Camping Foods (Hope: budget, resort, oil)

[Northern Maine Land Man]

We used to freeze everything. That way it all stays frozen longer in a cooler. Steaks on the sixth night out on the Allagash astonishes your fellow campers.

We take corn bread mix and buttermilk biscuit mix and open them up at home. We mix the dry ingredients thoroughly and put half back in each bag. The recipes are the same and your corn bread doesn't fall apart. Mmmm good. You can make muffins, bake it all in a cake pan to slice or make them like dropped biscuits in a pan.

When making biscuits, throw some raisins in the batter. It's a good surprise.

I make an awesome cobbler in a dutch oven. I take whatever fruit is available on the trip and mix it with canned apple sauce. When Maine Writer is at Baxter the raspberries ought to be out. It will be a little early, but those that get a lot of sun will be ready.

Jiffy cakes or brownies are supposed to just need water in the mix. I cut back a little on the water and add an egg to the mix. The cake is moist and doesn't fall apart in your hand.

Over 60 years of cooking in the woods.

[elston]

"American Chop Suey was a regular at Maine tables when we were growing up. Heard it was invented in Gray, Maine! This isn't the canned spaghetti sauce version; its more like the stuff served at the old Larson's Lunch Box in Damariscotta.
Start by boiling water in a large pot. Add salt and 2/3 a pound of macaroni elbows. Cook until done and drain into a colander.
While the water is coming to a boil, cut up a large onion and a large green pepper. Put them in a large frying pan with some oil and start them cooking over a medium flame. Add about a pound of ground chuck. Break it up into bite sized pieces as you fry it. Don't overdo. Add some garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. When the mix is done, drain the fat off. Add a big can of diced tomatoes and a small can of tomato paste. Cook for a couple minutes on medium. Then return the elbows to the macaroni pot, mix in the sauce, and reheat the whole thing for a minute or two."

To me it is important that American Chop Suey not be confused with spaghetti....both good but different. Enjoy!

[Zymer]

Originally Posted by RANGER.101ST

coyotes+tent or tent+any wild life= unhappy camper.this bubba dont do tents any more.lay on the ground,damp,skeeters,raine,sleet,snow,zipper breaks,no im good ill sleep in the camper or just go to camp and fire up the propaine lights.

Tent? What kind Ranger were you?

Don't need no stinkin' tent, just a knife and some matches. Ah, the good old days, living in the boonies, eating frogs and roots...

[Maineah]

Excellent post NMLM! Very helpful information!

[genmomto5]

Best kid thing I can come up with is from my menu subscription to Relishrelish.com. I love almost everything they come up with and highly recommend their menu service. They have a whole camping menu with a shopping list and recipes/instructions to go with.

Here's their recipe for Grilled Banana Splits

4 Bananas

1 cup mini marshmallows

1 cup chocolate chips

Peel banana down one side and cut a wedge into the banana.
Place marshmallows and chocolate chips in the wedge. cover with banana peel and aluminum foil.

Place in to coals for 5 - 10 minutes.

I'm assured these are good. I am allergic to bananas so I'll never know.

[RANGER.101ST]

Originally Posted by Zymer

Tent? What kind Ranger were you?

Don't need no stinkin' tent, just a knife and some matches. Ah, the good old days, living in the boonies, eating frogs and roots...

this bubba dont lay on the ground and sleep any more last time we went camping in a tent i had to crawl out and the wife had to help me to my feet my back was sore for a week.no thanks im good ill let the younger people sleep in the tent.

[peachie_in_maine]

Originally Posted by starwalker

With all due respect, I would not call that camping... nor do I call what my folks did with their Winabago camping. Not sure what TO call it... but I have to laugh because for over 10 years of my life, raising my kids, day in and day out electric lights, hot showers, chemical toilets were not even a part of life at home! So to me, eschewing such "luxuries" does not constitute "being miserable" at home or away from home in a tent in the woods. It's all a matter of personal preference. I do like to have a tent and prefer that inside the tent stay dry... and I usually do take some food and a way to make fire with me, but that's me.

I do agree that one of the wonderful things about living in Maine (at least where I do) is that it is not necessary to travel long distances and make major excursions to commune with nature.... though it is always nice to spend time far enough away from home that a little planning and hauling along some supplies is appropriate.

What do we call camping in an RV? Would that be simply "RVing?"

I would enjoy that right now. Being about to roll around see the different sites in Maine and wake up in a cozy bed and looking out the window and seeing a new surrounding.

I'm getting older and the last time I went tenting my back ached and I woke up with my nose cold and I felt icky all day. ( I guess that means my tenting days are over.

In 1996 I went tenting for 3 months in a state park. I enjoyed it. It wasn't deep in the woods, but it was the limit I could handle.

[Boomerang]

My folks did the cycle of camping a few times----tent, popup, trailer....stopped to raise kids....then did tent, popup, trailer with kids....

We have an awesome cabin tent and love it except for fussing with air mattresses when moving camp. I'm thinking a popup is the next logical step

[dmyankee]

Originally Posted by Zymer

Tent? What kind Ranger were you?

Don't need no stinkin' tent, just a knife and some matches. Ah, the good old days, living in the boonies, eating frogs and roots...

Nothing like a good knife! You can use it to pry off a huge chunk of chaga from a birch tree, fire up a corner of it with the matches, surround it with a few rocks and then us the knife once again to elevate the coffee pot or kettle from the smoldering chaga. Throw a few grounds in a cheesecloth, tie it up throw it in the pot.

Use the rest of the afternoon to gather berries and check they snares you set on the bunny trails. Dress the hare with your bare hands, you don't need the knife. Cut a green hardwood switch with the knife, skewer the carcass, add tinder to the ember and then hardwood and roast dinner.

[bignhfamily]

Originally Posted by elston

"American Chop Suey was a regular at Maine tables when we were growing up. Heard it was invented in Gray, Maine! This isn't the canned spaghetti sauce version; its more like the stuff served at the old Larson's Lunch Box in Damariscotta.
Start by boiling water in a large pot. Add salt and 2/3 a pound of macaroni elbows. Cook until done and drain into a colander.
While the water is coming to a boil, cut up a large onion and a large green pepper. Put them in a large frying pan with some oil and start them cooking over a medium flame. Add about a pound of ground chuck. Break it up into bite sized pieces as you fry it. Don't overdo. Add some garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. When the mix is done, drain the fat off. Add a big can of diced tomatoes and a small can of tomato paste. Cook for a couple minutes on medium. Then return the elbows to the macaroni pot, mix in the sauce, and reheat the whole thing for a minute or two."

To me it is important that American Chop Suey not be confused with spaghetti[/b][/b]....both good but different. Enjoy!

Right Elston!!!

This is American Chop Suey. It's just not the same when you make it with a can of spaghetti sauce.