We found a great cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains which is located on a large amount of acreage. This has allowed us to fly kites, take hikes, and play outside in the grass. Also located on this property is a fire pit. It is probably only 3 feet across and 1 foot deep, but it does the trick nicely.

Because we knew from the literature attached with our reservation that a fire pit was here so we planned a few menus to cook on the open fire.

We especially enjoyed making hobos–a name that I remember from my girl scouting days. It also doesn’t hurt being married to an eagle scout and also having a 16-year old boy scout in the making. By putting our heads together and testing different options, we were all able to come up with a very successful recipe.

Ingredients Used:

• 2 slices of heavy-duty aluminum foil for each person
• Pam spray
• hamburger patty OR 3 to 4 chicken tenderloin pieces for each meal (we picked tenderloins instead of chicken breasts because they are even in thickness)
• If using chicken, consider marinating in Italian dressing for 3 to 4 hours ahead of time
• Sliced mushrooms
• Thinly sliced potatoes (we used red so we wouldn’t have to peel them
• Sliced carrots
• Diced onions
• Sliced bell peppers (we bought the kind already sliced with 3 different peppers)
• Shredded cheese
• Barbeque sauce and/or worcestershire sauce
• Salt & pepper

Begin by making a campfire. Continue burning until a nice bed of hot coals is formed. Make sure someone is in charge of watching the fire while others in your dinner party proceed to assemble their dinners.

Directions for Assembling the Hobos:

• Use two slices of heavy-duty aluminum foil for each meal.
• Spray top piece of foil lightly with Pam spray
• Place a beef patty or chicken tenderloins directly on the foil.
• Place desired amounts of potato slices, mushrooms, bell peppers, diced onions, and carrots on top of meat.
• Season with barbeque sauce, worcestershire sauce,  salt and pepper if desired.
• Shredded cheese can be added at this point if desired, but it tends to burn. We found it best to add it after the meal is cooked. That way, the hot meal melts the cheese when added.
• Bring the end pieces of foil to the middle and roll them together. Then roll each end inward to seal the meal securely
• If you have numerous people like we do, you will want to take a sharpie marker and put each person’s initials on the outside of the foil.

Cooking the Hobos:

• Take the foiled meals out to the fire pit.
• Once the fire has burned down and a nice set of coals are present, place each foiled meal with the meat nearest the coals, on the floor of the fire pit, directly on top of the coals
• Allow the Hobos to cook for 20 to 25 minutes.
• Once time has elapsed, open one of the meals to make sure the meat is done.
• Remove the Hobos from the fire pit.
• Now, being very careful of the steam that will escape when the foil is opened, expose the meal by curling back the sides of the foil.
• All you need now is something to eat it with and something to drink.
• Once you finish eating, the best part is you get to throw your dish away!

Kids, young and old, really enjoyed this activity because it wasn’t only fun to make, but was very tasty, too.

Now we are all talking about going home and making our own fire pit so we can do this some more.

I thought the dinners were good as well. Make sure they all go on about the same time, otherwise early additions will end up overly done while you wait on the rest to cook.

So, in my typical “Sidetracked” mind, I was thinking about the term “Hobo” and how it’s not a term commonly used anymore and probably not too politically correct. So, I decided to look up more about the term. Apparently, a Hobo was simply a migratory worker that traveled from place to place looking for a job. But my favorite find was this list called the “Hobo Ethical Code” from 1889. The code listed below was on Wikipedia.

Hobo Ethical Code

An ethical code was created by Tourist Union #63 during its 1889 National Hobo Convention in St. Louis Missouri. This code was voted upon as a concrete set of laws to govern the Nation-wide Hobo Body; it reads this way:

1. Decide your own life, don’t let another person run or rule you.
2. When in town, always respect the local law and officials, and try to be a gentleman at all times.
3. Don’t take advantage of someone who is in a vulnerable situation, locals or other hobos.
4. Always try to find work, even if temporary, and always seek out jobs nobody wants. By doing so you not only help a business along, but ensure employment should you return to that town again.
5. When no employment is available, make your own work by using your added talents at crafts.
6. Do not allow yourself to become a stupid drunk and set a bad example for locals’ treatment of other hobos.
7. When jungling in town, respect handouts, do not wear them out, another hobo will be coming along who will need them as bad, if not worse than you.
8. Always respect nature, do not leave garbage where you are jungling.
9. If in a community jungle, always pitch in and help.
10. Try to stay clean, and boil up wherever possible.
11. When traveling, ride your train respectfully, take no personal chances, cause no problems with the operating crew or host railroad, act like an extra crew member.
12. Do not cause problems in a train yard, another hobo will be coming along who will need passage through that yard.
13. Do not allow other hobos to molest children, expose all molesters to authorities, they are the worst garbage to infest any society.
14. Help all runaway children, and try to induce them to return home.
15. Help your fellow hobos whenever and wherever needed, you may need their help someday.
16. If present at a hobo court and you have testimony, give it. Whether for or against the accused, your voice counts!

