Author: Lost in America RVing

Uh…yeah…The Instant Pot

On By Lost in America RVingIn Cooking on the roadLeave a comment

So…I couldn’t wait to get my new Instant Pot. I figured it would be a great replacement for the old crock pot, rice cooker, steamer and a pressure cooker I was never inclined to buy. Actually, the thought of using one was terrifying.  You see…my grandmother and her sister-in-law blew up tamales all over the kitchen once.  So my grandma never made them again and died with her tamale recipe. This could never happen to me if I never used a pressure cooker. End of story.

The above story probably happened over 50 years ago.  Surely technology and safety have both come a long way since then. The fact that the Instant Pot had pressure cooking as an option was not a deal breaker either way.  I have always made good use out of a crock pot – even made an outstanding lasagna in one more than once.  The rice cooker I had to let go had seen better days as well.  I might walk through some fear if by some slim chance I learned how to use the scary feature on this new gadget.

So I dove in.  Sink or swim my grandpa used to say. Why not see what all the hype is about and why don’t we do it on Saint Patrick’s Day with a corned beef?  A corned beef that was supposed to take an hour cooking time and 20 minutes of a “natural release”. I had to look up what that meant as well as “quick release”…and “venting” and…it goes on and on.  I think my initial issue was the seal around the lid.  Now it’s getting late and Mimi’s Cafe was having a corned beef special that night.  Off we went like starving animals in search of a quick meal.

We came back home and let the new kitchen appliance slow cook all night instead. Meat was good – cabbage…not so much.  I’m not giving up, but now I’m a bit obsessed in getting it right!  By the way, there are some great You Tube videos on how to properly set up an Instant Pot.  WAY BETTER than the instruction manual. So I’m going back to the drawing board and You Tube for more information.  Then I’ll come back here when I know something!

That’s my story – that’s my plan – and I’m sticking to it!

 

 

 

 

Dutch Oven Cooking

On By Lost in America RVingIn Cooking on the roadLeave a comment

I love the idea of baking with a Lodge cast iron dutch oven.  I must admit I’m intimidated by them, though. Just the thought of cleaning the darn thing put me off. So I eased into learning everything I could about them. Have I put any research into action yet?  NO – but I have big plans.  So far I have baked potatoes and made appetizers in ours.  There were decisions to be made before beginning this “idea”.

First – what size should I get?  DO’s range from 8 inches to 24 inches. 12 inches is a good choice if you plan to feed 8 to 10 people. I chose a 10 inch because, like I said, I was easing in and we aren’t usually feeding a small army.  Why spend the extra money for a larger one if I decided not to master the art and give up anyway?

Next – all my research told me what was most important:  1). a rimmed lid. You don’t want ashes and dirt sneaking into the oven.  Most of the coals are placed on the top which must be turned consistently for even cooking by avoiding hot spots. All the pesky things you don’t want in there are dying to get in, 2). a tight-fitting lid to keep steam in and prevent burning. Finally,  3). a must – three legs to keep oven above the coals.

The brand and type is a personal preference.  I found my Lodge to be of good quality. They must know something after all these years too.

I must admit – I’m still in the testing stages, but I have to tell you –  I am looking forward to getting really good at it.  I even found a way to make the process less scary:41ulpnlrklDutch Oven Liners

Click on the above link to check them out.  They are inexpensive enough to be so worth it.

The below chart makes it so easy to see how much charcoal is needed for your recipe. It works, as long as you turn the lid every 15 minutes.  If you’re sitting around doing nothing anyway, it’s not a big deal – kinda ceremonial and feels like camping to me. Sure I could throw some potatoes in the oven, but what if propane is running low, or what if I don’t want to affect the temperature in the RV?

dutch-oven-temp-chart

This whole blog post is actually putting in black and white what I want to master. I’ll be posting recipes later on, but for now, my husband is aware of what’s ahead. He thinks our oven has become a heavy, useless tool sucking up valuable storage space. I’ll show him! HA!

Feel free to share some of your tips and recipes here.  I’d love to see them!

 

 

An RV Tip – Propane and Propane Accessories :-)

On By Lost in America RVingIn RV TipsLeave a comment

propane

I sure have a lot of questions now that we are spending more time in our 5th wheel.  Most questions can be answered by my husband, but it doesn’t solve my curiosity. Sometimes I feel like a little kid:  “How does this work? How do you know blah blah blah?” Do men automatically come with mechanical solutions? It amazes me how he can put something together without instructions.  Not that most men want to read them anyway, but I digress. So I started researching to see what secret tips others have learned, or already knew, along the way.  I thought I’d share in case any of you have any cat traits like me!

