A missing Ingredient

Wow! It's been a long time since I blogged. Sorry. I hope you had a great Dutch oven Thanksgiving. and you are getting ready for Christmas. I am going to share a couple of great Christmas recipes next week but today, I'm starting a contest.



I have a great chicken recipe that I made for 300 people at a church group a week ago and it was delicious. Well, it would have been if I had the right ingredient. I found a substitute but its just not the same. Every once in a while I get out the food processor and try to duplicate it but I just haven't got it yet. It would be so much easier if I could find a source of the sauce I use. I can't find it in stores here. I will give a way a prize to someone who can find a source. the bottle looks like this:

The Brand is Sagawa and it's called Sweet and Sassy sauce.

Okay get on your marks, Get set, Shop ... I need to know a close source, a distributors address, or website. if your source checks out, I will award a coveted Dutch oven cooking prize. Leave your comments.

untill then, Get your pots ready for Christmas. and lets make it a Dutch oven Christmas.

My Attempt at Self Promotion

By Keith Fisher

First, I have an announcement. I told you a few weeks ago, about the Klondike Cook off I created. It was held in January each year and had the inherent challenge of beating the cold while cooking. Because my schedule is currently overwhelming, My Friend Ranes Carter found a good man to take the reins of the event this year. His name is Damon Faust, and it will commence Feb 7 at 8 am for the cooks meeting. I will be judging. So stop by and say hello. It will be held in front of the Provo, Utah Sportsman’s Warehouse. See you there.

Now, Let me express my disappointment in the current contest. I made a shameless attempt at self-promotion. My friend suggested that perhaps people don’t have time to search for the answers. When one of my Dutch oven friends posted most of them, and mentioned not being able to find one, I decided they must be too hidden.

Ranes provided many of the answers from personal knowledge, so it was easier for him. I’d like to thank Cindy Beck for playing along. She didn’t really want to compete, so she provided answers that made me laugh my socks off.

So, according to rules, I must provide the solution to the questions:

• What year did I win the World Championship Dutch Oven Cook Off with my partner? 2005 Its in the bio under the picture on this blog. Go here for an article I wrote about it at the time.
  
• What do I love to do, first thing in the morning on campouts? Flip Waffles on top of a camp chef stove. See the article on this blog.
  
• Name 3 Dutch oven manufactures. Lodge, Campchef, Maca, Texport, GSI. There are others I have also mentioned in the blog.
  
• What is the name of my Dutch oven website (not my blog)? Uvdutch.com. Technically, I named it Utah Valley Dutch Oven Days, but I lost the banner and haven’t replaced it. I also maintain the K N Fisher Writer’s website. I still need to come up with a catchy name. Maybe it can be the subject of another contest?
  
• What does the picture show on top of the picture scrapbook page? Me and my partner being interviewed by a local TV personality after winning the World Championship in 2005.
  

There you have it. Congrats to Ranes Carter for providing most of the answers I’m sorry if I made it too difficult. I promise the next one will be easier.

Next time, on the blog, I’ll post a wonderful recipe for spring. It’s time for the weather to change don’t you think?

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Moving Up the List/Another Contest

by Keith Fisher

I perused the Google images to find inspiration for this blog and noticed something. I found I was listed on the third page back, but it was my website, not this blog. The website is pretty much static, so, it should be farther back. Don’t get me wrong I’m glad to be there, but since I post on this blog twice a week, it should be listed closer to the front. It took a while, but I finally found the blog after searching several more pages.

Could you help me out? I need an ego boost. Tell your friends about this blog and encourage them to come and leave comments. If we get enough hits, this page will move closer to the front, and I will be very happy. In fact if you get someone new to visit, tell them to drop your name and I’ll put you in a drawing for a special prize.

To help out in this situation, I think it’s time to give something away. This time, in order to win, you must leave a comment here, and leave your answers in an email (unless you want to give the answers away) bloggame57 at yahoo dot com.

At this point in the game, an announcer named John comes on and tells us what prize we can win. Since we don’t have an announcer, or the money to pay one. Shoot, we aren’t even on television. I guess I’ll have to show you.


This is a never been viewed, VHS copy of Cookin’ Outdoors with Johnny Nix. He is the host of a cable program called Campfire Café and he talks the viewers through their first time experience with outdoor cooking. It’s even entertaining for old time camp cooks.

Here’s what you have to do to win. Email your answers to five questions.

