🔥 Around the Campfire (week 10)

Dear Campers ~ 

Here's a quick recap in case you missed anything at camp last week:

Posts ~

3/3: 🔥 week 9

3/4: pvc toilet paper holder 

3/5: tt reusable coffee pod filter 

3/6: honey bbq meatloaf

3/7: chocolate coconut rum cake

3/8: frozen yogurt drops

3/9: words

What's Cooking ~

• burgers, steak fries
• topopo salad
• grilled tuna, creamy cucumber/tomato/feta salad, roasted garbanzo beans
• grilled steak, spinach salad with warm bacon dressing

Miscellaneous stuff keeping me busy ~

• read 'Random in Death' by JD Robb, #58 in the series (yep, I've read them all! I can't get enough of Eve Dallas and her most handsome gazillionaier husband Roarke, and a great circle of characters around them). This one was pretty good, not terribly suspenseful but still a great read. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• read 'My Lovely Wife' by Samantha Darling, about a serial killing couple that otherwise live normal suburban lives - for me it was slow, wasn't plausible, didn't like the characters and didn't like the end. I'll give it ⭐️⭐️1/2

That's it for this week! See you next week for more projects, crafts, recipes, whatever we can think of to make at camp - bye :)

Sincerely ~

Jill

camp counselor

3.10.23: crockpot spinach white bean soup

3.10.22: MSIH peanut butter dream bars

3.10.21: crock pot corned beef 

3.10.20: TT: hidden bank by Brooke

3.10.19: 🔥week 10

3.10.18: pots of gold

3.10.17: makeup brush holder by Brooke

3.10.16: creative photo class - portraits

  

3/9 ~ Words

3.9.23: dynamite shrimp rice bowl 

3.9.22: shanghai salmon

3.9.21: TT shamrock plant

3.9.20: shamrock garland

3.9.18: kids travel snack dispenser

3.9.17: crack dip

3.9.16: St. Patrick's table decor (pots of gold)

Frozen Yogurt Drops

My niece P sent me this recipe that apparently baby Georgie (my great-niece) loves - here's what she has to say in her own words:

The Happy Baby Organic Yogis was the inspiration for making these frozen yogurt drops, and my niece is obsessed with these!

Mash up some strawberries, add it into some yogurt (any flavor of your choice), and some baby oatmeal. Place dollops of your concoction on a baking sheet and freeze! Taste yummy for baby and the coolness will also be soothing if you have any teething babies at home. 

3.8.23: oatmeal (breakfast) cake

3.8.22: TT freezing asparagus

3.8.21: foam shamrock wreath

3.8.20: 🔥week 10

3.8.19: sew a fabric wallet 

3.8.18: wire-wrapped ring
3.8.17: Andes mint cookies
3.8.16: easy art for St. Patrick's day decor

Chocolate Coconut Rum Cake

I like to make rum cakes, they are pretty easy and pretty impressive and pretty delish! Everyone likes when I make one - I've changed them up by adding toasted nuts or coconut to the bundt pan before adding the batter; change the cake mix and pudding flavors; decorate with white and/or chocolate drizzle...lots of variations. For this one I made a chocolate coconut rum cake and thought I'd share. 

It's the same recipe for my usual coconut rum cake other than using a chocolate cake mix and chocolate pudding, swapping regular rum with coconut rum, and adding toasted coconut shreds and chocolate drizzle. Yum. 

for the cake:

• 1 boxed chocolate cake mix
• 1 small box chocolate instant pudding (if cake mix already has pudding in it, omit adding more)
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup coconut rum

Mix all together and pour into a well-greased (click here for a quick tip for greasing) bundt cake pan. Bake at 325' for about 55 minutes until the cake is done (stick a long skewer in it to check). Poke holes and add the rum glaze (see below). 

for the rum glaze: 

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup coconut rum

1. A few minutes before the cake is done baking - combine sugar, butter, and remaining 1/4 cup water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook, stirring constantly, until it thickens and slightly darkens, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in rum.

   for the garnish:

   toasted shredded coconut (either spread in a thin layer on a baking sheet and bake at 325' for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until it starts to brown. Alternatively you can do it in a skillet on the stove top. Either way keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn). 

   chocolate glaze: put 4 oz. semisweet chocolate chips and 1 teaspoon butter or shortening in a saucepan and heat over low until it melts. You can also do this in the microwave.

   To Finish: 

   1. click here for my latest find on how to glaze the cake (in a nutshell - immediately upon taking the cake out of the oven, leave it in the pan and poke holes all over the bottom - what will be the top. Pour some glaze over the holes and let it set for 10 minutes. Invert the cake to a plate and poke the whole thing. Pour glaze into the empty pan and put the cake back in. Let sit until all the glaze has been absorbed). 

