5/24/10

Menu Plan Monday~Camping edition!

You can tell from the lack of chatter around the blogasphere and the few and far between posts that everyone is getting excited about the Memorial Day weekend and going camping. We are for sure!

Our Monday through Thursday meals will be focused on getting the fridge cleaned out because I don't want to come home to a bunch of nasty festering left overs after spending 4 days in the woods. It's basically YOYO week here :)~

But come Friday through Tuesday of next week we will be cooking over a fire (fun! Really, I love campfire cooking) and trying out my new Dutch Oven. It's got legs so that you can set it over hot coals and a rimmed lid for putting hot coals on. Just like the ones the pioneers used while traveling the Oregon Trail.

I have learned over the summers of camping that planning out the menu is a big part of being able to have a good camping experience, especially when you go camping in the places we do. Most of our favorite camping spots are considered Primative, meaning no drinking water, garbage service, flushing toilets or showers. We are talking deep woods here. Menu planning for these spots requires thinking out every meal, snack and beverage as well as proper food storage arrangements. Food must be kept at the correct temperature to avoid spoilage and in a safe place that will keep wild animals out of it. Skunks rummaging around for a snack in the middle of the night in camp are not pleasant (we know from experience.) For this trip we are actually going to a small camping resort up at Tiger Pass so there will be flushing toilets and showers. We decided to do this instead of risk not getting a spot at all since it is the first camping holiday of the year and every spot will be taken by Thursday.

Of course, there is always a lake nearby because my husband, dad and son aren't ones to just sit around a campsite all day, they want to hunt the wily fish. And, contrary to what you would think, fish really are quite wily. you would not believe the lengths they go to while trying to catch them, but that is a whole nother blog all together.

Anyway, back to the Menu plan.

Dad and hubs are planning on going up on Friday and setting up camp. I will send up a picnic dinner with them or they can eat at the Resort Cafe. Mom, the boy and I will be going up on Saturday. This is the plan right now, but they are lobbying rather aggressively for us all to go up on Friday so we will see. As far as the Menu goes....

On which ever day I get there, a big Longhorn BBQ Spiral Cut ham will be placed in the Dutch oven over foil wrapped potatoes and we will have that for dinner. The left over ham will also provide breakfast and sandwich meat for the remaining days. It will be the first time I have ever used the dutch oven so I am keeping my finger's crossed and hoping it turns out well.

Maryann's Baked Beans - best on the planet and she said I could share the recipe! I made up a double batch a few weeks ago in anticipation of our first camping trip of the season.

Corn on the cob - I might stick it in the dutch oven as well if there is room, if not, it will be put on the grill.

Breakfast - day 1

Cereal and Yogurt

Campfire Frittata! This is so easy and uses some of the left over ham and the left over baked potatoes.

Chop the ham and potatoes, heat some bacon grease (if you got it, I have been saving it for the trip), when the grease is hot, add the potatoes, once they start to brown a bit, add the ham, stir to keep from burning. Crack and scramble and season 4-5 eggs, pour over the ham and potatoes, cover and let cook until eggs are set, sprinkle with shredded cheese, or place a few slices on top and let melt. Slice like a pizza and serve.

Lunch: Ham or Egg Salad Sandwiches, PB&J for the boy. Chips and veggies with dip. Laura's Mac Salad and Jello salad.

Afternoon Snacks: PB Cookies, crackers, summer sausage and cheese.

Supper:
Rib Eye steaks on the grill!
Baked Beans
Fire Baked Sweet Potatoes
Roasted Marshmellows for dessert!

Breakfast: Day 2

Cereal and Yogurt
Royce's Breakfast Sandwich. Basically, an open faced bacon cheese burger on a fried egg over fire toasted Sour Dough bread. Its simple but so yummy!

Lunch: More Sandwiches, Mac Salad, chips, veggies and dip.

Snacks: Summer Sausage, cheese and crackers, cookies.

Supper:

Roasted Game Hens. I might do them in the Dutch oven but will probably split them and roast over the fire.
What ever is left of the baked beans and Salads.
Roasted Marshmellows of course!

Last Day:

Breakfast at the Resort Cafe. Then packing it up and coming home.

Don't miss out on getting in on my Yoplait Greek Yogurt and Spa Set Give away! I will be choosing the winner on Wednesday, May 26 and its easy to enter, just leave a comment here :)

And make sure to see what everyone else has planned for dinner at the Org Junkies weekly MPM event!


5 comments:

ginger-n-wyo said...

I love Dutch oven cooking! I've done game hens in the Dutch oven and they turn out moist and tasty. Sounds like fun.

The Frugal Life of A Mom said...

Thanks so much for the bean recipe. I am going to give it a shot one of these days. They sound so yummy!:) Have fun camping! :)

Unknown said...

Have fun camping Leah, all the food sounds amazing!

Unknown said...

Sounds like a very adventurous week!! I'm focused on finishing the school year, and then we can concentrate on some fun of our own. ;)

Ginger-n-wyo said...

I got a 2nd Dutch oven for Christmas. The boys scouts have a whole website http://www.scoutorama.com/recipe/index.cfm
Dedicated to dutch oven recipes. It's pretty easy to adapt most regular oven recipes to the dutch oven once you get feel for how it cooks. Hope you have a great time camping. I grew up in central Washington and really miss it.