My Son’s First True “Open-Fire” Meal

Last summer my youngest son, who is usually my most enthusiastic helper when cooking indoors or out, told us that he “had never cooked over a campfire” and really wanted to do so.

My first reaction, as you might expect, was “that can’t be,” but when I stopped and thought about it, I had to realize that aside from warming a hot dog on a stick he was probably right. 

• We’ve cooked dozens of tin-foil dinners and hundreds of meals in my Dutch ovens, but the vast majority of those were cooked using charcoal briquettes. To the extent that I’ve used wood coals from the campfire on my Dutch ovens it’s usually been because it was a windy day and my briquettes burned out before dinner was done.
• We’d grilled more times than I could count, but most of the time I used (gasp!) a gas grill.
• We’ve used pie irons and sticks to cook things over the open fire, but most of the time these were snacks, not meals.
• I’d had tons of experience cooking over the open fire in scouts as a youth, but my boys’ troops cook with a propane stove for nearly every meal, unless I happen to bring my Dutch ovens along. 

This was a situation my wife and I decided we had to fix, and so we bought a freestanding grill for my son’s birthday and I resolved to cook a complete meal over the fire with him, using absolutely no gas, no charcoal, and no pots or pans.

Step 1: Build the fire 

My son has this one quite well nailed. His fires aren’t so much campfires as they are towering infernos. We have a large enough fire ring that it’s safe, so we let him run with it. Let one of his giant fires of oak cut from our yard burn down for about an hour, and you have a beautiful bed of coals for cooking. If you’re not as brave (or foolhardy) as we are, a more modest log-cabin style fire lay will do the trick, although you may want to start it earlier for optimum heat.

 

 

Step 2: Baked potatoes

Wash one nice russet potato per person with water and a stiff brush and wrap them, still wet, in two layers of aluminum foil.  Bury these in the coals of your fire.

 

Baking potatoes partially buried in wood coals.

 

Step 3:  Grilled corn

Remove the outer layers of the husk of each ear of corn, leaving 3-4 of the inner layers.  Peel the inner layers back, remove the silk and replace the husks.  Then, soak the corn for 10 minutes or so in lightly salted water.  Reopen the remaining husk, spread some butter on the corn, close the husks and wrap each ear in a couple of layers of aluminum foil.  Place these on the hottest part of the grill, turning occasionally for 15-20 minutes.  For the best flavor, you want to caramelize the sugars in the corn, so don’t be afraid of getting them hot!  

Corn grilling on the wood fire with baked potatoes in the coals.

 

Step 4: Steaks

When the corn has been on the grill for 10 minutes or so, move it to a cooler spot on the grill to free up the hot spot. Wet 2 small sticks of split dry oak (the splinters left over from splitting are perfect for this) and set them on the coals for an extra smoky flavor. Then add your favorite cut of steak. We used rib-eyes seasoned with Penzey’s Chicago Steak Seasoning. Depending upon how hot your coals are, about 5 minutes on each side should get a good steak to a medium temp.  You’ll want to monitor this closely, because wood heat is unpredictable, and you don’t want to burn dinner.

Finishing up our wood-grilled summer feast!

If you’re not a big fan of steaks, we’ve subsequently done boneless pork ribs pretty effectively this way as well, using our favorite dry BBQ rub on the grill. If you’re going to try cooking chicken, leave the corn on the hottest part of the grill and cook your chicken longer in cooler parts of the grill to avoid burning it and ensure that it cooks thoroughly.

 

Dinner Time!

Remove the steaks and corn from the grill, then use tongs or a small shovel to remove the potatoes from the coals. Potatoes should be unwrapped from the foil, cut in half, and scooped out of the skins, which are usually pretty black, but the potato inside is deliciously baked. Also, use caution when removing corn husks, which will be very hot and can scald you – use gloves or wet your hands first with cold water and use a knife to cut off the husks, rather than ripping them off.   

Enjoy!  We liked this meal we did it a couple more times before summer was over. After a really cold, snowy February, I can hardly wait for the snow to melt so we can have it again!

Dutch Oven Mountain Man Breakfast

The mountain man breakfast is one of those classic Dutch Oven recipes that most camp cooking enthusiasts make at one point or another.  We make this pretty often on Boy Scout camping trips, and even some scouts and adults who usually don't care for vegetables will eat every bite of it.  We like to serve this with biscuits that we cook in foil over the fire. 

