Camping and Retirement Blog - Page 6 of 18

How to Dewinterize the T@B 400

Ready to Dewinterize the T@B 400

So, you winterized your 400 and allowed it to rest during the cold weather. Perhaps, you read my post, Winterized our Camper Water System. Now, you are ready to get out there and go camping again. Fortunately, it is quite easy to dewinterize the T@B 400. For the water system, you basically just flush out the antifreeze.

Adding Water to the System

The 400 was thoroughly drained to winterize, but now is the time to add water back to the system. First, ensure the drain to the fresh water tank is closed. (It is located under the camper, near the wheel on the driver’s side.) Fill the fresh water tank about half full. The tank holds 30 gallons, so half filled is approximately 15 gallons. Do not leave the camper unattended while adding the water as damage can occur if it is overfilled.

It is best to flush the antifreeze using the water holding tank and pump because it enables the identification of leaks in the system. If the pump continues to run while faucets are closed, there is a leak somewhere.

Flushing the Antifreeze

Next, turn on the pump. Then, one at a time, turn on each water source and let it run till you can no longer see any pink antifreeze. Start with the cold water faucets in the kitchen and bathroom sinks, shower, and outside shower. Then flush the toilet until pink antifreeze is no longer visible. Lastly, turn on the hot water in kitchen sink, then bathroom sink, shower, and outside shower.

Once clear water flows through all water sources, you have flushed the antifreeze from your fresh water system. The antifreeze is now in the black and grey holding tanks and is ready to be dumped into a sewer or dump station. Do not allow it to drain into your lawn as it will kill plants.

Adjust the Bypass valve

The last step for the fresh water system is to adjust the bypass valve. It kept the antifreeze away from the hot water heater on Bypass. It needs to be set to normal to fill the hot water heater. Move the lever on the Bypass Valve from “Bypass” to “Normal”.

Other Steps to Prepare for Camping

The detailed steps above merely addresses preparing the water system for camping. Owners should also check tires, battery, propane tank, condition of safety chains, tightness of the hitch, proper seating of windows and doors, and condition of the camper exterior.

Additionally, wheel bearings should be lubricated once every year or at least every 10,000 miles. See our post, Wheel Bearing Maintenance-A Safety Necessity.

Lastly, NüCamp recommends owners to sanitize the fresh water system annually. A good time to do this is during dewinterization. A link to the nüCamp manual follows, T@B 400 Manual. The section on sanitation of the water system is on page 23.

We have Dewinterized the T@B 400

You are now ready to get out there camping in your T@B! Enjoy!

Artichokes and Hearts of Palm Pasta Salad

Artichokes

I selected artichokes as the focus of this week’s Good Friends Good Food salad. We like them at our house, but I don’t serve them very often. I had thought that it might be an opportunity for fresh artichokes, something I have never prepared. However, this was not a good week at our house for extra effort. The canned ones worked very well though.

Artichokes in a Pasta Salad

I often make a pasta salad where I throw together a variety of vegetables. It is usually quite good, but I don’t have a specific recipe. For this salad, artichokes was a given and I thought hearts of palm would be another good addition. If you look at the photo of ingredients below, you might want to call it everything but the kitchen sink pasta. Though there are quite a few ingredients, it is really easy to make. While the pasta is cooking, the dressing can be made and the vegetables can be chopped. This makes a really big bowl of pasta salad.

Recipe

Ingredients

Dressing:

1/2 c. Olive Oil
2 teaspoons Dried Oregano
2 teaspoons Garlic , minced
3 Tablespoons Wine Vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Rotini Pasta, 14.5 oz

Vegetables:

Artichokes, 14 oz, well-drained and roughly chopped
Hearts of Palm, 14 oz, well-drained and sliced
1 cup Grape Tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup Red Onion, chopped
1/2 cup Kalamata Olives, sliced
1 medium Red Bell Pepper, chopped
3 Large Radishes

Add When Serving:

Lemon Juice
Worcestershire Sauce
Mozzarella Cheese, Shredded

Directions

Combine ingredients for dressing and allow flavors to blend while preparing other ingredients.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in salted water per instructions on box. While pasta is cooking, chop vegetables and put in a very large bowl. Drain pasta and rinse in cook water. Add pasta to vegetables and then add the dressing. Stir well.

