we camped

campingcamping 2

The older two didn’t want to go. And there were a few meltdowns along the way. But it’s hard to ignore the magic of pines and a pristine lake beneath a mountain that almost doesn’t look real; family games by lantern-light with oldies on the radio; hot dinners from a dutch oven set in the coals; and comics or a new novel devoured in a hammock.

Those older two even admitted it: they had fun.

15 comments… add one
  • Angela Aug 21, 2009 @ 9:28

    Ahhhh, I’m feeling the fun and relaxtion from here! We’ve started warming the kids up to camping with a few backyard overnights. I’m looking forward to some for-real camping soon — this Fall maybe? I’m hoping.

    • patricia Aug 21, 2009 @ 22:23

      And you’ll be able to camp in the fall, since you’re homeschoolers now! I just caught up with your blog–congratulations on your decision. I hope it’s a wonderful adventure for your family.

  • Carrie Aug 21, 2009 @ 21:14

    Ah, that sounds delightful. I’d love to hear more about camp cooking with a dutch oven. What do you make?

    • patricia Aug 21, 2009 @ 23:36

      It was on our group camping trips that friends taught me how to cook in a dutch oven. You can replicate home oven temperatures by simply putting a certain number of briquettes beneath the dutch oven, and a certain number on top. So you can adapt any recipe you might bake in an oven: I’ve made lasagne, macaroni and cheese, tamale pie, berry cobbler…food that tastes *so* good when you’re camping.

      My uncle is a big dutch oven cooking geek. (And I mean that in the fondest way.) He led me to this group: http://www.camp-cook.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=9&sid=f54f2c44bdfd006c359680d91ec27fc2

      Who knew that there are entire groups of people excited about cooking outdoors in cast iron pans?

  • stefaneener Aug 22, 2009 @ 1:10

    I’m impressed that the shot of the tiny toes was actually blog-safe! Good job and it looks like a LOVELY time. Sigh.

    • patricia Aug 23, 2009 @ 14:52

      What do you mean? That for once his crack wasn’t showing?

  • Kristin Aug 22, 2009 @ 8:35

    Great photos! And I see that Mr. T is reading on his own now too. Mt. Shasta sure has a presence about it. I couldn’t believe how much of the snow had melted off of it compared to when we were just there in July. I’m glad you all had fun, especially the older ones.

    • patricia Aug 23, 2009 @ 14:55

      Thanks so much for recommending it. It was more beautiful than we’d imagined. And we’d never been to Shasta City before either–now I know where to stop on I-5 when we’re driving up to Portland! Did you shop at the natural foods store in town? (Not the one near the highway–the bigger one.) It was great!

  • molly Aug 22, 2009 @ 10:18

    i just adore the middle picture in the last row. the mountain looks familiar too – desolation wilderness? reminds me of our trips to wright’s lake.

    • patricia Aug 23, 2009 @ 14:57

      Nope, Mount Shasta. We camped at Lake Siskiyou Resort, a private campground. Now we want to go back up north, to Trinity Lake or Lassen. It’s beautiful up there, and warm!

  • Unka Bee Aug 22, 2009 @ 13:31

    Fine looking lasagna. A little tip, when you are cooking something in the DO that might stick and be hard to clean off, line the DO with parchement paper.
    You will not win any DO cook-off’s using it but you evening doing dishes will be much shorter.

    My most successful recipe was developed from a YouTube thing with an old Montana Cowboy.. http://camp-cook.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=831

    Before making it you must watch the video..http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxphSWsS6Zg&feature=related

    Another favorite of many, i have not tried it is the Cherry (any seasonal fruit) Clafouti http://camp-cook.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=749

    Real Men Cook in Black Iron

  • Unka Bee Aug 22, 2009 @ 13:34

    One request. You should post the lasagna recipe to the DO group. They will love you for it.

    • patricia Aug 23, 2009 @ 15:02

      You know, the dutch oven is getting so nicely seasoned that it wasn’t hard to clean, even without parchment. And the browned chewy bottom is the best part!

      I guess a Montana cowboy would know what he’s doing!

      The photo of that clafouti looks delish!

  • susan Aug 23, 2009 @ 8:40

    What a gorgeous spot. I love the bottom row of photos, particularly H and Lulu taking in the scenery and Lulu and Mr. T.

    Your kids will remember your camp cooking feats.

    My mom is a whiz with the cast iron pan. We camped for 63 days one summer on a cross country trip. My mom had bought 64 cans of tuna on sale and lunch was tuna sandwiches. I didn’t eat tuna again for years. But dinner. Dinner was cornish game hens and potatoes cooked in the coals and apple crumble baked in a dutch oven. It’s been at least 20 years since I went back to eating tuna, but I still remember those delicious camp dinners.

    You’ve inspired me to make some memorable camp meals.

    • patricia Aug 23, 2009 @ 15:09

      Thanks for the kind words about the photos, Susan.

      And oh my word, that’s a scary amount of tuna!

      Apple crumble in a dutch oven! Must try that! I do love that dutch oven. It’s so magical to open the lid and see something browned and bubbling when you’re camping.

      Yes, you should take on memorable camping cooking. And take some hints form your mom! Then when you’re camping you can still be “In the Kitchen”!

Leave a Reply to patriciaCancel reply

Your email address will not be published.