Dutch Oven Cooking

My brother John had a Dutch oven cooking demonstration last Saturday in his backyard that turned out to be a very informative and delicious experience.  There was a turnout of about 50 people and everyone was given the task of creating their own dish to share with the group.  The dishes varied from chicken stuffed with rice to chili to dinner rolls to chicken-bacon-potato soup and even pineapple upside-down cake.  My sister even made some awesome chocolate cupcakes which was a first for her in the Dutch oven.  Some dishes came out a little over cooked, but at the end of the night everyone had a full stomach and had gained some new knowledge on Dutch oven cooking.  I want to thank John for having us all over to his house and also for being a very patient instructor.

Here is some useful information to get you started.  Dutch ovens can be used for frying, baking, boiling, and steaming.  The following instructions are for cooking using charcoal briquettes.  If you are planning on baking you need more heat on the top than on the bottom.  Put one charcoal briquette on the bottom for every 3 on the top of the lid.  For preparing stews use one on the top for every 4 on the bottom. When roasting put briquettes on the top and bottom evenly.  To understand the temperature and number of briquettes you will need we need to do a little math.  Each briquette adds about 25 degrees of heat.  A good starting temperature is 350 degrees.  To figure out how many briquettes to use, take the size of the oven in inches, and subtract three to get the number of briquettes for the bottom and add three to get the number of briquettes for the top.  Using this method is the best way to ensure even heat distribution like your oven at home.  I’ve found that every 15 minutes you should rotate the oven clock-wise a quarter of a turn and the lid counter clock-wise a quarter of a turn to make sure your dish cooks evenly.

Dutch ovens come in various sizes. They are measured by the size of the opening in inches.  The most popular Dutch oven is the 12 inch variety, which holds about 6 quarts and will serve as many as 12 to 14 people.  The 8 inch version is just right for two people and a 10 inch Dutch oven will serve 2-6 people.  Here is an excellent recipe we used this weekend.

 Chicken Bacon Potato Soup

8-10	boneless, skinless chicken breasts	1	cup sour cream
1/2	lb. bacon	3	cups grated cheddar cheese
2	medium yellow onions; diced	1 1/2	tsp. seasoning salt
1 1/2	cup fresh mushrooms; sliced	1 1/2	tsp. poultry seasoning
12-14	medium potatoes; peeled & sliced	1/2	tsp. garlic salt
(1)	10 ½ oz. can cream of chicken soup		salt and pepper to taste
(1)	10 ½ oz. can cream of mushroom soup

Heat a 12" deep Dutch oven using 18-20 briquettes bottom until hot. Cut bacon into 1 inch slices. Add to hot oven and fry until brown. Cut chicken breasts into bite size pieces. Add chicken, onions, mushrooms, and ½ tsp. of the seasoning salt to the bacon. Stir, then cover and cook until onions are translucent and chicken is tender. Add potatoes. Stir in soups, sour cream, and the remaining seasonings. Salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook for 45-60 minutes using 8-10 coals bottom, and 14-16 coals top heat. Stir every 10-15 minutes. When done, cover top with cheese and replace lid. Let stand until cheese is melted.  Serves: 8-10

Personal Survival Kit

We all have a backpack or fanny pack that we take with us when we go into the outdoors, but how much thought do we put into what we take.  Most people I know simply fill their packs with water, granola bars, and maybe a knife or multi-tool and head off on their adventures.  What should we really be taking in our outdoor packs?

This is a list of MINIMUM items that should be included in your outdoor packs: Bandana, Compass, Flashlight plus extra batteries, 2 Large garbage bags (preferably orange), Lighter, Matches, Magnesium flint striker, Metal cup, Multi-tool or Swiss army knife, Painkillers, 25 feet of parachute cord, Protein bars, Sharp knife, Solar or space blanket, Whistle, and Ziploc bags.

Like I said this is only a list of minimum requirements for your personal survival kit and items can always be added to suit your individual needs.  A more complete survival kit would include some of the following items in addition to the minimum items listed above: Candles, Dried food, Duct tape, Tinder for fire starting, First-aid kit, Fishing kit (hooks, sinkers and line), Flares, Hand held GPS, Map, Orange surveyor's tape, Money, Needle and thread, Pencil and notebook, Safety pins, Folding saw, Signal mirror, Snare wire, Personal location beacon or SPOT satellite messenger, Water purification tablets, Water purification pump, and Gloves.

