Camp And RV Cook

Friday, October 16, 2026

Camping, RV, Food, Woods & Water

CAMPING & RV RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Cheeseburger Chowder

Shortcut ingredients make this hearty chowder lightning fast. For heartier eaters you may want two cans of diced potatoes. You may also want a second beef bouillon cube. The canned items and cheese are high-salt items, so beware of sodium overload.

14.5-ounce can diced potatoes, drained and rinsed

8-ounce can diced carrots, drained

12-ounce can roast beef in gravy

2 1/2 cups water

1 beef bouillon cube

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 cup water

12-ounce can evaporated milk

8-ounce package process cheese (such as Velveeta), cut up

Suggested garnish: Miniature pretzels, sliced scallions or a tuft of packaged French fried onions

Twist a fork in the open car of roast beef to break it up. In a saucepan combine potatoes, carrots, beef, onions and 2 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil and stir in bouillon cube to dissolve. Reduce heat, cover and simmer to soften onions.

Make a paste with the cornstarch and 1/4 cup cold water and stir into chowder over medium heat until it thickens. Over low heat stir in evaporated milk and cheese until cheese melts. Do not boil. Ladle into soup bowls. Serves 4 to 6.

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TWO-WAY SALAD OF THE WEEK

Serve this corn-sweet salad as a side dish or make it a hearty meal by adding chunks of tuna or chicken. Bonus points if you barbecue extra fish or chicken to add to this salad the next day.

Cornbread Crumble Salad

1 box cornbread mix, baked and cooled

1 can whole kernel corn, well drained

1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

Medium head lettuce, turn into bite size

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut in bite size

1 red sweet pepper, seeded and diced

1 green sweet pepper, seeded and diced

2 or 3 plum tomatoes, diced and drained

Creamy salad dressing(such as ranch or creamy Italian

Dice cornbread and combine in a large bowl with vegetables. Toss well with salad dressing to taste. Cover and chill. Toss again and serve.

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Campground Potluck Recipe of the Week

Spicy Cheese Dip

This tangy dip cooks carefree in your slow cooker. A disposable slow cooker liner makes cleanup easy. Use a cooker large enough to handle two yummy quarts of dip.

2 pounds white American cheese, cut up

Small white onion, chopped fine

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 cans 10 ounces each, diced tomatoes with peppers (Ro-tel)

Small can evaporated milk (2.3 cup)

Water

½ teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon white pepper

Serve with:

Assorted chips, scoops or veggie sticks

Add water to canned milk to make 3/4 cup. Place all ingredients in a 6-quart slow cooker and cook 3 hours on Low, stirring every hour. Stir before serving. Makes 8 cups.

RULE OF THUMB

The most common oven baking temperature in the U.S. is 350 Degrees F. This is 180 C. and Gas Mark 4. For convection ovens (fan forced) , it’s recommended that temperatures be reduced by 65 degrees F. or 20 degrees C. Your RV oven, camp oven or solar cooker has its own quirks, so the best bet is to use an oven thermometer and pre-heat thoroughly.

LIFESAVER SAUCE OF THE WEEK

AND

NO-BAKE DESSERT OF THE WEEK

Fruit gel soaks into the cut sides

Tipsy Donut Cake

1 dozen plain cake donuts

1 box strawberry gelatin dessert mix

1 cup boiling water

2/3 cup cranberry cocktail

½ cup finely chopped Heath bars

1 recipe World’s Easiest Rum Sauce

1 pint fresh strawberries, cut in half

Cut donuts in half and stand them up, cut side up, in an 8 X 8-inch dish until they fill the dish. Save unneeded donuts for another purpose. Sprinkle Heath bits in nooks and crannies.

. Dissolve gelatin in boiling water, add cranberry cocktail and drizzle over donuts, allowing time for gelatin to soak in. Chill until set. Spread rum sauce over all.. Chill, then cut in squares. Garnish with strawberries.

Here’s just one way to use the World’s Easiest) Rum Sauce. To make an emergency dessert, spoon it over plain pudding, sliced pound cake, shortcakes or cut-up ladyfingers.

