4th of July Camping Menu

 

The 4^th of July is a must-camp weekend for thousands of Americans, including us. These are some of our favorite campsite-friendly recipes that are suitably festive for celebrating the birth of our country, and take into consideration the need for easy preparation and cleanup. Enjoy them, and have a happy 4th!

Independence Day Supper for 8

(follow the links for recipes)

Warm Chips and Salsa*

Marinated Flank Steak    Vegetarian Sloppy Joes

Grilled Corn     French Potato Salad

S’Mores 10 Ways     Old School Homemade Ice Cream in Red, White and Blue

Strawberry Lemonade*     Ice Cold Beer

For the *Warm Chips and Salsa, lay a sheet of foil on the grill and poke holes in it. Spread a generous layer of your favorite tortilla chips on the foil and warm them for about 5 minutes. Serve with your favorite salsa, homemade or store-bought. For the *Strawberry Lemonade, just add sliced strawberries to your favorite lemonade recipe. The pretty strawberry slices add a festive touch and a hint of flavor. (The rest of the recipes are linked.)

Esty Shops Camp In Style

Today were hiking through Esty. Each week we will journey into the wild and wacky world of Etsy to help us "Camp in Style"

Let's GO I see a trail..............

Look here is a trail we can take .........

This photo of "Trail" is by Kim DeGooyer who lives just outside New York City in beautiful New Jersey. Her art is inspired by nature in almost every way. She will be heading up to New Hampshire this summer and is looking forward to some good hiking and great inspiration for new photos and paintings.

Where to find more: 
http://www.etsy.com/shop/semisweetstudios  
semisweetstudios@gmail.com

blog: semisweetstudios.blogspot.com

twitter: @semisweetstudio

This trail led us straight to Kim and Stacy's shop Grah Toe Studio to pic up a compass for the rest of our hike............ hey Kim and Stacy!

 

Kim - Stacy

Stacy has been a sculptor of wood and stone, and Kim has a degree in studio art with a focus on pottery.  They met at a stone carving studio where Kim was helping teach the class and Stacy was taking the class.  They were friends for several years, before getting married!

Stacy - Kim

A beautiful bracelet campus

or one that can be warn around the neck

Thanks Kim and Stacey

Blog: grahtoestudio.blogspot.com
Etsy Shop: etsy.com/people/grahtoestudio?ref=pr_profile
Facebook: facebook.com/pages/Grah-Toe-Studio/202833224024
Twitter: twitter.com/grahtoestudio

Walking Trail by Kim DeGooyer

OK let's see what else we can find on our walk .......................

Old School Homemade Ice Cream in Red, White and Blue

(From the 4th of July Camping Menu)

AKA Ice Cream in a Can

From The Real Family Camping Cookbook:

When you're making ice cream at the campground or at a cookout, you can buy one of those plastic ice cream maker balls (I think L.L. Bean carries them) or you can do it old school, like this. You'll need a 1 lb. coffee can and a 3 lb. coffee can - try a diner or a college cafeteria for the big one.  Or you can use a clean paint can the right size.

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

1 ½ pints half and half

1/2 c. sugar

1 t. vanilla extract

3/4 c. strawberries

3/4 c. blueberries

crushed ice

1-2 c. rock salt

1 clean 1 lb. coffee can with the plastic lid

1 clean 3 lb. coffee can with the plastic lid

duct tape

Preparation:

1. Put the half and half, sugar and vanilla in the 1 lb. coffee can and mix well. 

2. Put the lid on the 1 lb.coffee can and tape it securely shut with duct tape.

3. Put the 1 lb. coffee can into the 3 lb. coffee can and surround it with crushed ice and rock salt.

4. Put the lid on the 3 lb. can and secure it with duct tape.

5. Roll the can back and forth in the grass or other soft surface for about 15 minutes.

6. Take the small can out of the big can, wipe it clean and open it up. Scrape down the sides and add the strawberries and blueberries.* Tape it back up, pack it in the big can with more salt and ice and tape the big can back up. Roll for another 10 minutes or so.

7. Take the small can out of the big can, wipe it off and dish out the ice cream into bowls.

*When you mix the berries into the ice cream you get a beautiful, purple ice cream with red and blue berries in it. For a red, white, and blue effect, make vanilla ice cream and sprinkle the berries on top. And if you do this, you can use a lot more berries.

