Camping, Princess Style

[Smithy]

We drove to the nearest town today for a few things, and remembered a wine/liquor store we'd discovered a few years ago, pre-pandemic, shortly after it had opened. The owner seems to be doing well. He remembered us, more or less, based on our accents and their similarity to that of his Michigander cousin. He still has good prices. My idea of a splurge on wine has dropped drastically in the last few years, so that $15 is a bit of a splurge, but the Predator wines were worth it. It was this shopmaster who introduced me to the Predator label. "Predator" refers to their organic farming practices, with the ladybug as its symbol because of its place in the insect world. I'd forgotten this shop, and how much I like this wine. My darling had simply remembered getting a good deal on Maker's Mark.  

 

 

We had planned-over (as @Anna N would say) beef ribs, along with microwaved peas, for dinner. I seem to have forgotten to take a picture. I can tell you that it was all delicious, or at least as delicious as peas could ever be to me. He loved them, but then peas are his favorite vegetable. The Predator Zinfandel has a nice winey flavor, not super spicy for a zinfandel, but plenty of backbone. It was a good accompaniment to dinner, and it isn't half bad on its own.

 

Further to the wind and the weather: after our shopping expedition and before dinner, I shot these photos of the gusts traveling across our lake.

 

 

Now the thunderstorms that have been passing us by are getting very close.

 

 

The wind is howling and the trailer is rocking. I'm not especially worried for our home on wheels; by sheer dumb luck the Princessmobile is pointed nearly head-to-wind, and it's heavy besides. Our neighbor next door is less lucky; his lighter trailer is broadside to the wind. He said it was pushed off the wooden blocks that support the trailer's jacks earlier today. No damage aside from slightly bent jacks, but it took some time to get the trailer properly situated again. I hope the storms aren't too bad tonight.

[Smithy]

The storm's blown through with no damage that we can detect. It's cooler now and we're glad for electricity to run heaters. Shades of things to come as we move northward.

 

I want to go back one stop to Mineral Wells, Texas, where we spent a night and visited the Mesquite Pit Bar and Grill for dinner of our choice. I've learned to ignore their fried green tomatoes, but their version of Armadillo Eggs (quite different from those of Miiller's) are quite good.

 

 

There's no bacon wrapping, but there's brisket and cheese inside those jalapenos, and the breaded coating is quite crisp. I'd be very pleased to be able to make something like this, but it would no doubt be just as onerous a task as trying to wrap those stuffed chiles with bacon.

 

My darling went for pork ribs, and we shared. You can just see the ribs at the lower left corner of the photo. The sauce on their ribs is very different from the sauce Cooper's uses. This sauce is a thick, smoky glaze, no doubt baked on during the slow-cooking process. Cooper's simply mops their stuff from time to time, and dips in their sauce if you wish, but there's nothing glazy about it. Cooper's ribs have much less smoke flavor. Both versions are good, and at both places they know how to cook the ribs to just the right consistency, but the flavors are very different.

[heidih]

I had to quickly scroll away from the water image - made me queasy - really!

[Smithy]

3 minutes ago, heidih said:

I had to quickly scroll away from the water image - made me queasy - really!

 

Sorry! I won't post another GIF.

[Smithy]

I know I've posted this breakfast dozens of times. There's nothing new about it. 

 

Still...a truly ripe, flavorful avocado is something to be celebrated, isn't it? This one is perfect.

 

[FauxPas]

48 minutes ago, Smithy said:

Still...a truly ripe, flavorful avocado is something to be celebrated, isn't it? This one is perfect.

 

Oh yes, oh yes! I am the type who buys two avocadoes when I only need one, just in case I get a bad one. Most of them turn out to be fairly decent, but a perfect one is cause for a touch of kitchen celebration. I am always a bit depressed when I peel the skin and see major blemishes. And I tend to like mine on the just-under-ripe side, so have also erred with ones that are still too green. 

[Smithy]

Blustery, windy and cool again yesterday and today. The temperature was in the mid-40's this morning, and has finally gotten up to 60F. The wind is coming from the exact opposite direction as in my last weather-complaint post, but it's just as strong. We can't tell whether the campground is clearing out according to schedule or early because of the weather. Our next-site neighbors abruptly cleared out this morning while I was out walking the dog. My darling said they just threw everything willy-nilly into the pickup and trailer, and that included a generously-sized pile of campfire wood. They cleared out in just over an hour.

