Goulash for the Road

Last week we made a big ole pot of goulash and it turned out pretty good.  This is the kind I grew up with and its so simple and is considered by most as American Goulash.  It's not the Hungarian recipe but just an old southern one my mother used.  There are lots of variations - my Grannie made it with potatoes, we make it with pasta - usually macaroni but I will use whatever I have on hand.  This stuff freezes really well so it's a great make ahead for camping.  Full disclosure - I forgot to take a picture of mine so this is a google image.  Ours looked very similar - I promise.  😀  You can make it more brothy (is that a word?) by adding more liquids.  We like ours a little juicy.  So here goes.

Goulash
2 cups Pasta (we use macaroni but any will do)
1 pound hamburger or ground turkey
1 large can of diced tomatoes
1large jar spaghetti sauce - which ever your prefer
1 small chopped onion
2 tablespoons of jarred garlic
1/2 stick butter or margarine
Olive oil
Seasonings

Boil macaroni or pasta according to package instructions.  I normally keep mine firm as it will cook more once you add it into the Goulash.  Brown the onion and garlic in 2 tablespoons butter and olive oil until soft and translucent.  Remove from the pan and add the meat and brown well and drain if necessary.  Add salt, pepper, garlic salt, parsley, and Mrs. Dash to taste.

Now add tomatoes and sauce and return meat back to the pot along with the onions and garlic.  Stir well and add drained macaroni/pasta.  I don't rinse so that a little of the pasta water carries over to the pot.  Stir well and simmer with the lid on for about 20 minutes.  If you like it to have more broth, I have actually added one can of V8 - I know it sounds funny but it works great.  Enjoy!

Coming up...our week long camping trip through Tibee Island and down through parts of Florida and back.  So awesome and Little Red did so well!!

Little Red's Fifth State Park

This past weekend we traveled to Cheraw State Park and Campground and it was awesome!  We found out that this state park is one of the largest in the country with a little over 7 thousand acres!  This wooded campground sits on Lake Juniper which provides a beautiful view and great fishing as well as space for canoeing and kayaking.   We would definitely recommend putting it on your list of must see SC State Parks!

This was also another dog friendly park.  They are welcome everywhere with the exception of the cabins.  Lucy loved it and enjoyed walks and scoping out other four legged friends and there were lots.

The picture above was taken up by the park office which is very

nice.  During peak months there are canoes and kayaks for rent.  They also have a loaner program for fishing - something we had not come across before.  If you don't have rods and such they will loan them to you for use on the lake.  There is a beautiful walk between the office and campground which takes you across the spillway and we estimated it to be a couple of miles total there and back.

This was our set up and we had a nice level space on site 4.  We could access the lake through a short walk through the woods to put the canoe in and Greg really enjoyed a paddle across the lake and back.  The campground is in a circle shape with only about 17 sites - very cozy.  It was fairly full for January and we loved that.  We walked through and checked out the sites and most were level and a good size with fire rings and picnic tables with gravel.  No Wifi here but we were fine and got fairly good reception with air TV during this stay.   There is a hot spot up at the camp office if you need to do any quick checks.  There are picnic sheds and tables scattered around.


One thing we would caution is to be careful when following your GPS to find this campground.  There is a Cheraw State Park Road which is the back side of the park and a very locked gate.  We were told this was the old entrance but since we arrived after dark we thought the park was locked up for the night and we wouldn't be able to get in. Lucy and I got adventurous and stepped over the gate and started walking while Greg was making phone calls.  We got a good ways down the road when we saw a sign facing away from us and when we got to it, it read "For Park Staff Only".  Okay that freaked us a bit and it was getting darker by the minute so we hoofed it back to the car quickly!  After making calls to the park ranger and local sheriff's office we found out that the real entrance was a few miles down the road and was not locked at night.  Some state parks have locked gates and require a code to get in which they will give you if you are arriving after dark.  We have found that a phone call to request the code in advance usually takes care of that problem and saves an argument upon arrival.  😀  .

