Camping and Retirement Blog - Page 7 of 18

Stuffed Cabbage, Baked Goodness

Cabbage

Cabbage is the vegetable Good Friends Good Food cooked this past week. Lately, the only thing I do with cabbage is coleslaw. But, that would not do for this post. So, I pulled out a blast from the past, Stuffed Cabbage. It is a dish that I made when my children were young and I did a lot of cooking. My husband and I have been married over thirty years and I don’t think I have ever cooked the dish for him.

Preparing Stuffed Cabbage

Most importantly, this dish doesn’t require special ingredients. For instance, I have everything except the cabbage on hand most of the time.

Stuffed Cabbage Roll Ingredients — Ingredients for Stuffed Cabbage

This is really a simple and easy dish to prepare. However, two things prevent it from being in my typical rotation. Firstly, while quick to assemble, it has to bake for a long time. However, this can be overcome by planning. Secondly, I am not crazy about pulling apart the cabbage leaves. I am not a fan. Despite the aggravation of the leaves, this is a good dish.

Recipe for Stuffed Cabbage

Ingredients

1 lb. Ground Chuck
Large Head of Cabbage
1/2 c. Rice
Small Onion, Grated
2 Eggs, beaten
1 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
Large Onion, sliced
Large Can Tomatoes, 29 oz (I prefer whole Tomatoes)
Tomato Sauce, 8 oz.
Juice of 1 Lemon
1 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
1/2 c. Brown Sugar

Directions

Firstly, preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Heat a large pan of water to boiling. Core cabbage and separate 12 of the leaves. Cook leaves in boiling water until barely tender. (Trim thick part from leaves.)

Meanwhile, combine in a medium bowl the meat, rice, grated onion, eggs, and first salt and pepper that is listed. Divide mixture among the leaves so that each leaf has mixture that is slightly larger than a large egg. After that, wrap each leaf around the mixture and place in a large baking pan or Dutch Oven with seam side down.

Pour tomatoes over all. After that, add tomato sauce, lemon juice, and onions. Lastly, sprinkle second salt and pepper and the brown sugar evenly over all.

Bake, covered, for 2 hours.

My Stuffed Cabbage Result

We certainly enjoyed this dish. My husband really loved it and said that I can feed it to him any old time. The long baking time gives a full, rich flavor to the onions and tomatoes. Also, it makes a lot and the leftovers are every bit as good as they were the first day.

Good Friends Good Food

Most importantly, if you like cabbage and are looking for other recipes, click on the links below. Also, check out my page, Vegetables with Good Friends, Good Food to see links to other vegetables the group has cooked.

Ellen

Kayte’s Stuffed Cabbage with Guyere and Jalapeños

Margaret’s Southern Fried Cabbage and Sausage

Nancy

Peggy’s Cabbage Casserole

Ulrike’s Pointed Cabbage Salad with Smoked Almonds and Bacon Dressing

In conclusion, holiday green vegetables will be up next for Good Friends Good Food. I certainly can’t wait to see what these talented ladies do with that option.

Happy Cooking Y’all

Cauliflower with Cheese Sauce, My Go-To Dish

Cauliflower with Cheese Sauce

Cauliflower is the latest featured vegetable in the Good Friends Good Food group. I made my dish with cheese sauce because it is a favorite of my husband’s. It is also a real comfort food that requires just a few ingredients.

My recipe includes instructions for cooking in an Instant Pot, but it can easily be cooked on the stove top as well. Just cook until tender crisp in salted water and drain well.

Recipe In My Recipe Book

I mentioned that this is a frequent dish in our home. This recipe and all of my favorite recipes are loaded in Family Cookbook Project.

A couple of years ago, I entered all of my favorite recipes into the web application and had several copies of my cookbook printed. Then, I gave one of the books to each of our daughters and older granddaughters. Our daughters have requested a cookbook over the years and retirement afforded the time to make it happen.

Most importantly, I have loved having electronic versions of my favorite recipes all in one spot. Also, as new favored recipes have emerged, I added them to the book. Nowadays, if I decide to make a specific dish while grocery shopping, I can pull it up on line to see my list of ingredients. Our daughters have also used the electronic version to look up recipes. Lastly, the cookbook has a nice feature that allows you can search for a specific recipe on a keyword. Below is a screenshot of my cauliflower recipe.

Good Friends Good Food

Please also check out the links below for other Good Friends Good Food recipes. These ladies are excellent cooks!

Peggy’s Roasted Parmesan Cauliflower

Ulrike’s Cauliflower Cheese Pasta

Lastly, check out my page, Vegetables with Good Friends, Good Food which has links to other vegetables cooked by our group.

