzarella cheese. They are delicious hot (re-heated if you have a microwave) or cold. Mugsy and I will have half of one as a quick lunch when we stop for a gas fill. You can add any veggies you like to the mix, but I find that I don’t like cold pizza with meat. (maybe chicken…)
I cook a lot of my steaks just using lemon pepper.
Another meal that is always with me is the ole frito pie. Can of chilli poured over fritos add onions cheeze and peppers to taste. It is fast tasty and easy to carry for a long spell.
Ron
Gosh, Ron, you must be from New Mexico! One of the best meals of my life was Frito Pie at a little cafe in Cimarron, NM with 12 Boy Scouts after a 12-day backpack at Philmont Scout Ranch! Most of the boys ate 2 of them AND a burger! What a great memory your comment brought for me–thank you!
Dawn
I am from Texas. When I was a young buck the DQ here would just split the top of a bag of Fritos pour in rhe chili cheeze and onions and just serve it in the bag .
Dang that has been a long time ago but it is still a good fast filling meal.
Ron
Lordy, that is a Texas post. That frito pie is a Texas concession stand experience. We would split the side of the bag with our thumb nails, throw in the onions, ladle in the chili (Wolf brand) and top it with grated cheese. That was good eating. Those plastic bags they have now days have to be cut with scissors, and are too small to put the onions, chili and cheese in.
Oh, those are SSOOOO good. Gonna’ have to make one soon, Haven’t had one in…..50 years????Yep, been that long and my mouth is watering!!! And gotta use Wolf Chili!!!!
Oh boy! That sounds good, Ron! I think I know what we’re having for lunch today! Sue, you obviously have experienced the greatness of the frito pie experience too! Maybe the Costco size bag would work better, although it would be hard to get open too! I hate that.
You gotta have some Sloppy Joes! Turkey or Beef whatever you prefer. I precook it then heat it while camping, Warm up the buns, add a slice cheddar cheese and a pickle on the side and your set!
LilNomad
Easy Chili
A pound of ground meat browned & drained.
Toss in a can of diced tomatoes and a can of beans, liquid & all.
Stir a packet of chili seasoning in (read the packs before you buy one, spices are good, salt, flour and things you can’t pronounce are not. Do the best you can).
Get it to a boil then drop it to simmer & simmer it for 10 minutes.
Then eat it.
You can do this on a stove, campfire or gas grill. I usually use a 10″ cast iron fry pan.
That’s my chili recipe. Easy peasy.
I’ll tell you a good secret. Get high quality ground beef, like 90% lean. Put your beans with juice and tomatoes with juice and chili powder in pan and heat till bubbling. Now toss in pinches of raw beef, the size of a grape. The hot liquid cooks meat instantly. This will be much richer than if you brown the meat and dump the grease.
Really enjoyed your company at dinner yesterday and glad to hear the doggies didn’t punish you tooooo much for leaving them behind. My favorite meal….anything Paul makes! He’s a delicious cook 🙂
Nina
His food is delicious, too! 😉
Nina and Paul . . . Thanks again for having me over for dinner. It was fun!
Sue, I can just picture you sneaking up on the crew when you got back home, too funny! Bet you were all happy to see each other 🙂
I’m not a camper yet so don’t have any suggestions to offer, but this is really interesting reading! I’m not much of a cook, mostly easy things that can be thrown in the crock pot or oven. My favorite at the moment is baked cilantro/lime chicken, very easy and tasty! I do enjoy baking, cookies and brownies and such, although I may have to give that up or at least scale back when I become an RVer.
HOW DO YOU MAKE YOUR CHICKEN
Can’t add much to the cooking yet other than I try to keep it simple. Great ideas from your readers so far.
Sorry for maybe interfering but I was in insurance and planning for 35 years and your comment in expenses about cancer insurance caught my attention. I too am on Medicare and have a supplement. You might want to rethink keeping the cancer insurance now. It is generally double coverage and double expense. That type insurance is good if your major coverage is lacking or there is none. I always tried to make sure my clients had what they needed and not what they didn’t. Perhaps your extra policy pays for experimental treatments, some times Medicare won’t. It would be worth checking.
Busy body Ruth
Hi, Ruth,
You’re not a busy body. I appreciate you caring enough to write about my insurance.
It’s the kind of insurance that pays me money for each day I am hospitalized, plus travel expenses for treatments. It also has some other features relating to outpatient cancer treatments I can’t recall without looking.
I considered giving it up. . . Don’t know if I will. I’m rarely superstitious, but I can’t help feeling I’ll want and need the benefits as soon as I give it up. It’s not expensive.
I thought the same thing. With Medicare and a supplement plan, I don’t see any reason to give yet another insurance company $50 a month for coverage that you already have… and mostly likely won’t need. It might be worthwhile if you were 45 years old and had kids still at home.
I’ll look at the policy again.
Sue,
I have Medicare Advantage and it took care of all of my cancer bills except the $300.00 co-pay for each hospital visit (3). It even pays for the mastectomy bras.
Thanks for the valuable input, Barbara. I’m glad you weren’t stuck with a wad of huge bills.
One of our favorite meals when we were FT was smoked pork chops and sweet and sour cabbage. Brown chops in a little butter in an iron skillet and then warm the drained cabbage in same pan after you take the chops out. Uses the juices from the chops. It’s delicious!
Also, warm a can of Luck’s pinto beans or field peas and serve with a pan of cornbread. Put out onion slices. This was what we had if we didn’t catch fish that day!
“Eggie-pickle” sandwiches. Sounds weird, but they’re really good! Put mayo on two slices of bread. Cook eggs like an omelet. Put a layer of butter pickles on one slice of bread, then top with the egg. Cover with the second slice. Try it!
Ann M
Hmm. . . Just a little bit Southern, maybe? The eggie-pickle sandwich is just weird enough to be a winner!
Well, yes! Could you tell by my accent? My husband came up with the egg-pickle sandwich. He’s from Roanoke, Va and I’m from Mo. Living in Virginia now.
This has to be one of your best posts! Look at all the comments! Way to go, Sue! And you think your posts are boring!
And sometimes a piece fried bologna!!!! Oh yeah!!!!
With mustard!
I love camp cooking. It is a great investment to purchase and use a cast iron dutch oven, very easy to use and since I only have stove top burners in my Casita, it is a great way to have baked meals. It is really wonderful to sit down to a lovely fruit cobbler that cooked outside!
You can use fresh fruit or canned, that is drained. Just mix up a base , put the fruit on top and bake for up to an hour in the dutch oven.
