I LOVE TO CAMP!

Of course my idea of camping is to have all the comforts that I can.  I don’t insist on a washer and dryer, but I do like having most of the other stuff.

We started out with a camper on our 1970 truck.  In the mid 80s we graduated to a 24 ft Kit Companion fifth wheel trailer that we bought used.  What a difference from the camper!  Within a few years we traded up to a 29 ft Alpenlite fifth wheel.  Absolute pure luxury! 

We had so much fun with the Alpenlite.  The fun began when we went to Chehalis, Washington, to pick up our new Alpenlite.  We spent a couple of weeks “camping” back to our home in Napa, California.  The trailer had everything we needed ... air conditioning, heating, a solar inverter, a 25” tv, music system, room for wine storage, really large refrigerator/freezer, microwave, range and oven.  There was also lots of bedroom closet and kitchen storage.  A really dream trailer!

Over the years we went to lots of places in the trailer, from San Diego to Portland, Oregon.  We often took the parrots in small travel cages so they could enjoy a vacation too.  But as the years went on we slowed down in our use. 

One day a friend came through to visit us.  They were pulling this tiny, almost laughable, Casita trailer.  Then they asked if we wanted to see the inside.  Wow!  It was perfect for our needs at this time in our life!  We quickly sold the Alpenlite and ordered a 2008 Casita Freedom Deluxe 17 foot trailer.  The trailers are made as they are ordered and we had to wait for two months for our new Casita.

When the Casita was finished we took a trip to Rice, Texas, and picked it up.  The crew at Casita Trailers were so friendly.  They showed us how all the systems on the trailer worked and we were off to Fredericksburg, Texas, to visit with the kids and tour Admiral Nimitz’ Pacific War Museum and hometown.  That museum is the very best museum of World War II Pacific History that we have ever seen!

We had shipped a few larger items (like bedding) to my son’s house and he brought them to us.  We stopped at Wal-mart and stocked up on food and anything else we needed. 

 The Casita is a basic trailer but truly has everything we need.  However, what I need at this time of life has totally changed!  There is no oven, but I have learned to do without (or drag out the small toaster oven).  The bathroom is small but it works perfectly.  There is one small closet and a few storage areas, but whatever else we think we might need is stored in plastic boxes and put in the back of the truck.  I love the Casita Trailer ... http://www.casitatraveltrailers.com/index.html

After we picked up the trailer we visited family in Texas we headed for Ft Collins, Colorado, to the Walker Mowers celebration.  They were rolling out the 100,000th Walker Lawn Tractor and had invited all contractors and users to come to the party.  They set aside a campground area for those of us that were RVing it.  In the campground they set up two huge trailers ... first class restrooms for the campers.  We had a wonderful time with the visiting, the tours, the exhibits, and the fantastic outdoor music complete with Jumbotron!  We hope to go back when they have the next big celebration.  In the meantime we will run that Walker Mower in the summer, and in the winter we switch out the blade for a snow blower.  What a great ride-on blower, complete with cab and lights. 

We eventually headed for home and stocked up the trailer for the next holiday!

Don't know what to fix for dinner tonight ...

I think I want something easy to put together.  Something that won't take a lot of thought but will taste delicious.  Something that I can fix anytime during the day and just pop in the oven for 30 minutes before I want to eat.

I think I'll fix my Chicken Enchilada Casserole.  My husband loves it.  In fact I haven't seen anyone that doesn't eat it and ask for the recipe (except my husband ... he won't cook as long as he has me around, but I don't shovel snow so that may be a good thing).

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

2 to 3 chicken breasts, cut up

1 diced onion

2 cans cream of chicken-mushroom soup (or chicken or mushroom)

2 cans diced green chilies

1 cup (or a can about that size) of salsa

1 soup can full of milk

1 can (14 oz?) of ready cut tomatoes

½ can of black olives (cut into thirds)

18 corn tortillas cut into 1 inch squares

Shredded cheese (I use a bag, or more, of shredded Mexican cheese)

In a large pot, cook chicken and onion.  When chicken turns white, add soup, green chilies and salsa.  Blend in milk (use more if needed).  Add a can of diced tomatoes if there isn’t enough color in the mixture.  Add tortillas and stir them in so they are covered by the mixture.  Cook on low for 20 to 30 minutes.  Put into large baking dish and sprinkle with cheese.  Cook at 300 degrees for about a ½ hour.

