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RE: Charcoal vs. Propane
Charcoal tastes better hands down. But, I achieve close to the same taste with wood chips in my propane grill.
Mine has en enclosed bottom so the juice from things never touches the burner so I can soak wood chips and toss them in the bottom tp create a smokey flavor. You can also buy a small wood chip holder for the open burner grills.
That said, charcoal still tastes better.
But gas is more convenient when it rains or we need a quick meal, and since weight is an issue with out setup we just carry the BabyQ.
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Lemons750
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02/09/12 05:45pm |
Camp Cooks and Connoisseurs
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RE: If you can't trust Kellogg's who can you trust?
We don't buy them. it's easier to make my own. for the record, mine are not perfectly square either, some you could call rectangular if you use your imagination... most of them are shapes science and math have not recognized or named yet.
I cut cake the same way. One positive aspect of that is there is a piece the perfect size for everyone. :)
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Lemons750
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02/01/12 09:10pm |
Camp Cooks and Connoisseurs
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RE: Different Produce
The secret to produce is to know where to press or smell.
Keep in mind store bought is VERY green when it is picked so usually by the time it is ripe looking it is also rotten when it comes to fruit.
Veggies are kept on the shelf too long. Mostly because they have gotten too expensive to sell very fast.
Onions - look at the top if the rest feels firm then press in the peak at the top. If that is not firm it means the onion is either rotting or starting to grow. Either way you don't want it so keep digging. Most stores the fresher produce is under the bad so dig for it.
Carrots should be a good color and smell like carrots.Rule of thumb - if the tops are brown put them down. If they are in a bag and there is water in the bag or you see roots starting to grow - you don't want them.
Fruit should be firm but not hard with no bruises.
I can pick a perfect watermelon 99% of the time. Hold it to your ear and lightly thump it. If it has a thick sound it's still green. If it sounds too hollow and feels light for the size it is over ripe. It should feel firm, heavy and sound hollow.
Cantaloupe - you have to smell the end where the stem was. If it don't smell like fresh cantaloupe then it's still green and will be yucky before it gets right.
Farmers markets are the best place to buy produce but if you have to buy it at a store take the time to dig for the good stuff - it all costs the same and it is your money.
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Lemons750
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02/01/12 09:05pm |
Camp Cooks and Connoisseurs
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RE: White gravy for breakfast biscuits?
I don't measure anything when I make biscuits and gravy because it always depends on how many show up.
But I usually fry bacon or sausage and remove the meat. I use the higher end meat with less fat so I don't pour much off. but you don't want to use a lot of grease. When you add flour you want it to be moist - if it is dry you have more flour then grease and that don't work (I never throw away the grease I pour off... just in case. I add pepper with the flour but taste before adding salt. most of the time you don't need it as the drippings have plenty.
I stir with a wire whisk. Lumps of flour are not my thang.
Let the flour simmer for a little bit - when you notice it getting a little darker start adding milk. The secret is to add the milk slowly as you stir. That way you don't drown your gravy.Let it thicken then add more. When it is taking longer to thicken then stop with the milk and just stir to the thickness you like and it's ready!
Perfect gravy every time. The biggest mistake made with any cream gravy is adding the milk too fast.
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Lemons750
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02/01/12 08:49pm |
Camp Cooks and Connoisseurs
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RE: Food Dehydrating??
It is also really good for dehydrating vegetables - like bell pepper, tomatoes. I have not had any luck with potatoes, carrots...
But you can also dry your own herbs.
Make your own dried fruit snacks. It's a lot cheaper then buying the bags of them and you only get the fruit you like so there is nothing to throw away.
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Lemons750
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01/17/12 12:26pm |
Camp Cooks and Connoisseurs
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RE: Who likes a chopped olive sandwich......
My personal favorite: Very dark bread (round,if possible), spreadable cheese (in the jar), sliced green pimento olives on top. Mmmmmm. If we are day-tripping, we take bread, knife & the jar of cheese goes in my small cooler with ice & beverage. I don't mess with the olives in this case. We love finding very interesting places to have our "lunch on the go"
I used to make those, then it was a slice of bread, spread the cheese and put on the olives - now I can't deal with the salt so they are off the menu.
But I loved them with a cup of coffee.
