Friday, August 22, 2025

Camp, Cook , Eat

Copyright Janet Groene 2025. To donate in support of this free blog  with a voluntary subscription, send $10 once a year to janetgroene (at) Yahoo c/o PayPal.



THUMBNAIL RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Cream-of-Whatever Soup Mix

Mix 2 c. nonfat dry milk, ½ c. each  potato flakes & cornstarch, 1/4 c. each powdered chicken bouillon & plain powdered coffee creamer,  1 T. each celery seed, diced dried onions & dried chives.  Divide into 9 portions. Seal in zip-top bags. Keep cool and dry. Each packet makes 2 to 3 portions soup. 

To make soup in camp, mix 1 packet mix + 1 ½ c, cold water. Heat, stirring until it thickens. Stir in 1 cup (or more to taste)  cooked , pureed or cut up vegetables, meat, mushrooms or grated cheese. Adjust seasonings.. If it’s too thick add milk, cream or water. 



CAMPING AND RV RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Swansea Sweetcakes

When you want cookies but don’t want to heat up the oven, try this traditional Welsh recipe for griddle cakes.


2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 stick butter

1 cup golden raisins

2  eggs

Mix dry ingredients and cut in butter until mixture is mealy. Stir in beaten eggs and raisins to form a ball of dough. Pinch off walnut-size pieces of dough and pat into  2-inch circles. Fry in a hot, dry skillet or griddle until browned on both sides. Cool on a rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar. Makes about three dozen.  


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BONUS RECIPE

Shrimp-Stuffed Shells


8 jumbo pasta shells

8 extra large, cooked shrimp or prawns, deveined, tail off

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 cup ricotta cheese

1 egg

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

12- to 14-oune can or jar spaghetti sauce

Grated Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta shells just until al dente. Drain well and let cool. Thaw shrimp and place one in each shell. Mix garlic, cheeses, egg and seasoning and carefully pack into shells around the shrimp. 

Spread half the spaghetti sauce in a skillet. Arrange shells in the sauce and cover with remaining sauce. Cover and simmer  over low/medium heat until filling in the shells is firm.

Serves 8. Add bread sticks, a salad and a a tangy dessert such as lemon pie.


VEGETARIAN RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Potato Curry Punjab


One pound small, new potatoes

2 large onions ,diced

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil

14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes 

3/4 teaspoon garam masala

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes


Lemon sedges (optional)


Scrub and cut up potatoes. Stir-fry potatoes, onions and garlic in hot oil.  Add tomatoes. Cover skillet and simmer over low heat until vegetables are tender. Mix seasonings and stir into pan juices. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally to blend flavors. Garnish with lemon wedges. Serves 4.


PANTRY RECIPE OF THE WEEK


     How much food will you need for a week in the woods for two adults and two kids?  A month in a fly-in fish camp? A two-week power outage in your forest cabin? See Survival Food Handbook for lists, tips on buying and stowing, and recipes that need no fresh ingredients. Trips are delayed. Refrigerators fail. Supply chains halt. Stuff happens. Be prepared. .  http://amzn.to/1WdYqbe Travelers have limited storage space for emergency food.  

Survival Food Handbook  is just for campers, truckers, RV travelers and boaters. Make the most of every ounce, inch and dollar. Have a stash of staples you will use and replenish. Always have balanced meals for a few days during an surprise evacuation, fridge failure, shelter-in-place order or other unplanned speed bump on your  journey. http://amzn.to/1WdYqbe

 

How to stock your standby pantry with the most good food per dollar, per ounce and per inch? See the Survival Food Handbook, written just for campers, RV-ers and boaters who have limited storage space. 


Sherry Seafood

About 1 pound cut-up seafood*

1 can mushrooms, drained

Small can (2/3 cup) evaporated milk 

1 can condensed, low-sodium cream of mushroom soup

1/3 cup sherry

1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes


Mix seafood, mushrooms, dried onions and cream in a buttered pan. Whisk together soup and sherry with parsley flakes. Fold into seafood. 

Cover and cook over low heat to soften onions and blend flavors.  Stir and spoon over your choice of a base such as rice, pasta, potatoes or  noodles.  Serves 4 to 6. 

* Canned and drained seafood of any kind such as tuna, crab, oysters, salmon, clams. The more variety the better. 





CAMPGROUND POTLUCK RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Here’s a showy dessert to bake in the campground’s clubhouse kitchen and bring out with a ta-DAH! It’s best served by volunteers, one to dish up the cake and sauce and another to add whipped topping or ice cream. 

Volcano Cake for a Crowd

This cake separates into a cake layer and hot fudge sauce. It's not a self-serve dish, but oh, what a hit it will be.  One person puts portions on plates, then  another adds whipped cream or ice cream. This recipe  makes 40 to 50 portions and bakes in two, 2-inch-deep, 8 X 12-inch baking pans.

6 cups flour

4 cups sugar

1/4 cup baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3 cups milk

1 ½ sticks butter or oleo, melted

6 cups chopped nuts

6 cups packed brown sugar

 1 ½ cups dry cocoa powder

2 quarts plus 2 ½ cups very hot water


Stir flour,, sugar, baking powder, salt and 3/4 cup cocoa. Stir in milk and melted butter. Fold in nuts and spread batter in greased pan(s). 

Mix together the brown sugar and 1 ½ cups cocoa. Sprinkle over batter. Drizzle hot water over all. Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Cake will rise to the top, leaving a delicious chocolate goo underneath to use as a sauce. 

To serve, cut cake into squares and place on serving plates. Spoon t sauce on top. Whipped cream or ice cream optional. 




COOKING ABOARD YOUR RV

    For yourself or a gift,  Janet Groene's timeless RV cookbook is packed with shortcuts, tips and 270 easy, delicious recipes to cook inside the camper or outside on the campfire, camp stove or grill.  

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TIPS FOR THE CAMP COOK

* Rules of thumb: 1 cup egg whites = 8 egg whites while 8 egg yolks = 3/4 cup. 

 Risotto is a creamy, stove-top  rice dish that can be made different every day with different vegetables, grains, meats, seafood. To save time, heat the broth first and put in a thermos. 

* Make your favorite potato salad with a little extra dressing. Fold in cooked,  thawed, de-veined, tail-off, drained shrimp. Now It’s a full meal. 

* It’s OK to carry whipped topping even if you don’t have a freezer. Thawed, it will keep several days in a well-iced cooler.  

* Fry chicken pieces in a mixture of half butter, half vegetable oil until they are browned and done through.  Then set chicken aside and dump a tub of hummus in the pan. Heat, scraping up pan bits,  and spoon over chicken pieces and a side order of rice. 




FREEDOM OF THE OPEN ROAD?

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