Now that the weather has turned cooler in many parts of the United States, warm comforting food is always welcome while camping. And what could be better than warm cheesy fondue?

Here is a recipe for an easy campfire fondue.

CAMPFIRE FONDUE
Ingredients:
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1/4 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons flour
1 can cream of celery soup
1/2 cup beer (a domestic brand like Bud works great but avoid using light beer. Use something you like to drink though because the recipe only calls for 1/2 cup and somebody has to drink the rest of the can or bottle!)

Directions:
Place cheeses, flour, and paprika in a resealable plastic bag. Close and shake to coat cheese in the flour and paprika.
In a medium pan or small dutch oven, heat the soup and beer over medium until it bubbles. Reduce heat to low. Stir in cheese mixture. Stir constantly until cheese is melted.

Serve with french bread cubes and sliced Granny Smith apples.

The cookbook has over 350 recipes that Dwayne compiled into an electronic format and which you can download and print for FREE! All you need to be able to download and print the cookbook is Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Dwayne was a Scoutmaster who loved Dutch Oven cooking and spicy foods. Like many of us, he collected recipes on various scraps of paper. Dwayne eventually decided to compile his recipes and share them with his fellow Scouts and Scoutmasters.

Dwayne passed away in August of 1995 after batting cancer. Mark Michalski, who had the opportunity to know Dwayne “Medicine Man” Pritchitt is sharing Dwayne’s story and recipes so his spirit of friendship and sharing can continue on.

You can download and print the cookbook, and also continue the spirit of sharing by letting others know about the cookbook.

There are recipes for appetizers, breads, desserts, breakfast, main dishes (from beef to pork to chicken to fish and other seafood to venison), salads (the dutch oven isn’t needed for every salad but there’s some great salad dressings you can make in the dutch oven), sandwiches, pasta and rice, gravies and sauces, soups, vegetables, and there’s a great “hints and tips” section that first time dutch oven cooks as well as experienced dutch oven cooks will find helpful.

Some of the recipes in the cookbook include: Geezer Come and Get it (a yummy dip), firebird casserole (spicy), armadillo eggs (an armadillo free recipe!), road kill stew (for venison lovers), monkey bread (made from scratch and a little time consuming but who doesn’t love fresh, warm bread?), camper’s breakfast (made with Spam, a favorite of my husband’s), black bear chili (no black bears, just black beans and flank steak), and blackberry cobbler (if you’ve never eaten blackberry cobbler, you’re missing out).

I’ve been doing dutch oven cooking on my camping trips for a little over a year and I love it. The food is great. With a little dutch oven know-how there’s no need to eat burgers, hot dogs, and marshmallows your entire camping trip (unless you want to).

To great this great FREE cookbook, go to macscouter.com.

Muffins are easy to eat on the go and are delicious anytime of day.

And this muffin recipe is not only easy, but super delicious.

PUMPKIN SPICE MUFFINS
Ingredients:
1 spice cake mix,, unprepared,
1, 16 ounce can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
3/4 cup cinnamon baking chips (Hershey’s)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake/muffin pans with 22 paper cupcake/muffin liners.

Pour cinnamon chips into small bowl. Take one tablespoon of dry cake mix out of box and mix with the cinnamon chips (this keeps the chips from sinking to the bottom of the muffins while cooking)

Pour remaining dry cake mix into medium bowl. Add pumpkin, egg whites, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Mix for about 1 minute or until dry clumps are gone. Stir in cinnamon chips.

Fill baking cups 2/3 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 18-21 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Cool on baking rack.

Wrap each muffin in plastic wrap and store in freezer until you leave for camping. By the time you get to the campground, the muffins will be thawed and ready to eat.

Who doesn’t love gooey cheese between two slices of bread, at least those of us who are not lactose intolerant.

Grilled cheese pudgie pies are a really easy meal when camping, but even though American cheese between two slices of buttered and grilled bread is delicious, there are lots of other ways to pump up the flavor.

But before I get too carried away with different variations to try, let’s start with the basic version of good old grilled cheese:

GRILLED CHEESE PUDGIE PIE RECIPE
Butter one side of 2 slices of white bread.
Place one slice in pudgie pie maker/pie iron, butter side down.
Top with 2 American or Velveeta cheese slices.
Cover with second slice of bread, butter side up.
Close pie iron and cook in fire until bread is golden brown and cheese is melted, 1-2 minutes on each side.

When you’re ready for something a little different or are feeling adventurous, try these variations:

- Use Colby, Colby Jack, or Monterey Jack cheese instead of American cheese
- Chop up a few pickled jalapeno slices and sprinkle them over the cheese before grilling for a spicy kick.
- Add fresh tomato slices.
- Use dark rye bread, deli ham, and Swiss cheese for a classic ham and cheese sandwich.
- Deli ham and American cheese is tasty too!
- Have some leftover roast beef from another meal? Roast beef and cheese is delicious!
- Switch up the bread. Try a grilled cheese on pumpernickel or marbled rye.
- Use mayo on the outside of the bread instead of butter.
- Add cooked crumbled bacon.
- Try some avocado slices.
- Sprinkle on a little Worcestershire sauce for a different flavor sensation.
- Crisp apple slices with mozzarella cheese is a great fall variation.
- For a really grownup grilled cheese try sliced pears with blue cheese.

