Camping and RV Meals, Means, Menus Made Easy

blog copyright janet groene, all rights reserved. To donate $5 as a voluntary subscription, use your Paypal account to janetgroene at yahoo.com

RV kitchens are compact but complete

Camping and RV Recipe of the Week

Quickie Creole Chicken Gumbo
 
    If your supermarket doesn’t sell canned tomatoes with okra, use a can of tomatoes and a can of okra. Okra is a much-reviled vegetable but give it a chance in gumbo. 

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cans, 10 ounces each, chunk chicken
Small can Vienna sausages, drained and chopped
Medium onion, diced
Medium green pepper, diced
1 teaspoon Creole seasoning
2 cans, 14.5 ounces each, diced tomatoes with okra
1 tablespoon powdered chicken bouillon
1 ½ cups water
1 cup raw rice

Hot sauce

    Drain chicken, saving juice. Discard juice from sausages. Break up chicken while browning it in hot oil, Gradually stir in Vienna sausages until brown bits form. Stir in remaining ingredients including juice from the chicken  except rice and hot sauce.
    Bring to a boil. Stir in rice, cover and simmer over low heat until rice is done. (About 20-25 minutes for white rice, 35-40 minutes for brown rice.)  Adjust seasonings and serve. Pass the hot sauce. Serves 4 to 5.

Camp Cook Tips

    * Some stinks are almost impossible to oust. They include tomcat spray, decayed wildlife that snuck into the RV and died there,  or a rogue potato that went bad in the bin. And don’t even THINK about the smells found in a closed refrigerator that got too warm.  When you have to get tough, try activated charcoal. 

Activated charcoal comes in neat packets

 It works best in an enclosed area such as a cupboard or ice chest. It may take several cycles of clean, treat, dry, repeat.  http://amzn.to/2xzVUqp

 
    * If you have rust in galley ware, keep it from recurring by using stainless steel wool not steel wool. 

Did you know you can download a free Kindle app and read e-books on your PC, phone or pad? Get the free app at   https://amzn.to/31lQT0u.  Curl up in your tent or RV bunk tonight with a not-too-scary Kindle mystery featuring widow Farley Halladay, who makes her living online as the Yacht Yenta. Get January Justice at  https://amzn.to/2XqCl1y   

 * Rust stain develops on a Formica counter? Try removing it with a rubber eraser. For soaked-in stains, fold a paper towel and wet it with peroxide or bleach with cleaner. Or make a baking soda paste, cover the stain and cover with a damp cloth.  Let stand.

It's stainless steel and oven-proof for roasting drumsticks

     * Fun for tailgate parties! This sturdy stainless steel rack is for easy grilling, roasting, serving of chicken drumsticks, wingettes, stuffed banana peppers. Also holds ice cream cones while you fill and serve. 
http://amzn.to/2v835FU 
 
    * This heavy duty fruit corer (below) bores through with ease, then opens to eject the core. You’ll use it  on apples, pears and other fruit. Core cucumbers and stuff with tuna salad. Core zucchini, stuff with ground meat, wrap in foil and roast.  

Core a potato, put a hot dog in the hole and bake.  http://amzn.to/2v8lgve




 

Campground Potluck Recipe of the Week

    Here’s a side dish to go with almost anything. The recipe is easily multiplied for a bigger crowd.

Pineapple Pecan Rice
 

1 box wild rice and rice mix
Liquid
20-ounce can crushed pineapple
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1 cup roasted, salted, chopped pecans
    Use juice from the crushed pineapple as part of the water measurement called for in the rice. Bring to a boil with cranberries and drained pineapple. Add rice, cover and cook until rice is tender. Just before serving, sprinkle with pecans. Serves 8.

Have more than 200 shortcut  recipes and tips in one paperback book or Kindle file with Cooking Aboard your RV. Also makes a nice gift for an RV newbie.