I think it is still timely and much of the code would be beneficial even today.

The original recipe proportions said it only made 24 servings so my mom and I doubled the recipe and we added some chopped pecans. (Everything is better with some added pecans, you know!) The recipe came from All Recipes.com

White Chocolate and Cranberry Cookies

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon brandy (We used Vanilla instead and didn’t double it)
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup white chocolate chips
• 1 cup dried cranberries

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and brandy. Combine the flour and baking soda; stir into the sugar mixture. Mix in the white chocolate chips and cranberries. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. For best results, take them out while they are still doughy. Allow cookies to cool for 1 minute on the cookie sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

We hope you enjoy them as much as we did. They go great with coffee or hot cocoa. And don’t tell anybody, but I had some for breakfast this morning too.

They say that confession is good for the soul, so here goes…….I had some for breakfast, too!

]]> http://www.sidetrackedmoms.com/white-chocolate-and-cranberry-cookies/feed/ 1 http://www.sidetrackedmoms.com/german-beef-stew-crockpot-style/ http://www.sidetrackedmoms.com/german-beef-stew-crockpot-style/#comments Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:37:02 +0000 SideTrackedVickie http://www.sidetrackedmoms.com/?p=67 Years ago I bought a crockpot that was oval shaped, it sat on top of a griddle base, and came with a recipe book. Although the crockpot is long gone, our family still enjoys this one particular recipe. Maybe your family will, too.

German Beef Stew

1 1/2 lbs. stew meat or beef chuck, but into cubes

2 tbl. flour

1/2 tsp. celery salt

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. pepper

1, 1 lb. can of diced tomatoes, undrained

2 cups thinly sliced carrots (you can certainly eliminate these if your family doesn’t like them)

1/4 sherry cooking wine

1/4 cup molasses

1/4 cup raisins (optional)

1. Place beef in crockpot
2. In a small bowl, combine flour, celery salt, garlic powder, ground ginger, and pepper.
3. Mix thoroughly, then sprinkle over beef.
4. In a separate bowl, mix undrained tomatoes with carrots, cooking wine, and molasses.
5. Pour this liquid mixture over beef and flour mixture.
6. Cover crockpot and cook for 6 to 8 hours.
7. If adding raisins, put into beef mixture 30 minutes before serving.
8. Serve over hot cooked noodles or rice.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

This salad is one that can be served as the main entreé for lunch, or is a delicious addition to the main meal for dinner.

Not only is it incredibly tasty, but it is a beautiful salad as well.

Ingredients:

• 1 bag of romaine lettuce pieces
• 1 pt. of fresh blueberries
• 1 pt. of fresh strawberries, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 6 oz. cans of mandarin oranges, drained
• 1 to 2 cups of pecan halves
• Several ounces of grilled chicken strips (Tyson has these already
• pre-packaged)
• Poppyseed dressing to your liking.

Preparation:

Combine all the ingredients together into a serving bowl.

The dressing can be put over the entire salad, or allow each person to put it on their salad individually.

This salad is filling and will easily feed 6 to 8 people.

Recently, I fixed it for a friendly gathering of our elders and their wives and it was a big hit.

Prepare this in a 6 quart crockpot and you’ll have enough for your own party.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. ground beef
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2–10 oz. can Mexican-style tomatoes
• 1–16 oz. can ranch-style beans
• 1–16 oz. can whole kernel corn
• 1–16 oz. can kidney beans
• 1–16 oz. can black beans
• 1–16 oz. jar picante sauce-you decide how spicy you want

Preparation:

• Brown the ground meat and onions until fully cooked.
• Drain off the liquid.
• Place the meat and onions into the crockpot.
• Pour all the remaining ingredients into a 6 qt. slow cooker-DO NOT DRAIN THE LIQUIDS! Pour them into the crockpot.
• Place the lid on the crockpot and cook on low for 4-6 hours.
• Garnish your serving with sour cream and shredded cheese and enjoy with corn or tortilla chips.

On occasion when I want to make this dish healthier, I will use organic ingredients. I haven’t been able to find organic Mexican-style tomatoes or ranch-style beans, but I use organic ingredients for all the other items.

It’s a great soup–no matter how you fix it!