Wishing Everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!

Pumpkin Cheesecake in the Instant Pot

Pumpkin Cheesecake

It’s autumn and time for pumpkin to take center stage. Pumpkin is also the Good Friends Good Food Cooking Group’s vegetable for this week. My choice shifted between a favorite pumpkin soup and a pumpkin cheesecake, which would be a new dessert for me. Pumpkin cheesecake is one of those seasonal dishes that I love. Because I have also been wanting to try a cheesecake in my Instant Pot, now seemed a good time.

If the Instant Pot is not your thing, I believe this recipe would work fine in an oven with close watching near the end to get to the appropriate degree of doneness.

Instant Pot Utensils

I used my six quart Instant Pot and a 7” springform pan. When I first bought the Instant Pot, I invested in a couple of pans to use inside it. This is my first use of the springform pan. It fits perfectly inside the pot and on top of the trivet.

Special Instant Pot Considerations

I did some research on Instant Pot cheesecakes and the following things should be a part of the process.

The ingredients should be at room temperature when used because it important for the consistency of the top of the cheesecake.
Bring the water to boiling in the pot before cooking the cheesecake because it reduces the steam in the pot by bringing up the pressure more quickly.
Do not overmix the ingredients and it will help prevent a puffy soufflé-style cheesecake.
Cover the top and bottom of the pan with foil because it keeps the steam off the cheesecake. It is also important for the cooking time to be accurate.
Freeze the prepared crust while mixing the filling. (Or bake in 325 degree oven for 15 minutes.)

Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe

Ingredients

12 oz. Cream Cheese (1 1/2 blocks), softened
1 can (14 oz) Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 Tbsp Corn Starch
1 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
1/4 tsp Cardamom
2 Large Eggs, slightly beaten
1 c. Pumpkin Purée

1 1/2 c. Water in Instant Pot

Crust

1 c. Ginger Snap Crumbs or Graham Cracker Crumbs
2 Tbsp Granulated Sugar
2 Tbsp Salted Butter, melted

Whipped Cream for topping

Instructions

Remove eggs and cream cheese from refrigerator about an hour before preparation to bring to room temperature.

Prepare a 7” springform pan by lining the bottom with wax or parchment paper. Grease the sides with butter.

First, prepare the crust. Mix together the crumbs, sugar, and butter and press into the prepared pan. Place the pan into the freezer or bake in a 325-degree oven while preparing the filling.

In a large bowl, stir the cream cheese and ensure it is very soft. Add the condensed milk and stir with a whisk until smooth. Stir together the flour and spices and then add to mixture. Lastly, add the pumpkin and eggs and stir until blended.

Pour filling over the crust evenly and tap the pan lightly on the counter to release air bubbles. Next, cover the pan with foil on both the bottom and top to prevent condensation getting to the cheesecake.

Add the water to the Instant Pot and turn on Sauté. Heat until the water is boiling and then turn off the sauté function. Put the springform pan inside the trivet and lower the foil-covered pan into the pot.

Place the cover on and set for pressure cooking on high for 49 minutes. After cooking, allow 20 minutes for a natural release.

Remove foil cover and examine cheesecake. There should be a slight jiggle in the center. If the center looks like liquid, cover and cook for an additional 5 minutes and 5 minutes natural release. If there is any condensation on the cheesecake, dab with a paper towel to remove.

Serving Instructions

Remove all the foil and allow the cheesecake to cool on the counter for 1.5 hours. Lastly, cover the pan and refrigerate for at least 10 hours before serving.

Pan in Instant Pot — Springform pan in Instant Pot

Carefully remove the cheesecake from the pan and remove the wax paper. Serve with whipped cream. Voila, pumpkin cheesecake!

My Result

So, the center of my cheesecake was a little jiggly as desired. I found the center to be a little more creamy than the edges, but all of it was good. It was also easy to get out of the pan. However, this is not an overly sweet cheesecake. Surprisingly, my husband, a big sugar fan, loved it! I think he liked it more than me. The cardamom was one of my modifications, which I liked.

This opens our world of camping to cheesecake because we usually take the instant pot, but not an oven. It is a little different process, but is not really difficult.

In conclusion

I am enjoying cooking with Good Friends Good Food group. Check out my page, Vegetables with Good Friends, Good Food and our recipes for other vegetables. I am so looking forward to all the creative ways pumpkin is used by members of the group. Lastly, be sure to click on their links.

Ellen’s Crustless Pumpkin Pie

Kayte’s Pumpkin Strudel Muffins

Margaret’s Curried Pumpkin Soup

Nancy

Peggy’s Mini Pumpkin Pie

Ulrike’s Pumpkin Salad with Kale

Happy Cooking!

