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!!

Camping Trip Prep...

Oh my gosh - I so remember the old days when getting ready for a camping trip was pure torture and included days of packing and a nightmare the night before.  Also when we returned the amount of work cleaning up things and putting them away was a job too.  But we still enjoyed the trip and did it again and again for a week at a time.

One of the many reasons we wanted a camper was so that it would be somewhat self contained and the packing would be minimal.  So far that has been the case and we hope to get better at it as we do more.  In our case Hubby has to do most of this because I have some health issues that limit my energy and ability to lift and move easily. So anything we can do to simplify and ease the process is appreciated.  He also still works more than full time so we have to make the most of what time he has.

Over the years we have finally learned not to take so many clothing items.  We each have a duffel type bags and we roll our clothes and we only take what will fit in each bag.  Those are stored at one corner of our bed near the cabinet and stacked.  That works for us and doesn't really get in the way.  Anything not needed for everyday use clothing wise (ex. hanging items)  stays in the car.  We keep duplicate personal items such as tooth brushes, deodorant, toothpaste, hair items, etc. in a mesh hanging bag inside the bathroom door. So no need to worry about packing those.  We also keep some staple non-perishable food items in the cabinet so we are ready to go at any time.

There are lots of packing lists available on Pinterest and we have saved lots of those to reference.  Our main

thing is to cut down on excess stuff and weight and keep "things" from stressing us out.  We are also still learning what necessary items are needed.  The next thing on our purchase list will be one of these containers that can be attached to your black water hose and can be wheeled to the dump station.  We don't use our bathroom exclusively and still make trips to the bathhouse but we have found that after about 3 days our black water needs to be dumped.  We actually overflowed the toilet on our last trip...yep that was fun but a good learning experience all the same...just water thank heavens!!  They can be found here.

We do carry a camp stove and cook outside on it a good bit and over a fire.  We normally do make most breakfasts inside and love using our little two burner gas stove in the camper as well as our little toaster oven/coffee maker/griddle.  As the temperatures cool some here in South Carolina, we probably will venture outside to cook even more.  We love this little guy and totally recommend it.  It is just perfect for two and works well for us so far.  You can find it here.

I have mentioned before that we love to take at least one leftover frozen meal.  This goes in the bottom of the cooler and helps to keep the ice cold and other items cold.  Our fridge works on gas while we are traveling so we fill it too.  Next on our wish list will be a Yetti Cooler.  They are very expensive but such a great item to have for next year when we hope to take a couple of week long trips.  I have to drink lots of water and ice becomes a big deal.  Those bad boys can keep ice for days.   There are lots of sizes and styles and they even make one big enough to hold a body.....not that I would ever need that. (Smile).  This one can be found here.

We are learning so much from fellow campers and for this trip I hope to get a notebook ready so that we can exchange email addresses, etc. and keep in touch.  Meeting people and hearing their stories is the very best thing about camping.  We will share more after our trip this week.  Thanks for joining us on this journey!!

Hunting Island Update

We were so fortunate to have scheduled a visit back to Hunting Island State Park this year just before Hurricane Matthew rolled through there.  This park has always been one of our favorites and we are so saddened by the damage done by this powerful storm.  There are more links in the side bar about the damage and expectations for reopening which will be at least 2-3 months out.

This was our campsite setup with a tent added.  We normally bring this along for when our kids join us and this gives us a good bit of space.  This old Sears canvas tent is over 30 years old and has some wear.  At one point our dogs ripped out the back window so we sewed it shut - that was fun.  Anyway....it works and is great for Fall camping.  To me it is too warm for summer but the guys still seem to enjoy it.  The screened room is a K-Mart purchase....yep I said K-Mart.  It was on sale and matched the camper so we couldn't pass it up.  It worked great and hubby said it was easy to put up and take down.  We set it up in line with our little retro awning and so we could walk out right into it.  We had a good rain storm our first night on this trip and it worked great for that.

This is the set up from the back end of our site.  Please ignore the huge bag of trash - we were headed for the dump.  The raccoons will gladly handle it for you if you leave it out over night. We love that front big window on our unit and it really gives us a lot of light and visibility.  We are still working on a full walk through so that you can see all of the features of Little Red.

One of our favorite things about Hunting Island is the close proximity of the wild life.  They literally hang out with you and we so enjoyed that.  Below is a picture of one of our

regular visitors to our site.  It is against the law to feed them but it is so tempting because they come right up and lick your hands.  I'm pretty sure some campers are feeding them. (Smile)  This was my first experience getting up close and personal with a deer.  They look you right in the eye.  It was amazing! We didn't catch the raccoons on camera but they were so brave and were all around us most of the time.  They stole marshmallows on a regular basis. We are just hoping that all of the beautiful wildlife fared okay with the storm.  Lots of babies were there on this visit.

As we hear more and find out about the park reopening, we will visit and post more information.  This campground is just magical and the powers that be are committed to bringing it back to as close as it was.  Watch for more details as they are available!