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Lemons750
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01/17/12 12:19pm |
Camp Cooks and Connoisseurs
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RE: Canned Hams
If you want good canned ham you will have to spend some money - so you might as well go for the real thing unless you got it to save space camping and have easy portability.
Now, if that's the case then here is what you need to do.
Rinse it very well and soak it over night in beer or ginger ale.
The next day poke holes in it then mix honey and pineapple juice and rub it all over and push it into the holes. then put in a slow cooker and pour the rest over the ham. takes about 4 hours so start in the morning and it's ready by lunch.
Do not expect it to taste like regular non processed ham. But a good canned ham does not taste like spam (the $2 Dollar General ones do :) )it will just be different.
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Lemons750
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01/17/12 12:13pm |
Camp Cooks and Connoisseurs
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RE: Seasoning cast iron griddle
OK, first of all - even if you buy pre seasoned pans you need to know they are only seasoned enough to turn them from being silver. They are not seasoned good enough to keep things from sticking.
I season mine with lard and I do it on the stove top - but I burn it onto my pan and I guarantee it's a great, no stick surface. But do it on a good day with the windows open with a fan or attic fan on to get the fumes out. I do 2 pans at a time and add 5 layers of seasoning. If you can't open the windows then use the oven method even though it takes a long time.
I wash my pans with soap water and it has yet to hurt the surface. However, because my surface is well seasoned I seldom have things stick.So it is a quick wipe and rinse.If you pan is seasoned right soap will not hurt the surface or remove it.
Now for the biggie - can you use your pan over open flame. Unless you are cooking hot dogs on a stick you do not want to cook anything on an open flame.
When we camp we have a campfire - about an hour before I want to use it for cooking I start letting the logs burn low and scatter them so I am cooking over nice hot coals. You want a nice coal bed for even heating. You can't get that with big flames and flames will leave you with food burnt on the outside and raw on the inside.
I use my cast iron to cook over the coals but never over a fire. If your pan ever gets caked on the outside with grease all you do is toss it in the campfire to burn it off. Now we can do it when we auto clean the oven. We use the cheap tri-pods you can buy at any sporting good store for $20.
another tip - don't let people throw cans, bottles and trash in the fire. It makes the food taste funky. A clean fire makes the best food.
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Lemons750
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01/14/12 08:21pm |
Camp Cooks and Connoisseurs
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RE: Cooking venison
I use it mostly for making jerky. Ground venison is the best thing ever to make it with. The low fat content makes it perfect.
I use it half and half with regular hamburger. If I process it myself I mix it that way. If I have to thaw it I cook it up and save half for another meal.
I used to like it cooked over the fire wrapped in bacon. Now I find I don't care for it so much.
Try soaking it over night in pepsi, coke or cherry dr pepper.
I use pepsi when I make my jerky and it is really good that way.
Some people say soak a roast over night in buttermilk. you can make your own with lemon juice mixed with milk.
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Lemons750
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01/14/12 08:03pm |
Camp Cooks and Connoisseurs
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RE: Food Dehydrating??
I have been doing jerky for a long time. I dry about 10 lbs of meat at a time.
I use the big steel dehydrator from BassPro. Smaller ones are great if you don't plan to do a lot. But buy something that will accommodate your goals.
I also bought the heavy duty grinder from BassPro. When it comes to that stuff BassPro has better stuff than Cabela's and for a better price.
The Jerky Cannon is awesome. Using ground meat uses less seasonings and there is a lot less waste. It is easier to get the jerky uniform in size and is easier to eat. It's never tough.
One thing that I have found to be important is get a dehydrator with a good blower fan in the back so it forces air to the front over all the shelves so you don't have to rotate them.
Venison is awesome for making jerky because there is little fat. When I have the deer processed I have most of it ground so I don't have to work so hard. Make sure when you make your jerky you trim away as much fat as possible. Fat does not dry out like the meat does.
A benefit of buying a grinder is buying roast beef on sale and cutting away the fat to grind your own hamburger. Sometimes I get a deer and have to process it myself so the grinder was a necessity for me.
I would say I have around $750 wrapped up in my equipment but I do give it a work out and the plastic dehydrators just don't get it done. It takes me one day to dry out 10 lbs.