New Campers, Unhitching and Setup of T@B 400

New Campers

I wrote this unhitching and setup post exclusively for new campers. Experienced campers have already figured this stuff out and could possibly share better methods. When we first began camping, we did not know anything at all about campers and how to use them. I would have appreciated a post like this. However, I could not find anything this basic and detailed.

We have now been camping for four years and this post reflects what we have learned and is how we setup our current camper, a nüCamp T@B 400.

Setup for New campers — New Camper Unhitching and Setup

The Order of Things

Some steps must be done in a specific order or must precede other steps. Others can occur anywhere in the process. In this post, I will always indicate when order is important and why. Lastly, we have found that a standard practice makes our process more efficient and less prone to errors. You develop a sort of muscle memory.

Level the Side-to-Side

This first step is essential if you have an unlevel site from side-to-side. You should perform this check before other steps because the trailer must be hitched to raise one of the wheels. So, I use a small level that we keep in the camper to see if the the side to side is level. If it is not level, we have two leveling pads that we drive the wheel over on the low side. Often, we do not need these pads for leveling. Sometimes, we need both pads and occasionally only one is needed.

New campers should check level status — Checking the side to side level status

It is important that the camper is level for the refrigerator and air conditioner to work properly and for accurate reading of tank levels. Lastly, it is much more comfortable in a leveled camper.

Chock the Wheels

For safety, it is important to chock the wheels before any steps in the unhitching process begins. An unchocked camper can roll and cause damages and possible injuries. So, it is just a good practice to always do this before unhitching.

Insert Wheel or Block

We currently use a block to unhitch and stabilize the front of our camper. For maximum stability, we center it and lower the jack. In our previous camper, we used a wheel. However, we prefer the block.

Remove 7-Pin Connector

You should remove the 7-pin connector before unhitching to prevent drain on the car battery and to get it out of the way of the hitch.

Remove the Chains and Breakaway Cable

You will want to get these out of the way before unhitching. Regarding the chains, you should always cross them while towing.

Remove the Weight Distribution Bars

We have the Blue Ox Swaypro Weight Distribution Hitch and it requires the jack to lift the car to enable the bars to be removed. Once the jack is raised, the bars can easily be removed.

Remove Hitch Lock

We always keep a lock attached to our trailer coupler. It is vital while towing to ensure the trailer remains properly attached. It is also beneficial as a theft deterrent. We previously used a long padlock, but wanted something that was easier to get off and on. We settled on the Bulldog Adjustable Lock.

Lock recommendation for new campers — Bulldog Trailer Coupler Lock

So far, we really like the ease of putting it on and off. It works much better than the padlock. It fits snugly, which would make it difficult to cut off.

Unhitching From the Tow Vehicle

Next, lower the jack to release the strain off the ball. Once lowered, pull up the lever on the tongue. Now, lift it off the ball. Ideally, the ball will drop from the jack. Sometimes, it can be difficult to decouple. In those circumstances, it may be necessary to pull forward or backward ever so slightly. This is the most stressful step in the unhitching process for me.

Level Front to Back

Next, adjust the jack so that the camper is level from front to back. I always set a level on the floor parallel to the door and it makes it easy to find that level sweet spot using the jack.

Lowering the Stabilizers

Lastly, lower the stabilizers. This is the last step of unhitching and taking them up is the first step of hitching. It is important because the stabilizers can be damaged if the camper is raised or lowered by the jack while they are down.

Camper stabilizers — Stabilizers are lowered

Setup

Now that the camper is unhitched, it is ready for setup. Actually, you can attach the water and power before unhitching. For example, if the weather is hot or cold, you might want to get the power on so the inside temperature can be impacted sooner.

Electrical Hookup

We recommend that you include a surge suppressor in your electrical hookup. A suppressor can protect your camper’s electrical system if there is a problem with a campground’s power supply. It can also identify electrical other issues.

Connecting to City Water

We always attach a water pressure regulator and a filter to our water connection. The meter protects your water system if there is too much pressure in the campground.

I have a couple of tips regarding the water. First, it is not necessarily to over tighten the connections. Second, be sure the gasket is in the fitting of the hose.

Holding Tanks

We usually do not have sewer connections because most of our camping is in State Parks. When we do have sewer at our site, we keep both the gray and black tanks closed until we are ready to empty. I understand that it is critical to keep the black tank closed to prevent issues due to the lack of water. Also, you wouldn’t want anything that might be in the sewer to have access to your camper.