Have you ever wondered how much fuel is really in that solid, white propane tank? How can one plan, OCD or not, if you don’t have the facts? Here are a few ways:

Check for dew on your tank first thing in the morning.  Wherever the moisture stops is where the propane level is.

Did you know a propane tank weighs around 30 pounds, plus the tank weight?  That’s one way of doing the math.  I don’t know if I want to travel with a scale, though.  Do you?  I’d rather stay in denial and judge my weight gain, or preferably loss, by the way my clothes fit. If there was a scale in our RV, I couldn’t help but torture myself by standing on it.

My favorite suggestion is to pour boiling water down the side of the tank.  The condensation line is where the propane level is.  Now THAT seems doable to me!

Or you could be like my husband.  He somehow never worries about it.  He just shakes it, or lifts it and says, “AH there’s plenty left”! Maybe that’s because we always have an extra tank for the fire pit and barbecue on hand. So we always have a back up.  But what if we run out of both at the same time?  I’m thinking we should monitor closer when we plan on being off the grid.  Yeah, that’s it.

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Nevada Beach Campground, So. Lake Tahoe, NV

On By Lost in America RVingIn Trip DocumentationLeave a comment

Nevada Beach Campground

Our weekend stay was October 7-9, 2016

Nevada Beach Campground and Day Use Pavilion is part of the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, US Forest Service.  It is located north of the South Lake Tahoe casino strip and adjacent to beautiful Lake Tahoe. The campground is at 6100 ft. elevation, is surrounded by tall pines, evergreen shrubs and most sites have a view of the lake. “ Its subdued atmosphere is a welcomed characteristic, as visitors come to enjoy the peace and quiet of the mountain landscape.”  INDEED!

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The location is also very convenient for us:

GPS Info. (Latitude, Longitude):
38.98194, -119.94861
38°58’55″N, 119°56’55″W

Nevada Beach Campground and Day Use Pavilion is located 2 miles east of the California-Nevada state line, on Highway 50.

Ok – enough of the formalities…this is our favorite campground so far.  #1 in our book.  I am torn between keeping this place as a well-guarded secret or being responsible and feeding my blog! The only things that would make this campground better would be hookups, but it’s not necessary because it would drive the price up and bring more people. There are so many more important, wonderful amenities offered in my opinion.

Here is our review:

Campground Information:

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Site #012 – We were surprised to get such a great site without reserving six months in advance.  We stayed during the second to the last week the campground is open for this season.  The first thing we noticed was the condition of all the pads.  They are ALL long, wide, in beautiful condition and level.  We thought we got really lucky, but all of them are like that. There really isn’t a bad site. Some are better than others, but most every site has a beautiful view of the lake; some in the center of the campground do not. We walked the entire place to take notes and pick the most desirable sites with the best views, but you’ll have to pry my favorites out of me! I aint tellin’!! Seriously, there isn’t a site I wouldn’t stay in just to be able to stay there.

This is our site:

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Comments: 

It sounds like the same story, but we met so many nice people.  Teresa and her husband CJ gave us all kinds of tips on how to book next season and what their favorite sites are.  Everyone else we talked to while we were on our investigation was friendly and helpful as well.  This is what I love about RVing.  It’s like the old days when neighbors actually became friends you could borrow a cup of sugar from. I haven’t borrowed anything from strangers yet, but you get my point.

The campground offered:

A view to die for.  Not only is the most beautiful lake in the world in our backyard, but we can see it first thing in the morning in a campground.  The facility offers clean restrooms with flush toilets throughout the area. There are several water spigots for filling your fresh water tanks when you arrive. Each site has a firepit, large picnic table and barbecue, as well as a large lot to spread out – very spacious affording privacy and quiet.  The sandy beach is close to most sites and great for a nice, romantic walk along the shoreline.

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The sunrises are spectacular!

Dogs are not allowed on the north side of the beach, but have their own place to play by taking a short walk to the south side. What a great idea!  It’s the same beach, but there is a side for everyone.

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Places visited and things to remember next time:

We weren’t able to get a satellite signal with our King Quest Direct TV dish.  I suppose one could consider all the trees a disadvantage, but not me.  It would have been nice to watch the San Francisco Giants blow their opportunity to make it into the championship playoffs. Or not. Instead, we went to the Lakeside Casino (about three miles away) and drowned our sorrows in the Sports Bar! Oh well, there is always next year, right?

