Primitive Camping!

Booze Review

So, bourbon. It's not really much good for drinking, but it is a useful ingredient. We've traditionally used Old Kentucky Tavern as it posses the twin virtues of being cheap and comes in a plastic screw top bottle-the better for camping, ya know.

Well, recently our local package store introduced a new item (that's remarkable unto itself) which while not having a plastic bottle nor screw top, is equally cheap. It's also got your traditional Gonzales flag and logo, making it generally superior. Remarkably, it's rather quite good and can be used for drinking as well as cooking.

I find it excellent in a flask while shooting Stupid Squirrels. Just the ones so foolish as to be eating my figs.

Stupid Squirrels

I like squirrels, they make excellent gravy and attractive hat ornamentation. I do not however care for their decorating choices. My dish towels don't look good hanging forty feet up in trees.

Well, Guess What!

It's raining! Again! Still! It got up to 91F about a week ago. Other than that, we haven't busted out of the mid 80's since we got home from vacation...then the rains came. It's only been four days, and we're not complaining so much as bragging. We are however getting absolutely nothing done.

So here's your gardening update. In the orchard we have lemons. We have two flushes of Meyer's, and three of Ponderosa's. Some of the Ponderosa's will start ripening within the next few weeks. Oddly we have virtually no oranges. One Republic of Texas has a modest number, the others a scant handful. I've no explanation for this. Our single lime is poorly located (it needs serious freeze protection and is in the entry garden) and not very productive; in a few years that should change as it becomes better established; right now it's competing with rock roses and plumbago, and not winning. The fig is flush, but we won't mention that because Stupid Squirrels.

The bougainvillea finally is blooming a little; it likes heat. Similiarly, the Cypress Vine is finally germinating; it's maybe a foot high today; it should be covering the arbor.

The Monks/Turks Cap is blooming vigorously, as are the plumbago and salvias. The lantanas not so much, they like heat.

We're between veggie gardens. In truth, it's not worth putting out a fall garden unless I can talk one of The Princesses, or Daddio, into cutting down a couple of trees. I may abandon the Austerity Measures and pay someone to do it-don't tell, ok?

Asparagus Mimosa

This has come up a lot lately so we had to try it. I've seen lots of fun extras to crumble on top, usually bacon or Tasso, even pepperoni, but we just did it straight up with boiled eggs (apparently Mimosa means crumbled up boiled eggs, not an orange breakfast drink, who knew?). We have a special egg gadget, but most directions suggest pushing the eggs through a fine mesh seive to make fluffy 'crumbs'.



Serves six:

1 bunch asparagus, trimmed;

2 TBS Dijon mustard
2 TBS white wine vineagar
Red and black pepper

3 or 4 boiled eggs, finely crumbled


1). Whisk the Dijon and vineagar together in a shallow pan;

2). Sauté the asparagus on a hot griddle until just tender;

3). Toss in the Dijon mixture;

4). Arrange on a plate and sprinkle with the crumbled eggs.


Quick, easy, pretty, and delicious!

Angry Egg

We have a White Trash Swimming Pool here at SHG, because it gets really HOT. It's in deep shade and doesn't get over about 75F; it's under trees so it's hard to really keep clean. Shockingly, upon return from Velcro, it was kind of green and icky.

Angry Eggs are the solution. Its a yellow plastic egg filled with mysterious little chemical blocks that is tossed into the pool and instantly fills the whole thing with beer foam. In about thirty minutes the beer foam is gone and the water is remarkably improved; over the next day it gets sparkly clean and clear. It does require a lot of filter flushing, but that's a feature, not a bug, right?

Simply Divine Baked Beans by Saint C

Upon purchase of their first home as newlyweds, handily located two doors down from what would eventually become Squallor By The Sea, Saint C went to the library and copied a couple of recipes. This one rates five stars for both simplicity and flavor.


2 large cans Pork N Beans, rinsed and drained
2 yellow onions, diced
1/2 cup mustard (Bone Suckin'!)
1 cup molasses
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
3 pounds fried bacon (use the pound or so that you manage to save from The Horde), crumbled
1 TBS liquid smoke
Bourbon, just a bit

Saute the onions in some of the bacon grease, then combine all of the above in your propane slow cooker, protect from the monsoons, and cook until someone hollers for a Plattah! Serve with lots of cole slaw and ribs!

Lynn's Salad

We haven't met Lynn, but she makes a great salad! It seems to have a lot of ingredients, but it's really pretty simple; the key is to chop everything rather finely. Ideally it should have a Fig Viniagrette (good luck finding that, heh) but the dressing really isn't key; Saint C mixed up something with maple syrup and cider vineagar and called it done.

I plan to serve it eventually with souvlaki, grilled eggplant, flatbread and tzatzicki.

Serves about a dozen:

2 bunches of green onions
1 bunch of celery ribs
3 cucumbers
1 - 2 purple onions
1 bunch carrots
2 packages of chopped dates
1 - 2 generous cups of toasted, salted pecan halves
1 cup dried cranberries
1 can of mandarin oranges
1 package of crumbled feta or goat cheese
2 tbs minced fresh parsley

Mixed salad greens
Dressing(s) of your choice

1). Chop everything in about 1/4 inch (or less) dice; toss with lots of mixed greens and serve.


Here's a scaled down version, enough for about six; it was great with the souvlaki. The pecans are from SHG, simply pan toasted-spicy or honey roasted would be even better. We'll add figs, providing the Stupid Squirrels leave any:

Swirly Season!

Began many weeks ago, but really is only now getting up to a good start this year. The phone discharged on the island, so you missed the last couple of days on Velcro; never worry, it rained. We did some boating, slept in a treehouse, and climbed a mountain called Poke-O-Moonshine.

We're headed home today and of course the NHC graphics this morning feature nice yellow and orange blobs. No real reason for concern, but it sets the mood for the remainder of our summer. Of higher probability than a Swirly this week however, is an Assembly of Clan MacVile at SHG for Turkey Camp...reckon I better get busy!

Booze Cruise

The rain continues. We go boating.

The Rib Off

It's rib night, and the rains continue unabated; the four surrounding counties have been declared a Diaster Area.

On the menu: Two Plate Texas style vs Doom Asian style pork ribs, accompanied by Saint C's Simply Divine Baked Beans and Cole Slaw, and for dessert a Fabulous Fresh Fruit Trifle, whipped up by Katherine. Something approaching a dozen racks of ribs were consumed, however no real verdict was reached. Plans are being made for The Ultimate Rib Off to occur next summer at The Maine Event, which will occur possibly in association with Wooden Boat School.

Rainy Day Activities

There's really only two, eating and tunes:

The Camp

Here's a few pictures of our camp on Valcour. The Clan has assembled, and the weather is, as usual, miserable. You'll see the Commandants loo, the Cabelas Cathedral, some of our boats, and a shot of Cooking With Saint C, amongst others: