O/T - Camp Food

[smileyzookie]

I know a lot of us are campers, so I was curious what everyone brings for food? We dont eat out at all while we camp. For instance, we'll eat hot dogs, steaks, hamburgers for dinner. For breakfast, eggs, sausage, hash browns. For lunch we do like sandwiches, fruits, nuts ect. So what do you do?

 

If you have cheap camp food ideas that would rock as well. We have a charcoal grill and my friend brings her propane grill. Plus of course the campfire. - We bring 2 coolers one for dry food and one for cold.

[Dixie_Girl]

The day before we left, I would make a potatoe salad. We always took steaks for our first meal. Hamburgers were next. Then it was chili, and the next night hot dogs with the left over chili, then roasted hot dogs. That was usually the last night. Oatmeal, eggs, bacon and pancakes (on different mornings) were breakfast fare. Lunch was sandwhiches or what ever there was. Of course there was cereal and PBJ for the youguns!

[smileyzookie]

I didnt even think of chili!! That would be a great meal!

[Pat W.]

We usually camp for out of state agility trials and I have two large rubbemaid bins for camping/food I usually pack: cereal of some sort depending on the weather, eggs, pancake mix, spices and seasonings, worcester, ketchup, mustard,mayo, 1/2 gal milk, 1 days worth of meat- I like to buy "fresh", fruit,snax, PB & J, bread, rolls, spaghetti or some kind of noodle, rice, 1 onion, 1 pepper, Tomato sauce. Ice tea mix or a 12 pack of coke.

 

That is my basic cooking bin then I try and sit down and figure out what meals I'm going to make.

At the out of state trials we go to workers get lunch tickets so for the most part I dont have to worry about lunch. Of course I have a 14 yr old son who if I dont supply food on an hourly basis will eat the tent if I'm not careful LOL

[Carson Crazies]

Smores!

 

Everything else is just an added bonus.

 

 

Ok, serious now. Hot dogs are always first night. Bacon & Eggs for breakfast, and cereal for back up in case we can't get the fire going. Sandwich stuff for lunch, and steaks for second night. Sometimes hamburger etc too. Sometimes stuff to make french fries. Fruit and nut mixes, and canned soups/tuna just in case. While we do have propane burners, I cook over the fire in a cast-iron skillet for breakfast.

 

Did I mention Smores?

[Allie Oop]

My hubby is a space fanatic, so everything we bring has to fit in a relatively small space -- no overflowing allowed. Consequently, we use a lot of space efficient things like dehydrated hashbrowns, dehydrated refried beans, etc. (actually, add some fresh produce picked up locally, a little grated cheese, etc. and these things cook up great).

 

My 13 yr. old LOVES to make "tin-foil dinners" prepared either in an open fire or on a grill. You probably already know how to make them, but here's a description:

 

For 4 dinners: tinfoil, 2-3 large potatoes (unpeeled), 1 large onion, bag of the baby carrots, garlic, salt, pepper (we have a mini-grinder), sm. bottle worchestershire, sm. bottle A-1, a packet of dry french onion soup mix and red meat (hamburger, steak, bison, elk, whatever -this recipe doesn't work with fish. If you want finfoil fish - let me know ). Insulated oven mitt/glove.

 

Cut the potatoes and onions into small cubes, you can cut the carrots in half, if you want. Take two 2 ft. strips of tin foil and lay them shiny side up on the table. Fold all of the edges together in a 1 inch or so roll and press flat (so you have a double layer). Mold the foil into a square box shape and put a handful of potatoes, carrots and onions in the bottom, then put your meat on top of the veggies. Sprinkle on some of the soup mix, put on the worchestershire, A-1, salt, pepper, etc. to taste. You can add a tsp. or so of water. BE CAREFUL TO RESIST THE TEMPTATION TO MAKE THESE TOO BIG!! You need enough tinfoil left to pull the long sides together and press and roll them down and flat. Then take the short sides and do the same thing. If the whole thing is bulging (can you tell this happens to us all of the time?) you can take a third piece of foil (shiny side to the inside) and wrap it around the whole packet again.

 

You then take the tin-foil packets and either place them in the coals of a campfire or on the grill. They do cook a little faster directly on the coals. Depending on the meat they usually take between 25 - 45 minutes. Check them periodically. When they are done, use the mitt/glove and put each of them on a plate. You can then take a knife, make a long cut in the foil and pull back and eat.

 

My son and his friends beg for these every time we go camping and they are wonderful!

 

Have fun!

[smileyzookie]

Wow! These are great ideas! You know Laura I had never eatten a Smore until June of this year when we went to the ocean.. Im 27!!!

 

Deb that roasted stuff sounds delicious! An entire meal in itself. And, we'd only have to feed 2 of us cause my husband thinks its necessary to eat an entire package of hot dogs a night instead of real food

 

Pat it never occured to me that I could do noodles! I mean I have a water boiler, but you have to literally beat me over the head with ideas before I get the point of something LOL

[Jack & Co.]