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Lemons750
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01/14/12 07:56pm |
Camp Cooks and Connoisseurs
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RE: Just thought I'd share!
That sounds nice. Today in Oklahoma it is chilly out and very cloudy. But, it's our dogs 15 month birthday so we are snuggled in and having a nice roast beef with carrots, onion and potatoes. snuggle weather works for me too.
I am glad you are having a good time. :)
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Lemons750
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01/10/12 03:22pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: What is the Deal
My response when he said "I am through here." would have been "Awesome, so are we!" and walked away. Years ago shopping for a truck we literally had to run for our truck when he went inside to get keys to another vehicle. We laughed all the way to the next car lot. Salesmen can be very intense and scary. :)
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Lemons750
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01/10/12 03:18pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: License Plate visibility
Oklahoma they seldom pull anyone over for that - but if they have cause to pull you over and you give them a hard time they will be happy to add that to the charges.
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Lemons750
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01/10/12 03:11pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: What do Women RVers Want For Christmas
I want to add to my previous list.
Nice weather for new Years so we can go camping for a long weekend. just some nice cozy time away from everything to bring in the new year...
We buy whatever we want through the year. DH gives me so many things. I give him so many things...
Right now I am watching him laying back in his recliner playing around on his laptop, covered with the blanket I made just for him. Our dog Bonnie is snuggled up in his lap sleeping and it's so sweet to watch.
I could do with another 25 years of that,:)
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Lemons750
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12/11/11 06:34pm |
RV Lifestyle
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RE: Pie Crust help please!
the secret is lard. any recipe using it is usually a good one.
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Lemons750
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12/05/11 08:18pm |
Camp Cooks and Connoisseurs
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RE: What do Women RVers Want For Christmas
I have so much good in my life, all I want for Christmas is for more of the same.
Or maybe I wish those who are not doing so well this year to have things go better.
I wish for those who seem so angry and unhappy to find tolerance and fun. To see life now and then through the eyes of a child.
My best wish is that everyone has a safe and wonderful time camping in the coming year and shares their happy adventures with me. This world can use happy funny stories.:)
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Lemons750
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12/05/11 08:15pm |
RV Lifestyle
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RE: Hey Lucy, ' splain something to me!
If the restroom is clean and we plan to camp for a while I will use it so we don't have to dump before we leave. Just use it at night. Sometimes I put dish water in to buy us more time boon docking.
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Lemons750
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12/05/11 08:05pm |
RV Lifestyle
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RE: Why park right next to me?
We like our space. If someone chooses to crowd us it's no big deal. We do not change what we are doing and if it bothers them it's their problem caused by their poor site choice. They can move.
I just do what I do and do not let them bother me.
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Lemons750
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12/05/11 07:55pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Intolerance
We are off season campers. We don't have to deal with crowds, barking dogs, screaming children, people walking through our campsite, people crying because we have a campfire (there actually are camp grounds that do not allow individual campfires - it would be a good thing to see if there is a place like that near you)
Most of the time we are alone or with friends so we really don't bother anyone. I love the freedom we get with off season camping.
I can tolerate most of what someone else is doing but I prefer to not have to so I avoid the times and places that put me in those situations.
We don't camp on holiday weekends. We are well aware of what goes on and we want no part of it. The weekend after is a lot better. We bought a boat so we can find areas away from the people where we can picnic and play in the water without being surrounded by stupid people and drunks.
What I don't understand is why people put themselves in the position to have an awful time by choosing a time and place they know will drive them crazy. You can't change the people - you can only change where you go and when you go so they are not a big part of your time.
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Lemons750
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11/27/11 09:25am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Cooking Iron
I season mine on the stove top with a thin layer of lard, burn it in then let it cool, rinse and repeat about 5 times. After that I can cook most anything.
The only thing that harms cast iron is tomatoes and high acid foods that eat away the coating. You have to reseason or after a while things taste like tin.
I have pans that belonged to my great grandmother. I got them because no one wanted them and they are over 100 years old. Some are so seasoned they are smooth.
I wash mine with soap and water. It has never harmed the surface or made anything taste like soap. If it does then you need to add more layers because the pits in your pans are too big.
I love my cast iron. It's great for making pizza too....
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Lemons750
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11/26/11 10:22am |
Camp Cooks and Connoisseurs
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