For a nice size for just a few people, use an 8 or a 10 inch oven. Heat 24 charcoal briquets for the 8 and 30 for the 10 inch, put them in a pile and light..
Make the base for the cobbler with 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup of sugar, 2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 stick of melted butter and 3/4 cup of milk.
Set 1/3 of your briquets on the ground, and sit the oven on top. Pour in the well mixed base then drop the fruit around on top of the base. Place the dutch oven lid on top and put the remaining briquets on the lid. Try to keep from peeking till you can smell it, otherwise it just lengthens the cooking time…. It is done when a broom straw comes away clean when you poke the middle.
It will take between an half hour and an hour to bake till the top is golden brown..a lot depends on the outside temperature and wind conditions. Block the wind for best results.
If you don’t have the flour etc, you can use a cup and a half of biscuit mix along with the sugar, butter and milk. I love this made with pitted cherries, not pie filling. Or slice a couple of ripe peaches on top, or use drained canned peaches. Slice fresh apricots or plums on top..about any kind of stone fruit works.
Lodge makes really good dutch ovens and Amazon has them!
I make this every year when I cook at an event at one of the California State Parks, there is always someone wanting seconds! I just use huge dutch ovens and make two, lol. We even bake bread, biscuits, cake, ham, roasts and even turkeys, great fun.
Here are some links to various Lodge dutch ovens:
Lodge L12DCO3 Pre-Seasoned Cast-Iron Camp Dutch Oven, 8-Quart
Lodge L8DOL3 Pre-Seasoned Dutch Oven with Dual Handles, 5-Quart
Lodge Color EC6D43 Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven, Island Spice Red, 6-Quart
Dutch oven cooking is one of our favorite ways to cook too. I have the Dutch oven my Dad used when he was a Scoutmaster & another newer one. Dad used to bury his oven in the ground surrounded by coals when he made his famouse chili. I go with briquets. I have a yummy recipe for South Indian Style Vegie Curry that I would love to try in one of the Dutch ovens.
I have this one and love the smaller size when cooking for two.
Lodge LCC3 Logic Pre-Seasoned Combo Cooker 3 quart
Here’s one of my links to Amazon:
Lodge LCC3 Logic Pre-Seasoned Combo Cooker
2 of my favorites:
Pasta (cooked and drained)
Sliced Green and Red Peppers
Wedged Tomato
Sliced/Wedge Purple or Sweet Onion
Sliced/Diced Cucumber
In a Shaker I mix: 1/3 cup Olive Oil and Sugar, 1/2 cup Apple Cider vinegar and 1/8 teaspoon salt, and pepper and a shake or two or three of Mrs. Dash. Shake and pour over the pasta and veggies. YUMMY! Enjoy.
The other FAV!!! Hubby’s Steaks on the Grill….
My best and fav cooking machine for the RV is the rotisserie. I make whole chickens, roasts, hamburgers, pork chops, turkey breasts and I set the machine outside on the table and the way it cooks away. In raining weather, I use it indoors. It is the best kitchen gadget I bought 5 years ago! Use it all the time. So much so, I bought a new one for the RV so I don’t have to pack and haul back and forth. The other cool gadget is my Salad Shooter…
Spike has been very well behaved this winter! Normally, he’s headed off making campground visits first thing in the morning. His “Babe” must be proud of him.
RVSue, thanks for the many laughs. I so enjoy following you around the Desert at least a 1600 mile distance!!!.
Kay
Kay,
About that Rotisserie – how much of a mess is there in clean up? I’ve hesitated each time I think about getting one of these because the clean up looks like it would be alot of work.
I don’t know what type of rotisserie Kay has. Here are links to a few I found.
This one runs on propane: Char-Broil Big Easy TRU Infrared Smoker, Roaster, and Grill
This one is electric: Ronco ST5000PLGEN Showtime Rotisserie Platinum Edition
Also a salad shooter:
Presto 02910 SaladShooter Electric Slicer/Shredder
Bingo! RVSue that is exactly the electric Rotisserie I have for the RV. The clean up is easy. I cheat a little. I put foil on the drip pan! Takes all of about 5 minutes to clean up.
The salad shooter is the same one as well.
I also have an electric sandwich maker which I use to make all kinds of stuff in. Another gadget I have and can’t remember the name of it, much like an electric skillet but has little trays to go inside. This one I can make a whole meal in, in minutes.
I know all gadgets are electric but they are quick, and clean up is easy, and I don’t have to wait for hot coals to get ready. Plus, I use an outside table as my counter top most all the time. Using RVSue’s Amazon links one can find all my gadgets. The last one (skillet) I purchased off of TV many moons ago, however I know Amazon sells it now as well.
Another great trick I do, I take a roll of paper towel and tear them apart laying them in a sink of Dawn dis soap and water. I then fold and place in an old “Huggies” wipe (plastic) wipe box and keep for those little clean up needs. I also have one for the peroxide wipes. 9 parts water and 1 part peroxide soak paper towels, then use to wipe down to kill germs. When I stop to use a restroom I grab one and head on in….
My little dish washer soaped towels saves on laundry and needing running water!!!
Very clever, Kay!
This may not be the sandwich maker you have. The link will help interested readers to look over the selection at Amazon:
Hamilton Beach 25460 Panini Press Gourmet Sandwich Maker
Cut up potatoes, onions, green pepper, Italian sausage and/or bratwurst, and polish kielbasa. Lay out a piece of foil and wipe with oil. Put above ingredients on foil with 2 or 3 slices of butter and sprinkle with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Wrap it all up in the foil and cook on grill for about 30 mins. It’s yum! Love you!
Hi, Tawnya,
I wish we were all together again at your mom’s and dad’s house with you in charge of the grill. That does sound yummy! Love you, too, sweetheart.
This is very good!!! Tawnya and Brian have treated us to this several times.
We aren’t full timers yet, but hope to be in about 1 1/2 years or so. We do camp about 5 weeks a year, sometimes more for weekends here and there. I love my slow cooker for camping … I make a big pot of beef stew, chicken or beef roast with potatoes, carrots, onions, or a Boston butt roast. We eat on all of those for days and saves a lot of cooking and energy.
Hi Sue,
Cooking and meals… that’s what I love most about RV’ing. I love to cook. Living on the east coast I love to buy fresh seafood from the dock but. Of course that’s not possible for you in the desert. 🙂 My ‘go to’ meat is chicken. I can buy it in bulk and freeze it; taking out portions as needed. I love chicken thighs; nothing like the dark meat. Simmered in spaghetti sauce and served with rice or over pasta. I also like to use an egg wash and coat it in bread crumbs and grilled or fried. Usually nothing is planned. I check what I have, toss it in a pan, add liquid of some sort, along with dry herbs… Mmmm.
