The Campout Cookbook
Inspired Recipes for Cooking Around the Fire and Under the Stars
Authors: Marnie Hanel & Jen Stevenson
“Elevating the Art of Eating Under the Stars….for survivalists with standards”
I’m just gonna say it. “Party under the stars!!!”
First off, I LOVE how they designed each chapter on the contents page…what FUN!!!
This books starts off with scoping your campsite, basic essentials, smart packing, and much much MORE short and to the point pre-camping planning! There are some really important packing tips going on this book that I wouldn’t leave home to camp without…especially the suggested tools and the WHY’s they are suggested!
CAR GAMES…CAMPFIRE GAMES….Yep..it’s all in here! They also have some great info about camping with your canine AND little kids!
You just cannot go wrong or mess up your camping experience when you’ve got a book like this one! (THANK YOU!!!)
As for the recipes….
OMG….EVERYTHING LOOKS SOOOOOOOOO YUMMYYYYYY!!!! I’m seeing Dutch Oven Roast Chicken, Chile Five Ways, Pudgie Pies, Pizza….and they include instructions on how to PRE prepare many of these recipes! There are SO MANY amazing looking recipes that I can’t even fit into this review!
What? Not ready for camping in the GREAT outdoors at a real campsite just yet? Find out how to camp in your own backyard…yes-also in this book!
Well…I’m off to practice some camping! (hehe)
I’m going to stop here…although, just a heads up, there are a few extra fun surprise chapters also included in this book for the reader to enjoy that I did not share here! This book is extremely thorough and very inspiring, especially for a beginner camper like me…and I’ll admit…this cookbook almost made me cry. YES, real tears…of JOY!!!
Available 5/29/18 at Amazon.com/CampoutCookbook
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Fix Freeze Feast!
Authors: Kati Neville and Lindsay Ahrens
A super cool cookbook to prepare home cooked sauces (like curries, stir-fry sauces, brown sugar bourbon for salmon), butter’s and pesto (like their chili lime butter for Halibut or Gorgonzola lemon butter for a wild pasta night…happy sigh….), breakfast burritos, Lemon Lavender Cookies…..I hope you are getting the idea! Oh, and they also have kid-friendly make-ahead dishes like the Sweet Asian Chicken for thawing later to cook either outdoors on a grill or indoor in a skillet. Fun fun!
This cookbook also offers tips on how to Thaw, Cook and Enjoy…because we all know that to enjoy is a major plus here! There is also information on how to make the most of limited freezer space, how to prevent ice crystals, being safe when it comes to storing glass in your freezer, and more!
So set the table like you are doing fine dining and bust out one of those fancy dishes you’ve previously prepared and prepare for one of MANY nights to remember. 🙂
Available 5/29/18 at Amazon/FixFreezeFeast
Freezer Labels (I really like these): Amazon/FreezerLabels
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Margaritaville: The Cookbook
Relaxed Recipes For a Taste of Paradise
Authors: Carlo Sernaglia; Julia Turshen
Forward by: Jimmy Buffet!
So when I got to preview this book, they didn’t share all their recipes. This made it a little more challenging for me. What they preview DID share were things I would never both making…but they were fun to glance through, none the less. The pictures are really beautiful and inspiring…they bring a happy contentment with them.
By the time I’d reached the end, I saw drinks! But of course…drinks can’t be so hard! I figured I’d start with their Perfect Bloody Marias recipe. This served a lot more than 4 drinks for me…but maybe my these are made for extra large glasses, (teehee).
I admit that since I couldn’t find regular tomato juice at my local Trader Joes, I went for their low sodium Vegetable Patch juice. All the other ingredients I had.
What I really appreciated about this recipe was that it wasn’t the usual complicated recipe I keep trying to make…(which usually include all the condiments I can find in the doors of my refrigerator-!!!), but much simpler ingredients and it was a pretty good basic spicy Maria…but to mention again, I DID use a tomato juice mix, which may have made it in to an entirely different experience.
CHEERS!!!
Okay so my next attempt was their Jalapeño Margarita – which you will find in the variation section UNDERNEATH Jimmy’s Perfect Margarita.
I don’t know where my brain was that day I chose to infuse the tequila, but I thought I read to use thin slices of 1 Jalapeño when, in fact, re-reading it the next day (on that same piece of paper), to use 1 SLICE per the amount of tequila to infuse (oh Heaven’s To Betsy!)
Since it was already too late to fix it, I figured I’d continue full steam ahead because…(BECAUSE!!!)……this recipe is SPICY as HECK but…(BUT!!!)….it’s REALLY flavorful..and I didn’t even have all the proper ingredients so YES, this would be worth sharing here!
SUBSTITUTIONS AGAIN…..
Since I didn’t have limes but tons of lemons, I juiced one large lemon (which was the exact amount called for in lime juice). Since I did not have Agave Nectar, I used some Agave Syrup I had on had…but I only 1/2 the amount that the recipe called for. (IT WAS PLENTY!)
I forgot to take a photo after I poured it in a glass, because I was kind of upset with myself but then…I got lost in the drink….(I think they call that, “Wasting Away…”? Ha, but I’m not really. As you can see, the ice has melted and I’m just sipping it, at this point…which makes this actually a GREAT sipping kind of drink…kind of like if one were to drink straight tequila! (I’m a sipper of that too!)
This seems like a no fail kind of drink because even though my throat is currently on fire, it doesn’t really last that long…and it’s got a sweet thing going too…a nice fun sipping drink!
But alas….
…as I continued my journey through through Margaritaville, past the drinks, I started to feel sad…like, “is the party over so quickly?”
Luckily…no it wasn’t. They have a super cool section called Tailgating, along with Twenty Party and Menu Suggestions! (They brought my spirits back!) They even included, “Recipes Organized by Fun!”, as well as Practical Party Tips. What a nice way to wrap it all up!
So CHEERS and THANKS for reading!!!
Available at Amazon.com/Margaritaville
Margaritaville/JimmyBuffetMusic.Charity
Mychols Fabulous Playground 