After surveying the pantry and looking through my cookbook binder of recipes, I came across an old favorite recipe I had not made in a very long time. It’s originally called “turkey chowder,” but chicken works just fine for me and it is a recipe that doesn’t take very long to make. Perfect!

This recipe is from an old newsletter called, “The Homemaker’s Forum” which I can’t find on the internet, but the author, Marilyn Moll, is still busy writing and creating great recipes for moms like me. (Because I’m a mom who still makes her own bread most of the time, I continue to buy her bread bags. They are a great value. And by the way (I know I’m going off on a tangent), whenever you empty a bread bag, just stick it in the freezer until you want to reuse it. That way you don’t have to buy bags very often.)

Well, back to the recipe.

This soup is very delicious. I changed a couple of things in it because my husband really doesn’t like cheese, but he’ll tolerate mozzarella cheese in different dishes. However, true confession. Last night I used a bag of shredded four cheeses in place of the Swiss cheese the recipe calls for, and he really liked it! You just never know.

The ingredients make enough for 4 to 6 servings, so I usually double this one. It’s a great soup to heat up in the microwave for lunch the next day.

Chicken Chowder

Ingredients:

2 cups sliced carrots

10 oz. fresh or frozen broccoli flowerets

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped celery

2 cups water

1 1/4 cup chicken stock or broth (I use chicken bouillion cubes for this)

1 tsp. salt

1/2 cup flour (Marilyn’s recipe calls for ground oat flour, but regular will work fine, too.)

2 cups milk

6 oz. shredded cheese (Swiss and cheddar add great flavor)

1 1/2 cups chopped chicken or turkey (canned chicken works fine, too)

Directions:

1. Combine vegetables, water, broth and salt in a large saucepan.
2. Bring this mixture to a boil while cooking over medium heat.
3. Once a boil is reached, simmer for 10 minutes to soften the vegetables.
4. Bring mixture back up to a rolling boil and add the flour gradually, stirring constantly.
5. Simmer for another 10 minutes until any lumps disappear.
6. Reduce heat.
7. Add milk and chicken.
8. Once heated through, remove from heat and stir in cheese.

Delicious

]]> http://www.sidetrackedmoms.com/chicken-chowder/feed/ 0 http://www.sidetrackedmoms.com/applesauce-muffins/ http://www.sidetrackedmoms.com/applesauce-muffins/#comments Thu, 12 Feb 2009 02:48:29 +0000 SideTrackedVickie http://www.sidetrackedmoms.com/?p=1369 I don’t know about you, but I love a really good, fresh, homemade muffin. I especially like the muffins I make because I use fresh ground flour. It can make all the difference in the world when it comes to taste.

And just so you know, a grinder isn’t all that expensive, but that’s for another post.

Well, I have this wonderful tasting recipe for an applesauce muffin. I can’t remember where in the world it came from because I’ve had it for so long. Recently, a friend asked me for the recipe so I wanted to share it with all of you as well.

If you don’t grind your own flour, that’s okay. Whole wheat flour will still do the trick.

It also calls for sucanat which is dehydrated sugar cane and can be bought in most grocery stores. However, if you just want to use granulated sugar, you certainly can.

So, here’s to a great muffin recipe I hope you and your family will enjoy.

Applesauce Muffins

Ingredients:

1/2 cup oil

1 cup sucanat or granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 cup applesauce (I prefer the unsweetened kind)

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup chopped nuts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Grease muffin tins–enough to make 2 dozen.
3. Mix together the oil and sugar in a bowl until the sugar is totally wet.
4. Mix in the eggs and applesauce.
5. In a separate bowl, stir together the remaining dry ingredients.
6. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones, mixing only enough to moisten the flour.
7. Spoon into a greased muffin tin, filling each about two-thirds full.
8. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes.
9. Allow muffins to remain in pan for about 5 minutes, then dump onto a cooling rack.

Enjoy

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Jim’s mom always loved to try new recipes. Whether it was one printed in the local newspaper or one she found in a magazine somewhere, she was never afraid to use the family to test her “experiments.”

On one occasion, I remember we made a “pie” unlike any I had ever seen. The two things I remember were (1) there was no actual crust put into the pie pans and (2) the batter was so thick I ended up mixing it by putting my hands into it (I washed them first!)

However, my clearest memory from that first time of making this recipe was how scrumptious it tasted! It was moist, chewy, and full of flavor. It really was not like any other pie I had ever tasted. Now, over the years, it has become a family favorite.

Although Jim’s mom is no longer able to cook, Faith and I wanted to pass her recipe along to you. It’s just one small way to keep her legacy going.

If you take the time to make it, we’re sure you will find it tastes great. And besides, who knows? Maybe it will become a favorite in your family, too.

So, from our family to yours, we present Norwegian Pie–just like Mom Sloderbeck used to make

Norwegian Pie

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups diced apples

1 cup pecans or walnuts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Take two 9-inch pie pans, butter them and dust lightly with flour
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients
4. After well blended, add the apples and nuts. Mixture will be hard to stir
5. Place equal amounts of the batter into each pie pan
6. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees
7. Allow to cool

This pie is also very good when served with a scoop of ice cream.

P.S. This pie freezes well, too.

I sent the fudge in to work with my husband today and I heard that it got rave reviews. I have to say it IS the creamiest fudge I’ve ever had or attempted to make. So here’s the recipe…Enjoy!

Totally Creamy Chocolate Fudge

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow creme (Name brand preferred over store brand)
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2/3 cup evaporated milk
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups milk chocolate chips
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (We love nuts so we used more like 1.5 cups)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

1. Line an 8×8 inch pan with aluminum foil. Set aside. Butter the foil.
   
2. Measure the chocolate chips and set aside so they are ready to quickly add later.
   
3. In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine marshmallow cream, sugar, evaporated milk, butter and salt.
   
4. Bring to a full boil, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Don’t start timing until it reaches a full boil.
   
5. Remove from heat and pour in semisweet chocolate chips and milk chocolate chips.
   
6. Stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.
   
7. Stir in vanilla and then add nuts.
   
8. Pour into prepared pan.
   
9. Chill in refrigerator for 2 hours, or until firm.

I asked Faith, but she doesn’t have it either. And the other problem is, I can’t remember where I got the recipe years ago.

While I thought I’d look up some variations of this drink on the Internet, I also decided that maybe some of you would also like a recipe, too.

Listed below are a few that I found, along with a link of where I found them. I want to make sure I give credit where credit is due.

I’m sure after I look them over, I’ll tweek them here and there and come up with my own. In fact, I know that’s what I did years ago……That’s why I can’t find an exact copy!

Happy sipping!

Recipe #1

Hot Spiced Cider

Apple cider is spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.

Ingredients:

• 3 quarts apple cider
• 12 whole cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Preparation:

In a large saucepan, bring all ingredients to a boil. Strain and serve hot spiced cider hot in mugs.

Makes 12 cups of hot spiced cider.

This recipe is a very basic one, and may taste great. It has some of the ingredients I use, but I’m looking for one that uses a percolator for preparing this beverage. Back to Google!

Recipe #2

Hot Spiced Cider

This recipe sounds pretty good, and contains most of what I put into mine, but it doesn’t have cranberry juice, so I think I’ll keep looking.

Recipe #3

Hot Spiced Cider

First, take a large jug of apple juice or cider (a gallon is a good amount). Then pour the juice into a large pot on the stove (or into the crockpot if you don’t want to use a burner). Heat to a simmer.

Then add the following ingredients to the simmering juice:

• 1 cup of frozen orange juice concentrate (this ingredient is a MUST)
• 2 teaspoons (more or less) of EACH of the following: cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves (whole or ground)
• 1 cup (or less) of cranberry juice

Let it all simmer for awhile (half an hour at least).

The smell wafting through the house while the cider is simmering is simply heaven. Serve the hot spiced cider in mugs. For a nice touch, add a whole cinnamon stick to each mug.

Having a large pot of hot, spiced apple cider simmering on the stove when company arrives is a sure way to make them very happy that they chose to come over to your house.

Recipe #4

Vickie’s New and Improved Hot Spiced Cider

As I’ve looked over the recipes above, mine is starting to come back to me. Here’s what I’m going to propose as my new recipe for Hot Spiced Cider.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 gallon of apple juice or cider
• 1/2 gallon of cranberry juice
• 1 cup of orange juice
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 6 cinnamon sticks
• 10 whole cloves

Preparation:

Using a percolator:

1. You need a big percolator that holds at least 18 cups.
2. Pour apple cider and cranberry juice into coffee pot.
3. Place ingredients in the coffee basket and fill with brown sugar, cinnamon sticks, and cloves.
4. Brew, and serve hot.

Using a crockpot or pot on top of stove:

1. Be sure your pot can hold 18 cups of liquid.
2. Pour apple cider or juice, cranberry juice, and orange juice into pot.
3. Place brown sugar, cinnamon sticks, and cloves in a piece of cheesecloth and tie with string or twist tie.
4. Place spice mixture into liquid.
5. Heat cider mixture until desired drinking temperature.

Now, don’t tell Matthew I had to wing it this year. It will be our secret….