I enjoy your blog as usual.
Barrie
OK, Sue, I’ll jump in with the rest. (and you were worried?!) Our favorite is a couple of very fat chicken breasts that come in packages of two from Costco. I marinate them in a ziplock with olive oil and spices and grill them on the WeberQ. Then I make some Farmhouse wild and brown rice from a box in the cupboard that we always have on hand. Next night I make a Caesar salad (we usually get romaine because it keeps longer) add some of the leftover chicken. Next night I take what is left and make a penne pasta with whatever veggies I may still have around (or not) with the chicken and a lot of parmesan. usually by this time the chicken is gone, but if not, I can add a few pieces to our trusty backup quesadillas, whatever good cheese is around, grated fresh onion, and jalapenos with big flour tortillas. As you can see, the list of our staples is chicken, rice, caesar dressing, romaine, tortillas, cheese, and jalapenos.
I so enjoyed meeting Paul as well when we were in Brookings at the same time that Nina and Paul were there. What a great couple, you are so right. Truly delightful people.
Here’s a link to the rice that Sue uses:
All Natural Farmhouse Brown & Wild Rice 4 Oz [6 Packs]
My main cooking is all done on our Weber Q 100, steaks, chops, whole chicken or pieces, beef, pork roasts, potatoes, veggies, canned food, pizza, casseroles, whatever I want to cook do it on the Weber Q.
Inside stuff the pressure cooker works fast and efficient.
George and Suzie’s Weber Q 100 is no longer being manufactured. I did find a larger version of their grill:
Weber 566002 Q 220 Portable 280-Square-Inch 12000-BTU Liquid-Propane Gas Grill
Coleman makes a popular grill:
Coleman 9949-750 Road Trip Grill LXE
Morning smoothies using a hand held blender … we freeze fruit on sale and I prefix nut and grain mix for a month supply. Throw in greens, canned pumpkin, etc. Cranberries freeze easily.
Prebagged broccoli slaw to cook up with eggs or as a salad mix is my new favorite.
Sliced sweet potatoes or whole mini peppers on our Weber Q good.
Next purchase will be a small pressure cooker…I miss mine as so fast and have made chili, stuffed peppers, chop suey, etc. in one and makes meat so tender.
Gave up bread for whole grain pita bread…out of freeze, thaw, and warm up on the burner.
Always looking for ideas…thanks for starting this rollout of ideas Sue!
You’re welcome, cozygirl. It’s fun reading all these good ideas. I appreciate people sharing!
Handheld blender:
Cuisinart CSB-75BC Smart Stick 2-Speed Immersion Hand Blender, Brushed Chrome
Pressure cooker:
Presto 01362 6-Quart Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker
Sue, I would like to recommend this pressure cooker over the Presto. I’ve owned a Presto type pressure cooker for over forty years and a Magafesa for over two years. The Magafesa is far superior. I promise. I think the Magafesa is a safer choice, or any of the European models (Fagor, etc.) without the weighted pressure gauge that sits atop the lid. (Please help me out with the Amazon link.) Magafesa Practika Plus Stainless Steel 6.3 quart. Love your blog. And your readers.
Thanks for sharing your personal experience. Amazon sells Magafesa pressure cookers of different sizes. Here’s one of them:
Magefesa Mageplus Stainless Steel 6.5 Quart Super Fast Pressure Cooker
Is anyone else Getting hungry after reading all these great ideas? Thank you Sue.
You’re welcome, Sharon and Davy. Yes, I’m hungry. I’m always hungry. 🙂
no…I’m vegan and all this meat consumption isn’t necessary! LOL
Starving….
A quick tip for crock pot usage in an RV is to use crock pot liners. Wal-Mart sells them near the area with tin foil, biggies, etc., about $2 for four liners. You line the crock pot with the bag before adding your ingredients, cook, serve, then just lift the bag out afterward, with leftovers inside. No cleanup whatsoever.
Amazon sells them, too. Good tip, Tamara!
Reynolds Metals 00504 Slow Cooker Liners 13″X21″
($3.70 or 4 liners)
Kitchen Collection Crock Pot Liners 10 Bags 18″ X 14″ Fits All Crock Pots and Slow Cookers up to 8 Quarts
($4.87 for 10 liners)
Sue great post and questions. I can hear the little nut cakes howling clear over her in SE Arizona! 😉
Let’s see what I can contribute
We live in a small motorhome not a big bus so storage is not great.
What are your favorite camping recipes?
We love simple things. Toast, hot cereal, scrambled eggs and bacon. We make soups and have been experimenting here in Arizona with some different Poole recipes with chicken and lamb. Sometimes just apples and cheese for dinner if we don’t feel like cooking. Mainly beans, greens, and grain in various combinations.
What do you like to cook or grill when traveling? We like some veggies with main meals. Eat healthy not to much carbs. Grill chicken or salmon (when on west coast). We try to eat grains such as quinoa, rice, teff, and lentils, and have found some nice heirloom beans we cook up. Not so much canned things. We like to get a pre cooked turkey breast and make mashed potatoes, stuffing etc. Yum!
What foods do you stock aboard your RV? We stock several grains, several legumes, and get fresh produce from farmers markets as much as possible. A good EVO olive oil (lipid of choice) and sea salt and garlic and Parmesan cheese can enhance any meal.
Do you have special grilling techniques or methods for cooking over a campfire? No special ones yet looking for ideas
What grill to you use? Being traditionalists, right no w we use a tiny grill and real self starting charcoal briquettes. Wish I could talk spouse into a propane unit for convenience.
Well that’s it. This thread is really fun to read as all you posts are
Kent… Are you the Kent I met? (There are two Kents who comment.) Thanks for sharing your way of cooking!
I am the kent you met. Yes indeed.
I also eat a lot of PBJ sandwiches. Hehe
Hi, Kent! Maybe you could go by KentW from now on and I’ll know it’s you! Or “the real Kent you met” works. 🙂
Regards to Carmen. . . Hey, PBJ is good!
Will do!
hello, sue. great blog. i look forward to reading with my am coffee. thanks.
your insurance costs are not too bad, mine are medicare = $100 something, aarp “n” = 113.90, and teamstar “d” = $25.00
Hi, Zil… I don’t remember welcoming you to my blog, so here it is —-Welcome!
Thanks for sharing your insurance costs. I’ve been curious as to what other retirees pay.
Glad you like my blog and I hope you will drop in here again!
