Cheerful Valley Campground

Come Camping in New York’s Finger Lakes Region

1412 Route 14, Phelps, NY 14532, 315.781.1222    Email Us

Light and Tasty Camping Salads

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summer saladSummer will be back before we know it, so there’s no wonder many people are already planning their camping trips. Having a nice meal in the wilderness is among the favorite activities of most people. Whether you love hamburgers or you’d rather have some hot dogs, a light summer salad is always going to complement your outdoor meals. You can find here, below, two favorites to try on your next camping holiday.

Summertime Strawberry Jello Salad With Walnuts

Ingredients:
1 15 oz pineapple (canned, crushed)
1 pack of strawberry jello
1 small Cool Whip
1/2 cup walnuts (raw, chopped)
16 oz cottage cheese

Drain the crushed pineapple in a colander as much as you can.
Put the cottage cheese in a large bowl and mix it with the jello.
Add the Cool Whip and the pineapple, and mix everything very well.
Add the walnuts, stir some more, and then let the bowl set in the refrigerator for one hour.
You can either put your salad in a covered bowl or in several individual containers. Keep it in a cooler. you can serve this salad as a meal course or as dessert.

 

Ingredients:
1 pack rainbow rotini pasta, cooked as instructed on the label
1 pack broccoli (drained and cooked)
1/4 pound of salami (diced)
1/4 pound of provolone cheese (diced)
1/4 cup black olives (pitted, sliced)
1/2 cup parmesan cheese (grated)
1 pack Zesty Italian Dressing, prepared as per the instructions on the pack.

Put all ingredients in a large bowl, and mix them thoroughly. Add the dressing, and stir it in carefully, until you obtain a homogenous mix. You’ll obtain a light and delicious pasta salad that goes very well with any dish.

These are only two summer salad ideas. Try them, you’re going to love them! Your family and friends are going to love you, as well!

Fun Road Trip Games to Play With the Kids

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There are a couple of road trip games that can be fun to take part in. You can find small versions of board games, for instance, to take with you. Or, you can play games like looking for different colored cars and more.

Eye spy is a game where you say that you see something with certain features. For instance, you can say “eye spy with my little eye, something blue” if there is a blue car around the vehicle you’re in. You can also play this when the vehicle is stopped because that allows you to pick from more things in the landscape. You can’t expect to pick something on the side of the road if the vehicle will be going by it fast, but if there is a large landmark in the distance that may just work out.

You can find small versions of games that you can bring with you on a road trip. Even if you don’t want to go with that because your kids don’t know what to do to play the game, you can bring tablets or other devices that have games on them. You could also bring paper and pens and let the kids play tic-tac-toe. If you’re going to bring anything in the vehicle, make sure you store it properly when it’s not in use. You don’t want to have, for instance, your tablet sitting out in the sun while you go somewhere for a while.

What you take with you as your road trip games will depend on what your family is into. The more you can prepare to have a good time on a trip, the better. You’ll know you made the right choice when everyone is having a lot of fun on the road.

Cake in a Mug – Perfect for Camping

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Mug cake for campersThis cake in a mug trend is a fun one for camping. You can make a single-serving cake in a coffee cup and even choose which flavor you want. The kids will enjoy the whole idea of having their own little cake to eat as they sit around the campfire at night. It takes minutes to put together and will be a big hit.

Photo Source: BuzzFeed

Cookies & Cream Mug Cake
This one will be a favorite of many. All you need is some flour, sugar, baking powder, crushed sandwich cookies, milk, oil, and vanilla.

Birthday Cake Mug Cake
This is as pretty as it is delicious. Bring some sprinkles along with you and let the kids decorate their own. It takes all the ingredients as listed above except the sandwich cookies.

Strawberries ‘n’Cream Mug Cake
Even better than strawberry shortcake, this little delight will curb that craving for something sweet and your love of those delicious strawberries. You can top it with whipped topping and you’re on your way to a little bit of dessert heaven.

Chocolate Hazelnut Mug Cake
For the hazelnut lover in the family. You’ll be adding the ingredients as listed above, along with some of your favorite chocolate hazelnut spread. The fragrance alone will be enough to call the kids back from the pool.