Ingredients

• 1 lb bulk mild pork sausage (no casings)
• 1 tsp chopped garlic
• 1 med onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 2lbs frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
• 12 eggs
• 2 Tbsp water
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 12 oz shredded cheddar cheese

 

Equipment

• #12 deep dish Dutch oven (8 quart)
• lid lifter
• large metal spoon
• bowl and wisk for beating eggs 
• knife and cutting board 
• Charcoal (30 briquettes)

Directions

Start at least 30 charcoal briquettes.

While waiting for the briquettes to heat up, I usually start cooking on the camp stove to save time.  Place your Dutch oven on the camp stove over medium flame and brown your sausage.  Then, add onions, peppers and garlic and saute until the veggies are tender.

Add shredded potatoes.  Turn with your spoon a few times until the ingredients are well mixed.  Wisk together eggs, water, salt and pepper in a bowl and pour into the Dutch oven with the other ingredients.

At this point, transfer your Dutch oven to the fire. On a warm, calm day use 10 briquettes below and 14 on the lid, reserving the rest.  Where there is a breeze or the weather is cooler, increase the number of coals.  Cook until the eggs are firm - about 15 min. checking with a fork.  At this point your casserole looks like this:

A Dutch Oven Mountain Man Breakfast casserole before cheese is added.

   

Next, sprinkle shredded cheddar over the top of your casserole, cover and return to the fire, cooking until the cheese is melted.  Your finished casserole will look like the photo below. Remove from the heat and serve hot - delicious!

The finished Mountain Man Breakfast.

Cooking Biscuits

Normally, I serve this meal with hot biscuits.  I've done this a couple of ways, including Bisquick or Jiffy baking mix prepared to package directions or a large ready-to-cook biscuit like Pillsbury Grands.

Arrange your biscuits on a sheet of aluminum foil.  Place another sheet on top of the biscuits and roll the edges to form an envelope.  I recommend double-layering the foil to prevent rips and tears.  Place your foil package on the Dutch oven lid, coals or even a hot wood stove.  Cook 10 mins or so, turning frequently.

Dutch Oven French Toast with Pecans

I knew it was time to share this Dutch Oven French Toast recipe when my oldest son, who is not a breakfast eater, listed it as one of only two breakfast meals that brings him back for seconds. It makes a delicious "no syrup required" French toast with a pecan praline "topping".

This Dutch oven French toast recipe bakes with a brown sugar and pecan topping underneath.  I usually flip this to the top when serving.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• About 2/3 of a Baguette (French Bread)
• 8 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp cinnamon

Cooking Equipment

• #12 Dutch oven.
• Liner paper
• Knife, bowl, wisk and a spatula to serve
• Lid lifter, shovel, briquettes

Directions

Before you begin, slice your baguette into 1" slices.  This can be done in advance to save time in the morning.

Another time saver I find helpful is to start this meal on the propane camp stove while my briquettes are heating.  Light at least 30 charcoal briquettes, then place liner paper in your Dutch oven and move it to the camp stove.  Melt the butter, then add brown sugar and pecans and stir thoroughly.  Remove from heat.  Here's what your oven looks like at this stage:

Wisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla and cinnamon in a bowl.  Dip the bread into the egg mixture and flip it over, so that it is saturated with the mixture, and arrange the slices on top of your brown sugar and pecan mixture, packing them in tight until the entire bottom of the oven is covered, like this:

Dutch oven French toast before cooking.

Pour the remaining egg mixture into the Dutch oven and cover.  Arrange 10-12 briquettes below the oven and 14-16 above and bake until golden brown - about 30 minutes.

Top briquettes should be arranged around the perimeter of the oven initially to reduce the risk of over-browning. I recommend checking at 20 minutes to make sure things are going well, and possibly spreading briquettes over the whole lid at that time. 

To serve, remove the liner paper from the oven and break off 2-4 slice servings with a spatula, flipping them over onto the plate.

Serves 8.  For a larger crowd, you can double this recipe in a #14 oven, although you may need to double stack your bread slices. 

Dutch Oven Dumplings with Easy Chicken Stew

You know a recipe is a winner when the kids ask for it. When my oldest son requested this the other day and his very picky younger brother ate every last bit of a large bowl (even the Lima beans), I figured it was time to share this one.

This Dutch oven recipe makes a yummy if simple chicken stew with lots of dumplings on top and will feed 6.

