Travels with Charley

The cool camping blog. Trying to find gear, supplies, adventure and activities for the 21st century camper.

Friday, January 12, 2007

Food - Pizza on the Grille


Did you know that you could make pizza on the grille? Ok, so maybe you did. But here's the camp friendly version that doesn't require you to make rising dough and toss the crust like old Chef Boyardee. Here's our recipe for a fabulous pie. First up are the ingredients:

-Pita bread. Get the ones that are slightly bready.
-Lite Done Rite Italian Dressing
-Contadina Pepperoni Pizza Sauce
-Grated Mozzarella and Parmesan Cheeses
-Dried Oregano
-Red Onion, chopped finely
-Pre cooked pizza toppings of your choice

Tools:
BBQ Brush or fork
Spatula or tongs
Large sheet of aluminum foil or large steel mixing bowl

Get your coals or fire hot. Make sure your grille is lubed up with oil. I prefer olive oil. Brush one side of each pita with the dressing. Toss, dressing side down, onto the grille and cook until it starts to brown a bit. Take off of the grille and brush the other side with a little bit of dressing. On the cooked side apply the pizza sauce, oregano, toppings, mozzarella, onion and top with a dusting of parmesan. Place back on the grille. If you are using a BBQ grille with a lid, close it. If not cover the pizzas with the metal bowl or the tented foil to melt the cheese. When cheese is melted your pizzas are done. Slice and enjoy.

Monday, January 01, 2007

Misc Gear 2

For the new year, here are a couple of quick gear updates:


#1 Stowaway Grills - Here's a handy looking little piece of gear for cooking. With grill sizes from 6x12" to 12x24", these grills are perfect for over the campfire. And the best part is the disassemble and are stowed in a plastic tube. I love my grill when camping, but carrying it around is always a bit of a hassle. The Stowaway line solves this problem in a neat little package. This should also make it a lot easier to clean, as well.

#2 Orikaso Folding Dinnerware - We've written about these folding plates, bowls and mugs before. However, just before Christmas, I was at a local camping store with a friend and ran across their new versions. Orikaso has redesigned the dinnerware, removing the buttons and packaging them in envelopes made of the same material that can also be used as a carrying case. They have taken a cool product and made it better. Check it out.

#3 Rechargable NIMH Batteries - Nothing new here. You probably use at least some batteries while camping and traveling - flashlights, cameras and GPS units readily come to mind. Buying and using NiMH rechargeable batteries can save you hundreds of dollars per battery, if you consider that each battery can be recharged, FULLY, 500-1000 times. The new 2500-2900 milliamp/hour batteries last almost as long as alkaline batteries too. The best price I have seen for name brand alkaline AAs is .33 apiece; if you get 1000 charges, that's $333 you just saved. Thomas Distributing has a large selection batteries and chargers. I recommend one that you can use internationally - I use the MAHA-204.