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Share Your Outdoor Recipe!
Perfect Cooking Coals!
This last Fall, the wife and I had an opportunity to attend an Outdoor Craft show that was sponsored by the local VFW Auxiliary. The activity had numerous booths with interesting outdoor handcraft. However, the one booth that interested me most was the one selling “White” Chili.
Having been born in Arizona and raised in New Mexico, I thought I knew and understood everything there was to know about chili; but, obviously that’s not the case. I had never seen chili made out of chicken; it did have a different taste but was not all that bad, actually quite good. I thought the recipe would make an outstanding novelty addition to our Share Your Outdoor Recipe segment.
Ingredients (one serving):
- ½ chicken breast;
- ½ can Great Northern beans;
- ½ can chicken broth;
- ½ of a small onion (chopped);
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil;
- salt and pepper;
- optional seasonings (including: oregano, cumin, and chili pepper) to taste.
Process:
- Coat an outdoor cookware pan with vegetable oil and place on the smoldering hot coals of a camp fire. Place chicken breasts into the pan, cover it and cook until there is no pink left in the breasts (or 165 degrees (F)).
- While chicken is cooking, combine broth, beans, onions, and seasoning in a separate pan/Dutch oven and place on the hot coals of the camp fire.
- When the chicken is done, remove the pan. Dice the chicken and add to the other chili ingredients.
- Let chili simmer over the coals for 20-30 minutes, and it’ll be piping hot/ready to serve.
Take Care of It!
Small Family Camping!
As we have previously discussed, it is critical to maintain your camping tent. If you want it there for you, you got to take care of it. But, aside from those general care/cleaning tips, there are other tent “No/No’s” that you should be aware of:
- Don’t roll up the tent when wet – It will develop fungi/mold that will damage the material and form a lasting nauseous smell.
- Eating inside of the tent – Food crumbs will attract ants, bugs, and other creepy crawlers. Open food products might encourage a visit from the bigger four legged kind including bears.
- Do not store near a heat source – Keep it in a cool place; heat can also deteriorate its quality.
- Roll-up your tent, rather than folding it – Folding it along the same crease lines will eventually wear out the material along those lines.
- Don’t ignore defects – It won’t get better with time, only worse.
Family camping would not be complete without camping tents. Once you have obtained quality equipment, it is important that you do those things that will maximize its potential by taking care of it and using within designed requirements.
Morning Burrito!
Quick, Nutritious, and Tasty!
As Dad used to say, the key to camping food preparation is to maximize taste and nutrition while minimizing preparation time. The following breakfast favorite not only meets but exceeds that criteria.
Ingredients (one serving):
- cooking spray;
- 1 – medium tortilla;
- 1 or 2 eggs (as preferred);
- 2 – bacon strips;
- several chopped onion and green paper slices (as preferred)
- salt and pepper (as preferred).
Process: Give your camping cookware frying pan a shot of cooking spray and place on a portable stove burner or in the hot coals of a campfire. Put 2-strips of bacon in the pan and while sizzling, mix eggs and chopped/sliced peppers in a mixing bowl. When bacon is done, set it aside on a paper towel. Take egg mixture and pour into the hot frying pan; stir frequently until done. Put tortilla on a plate; place bacon strips in the center of the tortilla; put egg mixture on top of the bacon strips; salt/pepper; then: roll, serve - ENJOY!
Safety On Floating Ice!
Is it safe to walk/drive on?
This year, one of the biggest concerns here in the North Country is the lack of moisture and cold weather. It has definitely cut into skiing, snow-boarding, ice fishing, and snowmobile/ATV riding.
Normally. This is the time of year when you can get out on the lake with just about anything without fear of falling through the ice. However, this year that’s not the case as is verified by depiction of a tragic accident almost every day in the daily news. I do remind everyone that safety is an individual responsibility.
One of the best resources that covers the common-sense, precautionary measures a person should follow when on a fresh water ice cover can be found at the following: LINK (US Army Engineering). This resource stipulates that there are four things that a person must focus on when planning an outing on the ice, your: physical condition, clothing, equipment, and procedures.
Practice Survival Foraging!
Quite Nutritious!
Foraging while on the move is a technique used to feed yourself while traveling on foot. While using this method of food accumulation, it is critical that you be super-vigilant during your movement for food products that could be easily harvested for your cooking pot. These products, regardless of how small, would include all types of food categories (animal, insect, plant). An example might be:
- Clover – This green vegetation grows in the cool/damp areas of a forest;
- Slugs – A shell-less snail, most commonly found on land in damp/dark hiding places and an ideal protein source;
- Bugs that Eat You – Whether they fly or crawl, all should be considered fair game for your cooking pot;
- Grasshoppers – An excellent choice of survival food;
- Ants – Readily available, easily harvested, and an ideal food snack;
- Pine Needles – Nutritious, high in vitamin C and other nutrients;
- Dandelions – A yellow, very distinctive flower that is native to all temperate areas. Green leaves are mild and quite palatable.