For the coffee can challenged:

If you don’t have coffee cans, use a small Ziploc bag inside a large Ziploc bag. Instead of rolling, shake the bags.

 “Without ice cream, there would be darkness and chaos.” - Don Kardong

Back to the 4th of July Camping Menu.

Festive Side Dish: French Potato Salad

(From the 4th of July Camping Menu)

This is a simple potato dish that everyone loves. It's attractive and addictive and it just happens to be vegan.  Because olive oil is used rather than mayo, this keeps well on a camping trip or cook-out. Use a thin-skinned potato of any kind - as long as it doesn't have that thick, rough skin that baking potatoes have, it'll be great.

French Potato Salad

Serves: 8

Ingredients:
6-8 large potatoes, thoroughly scrubbed and cut into bit-sized pieces
olive oil, about 3/4 c.
dried or fresh herbs to your taste, such as oregano, basil or parsley
salt & pepper

Directions:
1. Thoroughly scrub the potatoes and cut into bite-sized pieces.
2. Put the potatoes in a large pot of water, bring it to a boil, then generously salt the water.
3. Cook the potatoes until just tender, around 8 minutes but check them at 5.
4. Drain the potatoes in a colander.
5. In a large bowl, dress the potatoes with olive oil until each piece is lightly coated.
6. Sprinkle with herbs, salt and pepper to taste.
7 Voila!

Return to the 4th of July Camping Menu.

July 4th Main Dish: Vegetarian Sloppy Joes

(From the 4th of July Camping Menu)

This is a simple and fun cookout dish. The catsup, tomato sauce, brown sugar and soy sauce combine to make a yummy, tangy barbecue sauce and you'll be surprised at how enthusiastic people get about it, especially since it's so easy (and *shh* vegetarian).

Vegetarian Sloppy Joes 

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

1 large, yellow onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

3 T. olive oil

2 packages (12 oz each) TVP (Texturized Vegetable Protein) – I like

MorningStar Farms Recipe Crumbles*

1 8 oz. can tomato sauce

4 T. tomato paste

2/3 c. catsup

1/3 c. brown sugar

3 T. soy sauce

8 hamburger buns

Directions:

1. In the bottom of a pot, sauté the onions and garlic in the olive oil until soft.

2. Add the frozen TVP and sauté until lightly browned.

3. Stir in the tomato sauce, tomato paste, catsup, brown sugar and soy sauce.

4. Simmer for about 15 minutes, until the sauce thickens and the flavors are well combined.

5. Toast the hamburger buns and dish out a large spoonful onto each bun – about half a cup.

6. Bon Appetit!

*Because MorningStar TVP has egg whites in it, this is not a vegan dish. For a vegan version, try Bob's Red Mill TVP.  @brianelgin suggests using 1/2 t. of bullion with 1T. of  peanut oil when rehydrating the Bob's TVP for great ground beef replacement. Thanks, Brian!

Return to the 4th of July Camping Menu.

Activities. Books. Inverkeithing shop. Outdoor Clothing

http://www.scotoutdoors.com/

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Art-Camping-History-Practice-Sleeping/dp/0241145139/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1309205913&sr=1-1

The book suggests" I just want space and  unallocated time. I want disorganised activity for my children. 

I want the time table to be torn up."  The reveiwer Tom Fort says..."I like the no telly and reading in the early morning with hot tea... I like the easy sociability so rare in this country, and the opportunuity camping gives to observe the lives of others. I like the adventure of it. I like the way the children make friends after 10 minutes and you hardly see them again except for meals... This book is essential reading for thoughtful campers."

http://www.akelasden.co.uk/

Outdoor "essentials" shop in Inverkeithing.

We are on their "Links" page and also "Books" link (Cool Camping Scotland).