World’s Best Rum Sauce

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon butter-rum flavoring

1 to 2 tablespoons amber rum

Whisk everything together and serve warm over fresh or canned fruit, pudding, sliced pound cake or ice cream.

TWO-WAY OVEN /STOVE-TOP

RECIPE OF THE WEEK

No oven in camp? Let’s find a way. This meaty casserole calls for lots of side dishes.

Peppery Poppy Seed Chicken

1 rotisserie chicken, about 4 pounds

1 can mushroom slices, well drained

1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup

½ cup water, light cream or milk

8-ounce carton sour cream (1 cup)

1 sleeve round crackers (e.g. Ritz)

½ stick butter, melted

2 tablespoons poppy seeds

Freshly ground pepper

Oven Method. Spray a 9 X 12-inch casserole. Skin and dice chicken. Scatter in the casserole with mushroom slices. Whisk soup, milk and sour cream and pour over dish. Crush crackers and snuggle some into the contents of the casserole. Sprinkle the rest over the top.

Drizzle with melted butter. Sprinkle evenly with poppy seeds and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Bake at 350 degrees until bubbly with a toasty top.

Stove-top method: Mix chicken, mushrooms, soup, milk and sour cream in a saucepan. Cover and cook over low-medium heat until heated through. In a small, nonstick skillet, melt butter and stir in crushed crackers. Just before serving, top chicken mixture with toasted crumbs, poppy seeds and pepper.

Solar method: Heat chicken mixture in solar cooker, then proceed with Stovetop Method.

Slow Cooker method: Combine chicken mixture in a sprayed cooker and heat 2 hours on Low. Stir and top with pan-tasted crushed crackers per to Stovetop Method.

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Throughout the books, Farley shares shortcut recipes from the days when she was a charterboat cook.

MAKE AHEAD RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Make it, bake it, take it to warm up on the first night out. It’s ideal for the campground potluck, the family reunion or a tailgate party. Everyone goes for baked ziti.

Shortcut Baked Ziti

2 pounds sweet Italian bulk sausage

Medium onion, diced

2 cans or jars of spaghetti sauce, about 26 ounces each

16-ounce package ziti, uncooked

1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

8-ounce package round slices of Provolone cheese

2 cups water

Grease a deep 9 X 13-inch pan. Fry out sausage until it’s no longer pink, gradually stirring in onion. Spoon off excess fat. Layer sausage, ziti, sausage and a mixture of the mozzarella and Parmesan. Drizzle water over all. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate to bake tomorrow. Ziti will swell.

Let casserole stand at “room” temperature 30 minutes. Remove plastic wrap and cover with foil. Bake 45 minutes or until bubbly at 350 degrees. Remove foil . Arrange provolone on top in a scallop pattern. Return to the oven 5 minutes until cheese melts. Serves 8.

"Life begins at 40" Rule: For food safety, this dish should be stored raw and chilled or fully baked, cooled and chilled to be warmed up in camp..

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Friday, October 02, 2026

Autumn Leaves Me Hungry to Camp

Autumn Leaves (Me Hungry for Camping)

CAMPING & RV

RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Toasted Barley Risotto

This simplified one-pot wonder is a vegetarian main dish for six or a starch side dish for 8 to 10. It’s good plain, or you might add protein with grated Cheddar, crumbled feta, bits of blue cheese or slabs of Parmesan.

2 tablespoons olive oil or butter

Medium onion, finely diced

2 cups pearl barley

2 cans diced carrots drained

1 can mushrooms pieces, drained

1 teaspoon crumbled dried thyme

1 teaspoon powdered vegetable bouillon

1-quart carton vegetable broth

2 cups water

Salt, pepper to taste

Crumbled or grated cheese ad lib

Heat oil or butter in a large skillet or saucepan and sizzle barley about 2 minutes or until it turns light brown. Gradually stir in vegetables to coat. Sprinkle with thyme and bouillon. Add water and broth, cover, reduce heat and simmer until barley and vegetables are tender. Spoon onto serving plates and sprinkle with cheese.

