RVing, Regional Foods and My Trailblazer Chicken Recipe

One of the simple joys of RVing is exploring the different and delicious regional food specialties that our great country has to offer. From the north to the south – the east to the west, everywhere has a specialty. Often times, you’ll even find a “local” willing to share their recipe simply for the asking. Be sure to carry a pad of paper and a writing utensil for just those occasions. These recipes are priceless souvenirs.

I love to chat with the locals, make up a shopping list, pick up the items needed, and try my hand in my own kitchen. I have a few favorites – direct from the road. For instance, the New England Fish Chowder recipe I got from a real Maine native – a fisherman’s wife who overheard me asking the clerk in a lobster market how many cans of evaporated milk were needed for a good chowder (the answer is one), the unbelievable and authentic Cuban Black Bean recipe I got from my Cuban neighbor while visiting the Florida Keys or the wacky but fabulous Trailblazer Chicken that will have your guests raving about the dish and guessing about the ingredients (don’t tell them until they begin eating) that came from a Trailmanor RV rally in South Dakota.

And then there are the regional specialties that are better left to the pros – soft serve custard at the old Victoria’s Sweet Cream in Glens Falls, New York, gulf shrimp fajitas at San Juan Taqueria in Port Aransas, Texas or barbeque at the Whole Hog in Little Rock, Arkansas – each one a small gem not to be missed (in my humble culinary opinion).

Don’t be shy to ask around about the local specialties and the best places to enjoy them. In most cases, if you talk to those that live in the area they’ll point you towards the lesser advertised, more reasonably priced places – some you’d never find on your own. Some are dives, some are posh – but all will be authentic. It’s a good idea to ask specifics about recommended restaurants. A friend of mine was told about a well regarded (and rather pricey) lobster pound in Maine, looked forward to it all day, dressed for a fancy dinner out, and arrived to find picnic tables near the saltwater boiling pot overlooking the ocean – a typical lobster pound. Who knew? Wonderful but not ritzy. 

When you find something you just love, haunt the groceries and specialty food shops for spices, marinades, or sundry ingredients to take home with you. Chances are the ingredients needed for a regional dish won’t be available in a store halfway across the country. Don’t be afraid of ethnic stores – see something interesting? Ask, they’ll be happy to help you learn. Bringing home recipes and ingredients can make your vacation memories rich and oh, the stories you’ll have to tell to guests when you serve your unusual dishes.

Try this Recipe

To get your juices flowing and your imagination running wild, here’s a recipe for Trailblazer Chicken I know it sounds a little different but trust me – it’ll turn into a “company dish”. Case in point: We were visiting cousin Jeanne and offered to make dinner for the four of us one evening. As I prepared the dish, everyone looked on – drinking wine and chatting. Once dinner was served Jeanne’s friend took a petite portion, tried it and came back for a more manly sized scoop. He joked that when he saw the ingredients he thought, “I’ll be polite, have a taste and say it was very good…no matter what.”

But the joke was on him…it’s a keeper…try it…everyone will like it!

Trailblazer Chicken

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (or stoke your camp cooking fire). Can also be prepared in a crockpot but be careful not to overcook the swift cooking chicken breasts. 

6-8 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
1 small (8oz) bottle of catalina french salad dressing
1 envelope of french onion soup mix
1 can (16 oz) whole berry cranberry sauce

Combine salad dressing, onion soup mix and cranberry sauce in an oven proof dish with lid (or dutch oven) or high-sided tin pan. Mix in chicken breast being sure to coat and if possible cover each piece. Cover cooking vessel and cook approximately 25-35 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 170 degrees.

Serve with rice topped with a ladleful of sauce, a salad with french dressing and crusty sopping bread.

Surprise…it's delish!!

If you give this a go, leave a comment below with your experiences and that of your other diners. I'd love to hear about it.

Evanne
www.RVCookingShow.com

Lighthouse Themed Summer RV Vacation

Do you love lighthouses? I admit, I'm a lighthouse lover. Not only do these long standing historic beauties guard some of our most pristine shores, a lighthouse tour trip is a very alluring theme for a summer RV vacation. Let's explore a few fabulous lighthouse destinations – a great way to enjoy breathtaking countryside and see some amazing sights.

Lighthouses grace our east and west coasts, the Great Lakes, the gulf coast, Alaska, Hawaii – wherever there are rocky coast lines and river mouths. Their bright beams, flashing at intervals forming a “characteristic light” or a pattern that identifies each specific light – warned mariners of dangerous conditions. These romantic sentinels were once lived in, loved and cared for by lightkeepers and their families. Today, lighthouses are automated and maintenance is carried out by members of the Coast Guard’s Aid to Navigation teams. None the less, they make great vacation memories and fantastic photo opportunities.