Cabbage Roll Soup

Here is another easy recipe that works great to prepare at home and take along with you on the road.  We love this one because it actually tastes like cabbage rolls without all the hassle of putting those little guys together.  Sometimes it's called deconstructed cabbage rolls.  Either way it is delicious if you like cooked cabbage.  So yummy!!  You can use all sorts of meats but we mostly go with hamburger, ground turkey or both.  Here again this is a really easy big ole pot of food and you can make it your own with seasonings and additions.

Cabbage Roll Soup
2-3 pounds hamburger or ground turkey (or use equal parts of both)
2 large cans diced tomatoes
1 can Rotel
1 very large (6 lb 9 oz) can crushed tomatoes or other tomatoes of choice
1 large head of cabbage chopped
1 or 2 large bell peppers chopped (depending on taste)
1 large onion chopped
2 tablespoons jarred garlic or fresh
1 large container beef broth
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons basil
2 tablespoons Mrs. Dash Seasoning (love this stuff)
2 cups brown rice prepared (optional)


We love this soup in fall especially but the main reason we made it this week is that my daughter-in-law brought us the most beautiful large fresh cabbage.  I just wish we had taken a picture before we cut it.  Also I just
happened to have that massive can of crushed tomatoes on hand.  You don't really have to have that and can use any kind ~ pureed, crushed, diced or mix of those. But they have these at Costco and they are awesome to have on hand for soups, etc.  If you don't like it so tomatoey (that's a word, right??)  then you can increase the broth, add water and decrease the tomatoes.

As usual I like to put a big ole pot on the stove and add the sauces/liquid and seasonings.  Then I brown the onions, garlic, cabbage and bell pepper and season as I go and add to the pot after they are softened.  Then I brown the meat again seasoning while it's cooking and since I used turkey this time I didn't need to drain.  Add to the pot along with the cabbage.  This one was so fresh that it took a little bit of time to soften but I just kept stirring and simmering for at least two hours.  Just keep testing to see that it is the desired tenderness.

We serve ours with a bed of brown rice in the bottom of the bowl.  This is completely optional and the rice could also be added to the soup raw and let it cook in the pot.  It's all up to how your family likes it.  The guys like lots of hots sauces for toppers and we make skillet corn bread to go along with it.  Enjoy!!  Oh and it freezes up beautifully making it easy to take along on your camping trip.

Decorating the Camper

A big part of the fun of camping and having a camper is decorating it to make it feel like your own portable little home away from home.  I am ashamed to admit how very many pins I have on Pinterest that are all about the inside.  I have loved all things retro for a good while and incorporating that in our little retro makes it all the more fun!

A sweet coffee mug for enjoying a good cup while camping is an essential.  This one is my favorite and was a gift from my kids.  It is a nice heave ceramic one and has the retro design that I so love.  You can find these on Amazon under Camp Casual!  They have a couple of other colors too.  We were able to find a set of red melamine dishes that go perfectly in our camper.  Camp Casual also makes a full set of dishes in melamine with a camping theme - also sold on amazon.

My next favorite thing would be cute dish towels and such.  My daughter-in-law made this one for me and it

is absolutely perfect!!  She adapted the colors to match our camper. I haven't decided how best to display it but you can be sure it will not be drying any dishes - this one is just for the joy of its beauty.  Of course it is also retro!  Love it!!

The Retro campers have a little wood valance over all of the windows and this makes an excellent place to have little items on display when camping.  We also set it up when it is parked here at home.  We are working on some ideas to place the pins we collect from the state campgrounds we visit.  We're also thinking of adding a map board that we can pin each campground as we visit.  You can see the valances in the picture below where Camper Lucy is enjoying the pillows on the bed.  She likes napping there and sleeps like a baby on the bed with us at night.

We also have a really cute retro toaster-coffee maker-griddle thing that lives on the dinning table when we are camping.  Of course it's red and I also found it at Amazon.  It is just perfect for two and works great. It also comes in the old fashioned aqua too.  Since we camped for years before we had a camper, we have a lot of stuff like chairs, mats and such.  Surprisingly Walmart now has a decent camp section and we added a new large outdoor rug from there to cut down on tracking in sand and dirt.  We also added two of those balance type chairs for our campsite and they are so comfortable you can even take a snooze in them.  Pictures of this set up are in some of our earlier posts.

We love lights for our little awning that pulls out over the front door and the kids gave us a set of chili pepper ones.  One strand works perfect and they are pictured in the right side photos.  We are planning to get a video done of the camper inside and out the way we set it up when we camp.  We will include information on where we found items included.  I am sure we will add more as we go.  We are always trying to get things as organized as is possible and to keep out weight under control when towing.  For us the main objective is for it to make us feel at home wherever we go and just plain fun.