As I mentioned in my previous post about Cheraw, there is a beautiful golf course within this state park.  When Greg went up and talked to the golf pro he actually offered a free golf cart to tour the course.  We ran into quite a few groups golfing during our stay.  The guys are planning a trip back to check out the course.

Another lesson learned - don't use your expensive cell phone as a flashlight!  I really can't see well in the dark and I was trying to make my way to the bath house before we set up. I had Lucy on her leash and when she bolted to catch up with Greg I ran smack into the picnic table which I absolutely could not see.  Not sure what actually transpired but I looked down to find my five month old phone on the ground face up with a hole right through the screen and a spider crack all across the face.  Bummer!!  Luckily I have insurance but getting a refurbished replacement was not cheap.

We had a short but very enjoyable visit to this state park and we definitely give it a big ole 5 out of five campers.  It hit all of our important points and we would absolutely recommend it and we will return.

We are still definitely enjoying our Little Red Retro and the more we use it the more we love it.  It is just the perfect size for us and Lucy of course and she feels very at home in it.  If anyone out there has any questions about it or wants to see anything specific, just let us know.

I apologize for the spacing in this post - I just could not get it to work right.  Hopefully next time. 😉

Peppy's First Trip in Little Red

We are planning Trip Number 5 in our Little Red Retro this weekend.  We are pretty excited to visit Cheraw State Park.  We had hoped to travel down to Edisto but that campground filled up pretty quickly.  We are thrilled to visit this very unique site on our quest to hit all SC State Parks and surrounding areas.

According to Google Cheraw is ( /tʃərɔː/ chə-raw, local /ʃərɔː/ shə-raw) is a town on the Pee Dee River in Chesterfield County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 5,524 at the 2000 census and center of an urban cluster with a total population of 9,069. It has been nicknamed "The Prettiest Town in Dixie."  More info is available on the SciWay website.

This will be our Camper Elf Peppy's first ever road trip.  We are excited for him to travel with us and hoping that Lucy Loo will allow him to survive the trip.  Maybe they will decide to get along.  She is very fond of removing the face of his kind (stuffed toys...shhhh don't tell Peppy)  and chewing it into non-existence.  Silly girl...  His job is to watch over our little camper and it's inhabitants.  

 Cheraw State Park is unique in that it also has a golf course on site and it is quite popular.  Hubby is going to bring his clubs along and check it out.  It also sits on the beautiful Lake Juniper and fishing is popular there as is boating and kayaking.  We will probably take the canoe along too and see how it goes.  Lucy still needs to try out her little life jacket.  She won't be happy about that.  Temps are supposed to be up this weekend so hopefully we can go out for a little canoe ride.

We will keep you posted on our visit and let you know how this campground stacks up.  Lucy and Peppy are quite excited.  😉

Happy New Year and Gifts for Campers

We had a wonderful Christmas and New Year around here and we received some awesome camping goodies!!  Most of our family members are well aware that we love camping....probably because we talk about it all the time and there is this cute little red camper in our drive way and all.  The kids were so thoughtful and really set us up for our next trip.

This is the gas grill that we had hoped for and of course it's red.  It folds down and you can actually pull it along like a wagon.  I don't know if we will be able to wait to use it.  We had seen one of these in action several years ago and knew it would be perfect.  They gave us the converter so we can hook it right up to the extra gas bottle we travel with.  We love it!!!  You can find them here.

Also on our wish list was the portable black water collector or as we affectionately call it "the Pooper".  In a small trailer having extra holding space for black water really helps out if we're camping more than a few days.  That way we don't have to take the whole shebang down to the dump station or worse, risk an over flow.  Not fun by the way.  The only color I have seen these in is usually a poopy brown so I was pretty excited that our son found this blue/grey one.  It has a nice strong handle for pulling and he also grabbed a neat box of gloves that has a dispenser that adheres inside the storage area.  This guy is going to make for less trips to the bath house.....and believe me old people have to go a lot.  😀  These are located here.

