I love camping. It’s a good time to get out in nature, hike, fish and just disconnect from technology for a weekend. There is something so refreshing about being out of cell service, it allows your mind to wander.
Whenever I camp, I like to bring along an actual paper book to read. I will read in the morning with my cup of coffee, before everyone else wakes up. It’s my alone time, before the kiddos wake up and want breakfast.
Easy Breakfast Ideas
- Bagels and cream cheese– I buy bagels from a local shop before we leave town. The leftover bagels make good bread for sandwiches or the breakfast sandwiches above. Keep in a ziploc bag so they don’t go stale overnight.
- Hash– Bring a bag of frozen O’Brien potatoes, chop up half an onion and one bell pepper, saute in olive oil. I like to add in chopped up sausage for a more filling meal. Frozen chopped sweet potatoes also make a really tasty hash.
- Yogurt and Granola– Bring your favorite yogurt, we like the Oui brand for a creamy french yogurt, or the Islandic Skyr yogurt. Then top with granola for a healthy and filling breakfast, that doesn’t require any cooking.
After breakfast we usually go for a hike, or go fishing. Fishing can be a quiet relaxing activity, and Ernie my 90lb Weimaraner likes to splash in the water. Although he is technically a water dog, he’s terrified of getting all the way in the water.
I like to pack lunch to eat on the lake, or on our hike. Charcuterie is a great lunch option that saves well and is super easy to throw together. All you need is some pepperoni, sliced cheese, olives, crackers and a cut fruit like apple slices or grapes. You can put all the ingredients into a snackle box to carry with you.
Another fairly easy meal to throw together is this curry chicken salad. Pack the sandwiches on hearty foccacia bread or french bread so that the sandwiches don’t get soggy, alternately you could serve these on lettuce cups. Just pack the lettuce cups and curry chicken salad in seperate containers.
The afternoon is a good time to relax, read or nap. When the sun is high in the sky and it’s hot, try lounging in the shade in your rocking camp chair. I love these chairs so much, they are so comfortable and they lean back enough that you can stargaze at night. Just don’t lean too far back, I have taken a tumble out of my chairs a few times, but I have the older model and the newer model I have shown has improved on the design and safety.
I like to eat dinner late when we are camping, so I will spend time prepping and getting dinner ready. This is an activity in and of itself. Dutch oven cooking over the fire is always fun, and usually takes a few hours for the meal to cook properly on the fire coals. If you want something easy and fast, I don’t blame you. Maybe the kiddo’s are hungry or you are exhausted after a day hiking and exploring.
Easy dinner ideas
- Hamburgers on the grill– Cut up the fixings and grill up hamburger patties
- Tacos– Just cook the meat on a skillet on the grill. I like the pre-marinated carne asada at Trader Joes, cut up the toppings and let everyone assemble their own tacos. I offer, tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and sometimes jalepeno. Along with shredded cheese, Marie Sharp’s Hot sauce ( my 100% favorite hot sauce from Belize), sour cream and salsa.
- Steak and Mashed Potatoes– Grill up your steak to a nice medium rare, and then just add hot water to some instant mashed potatoes. I like to add butter and milk to my instant potatos for a bit more flavor.
If you want to spend a bit more time on dinner, or if you are a foodie like me, and love to cook while camping. I have included recipes for more involved meals that will elevate your camp dining experience.
Foodie Camp Dinners:
You can serve this chicken with a side of cilantro lime rice. Cook your rice in a small sauce pan on the grill, or buy the microwave packets of rice and reheat for a couple of minutes on a skillet.
This Green Chili Pork makes excellent enchiladas. When the pork is tender and shreds easily with a fork, take the dutch oven off the coals and let it rest. In a large foil pan, lay out tortillas, and top with shredded monteray jack cheese. On top of the tortillas and cheese place shredded pork on and roll up tortillas into a burrito like shape. Lay all enchiladas in pan and top off with the remainder of sauce from the dutch oven. Cover the smothered enchiladas with more monteray jack cheese. Cover the disposable tinfoil pan with foil and place on hot coals, until the cheese melts. Serve with sprigs of cilantro, sour cream and chips and salsa.
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