When my husband and son were on a canoeing trip last year, I put canned spaghetti sauce with store-bought meatballs and then sealed them in my Foodsaver. I froze them and when they made camp, they dropped the package in boiling water. I had also sent along rolls in foil that could be warmed near the fire and mozzarella cheese. Cheap, easy, and my guys said it was delicious! I think they had individual cups of fruit also.

[nancy]

Can you see me making the sign of the cross to ward off the evil camping spirits?

 

My folks took us camping in an ancient green umbrella tent with a bay - and internal poles - when we inherited it from my father's uncle. Until I not only graduated but got married.

 

Then we finally got a tent because it was the only way we could afford a vacation with our 3 kids. We ended droughts wherever we went.

 

The only meal that sticks in my mind was breakfast after our bike race in Winston-Salem, before our race in Raleigh, when I was preparing for grad finals. Pancakes. I had packed the camping box with all the pots, pans, dishes, supplies. But no silverware. You can pour a bit of syrup in a coffee cup and dip rolled pancakes in. Honest.

 

Been there; done that; burned the @#$%^ed T-shirt!

[Tassie]

Okay - help needed for an Aussie (person). I thought I could translate American English into Australian English pretty well - but what on earth is a Smore???? I don't think we have them here, and if we do, we clearly call them something else.

[smileyzookie]

A Smore is a chunk of Hershey Chocolate Bar, graham crakers and a roasted (on campfire)marshmellow made into a sandwich. mmmmmmmmm Chocolatey

 

I dont think we've butchered any meals yet. There was one time we ate chicken and I got sick like immediately and stayed in the bathroom for a while LOL.

 

These are all excellent ideas. Im really excited about trying the foil dinners!!

[Kitch]

Well, if you camp with KrisK you eat in style! Fresh veggies for a tomato/cucumber/mozzarella salad, corn on the cob, beef shish-kabobs, sauteed mushrooms and onions, washed down with a nice bottle of merlot. yum mmmm. That woman knows how to camp!

[Allie Oop]

Smileyzookie, another thing that really makes a camping trip fun, is to check for produce stands and farmer's markets along the way. Your hubby might not like it too much (not enough hotdogs), but you can come up with some great meals!

 

Fresh corn, squash, local cheeses, etc. picked up at a farmer's market are usually great! We almost always have at least one meal that is solely locally procured -- fresh bread, cheese, fresh peas, local wines all make a great dinner!

 

One of the funnest meals we made on our camping excusion into Canada was walking into the village at Waterton and buying bison steaks, fresh new potatoes and tomatoes. We grilled the bison steaks (lean -- so you serve medium rare) on our small charcoal grill, with onions and the rest of the veggies. It was fabulous!

 

We did make S'mores a couple of the nights we were out and my son thought that was the greatest.

 

P.S. Sounds like KrisK really knows how to fix camp food! (A good merlot goes with most everything. )

[Tassie]

That's not camping, Kerry - that's fine dining al fresco!

 

Smiley Zookie - thanks for the translation. I think we'd have to go for substitutions - we don't have graham crackers here - or not by that name, and I think you can only get Hershey bars in a few places. The roasted marshmallows we could do. Sounds pretty rich and gooey - but very nice on a cold night, I'd think.

[Jack & Co.]

Zookie, you made me nervous when you said that you had been sick from eating chicken. Freeze big blocks of ice (I use my turkey roaster; my mother freezes big empty Gatorade bottles) so you can keep your cold foods cold. The rule of thumb is "Keep your hot foods hot and your cold foods cold.

 

Not to insult your intelligence and since I don't know if you cook a lot, I'll offer one more suggestion. If you do try to do chicken, PLEASE make sure that you cook it thoroughly! No bloody joints or bones.....no blood anywhere! (I've even gotten undercooked rotisserie chickens at my grocery store. Yuck!) Err on the side of caution so you don't miss any of your fun vacation!

 

Here's a helpful website that can guide you in keeping your food safe on your camping trip:

 

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Food_...ating/index.asp

[smileyzookie]

LOL Thanks for the concern on the chicken. We actually got camp set up and cooked the chicken breasts (no bone) immediately. They were still partially frozen lol. (I think it was nerves - my husband was driving late in the dark with Riven to meet my best friend and her bf... I dont know if I was more worried about him or Riven LOL.)We freeze water bottles with ice and the frozen cooler packs, like 3 of them for a small cooler. When we went to the coast we had been gone 5 days and our water bottles still had ice for the trip home!

 

We're camping tonight through to Friday. Hopefully.. Im having a medical issue so Im hoping Im allowed to go. We're going to Boise for the doctor appointment, and there are a ton of fruit/veggie stands! Thats a superb idea - thanks for reminding me.