1. What year did I win the World Championship Dutch Oven Cook Off with my partner?
   
2. What do I love to do first thing in the morning on campouts?
   
3. Name 3 Dutch oven manufactures.
   
4. What is the name of my Dutch oven website (not my blog)?
   
5. What does the picture show on top of the picture scrapbook?
   

All of these answers can be found on this blog, or my Dutch oven website. in the event of a tie, we will draw names from a pot.

There you have it. Feed my ego, and I’ll put your name in the drawing. Answer the questions and win a free video. Until then, the best way to beat the cold is to light a fire and cook over it.

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Shopping the Essentials—A Christmas List

By Keith Fisher

As promised, Today we’re going shopping. This article is for those who will be buying Christmas Presents for you.

But first, As I announced last time we will announce the winner of the Chuck Wagon Dinner bell. As you might recall, We’re having a contest, drawing really. The only thing required was to share your favorite food combination.

We received some great suggestions. Some were a bit odd, others were down right delicious. All were appreciated, since we love to see the responses of those who read this blog. To all of you, thanks for playing. Stay tuned for the next one, however, because I have two more dinner bells to give away at another time.

On second thought, I think I’ll wait and announce the winner at the bottom.

When I started cooking in Dutch ovens. I had one pot, a 12-inch, a borrowed stand for cooking on, and a chimney starter that uses burning newspaper to light charcoal. Now, after 20 years, I have a much larger collection of equipment. So lets get started shall we?

Lets assume you already have a Dutch oven, and a table to cook on. Now you need a way to start charcoal. I only have one suggestion, when you place fire in one end of a tube it travels to the other end, because of a magical principle called draft. There are many types of Chimney starters on the market. My first one had a bottom so I couldn’t set it on a propane burner. Now I have that option.

Once they are hot, you will need to move the coals. I’ve seen a pair of pliers used, and one man used leather gloves. But unless you have a pair of tongs life can be difficult. I’ve done it though, We cooked for a large group up the canyon one time and I forgot the tongs. I used a fireplace shovel to move and place the coals. Everything took longer but it turned out okay.

Next, whether it’s a Goncho hook, forked stick, or commercial type, you will need a lid lifter. I recommend the Mair. It provides positive pressure so the lid won’t slip, and there are three sizes. 8-inch, 14-inch and one you can use for Dutch oven on the ground. You can get yours for around fifteen dollars.

Now you have lifted the lid to stir and add ingredients. Where are you going to set it? On a dirty rock, the ground, or on a lid holder. I use the commercial kinds of lid holder, but I prefer my hand-made, three legged, trivets and many cooks use three horseshoes welded together, propped up with bolts welded to the bottom. A lid holder also comes in handy when you need to set a hot pot on a plastic table. Also it will prop an inverted lid to use as a serving plate.

Dutch ovens are considerably hotter than hot potatoes, and sooner or later you will need a pair of leather gloves. Dutch oven manufacturers make good ones, or you can get a pair of welding gloves. I use a pair of work gloves that cover my wrists and part of my forearm. Whatever you choose, Remember, your gloves must be loose enough to fall off you’re hand if you shake it off. Leather is a natural protector against burns, but many cooks have been burned when the leather got too hot.

There you have it, a list of essentials. There are other things like spoons, vegetable oil, and matches, but that’s a no-brainer. I would mention that since it’s Christmas you might look into Maca Supply in Springville, Utah. They manufacture custom made lids for their ovens. For a price, they will cast your name or other special message into the lid

Also, Campchef offers a special propane stove. It combines a two-burner stove with an oven below. Now you can use an oven on a pick-nick table in the mountains. Of course don’t tell them I said it but that’s what I use Dutch ovens for. I can bake anything in my cast iron pots that I can bake in a kitchen oven. Now I can take the kitchen oven with me.

While we’re on the subject, there are many camp kitchens on the market. I have one, that never comes out of the shed but if I were to buy another, I would get one that has a kitchen sink. Operation is simple, a hose connects the drain to a five gallon bucket or, water container. Drain water is then carried away from the camp.

Some of the luxuries include: Propane burners, Tables & chairs. Injection needles, portable shelters, and water coolers. You might want to make a list when you go to the store. there are brushes and tables. dishtowels and plates. Cast iron getting heavy? take a look at aluminum.

Most sporting goods stores, some drugstores, price club, and even supermarket, sell these things. There is, however, something to be said for the big box Sporting goods store. In the area where I live, there are two. Sportsman’s warehouse and Cabela’s each store has a large variety of camp cooking equipment. Each store specializes in some things the other doesn’t. I’ve had more dealings with Sportsman’s Warehouse so I’m partial to them, but I recommend you take your loved one shopping and spend an hour looking at your must have item. They will get the message.