Campground Potluck Recipe of the Week

Salad Stuffed Shells

Use whatever vegetables are available, in as many colors as possible. Amounts are flexible.

1 can artichoke hearts, drained and cut up

1 can corn with red and green peppers, drained

1 cup peas, thawed

Medium red onion, chopped fine

Plum tomato, diced and drained

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup lemon flavor yogurt

½ cup sour cream

1 teaspoon dried dillweed

1 package jumbo shells, cooked al dente

Whisk together mayo, yogurt, sour cream and dillweed and fold in veggies. Rinse cooked shells in cold water and stuff with vegetable mixture. Arrange on a platter and keep cold. Cover to keep from drying out. Provide a large spoon or small tongs for serving.

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NO BAKE DESSERT OF THE WEEK

Honey Bun Icebox Cake

Package of 6 to 8 honey buns such as Little Debbie

1 cup orange soda

3 or 4 pieces orange slice candy

1 8-serving package instant French vanilla pudding

3 1/2 cups milk

1 tub whipped topping

Arrange honey buns in a single layer in a lightly buttered 9 X 13-inch dish Cut to fit as necessary. Save any scraps for another use.

. Drizzle with orange soda. Whisk milk and pudding mix When it begins to thicken, fold in orange candy bits. Spread evenly over buns..Chill until set. “Frost” with whipped topping. Keep cold. and cut in squares. Serves 8 to 10.

SLOW COOKER RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Slow Cooker Turkey Kebabs

It takes time to assemble kebabs, but then the work is done. An easy meal lies waiting in your slow cooker.

1 1/2 cups raw long-grain rice

1 1/2 cups water

2 pounds boneless, skinless turkey cut in 1-inch cubes

2 medium zucchini, cut in half-inch slices

Medium red sweet pepper, seeded and cut in squares

Medium green sweet pepper, seeded and cut in squares

½ cup bottled Italian dressin

Grease cooker and spread rice in the bottom. Add water. Stir.

Using two bamboo skewers for a better grip, make up colorful kebabs by alternating turkey, zucchini and pepper. Nestle in the rice in a single layer. Drizzle with dressing.

If you have to make a second layer of kebabs, spray foil on both sides, place over first layer and put the additional kebabs on top. Drizzle with dressing.

Cook 5 hours on High or 7 hours on Low . Remove kebabs with tongs and serve with rice.

HAPPY HOUR SNACK OF THE WEEK

Sausage Spirals

Roll ‘em up. Keep cold. Slice and bake when ready.

1 pound bulk sausage

Small onion, minced

2 cups bixcuit mix

About ½ cup milk

6-ounce package grated cheese such as Cheddar

Fry out the sausage and onion into fine crumbles. Drain well and cool. Add milk to biscuit mix to make a stiff dough. Roll dough into a rectangle about 10 X 16 inches. Fold cheese into cooled sausage and spread evenly over dough. Roll up from the wide end to form a 16-inch log. Chill one hour or longer.

To serve, cut in half-inch slices. Place on a greased sheet and bake at 400 degrees until browned and toasty.

BE PREPARED

Stuff happens when you're away from home too. Be prepared for delays, breakdown, sudden evacuation, quarantine, can't find ice or propane refills, fire ban, supply chain interruptions, civil disturbances. How much food will you need for a week in the woods for two adults and two kids? A month in a remote fish camp? A two-week power outage? See Survival Food Handbook for tips on buying, stowing, and making meals from ordinary supermarket supplies that need no fresh ingredients.

BLACK POT RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Hobo Sloppy Joe

Try this one on your scout troop. Divide the kids in two teams and see which group can finish grating the Spam fastest. Older kids should be able to use graters safety with adult supervision.

8 cans Spam

3 large onions, diced

2 cups chopped celery

6 cans, 8 ounces each, tomato sauce

1/3 cup each vinegar and brown sugar

2 tablespoons grainy mustard

16-ounce package grated Cheddar cheese

If possible, chill Spam for easier handling. Grate Spam on large holes of a box grater. Chop onions and celery. Combine everything but the cheese in a large pot and stir. Bring to boiling over a hot campfire. Move to a cooler part of the fire and simmer, adding water or broth as needed, until vegetables are tender. Remove from the fire and fold in cheese.

