The Weather Outside is Frightful. So?

By Keith Fisher

Since LDS Neighborhood usually posts on Thursday, I would imagine you are reading this on Christmas Day. I hope you heard the Whos of Whoville singing their welcome if not, here is a part.

Fah who for-aze!
Dah who dor-aze!
Welcome, welcome Christmas Day.

So how did you make out for Christmas? Are you knee deep in new cast iron? I hope so. I hope you are able to have the kind of Christmas you want. I pray you are able to give to those in greater need and you will find the Joy that comes from the season. May God Bless you and yours through the coming year.

Now get out there. Shovel the snow away, and cook Christmas dinner. Jackie Poulter of Provo, Utah made the recipe below at Klondike Cook off 2004.

Oh the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful. The charcoal is burning bright. Let us cook, let us cook.

GREEK HAMBURGER STEAKS

14 INCH DUTCH OVEN
400 DEGREES
20 COALS TOP/14 COALS BOTTOM

2 - POUNDS GROUND BEEF
3 - LARGE EGGS
1 - TEASPOON SALT
2 - TABLESPOONS OREGANO
1 - TABLESPOON BLACK PEPPER
1-2 CUPS FLOUR

MIX TOGETHER BEEF, EGGS, AND SPICES. SHAPE INTO LARGE SIZE PATTIES.
DREDGE IN FLOUR COATING LIGHTLY.
BAKE AT 400 DEGREES UNTIL DONE.
SERVE WITH GRAVY.

GRAVY
10 INCH DUTCH OVEN
12-16 COALS BOTTOM HEAT

4 - TABLE SPOONS BUTTER
1/2 CUP FLOUR
1/2 TEASPOON BLACK PEPPER
3 TABLESPOONS BEEF SOUP BASE
4 - 6 CUPS MILK

MELT BUTTER IN DUTCH OVEN, STIR IN FLOUR, AND PEPPER TO MAKE A PASTE. ADD 4 CUPS MILK, AND SOUP BASE SLOWLY STIRING CONSTANTLY.
COOK UNTIL THICK, ADD MORE MILK IF NEEDED.

PS Congrats to Nichole for winning the Chuck Wagon Dinner Bell.

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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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The Old Black Pot

by Keith Fisher

I planned to take you shopping for cast iron Christmas presents today. (Best laid plans). Anyway, I'm going to save that for next time. So, if you have Dutch oven and campcooking equipment on your Chrsitmas list this year, and if people ask you what you want, send them to the next blog and I'll show you, and them, what to look for.

In the meantime, The contest is going well. I've decided to announce the winner in the next blog. It will give me time to send the prize before Christmas.

I have a couple of treats for you today. One, is a poem alledgedly written by Bruce Kiskaddon (1878-1950). The other, is this great picture taken between 1887 and 1892.

You mind that old oven so greasy and black,
That we hauled in the wagon or put in a pack.
The bisquits she baked wasn't bad by no means,
And she had the world cheated fer cookin' up beans.
If the oven was there you could always git by,
You could bake, you could boil, you could stew, you could fry.

When the fire was built she was throwed in to heat
While they peeled the potaters and cut down the meat.
Then the cook put some fire down into a hole.
Next, he set in the oven and put on some coals.
I allus remember the way the cook did
When he took the old "Goncho" and lifted the lid.

He really was graceful at doin' the trick.
The old greasy sackers they just used a stick
Boy Howdy! We all made a gen'l attack
If the hoss with the dutch oven scattered his pack.
You mind how you lifted your hoss to a lope
And built a long loop in the end of your rope

You bet them old waddies knowed what to expect.
No bisquits no more if that oven got wrecked.
We didn't know much about prayin' or lovin'
But I reckon we worshipped that greasy old oven.
And the old cowboy smiles when his memory drifts back
To the oven that rode in the wagon or pack.

Tips for today:

-Buy an 8-inch Dutch oven and bake a fruitcake. Clean the outside and oil it. Replace the lid and tie a bow on the oven. Your Friends will love the cast iron gift so they won't re-gift your fruit cake. They'll eat it so they can use the Dutch oven.

-Start planning Christmas dinner now. You might have to shovel snow off the patio but it's worth it. Make it simple try this:

Chicken with Onions and peppers

Chicken breasts
1 red bell pepper lrg.
1 green bell pepper
1 large onion
Amounts vary depending on number of chicken breasts.

Heat up a Dutch oven on bottom heat while dicing the vegetables. Then, add chicken and spices to taste. Roast with 9 coals on bottom and 15 on top until chicken is tender. Add BBQ sauce, sweet and sour, or cream of chicken soup for variation.



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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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Finding Dad for Christmas

By Keith Fisher

On a cold winter day 22 years ago, I had worked the graveyard shift the night before, so I was sleeping in my apartment. I got a phone call from my aunt telling me that someone had called her and my dad had been in an accident at work.