Next up were warm Snuggies for us both.  In our small space we try not to take anything unnecessary inside the trailer and big coats stay out in the car.  I would never have thought of these but we just love them and they are lightweight and easy to carry and just perfect for hanging out in our camper during colder months.  They even have a little pocket up front which is perfect for the remote or any needed snacks. So much fun at home too.  You can find them here.

I also received the most wonderful socks.  I wear socks all the time in cold months and try to take my shoes off whenever I'm in the trailer.  Two types that I completely recommend are the Cuddle Duds pictured here and also the Fireside Socks which are aloe infused and lined with fleece.  They are super comfy and it doesn't hurt that really cute too! 

We also received our little Camper Elf, Peppy, and we are excited to see what he and Lucy will get into on our next adventure.  We are hoping to get down to Edisto Beach Campground sometime in January.  It's a beautiful area and beach and should be be peaceful this time of year.  Our wish list for trips this year include Tybee Island, Asheville, some upstate campgrounds and hopefully some along the North Carolina coast as well.  Wishing all a Happy New Year and many wonderful camping adventures. 

Camper Elf Has Arrived....

Look who showed up here this past weekend!!  This is Peppito aka Peppy and he is a Camper Elf.  He came to live in our camper and watch over us but we are keeping him inside where it's warm for now.  He is quite mischievous and gets into lots of things.  Our main goal will be keeping Lucy Loo from eating him up.  She thinks he came for her and she stalks him all day.

This morning we found him riding on the back of the Campground Truck ~ Lucy
thought that was quite curious.  😀  We will keep you posted on his antics and Lucy's trail not too far behind.  Love our little Elf and of course our Lucy Loo.  Stay tuned. 

Myrtle Beach State Park

We took Little Red down to Myrtle Beach State Park last week and it turned out to be an awesome campground!  I wasn't really expecting much but hubby had faith. 😃  We had not seen this one in many years and I have to admit as younger tent campers our expectations were very different.  Also we were camping with kids back then and activities for them ranked high on our list.

We arrived after dark in the wet and cold so set up was a little challenging but hubby did an amazing job.  I stood outside with a flashlight beamed on the tree that lived very close to the hookups and he was able to line up perfectly.  😅Unfortunately this site was not level and we have not purchased anything to put under the tires to level up so we were leaning a bit but it wasn't bad.  We had a full hookup along with picnic table and fire ring.  We found all of the sites to be fairly good size and clean.  We were on number 29 and it was roomy with grass and we could have set up a tent with no problem.  Also there were a good many campers in that particular area of the campground which was nice.  We weren't sure if many would be there for cold weather camping.

This was our set up and even though it was too cold to spend a whole lot of time outside, we still enjoyed it.  This campground has a boardwalk that runs from the entrance of the campground all the way to the beach.  It's awesome and makes the walk such a pleasure.  It is also really good for dogs - helps get their little paws all free of sand by the time you get back to your camper.  Lucy really enjoyed the beach and visiting with other dogs and walking the board walk.  I am sure this state park is very popular during the summer.

Another really neat thing here is that they provide horse rides on the beach for a fee.  They bring them in each day and it looks amazing.  We didn't try it but we so enjoyed watching them glide across the sand...it was magical.  Of course Lucy thought they were big dogs and she was none too impressed.

We went Christmas shopping a couple of days on this trip and found some great deals and loved the decorations.  At Bass Pro Shop Santa was visiting and they invited us to bring Lucy in for a picture.  She loved walking through the store and sniffing things and talking to people.  Of course she got lots of attention too.  This is she and Greg waiting in line with a reindeer in the background.  We always visit this location when we are at the beach.  We also checked out Red Robin for lunch and it was delicious.  I know lots of people say it's over rated but we truly enjoyed it.  Lucy loved the burger bite we took back to the car for her.  It was very cold that day so she was fine waiting for us there and she was wearing her jacket.  😁


The campground was very clean and updated with wireless throughout the park.  It was a little weak in some areas but worked well on our phones to save us a little data.  The full hook-up worked really well and we didn't make many trips to the bath houses.  However they were very clean and looked like they had recently been updated.  The shower stalls were large and included a place to hang towels and clothes.  Greg took a couple of showers there and said the water was nice and hot.