[Jack & Co.]

Great! Like I said, I didn't want to insult your intelligence but I'm always surprised at how cavalier people can be with food safety when they are on the road. Sounds like you've got it covered!

 

Hope your medical problem is nothing serious and you are cleared to travel.

[Catu]

When I go camp (and I do it a lot, almost monthly) I use to do trekking, no car, so everything I carry for me and my dog must be in my backpack. Because of it I take mostly dried and canned food. Pre-made rice, 3 minute pasta, tuna... not exactly delicious, but as light as posible. My trick is to always take an onion and sachets of oil and of lemmon juice, those simple things can do magic fixing meals. I use to have dried fruit, as apple or quince. Once cooked you can eat ir warm or cool depending on the weather and is always refreshing.

 

I hope you can be healt to your camping, my best wishes.

[muddy bob]

One year my father took my brother and I to the mountains to camp. We had to hike in. There was snow on the ground I was in sneakers because my folks did not believe in spending much on the kids while they were still growing. I had some problems with my feet and my dad was actually concerned. They seemed OK the next day. But my WORST memory of this trip was the food. My dad had eggs and bacon for himself and the kids got oatmeal. Just the oats with NOTHING else for flavour.

I'm forty now and ready to put aside some of my rotten experiences with my dad (I always ended up coming home banged up). I actually want to go camping but I'm going to do it with style. I'm taking good food and wine like Kris (she is classy). No one will get hurt and no oatmeal will ever be served.

muddy

[Jack & Co.]

As a Southern girl, I don't believe that oatmeal should be served anytime, anywhere and certainly not on a fun trip or vacation. And cream of wheat...what the heck is it? Yuck!

 

Now grits are another matter.....grits are delicious all day and you can throw in sausage or bacon with some butter and have a one-dish meal. Cheese is good too! The only downside is having to wash the pot the grits were cooked in!

[Rebecca, Irena Farm]

We ended droughts wherever we went.

Please come camp up here! Literally, the last time it rained was when, well, when Kerry intended to camp here after the get together. I need to lure more people up because my pastures are turning into deserts . . .

 

Another front is coming through today, and I got pretty excited until the weatherman said last night, "There will be a pretty hard edge on this system - I don't expect anything north of the VA line or a little south of there. Yes, we are six miles south of the VA line.

[Jack & Co.]

Rebecca, we had 1.81 inches overnight here in Cabarrus County. I'm sorry that I took more than my share of rain! I was proud that my grass still looked pretty good, but now I feel guilty knowing that things are crispy up your way! I can spare a little the next time!

[KrisK]

No one will get hurt and no oatmeal will ever be served.

I have to tell you - that I happen to really like oatmeal - comes from living in a really cold climate and needing the belly warmed up to walk to school. I still like it in the wintertime. However, it must have milk AND brown sugar or fresh maple syrup (totally yummy)

 

Thanks for the compliment Kerry I have to admit, that when I camp, which isn't as often (hmm,,,that might change now that I'm going to start sheepherding classes!) I do like to eat well. If I have time, bacon & eggs is really nice, with rye bread toast and jam. If I have steak, I usually have a bit left over for breakfast and cook that with left over potatoes. I don't cook much at home - DH's job but I do like to cook outdoors. Oh...if you like fish - this is nice. Take the whole fish, [cleaned of course - preferably headless!] stuff with chopped potatoes, carrots, onions, etc and wrap in foil - cook over coals on an open fire or on low on a portable bbq...when the fish falls off the bones - it's ready to eat. Wash all things down with a good red wine And there is nothing like roasted marshmallows dipped in Bailey's for dessert [next time Kerry!!]

[Kitch]

Literally, the last time it rained was when, well, when Kerry intended to camp here after the get together.

Yes, I seem to have that effect on the weather...case in point, the monsoon we had this weekend at the Dog Dayz camp out.

 

When I was in consulting it was an on-going joke for 3 years that whenever I had major field work (involving contractors - which was fairly often), there would be rain/sleet/freak snowstorms, etc. People would seriously ask me my field work schedule before they planned theirs, just to avoid having work on the same day if possible.

 

Kris can tell you how amazed I was at Kingston with the beautiful weather. I kept saying I couldn't believe how nice it was...

[BustopherJones]

For snacking, you might consider taking pre-packaged dried fruit and beef jerky. Also, I believe that they still sell the freeze-dried ice cream that the astronauts used to take with them. Another delicious desert is dark chocolate on French bread.

 

For a cheap, easy meal, combine a large can of beans with a package of cocktail weiners in a pan or pot, and cook over an open fire until hot. Cold beans on Portuguese bread are also delicious, but it may be an acquired taste. (Keep in mind that I also eat couscous, sushi, and raw sea urchins, so I may not be the best person to ask...)