Freeze-Ahead Recipe of the Week

Vegetarian Piccadillo
    
A Cuban favorite usually made with ground beef, Piccadillo is delicious in this vegetarian version. It’s traditionally served over rice but it can also be eaten as is or spooned over cornbread, grits, noodles or baked potatoes.
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Large onion, diced
1 teaspoon each cinnamon, cumin, garlic powder, chili powder
Green bell pepper, seeded and diced
Red sweet pepper, seeded and diced
2 cups finely diced or grated squash such as butternut OR
2 cups cauliflower rice
1/2 cup raisins
15-ounce can diced tomatoes
15-ounce can small red beans,  drained and rinsed
15-ounce can vegetarian re-fried beans
½ cup sliced, chopped stuffed olives, drained

    In a large, nonstick skillet heat oil and stir-fry onion until it begins to soften. Stir in spices, peppers, squash and raisins. Add tomatoes. Stir in beans, breaking up refried beans, then add  olives. Cover, reduce heat and cook over low heat just until vegetables are just crisp-tender, not mushy. Freeze in batches, allowing 1 to 1 1/2 cups per serving when served with a starch.

Harvest Time! Easy Recipes for Camping, RV Travel

Camping and RV Recipe of the Week
Stovetop Pumpkin Pudding

No oven, no problem with this moist, satisfying fall treat.

2/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 ½ cups flour
½ teaspoon each salt and baking soda
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 eggs
3/4 cup canned  puree (not pumpkin pie flling)
½ cup milk soured with ½ teaspoon vinegar

            Generously butter a heavy-bottom dutch oven,  pot or skillet that has a good lid.  Put dry ingredients in a clean bag and jostle gently to mix. Set aside.  Whisk eggs, pumpkin and sour cream until well mixed. Stir in dry ingredients and put in the pan.
    Cover tightly and set over low-medium burner or in well-started coals. In a 350 degree oven it takes about 60 minutes. On a camp stove or campfire, times will vary but don’t peek too often. When pudding is “set”, as for custard,  remove from heat and let stand 1o-15 minutes. Then spoon into serving dishes. Serves 8.
Cook’s note: Pudding can also be steamed in a buttered mold for an hour in a pot or slow cooker.


Tips for the Camp Cook

    * Add vitamins and cut carbs when you serve marinara sauce over wedges of steamed cabbage instead of spaghetti.

    * Beer batter is good for more than fish. Try it on asparagus spears,  whole green beans or red or green red pepper rings. Deep fry as usual. For dessert, dip banana and pineapple chunks in it.

    * Stir a little white miso paste into corn chowder. Go by taste, starting with one teaspoon. Add a few drops of toasted sesame oil to complete the Asian persuasion.

    * Mix 1 part bottled pesto with three parts soft butter. Chill and slice to put on sizzling hot fish or steak from the grill. 

    * Microwave popcorn costs three times more than packaged kernels and takes up ten times more space. For tips on getting the most nutrition into your emergency pantry at home and on the go, see Survival Food Handbook, a guide to stocking your camper with familiar, affordable supermarket staples for everyday camping or emergencies.   http://amzn.to/1WdYqbe

 


Campground Potluck Recipe of the Week
Fruity Stuffing
    It’s a perfect side dish with anything from the grill, from hamburgers to swordfish.

1 cup hot water
1 cup orange juice
1 cup pitted dried plums
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup dried cranberries
    Put dried fruit in a stove-to-table or oven-to-table pan. Add 1 cup water and orange juice, mix well and set aside to soak 30 minutes.

2 boxes  chicken stuffing mix
½ stick butter, cut up
Very hot water

    Stir stuffing mix and butter bits into fruit and add hot water to the desired consistency. Cover and warm gently over very low heat to let stuffing mix hydrated and flavors blend. Serves 10.


snug in your bu

Freeze-Ahead Recipe of the Week
Peanut Butter Fudge
    I never thought of freezing fudge until I saw this unusual recipe. Then I thought, why not? 

 
There is nothing like a pan of fudge to brighten a rainy day when you’re shut in. Get out the backgammon board and fudge it!
 