There is also a legendary pier in the park and it is pictured on the left side bar as well as on the state park
web site. There are trails to walk and both the pier and the registration area have stores that include all sorts of t-shirts, mugs and other goodies as well as necessary staples and camping supplies. 

Our son gave us a Star Shower for us to take with us to decorate our campsite.  We so love it.  We had seen these at Halloween when we camped at Devil's Fork and during the summer at Hunting Island.  For this trip we used the red and green lights and it was very festive.  I wish we had been able to get it to show up on camera.  You can find them on Amazon and at Target as well as lots of other places.  It looks like you put up hundreds of little lights and it only takes a minute.  We have them set up here at home too.  The campground was festive as lots of other campers had decorations and lights.

So on our list of campgrounds this one goes up at the top end of the list.  It was so much better than we expected and had very little damage from Hurricane Matthew.  The rates, location, campsites as well as dog friendly park along with the beach made it a perfect fit for us. The camp customer service representative even called us on our way down to be sure we had the gate code to get in since we were running late.   We give it a big ole five!!!  While we were in the area we visited Huntington Beach State Park.  This was another great surprise and we really loved it.  We will definitely try and camp there next year.

Cost:  $  (Snowbird rates are excellent!)
Location:  5 out of a possible 5 - this is one of our favorites!
Service:  Excellent
Overall Rating:  5+ out of a possible 5 Campers
 

Update on our Retro - we are still loving it and enjoying spending time in it on every trip.  The heat worked well in the cold weather on this trip and with full hook ups it was great.  We love being able to stock the fridge when we pack and not have to worry about moving the food when we get to our destination.  Hubby says the camper is very easy to pull and he can barely tell it's back there when driving.  We still get lots of comments and horn honks every where we go.  A guy actually stopped us in traffic on this trip to talk about it.  Of course we love talking about our Little Red Retro!!!


Another note on Hunting Island - we heard on this trip that it more than likely won't reopen until 2018.  This makes us very sad and we are hoping that things will move along a little faster.  We will keep you updated on anything that we hear.

Pot Pie for the Road...

Since we have a camping trip scheduled in early December, I was hoping to make something out of our leftovers that could be frozen and kept till then.  While perusing Pinterest as I do, I found the perfect idea....a pot pie!  Our Dad used to make something called ice box soup so this just fit right in.  The idea is to make the pie from your leftover turkey, gravy, veggies and add a crust.  Simple and yummy!  Full disclosure - this picture came from Google Images because I once again forgot to take a picture of mine.  If I do say so myself, it turned out pretty cute.  (Smile)

This recipe is really flexible and you can switch out the meat, etc. and make it your own - even if you don't have leftovers.   I plan to make it with chicken next time. Frozen peas or green beans work great in this too. It freezes up well and can be reheated in the oven or microwave.  When camping you could also reheat it over the fire after it's thawed completely.  This would work awesome in an iron skillet.  It's great for pack and go.

Turkey Pot Pie
2 cups cooked chopped turkey or chicken
1 cup gravy - I used leftover but you can grab a pack of gravy mix which makes about a cup
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped carrot
3 medium potatoes cubed
1/4 cup chopped celery
1 cup creamed corn - I used homemade but any kind will work
1 small onion
1 package crescent rolls
1/2 stick margarine or butter
3 teaspoons corn starch
1/4 cup water
 Salt and pepper to taste
Garlic parsley salt

Start by sauteing the onions, potatoes, celery and carrots in butter/margarine until softened.  Then add the chicken broth to the pan and stir well.  Let this simmer until the veggies are tender.  Then add the gravy and turkey and corn and mix well.  Heat until warm through.  Mix corn starch and water well and add to the mixture. Stir completely and simmer until the sauce is thickened.  You will need to stir regularly to keep the sauce smooth.  Add water if needed to keep the sauce from being too thick.