 

At least it's sunny now. The redbuds are blooming and beautiful...

 

 

...although the sycamore trees aren't even thinking about coming out of hibernation yet.

 

 

Last night the wind died enough that he could cook his beloved hash on the camp stove, outside. (Actually, the sausage at lower left is a summer sausage from Miiller's in Llano that I chopped up last night for road snacks. The Zatarain's went into the hash.)

 

 

Interestingly, he wasn't as set on getting the potatoes so crisp they were nearly charred. We both thought this was some of his best hash yet. 

 

 

I just finished cooking and eating a serving of Spicy Chickpeas with Sundried Tomatoes and Olives, from Janet Zimmerman's latest cookbook. It's delicious! I'm glad I made a full batch rather than cutting it down for the IP Mini. 

 

 

I posted more detail about it in the topic devoted to that book.

[Porthos]

2 hours ago, Smithy said:

 

What a stunningly beautiful photo.

 

 

[Smithy]

We have a beef chuck roast cooking that I Absolutely Had To Buy back in Yuma at Fry's. I'm sure I had a specific purpose for it, but predictably enough it's now roasting on a bed of potatoes, with carrots, and covered with Lipton's Onion Soup mix per my darling's standard formula. Whatever I had planned back then will have to wait for beef at a later time.

 

One of the charms of this place is an oxbow lake that is heavily populated with turtles. As one walks or cycles along the lakeside path, there's "SPLASH!" after "SPLASH!" as the turtles who've been sunning themselves decide to hide in the water. This particular log had over a dozen turtles on it when I first arrived. One monster reptilian had a tail as long as my forearm and as thick as my wrist. It never resurfaced as I sat there, although some of its compatriates (family members?) did. I could see it lurking just below the water's surface, but then someone else came along the path and scared those wary turtles back into hiding. No kidding, there were over a dozen turtles aiming for this single log, ranging from a few inches to a couple of feet in length.

 

 

But this post isn't really about turtle soup, which I've been told can be delicious but would be beyond my knowledge and strictly forbidden (I think) in this park. Maybe there's a turtle season in Kansas, I don't know.

 

What I want to talk about now, and get ideas for, is duplicating a baked potato casserole from Miiller's in Llano -- or maybe even making a better version. I liked it so much that I bought another freezer container of it before we left Llano. From reading the label, I get the idea that the basic elements are baked potatoes, cheddar cheese, bacon, sour cream and mayonnaise along with seasonings. Of course there are stabilizers and gum additives. I may have missed a few elements in the label, since they list every single subingredient (the contents of the mayonnaise, for instance).

 

 

I think it's pretty good stuff. I think I should be able to make it. A recipe from @JAZ's Super-Easy Instant Pot Cookbook (eG-friendly Amazon.com link) for Cheesy Smashed Red Potatoes may point me in the right direction, but the recipe was problematic for reasons I speculated about in this post. 

 

So: if you were to make a baked potato casserole with bacon, mayonnaise, sour cream and cheddar cheese, how would you go about it?

 

[FauxPas]

24 minutes ago, Smithy said:

So: if you were to make a baked potato casserole with bacon, mayonnaise, sour cream and cheddar cheese, how would you go about it?

 

I think the big question is type of potato and whether you pre-cook the potatoes before baking the casserole? I think I would pre-cook. Maybe like this recipe, for Fully-Loaded Twice-Baked Potato Casserole Though I have not tried it, it does sounds like what you are trying to achieve. What is the mouth feel of the dish you had? What texture did the potatoes have? 

Edited April 26, 2022 by FauxPas (log)

[Smithy]

47 minutes ago, FauxPas said:

 

I think the big question is type of potato and whether you pre-cook the potatoes before baking the casserole? I think I would pre-cook. Maybe like this recipe, for Fully-Loaded Twice-Baked Potato Casserole Though I have not tried it, it does sounds like what you are trying to achieve. What is the mouth feel of the dish you had? What texture did the potatoes have? 

 

Thank you! Without having tried it (yet) this looks very much like what I had and would like to achieve. The potatoes, as I remember them, were firmer than but not quite as fluffy as baked potatoes. They certainly weren't crisp like fries, but they weren't as cohesive as slices of potato dauphinoise. I know that isn't much of a description, but it's all I can remember from that last casserole. 