Serve in buns or ladle over campfire-baked potatoes, cooked rice or split biscuits. Serves 30.

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Friday, September 25, 2026

Fall Camping Comfort Food

Crisp autumn air triggers bigger appetites, longer hikes and snugglier sleeping. Try these easy, family-friendly recipes.

CAMPING & RV

RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Bread Pudding Breakfast

This recipe makes a delicious pudding for dessert or breakfast. No oven? No problem.

About 3-4 cups day-old bread, torn in bite size

Butter

2 bananas, sliced

8-ounce chocolate bar, chopped

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Put bread in a buttered casserole for oven baking or in a sprayed heavy skillet or Durtch oven (preferably cast aluminum) for stovetop or campfire baking.

Scatter the chocolate pieces and banana slices over the bread. Whisk sugar, eggs, milk and vanilla and pour carefully over the bread, pressing bread down to soak. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees or until the pudding sets, as for custard. It will be puffy and golden on top.

For stovetop baking, cover tightly and place over a low flame. Test after 20 minutes, then continue cooking if necessary until the custard is “set”. The pudding will not brown on top. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar for color.

Variation: substitute a well-drained can of sliced peaches for the bananas.

COMFORT FOOD OF THE WEEK

Minute Moussaka

The familiar eggplant dish we know as Moussaka is just one form of a classic Greek main dish that is made in a dozen variations.

Moussaka is basically a casserole of cooked, seasoned meat and vegetables or even lentils and franks. It’s then covered with a buttery Bechamel sauce, topped with Parmesan cheese or buttered bread crumbs and baked until the top turns crisp and golden brown. Therefore, it’s best for an RV with an oven.

Here is one way to make a Bechamel topping:

1/2 stick butter

4 tablespoons flour

2 teaspoons powdered chicken bouillon

1/2 teaspoon each onion powder, garlic powder

2 cups milk

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream or evaporated milk

Melt butter. Stir in dry ingredients and gradually add milk over low heat, stirring constantly until it thickens. Stir in cream.

Season to taste and spread over the prepared filling of choice. Bake at 350 F. until the top is puffy and toasty brown.

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VEGETARIAN DISH OF THE WEEK

Supplement fresh mushrooms with canned if necessary. Tubes of polenta from the supermarket are a great addition to the camper’s grub box and they don’t need refrigeration. If you make your own, you’ll need about 2 1/4 cups of cooked polenta.

Tuck in slices of polenta

3 to 4 cups sliced fresh mushrooms

1 stick butter, divided

2 tablespoons cooking sherry

18-ounce tube of polenta

4 eggs

2 cups milk

½ teaspoon each salt, pepper

2 teaspoons mixed Italian herbs

Optional garnish: Italian seasoned croutons or grated Parmesan cheese

Melt 1/4 stick butter in a large skillet and saute' mushrooms. Add sherry and boil off excess moisture. Slice polenta and tuck in among the mushrooms. Dot with bits of remaining butter. Whisk eggs, milk and seasonings and pour over skillet. Cover and cook over low-medium heat until eggs set, as for custard.

BE PREPARED

Stuff happens when you're away from home too. Be prepared for delays, breakdown, sudden evacuation, can't find ice, fire ban, supply chain interruptions, civil disturbances. How much food will you need for a week in the woods for two adults and two kids? A month in a remote fish camp? A two-week power outage? See Survival Food Handbook for tips on buying, stowing, and making meals from ordinary supermarket supplies that need no fresh ingredients.

See the Pantry Recipe of the Week, made 100% from shelf ingredients at https://www.boatcook.blogspot.com

MAKE AHEAD RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Make this sauce in your biggest pot and freeze it in whatever sizes you need for camping trips. The possibilities are endless. Add beans to make chili, pasta to make casseroles, vegetables and broth to make soups.