Serve in individual bowls and add as much cheese as you like. Sprinkle with Worcestershire and squeeze lemon juice over individual salads and stir to combine flavors.

In Conclusion

In short, it was a good pasta salad. Perhaps not my best ever, but quite tasty. I was shooting for some of the taste of the 1905 Salad at Columbia Restaurant. It wasn’t the same, but I liked the addition of the lemon and Worcestershire. My husband had two generous servings, so it must have been pretty good.

Artichokes and Hearts of Palm Pasta Salad

Good Friends Good Food

Check out other Good Friends Good Food dishes with the links below. Lastly, my page, Vegetables with Good Friends, Good Food, has links to other vegetables we have previously prepared.

Happy Cooking Everyone!

Edisto Beach with SE T@Bs, T@Gs, and Friends

Edisto Beach

Edisto Beach is a small island town on the South Carolina coast. There was a large gathering of members of Southeastern T@Bs, T@Gs, and Friends (SETTF) at Edisto Beach State Park and we were happy to be among them. The group met there last year as well, but we missed that one. We were blessed with great weather and a wonderful group of people to enjoy the time there.

Camping with Sophie

Sophie is our five-month old goldendoodle and she is a big part of our camping these days. This was her third camping trip and she is getting pretty comfortable with the whole thing. She is a great little traveler in the car, which is very fortunate because Edisto is 443 miles from our home.

A Stopover in Georgia

Firstly, we stopped halfway on our journey at A.H. Stephen’s State Park in Georgia to break up the trip. It is right off the Interstate and has nice shaded lots. I took a long walk around the campground and, unfortunately, injured my knee. It remained slightly swollen and sore for the rest of the trip.

Edisto Beach Campground

Above all, the Edisto trip was about being with all our friends who were camping with us. There were more than a dozen T@Bs and T@Gs at the campground. It was great to see all the like-minded campers. We had a big campsite across from the bathhouse and the only negative was a very weak cell signal.

This trip, we spent more time at the campground than usual. It is harder to get away for an extended time with the puppy and my knee was also limiting activity a bit.

Botany Bay

Botany Bay is just a few miles down the road from the campground. It is a wildlife preserve located on the site of two old plantations.

The beach at Botany Bay is a boneyard beach, much like the one on Hunting Island. It is an area where the sea has reclaimed a portion of the forest.

Sadly, we did not get to fully explore the preserve. Dogs are not allowed, so our time was limited. There is a driving tour and some historic buildings . We plan to be there again next year, so I want to explore it more fully.

Edisto Beach

The campground has a lovely stretch of beach and we visited it a couple of times. It was April and the water was cold. However, it was nice to feel the sea air and walk along the beach.

The beach is dog-friendly, so our pup was able to experience it too.

Man with dog at Edisto Beach — Sophie is allowed on the beach

Sophie seemed unsure about the incoming waves, but must have liked the overall time there because she didn’t want to get in the car when it was time to go.

Puppy enjoying Edisto Beach — Testing the water

Hanging with the Group

The wonderful group of SETTF campers was the best part of this trip. We have camped with several of them many times and consider them good friends. Also, we always meet new people who are fun to get to know.

Mexican Train was fun with Lois, Gary, Joyce, and David. We played it at one of our earlier gatherings and it is becoming a bit of a tradition.

Nightly gatherings around an expertly-built fire are also a tradition. In this Covid-19 era, potlucks have gone away, but everyone brings their drink of choice. So, it is a no-pressure, relaxing experience. With the isolation that Covid has brought, it has been so great to have this relatively safe social interaction.

This was a great trip and we were happy to see all our fellow NüCamp owners. There are other group gatherings coming up that we will have to miss, but we will camp with the group again in September.

Edisto has two campgrounds, and we were in the Live Oak Campground this trip. We have also stayed in the beach campground on our T@B 400’s maiden voyage, South Carolina Camping, First T@B 400 Trip.

Happy camping!

Street Corn in the Air Fryer, Spicy and Decadent

Street Corn

Street Corn is my offering for this week’s Good Friends Good Food cooking group. Peggy selected corn for this week and I immediately thought of Street Corn. It’s been a favorite since the first time I tasted it at a local Mexican restaurant. However, I was surprised to learn the secret ingredient was mayonnaise.