Lighthouse Lovers Love Maine

Portland Head Light - thanks jimmywayne

The great state of Maine is ideal for your lighthouse-themed RV vacation with an eye-popping 60 silent sentinels to explore. You might begin at the West Quaddy Lighthouse, the red and white striped easternmost light in the US then mosey south on Route 1 toward Acadia National Park visiting the Bass Harbor Light on Mt. Desert Island, further down the road ferry out to Monhegan Island, 11 miles from the mainland and marvel at the Mohegan Island Light. A little south of Portland stands Maine’s oldest light, Portland Head, completed in 1791 under the presidency of George Washington. 

While there do not miss the Cliff Walk Trail along the rocky coast. Wrap up your lighthouse RV adventure at one of Maine’s most photographed lights and it’s southernmost light - Cape Neddick Lighthouse in the charming town of York Beach (this light is sometimes referred to as the Nubble Light since it sits on Nubble Island). Cape Neddick's lens flashes red every six seconds – helping captains recognize where they are in a storm.   

California Lights Call

Alcatraz Island Light - thanks Chris D 2006

Without doubt, California is blessed with over 1,200 miles of fantastic shoreline. With the explosion of the gold rush it became quickly apparent that navigation aids were needed. Alcatraz Island is home to the West Coast’s first lighthouse, which met its maker in the 1906 earthquake. A new lighthouse was erected in 1909 and can still be seen from the mainland or up close on an Alcatraz Island tour. 

Futher south on US 1 in the small town of Pescadero stands the Pigeon Point Light which is also home to a youth hostel. Near Monterey, your lighthouse RV trip may take you to Point Pinos Lighthouse – the oldest continuously lit light on the west coast. Just north of picturesque Cambria (enjoy a stroll on the Moonstone Beach boardwalk) visit the Piedras Blancas Light – recently in renovation. At the southern end of the state in San Diego sits the Old Point Loma Lighthouse known as the nation’s tallest light built on an often fogged in point...making it relatively ineffective…thus the New Point Loma Lighthouse.

The Great Lakes and the Gulf Shores

Two Harbors Light - thanks puliarf

When I first set eyes upon Lake Superior it reminded me of an ocean I’d not yet seen. Waters that day were calm and lovely but the lake can become an enraged body of water swallowing up ships such as the Edmond Fitzgerald. Visit Two Harbors Light near Duluth or the spectacular lights of the Apostle Islands on Superior, the famous Grosse Point Light near Chicago on Lake Michigan (the lake with the most lighthouses), follow the Seaway Lighthouse Trail along Lake Ontario or plan a trip along Lake Huron or Erie for more spectacular lighthouses.

Louisiana, Texas, and Florida’s Gulf Coast sport the majority of lighthouses from Key West, Florida to Biloxi, Mississippi to the Tchefuncte River Lighthouse in Madisonville, Louisiana there’s so much to see.

What’s Your Pleasure?

The Carolinas, the Chesapeake Bay, Oregon, and Washington have several noteworthy lighthouses for your visiting pleasure as well. Pack your camper, mark your map, and set out on your uniquely-you themed RV vacation. These memories last a lifetime.  

Learn more about these and other remarkable lighthouses at PBS's Legendary Lighthouses and the follow up Legendary Lighthouses II.

Have you had a memorable lighthouse themed RV vacation? Do tell...leave a comment below. Meantime, happy camping everyone!

Evanne
www.RVCookingShow.com 

Book Review: The $100 Startup

Book Review: The $100 Startup: Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love, and Create a New Future by Chris Guillebeau

 

Whether you are a young fulltime RVer looking to earn enough to live a comfortable life on the road while making a difference, a retiree or part-time RVer interested in making a little gas money while exploring a passion, or a stick-home dweller that dreams of the freedom of the open road, The $100 Startup by Chris Guillebeau could be the start of something beautiful.

Personally, as a young fulltime RVer I’m constantly evaluating the important combination of freedom, passion, income, and doing work that matters in my life. When Chris asked me to review his new book I was delighted. After all, the premise fits our lifestyle like a glove. Read The $100 Startup and you’ll find it offers a concise roadmap for those seeking independence and to live life on their own terms. At minimum, it is guaranteed to get your wheels turning…metaphorically speaking.

Chris is clear, however, that starting and developing a successful ‘microbusiness’ (also called a lifestyle business) is indeed work, albeit a labor of love. The ‘do what you love and the rest will follow’ mindset is replaced by the more practical concept of convergence – ‘your passion + what others care about’. This important distinction and the way he fleshes it out can be very helpful, especially when pondering concepts.

