STOCKING STUFFERS!!

Merry Christmas everyone!  Are you stuck on what to get your favorite scouter to fill his or her stocking?  Here’s a few ideas.  The first one is a very cool item I stumbled upon this morning while picking up spices for pumpkin pie.

#1 – McCormick Recipe Inspirations – This very awesome item is a quick grab of the exact spices (sans salt, oil, etc) that one would need to prepare the recipe on the back of the card.  Talk about a life saver on campouts!  At only .39 ounces, several could be carried in the backpack on the long  hikes at Philmont or the Northern Tier.

Recipe Inspirations Apple and Sage Pork Chops	Recipe Inspirations Asian Sesame Salmon	Recipe Inspirations Caribbean Grilled Steak	Recipe Inspirations Chicken Marsala
Recipe Inspirations Chicken Cacciatore	Recipe Inspirations Chicken Tikka Masala	Recipe Inspirations Garlic Lime Fajitas	Recipe Inspirations Quesadilla Casserole
Recipe Inspirations Rosemary Roasted Chicken with Potatoes	Recipe Inspirations Shrimp & Pasta Primavera	Recipe Inspirations Spanish Chicken Skillet	Recipe

#2 – GPS – If you didn’t put one in their stocking last year, you should this year.  That, and a membership to geocaching.com will endless hours of bonding time and family fun.

#3 – Carabiners – You never can have too many.

#4 – Gift card  – Get one for REI, Academy, or wherever your scouter loves to shop.

#5 – Hand warmers – If you haven’t camped in the cold, we don’t expect you to understand.

Read Full Post »

Day Trip vs Camp Out

Members of our Crew got the scouts so interested in learning Geo Caching, and the fact camping plans for January kept getting moved around we opted for a day trip to Spring Creek Park. The Crew went out a week earlier and planted 5 caches for the scouts. Yesterday several scouts, crew members and 4 of our new scouts came out for the day.They had fun learning how to use a GPS and were successful finding all five caches plus three that were already existing at the park. They found a traveling Geo Coin that they decided will be placed at the San Jacinto Battlegrounds and monument since the coin is dedicated to our fallen soldiers.

Along with Geo Caching, Dualscoutmom did some cooking demos and taught a few simple (experimental) recipes, and how to grub master on a budget. lunch was made with Ramin Noodles, and some ground beef, and believe it or not it was pretty tasty.  Afterwords a cherry cobbler was made. Except for browning the ground beef, both breakfast, lunch and the cobbler we prepared in dutch ovens.

Read Full Post »

Huntress Venison Stew

1 lb deer steak, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 cup red table wine, preferably a Texas wine
1 – 6″ sprig of fresh rosemary or 1 tsp dried
2 bay leaves, fresh or dried
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
3 strips thick, smoked bacon cut into 1″ pieces
1 – 16 oz can beef consomme
2 cups whole baby carrots, peeled
1 lb whole baby new red potatoes
1 lb fresh mushrooms, pick the smallest ones
1/2 lb whole pearl onions, peeled
1 Tbsp cornstarch
3 Tbsp cold water
1 – 16 oz can baby corn, drained

12 inch Dutch oven – Serves 6
Combine first seven items. Marinate overnight. Light 50 or more charcoal briquets. When coated with a layer of white ash, place 14 briquets under oven. Fry bacon in Dutch oven till just crisp. Drain meat and brown in oven. Add marinade with herbs and consomme. Lower heat to slow simmer by removing 4 briquets. Place lid on oven. Put 12 briquets on lid. Adjust briquets to maintain slow cooking for approximately 2 hrs. Add water as needed if stew is cooking down too fast. Refrain from removing lid often, as this reduces heat and extends cooking time. The last hour add carrots and potatoes. The last half hour add onions and mushrooms. The last 15 minutes, combine cornstarch and water. Stir into oven to thicken stew. Add corn. Serve when corn is heated through. This is good with hot crusty bread.

Read Full Post »

Valentine’s Morning Breakfast

So easy even a Soutmaster can do it.
Fresh Fruit Plate – strawberries, cantaloupe, green
and red grapes
Rinse strawberries and grapes. Using scissors, cut the bunches of grapes into serving clusters. Slice the melon in half lengthwise. Remove seeds. With a sharp knife, shove off cantaloupes husk.Cut into wedges, about eight per half. Arrange five strawberries in the center of a pretty plate. Arrange four slices of melon around strawberries like the spokes on a wheel. Place grape clusters in between the melon slices, alternating green and red.
Chocolate Crescent Rolls – 1 pkg. refrigerated rolls
1/2 cup chocolate chips, preferably dark
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
Heat oven according to directions on crescent rolls. Open can & separate crescent rolls. Sprinkle surface of triangle with 10-12 chocolate chips. Roll up, starting at bottom of traingle, rolling toward point. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake according to pkg.
Eggs Florentine Casserole – 9 eggs, 1 pt. cottage
cheese, 8 oz. grated Swiss cheese,
8 oz. crumbled Feta cheese, 1 (10 oz.) pkg.
frozen chopped spinach, thawed & squeezed
dry.
Preheat oven 350 degrees. spray 9X13 inch pan with nonstick cooking spray. In lg. bowl beat eggs. Add cheeses and stir to combine well. Stir in spinach. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 45 minutes to one hour, or until eggs are cooked through. Cool slightly before cutting into squares.

We only have one mom, one mommy, one mother in this world, one life. Don’t wait for tomorrow’s to tell mom, you love her.

Read Full Post »

Jambalaya

1 (8oz) pkg. Tony Chachere’s jambalaya mix
1 (6oz) pkg. frozen, cooked chicken breast strips, thawed
1 (11oz) can mexicorn
1 (2.25oz) can chopped black olives

In a lg. pot, combine jambalaya mix & 2 1/4 cups water. Heat to boiling, reduce heat and cook slowly 5 min. Add chopped chicken, sorn & black olives. Heat to boiling, reduce heat & simmer about 20 min. Or threw everything in a dutch oven and cook 30 to 45 min. until water is gone.

Read Full Post »

Hamburger Casserole

1-1 1/2 pounds lean hamburger
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 pkg. Velveta Sliced cheese or Pepper Jack
1 bag frozen Tater Tots

In foil lined 10-12 quart dutch oven spread the cooked meat evenly. Spead the soup on top of the meat layer. Do not add any water. Cover the entire dish with the cheese slices and then the Tater Tots. Bake for 45-60 minutes at 350F.
Suggestions: For a larger group or 12 qt. dutch oven, double the meat and soup. There will be enough cheese and potatoes. Also, to speed cooking time and reduce the grease, brown the meat at home prior to the campout, then place the cooked meat in a ziplock bag and freeze. Cooking time will be reduced to approximately 30 minutes.

Read Full Post »

MUST TRY Recipe for Campouts

I had this very tasty treat at my training last week and just have to share.

Caramel Pineapple Rolls

4 TBS Butter
2 Cans Crushed Pineapple
1 Cup Caramel (ours used the ice cream topping)
1 Pkg  Frozen Bread Dough
1 Cup Chopped Walnuts

In a sauce pan, melt the butter, pineapple, and caramel and bring it to simmer while stirring.
Pull apart the pieces of bread dough and place in a 14″ Dutch Oven or pan.
Cover with pineapple/caramel/butter mixture and sprinkle the walnuts over the top.
Bake in Dutch Oven until the bread is done.

Read Full Post »