Well when we used to camp, I sometimes, would take two pacs of ramen and bust them up while still in their packages, then put the crushed ramen in a pan and just cover them with water, warm it till they soak up the water then add a small can of drained Tuna, add a small can of drained String Beans and top it off with White Cheddar Cheese from a tube. Then I’d either put it on a low fire till the Cheese melted or just eat it as is . A Casserole without a oven. Season to your taste.
Thank you Rusty! I thought I was the only one who went for that. I used just a couple of those string cheese sticks pulled apart. Of course, now that I’m lots older and be a sophisticated sort of guy, I use the fake crab when its on sale. 🙂
A wild onion or two goes really well with this too.
Hi Dennis, When I was walking with my Donkeys, A fine lady named Kate showed me how to bake a 5 leer German Chocolate cake over a fire, with out a oven and in pans , it was a Birthday way back in the early to mid 80s in the San Bernadino mountains. She knew French cooking real good, I miss those days,,,,,,,,,,,,
Rusty, How is Timber doing these days in his permanent home?
He is doing great, we went for a morning 19 deg., walk, Timberrrr shook more than I did. I’m trying to get his claws down by walking on the pavement ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
So glad to hear ya’ll be doing good.
Hi All,
Does anyone have any breakfast ideas? For me, thats the hardest meal to vary! I love this post-thanks for all the ideas!
Scrambled eggs, ground sausage, a slice of cheese if desired and flour tortilla… yum… I make a big pot of it… toss left overs in my OTHER kitchen gadget called the SEALER.. I bag the food and the machine sucks the air out and pop in the freezer or fridge…. and the food seal by the way, is my most favorite to use in the RV because bags in the fridge take far less room than the bowls/containers AND I can reuse most of the bags at least once more before I have to toss them…
Sealer:
Reseal & Save Bag Sealer – Storage Bag Sealer
Breakfast is easy for us. Has anybody out there ever used leftover fast food french fries for hash browns in the morning? Just add chopped onion and chop up the fries, fry in bacon grease and add fried eggs on to[ of the hash browns! One of Chuck’s favorites and fast food french fries make better hash browns than you can imagine!
Another of Chuck’s favorite…. In most grocery stores you can find Pioneer brand sausage gravy and their biscut mix. 1 package of each makes great biscuits and gravy with a fried egg or two on top! We just have a small toaster oven in the MotherShip, but it does the job well!
Geri,
I sure do! And also do that with leftover Tater Tots. I take the Tots in a zip bag, mash them just a little and pour in scrambled egg omelet mixture. Shake it up and pour it out into a buttered skillet. Just add whatever you would if you were doing regular omelets to taste. Works everytime!
Hi Terri,
We tend to stick to same-ole for weight control, but when we vary it’s most often pancakes, which I then ramp up with whatever is on hand: bananas & walnuts, raspberries and small bits of dark chocolate, blueberry, or my favorite, blackberries picked from alongside the road when RV’ing in the Pacific NW.
We also enjoy breakfast burritos from time to time, which will work with almost any leftover, or just as simple as egg & cheese.
Quinoa! (pronounced ‘keen-wa’). Quick and easy…just boil 1 cup in 2 cups of water for 5 minutes, then turn off the heat and let it soak for 20 minutes. It does need to be rinsed first in a strainer, as it is naturally coated with it’s own bug repellant that has a bitter taste. It’s a whole protein which is great if you don’t eat meat. It stores easily and has a mild, nutty flavor. Mix it with just about anything, as you would rice. I like to mix it with black beans, corn, green onions, and if available, cilantro, avocado and celery. Squeeze some lime juice over the top. Yum.
Keep in mind that soy or almond milk are handy because they are readily purchased in boxes that don’t need refrigeration until you open them, so you can have them on hand but save room in the fridge. Beans are great for the same reason….you can store them either canned or dried. Dried beans can be prepared in a pressure cooker in a very short time, saving on propane….same with brown rice.
Retirement countdown….124 days! Yea!
You’re gonna’ love retirement, Micky. Good ideas… thanks!
I too have discovered Quinoa. Now use it in my daily breakfast scramble which is made with a couple hand fulls of cut corn and broccoli, some diced onion, a few slices of jalapeno – let that cook until your happy. Then add 4 tbl spoons of precooked Quinoa (or Barley), ~5 oz of medium firm crumbled tofu and a couple tbl spoons of chopped garlic. Spice it up with a little turmeric and hot sauce and eat with corn tortillas.
Ed, that sounds delicious. I’m vegan, so this combo is perfect for me.
We love quinoa. Sometimes for dinner we will cook some up, then add olive oil and some fresh grated oarmesano reggiano cheese. Yum
Speaking of cooking, I am here to dispel a rumor that has persisted for generations. I did an experiment to make life easier for all my RV Sue friends and to save you all the time, trouble and effort required to bring the truth to light.
I put a small pot of water on the high flame of the oven burner. Next I pulled up a kitchen stool and stared at the pot and after a relatively short time the water began to violently begin to hard boil.
This experiment puts an end to the belief that “a watched pot doesn’t boil”.
In the next chapter I shall attempt to prove or disprove the belief that “too many cooks spoil the broth!”
Hey AZ Jim, did you ever have Three Stone Soup?
A French story on no food to cook.
Rusty, Stone soup is the best, I grew up on it.
I am a firm believer of Weber’s baby q. It is so compact for RVers but has a lot of grill space. If you can get it before they are all gone…you won’t be disappointed.
We cooked “regular” meals in the rv when we drove across the USofA. I like to bbq whereas Jules tends to cremate on the bbq. We did a lot of foil wrapped meals…to seal in the juices.
A favorite is red potatoes cut into little squares with a touch of butter (so they don’t burn) and a spice called none other than “Spike”. Wrap up in two pieces of foil and place on the bbq for 15 minutes. Start potatoes first…as soon as your meat is done…chow down.
For breakfast…raw scrambled eggs, mushroom, spinach, avocado and a little cheese. Wrap in boat shaped foil…use some kind of butter or Pam so it doesn’t stick. Takes two minutes to cook. Damn I’m making myself hungry.
Never tried a crockpot or a dutch oven.
Shortly before your comment, I’m thinking… hmm . . . where’s cinandjules? Now I’m smiling. And you included a breakfast recipe!
Cindy, hi , what is “Spike” seasoning? ,,,,,,,,,Rusty
Here’s a link to see it. . .
Spike Seasoning – 3 oz – Salt
That’s it!
It’s really really hard to find in stores.
Oh, oh, gotta stay away from salt, We like Mrs Dash, ,,,,,,,,,Thanks Cindy and Sue ,,,,,,,,,,
They have salt free Spike.
Mrs Dash is okay too!
Rusty…spike comes in a salt-free version.