New Campers, In Conclusion

It can be intimidating to set up a camper if you are inexperienced. We learned how to do this over time, with some mistakes. Now, we consistently strive follow the process above and have it down to a routine. If this post is helpful to you, check out our page, Camping Resources for New Teardrop Campers.

Happy Camping!

Retired couple

Zucchini Frittata, an Anytime Dish

Zucchini, this Week’s Vegetable

This week’s vegetable is an easy one to have available because it is accessible year round and keeps well in the refrigerator for several days. Routinely, I have about three different ways to serve them. However, I most often include zucchini in a frittata. A frittata is a special breakfast in our home, but it is so hearty that it is also an excellent choice for brunch or dinner.

I don’t generally follow a recipe for my frittatas, so the ingredients can vary. Most often though, I include zucchini or summer squash. However, either type of squash works well in a frittata.

Special Equipment

I have always made my frittatas in an iron skillet. So, for me, it would feel unnatural to use anything else. But, any skillet or pan that can go from stovetop to oven could be used. My choice though, will always be an iron skillet.

Frittata Possibilities

Eggs are the only absolute necessity in a frittata, everything else can vary. Butter or oil will work, but I prefer butter. Olive oil is, of course, a healthier choice. The sky is the limit with vegetables because they are cooked until tender crisp on the stovetop. Any cheese that you like will also do just fine. Lastly, a variety of seasonings work well in a frittata, such as basil, oregano, dill, thyme, cayenne pepper, or chives.

Zucchini Frittata Recipe

Ingredients

2 Tbsp Butter or Olive Oil
1 c. Zucchini, diced
1/2 c. Onion, diced
1/2 c. Red Bell Pepper, diced
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/8 tsp Accent
1/2 tsp Basil
1/2 cup Cherry Tomatoes
6 Large Eggs, Slightly beaten
3/4 c. Gruyere & Swiss Blend Cheese, shredded

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt butter in ovenproof skillet over stovetop. Add all vegetables except tomatoes and cook over medium-high heat until tender-crisp. Add desired salt and pepper. Sprinkle Accent and Italian Seasoning over vegetables. Lastly, add whole cherry tomatoes and distribute them evenly in skillet.

Next, pour beaten eggs evenly over vegetables; do not stir. Sprinkle cheese over top. Place skillet into preheated oven and cook for approximately 18 minutes or until eggs are firm.

Optional Garnishes

Salsa, Tomato or Green Chili
Avocado Slices

This Frittata Version

This was my first time using the Gruyere/Swiss blend cheese and green chili salsa. It gave it a bit of a different taste, more complex, but we really liked it.

Because there was no previous recipe, I adjusted my estimated measurements for several ingredients as I prepared it. I must say, this was a delicious meal. My husband agreed!

Good Friends Good Food Blogs (GFGF)

Check out other zucchini dishes by my GFGF friends. I have been very impressed by their cooking expertise because of all the cool ways they have prepared vegetables so far.

Ellen’s Zucchini Bread

Kayte’s Grilled Zucchini with Red Onion and Feta

Margaret’s PHO-GA

Nancy

Peggy’s Chicken Zucchini Casserole

Ulrike’s Baked Courgettes/ Zucchini with Minced Meat

In Conclusion

If you have never made a frittata, they are a marvelous way to turn a variety of on-hand vegetables into a quick and delicious meal. Zucchini is an excellent vegetable because it can be kept in your vegetable bin ready to make a delicious frittata happen.

Lastly, if you would like to check out other vegetables prepared by our cooking group, see my page, Vegetables with Good Friends, Good Food.

Happy Cooking Y’all

Grilled Tomatoes in Air Fryer

The vegetable for this week’s Good Friends Good Food recipes is tomatoes. I really love tomatoes and grilled tomatoes are a favorite in our house. In the past, I have made them on the grill and in the oven. However, I suspected they would be really quick and easy in the air fryer. This proved to be correct. They were so easy to make that the air fryer will be my preferred method of cooking going forward.

Air Fryer Cooking

I have only had my air fryer for five months, but it is a very good small appliance for lots of different foods. After much research, I settled on the Ninja Air Fryer. So far, I have been really pleased with this brand and model.

A few things about grilling tomatoes in the air fryer to keep in mind:

There is no need to preheat the fryer for tomatoes.
There is certainly no need to heat up your kitchen with a big oven.
No oil or grease is needed in the fryer because the bottom of the tomatoes are oiled and this prevents sticking.
Above all, the cooking basket and tray can be put into the dishwasher. I love this benefit of the air fryer.
The tomatoes can be touching without impacting results.
The cooking time can vary based upon the thickness and level of ripeness of the tomatoes.