Next roll out the crescent rolls on a floured surface.  Use a rolling pin to smooth the package into one sheet of dough.  Pour the filling into a baking dish sized to fit and carefully lift the dough over the pie filling.  Tuck in any ends and butter the top well.  I used spray butter but any softened butter or margarine will do.  Sprinkle garlic/parsley salt over the top and place in a 375 degree oven for approximately 15 minutes.  Keep a close watch as this browns up pretty quickly.  Cool and enjoy!

December Trip Planned

 Well - we have booked our December trip and I am so excited!  We plan to roll down to Myrtle Beach and camp at Myrtle Beach State Park and Campground!   I haven't been to this campground in many years and we have never camped there before.  I remember it as being fairly rustic but I'm sure much of it has changed over the years.  The exciting part about this area in December is that they do Christmas really big and we hope to get lots of shopping done while we are there.  I am working on some little Christmas Decorations for the camper too.  Pictures to come.

Additionally this will be our first time ever camping with a full hook-up.  I for one am really looking forward to trying that.  Hubby is excited not to have to dump the gray water so often.   We will let you know how that goes and I know other Retro owners do this regularly and it does make life easier.

Another great thing about visiting our beaches in fall and winter is that the bug population has moved on and you can stroll the beautiful shores with a sweater.  It is awesome and we love that time of the year on the beach.  A camp fire is that much better when there is a chill in the air.

Check this campground out if you are ever in the area.  As with all of state campgrounds, the cost is just so reasonable and makes camping that much more affordable. The pier here is a must see experience.  This picture was taken at sunrise on the beach.  There is also the Snowbird Coastal Camping Specials ~ more info on this on the site linked above.

More to come.....

Hobo Dinner

Here is another camping recipe and one of my favorites.  When I was in girl scouts we never were able to go camping so we made this over a fire in the church yard and it was delicious.  Going camping just gives me an excuse to make it again.  I didn't get a pic of mine but this one I found on Pinterest....my favorite hangout!  It came from Every Day Moms Meals.

For ours we used a box mix of scalloped potatoes - you don't have to do this but it is really easy to prepare and pack.  If you don't use those just use regular potatoes of your choice.  You can cook this over a fire, in a toaster oven or on your grill.  Just what ever works for you.  We loved it and added sour cream and more shredded cheese and of course hubby added ketchup.  This will be a staple for us from now on especially in cooler months.  You can also make these ahead before you leave home and pack in your fridge and they are ready for the fire.  Hope you enjoy!

Hobo Dinner
1 pound ground beef or turkey
1 box scalloped potatoes or two large potatoes peeled and sliced
1 cup milk
1/2 stick margarine or butter
1 cup hot water
1 sliced onion
Heavy duty foil
1 cup shredded cheese
Sour cream, shredded cheese and steak sauce for toppings (Ketchup if you are somebody who eats it on everything like my hubby)

If using the scalloped potato dinner put the potatoes in a sauce pan or iron skillet and cover with the hot water.  Simmer until they soak up the water - about 10 minutes.  Brown the hamburger meat and drain if desired.  Add milk and the sauce packet from the potatoes and heat until smooth.  I tear off a large sheet of foil - about the size of a large baking sheet.  Place your ground beef on the foil and add potatoes and then onions.  Sprinkle the shredded cheese over the top and then pour the sauce over. Add salt and pepper to taste.  Garlic salt is also good if you have it on hand.  Pull the foil up and fold securely to make a sealed packed.  Metal pie pans that you recycle can work great here to avoid any drips if you want to use them.  Cook over fire or grill for about 35 minutes. If you are using raw potatoes just place them in as above and add another half cup of shredded cheese. You won't need the water or milk.  Canned fried onions are also really good in place of the raw onion.  This meal is also delicious leftover!