I woke up quickly and listened to the sketchy details. He had fallen from a great distance, had been revived a couple of times and was on his way via Life Flight to LDS Hospital in Salt Lake. I picked up my brother and booked it up north to find out more.

Our family began a vigil that would last several months. I found my mother in the waiting room and learned more details. Dad was a millwright/welder. He worked construction, and had been working on the power plant at Castledale, Utah. The crew had been mounting venting units in the ceiling. Dad had started across the beams, to retrieve a needed tool, while the crew waited. He stepped on a loose piece of grating and fell an estimated 90 feet, hitting beams and cable trays on the way down.

Several questions came to mind while we waited for him to be brought up to ICU. Would he die? Would he be crippled? Would he ever be able to work again? The big question was when, and where, could I give him a blessing?

While working in Castledale, Dad had been staying in his camp trailer, parked in his uncle’s driveway, in nearby Orangeville. My Great Uncle Dave was a patriarch and had expressed to me his profound regret that he hadn't been able to give Dad a blessing before he left Castledale. Uncle Dave made me promise that I would give Dad a blessing.

Myriad emotions passed through my heart while I waited to see my father. I walked the halls outside ICU. I watched many people deal with the grief of having hurt loved ones in the hospital. Finally the doctors stabilized Dad’s condition enough to bring him upstairs. To say he looked nothing like himself would be an understatement. His appearance was that of a lump of flesh. It shocked me and brought tears to my eyes.

After much pleading, the nurses allowed a few of us to go into his room and give him a blessing. I was able to fulfill my great uncle’s wishes. I knew Dad would be okay. I also knew it would be a long time before he would be well.

The vigil continued. As the days went on, my mother began to worry about Christmas. She had always made a big production out of the holidays, but this year she wanted to stay with Dad. We finally talked her into going home. She stayed Christmas Eve and went back to the hospital on Christmas night.

While we were together, we tried to make merry, but someone was missing. Understandably, our conversation turned to Dad, and Mom mentioned how he’d bought her a special gift. She didn’t know where he’d hidden it, but she didn’t care. I went looking. When I finally found it in his shed, I was touched by the magic. Dad had placed it with care and pride. I imagined what he must have felt as he hid the gift in anticipation of the holiday. He was happy to be able to give that gift to his wife.

At my mother’s request, I drove to Orangeville. She wanted me to bring Dad's camp trailer home. Uncle Dave gave me the personal effects the paramedics had taken from Dad, along with his stuff from work. I began to go through it all. I felt as though I was looking at a snapshot of a moment in my father’s life. I knew what he’d made for lunch that morning. I knew how much money he had in his pockets. I fingered the tools from his coveralls, and I was touched.

I think we all tend to immortalize our parents, but in that moment, I was given a glimpse into the humanity of my dad. I learned that in many ways, he is just like me.


Dads recovery wasn’t easy, in fact he was never the same, but the insights I was given during his blessing came true. There have been many times since then, when he should’ve died, but God continues to bless us with Dad’s life. My mother often talks about that Christmas and is grateful that Dad survived. She feels he was her Christmas gift, but I remember it as the Christmas I discovered my Dad.


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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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Disaster at the North Pole

NORTH POLE, Top of the World, Dec, 2008 (UPI via COMTEX) – Reliable sources say Christmas may have to be canceled, Santa’s been pumping Iron.

A source at the North Pole said today, “It’s a disaster. Santa has changed.” Others were quoted as saying, “How can we have Christmas? The big guy went buff.”

Of course not everyone is complaining. Santa’s reindeer are taking it easy. “Pulling the sleigh is like pulling a feather, now that Santa slimmed down,” Donner said. “I didn’t want to say anything before, but the past couple of years has taken the prance out of my step,” Prancer said. “But now, I've been skipping through the sky.”

We asked Bernard, the chief elf, what happened? “Well, he’s been delivering too many heavy Dutch ovens. He gets too much execise lugging them around, and four cookies and a glass of milk. just isn't emough to replenish his portly stature. Sometimes he doesn't even get that much." When asked what they would do now, Bernard said, “I don’t know. We’re going to have an emergency meeting of the Elf's union local 911 to bounce ideas around.”

He suggested that all those good boys and girls who got Dutch ovens last Christmas take them out of the box this year, and cook something for Santa." "It’s the least they can do," Bernard said. "Give back a little of what they received.”

We asked Doctor Mortimer, Santa’s personal physician, about Santa’s condition and he told us, "Santa's on a strict diet of 5 meals a day, along with forced resting. He's watching reruns of Gilligan’s Island to get his jolly chuckle back."

So there you have it. The elves are sure that Santa will be back, but you can help out. You can cook a 4-pot meal on Christmas Eve, and give it the the Jolly Old Elf. (Especially if you want a Cast iron gift this year.



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