Recipes 'n Reads Series: Recipes for Cooking Over the Campfire #recipesnreads

 

Recipes 'n Reads Series
Today is my turn to offer recipes!

Hello and welcome to the Focused on Story Blog by J.Q.Rose.

With MemoriaI Day coming up on May 27, I am delighted to share some ideas for recipes you can cook over the campfire during this holiday weekend in the US. 

The Recipe 'n Reads series is scheduled every third Wednesday of the month. When I host guest authors, they share their favorite recipes and the reasons why they chose that one. I also spotlight their books. 

Please come back next month when my friend and fellow storyteller, Diane Bator, will be my guest on Wednesday, June 19th.

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Cooking over the campfire.

Recipes for Cooking Over the Campfire by J.Q. Rose

Several years ago, we camped with our daughter, Lee Ann, and family over the Memorial Day holiday weekend near Stony Lake in West Michigan. Always the "event" planner, she invited her sister, Sara, (who is not a camper) and family to join us on Sunday for a fun dinner with Dump Soup as the main entree.

I bet you've heard the folk tale, Stone Soup. Hungry strangers convince the townspeople to share a small amount of their food to make a meal that everyone enjoys. Different from the story, we weren't exactly hungry strangers, nor did we ask other campers to contribute to the soup pot.

DUMP SOUP RECIPE: Lee Ann coined the term "Dump Soup" because we all brought ingredients to dump into the cast iron pot. There is NO recipe. That's the fun part. Lee Ann poured in beef broth and beef consomme. I added mushroom soup as a base for the soup. Then we threw in what everyone brought--beans, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, onions, cans of veggies, etc.

All ready to cook over the campfire.

Lee Ann stirred it all together and placed the pot over the campfire for the men to watch while the ladies took a walk. After simmering for an hour and a half over the fire, we gobbled up the soup. It was delicious. The soup must have been good because the kids loved it too, especially with lots of crackers. I think eating outdoors helps to make everything tastier too!

HOBO DINNER--Another of our family dinner favorites over the fire is "hobo dinner," also known as a foil packet dinner. Spray the foil with vegetable oil, place bacon on the first layer, hamburger or chicken next, and then add whatever fresh veggies you like to the foil e.g. diced potatoes, carrots, green pepper, onion, butter, and celery.

Ingredients ready to wrap.

Be sure to wrap the packet tightly so the grease doesn't run out. Place the foil dinners in the coals or on a grate over the fire. Depending on how you cut the veggies and how hot the fire is, the packets need to cook for 30--45 minutes. Chicken may take longer. 

PS--This dinner can be cooked on your grill at home too.

Dinner wrapped in foil packets.

Clean-up is easy. Just wrap up the foil and throw it away. THEN it'll be time to roast the marshmallows to make S'mores! I

S'MORE RECIPE: In case you haven't experienced the joy of feeling chocolate and melted marshmallow sticking to your chin, here is the basic recipe for S'Mores. Place a marshmallow, roasted over the campfire, and Hershey's chocolate bar between graham crackers so it is like a sandwich. The hot marshmallow melts the chocolate. Mmmm, that first bite is a delicious, gooey experience.

There is no limit to the variations for S'mores. Add peanut butter, toasted coconut, caramel topping, Nutella, fudge striped cookies instead of graham crackers(my favorite), bacon, peanut butter and/or banana. 

Be adventurous with this recipe. Please let me know how you like S'mores.

Thank you to Shared Appetite for some of the variations.

What are your go-to recipes when having a crowd over to your house or when camping? Will you make any of these recipes? Leave a comment below. Thank you.

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Dump Soup for Camping, Readers Circle Kicks Off on Friday

Cooking over the campfire.

Hello and welcome to the J Q Rose blog,

We camped with our daughter Lee Ann and family over the Memorial Day holiday weekend near Stony Lake in West Michigan. Always the "event" planner, she invited our other daughter, Sara, (who is not a camper) and family to join us on Sunday for a fun dinner with Dump Soup as the main entree.

I bet you've heard the folk tale Stone Soup. Hungry strangers convince the people of a town to share a small amount of their food in order to make a meal that everyone enjoys.  Well we weren't exactly hungry strangers, and we didn't ask fellow campers to contribute to the soup pot, but that is Lee Ann's idea for next month when we all camp together, including Sara, at family camp,

Lee Ann coined the term "Dump Soup" because we all brought ingredients to dump into the soup pot. There is NO recipe. That's the fun part. Just whatever is offered is added to the pot. Lee Ann poured in beef broth, beef consomme, and I added mushroom soup as a base for all the other stuff e.g. beans, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, onions, cans of veggies, etc.

All ready to cook over the campfire.