As always use this list as a guideline for packing your survival kit and feel free to personalize your kit to suit your specific needs and the region you are traveling in.  Feel free to add comments about items you include in your personal survival kits.

Edible Desert Plants

I learned something new the other day that will help me in my never ending quest to find natural sources of nutrition while in the outdoors.  In Arizona we are "blessed" with an abundance of plants that are always trying to stab, stick and injure us, so now is the time we finally get to strike back!  One of the most edible plants we have throughout Arizona is the prickly pear cactus. The prickly pear cactus provides us with a few different parts we can eat.  First the fruit, the pinkish, purplish and sometime white part that grows out like a flower.  All you have to do to enjoy the fruit is remove the outer layer, taking special care to remove all the spines, especially the small hair like ones.  There are many ways to use the fruit from simply eating it, to turning it into jam, jelly, sorbet, or wine.  The other part of the plant we can eat is the pad or main part of the plant.  If you are in a survival situation I would recommend cleaning off all the thorns, peeling the outer layer back and enjoying.  If you are eating them at home or in a more controlled environment you can boil them, bake them, grill them or add them to other foods such as salads, omelets or tacos.  The pad of the prickly pear can also be a good source of much needed liquid while out hiking in the heat.

Tombstone Day Trip

Tombstone is located about 70 miles southeast of Tucson and about 180 miles from Phoenix.  Tombstone is now primarily a tourist trap, attracting around 400,000 visitors each year.  If you have never been to Tombstone it is a great place to take in some history from the 1800's.  The most popular attraction is the highly romanticized Gunfight at the O.K. Corral; by far the most famous gunfight of the old west.  The gun fight lasted about 30 seconds and only 3 men were killed, but this fight shows the eternal struggle of outlaws and legal authorities famous throughout the old west.

Boot Hill Graveyard just on the edge of town is also a popular tourist attraction.  Most people think that the Earps, Ike Clanton and Johnny Ringo are buried there, but none of them are.  There are actually very few "famous" people buried at Boot Hill graveyard.  Although, there seems to be a suspiciously high rate of people buried at Boot Hill graveyard that had been shot, "fallen" down wells, and attacked by Indians.  My two favorite quotes from the graveyard at Boot Hill are..."Here Lies Lester Moore Four Slugs From a 44 No Les No More" and "As You Pass By Remember That As You Are So Once Was I and As I Am You Soon Will Be-Remember Me."

There are also many great gift shops, saloons, gunfight shows, stagecoach and wagon tours, and city parks to explore.

http://www.cityoftombstone.com/

Places to Picnic in the Phoenix Area

Lost Dutchman State Park --
Apache Junction at the base of the Superstition Mountains

Papago Park --
Close proximity to the Phoenix Zoo and the Desert Botanical Gardens

Freestone Park --
Ponds, walking paths, kids train ride; in Gilbert, Guadalupe Rd and Lindsey Rd

Cave Creek Recreation Area --
Almost 3,000 acres; Carefree Hwy and 32nd St.

Margaret T. Hance Park --
Downtown skyline views; Stretching from 3rd St. to 3rd Ave. on Culver St.

Sahuaro Ranch Park --
Peacocks stroll the 80 acre property; in Glendale, 59th Ave. and Mountain View Rd.

Blog Topics

I don't want this blog to be about one particular thing like hiking or shooting or mountain biking, I want it to be about every outdoor activity that is available to us.  My goal is to encourage people to get outside, have fun, gain some new knowledge and enjoy all the many outdoor activities this state has to offer.  Finally, I want to encourage everyone to submit their AZ adventure stories so we can all profit from each others experiences.

Pat Tillman Run

This is a fun event that I enjoy doing and it supports a good cause while also honoring a fallen American hero.

 

Saturday, April 16, 2011 – 7:00 a.m.