Sue left a Shout on my web site asking me to post about my Thermal Cooker experience.
I use mine 3-4 times per month when I make something in it for my ‘linners’. I can eat the same thing for many days so this works well for me, perhaps not for every one. Generally speaking anything that can be cooked in a Crock Pot can be cooked in a Thermal Cooker. I always brown off any raw meat that I might be using but other than that, which is NOT required, you can follow Crock Pot recipes. I have written about a lot of my creations which you can find by using the Search on my web site (although I have found that the Search does not find everything).
Here is the recipe for Frey’s Special Chili:
~ 1 lb pork loin/chops diced and browned
1 lb of Jimmy Dean Sausage browned (what ever flavor you like – I use Hot)
2 small cans of Red Beans
1 large can crushed tomato
1 yellow onion diced
3-4 oz Bakers unsweetened chocolate
Powdered cayenne pepper (as much as you like – I like it hot so I tend to use too much)
This is all put in the Thermal Pot in whatever order you wish and brought to a boil for ~ 10 minutes. The Pot then goes into the Cooker for a minimum of 6 hours but can stay in there until it cools down to room temperature which will take about 24 hours. I then refrigerate the Pot and take a serving out every day that I re-heat in a sauce pan. For me it seems to get better as it sits and all the flavors meld over time; I don’t consider it leftovers, I think of it as part of the cooking process.
Ed. . . Thanks for answering my request.
What thermal cooker do you have and are you happy with it?
It is a Thermos Thermal Cooker RPC-4500 4.5L Thermo Pot that I think I bought through Amazon soon after I started fulltiming but can not remember. It is available at Amazon… add link here IF you wish…
It is more expensive now than what I remember which was that it was expensive. However, I have got a LOT of use out of it and should get a lot more. I’m very happy with it. It is as simple as it can be; no moving parts other than the lid on the Pot and on the Cooker (if anything were to fail this is probably where it would happen).
Thank you very much, Ed. This looks like the one:
Thermos Thermal Cooker RPC-4500 4.5L Thermo Pot
Sue, I posted this info further up in the thread, but here’s the unit I bought: http://www.amazon.com/Thermos-Nissan-Thermal-Cookware/dp/B000NZV95C/ref=pd_sim_sbs_k_1
It’s made by the same company and looks to be the same build quality, just different colors. It was also cheaper.
I like to throw something in the crockpot before heading out on a hike or sightseeing. My husband enjoys making Dutch oven pizza over the fire pit using hot coals underneath & over the top. It’s delicious & I can throw together a green salad or fresh fruit to go with it. Also an old family favorite it Polish Potatoes. Each individual potato will need its own foil wrap. Peel potato & slice into thirds. Between each potato slice add a thick slice of sweet onion & 1 1/2 t. butter. Sprinkle salt, pepper & garlic powder over all. Wrap completely in foil & throw into fire pit over coals or wood, or cook on grill until tender, 40-60 minutes.
We bought a Breville all in one cooker. Crock pot, pressure cooker, steams, browns and hold on warm! A big investment purchase, but so handy and the insert comes out and cleans up like a champ! Never need to brown meat in a skillet again! Glorious! Have three Breville products and they are all top notch.
Love all the comments
I don’t know if either of these are yours. I found them on Amazon.
Breville BSC560XL Stainless-Steel 7-Quart Slow Cooker with EasySear Insert
Breville BPR600XL Fast-Slow Cooker
The fast slow cooker is ours…very good price too!
I checked this out on Amazon….this sounds like a great investment!
One of the best cooked meals I can remember was one my son did while we were visiting him & his family in Alaska a few summers ago (2011, I believe). Cooked over a campfire with a Forest Service grill: Moose steaks (one he had harvested & butchered), red beans & sauteed mushrooms (in beer). Steaks were medium rare & very tender, no fat and so tasty.
Our normal campground take along meal would be home made beef or chicken burrito meat cooked before hand (or at the campground) with lots of green chile.
For breakfast I often made scrambled eggs with green chile & would make breakfast burritos.
Another easy breakfast burrito is scrambled eggs with some of your favorite salsa poured on top of the eggs before wrapping.
Hey! A recipe from Sue too! 🙂
I have no recipes… Hubby does all cooking. I can scramble an egg though. That’s about it.
Easiest dish I do is :
1. Brown 1/4 lb ground beef, or chicken or turkey in 2 qt. saucepan
Add some oregano, paprika, some garlic or whatever is handy
2. Add 1 can progressive Hearty Tomato soup and 1 cup water
3. When it comes to boil add a good handful of macaroni, cook until pasta is done. Simple,fast and pretty tasty.
Okay!!!! The question is……whose house is dinner at tonight!
Hold on… We’re not done collecting recipes and tips! 🙂
We can talk over dinner!
Please, no drop-in visits. Thank you. LOL!
Touche! 😉
We can just meet at a park and have a pot luck!
I do 99% of my cooking in the microwave. Too lazy/hungry to wait for slow cooking.
Heat one bag of frozen vegetables. I like an oriental mix. Stir in two cans of Swanson chicken. (The tuna-sized cans.) Add a splash of sesame oil.
Lightly whip an egg in a single-size casserole. (Corning Grab-it bowl works well.) Stir in a can of tuna or salmon with whatever spices appeal to you. (I like salt, pepper and onion powder.) Microwave 3-minutes until sides start to pull away from bowl but center is still lightly damp. Center will firm up. Makes a good fish patty.
The bowl for a single serving fish patty:
CorningWare 15-Ounce Grab It with Plastic Cover
we are full timers and have a lot of items to cook with..outside we use Chef Camp two burner stove, available on amazon, the legs break down for easy carrying. I also have a huge crockpot, a Foreman changeable plate grill, a Nesco oven which can also be used as a slow cooker and a toaster oven. our rig doesn’t have a gas oven just the convention/microwave.
