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RE: How well do these dishes freeze?
Thanks, everyone! I especially appreciate the links to the other sites--I've already printed some new recipes for future use.
Looks like my previous old stand-bys, grilled meats, spaghetti sauce, chili & pulled pork bar-b-q are still my best bets for freezing ahead. All my one-dish meals have some kind of pasta (or potatoes), so unless she's up to cooking that part of a meal, there aren't many things I can put in her freezer. Oh, well--there's always Swanson's and Banquet!
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cruzgal
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07/06/08 08:48am |
Camp Cooks and Connoisseurs
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Chunky Chicken Salad
This is great on a croissant (with lettuce & tomato), as the filling for a stuffed tomato, or on a bed of lettuce.
CHUNKY CHICKEN SALAD
4 lg chicken breasts, boiled and diced
1 c. chopped celery
1 c. chopped onions
3/4 c. chopped almonds
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. Accent
6 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, diced
1 1/2 c. mayonnaise
Mix all ingredients, chill and serve.
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cruzgal
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07/05/08 04:15pm |
Camp Cooks and Connoisseurs
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How well do these dishes freeze?
I'm trying to do some cooking in advance of an upcoming extended trip in order to leave a few extra homemade meals for elderly MIL as well as to avoid having to cook on the road. Things like grilled burgers, smoked sausage, etc. I know will be good frozen, but can anyone advise about how well the following things would freeze?
Sweet & Sour Pork (ol' blue's recipe) with rice
Chunk chicken salad (contains onion, celery & Monterey Jack cheese)
Crescent cheese cake squares w/apple pie filling
And would they be better frozen in plastic containers with lids or in vacuum sealed in bags with a Reynolds Handi-vac?
Thanks for your input!
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cruzgal
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07/05/08 04:02pm |
Camp Cooks and Connoisseurs
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RE: What could be better about your Motorhome??
Well, I guess the OP can see by now that there IS NO perfect unit! I've seen things on the lists that I'd agree with wanting and things others want that I absolutely would NOT.
The wiring suggestions are certainly valid from a buyer/owner's standpoint! Not sure how much of a production nightmare it might be, though.
USABLE cabinet space is also important--just a couple of extra inches depth or a little extra width on the cabinet doors can make a world of difference in being able to easily organize your "stuff". I really like the pullout pantry-style units below the galley cabinets that add counter space as well as make it easy to access things at the back of the cabinet and adjustable shelves would be great, too. Don't get rid of the sink and stove covers, though--if someone doesn't like them, they can get rid of them, but some of us DO like the neater appearance they give and take them off only as needed.
Side-opening compartment doors and "Joey Beds" make it more convenient to access outside storage. It's also nice when the compartments are part of the slide-out so you don't have to stoop under the room to access them.
Engine should have plenty of power for the weight of the motorhome. As an ex-truck driver, DH wanted a BIG engine (ours is 450 hp/1600 lbs torque), but that would probably be "overkill" on rigs that weigh less.
As far as slides go, MY preference would be one big one in the living area and two in the bedroom. I don't care if all the floor space in the bedroom disappears with slides in (as long as we can get into the bed for the occasional parking lot overnite), so 2 slides would allow for more storage plus a little space when open. But since you need some LR floor space when slides are IN, all you gain with an extra slide in the living room is more floor space, which you give up under the awning--and unless the compartments slide out WITH the room, there are more hard-to-access storage areas.
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cruzgal
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07/05/08 03:00pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Rate your sleep sofa
1) How would you rate your sleep sofa on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being best)?
We have a 3-cushion Magic Bed Sofa by Flexsteel and I'd give it at LEAST 9 for both sitting and sleeping comfort. What we also like is the little extra space it takes when made into a bed and the fact that when the back cushions are removed, ONE person can sleep comfortably without even making it out. Last rig had a regular sofa sleeper and even though it made a queen bed, it rated about a 5 for sitting, a 3 for sleeping, plus it took the entire floor when made into a bed.
2) Do you really need a sleep sofa in a Class A?
As fulltimers, WE really need the extra bed(s) for the grandkids and occassional overnight adult guests.