3 cups sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 cup evaporated milk
½ cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon each vanilla and rum extracts
2 tablespoons butter
½ cup chopped pecans or pecans (optional)

    Generously butter an 8 X 8-inch aluminum foil pan. Mix dry ingredients in a saucepan. Put vinegar in milk to sour it. 
    Stir clabbered milk into dry ingredients and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Count 4 minutes, 30 seconds at a gentle boil. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter and butter. 
    Stir in extracts. Continue beating until it cools and thickens. Stir in nuts if using. Put in the pan and spread evenly. Cool completely, wrap and freeze. Thaw and cut in squares.

Motorhome Meals and Campfire Cooking

blog copyright janet groene. To ask about placing your ad for one year, one low rate on all six Groeneblogs, email janetgroene@yahoo.com
 

 

Camping and RV 

Recipe of the Week

Mediterranean Fish in

 Foil for Two

    Make easy individual meals over the grate, in the oven or in a deep, covered skillet over a burner. Eat right out of the foil.

 
2 slices ripe, firm beefsteak tomato
2 portions thick, meaty fish fillets such as cod or salmon
½ teaspoon each garlic powder and sugar
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
1/4 teaspoon dried dillweed
Small can mushrooms, well drained
2 pats butter
2 tablespoons lemon juice

    Set out two large squares of foil and spray them lightly with nonstick spray. Put a slice of tomato on each and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
    Place fish on tomato.   Mix garlic powder, sugar, parsley and dillweed in a small cup and sprinkle over fish. Cover with sliced mushrooms. Top with a pat of butter. Drizzle with lemon juice.
     Bring up edges of foil and fold over. Fold edges to make a tight packet.  Place on grill, tomato side down, and cook over high-medium heat 10 minutes, then turn and cook 2 minutes. Turn again and carefully open one packet to test for doneness. (Steam will be HOT!)  Cooking time will depend on thickness of fish. Complete the meal with turn chunks of bread to dip in juices.

Campground Potluck Recipe of the Week

 
Lettuce Wraps
   

 At potlucks, finger foods are always popular. These refreshing, meaty wraps can be made ahead of time. They are served cold. Your surprising shortcut is barbecue pulled pork. 

 

16-ounce tub pulled pork barbecue (such as Lloyd’s)
1 cup hot water
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
½ teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup chopped roasted peanuts
1 cup chopped European style cucumber (or seeded regular cucumber)
1 cup shredded cabbage (from a package of coleslaw mix)
About 30 leaves of Bibb or Boston lettuce, wash and dried

    Put the pork in a sieve, pour on hot water and drain well to remove  excess sauce.  (Catch this drained liquid in a container and discard it rather than putting it in the RV plumbing.)  

     Stir in sesame oil, vegetables, peanuts and ginger. Use a draining spoon to place in lettuce leaves by the heaping tablespoon.  Do not over-fill. Roll to close. Secure with a large toothpick. Arrange seam side down on a tray or platter and chill.


Hot Dog! Camp Cook Tips of the Week
   
 

   * Using a heat-protective glove and lots of caution (this isn’t recommended for kids),  use a hair curling wand at 375 to 400 degrees to put a toasty lining in hot dog buns. (Don’t use the same iron for your hair.)     

    * To make an easy dessert,  “butter” the inside of  hot dog buns with Nutella.  Lay in half a banana cut in half lengthwise.  Stuff with miniature marshmallows. Drizzle with chocolate syrup. Wrap tightly in foil and heat over the grate. Open carefully. Steam will be hot. 

    * For tastier weenies, cook them in sauce. Sizzle a chopped onion, add a 14-ounce bottle of ketchup, heat with 1/4 cup pickle relish, a blob of mustard and some shakes of hot sauce. Simmer, add hot dogs and heat through. Remove hot dogs with tongs, place in buns and spoon on sauce to taste. 

    * Make a one-dish meal by adding sliced hot dogs to canned beans, packaged scalloped potatoes, pouches of Spanish rice, mac ‘n cheese, ad inf.  