Breakfasts are smoothies or hot soup…I’m a vegan and my husband isn’t…so our meals are pretty simple…slab of meat for him, salads and sides for the two of us
I do like to make stuffed peppers with Spanish rice (home made of course)
Chef Camp stove:
Camp Chef Camping Outdoor Oven with 2 Burner Camping Stove
George Foreman grill:
George Foreman GRP4 Next Grilleration 5-Burger Grill with Removable Plates, White
Nesco oven (2 sizes):
Nesco 4818-14 Classic Roaster Oven, 18-Quart, Porcelain Cookwell, Ivory
Nesco 4816-12G 6-Quart Roaster Oven with Glass Lid, Porcelain Coated Cookwell, Red
wrong chef camp…we just have two burners, no oven
Okay… 🙂 Maybe this is closer to what you have:
Camp Chef Explorer Series EX-60LW 2-Burner Modular Cooking System, Black
We like to make a large sandwich on ciabatta bread the night before we leave. We slice the bread horizontally and then spread a mixture of olive oil and red wine vinegar (about a 2/1 ratio), basil and garlic powder on both sides of the bread, then top with roasted red pepper, onion slices and mozzarella cheese. Wrap in foil and refrigerate. Then we have lunch all ready when we arrive. You can eat cold, or warm very briefly in microwave if you have hookups or a generator. This makes enough for us to have lunch for about three days with chips and grapes.
ooh that sounds good! and I could use Daiya (vegan cheese)…I bet olive spread would be good too
Beef stew cooked in the fire.
Take one pound of beef, 4 slices of bacon, 4 med. tomatoes, 1 c. Chopped onion, beef bouillon granules, salt and pepper. 2 potatoes and 2 carrots cubed and sliced.
Cut 4 pieces of foil and split everything up to go in the foil. Put the meat on top and wrap in a foil tent. Then wrap again. Bury the foil packs in the warm coals and cook for 40 to 50 minutes.
Best beef stew ever!
My favorite is Calabacita. It can be vegan or a main dish. It means little squash. Bag of corn or 4 fresh cut from cob. 2 zucchini,1 yellow onion, 1 or 2 jalepenos seeded and diced and 1 or 2 can rotel tomato’s. I get a. pound of diced pork and brown it with salt pepper and garlic. Throw everything in a pot and simmer 35-45 minutes. Eat with tortillas and sour cream Good!
this is yummy! when I fix itI just divide it and add the pork to my husband’s share
Food is the important part of the trip, the destination is second, lol. We like to have a hearty breakfast usually pancakes or french toast with eggs, bacon or sausage, breakfast burritos are another favorite. We pack a light lunch to take with us hiking, sometimes it’s just homemade trail mix or granola bars. Supper is usually cooked on the small webber charcoal grill. Steaks, chicken, hamburgers, hotdogs, foil dinners, baked potatoes, corn cooked in the husk, homemade pizza. The pizza is one of my favorites. Becky makes the dough then we cook it on one side, flip it over and put on the toppings and cook it again. If we don’t use the grill we might fix sloppy joes, spaghetti or some sort of skillet noodles. Don’t forget the smores, (Sue, can’t believe you just recently had a smore for the first time). The kids like to make chocolate no bake cookies at least once during our trip.
Waking up one morning while camping in the Sequoias I found my brother already fixing breakfast. I said “wow, you are getting a early start”. His response was, “you need to start eating when you first get up. If you wait to eat breakfast it puts you behind for lunch and once you start stacking your meals you spend the whole trip trying to catch up.” Now that is someone who takes his eating serious. lol
Mark
Salina ks
Soup
http://s20.photobucket.com/user/mickent/library/Soup
Good heavens, Mick! When you make food, you make a lot of it! Looks delicious!
Cook for a day , eat for a month or two. LOL
How about something sweet? I make this often:
Casita Brownies
Using a box of brownie mix, follow the directions to make the batter.
On your (Casita!) propane stove, heat up a non-stick cooking pot (roughly 9”) .
Spray the pot with PAM and pour in the batter.
Cover the pot with tin foil as well as the pot’s lid.
Turn the the flame down as low as possible.
“Bake” about 25 minutes more or less.
When you turn over the pot the brownie will fall out easily.
One of the best quick and delicious meals for us is Burritos or Quesadillas. For the quesadillas, simply lightly butter one side of the tortilla. Place on a preheated pan, preferably cast iron, on medium low heat. On half of the tortilla, sprinkle some leftover rotisserie chicken then some shredded Mexican cheese, or your choice of cheese. Working quickly, put a heaping tablespoon of chopped green chilies on the other half and spread cover the half. With a spatula, fold the tortilla in half and let it brown. Turn and brown other side. Cut like pizza slices. Serve with green salsa, Tabasco green sauce, sour cream, and any other condiments you like. I also serve homemade yellow rice with this to complete the meal. This is very simple, yet SO good!
Another one? This one is popular on Pinterest and it has become one of our favorites, too. Take 3 or 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts and place them in the center of a 13×9 inch ovenproof dish. Slice a few potatoes into large chunks and place on one side of the chicken. Place a pound of frozen green beans on the other side of the chicken. Sprinkle everything with a packet of Good Seasons Italian dressing mix (or your own mixture). Cut a stick of butter into chunks and place on top of it all. Cover with foil and bake for about an hour at 350 degrees. This might work in a crock pot, but I haven’t tried it.
YUMMY ideas…thanks everyone!! We are not RVing yet…but I still collect ideas here and there!! One of my friends loved cooking in dutch ovens every time she could!!
I’ve learned a lot by reading all the comments with wonderful recipes and ideas. You all are very creative!
The thermal cooker intrigues me and I may have to save up for one. We have our 2 burner inside stove plus a two burner Coleman and a small Cuisinart toaster oven. That combo works well for us while camping. Lots of egg scrambles with various ingredients, salads, rice and quinoa mixtures, homemade pizza and chicken/fish are our go-to dishes, as well as the ever-popular grilled cheese and tomato sandwich. We look for farmers’ markets wherever we are for our fresh fruits and a veggies. Throw in a bottle of wine or two and we’re all set.
All made with fresh ground grains. Good for you unless you break out the toppings.
http://s20.photobucket.com/user/mickent/slideshow/Baking
Mick:
Who knew? You are so freakin talented, solar, antenna, and now chef extraordinaire.
Phyllis in Oklahoma
150 comments! Wow lots to learn. Many thanks. My very simple contribution is feta cheese, sliced cucumber, chopped tomatoes, olives, cos lettuce, dried oregano, virgin olive oil and a touch of balsamic vinegar with plenty of bread for dipping. The bread is good fresh but stale is fine if you have plenty of olive oil. A hard boiled egg and some carrot sticks raise this meal to gourmet level. LOL.
Totally off the food topic Sue, please forgive me…
I just found out that the Sonoma County Animal Care and Control, where my friend Brigid Wasson is in charge, has a Silver Paws for Love program, free senior dogs for senior people over 55..and the have several senior Fox Terriers up for adoption! What a wonderful program.. so if you are in California central area, what an opportunity!
may be off topic,but the more people who know, the more we can spread the word! I’ll post a link on my blog. I’m in Florida but you know RV’ers we’re all over the country!
No problem, Lee. BTW, fox terriers are the upper-class cousins of rat terriers.