Grilled Tomatoes in Air Fryer — Tomatoes ready to cook in air fryer

Grilled Tomatoes, The Recipe

Ingredients

3-4 Tomatoes, washed and cut into halves
Olive Oil, approx 2 Tbsp
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Dried Basil, to taste
Garlic Powder, to taste
Dried Chives, to taste

Optional: Parmesan Cheese or Breadcrumbs

Instructions

Use a brush to liberally spread olive oil on bottom and top of each tomato half. Next, place the tomatoes in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Sprinkle salt, pepper, dried basil, garlic powder, and dried chives as thick or as light as desired.

After that, cook at 350 degrees for 15- 20 minutes. Because tomatoes vary in size and ripeness, check on how the tomatoes are progressing at 15 minutes. They should be soft and lightly browned.

If adding optional cheese or breadcrumbs, add during the last five minutes of cooking.

My Grilled Tomatoes

I omitted adding cheese or breadcrumbs because we are on a special one-week diet. But, they were still marvelous!

Good Friends Good Food Blogs

Kayte’s Taco Tomatoes

Margaret’s Tomato, Sausage & Eggplant Soup

Nancy’s Tomato and Cheese Cobbler

Peggy’s Tomato Pie

Ulrike’s Baked Aubergine with Pasta and Tomatoes

In Conclusion

I certainly recommend grilled tomatoes in the air fryer. I hope you give them a try.

Moreover, if interested in other vegetables that I have cooked with Good Friends Good Food, check out my page, Vegetables with Good Friends, Good Food. I will be updating the page with each new vegetable. The next vegetable is zucchini!

Happy Cooking Everyone!

Pandemic Camping with Friends

Earlier, we did some camping after the pandemic began, but without friends. It changes the dynamic a bit when you are with people you know. For instance, it can be easy to get too close to friends. What is safe and what is not must be considered in a group that typically has potlucks and games. On this trip, we spent five days with another couple in one location and three days with a group of twenty or so at another location. For the large group, we met in a very large circle.

Fortunately, we felt safe in both environments. I must say, it was really, really good to spend time with other people. My husband has been a remarkable companion through this crisis and I do my best, but an expanded set of people to spend time with was great for both of us.

Stopover in Augusta

The drive to Myrtle Beach was longer than we like to make in one day. So, we stopped at a municipal park campground, Diamond Lakes. It was nice and relatively inexpensive for full hookups. Additionally, it was close to our route to the beach and our site was right on the lake. We will definitely stay there again if in the area.

Diamond Lakes Site #24 — Diamond Lakes Site # 24

Pandemic Camping with a Friends at Myrtle Beach

We camped with our friends at Ocean Lakes Family Campground. Originally, Panama City was the destination, but a hurricane nixed that plan. Consequently, we booked the only two sites available out of 859 campsites. I can safely say that we had the worst site in the entire campground. The sewer hookup was at the absolute back of the unlevel site. Additionally, there were so many large tree roots on our site, we couldn’t use our rug. I called our little area the Root Room.

Ours was the only site that was terrible though, which might be why it was available. Overall, Ocean Lakes was a nice campground.

Pandemic camping with friends at Myrtle Beach — Site # 4181, The Root Room

The campground is on the beach and we had one excellent day in the sun. The water was warm, but a bit rough. Glorious!

We also had an opportunity to enjoy the lazy river. It was such a relaxing day with clear skies and perfect temperatures.

Ocean Lakes has tons of golf carts for rental. The place is so large that the carts are very popular with the visitors. They were everywhere and often an annoyance as there was a lot of just cruising. But, we went with the flow and rented one too. It was fun. The place has 300 rental unit houses. The resort owns the property and individuals own the houses. It was fun driving through checking them out. Some were rather shoddy, but many were very nice!

We had lots of rain for three of our days at Myrtle Beach, but we did share some meals and games outside. On our last night, we actually ate together indoors. It was great seeing our friends!

Another Stopover

Paris Mountain State Park was a break in our trip to the event in Georgia. The campground is very nice with lots of beautiful trails and a very clean bathhouse. We got the only site available. It was an ADA, but we were able to stay with a phone call explaining our health issues. Though the campground was great, there were very narrow, hilly, and winding roads. I drove our camper to our site and it was stressful.

Pandemic Camping with Friends at Paris Mountain — Site # 29 (ADA)

We had two nights at Paris Mountain and one full day. It enabled us to enjoy the park and the absolutely perfect weather. I particularly enjoyed a hike around Lake Placid. It was a great day and I highly recommend this park.