Lee Ann combined it all and placed the pot over the campfire for the men to watch while the ladies took a walk. Of course we came back to check on the progress of the soup. After an hour and one half over the fire, we gobbled down the soup. It was delicious. The soup must have been good because the kids loved it too, especially with lots of crackers.

Another of our family faves for dinner over the fire is "hobo dinner." I've heard it called foil packet dinner too. We spray the foil with vegetable oil, place bacon on the first layer, hamburger or chicken next, and then add whatever fresh veggies you like to the foil e.g. potatoes, carrots, green pepper, onion, butter, and celery.

Ingredients ready to wrap.

Be sure and wrap the packet tightly so the grease doesn't run out. Then place them in the coals or on a grate over the fire. Depending how you cut the veggies and how hot the fire is, the packets need to cook 30--45 minutes. Chicken may take longer. PS--It's easy to use your grill at home too.

Dinner wrapped in foil packets.

Clean-up is easy. Just wrap up the foil and throw it away. THEN it'll be time to roast the marshmallows to make S'mores! But first you may want to go for a swim or a hike!

What are your easy go-to recipes when having a crowd over to your house or when camping?

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UPDATE: Deadly Undertaking is now available at major online bookstores.

Books We Love has added my cozy mystery, Deadly Undertaking in all formats to major online booksellers. AND the book is available in paperpback too.!

I am thrilled to know more readers will be able to enjoy this romantic suspense with such a variety of formats.

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We're kicking off the Summer Readers Circle Series this Friday, June 2. Tricia McGill takes her seat in the circle. Meet or re-acquaint yourself with this talented author and her books.

Summer Readers Circle Series begins Friday, June 2.

Please join us for lively discussions and win prizes and giveaways 

every Friday this summer!

Camping Trip: Double Rainbows, Blurb for Mystery, Deadly Undertaking, This Week

Amazing rainbow sighted while camping this week.

Hello from J.Q. Rose. Our family just returned from a camping trip where we were blessed to see a double rainbow after two small showers. A rainbow is pretty exciting, but a double one is amazing. In all my years I don't remember seeing a double rainbow, let alone two in one afternoon! Last night my daughter told me she saw another one after a shower here after we had returned home. What can it mean? Are the leprechauns playing tricks on us? The pot(s) of gold must be somewhere!!

Update on my mystery novel, Deadly Undertaking

I thought it would be easy to get back to writing after returning from a fun break with the kids and grandkids, but it's hard to get settled in and back to work. 

I penned a blurb for the book to get me back into the story and I thought I'd share it with you today. 

A blurb is the information that will get a reader's attention. If it's catchy enough, intriguing, and well-written, the blurb can be a wonderful salesman for your writing. If not, well...you know. Hopefully this one will not make you snooze. Please feel free to offer suggestions for improvement in the comments below. Or if you like it, let me know that too!!! Thank you.

Back of the Book for Deadly Undertaking:

Lauren Staab knew there would be dead bodies around when she returned home. After all, her family is in the funeral business, the Staab and Bloode Funeral Home. Still, finding an extra body on the floor of the garage between the hearse and the flower car shocked her. Lauren’s plan to return to her hometown to help care for her mother with Alzheimer’s disease and to keep the books for the funeral home suddenly turns upside down in a struggle to prove she and her family are not guilty of murdering the man. But will the real killer return to kill her, her dad, her brother? More complications arise when her childhood schoolmate, Gary, now the policeman investigating the murder, awakens feelings of love she never imagined she'd ever experience again. Their new relationship makes her heart thud and her insides mushy. Add to that a pesky shadow man, Henry, who interferes in her life. Could she actually take love advice from a shadow man? Her mother’s illness, a killer, a handsome policeman, and a shadow man muddle up her intention to have a simple life. Welcome home, Lauren!

This Week:

IWSG Support Group Blog Hop on Wednesday

The first Wednesday of the month, August 5, means another Insecure Writers Support Group (IWSG) blog hop. That Wednesday truly is hoppin’ every month with blog posts that light up the writing community with support, advice, and just plain fun. Check out all the posts on Wednesday. Each blogger has a link to the over 200 participants and counting. You can join in too. Here’s the skinny on IWSG. Be sure to also take a peek at the IWSG website for lots of resources for writers.

Hope to see you back on Wednesday when I share my insecurity in a video to discuss my insecurity, Making Videos!

Travel the World from Your Desk Chair

Thursday, August 6--This Thursday I asked my guest blogger, Marsha R. West if she could come at another time to share her wonderful trip to New Mexico because I am scheduled to have eye surgery to remove a cataract. I don't schedule a guest blogger when I am not around. I've never had this procedure done, so I don't know what shape I'll be in or if I'll even be allowed to read a computer screen for awhile. After talking with many folks who have had it done, I've learned it is almost as routine as having a cavity in your tooth filled at the dentist. Fingers crossed they are right!

