Sunday, July 25, 2010

CAMPING - SUNDAY - at Paint River Forks in the Ottawa National Forest of the U.P. of Michigan

 

Ahhh woke up to sunshine!   It was a bit chilly at 54 degrees but we never turned the heater on either.  The coffee smelled so good perking, and I whipped up a batch of blueberry muffins with of course, freshly picked blueberries!  Yummmmmm  

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Once we sat and gabbed about things for a bit, caught up on our worlds, kids, grandkids and such stuff…. then Fuzz took out a new present for Steveio!..   A Coleman Waffle Iron!

paint river forks july 201064We never knew they even made these!  It's made to go over a fire or on a stove burner.  Fuzz said Steveio can keep it IF he makes us all waffles for breakfast!  LOL   Of course with blueberries on top.  They had brought along all the fixins for waffles, hashbrowns, bacon ... all cooked over the fire.   What a treat!  Steve has been staying away from bacon or greasy hashbrowns, so he splurged, for one day, because of the new waffle iron.

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The waffle iron sat on the grid right next to the big cast iron fry pan with the hashbrowns.  We cook over the campfire as much as possible when we are camping.

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The waffles came out golden and perfect each time, scattered with fresh blueberries, and teamed up with the hashbrowns and bacon.  A breakfast fit for a King!  (and another King and two Queens)

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The flies were getting pesky when we were making breakfast, so we tried something out that I had read about from other RVer’s   Take plastic zip lock bags, fill with water, add a few pennies and hang them from the awning around your food.  Let them slowly move around back and forth or rotate gently from the awning by hanging from one corner of the bag.

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It is said that the reflections and flashes of light off the pennies bother the eyes on flies, so they stay away.   It really seemed to work and we only had a few flies over on that end of the table.  There were a lot of flies out and about, but most of them stayed away from us.  Sure beats using chemical sprays, especially around food!

 

Steveio got in some lumberjacking… awww My Brawny Lumberjack Man!

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Just look at that form!  that swing!  that finesse!  that skill!

He had also added a huge “All Nighter” log the night before.. and it was still needing to burn through the next day!  The firepit was full up with ashes, so the log could lay across and burn over the fire. 

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After things were cleaned up a bit, we decided to go out for more berries!!!  Fuzz found us a great spot on a tiny side logging road.  Some of those berries were so thick in clumps and bigger than what we picked the day before.  Fuzz also gathered enough raspberries for a pie...

For Steve and I, our total take for two days of picking was  2 gallons of freshly picked blueberries to make into jam this week.  Yummmmm  Schmoo and Fuzz got over a gallon of blueberries plus enough raspberries for his pie.

The sun sure got hotter than the measly 74 degree high the weatherman promised.   I got slight sunburn on my back, despite sitting with an umbrella for a while.  We both wore our hats, so our noses are burn free!   Here is Linda, picking alongside the logging road.

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After berry picking, I needed a cool shower as it was hot and sticky being in the woods.  So nice to have our shower with us in the motorhome, instead of having to ride all the way back home to clean up.

Earlier in the day, I had taken a walk down by the river and over to the canoe landing and snapped some shots of wildflowers …  With all the rain we have had lately in the Great Lakes region, the wildflowers are in full bloom.  Everywhere you look is color color color!

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For supper Fuzz had another surprise for us... he had bought two Drunk Chicken racks....

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See, for Drunk Chicken, you put a can of beer up a whole chickens butt and then set it onto these racks to roast them over a fire or on a grill.  The racks hold the chicken and the can upright so they don’t tip over on the grill (or fire).   The liquid in the cans puts moisture into the meat as they cook, and they come out amazingly juicy and just fall apart tender and golden...  Linda whipped up a bowl of potato salad and we had four big cobs of sweet corn roasted over the fire too.  My oh my, we ate so much food!

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Linda thought they looked like two little Sumo Wrestlers….  LOL

 

And then it was 5pm...on a Sunday… that means it is time to hit the road.  Sigh.  

We loaded up and headed out, for a nice drive home.  The roads were clear, the sky was blue, and we cruised on down the road.... talking of the future when we can keep on going and not have to go home on Sunday nights... and not go to work on Monday mornings. 

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7 comments:

  1. We just got home last night after a week on the road, hated the thought of going home, but Donna still has to work. Look's like you have Steveio all set up for breakfast and dinner cooking now. Have to try that drunk chicken when we meet. Glad you guys enjoyed your outing. be safe out there, Sam & Donna.

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  2. WOW, that post made me real hungry! I like that Coleman waffle iron, I will have to look for one.

    As I said before the campground there looks great. Can't wait to head there one day.

    Kevin and Ruth
    www.travelwithkevinandruth.com

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  3. Well after the crummy breakfast I had, I pulled up this blog and got really hungry! Everything looks so good.

    I'll have to try the water filled bags. Most of the restaurants around here use them, so they must work.

    Pretty pictures today! (especially the food ones)

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  4. Do you think you guys could follow me around for a couple of years and be my personal chefs?? :) I love food cooked over an open fire.

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  5. Nice pictures Karen... Looks like you really had a great time eating, lol!
    Awesome waffle iron.
    What is that called, that you did the potatoes for the hash browns? Yum...

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  6. Hey Leno, that device is called a "MOULI" they were common in the 50's and 60's and made from all metal... I have seen some made in the 70's and 80's made with a plastic frame too.

    The one Fuzz is using is from his dearly departed mother and they keep in the camper to make the hashbrowns, or slices of potatoes for potato salad or american fries.

    Sometimes I see them at rummage sales. They are great for camping rustic when you don't have a food processor on board or the electricity to power one either.

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  7. Karen, you never cease to amaze me! I can't believe all the things you bring to do on a weekend. I'm lucky if I can remember to bring clean underwear...

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