Gourmet Camping

I can't describe the food on my camping trip to Manning Park as anything but gourmet.  Okay, so maybe the Costco size tub of sour keys doesn't count as gourmet, but the actual meals definitely did!  I thought I'd toss a couple of the meal plans up here in case anyone is going camping on September long and looking for ideas.  Take my word for it, you can't go wrong with any of these!

Breakfast #1 - Corned Beef and Hash (this one was for you Sach!).  Ingredients: packaged hashbrowns (the country medley in this case), tinned corned beef, a bit of oil, eggs.  Start up your campstove, put a bit of oil in, then add the hashbrowns.  Cook until almost done.  Add the corned beef and make sure it's close to the skillet so it crisps a bit.  Mix well.  Serve with an over easy egg on top.  Heavenly!  Other options: sauté onions and peppers in the oil before adding the hashbrowns for some extra flavour.  Note: use one tin of corned beef for every four people.

 

Dinner #2 - Salmon with rice and fresh veggies.  2 campstoves required.  On one campstove, prepare the rice.  On the second campstove pan fry your salmon with lemon slices for flavour.  (Note: a campstove burner will most definitely burn through tinfoil.  Just for reference.)  Stir fry the frozen veggies lickety split.  This is why I love car camping!  (Note: the $6.99 Styrofoam cooler from IGA may not be environmentally friendly, but it does kick some serious butt!  It kept a bag of ice in ice form for over 60 hours...our other trusty coolers didn't last half that long.)

 

Breakfast #2: Scrambled eggs with peppers, cherry tomatoes, cheddar cheese, hashbrowns, back bacon and fresh fruit.  Amazing!!  And self explanatory.

Not a meal, but I couldn't resist putting in a pic from our hike.  Looking at Lightning Lake from the Lightning Lake Loop.  Fabulous way to spend an afternoon!

http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/ecmanning/

http://www.costco.ca/

Campfire Ban S'mores

If you're anything like me, camping just isn't camping without s'mores.  So, when I went camping with friends on the long weekend, we were crushed to find out that a campfire ban came into effect the day that we arrived.  We fully understood and respected the ban, but camping just isn't camping without a campfire! 

We'd packed our s'mores goodies just in case the campfire ban miraculously lifted mid-weekend, but we were down to our last night and no such luck.  That's when one of our fellow campers (we'll call her the S'more Saviour) asked if we had the s'more goodies somewhere.  Everyone thought she was craving a marshmallow, but she said that she wanted to make a s'more.  We were all confused, until she pulled out her butane torch that she uses to make crème brûlée!!!  Complete and utter brilliance!  I have never seen a group of adults so excited in my life.  Totally made the camping trip complete....thanks S'more Saviour!

Things to note:

1. This is a two-person job.  There needs to be proper rotation and focused roasting, people!
2. As there's no fire grate to melt your chocolate over, we concluded that in the future we'd place the chocolated graham cracker on a skillet over the camp stove and see if that would work in the same way.

And in the event that you're not in a campfire ban area...try this fabulous idea created by the Ultimate Camper:

1. Take a waffle cone and place chocolate bits and marshmallows into it in layers.
2. Wrap the cone in tinfoil.
3. Place in the fire until toasty warm and melted.
4. Open up that yummy goodness and enjoy!

Roasting in progress!

S'more making!

 

My s'more!  Okay, I'll admit it...there may have been a s'more appy and a s'more dessert!