 

Be Inspired | Give Back | Run Walk Honor

Pat’s Run is the signature fundraising event for the Pat Tillman Foundation. Held annually in April at Arizona State University’s Sun Devil Stadium, the event attracts over 30,000 participants, volunteers and spectators from across the country. Together, they Run, Walk and Honor Pat’s legacy while raising important funds to support the programs created to pay tribute to his commitment to leadership and service.
The 4.2 mile course winds through the streets of Tempe and is staged so that all participants finish on the 42-yard line on Frank Kush Field inside Sun Devil Stadium, symbolic of the #42 jersey that Pat wore while he was a Sun Devil.
Proceeds from Pat’s Run directly support the Tillman Military Scholars program.

http://www.pattillmanfoundation.org/pats-run/

Water Sources

I'm currently reading a survival book named "Survive" written by Les Stroud, host of the popular TV show Survivorman.  This is going to be the first of many posts I write about this book because I am so impressed with all the great practical knowledge Les has acquired during his career.  The part that I am reading now and I feel is very important due to Arizona being located in the dry desert southwest, deals with finding water in survival situations.  I want to go into more detail later concerning secondary water collection and how to make ground and vegetation stills, but for now I think it is important to know that even in Arizona there are a lot of places to find primary sources of water.  Primary sources include springs, rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds.  A few ways to locate water according to the book include:
1. Walking downhill; water, especially in the desert tends to accumulate in the bottom of valleys and low lying areas
2. Observe changes in vegetation; vegetation that is darker green and denser than the areas surrounding it tends to indicate water...you may have to dig a little to find it
3. Follow animal trails; animals need water as much as we do, animal trails don't always indicate water but if you see multiple trails coming together there is a good chance they lead to water
4. Follow birds; birds tend to hang out near water, the direction of bird flight in the early morning or late afternoon may indicate a water source
5. Track insects; insects tend to congregate near water sources, also keep in mind that bees never live more than a few miles from water

Les Stroud. Survive, HarperCollins. p 69-94.

Top 10 Best Hikes in AZ

First, I would like to say that this is probably a highly debated topic and I'm sure everyone has their own favorites.  I would also point out that I have not ranked these hikes in any particular order. I have only hiked about half of this list so it is subject to change upon further review.  More detailed descriptions of these hikes will follow and of course your input and "opinions" are always welcome. 


Camelback Mountain -- Phoenix
Grand Canyon - North Rim -- Fredonia
Chicken Point - Oak Creek -- Sedona
Grand Canyon - South Rim -- Williams
Superstition Mountains -- Gold Canyon
Boynton Canyon -- Sedona
Picacho Peak State Park -- Picacho
Papago Park -- Tempe
Walnut Canyon -- Flagstaff
Brown Canyon -- Sierra Vista (also a good mountain bike trail)

Rio Salado Sportsman's Club

We went shooting at the Rio Salado Sportsman’s Club today only to be rained out after about an hour or so.  The gun club is a very nice outdoor shooting range.  It is clean and the staff are helpful, very friendly, knowledgeable and talkative.  The hour or so we spent shooting ended up being plenty of time because it was less than 50 degrees out and very windy.  With the rain starting to blow sideways we figured it might be time to call it a day and get out of there.  All in all the Rio Salado Sportsman's Club was a fun experience and a great way to be able to shoot outdoors without having to drive very far out of town.  The club is located directly under the white <PHOENIX sign painted on the mountain in north-east Mesa.  It costs $7 a day and the paper targets were only 25 cents a piece.  We will be going back to the club soon with hopes of some better weather. 

Desert Exploring

I went driving, exploring, shooting and sort of hiking with my brother today.  Well to be honest it was a lot of driving and looking at some new scenery with very little hiking or shooting.  We went to an area off of I-8 that we had found a few years ago.  It was about 30 miles from the intersection of I-8 and I-10 in the middle of nowhere.  We drove on a dirt road for about 10 miles until we came to some abandon buildings that were begging to be explored. Upon further exploration we determined that the old buildings seemed to be part of an animal feedlot maybe for chickens or pigs.  It was a huge complex in the shape of an X with most of it decaying and falling down but with the foundation of concrete still intact. There was also a little pond with a few water holding tanks scattered around.  There were plenty of birds and small wildlife surrounding the pond and in the nearby desert.  It was starting to rain so with the threat of flash floods we kept the exploring and hiking to a minimum.  All in all it was a fun place to explore with a good dirt road to drive on and plenty of desert landscape to take in.

Welcome

This is my first post on AZ Great Outdoors. My goal in publishing this blog is to talk about all the great outdoor activities there are in Arizona. I also encourage everyone that reads this to submit their own outdoor stories. My hope is that this blog will be a place to share stories as well as get information for planning your upcoming outdoor adventures.