Last weekend, while most sane Southerners were sleeping in cozy, warm beds, my not-so-sane family (this would include my parents, sister, brother, & their families) were sleeping in a tent in the mountains of Tennessee.   Now for a gal who is partial to the Hilton, this was serious roughing it.  But, my family adores this time and looks forward to it every year, so I go along like a good mommy, daughter & sister.

Now, truth be told, we couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful weekend; completely clear with an average of 55 during the day and 29 at night.  Ideal camping weather, right?

riding bikes around camp ……..

Yes, camping makes us hungry.  So, what do you eat when you are out in the great outdoors?  This is Audley’s domain, so take a peak at our weekend of feasting.

Steak & Eggs for breakfast ……

Hamburgers & Hot Dogs for lunch…..

And a fabulous low-country boil for supper!

my outdoor kitchen

{Just because you are out in the wild doesn’t mean you have to look wild!}

I love a low-country boil as it is a wonderful one-pot supper that everyone involved can contribute to.  It’s not difficult at all, and it’s a meal you can serve indoors or out.  Can’t beat that can you?

Here is how we did ours.  With no stove available, my brother-in-law brought his turkey fryer which we filled with water and brought to a boil.

Once boiling, we added corn-on-the-cob and small red potatoes.  We also added four bags of shrimp boil seasoning.  OLD BAY is the best for this, hands down!

When the potatoes reached an acceptable degree of tenderness, we threw in some andouille sausage, then seven pounds of fresh shrimp, cooking until the shrimp were a lovely shade of pink.

You can also add such delights as crab-legs or crawfish, but we chose to keep ours simple.

 

 

 

My sister making a delicious homemade cocktail sauce

The easiest was to serve this outdoors is to cover your table with several layers of newspaper or cardboard (our “plate” of choice) and after draining the water from the pot, dump it all out on the table.

 

 

Then everyone can just fix a plate or sit around the table and fest on all this yummy goodness!

And kudos to my wonderful weekend chef!

While I always end up having fun camping, I am always to get back home to my warm house and kitchen.

So tell me dear friends, do you ever venture out into the great outdoors?


Linking up to Foodie Friday this week.  Stop on over and see what else is cooking!