This is where you need to picture a person with a perplexed look on their face along with a text bubble with “What?” written in it.

Then picture a person with a “could that really taste good?” look on their face and a text bubble that has “sounds kind of yucky to me” in it.

Since I’m on a “picture this” roll, next picture a person trying to roast a Starburst over the campfire, but every Starburst is melting and falling off the stick into the fire. You’ll have to come up with your own text bubble for that picture because I really shouldn’t write words that like in this blog!

Anyway, those are the first few thoughts that crossed my mind when I heard about roasting Starbursts.

But, I also became intrigued and already have Starburst candy written on my shopping list for my next camping trip. Since I also read that Tootsie Rolls and Bit-o-Honey candies are also good roasted over the fire, they’re going on my list too.

But, even though roasting them sounds simple, sometimes the easiest sounding things can be deceptively tricky.

So, when roasting Starbursts, Tootsie Rolls or Bit-O-Honeys, here’s are 4 “good to know” tips from others who are successful at it:

- Use a wire roasting utensil and not a wood stick to prevent the candy from sticking. A metal marshmallow fork, hot dog fork, or even an untwisted metal coat hanger will do the the trick.

- Unwrap the candy before roasting it. Roasting them in the wrapper will result in burned wrappers and a sticky mess so take off the wrapper and roast them naked!

- Don’t overcook them or they will melt and fall into the fire. Cook them until they just start to turn puffy and brown, holding the candy about 6 inches from the flame.

- Be careful when removing them from the stick. Be patient and let them cool slightly, about 30 seconds, before pulling them off to avoid getting burned. (While looking online for tips on how to roast Starburst over the fire, I found several posts and pictures from people showing the burns they got from the hot candy).

So the next time you want a sugar rush while camping and aren’t in the mood for marshmallows, try roasting some Starbursts, Tootsie Rolls, and/or Bit-O-Honey’s over the fire.

And, if you’re already a seasoned hand at roasting/toasting Starbursts, Tootsie Rolls, or Bit-O-Honey candy over the fire, share your tips and thoughts in the comments section below.

Happy Camping and Happy Roasting!

P.S. How come we all want to roast sweet and sticky things over the fire but nobody ever says, “Hey let’s roast some celery and carrots sticks over the fire!”

Although my standard way of cooking it is to husk it and boil it, it is also kind of boring that way so I have started grilling it which makes it tastes so much better. It really is not that much more work, it just takes a little more patience and time.

This method works well on a cooking rack over a campfire (my favorite method), on a gas grill or on a charcoal grill.

STEP 1 (yes, I’m assuming you have already purchased the corn or picked it from your garden)
Pull back the husk on each cob about 3/4 of the way, pull out as much of the corn silk as possible, and close the husk back up. If you goof and accidentally pull the husk off all the way, use a rubber band to keep the husk on while it’s soaking. Make sure to take off the rubber band before putting the food over heat or it will be really stinky! The husk should stay on just fine as long as you’re careful and don’t fling the ear of corn around too much.

STEP 2
Put enough cold water in a tub or in the sink to cover the corn - about 3″ deep (yes I know corn floats but that’s okay). Toss the corn in the water. Sprinkle about 1/2 cup of kosher salt (a couple of handfuls - don’t bother with a measuring cup) on top and swish around.

STEP 3
Let the corn soak in the water for at least 30 minutes and up to 90 minutes, swishing it around every 15 minutes (don’t panic if you forget - it will be okay. While the corn is soaking, enjoy a cold beverage or two (I recommend a nice cold beer), then preheat the grill, start the charcoal or start the campfire.

STEP 4
Remove the corn from its salt water bath, shake off the excess water and place on the grill or cooking grate. Turn the cobs 1/4 turn every 5-7 minutes, depending on the heat of the fire getting a nice char on the outer husk.

STEP 5
Remove from heat, carefully peel back the husk (it’s really hot! - and this is where I should recommend letting the corn sit for 5-10 minutes to cool down before eating it but I can never wait that long), remove any remaining silk, slather with butter and salt, and enjoy!

Here’s the downside: It’s really messy this way. Yes, I know corn on the cob without the husk on is messy but this is even messier so it’s best to eat it outside; otherwise you’ll have lots of little black pieces of corn husk all over the table and floor. But, if that does happen, assign someone else in the family the task of sweeping them up!

On a camping trip a few years ago, I decided to not bring pudgie pie ingredients and nearly had a mutiny on my hands! My husband said the food we did have was great but that it just was not the same without pudgie pies.