Gallon ‘O Sauce

1 pound lean, mild pork sausage

1 pound ground turkey

2 pounds lean ground beef

Fry out meats one at a time, draining off excess fat and setting aside until all meats are browned and crumbly. Replace cooked meats in the cookpot and add

1 tablespoon minced garlic

Large carrot, diced fine

2 cups shredded cabbage coleslaw mix

1 cup dry red wine

2 large ribs celery, finely diced

Medium green pepper, finely diced

Heaping tablespoon mixed Italian seasoning

4 cans, 28 ounces each, crushed tomatoes

Bring to a boil, cover and simmer over low heat 1 hour until thick and flavorful. Cool, then measure into containers, stirring well as you go. Wrap for the freezer. In camp thaw, heat and serve over pasta, rice, polenta, egg noodles, mashed or baked potatoes or grits.

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PARK POTLUCK DISH OF THE WEEK

Horn ‘O Plenty Rice Casserole

12-ounce package apple chicken sausage

2 tablespoons canola oil

10-ounce can chunk chicken, drained

½ cup minced cilantro

1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard

4 slices Swiss cheese, cut in strips

2 boxes, 6 servings each, chicken flavor rice mix

Water

1/3 cup pickle relish, drained

1 to 1 1/2 cups grated cheese

Slice the sausage. Drain chicken and save juice to use as part of the water measure on the rice packages. Brown sausage in hot oil, gradually stirring in chunk chicken until brown bits form. Stir in half the cilantro, mustard and water measure. Bring to a boil. Stir in contents of chicken rice mix, cover and cook 20 minutes over medium heat until rice is tender and plump..

Stir in relish. Top with cheese. Heat through. When cheese melts, serve now or chill to warm up later. Serves 12.

Suggested garnish: fresh apple slices.

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Friday, September 04, 2026

Camping Meals Easy, Easier, Easiest

Budget Campers, Full-timers & RV Travelers Eat "In."

That's Part of the Fun, Skill and Sport of Camping

RV & CAMPING RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Breakfast Beehives

1 tube buttermilk biscuits

½ stick butter

1/3 cup each brown sugar, honey, shredded coconut

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 heaping tablespoons orange marmalade (optional)

Set the oven for 425 degrees. Grease a 10-inch pan and melt the butter in it. Stir in brown sugar, honey, coconut, cinnamon and marmalade. Cut biscuits in half and nestle them in the goo, cut side down. Bake about 18 minutes or until golden brown. Spoon hot honey sauce over biscuits.

Stovetop method: Melt butter in a large skillet and stir in brown sugar, honey, coconut, cinnamon and marmalade. Cut biscuits in half and arrange on the sauce, turning once to coat. Cover skillet and cook over medium heat until biscuits are puffy, “set” and done in the middle. They will not get brown. Serve biscuits covered with sauce.

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SNEAKY CAMP SHORTCUT OF THE WEEK

Buy one or two pounds of deli potato salad on your way to the campsite. Note the use-by date. It’s probably good for several days if kept well chilled. In camp, dice a canned ham, some celery, a small box of Velveeta and maybe more goodies such as diced Roma tomatoes or sweet green peppers. Fold together, add bottled ranch dressing to taste and it’s a whole meal. Pass it off as “homemade”.

Campground Potluck Dish of the Week

Jellied Coleslaw

Cool and convenient, coleslaw is always welcome on the campground potluck table. This one will bring raves because it’s not the same-ol', same-ol'. Look for a coleslaw mix that has some carrot and red cabbage for color.

10-ounce package shredded cabbage coleslaw mix

1/4 cup shredded carrot (optional)

4-serving packet lemon gelatin dessert mix

1 cup boiling water

½ cup cold water

½ cup mayonnaise

½ cup sour cream

1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard

While gelatin dissolves in boiling water, whisk together cold water, mayonnaise, sour cream and mustard. Add dissolved gelatin and vegetables. Mix well and spread in a 9 X 13-inch dish. Cover and chill until set. Serves 8 to 10. Provide a large spoon or ice cream scoop for easy serving.

Optional Dressing Whisk 1 cup light cream, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, ½ teaspoon sweet paprika and ½ cup mayonnaise.

