going camping for the first time in a long time.

[onethatcares]

tent style in the Ocala National Forest. Menu ideas would be appreciated.

[angstlessk]

1. Pancake mix that you just add water..and fish for diner

I only remember cooking pancakes and fishing..it's been a long time since

[irisblue]

2. Foil packets

In your cooler your choice of protein, ex ground meat/textured veggie protein, in the carry box potatoes& onions sharp knife , tongd, cutting board, heavy duty alum foil, S&P. Divvy up the meat on a foil sheet, onions & potatoes on top, fold & wrap, cook in embers .
Have fun....oh yeah corn on the cob in foil or on the grill

[BluesRunTheGame]

3. Is there a pizza place nearby that will deliver?

[Laffy Kat]

10. I'm with you.

Never understood the appeal of camping. You have to do all the chores you do at home except under much worse conditions. So much packing, preparation; sleep in the cold (and sometimes rain); pee in the woods; clean up and then cart everything back home. No thanks. I think I have bad experiences because it was always my ex who wanted to go and I was the one who had to do everything. He put up the tent and that was about it. Maybe he built a fire. One day I announced I was done with camping and our boys were old enough to go with him for a boys' weekend. He never wanted to do again when I told him I was tired of all the work.

Wow. I really ventilated there. Sorry. LOL

[Siwsan]

4. I just had a flash back to our family camping days

My sister's FAVORITE camping meal was fried Spam with pancake syrup! We loved to tease her about that. Funny thing was, once she was grown, I seriously doubt a can of Spam ever even entered her house! She died in 2015, and I still can't see a can of Spam with out thinking about those camping trips, and smiling.

BTW, I'm NOT recommending fried Spam with pancake syrup.

[left-of-center2012]

13. "fried Spam with pancake syrup"

When I was a kid (I'm 71 now) my mother would fry slices of cornmeal mush and serve it with butter and syrup.

[OregonBlue]

5. Take along some kielbasa (polish sausage) and all the veggies that were going to

go bad in the fridge. Cut it up, toss in the veggies, stir fry it all with lots of olive oil or butter and serve over ramen noodles. Easy peasy, hot, tasty and even the kids will eat it. Skillet cleans up easy and so does ramen pot. LOL.

[jpak]

6. A days menu

Breakfast: bacon, eggs, fried potatoes and onions

Lunch: PB&J, fruit, homemade old school Chex mix

Supper: Beans and hot dogs, coleslaw

Assumes you have an extreme Coleman cooler and lots of ice, and a double burner propane cook stove.

If not:

Breakfast: instant oatmeal, canned milk, sugar, oranges

Lunch: PB&J, fruit, homemade old school Chex party mix (using the vitamin supplemented Chex cereal), fresh-squeezed lemonade

Supper: Fried Spam sandwiches, canned baked beans (B&M), raw carrots, apples and oranges

[FSogol]

7. Beef stew with bisquits. I like to cook over fire with dutch ovens.

Alternate ideas:


Chili and corn muffins
Foil packs (nice piece of beef with onions, carrots, and potatoes), double wrap and place directly in the coals.)
Soft tacos and corn pudding
Red beans and rice with a good andouille sausage
Flat bread pizza

Don't forget a dump cake or peach cobbler for desert

[onethatcares]

8. what I got so far

first night: Hot dogs/baked beans. wine, cheese, beer, chips (water accompanies all meals and will be available always)

brkfst: eggs/pancakes/bacon/toast/coffee

lunch: Sandwich stuff/lite pasta/flavored water

dinner: Steaks, baked potatos/some kind of veggie and one of those individual cakes they just came out with.

Second night under the stars: wine/beer/snacks


Brkfst: Eggs/bacon/toast and coffee.


I am looking forward to this trip even though it's a shorty.

One time in Alaska, we camped near Eklutna and ate three meals in a three hour time span. I don't want to repeat that.

[CottonBear]

9. You have to make smores!

Get the regular size marshmallows, Hershey’s chocolate bars & graham crackers.

I just went camping in the North Georgia Mountains with my Cub Scout Pack. Good times!

Y’all have fun!