Okay, are you ready? drum roll please . . . I put everyone's name on a piece of paper. put all the papers in a 5-inch Dutch oven. Waited for my 11 year old daughter to come home. she drew a name and the winner is . . . Nichole Giles . . . . Yay! Congrats Nichole. let me know where I can send your New Chuck Wagon Dinner bell. Thanks again everyone, for participating and remember . . . I still have two more left. look for the next contest and come back often. Oh, and , if I don't see you, Merry Christmas.

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A Couple of Things . . .

By Keith Fisher

I had another birthday this week. Normally I would be depressed but not this year. As time passes, and I get older, I noticed that thoughts and ideas don’t remain in my head as long as they used to. I’ve found a need to write things down. A few months ago, I accepted an invitation to offer a prayer in Sacrament meeting. Not only did I forget, I was late for the meeting, so I sat in the foyer.

Last week, I looked at the program, and watched the assigned person go up front to pray. Suddenly, my invitation came back to me. I looked around the chapel, wondering if my ward thinks I’m a total flake.

As I get older, I tend to remember the past and wonder about the youth of today. I see them make the same mistakes I did, Oh how easy life is to live in retrospect.

So I celebrated another birthday with gratitude for another year. Of course, life hasn’t gotten easier, but I’m grateful I don’t have to make the mistakes of my youth. So, my young colleagues might poke fun at me for letting a prayer commitment slip my mind, but I get to smile peacefully, when I see their mistakes.

A while back, Your LDS Neighborhood started an online radio station. We bloggers were asked to check it out. Because of the age thing, I forgot. (I know it’s a lame excuse, but I’m sticking with it.) I finally checked it out and it’s great.

Great LDS music, spiritual and otherwise. Also, thoughtful and pertinent interviews, and commentaries. I can open it up in a small window and work on my computer with a peaceful feeling. Thanks LDS Neighborhood for the boost in my prospective. Check it out Here.

I also need to update the contest. We have been receiving a lot of great food combos and each one is entered in the drawing. I want to hear from all of you and I know it’s hard to leave a comment, so send an email to bloggame57 (at) yahoo (dot) com I will enter you in the contest. So far, it’s been going great, but if you want to ring in the New Year with your new Chuck Wagon Dinner bell, you’d better send me your food combo idea.

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On Your Mark, Get Set, Go

By Keith Fisher

Since Christmas is fast approaching, and since I promised in a previous blog. It’s time, once again, for a contest.

I was thinking about foods that go together the other day. You know, dishes that taste great separately, but when they are combined with another dish, the combination becomes an iconic dish. Foods like, cheese and crackers, beef and potatoes, or chicken and dumplings. I love to drink a glass of milk with a tuna sandwich, even with pizza, but when you combine my glass of milk with chocolate sandwich cookies, my milk becomes a taste treat.

Can you think of your favorite combination? List your favorites like Corned Beef and Cabbage, and I’ll put your name into the drawing. You could win a brand new, Lodge Chuck Wagon dinner Bell. Leave your favorites in the comments section, and I will announce the winners on December 26. Good luck.



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Update

By Keith Fisher

Well, its time for the big announcement, how many Jelly beans were there anyway? You will remember two weeks ago when I started a guess how many, contest? I am pleased by the number of responses it received, so pleased, in fact, that I think I’m sold on the idea. Check back often to see the new contests and send me an email if you have any ideas.

I discovered to my shame, however, that I had my comments feature limited to Blogger members only, so some of you weren’t able to participate. For this oversight I am sorry. I have reset my settings and it won’t happen again. You can always reach me at bloghole57(at)yahoo(dot)com please feel free to send me an email but please don’t send spam.

Now, I know you are waiting with baited breath, so to speak, but I want to talk about something else and drag out your apprehension.

What do you think of my desktop? I stole it from the Internet. I used to wish I’d been born a hundred years earlier so I could be a chuck wagon cook, but with all the group cooking I’ve been doing this summer. Not that I haven’t enjoyed cooking for my guests, I’m just not sure I could keep up the pace. Chuck wagon cooks had to break camp, hang around the herd for the noon meal, then race to the next campsite, get set up, make coffee then make supper. He also stopped along the way, picking up firewood.

After dinner, he’d get to bed because he had to be awake long before the others. He had to light the fire, get coffee on, and put some kind of breakfast together. Clean up and start all over again. I’m not sure, but I think that’s how chuck wagon races got started at rodeos. The cook always got the bellyaching from the cowboys. Of course the cook learned how to get even by giving the nice guys good food and the complainer got the garbage.