Give it a try ... I'm sure you will love it too!

Cooking for the Birds ...

We have a couple of parrots at our house.

One parrot is a 24 year old femaleYellow Nape Amazon named DeDe.  We bought her in San Diego.  The other is a 20 year old male Vosmaeri Eclectus named KalanaAnaOle (Ole for short).  Vosmaeri Eclectuses are from the Solomon Islands, but Ole was hatched on Oahu and was brought to California when he was about 9 weeks old.  We had to hand feed him for a few weeks.

Eclectuses eat fruits and veggies.  When we got Ole we were told not to feed him fatty things like sunflower seeds, so we developed a healthy diet for our birds.  The parrots are fed Rowdy Bush pellets and a fat free seed mix.  They also get a big scoop each day of fresh veggies.  They love the mix that we fix for them, corn, chopped zucchini and yellow squash, carrots, broccoli, and cilantro.

Our parrots are well loved and well cared for.  They each have a large cage.  They have a room to themselves.  The room has a picture window that looks out onto an acre.  Deer, fox, squirrels, and birds come by for their amusement.  Music plays to keep them company when we are away.  Our bloodhound wanders in to visit with them often.

Both parrots talk a lot.  DeDe cries like a newborn baby.  Ole blows me kisses and sneezes like I do.

When Ole reached maturity he did what a lot of caged Eclectuses do.  He plucked his feathers out.  His head is still the beautiful bright green.  He gets new feathers on his wings and chest all the time but quickly plucks them out.  He can't fly anymore but he can strut down the hallway to see where we are.  When he does that, Dulcie the bloodhound follows along behind him.

Have you seen an Eclectus?  The male is beautiful green and the female is gorgeous scarlet.  Here is a site that shows them.  http://www.avianweb.com/vosmaerieclectus.html

Many years ago we got an Umbrella Cockatoo named Katie.  She was beautiful!  She never talked but she was smart and would mind when I told her to get back in her cage.  She didn't fly but she also would walk around the floor if we let her.  I had to watch her though because she liked to chew on the piano legs!  She wasn't fed the great veggie and fat free diet that Ole and DeDe are.  She had a stroke when she was about 40 years old.  We miss her!

Julia Child is my hero!

I learned to cook from Julia Child.  Yeah, I really did!  It was the early 60s and she had a half hour daytime TV show, The French Chef.  I watched that show every day if I was able ... hoping my little boys would nap during that time!

It was like being in a cooking classroom.  She taught me to cook Chicken Kiev.  I made a really good Baked Alaska.  She also taught me to fix a Salad Nicoise.  I watched her make a yummy looking Chocolate Mousse and many years later I perfected her recipe to my family's taste.  It is the most wonderful tasting chocolate "glue."  It certainly isn't what I used to see as chocolate mousse.  I never cared for most that I ate because it tasted like chocolate whip and whipped cream is just not my favorite food.

Chocolate Mousse

3 qt porcelain or stainless steel mixing bowl

Wire whip or electric beater

4 egg yolks

¾ cup instant sugar (very finely granulated)

¼ cup orange liqueur

Pan of not quite simmering water

Basin of cold water

Beat the egg yolks and sugar together until mixture is a thick, pale yellow, and falls back upon itself forming a slowly dissolving ribbon.  Beat in the orange liqueur.  Then set mixing bowl over the not quite simmering water and continue beating for 3 to 4 minutes until the mixture is foamy and too hot for your finger.  Then beat over cold water for 3 to 4 minutes until the mixture is cold and again forms the ribbon.  It will have the consistency of mayonnaise.

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6 ounces or squares semi-sweet baking chocolate

4 Tb strong coffee

Small saucepan

6 ounces or 1 ½ sticks softened unsalted butter

Optional:  ¼ cup finely diced glazed orange peal

Melt chocolate with coffee over hot water.  Remove from heat and beat in the butter a bit at a time, to make a smooth cream.  Beat the chocolate into the egg yolks and sugar, then beat in the optional orange peel.

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4 egg whites

Pinch of salt

1 Tb granulated sugar

Beat the egg whites and salt until soft peaks are formed; sprinkle on the sugar and beat until stiff peaks are formed.  Stir one fourth of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture.  Fold in the rest.

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Turn into serving dish, dessert cups.  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

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2 cups vanilla-flavored crème anglaise or lightly whipped cream sweetened with powdered sugar.

Pass the sauce or whipped cream separately.