Marsha will be share her trip on September 3. The Travelogue will resume on August 13.

Finishing off the summer Travelogue series are guest authors and their guest blog dates.

August 13	Joselyn Vaughn
20	Stan Hampton
27	Eric Price
Sept.
3	Marsha West

August 13

 Joselyn Vaughn

20

 Stan Hampton

27

 Eric Price

Sept.         

             3

Marsha West

Thank you to all my summer Travelogue authors.

Camping Plans, Your Mobile Friendly Website

Our daughter and family's camper..New last year.

Hey there! The weather s warming up and I'm getting the camping bug. We got our camper (fifth wheel) out of storage last week. Now to find a Michigan State Park campground with availability! Yes, the campgrounds fill up quickly. So take this as a reminder, if you are planning a camping trip, get your reservations in now to be sure you'll have a site!

IS YOUR SITE MOBILE READY?

Mobile devices are the most popular way to access the Internet
Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.com by adamr

Have you heard all the buzz about making sure your website is mobile ready? Do you realize almost 80% of visits on the Internet are made from a mobile device? 

To avoid having your visitors deal with the text being too small, the links too tiny, and scrolling sideways to see all the content, you need to optimize your site for viewing on a mobile phone.You can check if your site is mobile responsive with a mobile friendly test from Google on their webmaster tools page. Just copy the URL of the site you wish to check into the box on the page, and you will receive an answer immediately.

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Hope you're having a marvelous start to the beginning of this week. My DH and I are installing a laminate floor in our kitchen--together. He gave me some time off so I am writing this blog post on the fly. Can't wait to see the floor all done, but getting there may cause a few aches and pains. I'm sure it will be so worth it.

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Enjoy the springy weather!! J.Q.

Connect with J.Q. Rose online at

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Camping with Our Grandsons

Working weather vane in downtown Montague, MI

This past weekend we camped at Trailways Campground in downtown Montague, MI. Yes, the campground is owned by the city. Quaint area with twin cities Montague and Whitehall located on White Lake which empties into Lake Michigan. The campground is right next to the Hart-Montague Bike Trail. Busy place in the summer and so beautiful.

Whitehall is the home of Whitehall Products which manufactures weather vanes. This one used to sit out on an island in White Lake, but was moved to this area to protect the island. Magnificent.

Fishin' off the fishing bridge..Covell Park

Yes, the guys did a LOT of fishin'--mostly feeding them though.

White Lake shore

We journeyed over to Lake Michigan, but the water is so cold. Even in August the big lake is cool. It had to be cold for the boys NOT to get in. So here they are at White Lake. Beautiful there, but water is not warm. We found warmer water at Duck Lake State Park and a great shallow spot for hunting minnows!

Historic light house on White Lake

West Michigan has gorgeous beaches on Lake Michigan. The lake is so huge it seems it is an ocean. People who live on the coastlines of the oceans cannot get used to getting in the water and not tasting salt!

Earl was our constant companion

This beautiful brown pigeon, dubbed Earl by the boys, decided to be our mascot. He was so tame we think he was a lost carrier pigeon. One morning my DH was outside with the laptop open and Earl landed on the upturned screen and peeked over the top to see what was up.

The weather was perfect for camping. Time for campfires, turtle huntin', fishin', bikin', and water play. What more could you want??

Picture Tour of Traverse City, MI Area

Last weekend, we camped in the Traverse City, Michigan area. What a perfect chamber of commerce day for the State of Michigan. The trees are not colored up yet, even though this area is two hours north of us. I guess I just get so anxious to see the fall colors. Michigan's colors are fabulous usually. I heard on the news, the foliage would be late turning this year to the dry weather in August. I really will have to practice patience.

Hope you enjoy this picture tour of the Leelanau Peninsula and the Leland Fishtown Festival. So many cars at the car show. I had never experienced a boat show similar to this one with the boats moored for inspection. Beautiful!

Family Camp on Lake Michigan

Lake Michigan shore

Hi Readers,

I haven't posted for awhile because we camped along the shore of Lake Michigan at our church family camp. There is no Internet access. At first I missed not hopping on to check email, Facebook, and favorite blogs. But then I discovered it was rather freeing not to have to do it. By the end of the week, however, I was getting antsy to get back online to "gab" with everyone again.

We had a lot of fun. I'll share a few pictures with you. I wish I had more, but I was enjoying the skies and waters and all the events instead of thinking of toting the camera with me.

Our four grandsons spent four days with us. Love the campfire.

Corbin busted the pinata on Friday morning.

Not all play...Our group split and stacked about 3 cords of wood.

Try climbing these steps up the dune then down to the campground.  The green kayaks were a lot of fun for the kids.

Beautiful woods. It looks very peaceful, serene, eh? Not with four boys...LOL.