   2. Invert the cake onto a serving plate or platter. Drizzle with chocolate glaze. Top with toasted coconut. 

   
   

   3.7.23: TT-SM: carpet freshener 

   3.7.22: peanut butter chocolate chip cookies

   3.7.21: 🔥 week 10

   3.7.20: St. Patrick's framed art

   
   

   3.7 .19: braided bird toy 

   
   

   3.7.18: healthy cauliflower soup

   
   3.7.17: making breadcrumbs

   
   3.7.16: foam shamrock indoor wreath

   
   

2. 
   

Honey BBQ Meatloaf

Not gonna lie, we did not love this meatloaf - maybe I did something wrong but it's really dense and heavy, flavor is good it's just a texture thing. But don't let that stop you from making the sauce either on  this meatloaf or experiment with other versions - the sauce is great! I will find other things to put this on for sure. To be fair, I didn't bake this in one pan but divided it into 2 round pans - maybe that changed the outcome. 

It has a secret ingredient that sounds weird but works... I think my sloppy-joe from scratch blog is still my highest viewed post, and it also has the unusual secret  - grape jelly! So don't just look at this and think 'well that doesn't sound good' hahah because it is!! It is good! 

I'll post the whole recipe and you can try the meatloaf for yourself, maybe you'll like the results - if nothing else tho I hope you'll try the easy sauce:

Mix together 1 cup bbq sauce, 1/3 cup honey, and 1/3 cup grape jelly (they use it to glaze the meatloaf but there will other delicious ways to use this sauce - crockpot meatballs is the first thing to come to mind). 

HONEY BBQ MEATLOAF

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 pound ground pork
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ cup milk
• ½ cup fine dry breadcrumbs
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ cup onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup barbecue sauce 
• ⅓ cup  honey
• ⅓ cup grape jelly

• Pre-heat oven to 350°F. Spray a large loaf pan (6½ x 10-inch) with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, ground pork, beaten eggs, parmesan cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper. Mix together until just combined.
• In a medium bowl, combine the milk, breadcrumbs, garlic, and onion.
• Add milk mixture to the meat mixture being careful not to overwork ingredients.
• Add the meat mixture to the prepared loaf pan, pressing the meat in tightly.
• In a separate bowl, combine barbecue sauce, honey, and grape jelly. Mix well.
• Spread half of the bbq mixture over the top of the meatloaf.


• Bake for 40 minutes.
• Spread the rest of the sauce over the meatloaf.
• Bake for 20 more minutes. The meatloaf is done when its internal temperature is 160°F.
• Allow the dish cool for about 5 minutes before cutting and serving.

recipe found here 


63.6.23: starch madness: scalloped potato update

3.6.22: 🔥 week 10

3.6.21: double barley posole

3.6.20: paper masks and feathers 

3.6.19: stuffed poblano peppers

3.6.18: arranging daffodils

3.6.17: shamrock wreath

3.6.16: crock pot white chicken chili

Tip-sy Tuesday: K-Cup Reusable Coffee Filter

Dave makes himself a whole pot of coffee in the morning, and I have a single serve Keurig K-Cup. I haven't found a K-Cup brand or flavor that I love so I don't actually look forward to my morning cup other than the ritual of holding a hot mug - but when I take some of his coffee brewed in the pot I enjoy it so much more. That led me to thinking about the reusable filter that came with the machine but I have no idea where it went, and that maybe I should try putting my own coffee into one of those and seeing if it tastes better. I ordered one from Amazon and sure enough, adding my own grounds makes a big difference. Also for the cost of the filter and a bag of coffee I'm saving money over purchasing K-Cups. 

So, my tip for today is to check out the reusable filter (if you drink the pods, if you drink out of a coffee pot then never mind this tip!). 

 PS: in case you didn't know - if you have a single-serve coffee maker that has 5 needles to puncture the pod, you have to get a filter that looks like this one, not the kind that only has one hole in the center of the top. They include a red rubber piece that fits under the lid to plug up the 4 outer needle holes so you can use this kind even if you have a coffee maker that just has one needle. 

PSS: I'll still keep pods on hand for when we have people over, cleaning and filling the reusable pods for multiple cups of coffee is way too much work and time consuming!

3.5.23: 🔥 week 9

3.5.22: turkey forestiere

3.5.21: green wreath

3.5.20: goldenrod update

3.5.19: TT: prep bowl

3.5.18: Tesha's crockpot potato soup

3.5.17: ahi tuna with 2 sauces

3.5.16: champagne and chambord 

PVC Toilet Paper Holder

Check out this idea I just saw at hgtv (scrolling thru organizing ideas) for a toilet paper holder made from PVC couplings - I am for sure going to do this. It reminds me of our wine bottle holders - click here for that post, I enjoy finding other purposes for unexpected items.

I think this TP holder is interesting, practical, shouldn't be hard to make, and fun! You can find the directions for how they made this on their site (or click the link below) - it's 4" PVC couplings cemented together and attached to a shelf to hang on the wall. I'd rather not have the shelf, unless I can't come up with another way to mount this piece. 

