This Blog is geared toward beginner Dutch Oven cooks, like me.  I will share info as I learn it, as well as camping tips and GREAT "Camp Oven" recipes.

So... away we go!  Above is my Lodge 12" Camp Oven, purchased at Cabela's. I have a camp cooking mentor, someone who has been camp cooking for many years.  I've bent his ear on many occasion (already!) and have learned much from him. Most of what I'll write about I've learned from Ernie, or read on other Blogs or in books.

I'm sure there are several brands of Cast Iron cookery.  Two that I have read about and researched are Lodge Mfg and Camp Chef.  Now everyone has their own reasons for WHY they like one particular brand over another.  My brand of choice is Lodge.  They have been in the Cast Iron business for a very long time, and that is their main focus. Cast Iron. I sat and talked to Ernie in length about this subject. He has a number of Cast Iron cookers, Lodge and Camp Chef are among those he has. While he likes, and cooks with both, he feels that Lodge is just more well made. Period.

The main thing I learned in shopping for my first Camp oven is:

     1) What will I use it for? Why are there so many sizes??

     2)  How well does the lid fit?

1)  How do you plan to use your Dutch Oven?  There are two types of Dutch Oven.  There's the CAMP oven and the STOVE oven. AND there are deep and shallow ovens. Deep ovens are geared more for "cooking" and shallow are more for "baking", but keep in mind that both can be used any way you like! Plan on purchasing liners for your ovens...  easier clean up!

The CAMP oven is what I'll be using. It has three legs on the bottom, so it sits directly over the coals, and the lid has a lip around the outside so the spent coals don't spill into what you've so painstakingly cooked.

The STOVE oven has NO legs on the bottom and NO lip around the outside of the lid. This type is meant for stove top or oven cooking.

I have read that the CAMP style can be used in place of the STOVE style, but it's a bit more tricky to use the STOVE style in place of the CAMP oven.

As far as the sizes... there are several! The most popular and the one you'll find in "sets" that are sold, are the 10" (5 qt) and the 12" (6 qt). Again, it's a lot of personal preference here, as well as thinking about how large a crowd you'll be cooking for.  As you can see in my photo, mine is a 12". 

2)  How the lid fits is actually very important.  If the lid has too much "wiggle room" it probably won't hold heat as well as a tighter fitting lid.  I'd suggest when you are shopping, give the Cook ovens the "wiggle" test.  You will find a difference in the brands. Lodge tends to have a tighter fit (although I think they all have just a BIT of "wiggle") Please consider purchasing a "lid lifter" and/or a pair of HEAVY DUTY (leather) gloves. Lids are heavy and they WILL be HOT!

Please keep in mind that I'm learning all this just as you may be. If you are a seasoned Cast Iron cooker, please feel free to chime in, and please help me if I'm incorrect in any of my posts here.

Next time I'll give you tips on caring for your Cast Iron!

Happy camp cooking!

A New goal for my Blog

I have new goal for this Blog!

This summer I am beginning a new hobby! In fact, THIS Thursday June 5, 2014 I'm purchasing my first Lodge Dutch Oven!  This is something I've been wanting to do for a while now, and the plan is to get some great dutch oven experience for when my Hubby and I purchase our tent trailer and start doing some summer traveling.

So, my Blog will now contain tips, tricks and recipes for Dutch Oven cooking.  I hope you'll stick around for some delicious fun and I also hope you will contribute your own tips, tricks and a recipe or two if you have any!

I'm REALLY excited to get started! Are you ready?  Let's cook together!

Posting issues

I haven't posted in ages. I'm having issues posting through Safari so I'm trying firefox and it looks like I'm able to post.  Anyone else have these issues? I'll keep you posted on my issue and if I find a solution. Just know I'm still around!

Exciting news!

Wow! I'm so thrilled... I submitted three photos to IDG, organizers of Macworld/iWorld. I got an email early last week telling me one of them was picked to be on display at the Conference in January 2013!

Homemade Caramels

I thought I'd start sharing some of the recipes I love to make, starting with this easy recipe for homemade caramels!


1/4 C BUTTER (not margarine)
1/2C white sugar
1/2C Brown Sugar
1/2C Light Karo Syrup
1/2C Sweetened Condensed Milk

Combine all into either a glass bowl (if you're making this in a microwave)
OR a small pan (if you're this on the stove top)

Cook for 6 minutes, (microwave- stir every two minutes) (stovetop stir constantly)

Pour into lightly greased square pan, and cool completely. (I put mine outside on a cold day,
then finished cooling it in the fridge)

Cut into squares and wrap in WAXED PAPER.
These caramels are much softer than the store bought, so I keep mine stored in the fridge.

Next time I make them I'll coat in chocolate and sprinkle coarse sea salt on top!

My Review of Velcro Silencer

Originally submitted at Timbuk2

Velcro strips that attach to Timbuk2 bags for quiet time.

Velcro Silencer

GREAT ADDITION

By OregonGma from Bend, OR on 10/18/2012

 

5out of 5

Pros: High Quality

Best Uses: Running Errands, Traveling, Daily Use, School, Office

Describe Yourself: Classic, Comfort-Oriented, Practical

Primary use: Personal

Was this a gift?: No

The velcro silencing straps have truly been a God send. I LOVE my Timbuk2 bag, even with that "Riiiiiping" sound when I open it. But in some instances it's just not appropriate: in the middle of Church service...during the quietest part of a movie...you know, those odd times when you really DO need something out of your bag. I use mine on a daily basis, instead of a "purse" so I'm ALWAYS getting into my Timbuk2 bag.
These silencers are GREAT! When I order my next bag, I'll be sure to order these great little straps!

Silencer Strap, works GREAT!

Tags: Using Product

(legalese)

Crayon Art

We had seen this on Pinterest in several posts, and my daughters and I made some this weekend while our Hubby's were all away at men's camp. It's super easy, much easier than we thought and much easier than most of the "instructions" on Pinterest!

So, here are OUR instructions for a Crayola Crayon Canvas art!

The above canvas is an 8 X 10. I bought a pack of 10 canvas's at Michaels for $19.99
You can use ANY size, but note that the "melt area" will be smaller on a large canvas.

I purchased three boxes of these crayons for our project. One box of 24 will fit, IF you want to use ALL the colors which will include gray, brown and black. SO.... I would really suggest a box of 48 crayons so you can choose which colors you want. My canvas has a rainbow, and I believe I put 22-23 crayons across the 8 inch width, so the canvas is sitting in a portrait position.

Here you can see that I'm glueing the crayons onto the canvas using a hot glue gun. If you want the brand to show in the front...pay attention to where you're putting the hot glue!

Here's where the fun starts!  We let our canvas sit in the sun for about 10 minutes, but I don't think that is really necessary. I would strongly suggest that you use a "HEAT GUN" for crafting. I've read on several blogs that the person has a problem with "splatter" when they start the melting process. I really think that's because a hair dryer is more powerful (even on the "low" setting) and that's why it splatters. We used the crafting heat gun and had NO problems at all with splatter. It starting melting right away! (one blog said it took over 50 minutes for the melting process) Ours took maybe 15 minutes total.  Place newspaper under the canvas, because it WILL (with any size canvas I think) melt all the way down the front. Like I said, the larger the canvas, the smaller the melt area will look.

  And here's the finished project!  How cool is that???? You can give the canvas a layered look by melting and cooling, and melting again. FUN!!!