There is a Safeway located right outside of the campground, across Highway 50.  So if you forget toilet paper, or want fresh bread, it’s a convenient and affordable solution.  A bank, a couple restaurants and other little goodies are located in the neighborhood shopping center as well.

We aren’t big gamblers, but if you are, the casinos are a hop, skip and jump away.  There are some great restaurants on the strip if you like to glamp sometimes too.

ME?  Next time I am definitely going to take the gondola from Heavenly.

I have always wanted to ride the Gondola to the top of Heavenly Mountain.  BUT NOW…there’s stuff up there!   A 2.4 mile ride up the Heavenly Mountain Gondola was on my bucket list because of  the panoramic views of Lake Tahoe. Still, the price was enough to keep me from actually experiencing the ride to nowhere. BUT now there are activities at the end of the rainbow:

Zip lines, ropes courses, a mountain coaster (it’s kind of like a toboggan ride low to the ground (you can go as fast or slow as you like) and much more, the options are endless at Epic Discovery, the ultimate playground!

Hours of Operation:
CLOSED FOR THE 2016 SUMMER SEASON

June 18 – September 5, 2016 (9:00 am – 5:00 pm, daily)
Sept 9 – Sept 25, 2016 (Gondola 10:00 am – 4:00 pm, Activities 10:30 am – 3:00 pm, Friday– Sunday)

Address: 4080 Lake Tahoe Blvd, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150

Here is the link for prices during the summer season: Heavenly Gondola/Adventure Pass

We aren’t skiers – I prefer my snow season to include hot totties by a warm fire, with a blanket and my kitty.  If you are the winter sport type, here’s a bonus: With the purchase of your 2016-2017 Winter Season Pass, you have unlimited free summer Scenic Gondola Ride access and a special discount on Activity Passes!
What a wonderful weekend camping adventure we had!  We will definitely go back next summer (many times).  Lake Tahoe is one of my most favorite places in the world.  Having a campground there is a bonus!
Next review will be about Lawson’s Landing in a couple of weeks. You can find Lawson’s Landing located about 50 miles North of San Francisco and 20 miles West of Petaluma at Dillon Beach. It will be interesting because they are trying to get the place cleaned up. Stay tuned for a comparison of our first stay (before the cleanup) and our next stay.  My favorite parts of our last trip was the fresh barbecued oysters we got there and the friends we spend the weekend with.  I’m so looking forward to it! See you next time!!!
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Road Trip of Baseball Parks in America

On By Lost in America RVingIn Bucket List/Maps, Trip planningLeave a comment

WE LOVE BASEBALL!

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We are die-hard San Francisco Giants fans. This blog post goes to press before the big, DO OR DIE, Wild Card Game tonight at 5:00 p.m. PST.  It’s West against East in New York Mets territory. It’s Madison Bumgarner against Noah Syndergaard.  The winner goes to the National League Division Series against the Cubs.  The loser goes home until next year. Giants fans like us must be nervous wrecks.  This is it kids…

So while I was looking up pitcher stats, I got to thinking about some friends who did the whole baseball stadium tour across America.  Wouldn’t that be cool?  Although, in my opinion, AT & T Park might be a tough one to top, I just love being in a stadium.  The energy, the American tradition and food to try in different states sounds like a great vacation to me! Here is a list of parks on my bucket list:

Angel Stadium of Anaheim, Anaheim CA

Home of the Los Angeles of Anaheim
Opened 1966
Seats 45,483

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AT&T Park, San Francisco CA

Home of the San Francisco Giants
Opened 2000
Seats 41,915

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Busch Stadium, St. Louis MO

Home of the St. Louis Cardinals
Opened 2006
Seats 43,975

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Chase Field, Phoenix AZ

Home of the Arizona Diamondbacks
Opened 1998
Seats 48,519

chase-field

Citi Field, Queens NY

Home of the New York Mets
Opened 2009
41,922

Citi_Field.jpg

Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia PA

Home of the Philapelphia Phillies
Opened 2004
Seats 43,651

Citizens Bank Park.jpg

Comerica Park, Detroit MI

Home of the Detroit Tigers
Opened 2000
Seats 41,297

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Coors Field, Denver CO

Home of the Colorado Rockies
Opened 1995
Seats 50,398

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Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles CA

Home of the Los Angeles Dodgers
Opened 1962
Seats 56,000

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Fenway Park, Boston MA

Home of the Boston Red Sox
Opened 1912
Seats 37,949

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Globe Life Park, Arlington TX

