Camping, GLAMPING, RV-ING Food Hacks

 Copyirght Janet Groene 2025. This blog has had more than 29,000 views.  For permission to use part or all of this content email janetgroene@yahoo.com

THUMBNAIL RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Save $ with a homemade “helper” mixture.  Measure and bag ingredients ahead ,  then add a few more ingredients in camp to make a boffo meal.  These little packets make good gifts. Be sure to include instructions for completing the recipe later.

Royal Lima Stew Mix

Put 1 c. small dry lima beans in a zip-top bag. Add a smaller bag filled with 1 T. each dried parsley, dried onion bits, powdered bouillon (chicken, beef or vegetable) + 1 tomato bouillon cube +  ½ t. each salt,  pepper, chili powder & smoked paprika. In camp, rinse limas, then cover with fresh water and soak several hours or over night. Bring 4 c. water to a boil. Add  limas & seasonings. Cover and simmer, adding water as needed,  until beans are tender. 

Cook’s note: Top each serving with a tuft of grated cheese?  Optional: add a small can of chunk ham. This is a good candidate for long cooking over a wood fire or in a solar oven. Serves 3-4. 

DESPERATION RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Add these canned foods to your shopping list and keep them deep in the pantry for emergencies. This creamy concoction can be stretched to serve more people by increasing the rice or other starch. 

Artichoke & Mushroom Hotpot

1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup

Small can evaporated milk (2/3 cup) 

1 cup water

1/3 cup powdered milk

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup sherry

1 can quartered artichokes, drained

8- to 10-ounce can sliced mushrooms, drained

Optional: Add grated Parmesan cheese or other protein such as cooked or canned meat, chicken or seafood or chopped hard-cooked eggs.

Serving suggestion: serve over toast, biscuits, pasta, rice,  noodles, campfire baked potatoes or crisp Chinese noodles. 

In a bowl whisk condensed soup, canned milk, water, powdered milk, Worcestershire and sherry. Heat,, stirring gently in a skillet, pan or microwave and fold in mushrooms and artichokes. Heat thorough.  Serves 4 or more. 

TIPS FOR THE CAMP CHEF

* When you grease and flour a baking  pan add just a whisper of a related flavor to the flour, e.g. cinnamon for spice cake,  cocoa powder for brownies or a little paprika for cornbread.  

* Powdered milk will be creamier if you mix it three hours ahead. Even if you can’t chill it, this steeping time allows it to rehydrate completely.  

* Whip up a quick, healthful dessert. Fold a cup of lemon yogurt into an 8-ounce tub of “lite” whipped topping and fold in a pint of fresh blueberries. 

* Make an easy Florentine sauce for grilled or fried chicken, pork chops  or fish. Chop two handfuls of baby spinach. Heat a can of condensed cream of chicken soup with ½ soup can of light cream + ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg. Stir in spinach and cook two minutes or until spinach is tender. 

    See  tips on getting the most nutrition into your emergency food locker.  Survival Food Handbook  is a guide to stocking an emergency pantry in a small space such as a camper, RV,  boat or cabin with the most food value per inch, per ounce and per dollar using familiar, affordable supermarket staples. Paperback or ebook.     http://amzn.to/1WdYqbe

 

Women in the RV lifestyle get together at https://Solo Woman RV. blogspot.com

CAMP & RV RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Chuckwagon Coq au Vin

Make a fancy fake French classic using  a skillet and some shameless shortcuts.

6 portions bone-in chicken (you decide)

½ cup flour

½ teaspoon each garlic powder, dried thyme, salt

1/3 cup olive oil

1 pint mushrooms, sliced

3-ounce packet of real bacon pieces

10-pounce package pearl onions, thawed

1 bag baby carrots

1 cup water

1 chicken bouillon cube

1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes

1 bay leaf

1 cup robust red wine

Mix flour and seasonings. Pat chicken dry and dredge in seasoned flour.  Discard unused flour. Heat oil in a large, deep skillet. Brown chicken well in hot oil, gradually adding mushrooms, bacon, onion, carrots, water, bouillon, parsley and bay leaf. Add wine. Cover and simmer until chicken and carrots are very tender.