    * Combine three cans of condensed soup in a kettle with 2 soup cans of water and a 12-ounce can of whole kernel corn with juice. Heat through, spoon into bowls and garnish with 2 sliced hot dogs. Serves 4. 

    * Turn a simple meal festive. Thaw and heat corn dogs according to package directions Then set out dips  in individual cups. Everyone can dip to taste.  (Dips such as honey mustard, ketchup, salsa, ranch dressing, Buffalo wing sauce, etc.)

    * Make hot dog Sloppy Joe. Finely chop hot dogs and cook with a can of condensed tomato soup, 1 tablespoon each steak sauce and mustard and 1/4 cup water. Serve in buns or spoon over split biscuits. 

BE READY FOR THE NEXT DORIAN at home or away. Survival Food Handbook is about having extra food in your home, camper, cabin or boat for emergencies, boondock camping, long-distance cruising. Without using costly, tasteless survival rations you can have a meal plan based on affordable supermarket staples.  Kindle or paperback. http://amzn.to/1WdYqbe

 

 

 

Freeze-Ahead Recipe of the Week
Cranberry Cake

Firm and slice-able,  this cake is ideal to wrap and  freeze by he piece

 
1 box spice cake mix
1 cup french vanilla liquid coffee creamer
1/3 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 ½ cups cranberries, chopped
½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans

    Set the oven to 350 degrees. Beat eggs, creamer and oil, then beat in cake mix. Fold in chopped  cranberries and nuts. Put in a greased and floured tube pan or two loaf or layer cake pans. Bake until it tests done with a toothpick. In a tube pan, this is about an hour. It’s less in smaller pans. Cool thoroughly, cut  and wrap in individual slices. Freeze. Serve plain, sprinkled with powdered sugar or topped with syrup, ice cream or whipped cream.

Camping and RV Food Made Easy

blog copyright janet groene, all rights reserved. Many thanks for your voluntary subscription of $5 a year, paid to janetgroene at yahoo.com via PayPal.

CAMPING RECIPES 
FOR LABOR DAY OR ANY DAY  

 




Camping and RV
Recipe of the Week
Rice Poppers

    Make this snack or dessert in a deep fryer or other device you can use safely in the campground. Having a fish fry? Just keep the fryer hot and make these tempting poppers by the dozen. 
 

3 eggs
½ cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons apple pie spice or plain cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 cups cooked rice
Flour
Oil for frying
Powdered sugar (optional)

    In a bowl beat the eggs with sugar, salt, spice, vanilla and baking powder. Stir in rice and enough flour to make a very thick dough. Heat vegetable oil to 375 degrees.

    Use two teaspoons or a small, self-release ice cream scoop to form dough into walnut-size balls. Arrange them on a tray to be deep fried.

    Drop in hot fat a few at a time so you don’t cool the fat too quickly. When they are brown all over, remove to a platter or bowl lined with paper toweling. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar or sanding sugar. Caution, they are hot!   

 

 

 
More than 200 shortcut recipes for the RV cook. Get two copies of Cooking Aboard your RV, one for planning at home and shopping, one for cooking on board. It also makes a nice gift for RV newbies.  http://amzn.to/1NdWI4o







Just in time for a Labor Day cookout, potluck, picnic, tailgate party, camp-out!
Campground Potluck Recipe of the Week
   
Slow Cooker Sloppy Joe
    No browning!  The meats are already cooked.  Just throw everything in the slow cooker or any cookpot. Diced onion-pepper-celery mix is sold frozen or now in supermarkets, or make your own. You might also add a couple of handfuls of grated cabbage coleslaw mix too. 