Yeah, life is different today, with modern inventions like refrigeration I can cook fresh meat. I use the best ingredients my grocery store can provide and its only two blocks away. I get to cook on a raised table instead of in the fire. I use positive pressure lid lifters instead of forked sticks. I can have a cold glass of milk with my meal because the bag of ice in my cooler. Yeah, life sure is different.

So are you ready to find out who guessed correctly?

You know I went to the large retail sporting goods store the other day. I looked at the enamelware. Lots better than the tin plates, cups, and rusty spoons the old cooks had to use. Yes, sir, things sure are different. I noticed all the fancy do dads in the camping section. Sleeping bags that keep you warm in the arctic, folding cots that keep you off the ground. Not like the old cooks who had to freeze to death all night, battling hard rocks and a thin blanket. Yep, things sure have changed.

But I digress . . . Time to announce the winner—did I ever tell you about . . . okay, okay, drum roll please—it took an hour to painstakingly count ever single bean—I had to restrain myself from eating any—okay I ate a few . . . but not after I counted. I counted in tens and wrote it down. For awhile I thought we had a winner who guessed within four of the actual number, then another guess came in. The correct number was—did you ever hear about . . . okay the correct number was 741. The winner is Randall Mcneely—he guessed 743.

I’m really impressed with Ranes Carter from the Storm Mountain Chapter of International Dutch Oven Society. I’m sure he owns one of these Dutch ovens and could have cheated. It’s obvious he didn’t.

Randall I’ll be in touch with you by email and you can make arrangements to get your prize. I’d be glad to help you get started with your Dutch oven madness. Maybe we can put a class together and invite all the authors we know.

Drop by again and check the new contest, what ever it will be.

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Breaking the Ice and Other Fun Things

By Keith Fisher

Last time, I told you about the backyard party that I planned to throw at my house. My group of blog writers had been planning to get together forever and I finally offered to cook. When the guests arrived, I had been cooking for hours. I made roast beef to die for, and the easy baked beans recipe I posted a few weeks ago. Also the peach and cherry cobblers were great with ice cream. My guests brought a delicious pasta salad, watermelon, and drinks.

Needless to say, we ate a good meal, and the conversation held the interest of those of us who write. Our spouses, however, though patient, were probably bored. I realized I’m out of practice. I used to plan great parties with get acquainted games, guessing games, and other things to do, along with good food.

There are many things you can do to make your party interesting. It’s always a good idea to have a separate table for the kids. A piñata comes to mind for a party with a lot of kids, but have you ever thought of doing one for adults? Instead of candy and kid’s toys, you could fill it with adult stuff. You’d be surprised how fast adults loosen up when greed is involved.

Have you ever tossed a water balloon into the middle of a circle of aged adults on a sweltering hot summer day? I did, last year at a family reunion. The old folks barked as you might’ve guessed, but I saw the look of relief, the hey that feels good look came on their faces and you’d be surprised how fast they were involved in a water fight. The trick got the old folks off their lawn chairs and gave them a refreshing activity while they waited for the Dutch oven dinner I cooked. A little warning though, you might really tick someone off, so you’d better make sure of your guest’s sense of humor before you try this.

I’m sure you can come up with your own activities for your backyard party, but let me tell you about one of my favorites. Find a decorative container. Use a clear glass one if you want to make it easier. Fill it with candy corn or something people are familiar with. Make sure you count them but don’t tell anyone. Ask your guests to guess how many, and write their guesses on a piece of paper. You collect the papers and at the end you give the container away to the one who was right. It’s cheap and fun and your guests will remember it.

Now that I’ve mentioned a few icebreakers for your party, I want to announce a contest. This is a 5-inch Lodge, Dutch oven, manufactured in 1988. It’s filled with Jelly Belly, jelly beans. Guess how many? Write your guesses in the comments section and I’ll announce the winner on this blog in two weeks.

If more than one of you guesses correctly, the person who posted first wins. The winner will get a real, 5-inch Campchef Dutch oven, with an evergreen scented candle inside. You must make your own arrangements to get it from Orem, Utah to where you live.

I’m going to put you on your honor. DON'T CHEAT! I realize you could get a 5-inch Dutch oven, and count jellybeans, but what would be the fun of that? Keep in mind, however, Lodge doesn’t make this oven anymore. They replaced it with a slightly larger size. On your mark, get set, go.

In the mean time send me your ideas for icebreakers and I may use one at my next backyard party.

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