Ingredients

Stew

• 3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 lb mixed frozen vegetables
• 2 quarts chicken broth, or 8 bullion cubes and 2 quarts water
• 2 tsp chopped garlic
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
• 3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/4 cup cold water

Dumplings

• 3 1/3 cups all-purpose baking mix
• 1 1/3 cup milk
• 2 tbsp melted butter, cooled
• 2 tbsp dried parsley flakes

Start your briquettes.  While they are heating, mix dumplings according to package directions, add parsley, and set aside.  Then, cube your chicken breasts.

Making Your Easy Chicken Stew

Arrange 10-12 briquettes under a #12 deep dish Dutch oven. In the bottom of your Dutch oven, sauté onions and garlic until the onions are tender.  Add chicken and brown thoroughly. 

Add chicken broth, bay leaves, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.  While the broth is heating, mix cornstarch and cold water in a cup or small dish.  Add cornstarch mixture and frozen vegetables. 

Put the lid on the Dutch oven with 14 briquettes on top and bring the stew to a brisk, bubbly boil.  At this point, a little extra heat below the oven may also be helpful to speed up the cooking process.

Adding your Dutch Oven Dumplings

Once your stew is bubbling vigorously, it's time to spoon your dumplings on top of the stew. 

Remove the lid from the Dutch oven and using a pair of serving spoons add dumplings.  Use one spoon to scoop a generous amount of batter, then hold the spoon close to the surface of the stew and use the other to scrape the batter onto the stew, floating the spoonful of batter on the surface. Repeat until you've used all the batter.  It's OK if there are gaps between dumplings.  These will fill in as they cook.

Cover the oven and move your top briquettes to the outer edge of the lid and bake 10-15 minutes, checking periodically to be sure the dumplings don't burn.  Dumplings can be checked with a fork for doneness.

Dutch Oven Roast Chicken and Foil Baked Veggies

It's true that necessity is the mother of invention.  I cooked my first full roast chicken in a Dutch Oven a few years back when a friend and organic food enthusiast brought an 8+ pound grass fed roaster on her first ever RV camping trip next door to our seasonal campsite.  Lo and behold, the chicken wouldn't fit in her travel trailer's tiny oven, and it was up to me to get the bird cooked.

Fortunately, my maiden effort was successful, and I've added a few improvements in the years since.  The recipe and photos below are for the dinner I helped Troop 817 scouts prepare when we were cabin camping at Camp Bomazeen last December.  We were feeding a big group and did two birds, but I've reduced the quantities here for more of a family meal.

A pair of Dutch Oven roast chickens on our recent trip to Camp Bomazeen.

Although Dutch Ovens are known for one-pot meals, we cooked the veggies in foil on top of the oven. This approach shortens the time it takes to cook the bird, much like an un-stuffed turkey cooks faster than a stuffed bird.  It also reduces the liquid you need in the pot, so you bake rather than steam, giving you a browner skin.

Ingredients:

Chicken

• 7-8 lb roasting chicken
• 1     tsp garlic powder
• 1/2  tsp salt
• 1/2  tsp ground sage
• 1/2  tsp ground thyme
• 1/4  tsp pepper
• 2     large onions

Veggies

• 6 medium potatoes
• 2 cups carrots, peeled and cut
• 1 medium onion
• cooking spray
• EVOO, or butter or margarine
• salt and pepper

Cooking Equipment: 

• #12 or #14 deep dish Dutch Oven
• lid lifter
• shovel
• aluminum foil
• knives, peelers, mits
• (optional) Dutch Oven liner paper
• paper towels

Starting Your Dutch Oven Roast Chicken

Combine the dry seasonings.  For camping trips, I do this beforehand in a snack-size ziploc bag. Remove neck, etc from an 7-8 Lb roasting chicken.  Rinse and pat dry with paper towels, then sprinkle the bird inside and out with the seasoning mixture.

Line the Dutch Oven with liner paper for faster clean-up if desired. Cut 2 large onions into thick slices (rings) and use these to line the bottom of the Dutch Oven.  They'll add some flavor and moisture and help prevent the bird from sticking to your oven.

Ideally, you want the temp inside the oven to be between 375 and 400. On the windy winter day that we cooked our chickens, that took a lot of charcoal. In the summer, start with the lid diameter plus 2 on bottom and the lid diameter plus 6 on top and see how it goes.  Add more if necessary.  Bake for 60-90 minutes, until the bird is fully cooked and juices run clear.