Corn is a vegetable that most people will eat, including children. However, I am afraid that my grandchildren would not appreciate what I did to it. It’s pretty spicy, but doesn’t have to be if you omit the cayenne. The cool thing about making this dish is that the ingredients are commonly on hand. Feta or Cotija cheese can be substituted and different spices can be used.

I planned to use fresh corn, but to my surprise they were totally out of it in the two grocery stores I visited. So, frozen had to do. I had to improvise cooking time, but it worked out okay.

Street Corn Ingredients

3 Ears of Corn , shucked (fresh or frozen and thawed)
Olive Oil (sprayed or brushed on corn)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Topping:

1/3 c. Mayonnaise
1/4 c. Parmesan Cheese
1 Tbsp Lemon or Lime Juice
1 tsp Lemon or Lime Zest
1/3 tsp Chili Powder
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/4 tsp Penzy’s Northwoods Seasoning
Cilantro for garnish

Directions

Because fresh corn was not available, I used frozen corn that had been thawed.

Firstly, set the air fryer at 380 degrees for 15 minutes, arrange the corn in the fryer, and brush with olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste and begin cooking.

Meanwhile, mix the sauce ingredients together. When three minutes are remaining on cooking time, check the corn. It should be beginning to brown a little and look similar to the photo below. However, if it is not beginning to brown, further cooking is needed before adding the topping.

After that, spread the topping evenly over the corn. During the final three minutes in the air fryer, cook with the topping on the corn.

Lastly, remove from fryer and garnish corn with cilantro.

Good Friends Good Food

Most importantly, look to see what others in the group are doing with corn.

In conclusion, please check out other vegetables we have prepared on my page, Vegetables with Good Friends, Good Food.

Hunting Island with SE T@Bs, T@Gs, and Friends

Hunting Island

Hunting Island State Park is a beautiful park with so much to offer. Some highlights are gorgeous beaches, a historic lighthouse, incredible marshlands, and a comfortable campground. We were there for four nights with our Southeastern T@Bs, T@Gs, and Friends group. There was a very large turnout and we really enjoy the people in this group. Consequently, we had a great time!

Getting There Via Harvest Hosts

The campground was a seven hour drive for us, per Google Maps. So, it was realistically at least nine hours with stops along the way. Therefore, we planned a one-night stopover with our first Harvest Host, Lane Orchards near Macon, Georgia. It was a good experience, overall because the store was unique and our lunch was good. Lane Orchards is on a beautiful piece of property. The only negative was a substantial amount of highway noise.

Hunting Island Campground

This was our first trip to Hunting Island. We had a nice, large spot in the campground near several of our friends from the SE group. Sites are equipped with electric and water. The biggest negative was virtually no garbage cans anywhere in the park except for dumpsters at the exit. This was also the case at the Florida campgrounds we visited last month. It was very inconvenient, but a sign of the times.

A little bird visited the campsites and seemed to have no fear of humans. He would get very close. He was a brave, little cutie!

This was the second camping trip for our puppy, Sophie. She is adapting well to the campground environment. Her trainer has us walking with her using cheese as an incentive. It was working great, but not all the time. She is very excitable.

Raccoon Invasion

After time around a campfire with our friends, we were walking back to our site when I noticed movement near our car. Suspecting raccoons, I walked to the other side and shone my flashlight around. To my shock, a raccoon was inside our car! Inexplicably, I released a blood-curdling scream that was heard back where the group was assembled. A couple of our friends came to check on us. (It’s so good to know there are people who will look out you.)

We opened the car doors and the raccoon emerged. He was able to get into the car because my husband had left the windows cracked because of a seafood smell that was in the car earlier. The raccoon left footprints all over our interior and had unzipped a bag with some dog food. He urinated on the seat and there was a wild animal smell.

It was very fortunate that we discovered the raccoon before we went to bed. A park ranger told my husband that a raccoon got into a car through a sunroof the prior year and could not get out. It completely tore up the seats of the vehicle and the headliner.