1 pound tub of  shredded chicken barbecue (such as Lloyd’s)
1 pound tub of  shredded beef barbecue
1 pound frozen meatballs, thawed and chopped
1 to 2 cups diced mixed onion, green pepper, celery
10-ounce bottle ketchup
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
16 hamburger buns

    Put barbecue, vegetables and chopped meatballs in a slow cooker.  Whisk ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, sugar and vinegar and mix with meats. Cook 4 to 6 hours on Low. Stir and spoon into buns.
Stovetop method
No slow cooker? Just put everything in a pot and simmer, stirring occasionally,  until vegetables are tender.

Tips for the Camp Cook

    * To remove stains from melamine dishes, try a paste made from 1/4 cup baking soda or cream of tartar and 1 tablespoon hydrogen peroxide. Smear on stains. Let dry. Wash as usual. 

    * Know your hams. Some are fully cooked. Some require thorough cooking or even a pre-soak. Read labels. Some canned hams are solid meat. Cheaper ones are “chopped and formed.” 

    * To make faux Hollandaise sauce, mix equal parts sour cream and real mayonnaise with lemon juice to taste. A dash of paprika and a dab of yellow mustard add zing. 

    * After lights-out in the campground, turn on your Kindle and read my newest book, written under my new pen name, Farley Halladay.  February Felony, features a spunky widow, travel on the high seas, a Florida retirement community and just a wee bit of murder and mayhem.    https://amzn.to/31J5d3D

 

   * Creamy salads are always suspect when it comes to food safety in hot weather. Here’s an idea. Buy a bag of coleslaw mix and a bottle of slow dressing. Keep cold. Mix ‘em at the last minute and serve. 








 

Freeze Ahead Recipe of the Week
Oatmeal Tombstones
    Everything you need for a nourishing breakfast   is found in this recipe. Cut it in squares sized to suit your appetite and warm it in the toaster oven, skillet, microwave or boilable bags.  It’s a favorite in  Pennsylvania Dutch country, often with added raisins or dried cranberries. 

1 pound butter, melted
3 cups sugar
8 to 10 eggs, beaten
12 cups minute oats (not instant nor old-fashioned)
3 tablespoons baking powder
2 tablespoons salt
4 cups milk

    Lightly grease two 9 X 13-inch casseroles.  In a large bowl  whisk  eggs, sugar and melted butter until thick and golden. Whisk in milk.  Put oats, baking powder and salt in a big plastic bag and jostle to mix well. Dump into the egg mixture. Mix well. You may need a large container, such as a clean dish pan. 

    Put batter in pans, cover and chill overnight.  Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until set. Cool and cut in squares.  Wrap pieces for the freezer or in boilable bags. This is good plain or with milk or cream and cinnamon sugar, strawberry jam, pancake syrup, applesauce or sausage gravy. Makes 24 servings.
   

Cooking Easy for Camping and RV

Amazon no longer offers blogs for Kindle by subscription. To make sure you never miss a post, let me send you a quick reminder each time new posts go up, usually every Friday morning.  Email janetgrtoene@yahoo.com and put RV Cook in the topic line. To offer $5 a year as a voluntary subscription to these posts, use your PayPal account to janetgroene@yahoo.com

Camp and RV 
Recipe of the Week
Turkey Loaf
 
    Make this tasty meatloaf in a dutch oven, slow cooker, conventional oven or solar oven. Just make sure it’s thoroughly cooked to an internal temperature of 180 degrees.

2 pounds ground turkey
Small can jellied cranberry sauce
½ cup quick or one-minute oatmeal ( not instant)
½ cup milk
Medium onion, finely chopped
2 eggs
1 teaspoon each salt, pepper
2 tablespoons soy sauce

   In a bowl mix all ingredients, ending with turkey. (I mix by hand, wearing disposable vinyl kitchen gloves.)  Put  in a greased loaf pan or form it into a mound to place in a lightly greased cooker. 
    Slow cooker: 8 hours on Low or 5 hours on High.
    Dutch oven or deep skillet: 65-75  minutes, then test for done-ness
    Solar cooker: Make sure you have enough hours of sunlight for this to cook through.
    Oven: Bake 75-90 minutes at 350 degrees.