We had to get really creative when cooking in the strong winter winds at
Camp Bomazeen, using discarded tent platforms for a windbreak, and
borrowing a few blocks from a fireplace to make a cooking platform.

Cooking Your Veggies

There is ample time after the bird is on to prep your veggies.  Spray a generous sheet of aluminum foil with cooking spray, then peel and cut your potatoes and carrots into bite-sized portions (the smaller they are, the faster they cook).  Rinse and arrange on the foil.  Chop your onion and add to the foil.  Drizzle a little EVOO or add a few pats of butter on the veggies, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  

Spray a second sheet of aluminum foil and use it to cover the veggies, rolling the edges to form a pouch.  It's usually a good idea to add a second later of foil outside the first to prevent you from losing half your meal because of a tear.

When your chicken has been going about 45 minutes or so, set your foil pouch on top of the the coals on your Dutch Oven lid.  Cook 30-45 minutes, turning frequently.  Wisps of steam escaping the corners of your foil pouch and the smell of cooking onions are a good sign that your veggies are nearly done.

Here, the foil pouches containing our veggies are shown
atop the two Dutch Ovens we used to roast chickens.

Finished Meal

Troop 817 gobbled this meal up after a long day of winter camping, so it was definitely a hit. Boys were even seen picking the bones clean after dinner.  We also cooked a Dutch Oven apple crisp for dessert, but that's a story for another day's post.

A fellow camper carves the chicken before we served up our meal,
which was a big hit with the boys.

Dutch Oven Chili with Cornbread

Chili is one of those meals that evokes memories of when I camped as a Boy Scout back in the mid-eighties.  Ironically, though, it's not a meal I cook often camping anymore.  It seems like most of the Scouts in my son's Boy Scout troop don't care for chili, and only two out of four members in my family enjoy it.  As a result, it isn't practical to lug all the ingredients out on a camping trip.  I decided to splurge for this past weekend's Super Bowl, however, and made a batch of Dutch Oven chili with cornbread.

Like most chili recipes out there, this one is my own concoction, but some of the elements, like cooking cornbread on top of the chili, were picked up from a fellow Scout leader and Dutch Oven enthusiast. 

Cooking equipment for this recipe includes a #12 deep dish Dutch Oven, lid lifter, shovel, charcoal briquettes, mixing bowl and various measuring cups and spoons.  Optionally, you may also want to use a camp stove for the early part of the cooking process.

Ingredients:

Chili:

• 2 large (28 oz.) cans diced tomatoes
• 1 large (2 lbs) can dark red kidney beans, rinsed
• 1 small (1 lb.) can black beans, rinsed
• 1 bottle chili sauce (you'll find this in the condiments section)
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large green pepper, diced
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 2 tbsp chopped garlic
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp Olive Oil (opt.)
• 1 Tbsp Chili Powder (Additional to taste - I use a lot.)
• Cayenne Pepper (If you like more heat.)

 Cornbread Topping:

• 2 boxes Jiffy brand cornbread muffin mix
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup milk

 

Starting Your Chili

Brown your ground beef and set aside.  This can be done quite well in the bottom of your Dutch Oven, although I usually cook it beforehand in a separate pan and carry the pre-cooked meat to the campsite.

To save on briquettes, I typically start the chili in the Dutch Oven on a gas camp stove or grill side-burner.  This may not be necessary if you're cooking on an open fire.  In the base of a #12 deep dish Dutch Oven, sauté the onions, garlic, and green pepper in the olive oil until the onions begin to soften.  Add mushrooms and sauté a few minutes longer.

Add tomatoes, chili sauce, kidney beans, black beans, salt, and chili pepper.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until bubbly.  Here's what it looks like at this point:

 

Simmer for at least 45 minutes - longer if you'd like a less chunky tomato base.  Add cayenne pepper or additional chili powder for your desired heat.

Adding the Cornbread and Finishing the Cooking Process

If you started your chili on the camp stove, be sure to light your briquettes about 45 minutes before dinner should be ready.

While the chili is simmering.  Mix the cornbread muffin mix, eggs, and milk in a large mixing bowl. Set aside until you're almost ready for dinner.
 
Transfer your Dutch Oven to your briquettes, if appropriate.  On a warm summer day, I'd use a dozen briquettes below and 12 above. I used quite a bit more on this winter day in the thirties. Your top briquettes should be arranged in a ring around the perimeter of the lid.

