Category: Menu Planning & Cooking
Southwest Louisiana Boudin Trail
March 11, 2012 by Guest Blogger · Leave a Comment
It’s been over a year now that the Southwest Louisiana Boudin Trail has been in existence. Not to say the mom & pop shops along the Boudin Trail didn’t exist until a year ago–in fact, several of the stops along the Boudin Trail have been family owned for generations. What’s great about the trail is that it winds through Calcasieu and Cameron Parishes, so you can see all of Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana along the way, even down to our Gulf beaches! First off, you might wonder what a “Boudin” is. Well, “Boudin” is a tasty finger food that on the service looks like sausage. It is Louisiana’s spiced-up hybrid of pork or beef sausage. It’s a tender, savory mix of pork, rice, liver, parsley and onions, variously seasoned with salt, red pepper, black pepper and garlic powder. Everything’s stirred together, stuffed into casings and sold hot by the pound. There’s mild Boudin and hot Boudin. There’s smoked Boudin, with a crispy... [Read more...]
Another Delicious Camping Meal–Lentil Soup!
February 29, 2012 by Diane Berry · 2 Comments
In a previous post, I wrote about using Bear Creek or some other commercially prepared soup mixes to create some hot and filling camping meals. Today, I want to tell you about another great soup, but one that’s made from scratch: Lentil Soup. I am a great fan of the Bear Creek soups; but still feel the need to make a good pot of lentil soup several times a year. It is every bit as tasty as the commercial soups and takes only a bit longer to prepare as the lentils cook up pretty quickly. Ingredients are as follows: Start with some fresh and dried vegetables... 1 lb. bag of lentils Olive oil 1 onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 2 stalks celery, chopped 5-10 small carrots, chopped Add lentils and ham bone... dried mushrooms, if desired 1 can petite diced tomatoes 6 cups water (to start, I always add a cup or two more) 3-6 tsps chicken soup base (1 use 3-4 to maximize And some tomatoes and spices, and voila! taste and minimize sodium) ham bone 1 ham slice, cubed 1 tbsp parsley 1 tsp basil salt... [Read more...]
Celebrate Local With Regional Events…
February 11, 2012 by Melissa A. Trainer · Leave a Comment
Do you hunt down local food festivals and events when you are camping, RVing, and traveling? They are a great way to get a true taste of the region. Festivals are often annual events that celebrate a seasonal or local food. And, they often raise money for local causes, such as the chamber of commerce or a civic project. I have found that regional festivals and community dinners have given me some delicious fodder for writing as well as for munching! The “experts” are always around and they are often more than happy to tell me about the specialty products at hand. Over the years, we have attended the Ballard Seafood Festival and the Fishermen’s Festival here in Seattle. Obviously, both of these events feature awesome regional seafood products. If I was down on the Oregon Coast today, I would attend the 27th Annual Charleston Crab Feed held in the Old Charleston School House. Each year more than 1000 people attend and indulge in a fabulous Dungeness Crab Dinner. ... [Read more...]
Coffee On The Go…
February 3, 2012 by Melissa A. Trainer · 4 Comments
So, what is your favorite way to crank out a hot cup of coffee while traveling, camping or RVing? I have used various methods and tools over the years. Yes, simply poking the button on my electric coffee maker in the kitchen of my travel trailer is my favorite way to brew when we are camping. It’s simple and convenient. And, I can do it without having to start a fire in the campsite fire ring! When we have camped at more remote locations or at sites that didn’t have full hookup, I often boil water on my gas stove and then use my insulated French press coffee pot purchased at REI. This method was really useful when we camped at Madison Campground at Yellowstone National Park. I am considering another option now that I have discovered the collapsible coffee filter cone. Made by Classic Kitchen Basics, the silicone filter is compact and holds a paper filter. You simply place the cone over a cup, add the filter and the coffee and the pour boiling water over the coffee. The... [Read more...]
Soup Is Good (Camping) Food!
January 15, 2012 by Diane Berry · 8 Comments
I’ve written before about meals to make for your family while camping. I want to add a segment today about hot meals that are easy and quick to make: soups. To be honest, I have made these soups more when we’ve been at home than when we’ve been staying in our camper. This is mostly because we hadn’t discovered them until last fall, after our camping was finished for the year. But knowing what I know now, I am planning to buy some for the camper and to incorporate them in many of our camping adventures. Gumbo Ingredients I am speaking of the commercially made soup mixes carried in every grocery store. The brand we started buying, chiefly because they were on sale at the time we found them, is the Bear Creek brand. However, I know there are several different brands on the shelves of the grocery store, even in our city of 33,000 people. The variety is endless. They have Creamy Wild Rice, Cheddar Potato, Chili, Cheddar Broccoli among others. A favorite of our family members is Gumbo.... [Read more...]