[Smithy]

The chuck roast I mentioned a few posts ago came out quite well. Yes, I probably had something else in mind for it and yes, I get tired of having to do the same treatments all the time -- but there's something to be said for a Sure Thing.

 

 

The next day we cycled, walked, enjoyed the scenery...

 

 

and enjoyed one last meal in the fully-opened Princessmobile.

 

 

This was the last of the Cooper's ribs, and some of their beans, and cole slaw to our individual preferences. (He'd eaten his earlier.)

 

 

The meat was rich and fatty and almost as delicious as on the first night - and I think we're finally burned out on it. I remember the Cooper's Pit guys commenting to me that they had no standard of comparison for their 'cue vs. other joints' 'cue, because the last thing they wanted to eat on their days off was barbecue. I get it.

 

This last day was the only calm day we had in Kansas. Gorgeous, even a bit warm! I suppose it's a bit like northern Minnesota: if you love a place, you'll put up with a lot of crap for the sake of those beautiful days. Come to think of it, that applies to people too.

 

[ElsieD]

I note that the cat beds are in their proper spots!

[Smithy]

We're getting enough open space in the refrigerator that I found a forgotten batch of hummus! It made a nice supplement to a perfect avocado half for this morning's breakfast.

 

 

Yesterday was a reminder of what Tolkien said in The Hobbit: adventures are not all ponies and May-sunshine.

 

It was supposed to be an easy day's travel: only a couple hundred miles to go, and against our usual procedures we actually had a reservation. It's a really good thing that both those things were true. (We have the idea that we're getting the Princessmobile home just in time.) I had mentioned a drooping belly liner the evening, and that I thought it was getting worse. (The belly liner, for those of you who don't know, is a plasticized corrugated sheet that protects the underside of the trailer's plumbing, wiring and tanks from road damage.) He denies my having mentioned it at all until 2 nights ago; I think I mentioned it 2 weeks ago, but there you are: he lay awake fretting over it all night, and was tired before he even started driving. We spent the calm hours of the morning investigating, finding water pooled and causing the droopage (where is THAT coming from??) and then trying to get the water out. I'm the only one limber enough to get under the trailer and get back up. I drilled a few drain holes and only got a little water, then pushed up on the sags and got more out the sides. Only got splashed once.

 

By the time we'd done what we could, the (in)famous Kansas wind had come up again. We had The Devil's own time holding doors open long enough to load things into the back room. However, that wind was good news for our drive, and helped push us all the way to southern Iowa, where the flag was still essentially starched.

 

 

We ate at their renovated and renamed Westlake Bar and Grill. It's nearly unrecognizable from our last visit. Last spring it was a huge disappointment and we almost ate in the Princessmobile rather than give them another chance. In pre-pandemic years the place was really jumping, and I'm sure they're struggling to find ways to rebuild the business. 

 

The beer taps are impressive.

 

 

The interior is quite nice, and spacious. It seems odd, however, without the massive buffet setup that they used to have.

 

 

Check out the back wall of TV screens. Every one is tuned to a different channel, and they're all muted. I asked the greeter whether people specified a remote speaker for the channel of choice. She smiled and said it was "more of an art installation". In other words, no.

 

 

I ordered fish and chips; my darling ordered one of their special burgers. 

 

 

We were both happy with our choices. We may go back and eat there again tonight. We have to go back at least briefly, because for some reason the tip portion of my credit card payment didn't ring through. Our server will be back tonight, and we want to make sure she gets that well-earned tip.

[Shelby]

On 4/25/2022 at 7:48 PM, FauxPas said:

 

I think the big question is type of potato and whether you pre-cook the potatoes before baking the casserole? I think I would pre-cook. Maybe like this recipe, for Fully-Loaded Twice-Baked Potato Casserole Though I have not tried it, it does sounds like what you are trying to achieve. What is the mouth feel of the dish you had? What texture did the potatoes have? 

I agree that this recipe looks like a good one.  

 

Were the potatoes in the casserole that you want to replicate shredded like hash browns?

[Smithy]

7 minutes ago, Shelby said:

I agree that this recipe looks like a good one.  

 

Were the potatoes in the casserole that you want to replicate shredded like hash browns?