So pleased to have a local shop to direct our campers to.

http://www.campmor.com/

http://insanescouter.org/blog/191/Teaching_About_The_Outdoors.html

Books to excite the camping kids
Amazon.co.uk: Customer Reviews: Make it Wild!: 101 Things to Make and Do Outdoors

http://blog.nwf.org/wildlifepromise/2010/11/5-fab-outdoor-blogs/
Parents blogs to keep children happy outdoors.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Natures-Playground-Activities-Encourage-Children/dp/0711224919/ref=pd_zg_rss_ts_b_10193961_3?ie=UTF8&tag=tourdunkeld-21&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter 

S'Mores 10 Ways

The perfect, Classic S'More.

(From the 4th of July Camping Menu)

We make S'Mores every night when we camp so we like to try different variations for fun. 

On the 4th, put all the ingredients out in separate dishes and let each person create their own masterpiece. Vive le difference!

From The Real Family Camping Cookbook:

S’Mores 10 Ways

1. Classic S’Mores

Legend has it that S'Mores were invented by the Girl Scouts, did you know that?

Serves:  8

Ingredients:

8 graham crackers

8 marshmallows

4 Hershey’s milk chocolate bars

green, pointy sticks

Preparation:

1.  Toast each marshmallow on a long stick over the fire until it’s golden brown.

2.  Put a piece of chocolate on a graham cracker and put a hot, roasted marshmallow on top of the chocolate.

3.  Cover with a second graham cracker and smush together to make a S’More.

4.  Bon appétit!

2. S’Mores au Chois (“oh shwah”) – S’Mores Your Way

Instead of Hershey bars, substitute any kind of chocolate you like. My kids like Nutella. I like peanut butter cups.

3. Fruity S’Mores

Add some sliced banana or other fruit inside your S’Mores. We like sliced apples, strawberries and raisins.

4. PB & S’Mores

Spread the graham crackers with peanut butter before you add the chocolate and marshmallow.

5.  S’Mores in a Cone

Substitute an ice cream cone for the graham crackers – just put a piece of chocolate and a hot, roasted marshmallow inside. Mm.

6. Pie Iron S’Mores

Make your S’Mores in a pie iron with 2 slices of bread (buttered on the outsides) instead of graham crackers.

7. Brownie S’Mores

Substitute brownies or cake for the graham crackers! Is that sweet enough for you?

8. Bikkie S’Mores

Take a raw refrigerator biscuit – stretch it out and put a piece of chocolate and a marshmallow inside.  Wrap it in foil and cook it on the grill or directly on the coals.

9. S’Mores-adilla

Use a tortilla instead of graham crackers – sprinkle a tortilla with chocolate chips and mini marshmallows, roll it up and wrap it in foil. Place it on the grill until it's melted.

10. Quickie S'Mores

Put a marshmallow between 2 chocolate chip cookies, wrap it in foil and toss it on the grill or directly on the coals. Don’t leave it on too long!

“Life is uncertain.  Eat dessert first.” - Ernestine Ulmer

Return to the 4th of July Camping Menu.

Main Dish: Marinated Flank Steak

Marinated flank steak is a great main dish that grownups and kids both like. It's delicious and seems to take a special effort, but actually it's easier to make than hamburgers.

From The Real Family Camping Cookbook:

Marinated Flank Steak

Flank steak likes to be marinated and kids like teriyaki sauce. 

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

4-6 lbs. of flank steak

2 c. of teriyaki sauce

10 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed

3/4 c. of pineapple juice

1/3 c. of brown sugar

6 T. of soy sauce

Preparation:

1.  Put everything except the steak into a large Ziploc bag and mix well.

2.  Add the steak and marinate - overnight, all day or at least for a couple of hours.

3.  Grill 3-5 minutes on each side.

4.  Slice the steak and serve with potato salad and corn.

“Give them great meals of beef and iron and steel, they will eat like wolves and fight like devils.”
- William Shakespeare, King Henry V

Return to the 4th of July Camping Menu.

Equipment Links

Living the simple green life

http://www.lovecamping.co.uk/blog/flexibath-goes-camping

Flexibath for kids

http://www.akelasden.co.uk/

Visited their lovely little camping shop in Inverkeithing today 18.3.2011.

It is only a mile from our campsite, so you can either walk or drive.

They gave us some shop business cards to put in our camp shop for your convenience.

Please feel free to take one for reference.