Serve in soup plates, Pass a basket of French bread chunks for sopping up juices. Serves 6.

CAMPGROUND POTLUCK RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Pickled Veggies to Go

Marinate a big bag of colorful vegetables hours ahead. Throw it in the fridge or ice chest and bring it out several hours or a day later. Use my list of vegetables or make your own. Go for lots of color and variety. You’ll need 12 cups, or two quarts of bite size veggies. 

Marinade:

1 ½ cups white vinegar

1 cup vegetable oil

2 tablespoons seasoned salt

2 tablespoons lemon pepper

2 tablespoons mixed Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Suggested Vegetables:

Small cauliflower, trimmed and cut in bite size

Small head broccoli, trimmed and cut in florets

Large green bell pepper, seeded and cut in squares

Large red sweet pepper, seeded and cut in squares

Large can pitted ripe olives, drained

2 large sweet onions, quartered

2 cans artichoke quarters, drained

Mushrooms, trimmed and cut in bite size

1 pint whole grape tomatoes

In a two-gallon zip-top bag, combine marinade ingredients and knead the sealed bag to mix well. Add vegetables, close and refrigerate 24 hours, turning several times times. To serve, cut a small hole in a bottom corner of the bag and drain marinade into the trash (not the RV sink or the ground.) Empty bag into a bowl.

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.  

https://amzn.to/3nNndWY 

VEGETARIAN DISH OF THE WEEK

Snowdrift Casserole

White and creamy, with curry providing a buttery blush, this casserole can be made with whites of hard-cooked eggs, diced tofu or diced white cheese such as Vermont white cheddar. It can be made a day or two ahead to reheat in the oven or microwave. Serve brightly colored side dishes to complement this white-on-white dish. 

4 cups ready-to-serve white  rice

2 packages, 10 ounces each, steam-in-the-bag cauliflower

2 cups diced white cheddar cheese (or other protein) 

1 can condensed vegetarian cream of celery soup

1 cup plain yogurt

1 tablespoon curry powder

Butter a large, deep skillet. Nuke cauliflower, drain, cool and cut up any large pieces. Put in the skillet with the protein ingredient. In a bowl whisk soup, yogurt and curry powder, Pour over cauliflower, cover and heat through.

Cook’s note: This  dish is easily made in a microwave. Assemble as above, cover and and nuke just enough to heat to steaming.

The latest in the Yacht Yenta cozy mystery e-books series brings widow Farley Halladay closer to the answer of her husband's death. 

Read the six cozies in any order as Farley copes, cooks and solves crimes with the help of her wacky cast of characters. Laugh at her frailties; cry with her as she grieves. Find the books on Google Play and other ebook formats and also on  Kindle,   https://amzn.to/3wcf6ao

MAKE AHEAD RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Brownies and other bar cookies are great candidates for make-ahead travel treats.  Bake them in disposable pans, then wrap and freeze. Thaw,  cut and serve. 

Peanut Butter Brownies

2 sticks butter or margarine

3 eggs

16-ounce box dark brown sugar

1 cup chunky peanut butter

2 cups flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

12-ounce bag real chocolate chips

Let butter soften and beat in eggs,  brown sugar and peanut butter. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a bag, dump into the butter mixture and mix thoroughly. Spread batter in two greased pans. Bake 25 to 30 minutes at 350 degrees or until firm and springy to the touch. Sprinkle a half bag of chips evenly over each batch of hot brownies, let stand a few minutes to melt, then spread to create a frosting. Let cool before cutting or cool completely and wrap for the freezer.

     SCROLL DOWN TO SEE SAMPLES OF PAST POSTS

Comments? Questions? Suggestions? Contact janetgroene@yahoo.com