If that sounds even the slightest bit familiar then you are in the right place. Over the past decade or so I have refined a list of 7 things that I use every single time I prepare for my next camping trip.

These strategies are relevant whether you are car camping, primitive camping, RV camping, scout camping or large group camping. You can very easily apply them across any type of trip, which is what really makes them worthwhile.

So here they are:

1. Plan the Meals – Okay common sense right? Well If I didn’t include this as the first and most important item I would get hollered at! But seriously, if you don’t plan the meals ahead of time not only do you not know what you’re going to eat you also have no idea what to pack as far as cooking gear is concerned. Do you need a spatula or tongs? Do you need a strainer or a frying pan?

2. Plan the Gear – This follows directly from number 1. Now that you know what you are going to eat for the trip you can now figure out exactly what utensils, pots, pans, containers and other miscellaneous cooking gear you need. And more importantly what gear you don’t need! My family and I do a lot of tent camping which means that we take my wife’s SUV, so we have a very limited amount of room that we must pack all of our “stuff” into. If I only need a 2 quart pot and a small frying pan well guess what, the 9 other pots and 4 other frying pans stay at home!

3. Plan the Condiments – Have you ever went camping and once you get there you realize that you don’t have ketchup, mustard or relish for your nice, hot and juicy steak burger you just cooked for yourself? Have you ever went camping and it took you 10 minutes to find the garlic powder because it found it’s own way to the bottom of the box you keep all your spices in? There is a fine line between having too many spices/condiments and not having enough but you have to walk that line. Even if you have a 40 foot Class A Mega Super Duper Motor home, you only have so much space. Sit down and look at the recipe’s you are going to use and then figure out what spices/condiments you can bring and which ones to leave at home.

4. 10% Above – Get 10% more food then you think you should take. If your family usually eats 4 hamburgers, take 5 or 6. If they usually eat 6 pieces of Corn on the Cob take 8. I don’t know for sure what it is but whenever you go camping everybody seems to be HUNGRY all the time. It might be because they are running around doing more stuff or it might be something in the air, I don’t know.

5. KIS – Keep It Simple. Realize that you are going to be in the middle of the woods. Is it possible to cook a Rack of Lamb with Herb-Dijon Nut Crust, Parisienne Potatoes, Green Beans Wrapped In Carrot Ring and Pureed Sweet Potato Basket? Yes it is technically possible. Should you attempt it? Heck NO! Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying to plan 3 square of milk and cereal. I am saying to remember where you are going to be and the mostly primitive cooking tools you will have at your disposal.

6. Test Runs- If you are planning on cooking on a campfire, or using a new grill, or cooking in your RV for the first time on your next trip…Don’t Do It! Always, always, always do a test run at home before you get out there. Build a little fire in your backyard and figure out if you need some charcoal to bolster the wood fire and make it cook more evenly. Make sure you know how to hook up that new grill and where the hot spots are. It is really not a lot of fun to get out into the woods somewhere and burn your dinner to a crisp or have it sitting in the bottom of the campfire because of a “equipment malfunction”. So always do a test run.

7. Try a new Treat – Remembering strategy number 6, my family always tries a new treat whenever we go camping. Whether it be a new recipe for our green bean casserole or a naughty little after dinner snack, we try something new every time. This doesn’t have to mean something exotic that you’re not sure the animals would even like. Just look around on the internet, there are a ton of campfire / Dutch oven recipes out there for you to try.

Well that’s it, that’s my list of 7 Need to Know Campsite Cooking Strategies. This is not a wish-list or a group of things I pulled out of thin air. I use this list each and every time I plan a trip for my family, my friends and my troop. This list if used properly will keep you in good stead for your trips. You won’t run out of food, you won’t eat bland food, you won’t bring home a ton of unused and possibly spoiled food and most importantly dinner won’t be a chore while camping.

About The Author

Eric Stephenson is an avid camper and publisher of http://www.NJCampingInfo.com where you will get all the information you will ever need about camping in New Jersey as well as information about camping and the latest technologies and products related to camping. This article is copyrighted. It may be reproduced only if the hyperlinks here are left intact.

Eric@NJCampingInfo.com

]]> http://www.smasra.com/7-need-to-know-campsite-cooking-strategies/feed/ 0 http://www.smasra.com/3-methods-for-perfectly-melted-chocolate/ http://www.smasra.com/3-methods-for-perfectly-melted-chocolate/#comments Mon, 01 Feb 2010 06:00:00 +0000 Mohammed http://www.smasra.com/?p=327

by: Lee Dobbins

Melting chocolate for baking is an exacting task, if not done perfectly you can end up with a burned or grainy mess and ruin whatever you are baking. Below are 3 methods for melting chocolate, each can be successful in it’s own way and you need only pick a method that works for you and get cooking!

In The Oven

Chocolate can be melted in the oven quite easily but you will need to be very diligent about watching it. It’s easy to get caught up in your other baking chores and not realize that you have overheated it until it is too late. To melt chocolate in the oven, heat the oven to 110 degrees. Chop the chocolate and place in a dish inside the oven. Keep the door open and check regularly. It will take about an hour to melt thoroughly.

Double Boiler Method

This tried and true method uses two pots or a special double boiler pot. The bottom pot has about an inch of water in it and the top pot is a bit smaller and rests on the bottom pot. The water should be heated to just below a simmer. Chop the chocolate and put it in the top pot. The chocolate should be stirred until melted and you must be very careful not to get any water mixed in with the chocolate as this will make it grainy.

Microwave

Using the microwave to melt chocolate can be the fastest but also the most disastrous method as a couple of seconds of overheating can ruin the chocolate. Chop the chocolate and put it in a microwave safe bowl. Heat on 50% for 1 to 4 minutes – the amount of time needed will depend on the amount of chocolate you are melting so you will have to watch the chocolate the whole time. When you see that it is turning shiny and before it is fully melted, remove it from the oven and stir until it melts fully.

About the author:
Lee Dobbins is editor of www.online-gourmet-foods.com where you can learn more about gourmet food and find out more about gourmet chocolate.

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