We also look forward to them camping with us soon.

http://campinglinks.tumblr.com/

I could spend all day scrolling through the above link.

http://www.campmor.com/gear/kitchen.shtml

http://paper.li/Campmor

http://www.gizmag.com/top-ten-camping-gadgets/15339/


You can pre book or check the rustic gallery for items to hire or buy like, gazebo, chairs, travel cot, campfire wood kits, food.



http://www.backpacking-tips.com/the-10-essentials.html

Vintage Airstream

Could we park this in our garden ?

Could we turn this into a garden room?

It IS an Airstream after all

Would we be up to the challenge?

What would it cost to do all this work?

How many black widows would we evict?



 

Our 8 Worst Camping Mistakes

Hm.. I wonder what that sign means?

Every camping trip is an opportunity to gain nuggets of wisdom by making mistakes ... and let's just say some of us have gained a lot of nuggets.

Here are our 8 worst camping mistakes, at least so far:

 1. Arriving late

There's nothing quite like setting up a big tent in the dark while three kids say (not in unison but repeatedly) "Can I have a S'Mores?" Cue the mosquitos. Seriously, I know it's hard to get out of the house, but get to the campsite by three. Then you can unpack while the kids play, make a big fire and locate the flashlights and the bug spray before dark.

2. Setting up in a valley

Each campsite has its own eccentricities and it's your job to figure them out. We once pitched our tent in what turned out to be the bottom of a little slope. It seemed inconsequential until it poured that night and the tent filled with water. A little rain is nice, but not on your feet at 4am.

3. Camping on a slope

Usually, when you choose a campsite with a tent platform, it means the site is built into a hill - thus the reason they put a platform there, to provide you with someplace flat to pitch your tent. Which is fine when you're sleeping. But the rest of the time you will find yourself, your kids and your belongings constantly rolling down the hill.

4. Being all relaxed about the tent zipper

I think the first thing we taught the kids was to CLOSE THE ZIPPER! on the tent, and we probably yelled it about a hundred times just to make sure we got our point across. And then ONCE we relaxed our vigilance - ONCE! - and spent the whole night swatting mosquitos out of our ears. Don't be like us. Be vigilant.

5. Not bringing enough warm things

We always bring plenty of things for the kids and they have warm sleeping bags but once we didn't bring enough blankets or clothes for the grownups and had to steal the children's little shirts to wear as hats. Nice.

6. Forgetting salt, coffee, tea, sugar or a corkscrew

It's a sad day when you can't salt your steak or open your wine. And for some of us, morning can be  bleak and meaningless without coffee.

7. Not hanging up the garbage

There may not be any bears near where you're camping, but I'll bet there are dogs or coyotes. There's nothing like meticulously picking up every little bit of foil or what-have-you to leave a nice, neat campsite, then coming back from your nature walk to find your garbage strewn all over the site. Yuck.  So bring a rope and tie the garbage up high to a branch.

8.  Disregarding posted signs

If the sign says, "Caution: Electric Fence" and has a big zig-zaggy lightning bolt on it, that probably means it's an electric fence. That doesn't mean, "Try it and see if it's an electric fence."  Zzzt!

Have fun, and as Sergeant Esterhaus (Michael Conrad) used the say on Hill Street Blues, "Let's be careful out there!"

vega - here we go again

Jeg prøver å rydde i alle de tusener på tusener av bilder på macen, men jeg blir jo bare sittende å drømme meg bort. Disse bildene er fra en tur til Vega i 2004. I juli skal vi tilbake for å besøke familie, og det gleder jeg meg til. Her kan dere se flere bilder fra Nord-Norge.

---

Trying to rearrange some of the thousands of photos on my mac, I stumbled upon these pictures from a trip we made to Vega in 2004. Vega is on the UNESCO world heritage list. In July we are going there again to visit family, and I can't wait! Here are more photos from the north of Norway.

Grilled Corn: A Husks-On Approach

(From the 4th of July Camping Menu)

 From The Real Family Camping Cookbook:

Besides being the most delicious thing in the world when it's in season, corn keeps well, making it a great camping food.

We like to cook it with the husks on (minus the silk).  It's fun to prepare and soak the corn and it always turns out perfectly.