Camp Chili

One of our very favorite foods for fall camping is Chili and Beans!  I added beans because I know that in many parts of the country Chili is something very different from what we make.  We use both ground turkey and beef and several different kinds of beans.  I make this at home and freeze it because chili just gets better the longer the beans and other goodies get to hang out together.  You can also make it meatless and we have done that many times. Corn is also really good in this too.  Now as I have said before - I'm no chef so this is just an idea to get you started and it's just easy and yummy!!!  This is a big ole batch so if you don't want lots of chili then cut back on the amounts.

Camp Chili
2 pounds ground turkey
3 pounds ground beef
Large can tomato sauce
Large can tomato puree
2 cans of Rotel tomatoes
1 can tomato soup
3 cubes beef bullion
2 cups water
1 cup catsup
1 large chopped onion
1 large chopped bell pepper
2 tablespoons jarred garlic or fresh
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon parsley
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon Mrs. Dash
Salt and pepper to taste (I use a lot!)
2 large cans kidney beans
2 small cans chili beans
2 cans black beans

I like to add the tomatoes and liquids to the soup pot first and let them start to simmer.  In a sauce pan I sautee the onion, garlic and bell pepper until tender and add to the pot.  Then brown the turkey and hamburger and add to the pot. There is a big debate around my house about how the meat is browned!  I like it chunky and hubby likes if very fine.  If I make it it's gonna be chunky - I want to know there is meat int there!  :-)   I do season all of these as I brown/sautee them to add flavor.  At this point I season this mixture and it should be a little strong because the beans will dilute the flavor.  I let it simmer for about an hour before adding the beans.

Give the mixture a good stir and drain and rinse the beans.  The only ones I don't rinse are the chili beans because they are packed in a seasoned sauce.  Add all of the beans to the hot tub and stir well.  I normally simmer for at least a couple of hours after that and add more of anything that may be missing at this point.  If it is too thick you can add more water.  Too thin - you can add more catsup or sauce.  For us this makes a huge stock pot full of chili.  We top ours with cheese and raw onions, sour cream and crackers.  Enjoy and remember it's even better the next day!

Hunting Island State Park

For our second camping trip in our Little Red Retro we went down to Hunting Island State Park.  We had been here previously but it has been over 31 years.  We actually spent part of our honeymoon there and loved it.  This trip did not disappoint and we had an awesome time.

We spent 4 days there and really hated to leave.  Hurricane Matthew was getting ready to roll in so it's good we had to leave but it was grudgingly.  During our stay we had deer come right up to us and lick our hands.  I'm sure they thought we had food but its strictly forbidden to feed the wildlife...but I sure wanted to.  There were families of deer all over the campground and they would scamper in

and out of our campsite and watch us and walk right up.  Then there were the raccoons - they would scamper all about and were not afraid to take what they wanted.  They were always in twos or threes and every night we would forget and leave something out and they would swipe it.  They ate two bags of marshmallows and so much more.  We really enjoyed the critters and looked forward to their escapades every day.

This is a large park by our standards and if you camp there you can climb to the top of the Hunting Island Lighthouse free of charge.  There is a nature science center with all sorts of reptiles and you can hug a snake if you are so inclined.  I am not....not ever.  The sites vary in size and are roomy and include a picnic table, fire ring, electrical hook up and water.  There are also tent sites that are only accessible on foot and those are definitely for the adventurous types.  We loved walking up and seeing their setups but you really have to bring the super bug spray to stay in those areas.

This campground has wireless and it is connected at every bath house so if it is super important to you then you may want to check the maps when selecting your site.  On this visit we could not get access - we were about two sites down out of range.  However when hubby needed to do a little work he walked down to an empty site near a bath house and hooked right up.  We also got fairly regular TV antenna reception and enjoyed some old moves and such at night.  Cell service was excellent for us too.  There is a very nice camp store and we walked there everyday and got ice cream and anything else we needed.  They had boiled peanuts, coffee and cold drinks also.

This is another pet friendly campground and dogs are welcome as long as they are kept on a leash.  They can even walk right out on the beach and explore.  Lucy loved exploring the campground and walking on the beach.  There are lots of dooty bags and stations around the campground.  Be sure to pack your bug spray for you and your pups - this place has lots of water and some sights are buggier than others.

Of course the real attraction here is the long stretch of beach - it's natural and unspoiled with no commercialism here.  It is just beautiful and full of all kinds of creatures if you into that sort of stuff.  We glimpsed all sorts of crabs and such.  You can actually follow the beach all the way down to the lighthouse.  It is a hike but a beautiful walk.  There is a little gift shop and more trails and outdoor areas to enjoy.

For us this campground hit all five campers on our rating system.  We loved the sites, the bath houses were clean and well stocked by state park standards.  The showers were hot and roomy with curtains on the stalls.  There are senior volunteers onsite who camp there for 3 months at a time as well as a camp chaplain and camp hosts.  This park was packed out and that is normally a good sign.  We noticed campers of all ages but there was a good number of seniors and we always enjoy that...since we are seniors too.  We hope to plan a full week at Hunting Island next year!


Cost:  $
Location:  5 out of a possible 5 - this is one of our favorites!
Service:  Excellent
Overall Rating:  5 out of a possible 5 Campers