Vogel State Park with SE T@Bs, T@Gs and Friends

This was our second trip to Vogel with the SE group. Several of the folks at the event we knew because we have camped with them before. It was great seeing old friends and making new ones. It is so much fun hanging out with this group. Everyone was careful to maintain a distance and everything was outside. Thanks to Jeff, our leader, we were fortunate to have a site at the center of most of the activities.

Pandemic camping with friends at Vogel State Park — Site #31

We walked around the lake on another beautiful day. The weather at Vogel was great except for rain on the last night.

Recently, we have been discussing getting a dog. My husband fell in love with Asher, a Schnoodle belonging to Lisa in our group. Doesn’t he look like a happy man?

Shelia, one of the group members, made really nice teardrop masks for those in attendance. We love ours!

Pandemic camping with friends — Special Masks from Shelia

A Pandemic/Boondocking Option

Angie, another group member, brought a body wash spray that she requested someone formulate for her. If boondocking or with limited access to water, this can be a good thing to have. The bottle is $10. If interested and on Facebook, there is a FB page, Shaysoaps.

This was a very special trip because we were able to see friends at both places. We have really missed other people! I feel we were careful regarding pandemic risks and as long as we stayed safe, going camping was a worthwhile thing to do. This trip had two stops in South Carolina and two in Georgia. If you would like to read about our other trips, see States Visited, a Campsite Resource.

Have fun and stay safe out there!

Green Beans Almondine, A Special Occasion Dish

Green Beans

Green Beans are the vegetable for my first post with the cooking group, Good Friends Good Food (GFGF). I am afraid it is rather late because we were traveling when it was due. However, GFGF is a very flexible group, which I like very much. So, you just post a recipe of your choosing every two weeks. The only requirement is you must include the assigned vegetable for the week in your recipe.

My Recipe this Week

My dish is a modification of one I have occasionally used for holidays. The original recipe was obtained from my bosses’ wife more than thirty years ago. The original was good, but way bad for you. I must say, my scaled-down version is still not especially healthy because it has bacon, that delicious, yet bad for you meat. But, you might want to limit this dish to special occasions.

Recipe, Green Beans Almondine

Ingredients

1 lb Fresh Green Beans (or 3 cans)
3 Strips Bacon
4 Tbsp Sugar
4 Tbsp Vinegar
3 Tbsp Slivered Almonds
Salt to taste

Directions

If using fresh beans, remove ends and strings; wash. Cook beans in a small amount of boiling salted water covered for 20-25 minutes or until crisp tender. Drain and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook bacon until crisp. Crumble and reserve 2 Tbsp of drippings. Stir sugar and vinegar into reserved drippings. After that, add the crumbled bacon to the dripping mixture.

Next, layer 1/2 the beans, bacon mixture, and almonds in a casserole dish and then repeat with remaining half.

Bake 35 minutes, uncovered.

The Results

It felt like a holiday having this somewhat decadent dish on a weekday. I haven’t actually served it in about ten years, but remembered it was good. Actually, it was quite delicious. The bacon remained crispy and the almonds were nicely toasted. Also, the beans had a nice sweet/sour flavor. My husband said, “I could eat this every day.” I told him that he should not expect that because it has too many calories and is too much work.

GFGF Recipe Links

Kayte’s Green Beans with Bacon and Onion

Margaret’s German Green Bean Salad

Nancy’s Food Blog

Peggy’s Not Your Granny’s Green Bean Salad

Ulreke’s Baked Green Beans with Olives

In conclusion, more vegetable posts will be upcoming to my new page, Vegetables with Good Friends, Good Food .

Happy Cooking Y’all!

Midwest Camping in a Pandemic

Midwest Camping

We planned a camping trip to the Midwest this summer, but were concerned about the risks because of the pandemic. Big Guy and I are both high-risk for multiple reasons. Ultimately, we decided that travel would be safer during the summer than the fall. Another consideration, we are older and have health issues and do not know how long we will be able to travel. So, Carpe Diem, we decided to seize the day!

Our Path

We hope to ultimately camp in all fifty states. This summer we planned to pick up some middle America. It was a pretty ambitious plan, considering the pandemic. We did not really know what to expect or what kind of shutdowns might occur.

Midwest Camping — Five New States on our Map!

We camped in five new states: Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and Missouri. Arkansas and Tennessee were stopovers to get to our new camping areas. We visited fourteen campgrounds, which included several state parks, a Corps of Engineers (COE), a county park, and private campgrounds. Rates varied from $10 a night to $50. The COE was the $10 and the $50 rate included full hookups, a nice laundry, and a pool.

Midwest camping map — Our trip to the Midwest

Links to Posts for Each State

I do a memory post of our trips. If you would like to read about any of our new states, below are links.