Home of the Texas Rangers
Opened 1994
Seats 48,114

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Great American Ball Park

Home of the Cincinnati Reds
Opened 2003
Seats 42,319

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Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City MO

Home of the Kansas City Royals
Opened 1973
Seats 37,903

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Marlins Park, Miami FL

Home of the Miami Marlins
Opened 2012
Seats 36,742

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Miller Park, Milwaukee WI

Home of the Milwaukee Brewers
Opened 2001
Seats 41,900

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Minute Maid Park, Houston TX

Home of the Houston Astros
Opened 2000
Seats 41,676

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Nationals Park, Washington, D.C.

Home of the Washington Nationals
Opened 2008
Seats 41,313

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Oakland Coliseum, Oakland CA

Home of the Oakland Athletics
Opened 1966
Seats 35,067

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Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore MD

Home of the Baltimore Orioles
Opened 1992
Seats 45,971

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Petco Park, San Diego CA

Home of the San Diego Padres
Opened 2004
Seats 40,162

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PNC Park, Pittsburgh PA

Home of the Pittsburgh Pirates
Opened 2001
Seats 38,362

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Progressive Field, Cleveland OH

Home of the Cleveland Indians
Opened 1994
Seats 35,225

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Rogers Centre, Toronto ON (BUT, BUT…not America I KNOW!)

Home of the Toroto Blue Jays
Opened 1989
Seats 49,282

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Safeco Field, Seattle WA

Home of the Seattle Mariners
Opened 1999
Seats 47,963

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Target Field, Minneapolis MN

Home of the Minnesota Twins
Opened 2010
Seats 38,871

Target Field.jpg

Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg FL

Home of the Tampa Bay Rays
Opened 1990
Seats 31,042

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Turner Field, Atlanta GA

Home of the Atlanta Braves
Opened 1996
Seats 49,586

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U.S. Cellular Field, Chicago IL

Home of the Chicago White Sox
Opened 1991
Seats 40,615

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Wrigley Field, Chicago IL

Home of the Chicago Cubs
Opened 1914
Seats 41,268

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Yankee Stadium, Bronx NY

Home of the New York Yankees
Opened 2009
Seats 49,642

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RV – Camp Packing List

On By Lost in America RVingIn Packing TipsLeave a comment

Do you stress before leaving on a trip? I know…I know…whatever you forget can always be bought along the way, but if you are anything like me, packing is part of the journey…OR NOT! Feel free to keep reading if: 1) you are a list person like me, 2) you don’t like to forget anything; particularly your favorite kitchen gadget,  3) you need some ideas for what you would like on your own list.

Most of the items on my list are already in our rig, but I also use a list to remind me to restock things like toilet paper and those darn paper towels that disappear so fast!

Take advantage of this free gift and print one for yourself!

Camping Packing List

Download free printable here

Our Bucket List

On By Lost in America RVingIn Bucket List/MapsLeave a comment

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First, I looked at the Contiguous United States, the lower 48 states.  Alaska is not part of the “Contiguous United States”, because it is not attached directly to the lower 48 states. Therefore, Hawaii and Alaska are not included in our road trip list.  We are in the process of picking one attraction in each state. Some have two, but if we have unlimited time, I’m sure we will visit more than a couple attractions in each area.The following is a work in progress and rough draft:

 * Attractions of America at http://www.attractionsofamerica.com/
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Cooking on the Road

On By Lost in America RVingIn Cooking on the roadLeave a comment

This category is reserved for different types of cooking while traveling, camping or staying in an RV while traveling – or not.

The way we cook has evolved over the years.  Initially, it was about using a dutch oven over a campfire and cooking outside on a Coleman stove or charcoal BBQ. We have an oven in our 5th wheel now and a microwave we use to store bread or pastries in.  I never have cooked in a microwave other than canned vegetables, frozen dinners and baked potatoes.

The first meal prepared in our travel oven was a Thanksgiving turkey.  My husband had to saw the handles off the roasting pan so it would fit, but it was delicious!  Last year was a first for me.  I made the dressing in a crock pot instead of stuffing the turkey like my grandmother and mother used to do.  There is something unnerving about that now. Women of today seem to think that is a pretty gross tradition. I have to agree – the turkey cooked faster and more evenly and the dressing was wonderful after spending all day in the slow cooker.

I’ll be adding recipes including our traditional Thanksgiving meal above, as well as campfire/outdoor cooked meals.

Bon appetit!