 

No, they're cut into small slices. Dave the Cook posted a photo here that looks more like what I'd like to replicate. He was even good enough to include a link to a RecipeGullet version, so now I'll have 2 to try! I bought another of those potato casseroles from Miiller's and it's in the freezer, so I'll be able to refer back to it at some point.

[Nancy in Pátzcuaro]

I always have mixed feelings at the end of a 2 or 3 month trip. On the one hand, I'm sorry it's ending because we've had such a good time staying in the national forest campgrounds and occasionally "wild camping," outside of any kind of formal campground. The best was an open area above the town of Creede, CO, with the San Juan mountains as a backdrop.

 

On the other hand, it's always nice to get back to our house, my kitchen (somewhat larger than that of the Class B van), my garden and our friends. I think the dog likes it too, though she's never so happy as hiking with us through the forests and trails. My favorite moment was watching her bounding through a field of tall wildflowers after a long hike. She loves water so it's hard to keep her out of any lakes or ponds no matter how stagnant and odiferous. Fortunately there's an outside shower.

 

Because our trip happens during the summer, when it's raining here and sunny in Colorado, we have to winterize before we head south in the fall. Is it late enough in the year that you won't have to do that this time? We take everything that will freeze and store it in boxes at my sister and brother-in-law's house until the next time. I generally clean it, though being small it doesn't take that long. I know it will need to be touched up when we take it out of storage, though not much dust gets in when it's all buttoned up. Last year we (that means my husband with only modest encouragement from me) put 300 watts of solar on the roof, and this year the kitchen vinyl needs replacing. Other than that I don't think there are any more projects, which means we can get away quickly. Not sure about hanging around in the West this year, what with the increased fire danger, so we might turn east.

 

 

[Shelby]

48 minutes ago, Nancy in Pátzcuaro said:

The best was an open area above the town of Creede, CO, with the San Juan mountains as a backdrop.

I grew up in Lake City, CO right near there!

[Nancy in Pátzcuaro]

4 hours ago, Shelby said:

I grew up in Lake City, CO right near there!

Creede is one of our favorite places in Colorado. Back in the day my husband used to fly gliders around the area and he fell in love with the place. We like to take in a few productions at the Creede Repertory Theater if we're in the area, and do some mushrooming. Haven't spent much time in and around Lake City, though.

[Smithy]

17 hours ago, Nancy in Pátzcuaro said:

I always have mixed feelings at the end of a 2 or 3 month trip. On the one hand, I'm sorry it's ending because we've had such a good time staying in the national forest campgrounds and occasionally "wild camping," outside of any kind of formal campground. The best was an open area above the town of Creede, CO, with the San Juan mountains as a backdrop.

 

On the other hand, it's always nice to get back to our house, my kitchen (somewhat larger than that of the Class B van), my garden and our friends. I think the dog likes it too, though she's never so happy as hiking with us through the forests and trails. My favorite moment was watching her bounding through a field of tall wildflowers after a long hike. She loves water so it's hard to keep her out of any lakes or ponds no matter how stagnant and odiferous. Fortunately there's an outside shower.

 

Because our trip happens during the summer, when it's raining here and sunny in Colorado, we have to winterize before we head south in the fall. Is it late enough in the year that you won't have to do that this time? We take everything that will freeze and store it in boxes at my sister and brother-in-law's house until the next time. I generally clean it, though being small it doesn't take that long. I know it will need to be touched up when we take it out of storage, though not much dust gets in when it's all buttoned up. Last year we (that means my husband with only modest encouragement from me) put 300 watts of solar on the roof, and this year the kitchen vinyl needs replacing. Other than that I don't think there are any more projects, which means we can get away quickly. Not sure about hanging around in the West this year, what with the increased fire danger, so we might turn east.

 

 

 

You know exactly my mixed feelings! When we get home we're always amazed and pleased at how much more room we have. We're relieved to be done with the long-haul driving that we're doing now. On the other hand, the weather isn't as nice at home (yet) as it has been farther south, and we'll have slop and rain and possibly snow still to deal with. We've stayed south an extra week or so before, but this year we have reasons to be home in the first few days of May. 

