What's Cookin'?

The camping season is quickly approaching, and I'm curious what you will be cooking over your campfire.
Basic or complex, doesn't matter!
I'm hoping to gather a few recipes to share! Thank you in advance!

Here is a recipe that I am excited to try:

Campfire Cones

 Here's what we used:

      

   *  Sugar Cones
   *  Peanut Butter 
   *  Mini Marshmallows
   *  Chocolate Chips
   *  Bananas
   *  Aluminum Foil  
            (to wrap them in)









Here's what to do:

1.  Chop up the bananas and get some marshmallows and chocolate chips ready.  ( I liked using these ingredients on a camping trip because they don't need to be refrigerated and you can easily slice the bananas with a plastic knife ~ oh, and the fact that they're really, really yummy together!)

  
2.  Spread some peanut butter on the inside of the cone, then put in the bananas, marshmallows and chocolate chips.


3.  Wrap the whole cone in aluminum foil, then put in over the hot coals for 5-10 minutes or so, turning every so often.

"Come on, Mom, you're taking pictures of clumps of foil!" 

4.  Unwrap your cone, check to see that everything's ooey, gooey, and melted... then dig in and enjoy!

The combination of the melted peanut butter, chocolate and marshmallows with the warm bananas was just awesome.  Making it in the sugar cone gave it all a nice crunch and made it a little less messy than a regular s'more.  (At least for some of us)

The smile says it all!

Of course, an 8 year old boy can succeed in getting a very chocolate-y face and fingers, even with a handy cone holder!

Thanks Rachel at Quirky Momma for your recent post just in time for us to go camping and Jessica at Chef Jessica Bright for coming up with our new campfire favorite!

Camped There!

Camped There!

I came across a website that might  be helpful for those looking to camp somewhere new!
You can search by state and see reviews from others campers!

Review North Face Phoenix 3!

As promised, this past weekend we put the North Face Phoenix 3 (our new three man tent) to the test.
With soaking rain in the forecast, we knew that our Phoenix would be put through it it's paces.

When we arrived at the campsite, it had already been raining for a few hours. The site was well maintained and had a nice gravel tent pad for us to set up on. Set up was relatively easy. As advertised, the Phoenix does not have a rain fly or ground cloth so there are two less steps in setting up.

Once set up, we laid out our bedding and went about making a fire, cooking dinner, and relaxing under the tarp. The rain continued.

Finally when we were ready to turn in for the night, we found that our sleeping bags were damp. There were noticeable water droplets developing on the ceiling and walls of the tent. Our confidence in the Phoenix was a bit shaken, but we were determined to give it a chance. So we climbed in our bags and went to sleep.

Upon waking in the middle of the night, I found that the gloves I left on the floor of the tent were sopping wet. The outside of my sleeping bag was very wet (fortunately the inside remained warm and dry! EMS Women's Boreal 20 degree bag worked perfectly) and there were small pools developing in the corners.
In the morning, after it had rained all night, those small pools were much larger.

Needless to say, we felt let down by our Phoenix. While the tent is very light, pack-able, and easy to set up not being waterproof is a deal breaker. We plan to give The North Face a chance to "make things right" in repairing the tent or reimbursing the cost.

Since we were planning on a two night backpacking trip, we had no choice but to buy a new tent! The tent we chose is a Mountain Hardware Drifter 3DP! The Drifter seems to be a bit smaller than the Phoenix and not quite as lightweight. The Drifter comes with a ground cloth, rain fly....and WATERPROOF! So far so good!

I have every confidence that The North Face will step up and make things right! I hope that I can post their positive response soon!

What kind of tent are you using? Likes/Dislikes? What attributes are most important to you in choosing your tent (weight, price, size, durability)?

Happy Trails!