You can make all of this even easier by pre-packing individual storage bags of the dry ingredients. Then, when camping, just open one into your mug and add the wet ingredients. Now you stir, microwave, and enjoy.

You can find these recipes at 3-Minute Mug Cakes 4 Ways. So, go ahead and enjoy a single serving piece of cake. It will add that final touch to your next camping meal.

How To Protect Your Pets’ Paws When You’re Traveling In Your RV

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protect pets' pawsIf you have a pet, it’s very likely that he or she is a part of your family and often goes with you in your RV. However, your pet isn’t at home and can be at a higher risk for injury if you’re not being mindful of their paws.

To protect your pet’s paws ensure that you have some special paw pads available for those times that your pet may have to go outside but you’re not in an area that has softer grass or pavement.

Keep in mind, too, that pavement can get hot and burn your pet’s paws. Help your pet before you ever leave home by working with them to get used to paw protectors before the trip. This way, when you put them on during the trip your pet won’t mind wearing them.

Keep your pet on a leash at all times to ensure that they don’t run off into an area that could be potentially dangerous for their paws. Even the most well-behaved pet will sometimes run off in an unfamiliar area. Be sure to stay with your pet at all times when they are outside of your RV.

Always do a sweep of the campsite area before letting your pet out of the RV. Shards of glass and other sharp objects can seriously injure your pet’s paws. We work hard to make sure your site is clean as a whistle when you arrive but doing an extra look-around can’t hurt.

Keep a ground cover available for your RV so that when your pet emerges he or she will have something familiar to walk on.

Remove pet paw covers when your pet is inside of the RV and make sure that you teach your pet that these are for their safety and comfort. It will help you to protect them if they get into the habit of wearing these on their feet.

Delight Your Camping Family With Dutch Oven Bread

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Dutch Oven Bread Some of the best camping memories we have come from the smells of our favorite food cooking over the campfire. That morning coffee that wafts around the campsite as we wake up, fresh corn roasting on the grill, and fresh-baked bread can be one of those memories as well. It’s really not hard to make fresh bread when you’re camping and Dutch ovens make it so much easier to do. The family will love sitting down to a meal with fresh, warm, toasty bread all ready for them to slather in real butter and sink their teeth into.

Photo Source: Keyingredient.com

All you need is flour, yeast, salt, water, and a Dutch oven. You combine the ingredients just like you do with bread at home and let it rise. You can punch it down once and form it into a ball, then slash it two or three times on top with a sharp knife. You’ll drop it into an oiled Dutch oven or some people like to use parchment paper. It can take a while to cook using this method. You may leave it in the Dutch oven for up to an hour and a half, depending on the heat of your coals.

It’s a good opportunity to add things to the bread for a variety of flavor. You might like to try adding shredded cheese, garlic, rosemary, or even try new types of flour such as pumpernickel or rye. Another option is to flatten the dough and layer it with butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon then roll it into a loaf. The results will be a tasty cinnamon bread that will disappear in a single meal. You can also make the dough ahead of time at home and pop it in the freezer. Then simply let it thaw when you’re ready to cook at the campsite.

You can find this recipe and details for cooking the bread in your Dutch oven at Campfire Dutch Oven Bread.

Camping meals provide time for families to catch up and enjoy time with each other. We hope all your camping meals are delicious and accompanied by the friendly faces of the people you love most. Give this bread to try it really is easy to do and very rewarding.

Camping With The Family

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family-campingCamping is possibly one of the most effective means for families to take pleasure in each other’s company, away from the schedules of every day life. It does require some planning and preparation, but every minute you invest with your family members will be worth the effort. If you keep it simple and bring along the basics, you’ll have a wonderful time outdoors and you will not miss out on any of the activity at home. You and your family can enjoy a memorable experience of camping together while everyone is still living at home and hasn’t gone off to college or started families of their own.