Throughout the book you will be inspired by examples of people just like us that have unexpectedly or intentionally created businesses around what they have to offer and what others need. Some entrepreneurs profiled in the book have made a huge splash while others have quietly conquered their corner of the world.

Each chapter offers actionable and specific details on the topic at hand. Some examples are given in graphical or chart format and readers will find key points – or takeaways – at the end of each chapter. From concept to promotion to growth strategies to fear of failure, you can explore it all in this book.

Regardless of where you are in your life, your business or your relationships, Chris refers to Seth Godin’s mantra, ‘ship’, and offers this wise advice: ‘You don’t need anyone to give you permission to pursue a dream’. As a young fulltimer I can tell you that this is the absolute truth…or maybe you already know this from your own experience.

If this calls to your dream – whatever it may be – get this book, stop ‘making a living’, and start making a life. 

If you already operate a successful lifestyle business tell us about it in the comments section. I'd love to hear how you are making the lifestyle work.  

See you on the road, traveler.

Evanne

www.RVCookingShow.com 

White House Petition - Support Our Troops

Most of my readers, fans and followers are active campers and RVers, folks that love the great outdoors and recognize its affect on our our well-being. Enter a non-profit group called Tents for Troops with this mission:

Tents for Troops, Creating a Place to Enjoy Life Away From the Field, endeavors to ensure that all active members of the military and their families have access to the great outdoors and the joys that only a camping/RV vacation can provide. T4T achieves this by facilitating complimentary camping/RVing experiences, two nights-two sites, through private and public entities that build lasting memories and grow the outdoor industry.

Last week Tents for Troops launched a White House petition at the 'We the People' website asking President Obama to issue an executive order compelling parks/recreation areas on all federal lands to allow free camping for active military and active reserves. They need 25,000 signatures by May 1, 2012 to elevate this request to the administration and need your help. 

This program would make a huge difference to active members of the military and their families with very little or no cost to the government. Watch this short video about the petition:



Here's how the petition reads: 

'We believe the Obama Administration should…'
 
Issue an exec order compelling parks/rec areas on all federal lands to allow free camping for active military, reserves.
 
Our troops – active members of the military and active reserves – should not have to pay in order to enjoy the federal lands they are fighting to protect.
 
President Obama, please issue an executive order compelling parks and recreation areas on all federal lands to allow a minimum of two nights of free camping for active military, reserves and their immediate families, providing space is available.
 
Reservations would be required at all parks. This includes Nat’l and US Forest Svc Parks, BLM lands, RV parks/campgrounds owned by the military, and more.
 
Complimentary access to our national lands, the joys that a camping/RV vacation can provide, helping build and restore family bonds and make memories that last a lifetime is one small but significant way we can say ‘thank you for your service’.  

Please visit the petition at http://wh.gov/nL8. In order to sign it you must register with your name and email address and must confirm your email address via a confirmation email message from the site. Once registered you may add your name to the support of this request. 

Feel free to share this link with everyone you know and encourage them to support our troops in this small but significant way.

Thanks for your support...together our voices are loud and clear. 

Happy camping - Evanne 
RV Cooking Show

New RV Cooking Show Episode: Maryland Eastern Shore Low Country Shrimp Boil

With springtime just a couple days away my traveling ambitions are once again beginning to stir. I’m starting to eye the atlas with intent, tracing my finger along roads that offer warm weather excursions, dreaming of sparkling blue water and dabbling in menus that are quick, easy, healthy and delicious.

I recently had the opportunity to visit Maryland’s Eastern Shore and enjoy the hospitality of my friends Russ, Jill and Ann at Holiday Park Campground in Greensboro. As we left the hustle-bustle of the city towards the shore, the drive lulled me and I was enjoying every single mile. Talk naturally turned to food – glorious, farm-fresh flavors – as we passed plentiful produce stands and rows and rows of corn.

Being surrounded by the bountiful Chesapeake Bay made this recipe a natural for our visit: Maryland Eastern Shore Low Country Shrimp Boil. In this episode you’ll learn about many places to visit during your stay on the Eastern Shore plus see how simple a low country boil is to prepare and how fun it is to share.



And just in case you want to give this recipe a try before picnic-table weather arrives, cover your kitchen table with an outdoor red checkered tablecloth and butcher paper, set out some cool drinks in summer-color cups and a great big roll of paper towels, invite a few friends over, crank up your favorite summertime tunes and have ball. After all, practice makes perfect, right?

After watching the show here you can learn more about the Eastern Shore, Holiday Park Campground and creating your own Maryland memories as well as additional recipe tips and tricks on the show page here. I’d love to hear about your seashore dreams and how you made this dish work for you…leave a comment below.