Harvest Salmon Chowder for Chilly Winter Days
January 13, 2012 by Melissa A. Trainer · 2 Comments
If you travel and camp throughout the chillier months of the year, then you might find yourself craving foods such as chili, stew, soups and chowder. Last fall, I created a round of recipes for the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association. Their consumer website, Bristol Bay Sockeye, features numerous salmon recipes. One of the recipes I tested, tweaked, and photographed was Harvest Salmon Chowder. The recipe comes from Rose Fisher who is married to a Bristol Bay fisherman and lives in Dillingham, Alaska. When Rose gave me the recipe she quietly told me that the secret to the recipe was…canned salmon and all the juices!! She told me that she had made it with cooked salmon, but it just wasn’t the same. Aha! I am not afraid to use canned salmon, so I was pleased to try the recipe. Indeed, it is a simple awesome recipe that is satisfying and warming. I think this recipe is particularly relevant for our Woodall’s readers because it uses many basic pantry items,... [Read more...]
A Little Aeration for The Great Outdoors
December 12, 2011 by Melissa A. Trainer · 2 Comments
Once you have parked the RV or set up your tent for the night, do you like to sit down and indulge in a great dinner and nice glass of red wine? If so, then you might be interested in the new Vinturi Travel Aerator. Like its big sibling, The Original Vinturi Essential Wine Aerator, the travel aerator is designed to enhance the bouquet and aroma of the red wine at hand. The benefit for RVers and campers, however, is that the new product comes with its own swivel case and is remarkably compact in size. We own and use the original aerator, but when we received a sample of the new Vinturi Travel we were immediately impressed with the design and the compact size. In essence, the aerator will easily fit in our compact travel trailer kitchen and will take up less space than a can opener or a corkscrew. I think this is a great way to add some elegance to a delightful evening in the great outdoors. How many times have you been traveling to and camping in a remote location and found yourself... [Read more...]
Patti’s Saga of an RV Rookie: Christmas Eve Salad, Tlaquepaque style…
November 28, 2011 by Patti F. · 2 Comments
Mexico is enduring its share of challenges; the border conflicts are terrible , and it may seem at times as if the bad guys are winning down there. I pray this all changes, for I love Mexico. I have been there over 25 times, mostly alone, always safe, always cared for, always adopted by the people (I once toured the mainland with my parents in a huge Class C: it almost spelled the death of familial love but that’s for another blog). While I can’t fix Mexico’s problems (or our own country’s, for that matter), I can tell you about a Christmas salad I had in Tlaquepaque, Mexico, and why I loved it even though it was nowhere near Christmas, as in June. First, you have to be able to say Tlaquepaque. Work with me people: Tah- lah -kay -pah kay. See, wasn’t that easy? Tlaquepaque is a little artists’ enclave about 10 kilometers from Mexico’s second largest city, Guadalajara. It has a cool “vibe” and a wonderful market-style center with a Spanish colonial feel: we’re... [Read more...]
It Doesn’t Get Much Better than This
November 14, 2011 by Professor95 · 2 Comments
This has been an absolutely fabulous camping week! We left Virginia last Sunday (November 6th) and meandered down I-95 and 301 into North Carolina, crossed the border into South Carolina just outside of Tabor City, and parked the RV at Willow Tree RV Resort in Longs, SC. Longs is relatively close to Myrtle Beach – by close I mean you can drive there in 20 minutes or so but it is still far enough away that you can enjoy a low traffic, relaxed atmosphere. The off-season rates at Willow Tree are extremely reasonable and the beauty of the turning trees, reflections on the 40 acre lake, Swans and Canada Geese swimming gracefully across the water, warm daytime temperatures and the fellowship of friends belonging to the Cedar Creek RV Owner’s Club all come together to make everything feel perfect. We were part of about 30 Cedar Creek RV owners assembled at Willow Tree for our end-of-season annual rally. This is a great group of folks with Christian values and fellowship dedicated... [Read more...]
Patti’s Saga of an RV Rookie: Montana’s Soup Nazi: If you hate spicy curry, stop reading and look for a recipe that features pablum.
November 3, 2011 by Patti F. · 5 Comments
Did you see the Seinfeld episode about the Soup Nazi? It was about some maniac nut who made the best soup in Manhattan. They mentioned Mulligatawny stew (soup) in that episode, but I didn’t know what it was until last week (some of us are late bloomers). Nor did I know it is so terrific! I tasted my first Mulligatawny, made by a friend of mine recently returned from India. It won’t be my last. I loved it! Mulligatawny looks like our Montana autumn and heats like the wood stoves firing up around here. Recipe for Indian Mulligatawny ( as stolen from my buddy): Prep Time: about ten minutes or less Cook Time: 20 minutes or less. Servings: 6-8 Ingredients • 1 whole chicken breast, cut into little pieces • Salt And pepper To Taste • 4 Tablespoons butter • 1 whole onion, diced. • 3 cloves minced garlic. • 1/4 cup All-purpose flour • 1 Tablespoon curry powder (or less, if you’re heat sensitive. I add more!) • 32 ounces, fluid chicken broth • 2 cups half-and-half • 1... [Read more...]