Now pudgie pies are always on the menu with reuben pudgie pies and dessert ones with pie filling being the two kinds we always have the ingredients for.

But, I’m always looking for new ideas of what to stuff between bread and even for different bread suggestions.

Melanie M Sidwell of the Longmont Times-Call wrote a great article about pudgie pies (also called campfire pies, mountain pies, hobo pies, jaffles, toasties, and pie shams).

In it she gives some great suggestions for fillings to put inside the bread and also for different types breads to hold the filling in such as tortillas, english muffins, pie dough, and cornbread.

Some of her suggestions, such as using a portabella mushroom instead of bread, sound tasty to me although I have to admit some of the other suggestions, such as a trail mix one where chocolate squares, peanut butter, flaked coconut and small nuts or raisins are tucked between two slices of bread, doesn’t sound appetizing to me. But I guess I shouldn’t knock it until I’ve tried it, right?

Here are some of her other suggestions:

- Peanut butter and jelly
- S’mores (marshmallow, chocolate chips and graham cracker crumbles or use graham crackers instead of bread)
- Peanut butter cup (chocolate squares and peanut butter)
- Apple and caramel: (sliced apple with a caramel square, unwrapped)
- Black Forest (fresh cherries and chocolate)
- Banana cream (sliced banana and marshamallow)
- Traditional breakfast (egg, cheese and choice of sausage, bacon, Chorizo or ham)
- Chili (beans, meat and spices with a cornbread crust)
- Samosas (leftover mashed potatoes and peas with cumin, coriander and tumeric)
- Philly cheesesteak (green peppers, onions, cheese and thinly sliced steak meat)

If you’ve never made a pudgie pie, click here for a blog post I wrote on what they are and how to make them.

Happy camping and happy eating!

I found some good strawberries while shopping for groceries for the trip and had them out on the picnic table to snack on. They happened to be sitting out when we started making smores over the campfire so I decided to try fresh strawberries on one.

It was so good! By the end of the weekend everyone was eating them and had decided to call them Marshberries.

They are easy to make. Here’s how to do it.

MARSHBERRY S’MORE RECIPE
Ingredients for each Smore:
1 whole graham cracker broken in half
3 sections of a Hershey milk chocolate bar
2 marshmallows
1 or 2 strawberries (depending on size) sliced lengthwise

Directions:
Put a single layer of strawberries on one cracker half. Top with the Hershey chocolate.

Roast 2 marshmallows over the fire until golden brown and gooey. Place on top of the chocolate.

Cover with the second cracker half.

Eat immediately.

BROCCOLI CHEESE DIP
Ingredients:
8 ounces Velveeta, cubed
1 stick butter
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 box frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and drained
1 can cream of mushroom soup

Melt the butter in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the broccoli and cook for a minute or two, just until the broccoli is tender.

Add the remaining ingredients. Stir constantly until the cheese is melted, about two minutes.

Move the skillet far enough away from the heat to prevent it from burning but keep it close enough to keep the dip warm. A tripod works great.

Serve with corn chips.

It’s a great food to make in a cast iron skillet over the fire or on a camp stove. Plus it’s fast so you’ll be eating in just a few minutes. It will probably take you longer to read these directions than it will to make it.

The basic premise is to take a round cookie cutter, cut a hole out of a slice of bread, put it in a frypan, break the egg into the hole, cook, and enjoy.

But I don’t take cookie cutters when camping so I use a drinking glass to cut the hole out of the bread. While a glass with a top diameter of 2 1/2″ is best; any glass that has a top diameter smaller than your slice of bread will work.

Here’s how I make it:

EGG BREAD
Ingredients needed for each serving:
1 slice bread (Brownberry 12 grain recommended)
1 egg
approximately 1 teaspoon butter
approximately 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Heat the extra virgin olive oil and butter in cast iron fry pan. While the oil and butter are heating, place the slice of bread on a flat surface. Using the top of a round drinking glass with a diameter smaller than the slice of bread; push down firmly to cut out the center of the bread. Save the center piece for sandwiches (kids love them made into crustless peanut and jelly sandwiches).

Place the slice of bread in the preheated pan. Cook for about 2 minutes or until the bread is browned on one side. Flip it over. (Note: if the bread has soaked up all the olive oil and butter, put another small pat of butter in the center of the hole and let it melt). Crack the egg into the hole of the bread. Sprinkle the egg and bread with salt and pepper.

Cook for another two minutes or until the egg is done for sunny side up eggs. For eggs over easy or over medium, flip the egg in the bread and cook for another few seconds.

If you like your eggs over hard, don’t precook the first side of the bread to brown it otherwise it will burn before your egg is cooked hard.

Eat immediately.

Note: if you’re wondering why I use a combination of butter and olive oil, it’s because I love the taste of butter and like that olive oil is a much healthy fat to use. It’s my compromise between health and taste.