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cruzgal
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07/05/08 11:41am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Which campground do you suggest in Silverton Colorado?
None of them are really "special" as campgrounds go, but the scenery in the area makes staying at any of them worthwhile--Silverton is one of our favorite places. Based on your needs for restrooms and showers, I'd probably put Molas Lake and Silverton Lakes Campgrounds LAST on the list.
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cruzgal
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07/03/08 07:53pm |
Campgrounds, Resorts and Attractions
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RE: Seattle Area
We really liked Lake Pleasant--down in a valley away from the hustle of "town" and actually feels like your in the country. Most sites have tall hedges between them which affords a little privacy even though the sites are pretty close together.
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cruzgal
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07/03/08 07:35pm |
Campgrounds, Resorts and Attractions
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RE: With My Whole Heart, Thank You for My Freedom!!!
I'd like to add my THANK YOU, too--thanks to the OP for taking time to start this thread and an even BIGGER THANK YOU to the men and women of our past and present military to whom it was addressed!
Happy July 4th to everyone!
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cruzgal
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07/03/08 06:54pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Campground Rates
$100 a night is a LOT higher than campgrounds and RV parks in most areas we've ever been, even the resort style parks. We do a lot of boondocking and when we do stay in a park, we rarely pay more than $20 a night--EXCEPT when we "splurged" last year and stayed in one of the luxury RV resorts at the beach for $50 a night. I have to admit it was worth every dollar--Nice wide, long, level paved sites, beautiful landscaping, spotless grounds, paved streets, pool and hot tub, and friendly people--not at all like the "snobs" I'd expected to encounter! In fact, we hope to spend a month there next winter and if we hit the lottery, the first thing we'd do is buy on of the lots there. But until that happens, I guess we'll just boondock a few more days to compensate. ;)
We have friends that rent a place on the beach every year for 2-3 weeks at $80 a night, and it's not even in a park so there are NO amenities. But I figure if that's what they want to do, it's none of my business. They can afford it, so why not?
BTW, we're fulltimers so we only go "camping" when we boondock and the rest of time we're simply "living" the RV lifestyle.
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cruzgal
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07/01/08 10:14pm |
Campgrounds, Resorts and Attractions
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RE: Organizing Storage Bays
Another vote for the plastic drawer-type containers! We have several different sizes, determined by the space available and what's to be stored in them. They don't add much weight and drawers can be removed for easy access to what's in them. It's a good idea to make sure the drawers are designed in such a way that they don't slide out too easily--could be a disaster when you open the compartment door after a trip on a winding road! ;) We also have some of the tubs (mostly without lids) for places or things that don't work as well in drawers, such as water hoses, charcoal grill, etc.
The compartments on our passenger side contain the most-used items and the things that we don't use as much are on the driver's side (under the slide). We only have one joey bed (with the plastic drawer containers on the front and tubs behind), but would love to have a couple more!
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cruzgal
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06/30/08 08:57am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Stench
I have to agree with those who said you'll likely never get it the same as a non-smoking unit. I like the idea of asking the owner to let you try some of the things suggested, but in order for anything to work you'd need to actually REMOVE all the things like pillow cushions, drapes and mattress.
Some of the methods described would probably help a lot, but it depends on how much of an issue it is with YOU as to whether you walk away or not. If you're one of those who can't stand even the slightest hint of smoke, this probably isn't the rig for you.
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cruzgal
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06/30/08 08:01am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Easy Way to Improve Mileage
We've found that 62 on the interstates gives us the best mileage because that seems to be the "sweet spot" for our engine/transmission combo. Since that's the speed many of the major truck lines have theirs governed to, we don't seem to pass or get passed by as many trucks because we're traveling the same speed as more of them. We've also noticed many of the owner-operator trucks on the road have also slowed to that speed--guess they've discovered the fuel savings, too!
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cruzgal
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06/30/08 07:41am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: 550 from Durango to Silverton
To be honest, I'd rather be on the Million Dollar Highway going the posted speed limit than on a 10-lane freeway with cars and trucks in all lanes going 70 mph! But everyone's comfort level is different in varying circumstances--and sometimes you don't know where that comfort level ends until you get there!
goin2themountains...where is Slickrock?