Campground Potluck Recipe of the Week 

Burgundy Mushrooms
    What better side dish with steaks or burgers than a rich medley of tipsy  mushrooms? 

 
   
3 pounds mixed mushrooms
½ stick butter
Large onion, diced
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 cups robust red wine such as burgundy
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup water

    Clean and slice mushrooms. Melt butter in a large pot or skillet. Saute mushrooms,  gradually stirring in onion and garlic powder. Add wine, cover, reduce heat and cook 20 minutes. Stir cornstarch into cold water. Then stir into mushroom mixture over medium heat until sauce thickens. Serves 12-15.

Exciting New Products
    Do you store your camper long enough to develop mildew and bad smells?  During the week? A month? A season? 

    Starbrite, the company that makes products formulated for the special needs of campers and boats offers a socko product called NosGUARD SG. It’s a complete kit with instructions, product and a container/dispenser. It’s not activated until you’re ready to use it.
    Within 4-6 hours it goes to work in an area up to 1,000 square feet. Read the instructions because the product and its use are new and unique. It comes in fast and slow release versions to hinder mildew and neutralize stale odors from cooking, tobacco and lingering sewer odors that may develop from bad venting in an RV.  https://amzn.to/2Hl0EEP 

 Grab This
    Almost every RV needs an extra grab rail or two,  usually at the entries and perhaps in the bathroom near a low-slung toilet or a slippery shower.

Why pay almost $65 for one? Made for boats in lifetime, handsome,  stainless steel, this 9-inch grab bar is top quality all the way. Its installation system allows for hidden bolts. 

All weather handle. The insert comes in colors; hardware is  hidden

    It can be used indoors and out. Its textured surface provides a firm grip even when wet. customize it with insert colors to suit your decor.  Go to www.schmittongaromarine.com






 Kindle Reading in your Sleeping Bag

Now available is Book Two in the Yacht Yenta e-book  series by Janet Groene, aka Farley Halladay. A widow who once lived on a boat, Farley copes with the loss of her husband, and her duties as a caregiver for an elderly alcoholic, by solving mysteries and operating an online business. Download February Felonyt now and start reading it tonight. 
      Don't have a Kindle app? It's free here from Amazon. With it you can read Kindle books on your PC, laptop, pad or phone.   







Freeze-Ahead Recipe of the Week
Butter Pound Cakes
    
The ultimate freeze-ahead dessert for me is pound cakes. They were called that because they were made with  one pound each of eggs, butter, flour and sugar.  They are satisfying, tasty, nutritious and substantial enough to travel well. Make yours in vanilla, chocolate and every color and flavor  in between.  

Freeze ‘em whole or in individually wrapped slices. Serve them plain or with fruit, ice cream, whipped topping, flavored syrups, frosting or a splash of butterscotch schnapps.  I like pound cake sauced with French vanilla coffee creamer. Serve it cold, warm, toasted or grilled.  This basic  recipe is easily multiplied.

2 sticks butter
4 eggs
2 teaspoons flavoring extract such as vanilla
2 cups flour
1 cup white sugar
½ teaspoon salt

    Grease an 8 1/2-inch loaf pan and set the oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter and eggs, gradually beating in sugar, flour and salt. Do not over-beat.  Pour into prepared pan and bake until it’s firm and tests done with a toothpick. Let cake cook in the pan 15 minutes, then cool on a rack. Wrap whole or in slices in freezer paper.
    Variation: to make chocolate pound cake add 3 tablespoons cocoa powder and mix well. To make spice cake, stir in tablespoon of apple pie spice.
   

Camping and RV Meals Quick and Easy

blog copyright Janet Groene, all rights reserved. Thanks to those who send $5 as a voluntary one-year subscription to this blog. Send to janetgroene at yahoo.com via PayPal.

Amazon no longer offers blog subscriptions for Kindle. To receive a quick reminder when new posts go up here, email janetgroene at yahoo.com and put RV Woman in the topic line. 