Sometimes I’ll be a total slacker and purchase an order of spaghetti and sausage from the local italian place where I live and make day old old spaghetti using a technique from an italian restaurant located on Catalina Island. You warm olive oil in a pan and generously cover it with parmesan cheese. Then you cut up the sausage into chunks and add the spaghetti and sausage on top of the parmesan cheese on low heat until heated thoroughly. When serving, you flip it over onto the plate so that the crusty parmesan cheese is on top. A small salad and slice of garlic bread is a nice meal after a day of hiking or sitting around thinking about hiking. I also like to grill tri-tip and use the meat for three meals – sliced tri-tip for dinner with baked potato and veggie, tri-tip tacos and tri-tip sandwiches. Aidell’s chicken sausage with green peppers and onions is an easy meal. I’ll cook up the entire package and have sausage and eggs for breakfast or sausage sandwiches for lunch. I usually spread the leftovers out over three or four days so that you don’t get too tired of it.
I’m a chicken or turkey sausage fan. I like to cut across the sausage to make little medallions, brown them. and then store in a ziploc. I brown the whole package of sausage at one time. The medallions are handy to beef up… no, to chicken up… a vegetable dish, spaghetti, rice dishes, whatever. I’ve even made a sandwich out of them with fried peppers, onions, and spicy mustard.
Hi Sue,
I am not a cook(let the wife do it), but if you get up to the White Mountains in Show Low/Pinetop area stop at Country Eddies and pick up Chicken or Beef pot pies. They are already warm, so just eat them or warm them up later. They cost $3.99 and are big enough for 2 meals.
Thanks for the tip, Tom. Gives me another reason to visit that area! I do like chicken pot pie.
I love my Superpot while camping. It does everything.
Beth… I replaced your link with one of mine. Sue
Aroma Housewares ASP-137 3-in-1 3-Quart Super Pot with Grill Plate
I cook steaks, chicken, fish, veggies, everything. My camping buddies have tried fried eggs and pancakes even.
This is the one item that goes back in the house to use when we’re home but definitely in the camper when we’re out.
Sue,
That’s fine. Didn’t know if others had used this or not so wanted to make sure I put a link. Cooked my steaks in it tonight. I need to buy another for a backup since I love this thing so much.
Beth
Here is the Thermal Cooker I have, Saratoga Jacks 5.5L Thermal Cooker Deluxe on Amazon for $99. It is a mid-price cooker which I like because it has 2 inner pots. I cook the sauce/meat portion in one and rice or veggie in the other. I am including a couple of links from my blog to recipes that I have used and are yummy. Generally any recipe that is soupy does well with only a fraction of the propane usage. When I have made chili, I cooked the beans for 5 minutes then let them set in the thermal pot for several hours… checked on them added the sauces and more spices heated it for another 10 minutes then let it set for another few hours. At this point I will often add the rice to boiling water and put in the upper pot for the final waiting….. Perfect for any bean and rice dish. Home made chili and rice for about 15 minutes of propane time.
I have also cooked a fine spagetti sauce full of veggies and mushrooms in the cooker making it pretty soupy. If I am using a jar of sauce I add at least another jar of water. After the sauce is cooked and veggies done I bring the sauce to a boil and add the dry spagetti noodles to the sauce. Cover again in the thermal pot for 1/2 hour or longer till done. One Pot yummyness.
Here is a link to one of my blog with a recipe and pictures to see more about the cooker. http://avintagerollingstone.blogspot.com/2012/12/christmas-comes-early.html
Here’s klbexplores’ thermal cooker:
Saratoga Jacks 5.5L Thermal Cooker Deluxe
(As time goes by the current price may vary from $99.)
Sue, you tasted one of our favorites when we met at Zion! Green Chili Enchiladas! It’s super easy becasue it all comes from cans! One 4oz can green chopped green chilis, we prefer mild and Hatch brand if you can find it outside NM! one 10oz can Rotel diced tomatoes & green chilis, one 10oz can of green or red enchilada sauce, one can pinto or red beans, and corn or flour tortillas (we have used both and like both!) While living in NM, we learned to layer our enchiladas instead of rolling them! You won’t find a rolled enchilada in that state unless you beg for them! You can use any meat you like, hamburger, sausage, pulled pork, or shredded chicken. Time to do layers. Spray bottom of cassarole pan with Pam and layer the tortillias, a layer of Mexican cheese, layer of green chilis, layer of beans, layer of rotel. Repeat as needed to fill cassarole dish or until you run out of ingredients. Save the enchilada sauce for lasr and pour over the top of the whole sheebang and add lots and lots of cheese to the top. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until cheese top is browned a bit! This will feed four folks or less depending on appetites! But it is yummy and easy! Sometimes if I have an onion handy, I will add a bit of chopped onion to each layer. Try it, you will like it!
I make a similar dish layering tortillas (corn or flour), re-fried beans, chopped spinach and enchilada sauce…I don’t use cheese but this can be varied by using corn, jalapeno’s,black olives, etc.
the beans can be charro, black, pinto or adzuki. Some bean varities you may have to cook yourself. the charro beans are something I found in South Texas and have found at Big Lots and dollar stores across the country where Hispanics live
I’m surprised that no one has mentioned a “Ziploc Omelet”. You can make this for one person or a group.
1. Quart-sized freezer bag (put your name on it with permanet marker.)
2. Crack two eggs max. into the bag and shake to combine the eggs.
3. Put into the bag any ingredient you want (peppers, meat, cheese, veggies), or put out a variety of omelet ingredients for a group to make their own.
4. Make sure air is out of bag and zip it up.
5. Place the bags (6 -8 bags max.) in rolling,boiling water for 13 – 15 minutes.
6. Open bag and omelet will roll out easily.
I have made them for my husband & myself as we travel around the USA, or for family camp-outs. Serve with toast, fruit, and/or juice. No clean-up and everyone has a blast making their own.
As vegetarians (sometimes vegan) travellers, we cook simply and stay healthy with beans, lentils, whole grains like quinoa, barley, oats, brown rice, tofu, nuts, many veggies, and lots of fruit especially berries.
We use a slow cooker and a toaster oven as well as the cooktop in the Casita. We have no need of, and would never use, a BBQ/grill.
If one eats simply then cooking is simple too.
nicetoknow other vegans are out there! we use our grill for veggies…we make kabobs, pizza and grill portobella mushrooms. Of course my hubby still eats meat and he cooks that outside 🙂
Great Breakfast Casserole
Sausage Breakfast Casserole
6 slices buttered bread – trim crust
1 lb. cooked sausage
1 ½ C. shredded cheddar cheese
6 eggs beaten
2 C. Half & half
1 tsp salt
Place buttered bread in greased 13 X 9 pan. Sprinkle cooked sausage on bread. Sprinkle with cheese. Combine eggs, half & half, and salt and pour over sausage and cheese. Cover and chill overnight.