Bring the chili to a brisk boil, like the photo below.

For your cornbread to cook properly, the chili must come to a brisk boil.

Once the chili is boiling, use a large spoon to spoon the cornbread batter on top of the chili.  Cover and cook, about 15 minutes or until the cornbread cooks through.  The end result looks like this:

Completed Dutch Oven Chili with Cornbread on top - delicious!

Let the chili stand a few minutes, then serve.  You'll find that this recipe is less sour than most due to the sugars in the muffin mix.   Enjoy!

Cabin Camping at Camp Bomazeen

Recently, I had the opportunity to lead a group of Boy Scouts from Troop 817 on a cabin camping excursion to Camp Bomazeen, a Pine Tree Council camp on Great Pond in Belgrade, ME. 

While planning for the trip, I spent a fair amount of time looking online for information about the camp, which I had never been to. Unfortunately, there isn't much information about Camp Bomazeen on either the Pine Tree Council website or elsewhere online, so I thought I would share a bit of what I observed on our trip here.

Camp Bomazeen is on Horse Point Road in Belgrade.  It's actually situated between privately owned houses which made for an interesting experience on this trip when one of our non-scouting neighbors had a rather large late-night housewarming party.  The camp includes considerable waterfront with terrific views of Great Pond.



A view of the main waterfront at Camp Bomazeen, just out the front door of McCurdy Lodge.

 

Facilities

McCurdy Lodge

We stayed the weekend in McCurdy Lodge which is one of two cabins on the site equipped with wood stoves for winter camping.  I didn't count the bunks, but according to the Council's weekend rental form, this cabin sleeps 28.  It includes a large wood stove that was plenty to heat the cabin on the very cold and windy weekend we were there. The cabin also has a fireplace-wood stove conversion that we didn't use.

This large woodstove is the primary hear source in McCurdy Lodge at camp Bomazeen.

You do have to supply your own firewood. There is a latrine behind the cabin with electric lights an separate facilities for males and females. The cabin is also appointed with picnic tables, electric lights and enough outlets for adults to keep their phones charged.

We enjoyed our stay in McCurdy, my only cautions for groups staying here are:

• There is no outside fire ring and the fireplace is closed up, which posed some challenges for us doing Dutch Oven cooking and we had to improvise.
• There is only one room, which can be problematic if you're trying to adhere to the Guide to Safe Scouting's requirements for separate sleeping accommodations for males and females.

McCurdy Lodge from the North. The latrine is on the far left of the photo.

As I mentioned, the fireplace has been filled up with a plate-style conversion stove (below).  Given that the cabin's main stove was plenty to heat the place, I'd have preferred this left open for that open fire feel and a place to cook with the Dutch Ovens out of the wind.

One thing units should be sure to do is create a plaque commemorating their stay.  I hadn't planned on this and ended up carving one into a piece of scrap lumber. (Another leader traced my carving with a black Sharpie - see the below photo at top right). It's really fun to see these plaques scattered around the cabin and look for units and scouts that you know.

Pavilion Cabin

Pavilion is the smaller of the two winter cabins.  It sleeps 16 and features a walled-off second room to accommodate separate sleeping accommodations for females as required by Guide to Safe Scouting rules. We were originally supposed to be in this cabin but were relocated by the camp ranger because it is marginally further from the road than McCurdy and the camp roads were not in the best shape.

This unit is heated by a single wood stove and has electricity.  It's a short walk to the nearest latrine facilities.

Troops like ours that have camped quite a lot at Camp Hinds in Raymond or Camp Nutter in Acton could definitely enjoy the change of scenery at Camp Bomazeen.  I only wish that the weather had been less windy when we were there so we could have enjoyed more time out and about.  Happy camping!

How to Make a Simple Hobo Stove

It's name may not be politically correct, but "thrifty" scouts will appreciate the hobo stove for its economy.  It is made entirely from cast-off materials with simple tools and requires very little fuel to cook simple meals.  It's a time-honored cooking technique used by the homeless, hobos, backpackers and in survival situations.

Hobo stoves can be quite elaborate.  My simple hobo stove can be made by young scouts as a project a scout meeting. 

Materials & Tools

The tools and materials needed are simple:

• A puncture-type can opener (see photo)
• A hammer
• A spike or large nail
• An aluminum 3# coffee can or #10 aluminum can.
• A small scrap of wire mesh or chicken wire
• A vise and a 15-18" 2x4 are helpful as well

 

 Step 1: Create vents at the top and bottom of the hobo stove.