[petronius]

12. Sounds good! Just be sure to think about how many burners you have, and if a meal

has more hot dishes than you have burners then you're going to need to keep things warm. I would definitely second the 'foil packs' idea for a dinner (although cutting things small and parboiling potatoes at home can really help). We find that breakfast sausage is a little easier on the cleanup than bacon.

Have a great trip! Don't forget to share some pics when you get back...

[Kashkakat v.2.0]

11. What is this thing that you call "menu." Other than roast corn on the cob (in the husks) and

good local craft beer and a dark roast coffee for the am... we dont plan ahead. Just stop at a local Piggly Wiggly or something on your way and get whatever tickles your fancy ... makes for a good break from the road and you see some local color. I made some cold brew coffee last summer and that worked pretty well... can heat it up if you dont like it cold. It just saves some time not having to wait an hour for the water to boil but maybe thats not an issue if you have nice modern camping equipment like some people (not us) have.

Everything always tastes GREAT outdoors so it doesnt really have to be anything special.

[LeftInTX]

14. When we visited Big Thicket National Park and Angelina National Forest, we stayed at a Super 8

We went in the summer, so camping in SE Texas would have been pretty gross.

[Texasgal]

15. Take some bananas

Slice them in half long ways, lay them like a hot dog bun and place in foil pack top with marsh mellows and chocolate chips... stick them on hot coals for a few minutes! YUM! YUM!

[Xolodno]

16. Head over to REI..

Look for "Mountain House" for the easy. For the "I'm going to be the camp chef!" Marinate some meat, freeze, dump in ice chest with ice. Take a grill, about the second or third day, it should be thawed out. Don't freeze if you want to grill on the first day. Anything longer, canned food.

[csziggy]

17. Be sure to take OFF! or something for bugs

It's still hot and has been wet so the mosquitoes will be horrible. Ticks have also been very bad.

No menu suggestions - I am a non-camper. Frankly if I absolutely had to camp out in the Ocala National Forest, I'd want a RV with air conditioning, a shower, and a full kitchen!

[Nac Mac Feegle]

18. How many people are there going to be?

Propane, wood, or charcoal?

Peel and slice sweet potatoes into 'coins' about 3/8 inch thick.
Spray with olive oil Pam or drizzle with olive oil and grill.
Peeling and slicing can be done ahead of time, they can be transported in a zip-lock in the cooler.

I am slightly famous for my skills with a Dutch Oven around a campfire. If you have enough people, they can produce some awesome meals.

The last time I was out, I did a shepherds' pie, blue cornbread, and a pineapple upside-down cake in the D.O.'s.
There were 6 people, though.

If you're going to do anything sticky in a D.O., it can be lined with aluminum foil first (the heavy duty kind).

Hawaiian Kabobs;
(Appetizer)

Low salt Spam
Canned Pineapple (large chunks or slices)
Cherry Tomatoes (approx 1" )
Teriyaki sauce

Skewers

Soak skewers in water 30 min.
Cut Spam into 1 inch cubes
If using sliced pineapple, cut into chunks approx 3/4 - 1 in (2 together will be about 3/4-1 in cube)

Thread chunks and tomatoes onto soaked skewer, beginning and ending with a chunk of Spam.
Drizzle with Teriyaki sauce.
Grill until heated up and seared a bit, turning as needed.

Additional veggies, fruit, meats can be added to taste. Just make sure they can handle being skewered and turned.

Enjoy


Slumgullion (Breakfast stew)
Approximately 4 -6 servings
This is a semi-traditional camp breakfast that looks a but ...questionable... when plopped onto a plate, but is usually cleaned up thoroughly.


1 pound sliced bacon, diced
1 24 - 32 oz pkg frozen Hash browns or Potatoes O'Brien
1 med Onion, Diced
1 Doz Eggs
1 pound shredded cheese (mild cheddar, Colby jack, Mexican blend, etc..)

In large (12" ) skillet or 10" dutch oven, fry up bacon and onion.
Add Frozen Potatoes and cook until slightly browned.
Add eggs and cheese and stir until eggs are almost set.

Serve

Diced chile peppers (Anaheims, Ortegas, or Jalapenos, depending on taste) can be added.
Salsa, Tabasco, Cholula, Tapatio, Sriracha can be served on side to permit seasoning to taste.