Camp Cookin'

I have always been a lover of the outdoors, thanks to enthusiastic parents who filled much of my childhood with active, nature-oriented pursuits. Among the best memories of my time spent in the elements are the frequent camping trips, including a particularly lengthy trip from home to Nashville, TN and back -- camping all the way. My mother and I became expert camp surveyors, excavators, and of course, chefs (nothing gets you more hungry than setting up a tent, canopy, and other camping accoutrements in less than ten minutes flat). So I watched and learned as she deftly manipulated a much-abused Coleman stove, tiny pots, plastic implements, and a dash of salt into edible and unbelievably delicious meals. It was magical then, and now that I've taken on the same role for trips with J, I understand the mutterings and occasional curses she uttered in order to get those meals on our table.

My own attempts at such meals aren't always a success, but lately I haven't had many failures  -- I must be getting better. In between the easy stuff (read: boiling water for coffee and sizzling butter for shake-and-pour pancakes) I've somehow managed to nearly perfect the art of stovetop juicy chicken and decent rice pilaf. Nothing fancy, but satisfying nonetheless. As proof, I offer this:

I might have planned the pink-and-green table setting.

If you're wondering, the pink beverage is in fact a wine cooler, our traditional camping drink of choice. I think it says "we don't take ourselves too seriously... except for the expert camp set-up and rules of quiet hours" don't you? This is the only food shot we took during the trip, mostly because we were just too busy enjoying the brief respite from all things work-related -- including the kitchen. There were the aforementioned pancakes, some crunchy bacon, and a series of s'mores over the campfire that would leave you drooling, but we just couldn't bring ourselves to hit the pause button and find the camera.

For now, I'll leave you with a brief set of highlights from the trip. We'll call it food for the soul.