Using the can opener, create several openings around both the closed end and the open end of the can.  These will provide both the necessary oxygen supply at the bottom and a "chimney" at the top to allow smoke to escape.  More openings are better, so take your time.

Making vent holes in the base of the hobo stove.

Step 2: Create vents along the side walls of the hobo stove.

Put your length of 2x4 in the vise with most of the extra length sticking out on one side.  This will be used as a support for your can.  Then using the hammer and nail, create extra vent holes in whatever design you like along the sides of the can.  These provide some additional airflow as well as an opportunity to decorate your stove. 

Using a hammer and nail, punch additional vent holes in the sidewalls
of your hobo stove.

Step 3: Use your wire mesh to create a "grille" for the hobo stove.

Since your cookware will most likely entirely cover the mouth of the can, the grille may not seem as though it is a necessity.  On the other hand, it does provide some separation between the can and cookware and an additional route for smoke to escape.

For a grille, fold your wire mesh, chicken wire, or even an old wire coat hanger into a square-ish shape a little larger than the top of the can.  This simply rests on the top of the can under the cookware.

This photo shows finished stove, grille, and cookware.

Step 4: Fueling the hobo stove.

The fuel for the hobo stove would make scant kindling for your typical cook-fire.  Small twigs, small pieces and/or very small pieces of scrap lumber are all that is needed.  This small pile was more than enough to cook a simple meal, and I ended up burning off the rest just to clean up the mess.

Fuel for the hobo stove consists of small scraps and twigs.

Step 5: Final preparation.

If you've never cooked over an open fire before, fair warning! Your cookware gets very black and the soot can be very hard to remove.  Applying a little dish detergent to the outside of your cooking pan beforehand and spreading it over the entire surface with your fingers will make a huge difference at  clean-up time.

Applying dish detergent to the outside of cookware helps keep soot from
permanently ruining cookware. 

 

Time to cook on your hobo stove!

Kindle a small fire in the can. (I used a single sheet of newspaper as tinder and lit it through one of the vent holes.) 

Once the fire is burning well, it's time to cook!

You can cook almost any simple meal on your hobo stove.  In this example, I'm frying hot dogs and onions in a little margarine.  I've also done baked beans and hot dogs on the hobo stove as well as making boxed rice dishes (such as Rice-a-Roni or Zataran's).  You may need to add fuel from time to time.  Be careful to handle your grille with a mitt or stick.  It can get quite hot!

Hot dogs and onions cooking on a hobo stove.

This is one of those easy and fun projects, like the cardboard box oven, which fascinates scouts for its simplicity and highlights how cooking can be accomplished without fancy, expensive, heavy cooking equipment. 

Dutch Oven Kielbasa with "Both Potatoes"

I got the recipe for this Dutch Oven one-pot meal from the scoutmaster of another local boy scout troop several years ago, and have been making it ever since for both family meals and scouting events. It's quick, easy and popular with both boys and adults for its sweet and savory flavor and cooks up in 40 minutes or so in a #12 deep dish Dutch Oven (8Qt.)

This Dutch Oven recipe featuring low-fat turkey kielbasa is as easy as it gets.

 

Ingredients

• 3-4 medium white potatoes.
• 2 sweet potatoes.
• 1 large onion, sliced into rings.
• 1 turkey kielbasa
• 4 tbsp. margarine
• 2-3 tbsp. brown sugar
• salt and pepper

 

Directions

There isn't much mystery to this meal, which makes it perfect for the kids to take the lead on.  You just peel and slice your potatoes (the thinner they are, the faster they cook), onions, and kielbasa and put them in the oven.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to mix.  Then, add the butter in 4 or 5 pats to the top and sprinkle with brown sugar.  For an additional veggie, carrots make a great addition to this Dutch Oven one-pot meal.

In 72 degree weather with calm winds, I'd add maybe 12 coals underneath and 16 above (temp of 375 or so) and cook for 40 minutes or until the potatoes and onions are tender,

Serves 6.

Bigger group?  Double the ingredients in your #14 deep dish oven.

