No single recipe of the month for July. This month is all about my favorite camping menu. Its designed for three camp nights. The idea being that with some preparation at home you can minimize your meal time and maximize the camping experience. Simple knowledge that you have three days meals packed for no-fuss trip can help enable the leisurely outing you envisioned.

The menu is designed for folks that like a hot beverage early in the morning while a warm breakfast bite gets you going before the day’s adventure. Lunch is usually on the go. On your return to camp an appetizer to sate the hungry campers. Then a tasty dinner round the fire.

Breakfasts:
Oatmeal or cereal with/fruit
Sausage and egg scramble w/fruit
Corn beef (or left over sovlaki) hash with eggs

Lunches usually consists of an apple or orange and a power bar, something for out on the days adventure.

Dinners:
Barbecue Chicken Grill with potato salad, relish tray and dip
Sovlaki kabobs with greek salad and pita bread, watermelon slices.
Brats or burgers- grill corn on cob, l/o potato salad and watermelon Chips and salsa

Breakfasts – oatmeal or cereal w/fruit, sausage scramble, sovlaki or corn beef hash w/eggs.
Lunch usually consists of an apple or orange and a power bar (for out hiking or fishing).

Organize your packing.
Pack hardware – Grilling rack, Fry pan w/lid, bowls, cutlery, spatula, knife, cutting board, grater,kabob skewers, corn ear holders, large pot for boiling water, small pot for oatmeal, coffeemaker of choice.

Pack Dry goods – Paper towels, paper plates, TP, tin foil, spray oil, garlic powder, salt, pepper, chili powder and Cavendars spice, salt and pepper. Salsa, Pita’s, buns for hamburgers or brats, chips, oatmeal, vinaigrette ,extra bbq sauce, mustard, ketchup, oleo. Coffee, tea, sugar, spoons, mugs, creamers, dish soap and several cloths for washing/drying. Pack at least one large trash bag per day. Pack a can of corn beef just in case there is no leftover kabobs. Don’t forget the onion,watermelon, fruit and granola bars for lunches.

Cooler – Milk, flour tortillas, sliced cheese, oatmeal, cereal, potatoes, eggs, olives, tomatoes, feta, corn, pitas. sliced veggies. Dip. Pack a can of corn beef just in case there is no leftover kabobs. Frozen brats/hamburger and sausage. Beverages of choice in second cooler and dry.

We take a smaller cooler packed with drinks only for mobility and easy access. That way your big cooler remains a small frig and only gets opened at meal times. This will keep your ice much longer, especially in warm weather.

Home Preparation:
Make two potatoes of potato salad per person.Store in cooler friendly container and refrigerate.
Chop cucumbers and red onion, marinade in vinaigrette of choice. Seal in cooler friendly container and refrigerate. You’ll add the tomatoes, feta, olives just before serving.
Pack chicken pieces in bbq marinade in doubled zip-loc and refrigerate.
Pre-slice veggies for relish tray for two nights, put each night in baggie.
Make and/or pack veggie dip of choice and hummus dip.
Pre-cube pork and pack sovlaki in marinade. Pack in double zips and refrigerate.
Double Zip the sausage and freeze.
Double Zip the hamburger or brats and freeze.
Double zip the feta and greek olives for just the amount you will need.

When packing the big cooler consider layering. If you can obtain a piece of dry ice wrap it in a paper bag, then plastic bag and place in bottom of cooler on a minimal layer of ice. Place your frozen goods on this and layer with more ice. Pack the milk, chicken and pork bags on the next layer, salads, etc. Pack the eggs in on top.

Pack your drinks cooler and make sure that you have a least 1 gallon of water per day.
If we are camping in warm weather, we usually take 5 gallons for three nights and use almost all of it between drinking, cooking and washing. Take shade, bug spray, chairs and a good lamp and a flashlight for evenings.

Night one – Set out the veggies and dip. Barbecue the chicken, the potato salad is already made. Enjoy the sunset. Re-use the outside baggie for leftovers.

Night two – Set out hummus and veggies. Drain the pork. Skewer the pork and sprinkle with Cavendars spice. Grill. Meanwhile add the tomato, feta and olives to the salad, toss with additional vinaigrette. Warm the pita’s and slice up half the watermelon. Spit some seeds in the fire. Ditto on the bag for leftovers if there are any.

Night three -Set out the chips and salsa. Break out the foil, wrap the corn for grilling. Make burgers patties w/chili powder if you opt for hamburgers. Grill the burgers or brats along with corn on the cob. Grab your condiments and buns. Serve with left over potato salad, grilled corn and the rest of the watermelon. Listen to the nature beyond the fire and breathe. Burn everything you can and clean your camp before leaving it for others.

Last tip: We camp with two coolers. One for the cook and the other is drinks/snacks for everyone. Maximizing your ice this way makes for smart camping. Designed with two sources of heat, we always take a little stove for mornings and generally use the bbq or firepit for cooking dinner. That way you can always heat water for coffee/tea and washing up and have a campfire at nights. Here’s hoping your camping experience goes wonderfully.