To be completely safe, all items should be cooked in/with available survival cookware. It will not only make the food more appealing but kill/destroy any existing parasites or disease.
Survival Foraging!
Edibles!
While in the service, I recall attending annual survival training; as a minimum, it was always conducted prior to any/all major deployments. During the training, they always reinforced or taught skills necessary to conserve your energy while on the move. One of the concepts taught was called Survival Foraging; this form of multi-tasking allows the survivor to gather edible food products while spending little or no additional energy. The criteria includes:
- Attempting to move from one point to the next;
- Food products must be on the direct line of travel and require little effort/time to acquire;
- Discard food prejudices. Remember insects and other creepy crawlers are eaten by some cultures on a daily basis. However, do not place survival at risk due to ignorance.
To be successful, you must be observant. Collect easy to get edibles no matter how small or what type (animal, insect, or plant). Stick to your route, but when stopped for pauses/rest breaks collect edibles. Storage of edibles and food preparation will be based on available survival equipment.
Family Involvement!
Outdoor Cooking!
Outdoor cooking can and should be a family activity. It makes an otherwise mundane chore something special. Eating is fun, as should be fixing the food you eat. However, to do this takes time and a-little effort; plan food preparation that will include the entire family. This activity will not only be educational but extremely rewarding.
Even cooking a hot-dog or marshmallow can be a real challenge to insure that it’s cooked just right and not burnt. Cooking, as you well know, is a learned skill; especially cooking outdoors with charcoal, wood, or a portable cook stove. This activity will require some hands-on training. Take time to talk about what you plan to cook, discuss safety, and practice fire building.
It can be fun to beat eggs, mix pan cakes, make milkshakes, or cherry cobbler providing you have the proper camping cookware, stove and/or campfire. Don’t be too ambitious, at first; but, based on the kid’s ages , do give them tasks to complete with each receiving an acknowledged task ownership. These type of experiences are character building – the memories will never fade away!
Vacation Time!
Take Vacation Time!
Whether it be during the Spring, Summer, Fall, or Winter – I’m sure you can think of reasons to take time off. If not for you, think of your family. Everyone needs periodic periods away from daily stress-ors, a place where the body, mind, and soul can relax/rejuvenate.
Each year, Americans fail to take millions of authorized vacation days. Up front, these days equate to billions of dollars in hourly wages that may or may not be lost. Additionally, what the average worker doesn’t realize is that there are other possible back-end costs that could be associated with this. The following is an example of situations that might develop as-a-result of not taking encouraged/authorized time off:
- Work Stress - this could require additional trips to your family doctor or mental health specialist;
- Vitamin “D” Deprivation - This vitamin protects your bones and lowers your risk for cancer;
- Loss of Job Productivity - Statistics reflect that men and women who take time off each year have less job related issues.
In all fairness to yourself, family, and employer – dust off the camping gear list and take the encouraged/authorized vacation time.
Camping Hammocks!
Camping Hammock!
I’ve never been a big advocate of using a hammock while camping; but, then I haven’t really used one since my tour in Vietnam 30+ years ago. My next door neighbor has a camping hammock for each member of his family and swears by them. His Pro’s/Con’s for using a hammock while camping are interesting and deserve consideration.
Pro’s:
- They ‘re easy to set-up. All you need is a couple of fixed objects (trees) to anchor it too. Most hammocks come with the required straps/ropes.
- They are comfortable. You don’t have to worry about the creepy-crawlers or a wet/irregular ground surface.
- They’re light weight and easily managed by one person.
- Hammocks are easily supportive of a no-trace camp site.
- Some hammocks come with the needed mosquito netting and/or a rain-fly for inclement weather.
- A hammock can also be used as a camping chair.
- Some hammocks have small utility pockets for storage of personal items.
Con’s:
- The supportive guide straps/ropes require safety marking during hours of darkness.
- Hammock might not be suitable if you’re claustrophobic. The space between you and the top of the mosquito net/rain fly is quite close.
- A hammock is only good for one person.
- Sleeping in a hammock may encourage a feeling of possible vulnerability/apprehension for some.
As you can see, the Pro’s far out number the Con’s. Using camping hammocks should be considered based on situation/circumstances; doing so, definitely has merit if traveling alone!
Life Lists!
One of a Kind!
We have previously discussed how important it is to record your bird sightings. All serious Birders maintain a Life List. Each entry note mentions the bird species, the date/location of sighting, and any other information that’s deemed important. However, for most active bird watchers, one life list is not enough. You need to develop a system that makes sense to you, is functional, and it must be easily access-able. A possible consideration might include:
- House List – A list of birds sighted around your home;
- Yearly Lists – A list for each year you bird watch;
- State Lists - A list of the sightings you make in the different states you visit;
- Trip Lists – A list that corresponds with the different trips/vacations you take;
- Wish List – A list of birds you haven’t seen but hope too.
Bird watching can be extremely satisfying. However, part of that satisfaction comes from a good posterity developed through your accurate recording and journaling of the activity. Preserving that outdoor experience is critical.
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