Some tips to help you make it the best camping trip ever:

Depending on whether you are planning on camping in a tent, an RV, or a cabin, your camping list will be unique. Take each person’s preferences into consideration when you make your decision. Modern dome-style tents can easily accommodate 3 to 4 people, with bigger ones being able to fit as many as 8. Due to the fact that you only have to connect a couple of pieces, dome camping tents can be set up very quickly and then you’re off to play in the campground. If you do utilize a tent make sure you spray it with some rain-resistant spray to stop leaking in the event it rains. A tarp underneath the tent provides additional security from moisture and sticks or stones.

RVs and cabins provide more comfort and protection from the weather. They are roomier but come with their own set of work to maintain. You can sleep in a soft bed, it’s easier to cook inside, and there is room to store supplies. You’ll probably have a fridge and a heater as well. Some people prefer them while others would rather camp in a tent. Camping is a very individual issue depending on people’s preferences and experiences.

Pack lighter than you may think necessary. A four-day trip, for instance, requires just a few sets of garments. You’ll most likely need just a jacket, a sweatshirt, 3 or 4 shirts, a set of trousers as well as shorts, socks, underclothing, and also an extra pair of shoes or sandals. Bring along a pair of trekking boots if you intend on hiking any trails. You’ll be packing for every member of the family so keeping a list of what has been packed and what is still needed will help keep you organized.

Prepare your food. Obviously you can bring coolers along but we recommend bringing foods like nuts, bread, and cookies, anything that does not need refrigeration. Kids will want to eat all the treats at once so stretching them out over your trip will keep them from getting a tummy ache. Keep your food choices simple. Hamburgers and hotdogs are camping favorites. Much of what you plan to bring can be prepared ahead of time and placed in food-safe containers. It will save you time for more play and less work while you are here.

It’s a great time to bring out the board games, a deck of cards, or lawn games you know the kids might like. Pack any favorite toys, especially the ones your kids like to sleep with. It will help comfort them at night if they feel a little anxious when the lights go out. Add extra batteries to your list and more flashlights than you think you’ll need. They tend to get lost or used for fun after dark. It’s good to have a schedule but be prepared for that schedule to go out the window from time to time. Kids may sleep later than you expect or want to swim longer than you’d planned. You can zig when they zag and enjoy the lack of a planned schedule for the day.

Either way, the best part is being together. Your kids will be talking about the trip many years from now when they consider camping with their own little ones. Let yourself enjoy the chaos and take lots of photos. There is plenty of time to get back to a normal routine once you are home. We hope your trip is memorable and that you come back to camp with us many times over the coming years. We look forward to seeing you and watching you have an absolutely wonderful time camping with your family.

BBQ Grilled Trout in Beer Butter

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grilled-fishWe think fish taste best when it’s cooked on the grill and we know our campers love it, too. We found some helpful tips for making sure your grilled fish is delicious and good enough to feed your crew next summer.

BBQ Grilled Trout in Beer Butter – The flavors combined in this recipe with be memorable. You start with a fresh trout and stuff it full of flavor. Slice lemon, red onion, and leeks and put them into a cavity you’ve cut in the belly of the fish. Then make some slices on the outside of the fish to add more lemon slices, salt, basil, parsley, and chives can also go inside. Pepper it all well and drizzle with olive oil.

Set this marvel on the grill and you can then mix butter with chopped onion, parsley, and garlic. Salt and pepper it well and then pour a splash of beer into the mix. Stir it all together and then add chunks of the butter mixture in the slices  and center of the fish. Cook 5 – 10 minutes and you’ll be ready to eat the best trout you’ve had in a long time.

You can see the whole process done in the video below. We hope you enjoy plenty of delicious grilled fish while camping next year.

 

Camping Gear to Always Have With You

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Camping Gear ChecklistDifferent types of camping usually requires different lists of gear needed for making a successful trip but there are a few things that all campers will probably find they need.

Flashlight – It will get dark at night and you won’t have street lights to rely on like you do in town. Flashlights come in handy for walking to the bathroom at night, reading to kids after lights-out, and finding your way around the campsite at night. Bring more than one because they tend to get lost easily.

Batteries – Just like Christmas, camping requires batteries. It might be your lantern, radio, or the kids’ video games. Either way you will find you can go through quite a few batteries when you’re camping. Bring a variety of sizes, too.

Matches – Water resistent matches always come in handy for lighting your campfire or your grill. There are lighters that can do the trick, too, so just make sure you have a reliable source of a fire starter.