Now where am I going to put it...that'll be the hardest part hahaha. Whatcha think - 👍 or 👎? 

found here at hgtv, click for directions or go to hgtv.com and search for PVC Toilet Paper Holder. I'll update once I've made mine.

3.4.23: Words

3.4.22: blueberry muffins 

3.4.21: tiktok pasta by Brooke

3.4.20: baked mushrooms

3.4.19: DIY car air freshener

3.4.18: Sheryl's chili

3.4.17: cream cheese feta dip

3.4.16: make a kids travel snack dispenser 

🔥 Around the Campfire (week 9)

Dear Campers ~ 

Here's a quick recap in case you missed anything at camp last week:

Posts ~

2/25: 🔥 week 8

2/26: marinated cheese appetizer

2/27: TT how to make brown sugar

2/28: boursin chicken

2/29: kitchen sink cookies 

3/1: P's pot pie

3/2: words

What's Cooking ~

• JAR pot roast, mashed potatoes, roasted carrots
• fettuccini in mushroom sauce with Italian sausage, caesar salad
• baked salmon with crab topping, roasted asparagus 
• grilled chicken, orzo salad (with tomatoes, feta, parsley, olive oil, Italian seasoning, s/p)
• T-bone steak, microwaved baked potatoes, wedge salad
• baked pork chops, buttered noodles, roasted green beans

Miscellaneous stuff keeping me busy ~

• read 'Before We Were Innocent' by Ella Berman, a Reese's Book Club pick which I should have remembered that I'm not usually a fan of her picks haha. It's about 3 best friends, and 2 storylines that toggle between something that happens 10 years ago and present day. I just didn't like any of the characters, didn't really care what happened to any of them (then or now!) and was bored. I did finish it hoping that something would turn it around for me, but overall I didn't love this and I really didn't like how it ended. There, you've been cautioned haha. I'll go ⭐️⭐️1/2
• read 'Spook Street' by Mick Herron, #4 in the Slough House series (made into a tv series called 'Slow Horses'). I don't like the tv version but am enjoying these books. I think this one is my favorite. It's basically about British intelligence agents who get sent to work at 'Slough House' after they screw up cases - I might not be making it sound good haha but they are. Don't start with #4 though, if you want to read them I'd suggest starting with book #1 so you know the characters. 

That's it for this week! See you next week for more projects, crafts, recipes, whatever we can think of to make at camp - bye :)

Sincerely ~

Jill

camp counselor

3.3.23: starch madness: yogurt bagels

3.3.22: St. Patrick's gnome

3.3.21: red and green enchiladas

3.3.20: TT: copycat Old Bay seasoning 

3.3.19: 🔥week 9

3.3.18: host an Oscar party

3.3.17: Brooke decorates her phone charger

3.3.16: photo class - self portraits

3/2 ~ Words

3.2.23: starch madness: french bread pizza

3.2.22: ribbon mask leash

3.2.21: TT no stick foil tip

3.2.20: breaded baked eggplant

3.2.19: arugula with pancetta salad

3.2.18: Gracie's watercolor mermaid

3.2.17: two bean salad with mustard vinaigrette 

3.2.16: framed calendar pictures

 

Pot Pie by Paige

My niece sent me her recipe for pot pie that sounds really good, even if she did call it 'ghetto' hahaha. Here's how she makes it, in her words:

my quick and easy chicken pot pie is ghetto but it is so yummy lol! made in under 40 minutes. 

ingredients include: 

-One rotisserie chicken (or any cooked, shredded, chicken of your choice) 

-one bag of frozen veggies 

-one cup shredded cheese 

-one  8oz can of cream of chicken soup. 

-one 8oz can of cream of mushroom soup. 

-one can of buttermilk flakey biscuits (is that a can? A tube? Not sure, you decide just one of them okay) 

-1-2 tsp of butter 

- seasoning of your choice. (I use pepper, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. 

Add your chicken, your frozen veggies, both cans of soup, and your cheese to a dish season it all up and mix it all together. Press this mixture into the bottom of a baking dish. Once it’s all layered in the dish, I like to cut my biscuits into halves and layer them on top of the chicken mixture, then melt some butter and brush a little of it on top of the biscuits before cooking. I then bake for about 20 minutes or until one side of your biscuits are cooked. I then flip the biscuits so one side doesn’t get cooked while the other side stays soggy. I don’t have an exact time I would keep it in for, it’s done once your biscuits are visibly cooked to your liking and the chicken mixture is bubbly goodness! 

3.1.23: starch madness: starchy foods

3.1.22: TT microwave baked potatoes

3.1.21: make a bracelet out of pretty ribbon

3.1.20: 🔥week 9

3.1.19: boho sling bag

3.1.18: password keeper

3.1.17: Julie's key lime pie

3.1.16: organize the spice drawer