Illinois Camping During a Pandemic

Wisconsin Camping During Covid-19

Minnesota Camping in a Pandemic

Iowa Camping During a Pandemic

Missouri Camping in a Pandemic

Midwest Camping and Meals on the Road

Checking out local cuisine is one of our favorite things to do while camping. However, this trip was vastly different. Our plan allowed for takeout or outdoor seating. In some of the camping areas, restaurants offered little or no outside seating. However, we were able to find some great outdoor options in Iowa and Missouri. In fact, we had our best barbecue ever at Jack Stack Barbecue

Our amazing lunch at Jack Stack in Kansas City

Many, if not most, fast food was drive through only. That worked if unhitched, but was a problem when towing our tall camper. We consumed so many meals in our SUV! I got very tired of that.

Normally, we would have a few breakfasts out. This trip, breakfast was always in the campground. Lunch and dinner was often in the campground as well.

Midwest Camping and Safety From Covid

While we wanted this trip, it would not be worth it if we contracted Covid. We tried to be careful by staying outdoors and distanced from others most of the time. Our masks were always on when we had to go inside where there were other people.

We visited a few museums, including the Lincoln Presidential Library. Most places required a reservation to limit the number of people. Almost all required masks. The only time I felt at risk at an attraction was the Mark Twain Home. It was not requiring masks. When a group came into the small area where tickets were sold, we waited outside until they had moved on.

The occasional stop for groceries was also somewhat risky. Almost everyone wore masks in some places and at others almost no one did. When the stores were crowded, it seemed the most risky. We did not shop on weekends or at night to try and minimize the number of people shopping.

Health Issues

I have a lung condition that has become considerably worse in the last year. My doctor has me using a nebulizer twice daily, which takes a good bit of time and effort for the process. Sadly, it added a level of complexity to our trip.

Midwest Camping and using a nebulizer — Nebulizing, My Twice Daily Activity

Activities on the Road

We spent much more time at the campgrounds this trip. A couple of the campgrounds had nice pools, which we enjoyed.

I am happy to say that we also went on several hikes/walks. It was nice to be outside among nature. Ultimately, we spent lots of time at the campgrounds.

We were seeking safe things to do outside. So, we visited two botanical gardens, a sculpture park, and several beautiful parks.

Beautiful Park in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin

Now that we have made it back home and enough time has passed that we can feel confident we did not contract the virus, I am so glad we took this trip! But, we have cancelled our planned fall trip because many of the states we were going to visit have travel restrictions.

Hopefully we will be camping again before too long. Stay safe out there!

Missouri Camping in a Pandemic

Missouri Camping

Our Missouri camping experience was such a pleasant surprise. We camped in three cities, each different, but delightful. All three campgrounds were private and had full hookups. One also had a nice, big pool.

We stayed two nights in each city, which meant a full day in each area to explore the sights. The cities offered lots of fun, yet safe, things to do. Also, the people we met were friendly and accommodating.

Missouri Camping in Kansas City

World of Fun Village

World of Fun includes the largest amusement park in Missouri, a water park, and a campground to accommodate visitors. Due to Covid, the park is only open Thursday through Sunday and we were there Tuesday and Wednesday nights. So, we missed checking out the park, but we did spend an afternoon in the really nice pool. We also utilized the laundry.

National World War I Museum & Memorial

Kansas City is home to the impressive World War I Museum and Memorial. We have absorbed so much information through the years about WWII, but there was a lot about the First World War that I did not understand. There was a very good film, which laid out the world political and cultural climate that existed when the war began. Timelines and graphs throughout the museum also helped me to better understand the war.

Liberty Monument at WW I Museum — Liberty Monument

The museum also included lots of artifacts from the war, including guns, uniforms, and personal effects.

Best Barbecue Ever

We had our best barbecue ever at Jack Stack Barbecue . It was raining during lunch, but the restaurant had a nice covered area. The meal was astounding and the service was excellent! There was so much food, we had leftovers for the next day. You can’t see in the photo below, but we also shared a decadent piece of carrot cake.

Jack Stack Barbeque Freight House — Fiorella’s Jack Stack Barbeque

Union Station

Union Station is near Jack Stack Restaurant, so we stopped to see it. It is a beautiful old (established 1914) building with a few restaurants and shops. It is also still an active train station.

While there, we bought a few truffles at a candy store. They were a little expensive, but so good!

Union Station interior — Beautiful interior

Missouri Camping in Hannibal

Mark Twain Cave Campground

Mark Twain Cave Campground was nice. We had a shady site and the temperatures were quite pleasant while we were there. There were a couple of sisters in the next site and we enjoyed interacting with them. They lived close to the campground and were helpful in identifying the local sights.