Camp and RV  Recipe of the Week
Chickpea Chicken Stir-Fry
     
By adding meaty chickpeas you can make a hearty, affordable main dish for 8 to 10 people using only a pound of chicken. The broth can be store-bought or made by dissolving chicken bouillon in hot water. 

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon ground ginger
Large  onion, diced
Large green or red  pepper or both,  diced
1 can condensed, low sodium cream of chicken soup
2 cans, 15 ounces each, chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Chicken broth to taste (optional)

    Cut chicken in small dice and stir-fry in hot oil, gradually adding garlic, onion, pepper and ginger. When chicken is toasty brown and onions crisp-tender, stir in soup and fold in chickpeas. Reduce heat and keep stirring while chickpeas heat through. Thin to taste with broth or bouillon.  Serve hot. 

And then there were two! Using the pen name Farley Halladay, Janet Groene has published February Felony, Book Two in the Yacht Yenta Mystery e-book series. Travel vicariously with widow Farley from a Florida retirement community to the seven seas.  Farley solves mysteries, cooking all the way, and she shares shortcut galley recipes throughout the book https://amzn.to/31J5d3D





Campground Potluck Recipe of the Week
Big Bucket O’ Dip

 
    Make 1 ½ quarts of a delicious dip, then surround bowl(s)  with whatever vegetables, chips or other dippers you have on hand.

1 pint (2 cups) sour cream
1/2 cup bottled ranch salad dressing
1 pint (2 cups) plain yogurt
1 packet dry ranch dressing mix
1 cup ketchup
4 drops Tabasco sauce
10-ounce package chopped spinach, thawed and pressed dry with paper towels
10- to 12-ounce can corn with green and red peppers, well drained

    Whisk first six ingredients until smooth. Fold in spinach and corn. Chill. Divide into smaller bowls to serve surrounded by raw vegetable sticks, crackers, tortilla chips, etc.  Makes  6 cups dip to serve 20 to 24.

Tips for the Camp Cook

    * One reason you may find your RV oven quirky is failure to pre-heat it long enough. In my experience, propane ovens may overheat or develop hotspots before they equalize to the temperature required. Allow at least 15-20 minutes. Use an oven thermometer.

    * Make a creamy Florentine sauce. Chop two handfuls of baby spinach. Whisk half a soup can of light cream and a can of condensed cream of mushroom soup. Heat with spinach and  ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg. Cover and heat until spinach is tender. Good on meat, vegetables, pasta, baked potatoes, eggs. 

    * Reusable plastic egg carriers for camping protect eggs from breakage and they don’t get soggy in an ice chest. Wash regularly. Egg shells are porous so it’s healthier to store them in clean plastic Not sure which eggs in your fridge are the fresh ones? Buy brown eggs every other time. 

    * If jerky part of your camping, hiking or hunting kip? Try salmon jerky for a change. https://amzn.to/2yYoj9m
 
Freeze-Ahead Recipe of the Week
Green Limas With Ham

 
   
  My supermarket sells fully cooked ham in vac packs in both large and small dice. Or dice your own.






3 cups dried green lima beans
Water
1 tablespoon powdered chicken bouillon
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 large carrots, chopped
3 medium onions, chopped
3 large ribs celery, chopped

1 to 2 pounds diced, fulled cooked ham

    Rinse beans, pick over and cook according to package directions. Stir in bouillon while beans are hot and set aside.  Saute vegetables in hot oil until crisp-tender. Stir into beans.  Stir in ham. Thin to taste with water or broth. Cool and freeze in right-size batches for your family, allowing 1 to 1 ½ cups per serving.
    To serve:  thaw, heat and serve as is or over rice. 

    Cook’s Note: Don’t add salt. Ham and bouillon are both salty and flavor will intensify with the freezing and thawing. Better to pass salt and pepper at the table.