Serves:  4

Ingredients:

4 ears of corn, with the husks on

butter

salt & pepper and hot sauce

Preparation:

1.  Leaving the husks on, remove the floss or silk from each ear of corn.

2.  Fold the husks back around the corn and submerge the corn in water to soak. After they have soaked for about 15 minutes, retrieve the corn from the water, wrap the husks around them more tightly, and place them on the grill, over medium heat, for 5-10 minutes.

3.  Remove the husks and serve the corn with butter, salt & pepper and hot sauce.

Variations:

•  You can also take the whole husk off before grilling and wrap each ear in foil spread with butter or cream cheese.  These can go right on the coals, but keep an eye on them so they don't turn into ashes!

TIP:

•  We put the ears of corn in a big pot of water and hold them underwater with a skillet, but you can also place them in a plastic bag and hold it underwater with a rock, especially if you’re camping near a stream.

“Plough deep, while Sluggards sleep;  And you shall have Corn, to sell and to keep.” - Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard's Almanac

Return to the 4th of July Camping Menu.

Bears In Our Neighborhood

My neighbors always seem to catch our local bear. On this night he or she was in pursuit of a meal. 

Wordless Wednesday: Slugs!

The Ultimate Summer Book for Little Kids

Because today is the first day of summer, I am reminded of one of my favorite, favorite children's book, Summer by Alice Low, illustrated by Roy McKie.

McKie is well known by the books he and Dr. Seuss created together, like 10 Apples Up On Top, In a People House, My Book About Me, etc.  All wonderful books.

But there's something special about Summer. The simplicity and sweetness of Low's poetry, coupled with McKie's joyful and innocent illustrations truly evoke the carefree summer days of childhood.

I encourage everyone to go out and buy a copy if you don't have one already - but get a vintage copy on eBay, because when they reissued it a few years ago they changed the colors and omitted a couple of key pages. (I don't know why some people think they can improve on perfection, but there you have it.) Anyway, there are plenty of decent copies of the old one to be had.

For a wonderful bio on McKie, go here: http://bit.ly/kCoXRS .  That site is www.vintagechildrensbooksmykidloves.com and there's hours of fun browsing there.

Happy Summer everyone, and a special prize to anyone who reads this to their kids by the light of a firefly lantern.

writings on the wall

I visited my very good friend a few days ago, and I found some nice walls on my way to her house, and inside her house.

Father's Day Lunch: Steak Salad

Our traditional Father's Day fare has always been boiled weisswurst (white veal sausage) with potatoes, carrots and cabbage and lots and lots AND LOTS of mustard.  I don't know how this tradition came about, maybe we discovered weisswust one Father's Day by accident - it's kind of hard to find. We used to buy it at Eagle Provisions in Park Slope but now we buy it at Prime Meats in Carroll Gardens.

Anyway, this year, in a break from tradition, steak was requested. Sounds yummy, but it's been so hot and muggy in Brooklyn that the whole big, hot steak on a plate thing sounded kind of, well, hot. So I suggested steak salad, and I think it's going to be just the thing.  Serve this with crusty bread or toasted Portugeuse rolls and plenty of nice, cold beer.

From The Real Family Camping Cookbook :

  

Steak Salad 

On camping trips, this makes a delicious lunch on day 2 with your still-fresh lettuce and meat. Wash your lettuce at home, dry it well and pack it in a Ziploc bag with a paper towel to absorb any moisture.

Please note that the steak needs to freshly grilled. This is not a dish for leftover cooked steak.  

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

2 cups of Romaine lettuce

a handful of sliced radicchio

1 small tomato, sliced thickly

1 perfectly cooked steak, still warm, about 16 oz.

olive oil & vinegar

salt & pepper

Preparation:

1.  Tear the lettuce into medium pieces and put it into a salad bowl with the radicchio and the tomato.

2.  Dress the salad with oil and vinegar and salt & pepper. 

3.  Salt and pepper the steak.

3.  Slice the steak and add it to the dressed salad. Toss very lightly, just a couple of times.

4.  Bon appetit!

Variation:

•  We also like this with Iceberg lettuce and blue cheese dressing.

“To make a good salad is to be a brilliant diplomatist - the problem is entirely the same in both cases. To know how much oil one must mix with one's vinegar.”
-Oscar Wilde

Pete's All-Time Favorite Father's Day Gift

I was reminded by a friend to ask Pete his favorite Father's Day present of all time. To my surprise he answered that it was this commemorative groundhog plate.