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Campground Cook Tip: To make a tangy topping for pancakes, mash a can of whole cranberry sauce with 1 ½ cups pancake syrup and heat gently. Spoon over stacks of flapjacks.

NO BAKE DESSERT OF THE WEEK

Black Forest Cherry Parfait

1 can cherry pie filling

1 cup sour cream

1 tub whipped topping OR

1 1/2 to 2 cups vanilla flavor yogurt

1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Optional topping: Zweiback crumbs and/or a marachino cherry

Fold sour cream or yogurt into pie filling. Fold mini chocolate chips into whipped topping

Alternate layers in clear plastic cups and sprinkle Zweiback crumbs on top.

Pantry Recipe of the Week

Island Ambrosia

This makes a enough dessert for a large crew or a campground party. If you need it even larger, fold in sliced bananas. If smaller, use a small can of crushed pineapple.

20-ounce can crushed pineapple in its own juice

1 can peach slices in their own juice

14-ounce bottle maraschino cherries

1 can other fruit such as gooseberries, pitted sweet cherries, diced pears, fruit cocktail etc.

1 packet French vanilla instant pudding mix

1 cup shredded coconut

Open cans and drain juice into a medium bowl. Whisk in pudding mix and quickly fold in fruits and coconut. Let stand 5 minutes until a cream sauce forms. Makes 10 to 12 servings.

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See more of Janet Groene’s galley-ready recipes at https://boatcook.blogspot.com

BONUS RECIPE

Eggs and Pearls Omelet

Transform an ordinary breakfast omelet by addition just enough tapioca pudding to give it a whiff of sweet vanilla essence. Readymade tapioca pudding is found in the dairy case and shelf-stable tapioca pudding cups are found in the snack aisle.

8 eggs

2 tablespoons water

2 individual tubs tapioca pudding, regular or sugar free (1 cup)

½ teaspoon each salt, white pepper

2 tablespoons butter

Whisk eggs until light and lemony. Fold in pudding with salt and pepper. Melt butter in a 10-inch, nonstick skillet, tipping to coat skillet. Stir egg mixture again and pour into hot butter. Cover and cook until puffy and “set”. Serves 3 to 4.

Bean Salad for Two

This whole meal salad is packed with plant protein for a quick couples lunch on the go.

15-ounce can light kidney beans, drained and rinsed

Large rib celery, diced

1 Roma tomato, diced

Half a small green bell pepper, diced

1/4 cup pickle relish

1 tablespoon each vinegar and olive oil

Shredded lettuce (optional)

Toss everything together lightly and chill. Serve as is or on a bed of shredded lettuce. Serves two.

BLACK POT RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Unlike my shortcut recipes, these campfire classics give campfire maestros a chance to show off their fire management skills while the gang gathers ‘round the fire. Bring on the oompah playlist!

Oma’s Sauerbraten

A Day ahead:

3 to 3 ½ pound boneless beef rump or sirloin tip roast

1 cup apple cider vinegar

Large onion, diced

1 lemon, diced

6 bay leaves

4 peppercorns

2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons molasses or brown sugar

½ teaspoon ground cloves

Place in a large plastic bag and keep overnight in the fridge or ice chest.

In camp:

Crush 12 ginger snap cookies and keep dry in a sealed plastic bag.

At the Campsite

1. Prepare a fire and have extra wood handy to supply new coals as old ones die down.

2. Drain roast and discard marinade.

3. Place roast in a roomy pot with

½ cup water

` 1/4 cup cider vinegar

Large onion,chopped

2 bay leaves

½ teaspoon each salt and cloves

Cover pot and place over glowing coals for 3 to 6 hours until meat is tender. Open pot as little as possible but do check occasionally to add water or broth if needed. Remove roast to a cutting board. Stir gingerbread crumbs into remaining broth. Stoke up the fire. Stir gravy over high heat, adding beef broth if needed. The gravy that forms is the best part. Discard bay leaves. Serve with potato pancakes, boiled potatoes, noodles or buttered rye bread.

COME BACK EVERY WEEK FOR NEW RECIPES AND CAMP COOKING TIPS