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cruzgal
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06/29/08 09:59pm |
Roads and Routes
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RE: Keeping Grease
My mother and grandmother also had the metal containers for holding bacon grease and never refrigerated it. I'd love to find one of those, but instead I use a wide-mouth quart canning jar to keep mine in and the jar sits in a plastic bin in a cabinet. NOTHING adds flavor like bacon grease! But I sure don't take any chances on it getting spilled on or in a cabinet!
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cruzgal
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06/29/08 09:32pm |
Camp Cooks and Connoisseurs
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RE: 550 from Durango to Silverton
The OP's subject line was "Durango to Silverton", but the real "FUN" part of 550 (especially in an RV) is just south of Ouray. ;) It's a beautiful drive that we've made many times, but those first few miles from Ouray heading to Silverton still make me nervous!
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cruzgal
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06/29/08 08:20am |
Roads and Routes
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RE: Discount Camping Clubs: Who do you like and why?
We've had Passport America, Good Sam and Escapees memberships since we started fulltiming 4-1/2 years ago. We frequently use PA (50% off)and have found a FEW parks that only offer GS discounts (but 10% off seems to be the standard discount). Escapees has good rates at their own parks but doesn't have as many other discount parks as GS or PA--however, at the parks they DO offer (other than their own), the discounts range from 15-50%.
WHY we like PA is that we can frequently find a spot for 1-2 nights as we're moving from Point A to Point B at a GOOD rate. Haven't found a lot of their parks that we'd really want to stay a month. We like Escapees for more than JUST the discount camping. We could actually drop our GS membership, but even 10% is better than nothing a lot of places and they have MORE discount parks than any of the others.
No experience with any other discount clubs so I really can't compare--it just seems there's a lot of overlap with PA, so we haven't seen the need.
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cruzgal
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06/25/08 07:29am |
Full-time RVing
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RE: Week, Month, Seasonal
It's rare to find a campground with monthly and seasonal rates but no sewage hook-ups at the sites. However, we plan to drycamp for a month this winter at one that has an "overflow area" with no hook-ups at all. We have enough holding tank capacity to go 2 weeks without dumping and frequently boondock for long periods and don't mind just going to the dump station a couple of times a month.
We've never seen one where you cut your own grass after a week although I've heard of some. We certainly wouldn't want to STAY there, though, since we sold our house to avoid grass-mowing! ;)
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cruzgal
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06/22/08 01:39pm |
Full-time RVing
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RE: Wal-Mart parking lot
When we are traveling from point A to point B, we use Wally World, Interstate Rest Areas and Truck Stops, in that order. We have never felt the least bit insecure or intimidated at any of the free stops. We prefer Wall Mart because of their security and the convenience of restocking. We try to park on the very perimeter under a light.
DITTO on all points! :)
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cruzgal
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06/22/08 09:30am |
Public Lands, Boondocking and Dry Camping
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RE: Golden Age/Golden Access State Park Acceptance
Arkansas State Parks offer out-of-state seniors 25% discount weekdays but no discount on weekends. Residents get 50% off weekdays and 25% on weekends. There are, however, LOTS of great COE and Forest Services parks in the state and they DO honor the federal passes.
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cruzgal
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06/22/08 09:06am |
Campgrounds, Resorts and Attractions
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RE: Things to do in SW Colorado
Lots to see and do.
1. Ride the Durango & Silverton train. This will take a day or less depending on how you schedule your ride.
2. Visit Mesa Verde. Also takes a day to see it in depth.
3. Drive up to Ouray and spend time in the hot springs and see the surrounding sights. Also a day.
4. Rent a jeep and go on a 4 wheel drive trip. Again... a days worth of activity.
5. Go fishing in one of local reservoirs.
6. Relax and do nothing... can take more than a day. :B
All excellent suggestions! Something else you might enjoy is dinner and a show at Bar-D Chuckwagon or a rafting trip on the Animas River, both in Durango.
BlackSilver's right, though--3 days just ain't enough!:B
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cruzgal
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06/22/08 09:02am |
Campgrounds, Resorts and Attractions
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