Camping Cooking and Motorhome Meals

Blog copyright Janet Groene, all rights reserved. Your $5 for a voluntary one-year subscription is appreciated. Use your Paypal account to janetgroene at yahoo.com

Subscribe to this weekly blog for your Kindle and Amazon sends it automatically to your device.  Free trial.  http://amzn.to/1Nj5dsM  No Kindle? Just download the free Kindle app for your PC or Android and you'll have an e-reader. 

 
Camping and RV Recipe of the Week
Breakfast Lasagna
    This is a good casserole to assemble at home and carry in the fridge to bake on the first morning of your camp-out.
    

About 12 slices day-old bread
½ pound deli baked ham, diced
2 cups ricotta cheese
4 eggs
1 cup milk
½ cup raisins

2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 can apple pie filling
Grated cheddar cheese

    Grease a deep 9 X 13-inch casserole or lasagna pan and line the bottom with pieces of bread. Cut to fit if necessary. Whisk 4 eggs and 1 cup  milk, then fold in ricotta, raisins and ham. Put over bread layer and top with another even layer of bread. Whisk 2 eggs and 1 cup milk and drizzle slowly over bread. 

    Spoon apple pie filling over the top. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate several hours or overnight. To proceed bake 40-50 minutes at 350 degrees or until filling reaches at least160 degrees and is set like custard.  Sprinkle cheese on top and let stand for a few minutes for cheese to melt. Serves 6.

Women in RV’s love the tips found at http://www.SoloWomanRV.blogspot.com

Campground Potluck Recipe of the Week
Pizza Pinwheels
 

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
3- to 4-ounce package pepperoni, chopped
8-ounce can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon mixed Italian seasoning
Shredded mozzarella cheese

    Set the oven for 400 degrees. Unfold the puff pastry and press gently at folds to seal.
    Brush pastry lightly with tomato sauce.  (You may not need the whole can. This is finger food so you don’t want it too messy). Sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Scatter with cut-up pepperoni, then a thin layer of shredded cheese. Roll up pastry from the long side and cut in one-inch slices. Arrange slices on a greased or foil-lined baking sheet and bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Makes about 20.


Tips for the Camp Cook

    * Buy a good quality apple slicing tool. Cheaper ones can’t cut through tough apples and the blades bend or break.  Use too for making wedges with pears, potatoes, chunks of melon. 

    *Are you a snacker?  Make your own to save money, shave calories, fine-tune ingredients to special diets (e.g. soy nuts instead of tree nuts). Go to http://www.CreateAGorp.blogspot.com

    * Good tomato sandwich= bread, tomatoes, mayo. Better tomato sandwich= bread, tomato, juicy coleslaw.

    * Have a smarter emergency pantry. See Janet Groene’s weekly pantry recipes, no fresh foods required, at http://www.BoatCook.blogspot.com

    * Make onions caramelize faster by adding a tiny pinch of baking soda. Make twice as many as you think you’ll need. They cook down.
   



 



Freeze-Ahead Recipe of the Week
Shortcut 'N Spicy Chicken Biryani
 

  Tired of bland? Longing for the exotic flavors of India? This spicy, affordable chicken dish is for you. It’s chicken, vegetables and rice all in one. Freeze in boilable bags and there is no washing up in camp.  If you prefer less meat, use only one chicken and maybe double up on the vegetables.

1 or 2 roasted chickens (homemade or from the deli)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons garam masala
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2  teaspoons dried cilantro
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Large onion, diced
2 large carrots, diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
4 cups long-grain white rice
2 cartons, 32-ounces each, chicken broth
2 cup frozen peas
For serving later (optional)
Chopped cashews

    Cut up meat from chicken and put in a large kettle. Drizzle with oil. Mix dry spices and sprinkle over chicken. Scatter chopped onion, garlic and carrot over chicken. Stir. Sprinkle  with rice. Pour broth over all.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Stir to make sure rice is in liquid. Reduce heat and simmer tightly covered over very low heat 45-60 minutes until rice is tender.
    Stir in peas. Cool completely and freeze in portions, allowing 1 ½ to 2 cups per portion. Thaw, heat and sprinkle with cashews.