Eggs on the Grill

Here is a really great way to cook eggs while camping.

 What you need

A muffin pan

Cooking spray 

Eggs

Salt and Pepper

Cheese

Peppers

Spray the muffin pan with cooking spray crack the eggs,one in each tin,and place them on the grill.

You can add cheese or anything you want and can even scramble them or leave them whole.

Hot Dogs

Here's a new twist on a favorite camping staple,the Hot Dog

You will need 8 Hot Dogs,1/4 cup Ketsup 2 Tablespoons Worcesteshire sauce,1 garlic clove minced and 1 teaspoon vegetable oil. With a small knife make cuts at an angle in 2 rows down each hot dog,about a 1/2 inch apart,cutting partway into the dog. Mix the Ketsup Worcesteshire sauce oil and garlic and place it in a ziplock bag.add Hot Dogs and let them marinade for 15 to 20 minutes. Place them on the Grill and cook.

S'Mores in a Box

Before you leave for your camping trip,pack your graham crackers,marshmallows,chocolate bars and peanut butter cups in a plastic container. This way your ready when they want those tasty treats and don't have to fiddle with all those wrappers.

Never Camp without it

Fels Naptha Soap,my Mom used it all the time in the laundry,but did you know it is a great source to help stop poison ivy,oak or sumac.Wash with it and it helps cut the oils. The oils are what react to your skin,and causes the rash to spread. You can find it at the pharmacy or grocery store and it's very inexpensive. 

Popcorn

Camping and popcorn well why not. All you need is some popcorn,oil,foil,salt,butter,a stick yes I said a stick and a fire.

Breakfast

Here's an easy breakfast while camping. I found these at the grocery store and since I'm always looking for simple things to cook when camping I thought I'd give them a try. You just add boiling water to the cup,put the lid back on and wait about 3 minutes,stir and eat. They come in several flavors and worked out very well. They would also be good for a family whose always in a hurry.

More Camping 101

This idea is genius. 

When we first started Camping we had a tent. It gets quite dark at night in most campgrounds,and a late night trip to the campground bathroom could be hazardous even with a flashlight. I remember one such night coming back in the dark and tripping over one of the tent stakes. From a tent we moved up to a Motor Home,but there were still things to stumble over in the dark. When I saw this at one of the camp sites I thought how brilliant. They had placed solar lights around so they could see where their tie downs were,and other things they wanted to avoid falling over. We have now moved up to a 5th wheel and I am going to get a few solar lights to put out when we camp not only for safety but so we can find our campsite in the dark.

Sage

Did you know that when your camping you can keep Mosquitos and bugs away with sage.

Take some sage tie it into a bundle and toss it in your campfire.

Tin Foil and Camping

One of the essential things you need when camping is tin foil. There are so many uses for it. My favorite is making Hobo Dinners. They are so easy and since you make them individually they can be made to suit each person. For instance if someone doesn't like onions leave them out.

What you need

A roll of tin foil

Ground beef

Potatoes

Onions or like I use onion soup mix

Carrots

Zucchini 

Actually you can use any vegetables your family likes.

Ice cubes

Add all the ingredients in a bowl and mix.

Tear off individual pieces of the foil place a good amount of the mixture in the center of the foil

Place an ice cube in the center and fold up all the edges securing the foil around the meat mixture.

Place on grill or in an open fire and cook,it's as simple as that. 

You can also have the beef,potatoes,carrots and onions in separate bowls and let each person make them to their own liking

Around the Campfire

When camping it's always fun to have activities for the kids. When we had our Motor Home,I had puzzles and coloring books and crayons,just in case there was a rainy day. When we sold the Motor Home those things went with it for someone else's children to enjoy. 

Now that we have a 5 th wheel and will start Camping again I have been searching Pinterest for ideas for when the grand-children will be around. I will of course have a puzzle since I enjoy doing them too. We will certainly have some crafty things,but I want something different. One thing I found that I think will be fun is a Campfire Tale fill-in. I plan on printing some out and keeping them in the 5th wheel and then before the inevitable campfire we will tell some tales.

Bee Gone

Here is something I found that will probably come in handy while camping. 

What You Need

Lemons

Whole Cloves

Cut a small piece off each end of the lemon,then cut the lemon in half. Invert the whole cloves in each half and set out. Bees do not like the scent.

Herbs

I love to use fresh herbs whenever I can. Last Summer I had a huge planter on  the deck with many different herbs growing in it. Anytime I needed Basil or parsley I could just walk outside and cut some. It was so convenient. That got me to thinking what am I going to this year. We will be gone quite a bit camping and with no one here to water,they would eventually die. Now I have grown herbs inside on the windowsill so I thought why can't I grow some in the 5th wheel,since there are plenty of windows. I bought some seeds,only the ones I'll use most,basil,chives,parsley and dill. I started them today,and once they grow I'll transplant them into pots that will eventually go into the 5th wheel. I'm excited at the prospect of being able to still cook with fresh herbs while on the road.

Camping Tips

Here are a few tips that we will certainly use when we go camping this Summer.

1. Place a few dryer sheets under the table cloth on the picnic table,it keeps the bees away.

2. Having trouble starting your outdoor fire. Bring along dryer lint wrapped in an empty Toilet paper roll.it works better than kindling.

3. Clean out those Tic Tac containers after their empty and fill them with spices.

4. Use an empty catsup squeeze bottle and fill it with pancake batter,and squeeze out perfect size pancakes every time.

5. Mosquitos around the Bon fire place a bunch of sage on top of your fire it drives them away.

Camping with Kids

1. Have things for them to do,games,and puzzles in case it rains

2. Plan some crafts

3. Have a scavenger hunt 

Time to Start Planning

I know it's only January and even though some people camp in the winter,were not one of then,but this is a good time to begin planning. I am very excited at the prospect of traveling the open road again. I love planning our trips. Searching on line for the perfect campground,reading what annemities they have,and of course this time around making sure they have pull through sites.

Several places we are hoping to get to are Shipshewana,which may be our maiden voyage,to kind of test our experience towing a 5th wheel,the upper peninsula stopping to visit John's Mom and then up to Calumet where my Grandmother was from as was John's dad. I have addresses where they lived and quite a few of our ancestors are buried in the Cemetary up there. We would love to go back to Tennessee and next winter hopefully head to Florida. We will definately go to Wisconsin to see Sam,Kristine and the kids and stay in Marathon Park,maybe that should be our maiden voyage. It's a wonderful park,never crowded and we could get a lot of practice maneuvering the 5th wheel around. 

Things seem to be coming together,the basement is loaded with all the things we need. In April the hitch will be installed in the truck,and once the 5th wheel is prepped we will be ready to go. I can't wait,guess I better get busy and look at some campgrounds.