I like how Pete looks a little scared in this picture.

I bought this plate at the Goodwill in Croton-On-Hudson, NY.  It was part of a seemingly complete set of woodland creature plates, but at four bucks a pop the set would have totaled about sixty bucks. So I chose the obviously best one, the noble groundhog, and proceeded on my way. That night I kicked myself for cheaping out and not splurging on the complete set. So the next day I sped back over to the Goodwill. Alas, the plates were gone! Another family had snapped them up and were probably displaying them in their living room (minus the groundhog). So let this be a lesson to all of us: when you find a complete set of commemorative wildlife plates, buy them all.

Nonetheless, because Pete is quite a groundhog enthusiast the plate was a big hit all by itself and has a proud place of honor somewhere around here under all the stuff.

Happy Father's Day to all!

And thanks for the great question,  PlaygroundDad !

PS. Fellow groundhog lovers should check out the gardening blog, LifeInTheGarden. That gardener also likes groundhogs, in spite of the fact that they eat everything.

Food Kits

Campfire Food Kit

Pre order:-

Campfire kits (baked potato/marshmallow, etc.)

Breakfast packs (bacon, sausage, egg, etc.)

Packed lunch.

etc.

 

Wordless Wednesday: Robert Solotaire's Art Studio

Guest Dad blogger Benjamin Solotaire submitted this photo of his own Dad's art studio in Portland, Maine. The late Robert Solotaire was a much-admired painter who gave us lush Maine landscapes, New York Cityscapes and large-scale industrial scenes. He had an unusual point-of-view, often viewing his subject matter from the back; a loading dock, a highway underpass, a patch of hedges unnoticed by others. This is a photo of the studio where he painted, in the overgrown backyard of his old house in Portland. Robert Solotaire's work can be viewed at robertsolotaire.com. I know that wasn't exactly wordless, but didn't you want to know?

California Dept. of Fish and Game News Release RE: BEARS

Image from Fish and Game California

California Department of Fish and Game News Release
May 5, 2011

DFG Offers Tips on Staying Safe in Bear Country

The California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) reminds campers,
anglers and hikers enjoying the outdoors to take precautions to limit
black bear encounters. A key element to safe camping and recreating in
bear country is to limit food odors that attract bears.

Image from Keep Me Wild

“Bears are constantly in search of easily obtainable food sources,"
said Marc Kenyon, DFG statewide bear program coordinator. "A bear’s
fate is almost always sealed once it associates human activity with
potential food. It’s always unfortunate when a bear has to be killed
because people either haven’t learned how to appropriately store food
and trash, or simply don’t care."

California’s growing black bear population is now estimated at more
than 40,000. Black bears are located in most of the state where suitable
habitat exists and bear/human encounters are not isolated to wilderness
settings. For example, last year black bears stirred up trouble in one
of California’s premier tourist destinations, as DFG staff logged more
than 5,200 hours handling black bear nuisance issues in the Lake Tahoe
region alone.

DFG wardens and biologists also responded to numerous wildlife feeding
issues across the state, and bears obtaining human food is cited in the
majority of public safety incidents involving bears. Access to human
food or garbage, whether it is overflowing from a campground or
residential dumpster or in the form of snacks in a tent, is the primary
culprit in attracting bears. When wild animals are allowed to feed on
human food and garbage, they lose their natural ways - often resulting
in death for the animal.

Feeding wildlife or allowing wildlife access to human food provides
false food sources, habituates animals to humans and can change animal
behavior from foraging for food in the wild to relying on human food
sources in or near urban areas, which can lead to bears breaking into
cars or houses to seek out food. 

DFG’s Keep Me Wild campaign was developed in part to address the
increasing number of conflicts between black bears and people. The
campaign provides important tips for living and recreating safely in
bear habitat, and advice on what to do if you encounter one of these
wild animals. Please visit www.dfg.ca.gov/keepmewild/bear.html for more
information.

SEE QUICK TIPS FOR BEARS

Thank you Gena for sending this to me. Always my fellow camper and girlfriend!