Camp Grub.

Okay.

So...one of my very most favorite things to do when we go camping is sit around a glorious fire with all of my friends and family around me, sharing stories, being cozy, sipping large cups of camp coffee, and eating all things burned/toasted/roasted/cooked or what-have-you- over an old coleman stove or just the plain old camp fire.

It's my fave.
And I can handle the smoke in my eyes like nobody's business.
Once my rump is down in that camp chair with coffee in hand, I am staying put, no matter what.

So, every year we do the classic s'mores, pudgy pie pizzas and berry pies, etc. etc.  Sometimes we mix the fillings up and use cookies or reese's cups instead of the chocolate; and sometimes we vary our pie fillings from blueberry to apple...or fluff with raspberry jam.

We're pretty sophisticated that way...

Pancakes, bacon, and eggs....all with a wee little essence of fire.  I heart this.
Well, this year, I just wasn't feeling it.
I wanted something new and glorious.
I wanted to impress my folks and get my boys a'raving.
And I found the ticket, ya'll...

Homemade.  Fire Roasted.  Deelish.  Boston Cream Pies.
Or Eclairs.  Or Boston Cream Donuts.  Call them whatever you'd like.
I call them a plain old Party In My Mouth.

Easy Peasy.  Cheap.  And fun to make.
Here's what you need:
We actually didn't end up using the hot fudge topping.  Chocolate frosting is what was recommended - which I also didn't have any of, but, my Daddy-O has a crazy stash of everything-you-can-think-of, and he whipped out a jar of Nutella to use in place of both the fudge and the frosting.

Best choice ever.  SO good.

So.

You need to find a relatively thick stick - one larger than what you would cook a hotdog on.  It doesn't matter if you found it lying on the ground in the woods, because you're going to wrap some tinfoil around the end of said stick and then you'll take one of those triangles of crescent roll dough and kind of form it all around the foil.

Besides, a little dirt never hurt.
That's what the experts all around are telling us these days.
I knew it all along....

Once you wrap the dough around your stick, you kind of want to cook it hot and fast.  Don't slow roast it like you would a marshmallow or it starts to get all slimy and slide off the stick.  I think it's probably because there is so much butter in these things.  You don't want to get it too close to the flames and burn it, either.  It's a delicate dance here.  You can't rush perfection...but you can go too slowly as well...

Just buy extra crescent rolls.
You're going to want more than one anyways.
Trust me.
Once your roll is toasted a lovely golden brown, gently ease it off the stick.  It's going to be HOT!!
Fill that baby right up to the tippy top brim with vanilla pudding, and then top it all off with Nutella.

Ease back into that camp chair and welcome yourself into A Little Piece of Heaven.
You are most welcome....

One more fun little tradition that Dad always brings along with him is all of the fixings for Bannock Bread, or what some might call "Cowboy Bread."  Basically, he fills an old coffee can up with all of the dry ingredients for a simple, yeast-less bread dough - flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
He typically likes to wait until the Darrah girls come and visit us.
Then he has free labor.

It's kind of a messy job, so we lay down wax paper, and then he gives each kid a cupful of the flour mix to make their own "individual pizzas."  They add a little bit of water to their dry mix, roll it out, and then add whatever sauces and topping they want... and create to their heart's content.
Dad butters up a skillet on the Coleman stove, and as soon as the kids make 'em, he cooks 'em...
Another yummy way to eat them is just plain with butter and jam.
So, there you have it.
A couple of fun camp foodies to try the next time you're sitting around a campfire...
That's right.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I am overwhelmed with emotion to see life lived in such a beautiful, fun-filled, grace-filled way. Thank you!