All things Mark Twain

Everywhere we looked, there is a reference to Mark Twain, Hannibal’s most famous son. We stopped at all the obligatory places: the statue, the lighthouse, and his childhood home.

Missouri Camping and visiting Hannibal — Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn Statue

I climbed the 240 steps to the top of the lighthouse and was rewarded with a great view of the town on one side and the mighty Mississippi on the other. So, it was worth the climb!

There are several buildings preserved in the town related to Twain, including his childhood home, Tom Blankenship’s home (aka Huck Finn), and Becky (Twain’s girlfriend’s) home. Inside, the two boys homes are furnished as they were during the time the boys lived in them.

Hannibal was a fun town and it was nice connecting with Mark Twain, an iconic and amazing writer.

Missouri Camping in Springfield

Cooks RV Motor Park

Cooks RV Motor Park was one of our favorite campgrounds. It was well- maintained and the owner was so friendly. We will stop at this campground again if we have the opportunity. (It is on an anticipated future path to the northwest.)

Another Great Missouri Meal

We actually had two excellent meals in Springfield, Cafe Cusco, pictured below and Bambino’s Cafe. Both offered shaded outdoor seating, a necessity for us. I had blackened cobia fish at Cafe Cusco and it was some of the best fish I have ever tasted.

Bambino’s pasta and bread were incredible and inexpensive for the portions served. I would love to go back sometime.

Cafe Cusco is a Peruvian restaurant and drinks were a little different. My husband had sangria and I had a margarita. Both had a generous sprinkle of cinnamon. Different, but we liked them.

Nathan Greene/Close Memorial Park

This park was so beautiful and peaceful. There were many shaded benches and we had a nice, slow-paced morning. A little exercise and fresh air was just what we needed.

Missouri Camping and visiting a lovely park — Beautiful and peaceful park

Mizumoto Japanese Stroll Garden

The Mizumoto Garden was inside the park. It was nice too with lovely plants along a generous path. Benches were plentiful at the garden as well.

The geese were also fun to watch.

Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield

I did not expect much from this Battlefield but was pleasantly surprised to learn the story behind the people who lived in this house. A Park Ranger was at the house and she told an interesting story about the people who lived there. So, her details made the history come alive for me.

Many soldiers from both sides lost their lives on this battlefield. Therefore, it is a beautiful, yet haunting place today.

In Conclusion

To sum up, Missouri was a fabulous state in our trip. We saw so many cool things! We were careful because of Covid-19, but it felt more like our previous trips because we were able to see and do so much. If you would like to read more about our experiences, check out Retirement and teardrop camping!

Cabbage

Preparing Stuffed Cabbage

Recipe for Stuffed Cabbage

Ingredients

Directions

My Stuffed Cabbage Result

Good Friends Good Food

Happy Cooking Y’all

Cauliflower with Cheese Sauce

Recipe In My Recipe Book

Good Friends Good Food

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Instant Pot Utensils

Special Instant Pot Considerations

Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe Ingredients

Crust

Instructions

Serving Instructions

My Result

Happy Cooking!

The Order of Things

Level the Side-to-Side

Chock the Wheels

Remove 7-Pin Connector

Remove the Chains and Breakaway Cable

Remove the Weight Distribution Bars

Level Front to Back

Lowering the Stabilizers

Setup

Electrical Hookup

Connecting to City Water

Holding Tanks

New Campers, In Conclusion

Happy Camping!

Zucchini, this Week’s Vegetable

Special Equipment

Frittata Possibilities

Zucchini Frittata Recipe

Ingredients

Directions

Optional Garnishes

This Frittata Version

Good Friends Good Food Blogs (GFGF)

In Conclusion

Happy Cooking Y’all

Air Fryer Cooking

Grilled Tomatoes, The Recipe

Ingredients

Instructions

My Grilled Tomatoes

Good Friends Good Food Blogs

In Conclusion

Pandemic Camping with Friends

Stopover in Augusta

Pandemic Camping with a Friends at Myrtle Beach

Another Stopover

A Pandemic/Boondocking Option

Have fun and stay safe out there!

Green Beans

My Recipe this Week

Recipe, Green Beans Almondine

Ingredients

Directions

GFGF Recipe Links

Happy Cooking Y’all!

Midwest Camping

Our Path

Links to Posts for Each State

Midwest Camping and Meals on the Road

Midwest Camping and Safety From Covid

Health Issues

Activities on the Road

Missouri Camping in Kansas City

World of Fun Village

National World War I Museum & Memorial

Best Barbecue Ever

Union Station

Missouri Camping in Hannibal

Mark Twain Cave Campground

All things Mark Twain

Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe

Ingredients