Two Ways to Hike Rattlesnake Mountain in Raymond

Rattlesnake Mountain is the most common hike done by hundreds of Boy Scouts camping at Camp William Hinds in Raymond, ME each year.  A climb up the mountain can afford some good easy-intermediate hiking and nice views of the surrounding lakes including Panther Pond, Thomas Pond, Crescent Lake and Sebago Lake.  It's also a good family day hike that I highly recommend to anyone spending a few days in the Lakes Region.

This year, I climbed Rattlesnake twice with my youngest son and other boys from troop 817.  We used two different routes to summit the mountain and climbed at two very different times of year.  The two experiences each offered their own unique features, but I thought I'd present them together.  Both trails are depicted on the map below, and a detailed description of our excursions follow.

View Maine Outdoor Living Trails and Campgrounds in a larger map

Our April hike followed the route marked in blue, while the fall hike followed the Bri-Mar trail, marked in red.

 

The Nubble Pond Trail

We first climbed Rattlesnake Mountain in late April, on a cool, sunny spring weekend before any leaves were on the trees.  We are at Camp Hinds for a weekend camping trip at which we focus on advancement activities for the Tenderfoot and Second Class ranks.  As it happens, a five mile hike is one of the requirements for Second Class.

For our five miler, we started in the parking lot across the street from the Messer Rotary Scout Training Center on Plains Road, and hiked down Plains Road to the trailhead (below). Right away, you notice the snowmobile signs and the sign that indicates the trail is on the property of Kingsley Pines camp.

One of the first things I noticed as I headed down the trail was a small brook to our right, which turned out to be the outlet of Nubble Pond.

Nubble Pond

A little further on, we came to Nubble Pond, which is a beautiful small pond with some very interesting cliff faces along its eastern shore.  We got a good view of them as we hiked along the western shore of the pond. And took a short break to enjoy the view at the Northwest corner.

The real climb began.  The trail, which is used by snowmobiles in winter, is quite wide and begins gradually at first, getting steeper as you continue up the mountain.  At its steepest points, you find yourself grasping trees to help pull yourself up, but nevertheless the hike was manageable for our eleven year olds. 

Overlooks

We ended up stopping short of the summit, which is tree-covered anyway and paused to enjoy the view from a granite ledge close to the summit.  My photos from here are not the best, but you get a door view of Panther Pond and Thomas Pond from here, as well as a view of Sebago Lake in the distance.

 

We hiked back to the Training Center along our original route.  In all we covered about 4.85 miles - close enough for the boys to have completed their requirements. 

 



The Bri-Mar Trail

 

In September, we hiked a shorter trail called the Bri-Mar Trail.  Whereas the Nubble Pond trail is accessible from the Plains Road, this trail is accessed from further north along Rte. 85.  The trailhead is in a hay on your left as you head North, and a sign in the small parking area explains that the land is owned by the Huntress family and the trail is named for Brian and Marlene Huntress, who used to hike there.

 

Hitting the Trail

After the short walk across the field, you enter the woods, and enjoy a nice walk through the trees before. The trail forks a short distance in, affording you the option of a longer, more gradual slope or a shorted uphill climb.  Take your pick, the two trails converge not too far on.

 

After the trails come back together, you come quite quickly upon an extended steep incline.  You gain most of the altitude you're going to climb on this stretch, so take breaks when needed. 

 

As you near the top, things level off almost as suddenly as the incline increased at the bottom.  You do encounter a number of downed trees that need to be climbed over, but for this stretch the inclines are modest and down-hills come almost as frequently as up-hills.

 

Overlook

 

As you near the top there is a fantastic overlook with wide open views of Crystal Lake, Panther Pond and Thomas Pond.  I'm afraid this panorama taken on my iPhone just doesn't do it justice.  If what you're looking for in climbing Rattlesnake is a great view, this route definitely offers the best.

 

 

 

We hiked on a bit further until the our routes converged near the location of the overlook we'd visited in the spring.  It was actually remarkable to note the difference with the leaves on the trees.  We debated splitting up because a few of the boys wanted to hike out on the trail we had used in the spring.  Unfortunately, we lacked adequate adult supervision to split into two groups, so we went back the way we came. 

 

In all, this hike was much shorter than the first - a round trip of about 2.5 miles.  It made for a great afternoon hike however, and was perfect for the time we had available. 

 

Both trails are great.  If you can leave vehicles at each end of the trail and hike the whole thing, I'd definitely try that.  If not, the Bri-Mar trail is probably the one I would do first, since it offers the best overall view and is a shade better marked.