350 degrees 45 minutes. Serves 8
Dead Eye,
You’re so right, that is a great little dish. I made tons of that the night before my son’s birthday sleepover (22 kids and five parents) in the early 1980s…been making ever since. I make mine just like yours except I use 8 eggs since I do add mushrooms, onions, and chopped green peppers just before pouring it into the baking dish. We serve it with fresh fruits and it is a favorite Saturday Night Dinner Dish as well. Always a real hit. 🙂
Gosh, I’m feeling hungry and it’s bedtime here. We had a power outage Saturday and it did something to our modem. I could get e-mail, but no internet at all. Hope I’m not too late for the food blog.
Becky G. mentioned enjoying Boston Butt. That was my mother’s all time favorite meal for busy days and she frequently suggested it for me. But I have never, in my 49 years in KS, seen a single smoked Boston Butt. Mom fixed hers by boiling it in water with carrots, halved red potatoes and, at the last minute, a head of cabbage cut into quarters. It was not my favorite, but the leftovers were heaven. Melt butter in a heavy skillet and fry up leftover potatoes, cabbage and meat shreds. This was called “Bubble and Squeek” for the noise it made in the pan as it reheated. I suspect it was the butter that made it so appealing to me.
Thanks for all the neat and tasty ideas. I am truly impressed by Mick’s bread.
That Boston Butt recipe is what my mother made… It’s so good!
Just catching up on my reading and came across this wonderful exchange. I have a couple of go to meals.
On every trip there are pizza quesadillas. Pizza sauce and mozzarella between 2 tortillas and add your favorite pizza toppings. We use pepperoni but this is great for any leftovers and can be done on an open fire in seconds or a propane stove in a minutes.
Stuffed chicken breast. You need a plump breast for this one. Slice the length of the chicken about 2/3 but not all the way through and use your favorite cheese and stuffing. I use goat cheese and olives with diced red peppers and season it with thyme (or your favorite spice) and grill it. Italian dressing is a great oil to baste the chicken with because it is already seasoned. Use a toothpick to thread the opening to keep the stuffing in.
Enjoy
Some quick and easy ideas…
Easy and good potato salad..
Boil new potatoes, skin on, till very done, even crumbly. Drain thoroughly, chop or slice, and throw in bowl. Fry bacon (amount depends on amount of potatoes but it’s hard to put too much) till super crispy, then drain, cool and chop or crumble into small bits. Save bacon fat.
Now, salt (lightly…bacon is salty) and pepper potatoes then add about 2/3 sour cream and 1/3 mayonnaise (amount depends on amount of potatoes but you want this to be gooey), crumbled bacon and pour in some bacon grease to taste. Mix thoroughly. Cool. People love this and think it has a lot of ingredients, but this is it.
Quick bean tacos
I use Rosarita vegetarian refried beans. If you have a microwave you can just put tortillas on a plate, pile on in beans, salsa and cheese and nuke. If not…
Heat refried beans with red or green chili sauce to taste until hot. Heat white corn tortillas over open flame till hit and soft. Put a couple tablespoons bean mx on tortillas, then spread out. Immediately sprinkle on grated cheddar cheese to taste. Then you can add sliced avocado or guacamole, sour cream, more salsa, chopped onion or black olives..,whatever you like. I eat mine on a plate with a fork as they are too messy to roll up.
Chicken Salad
3/4 C chopped walnuts toasted with 1 T butter, 1 T sugar, pinch salt in skillet stirring continually to avoid burning
2 cooked chicken breasts chopped (rotisserie)
1 chopped apple
2 celery stalks chopped
3/4 C dried cranberries
1/2 C crumbled Feta cheese
4 C crisp lettuce like romaine chopped
Put all in bowl. I like to moisten w a bit of mayo & cream. Salt & pepper to taste. Serve with raspberry vinaigrette dressing. I like Panera or Marie’s.
For all you vegetarians I have in the past few months begun to cook Indian. I love the spices and flavors. I tend not to put in the hot chili as I just enjoy the other flavors. When I camp I just used a electric frying pan. I bring onions, potatao’s, canned vegetables. If a store is nearby I buy fresh veggies. I cook rice on an electric or gas burner in a small pot. I recently gave a demo of my cooking some Indian dishes (potato curry and chick pea curry) to my camping sister. I ended up having 5 gals for dinner 3 whom had never had any Indian before. Some think I am crazy but I like to cook and eat well no matter if I am home or camping. I love all these suggestions that others have made. Happy camp cooking to everyone.
Hubby and I have a quick favorite dinner. We often make it during Fall and Winter so the timing is perfect to try it for the football season; Great for tailgating too. It’s kind of a shepard’s pie but no bake.
Here it is:
1 and 1/2 lbs of ground sirloin or good grade of ground steak.
1 pkg or can of peas.
1 pkg or can of carrots.
very small onion.
1 can of mushroom pieces.
1 jar of beef gravy.
Hamburger buns or toasted Texas Toast.
1. brown and chop sirloin in a skillet like you would for chili or sloppy joes.
2. add in carrots, peas, mushrooms, onions until all are done to your liking.
3. add in the gravy and simmer just a bit longer.
4. toast your hamburger buns or texas toast.
5. pour the mixture over the top and serve.
This can be cooked over most any heat source, stove top to BBQ gills.
You can also for go the bread item and serve it over mashed potatoes. We often do that. It’s easy, warm comfort food for a chilly Fall or Winter evening. Might even be better the second day after blending all night in the fridge 🙂
Quick Imitation Crab Meat Balls:
Here’s a quick and simple *party/company* snack to fix.
Take one box of Stove Top Stuffing, most any flavor you like. I use chicken or pork.
Fix it as the box direction say. Next add in some imitation crab meat and a little fresh onion, then toss very well. Next, with a spoon make small balls of this mixture. Heat in a lightly buttered skillet until browned (think Hush-Puppies). Great for snacks or as a side for fresh corn on the cob. BTW, Imitation Crab meat keeps really well in a cooler. Much longer than most meats and longer than about any other fish will. I store it in the cooler in Lock-N-Lock storage containers.
In a small bowl, combine the sugar, cinnamon, vegetable shortening, and salt.
Nowadays, though, bibingka can be made in the more conventional ovens.
Whenever you get fresh herbs for any recipe, or should you
develop your own in the garden, conserve time and money by
producing herb ice cubes.