Pocket Knife – You’ll be surprised how often you use a pocket knife at camp. It doesn’t have to be anything big or fancy, just a compact knife that folds up and fits in your pocket will do. You’ll be cutting string, carving marshmallow sticks, and any number of operations requiring a cutting surface.

Hatchet – This is good to have for pounding stakes and trimming wood. A folding hatchet works well in this situation and can be kept in the car until needed.

Bungee Cords – You’ll use them for strapping things down, strapping things up, and strapping things open or closed. There are just about a hundred uses for a bungee cord so bring a few along with you.

Tarp – You’ll need to tarp something at some point. You’ll either be putting a tarp over something or under something and there is no replacement when what you need is a tarp.

Extra Sleeping Bags – You might have company, it might be extra cold, you might use them for sitting on or for wrapping yourself in for that early morning cup of campfire coffee. Extra sleeping bags will come in handy.

These brief list of things you’ll probably need when you are camping is intended to help you avoid any difficulties during your camping stay with us. We look forward to meeting you in 2017.

How to Bake in a Dutch Oven

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Dutch Oven cookingLewis and Clark brought one to the wilderness. So did the early pioneers to Utah (it’s now the official state cooking vessel). And so should you, because it means you’ll get to bake–and eat–carbs in camp. All you need is a 6-qt. camp Dutch oven (one with legs and a flanged lid; lodgemfg.com), some regular (not competition-style) charcoal and a chimney or hot embers from a wood campfire, and a heatproof spot like a fire ring or bricks set flat on an area free of flammable material; check your campground’s fire rules.

  1. Prepare the fire. If using charcoal: Light 50 briquets in a chimney and burn till they’re spotted gray, 15 minutes. If using a campfire: Scrape the fire to the side, level out a space the size of the Dutch oven, and mound the hot embers nearby (2 to 3 qts. worth).
  2. Lay a bottom ring of hot coals. The area of the coals should be slightly smaller than the circumference of the dutch oven. Put the oven on top and set the lid in place.
  3. Lay a top ring of hot coals. Use metal tongs to arrange a single ring on top of the lid around the lip. Evenly space a few more coals across the lid. Set any extra heated fuel aside. To check the food and temperature, lift the lid occasionally.
  4. Tweak the temperature. To decrease heat, scrape away some fuel. To increase heat, or to cook longer than 45 minutes, add 5 or 6 new coals to both the top and the bottom of the dutch oven (touching lit ones so they’ll ignite) about every 30 minutes.

Marinade Recipes To Jazz Up Your Grilling

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Grilled_steak_marinadeCamping is the time for cooking on the grill and for enjoying a variety of foods you can’t eat all year. Making a flavorful marinade can add to the flavor of your food making the meal even better. Marinades can be used on meat, poultry, even vegetables. Here are a few you might like to try.

Basic Meat Marinades

In a container with a covered lid (plastic zippered bag, glass jar or plastic lidded container) add in the following:

1/3 cup oil (options: olive oil, canola oil, sesame oil or vegetable oil)

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons of sugar or honey

1 teaspoon chopped garlic (if desired) or you can use 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder.

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

Other seasonings as desired (cracked black pepper, salt etc.)

Add in 3 to 4 pounds of meat (slice thinly or leave whole depending on what you’re planning to cook for dinner).

Allow the meat to marinade for several hours or overnight and cook as desired. The longer the meat marinates, the more tender and flavorful it will be when it’s served.

 

Basic Vegetable Marinade

4 to 6 baking-sized potatoes scrubbed and sliced into bite sized pieces.

You can use carrots, celery, and mushrooms or other root vegetables as desired as long as you reduce the number of potatoes accordingly.

1 package of dry onion soup mix

1/3 cup oil

One 12 ounce can of beer if desired.

 

Allow the above to sit and marinade for 2 hours and then bake either in a campfire or a hot oven until the vegetables are tender. Serve hot and enjoy.

Special Note: When preparing chicken or pork, pre-cook the meat and brush the marinade on the meat as it’s cooking for the best results.

Adjust these recipes to your family’s taste preferences.