Devils Fork State Park

We took the Little Red Retro on our 3rd camping trip up to Devils Fork State Park and Campground which sits on Lake Jocassee.  We had planned on staying four days but we loved it so much we extended our stay an extra day.  To say the lake is beautiful is an absolute understatement.  It is breath taking and the most beautiful shade of aqua we've ever seen in a lake.  I will post pictures but they just don't do it justice. 


We stayed on site 43 but we found quite a few that we liked and we already have a return trip booked next May on site 1.  This campground is very woodsy and there are sites on the lake side and down on the wooded side.  We liked the lake side and we were just up the hill and could look down onto the lake and trees from our window.  There are also pack in pack out tent sites that are very nice.  The weather was perfect during this visit with bright sunny days and warm with a crisp cool in the evenings.  One of the best things was there were no flying bugs or insects.  Camping a lot in the low country, we were so happy not to have to deal with those little buggars. 

We found all sorts of things to explore here and walked a lot every day.  There are trails and pathways and we loved the beach areas of the lake where you could sit and relax.  This was another dog friendly campground and our Lucy made lots of friends.  There is a camp store and a lakeside rental place where you can rent canoes, kayaks, life vests and more.  They also have ice cream and drinks as well.

This is the view from the registration/office and it is beautiful.  We had seen this picture on the web site but you just have to see it in person to believe how awesome it is.  The grounds are very clean and well maintained.  The staff is friendly, helpful and well versed on the campground

There are a few areas to grab a bite or shop close to Powdersville where the park is located.  We went into Walhalla and grabbed lunch one day and picked up a few things.  There is a very nice Ingles grocery store there as well as Dollar General, and CVS along with McDonalds.  On our way home we had a recommendation from a fellow camper to stop off in Easley, SC and visit Mutts BBQ.  It was excellent and we highly recommend it too.  If you like BBQ and veggies then this is your place.  A full review is on our Yelp profile on the right hand side of this page.

This area is the side of the lake where we put in.  There are several boat ramps and an area to put in for non-motorized boats.  We put in near the beach area and didn't have any trouble.  All of the boaters were very respectful of the small boats and kayaks and took it slow and easy until they got further out.  We canoed across to the other side and back and it was a very nice trip.  We loved it!! 

Scuba diving and other activities are also readily available and you don't need to leave the campground to find a group to provide these services.  There is also a boat tour of the lake available and we definitely plan on doing that the next time we visit.  They actually take you out to the falls which we heard is pretty amazing. 

The bathhouses are ample and convenient and very clean with large showers that have separate areas with curtains for each shower.  Plenty of hot water and strong water flow make for a nice relaxing shower.  On our site the bathroom was only a couple of sites away and most of them even had drink machines just outside on the porch area.

This campground is definitely at the top of our list now and we have to give it a 5+ rating.  It hits all of the things we love and then some!

Cost:  $  (The most reasonable one so far)
Location:  5 out of a possible 5 - this is one of our favorites!
Service:  Excellent
Overall Rating:  5+ out of a possible 5 Campers

Update on our Little Red Retro.  We still love it and are enjoying it more each time we take it out.  We get lots of attention when we are hauling it - everything from high fives, thumbs up and horn honks.  Each time we stop somebody walks up and asks us about it.  We went to Costco on our way out of town and even had a couple come up to us there and want to know all about it.  We had visitors at the campground and on the way home.

I believe we have tried out everything on the camper now and it all works well for us.  We even tested the gas heat on this trip and it worked really well and heated things up very quickly.  For the two of us and our little Lucy Loo this camper is just perfect for us.   We are still working on that video of the camper and we will get it up soon.  Another recipe will be up this week - Hobo Dinner.  It turned out pretty yummy!!