 

It's warm enough now that we won't have to worry about winterizing the trailer, but our road may be too sloppy to get the trailer home. We've arranged with a friend who has room, pavement and electricity to leave the trailer with him until we get a chance to scout things out. This will mean a certain amount of inconvenient schlepping: load the pickup with stuff, take it home, come back for more. We'll be able to leave the refrigerator and freezer loaded for the moment, since there will be electrical power. The preferred and usual method is to park the trailer in the driveway and unload directly into the house. Like you, I always clean it thoroughly before we put it away. It needs a bit of help when we start loading in the fall, but not much.

 

I'd love to be able to do camping in the mountains during the summer. We've gone to Minnesota National Forest campgrounds for a week or two, where the paddling and cycling are beautiful, but not out of state and into the heights. There's always too much fun around our own home, and to be honest I'm reluctant to miss anything since we're gone for 6 months during the winter. 

[Smithy]

Signs seen along the way as we've headed north can be entertaining. Here's Iowa's public safety notice along Interstate 35:

 

 

The next frame indicated 85 traffic deaths this year. Whether that's the statewide total period, or the number attributable to cell phone misuse we don't know.

 

Back in Topeka, I think, we spotted a great sign that I wasn't able to photograph in time:

 

Quote

YOUR WIFE IS REALLY HOT

 

Call XYZ air conditioning company today

 

(Incidentally, we figured out that going around Kansas City and through Topeka is the way to go.) 

[blue_dolphin]

33 minutes ago, Smithy said:

I'd love to be able to do camping in the mountains during the summer. We've gone to Minnesota National Forest campgrounds for a week or two, where the paddling and cycling are beautiful, but not out of state and into the heights. There's always too much fun around our own home, and to be honest I'm reluctant to miss anything since we're gone for 6 months during the winter. 

 

Having grown up in northern NY in a house on the shore of Lake Champlain, the local wisdom was that one should never take off for 2 weeks of vacation between June & Sept because the summer might come and you'd have missed it!

[ElsieD]

28 minutes ago, blue_dolphin said:

 

Having grown up in northern NY in a house on the shore of Lake Champlain, the local wisdom was that one should never take off for 2 weeks of vacation between June & Sept because the summer might come and you'd have missed it!

 

Sounds familiar.

[lindag]

13 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

 

Sounds familiar.

That's been said about Oregon also.

[Smithy]

@blue_dolphin and @ElsieD, ain't that the truth! One of the Minnesota gags is that we have 2 seasons: "winter" and "4th of July". Another version goes "9 months of winter and 3 months of tough sledding". Still, I miss mountains and rather envy @Nancy in Pátzcuaro's sessions in the Rockies.

 

Against all practicality, and due simply to desire, we went into town yesterday and visited the Fareway grocery store we'd discovered on our way south last fall. He was jonesing for pork steaks. I wanted to stock up on that great Buffalo Cheddar cheese I bought last fall. So here it is, one last grocery store tour for the trip. I didn't take as many pictures as last fall. This first collage is a combination of a fun candy toy I didn't buy and a "huh??" moment in the pet supplies area.

 

 

Most of our attention (and money) was on the meat counter. As last fall, the selection was amazing and the staff were wonderful. If we lived in Osceola, this would be our grocery store. The guys are knowledgeable, friendly and funny: a great sales combination. On top of the counter they had a sign with the riddle of the week: "The more you take, the more you leave behind". I had to ask. Can you guess the answer?

 

Meat counter selections: they're really into wrapping things with bacon!

 

 

 

We bought the pork steaks he'd wanted, then I chose some Iowa pork chops: according to the meat counter gentleman, one of his fondest childhood memories because his grandmother always cooked them when the family visited. We went away, but while my darling was contemplating snacks I went back for their version of an armadillo egg. It's a pepper stuffed with cream cheese, wrapped in ground pork, and the entirety wrapped in bacon. It's in the freezer now. We'll have an armadillo egg taste test sometime this summer.

 

We also bought these monster cookies at his behest. He tried to promise me to secrecy, but I wasn't having any of that! If you're going to sin, sin with a whole heart.

 

 

Seen on the way back to the Princessmobile:

 

 

Last night, the last night we'll have the Princessmobile plugged into shore power before we get home, it was dinner and a movie. The pork steaks were accompanied by broccoli (me), cole slaw and toast (him) and beverages of our choice. Lovely to watch a movie again. It's an old favorite, especially suited for our location.