Hunting Island Attractions

There is so much to do on the island! Trails abound for hiking and biking. Several of our friends biked the island trails. It has the only South Carolina lighthouse that visitors can climb. I climbed it and was rewarded by spectacular views. Though there are about 170 steps, many platforms with information about the lighthouse break up the effort.

The Lighthouse

The Atlantic Ocean

It was just a short walk to the beach and it is a really great beach for two reasons. Firstly, it was not at all crowded. The area is a bit remote and I believe that part of the beach is just for the campground. Secondly, a portion of the beach allows dogs. So, it was a special treat for our pup.

Marshland

The island has an abundance of marshland, which has its on special beauty. The boardwalk was a really nice trail and we saw several birds.

Boneyard Beach

Because Hunting is a barrier island, its landscape is subject to many changes. Boneyard beach is an area of forest that has been reclaimed by the sea. It is a very haunting reminder of what a force of nature the sea can be.

Hunting Island Boneyard Beach — A walk among the “bones”

Creekfire RV Resort

South Carolina was a fairly long drive for us, so we tacked on a stop in nearby Savannah on our way home. We camped at Creekfire RV Resort for three nights. It is a very nice campground! One thing that was especially nice was the concrete pad—no rocks for our pup to put in her mouth and no digging.

The resort has some awesome amenities. For instance, it has a heated pool, hot tub, store, gym, and sauna. There is also a lazy River. However, it was not currently operating. We spent an afternoon at the pool and sauna and ended it with ice cream from the store. So relaxing for a warm, sunny day in early March!

Creekfire RV Resort Pool — Enjoying the pool

Savannah was just a short drive away. So, on one afternoon, we took our pup and had lunch with outdoor seating at Vic’s on the Waterfront. It was another beautiful, sunny day. Vic’s was amazing—delicious food and great service. They were also very sweet to our pup. On the way back to the campground, we purchased macaroons from a downtown store. It was a very good day!

In Conclusion

This trip had so many wonderful things. The campgrounds were stellar and we had the opportunity to spend time with friends. Our pup was still a handful, but is adapting well to camping. We are so fortunate to have experienced this trip! Lastly, if you would like to read another post about South Carolina camping, check out South Carolina Camping, First T@B 400 Trip.

Happy Camping!

Winter in Florida, Two Weeks Early in 2021

Winter in Florida

Winter in Florida, what could be better? Early last year, I booked five weeks at three of our favorite Florida State Parks. At the time, we did not have to consider a pandemic or a puppy in our plans. However, because of the pandemic and the puppy, we completely cancelled two weeks at Topsail and the first week at Tomoka State Park. Our puppy was very new to us and we did not think such a long trip was a good idea.

We had a one-night stopover at Eastbank COE, just over the Florida state line and four stops at Florida campgrounds. The campgrounds were predictable because each stop was at a campground we have previously visited and loved.

Tomoka State Park

Our longest stop was eight nights at Tomoka State Park and a couple of friends were there with us for several days. We loved seeing them, but it was bitter cold and windy for most of their stay. The pandemic made it a problem for inside visiting, so we did not get to socialize in a normal manner. However, it was wonderful to see them.

The gorgeous natural canopy at Tomoka protected us from the high winds and our awning was a great space to escape the rain.

Because of the weather, puppy, and pandemic, we spent a lot of time walking through the campground. Fortunately, it is a beautiful place with live oak trees and Spanish Moss. The beauty of it made the challenges somewhat easier.

Our puppy loved seeing all the people and their dogs. It was a great opportunity for socialization for her.

We did have a few days with warmer weather, but rain was a frequent visitor. This was very different from our visit last year to Tomoka.

Fort Clinch State Park

Fort Clinch is an awesome park, but our site was not the best. Just dirt with no gravel. It had been raining and there were muddy areas. The dirt proved to be a challenge, but we did have some good weather during our four-night stay.

There is a fabulous beach in the park. It was so peaceful and satisfying to walk on it with the gentle sea breeze blowing.

There were nesting birds on a section of the beach. I have never seen so many congregated at a single spot. Evidently, this is a normal occurrence because there was a sign asking that they not be disturbed.

The photo below is a path that leads to a lookout over marshland with a lighthouse in the distance. It was a nice little walk through some lovely vegetation.

Our only real sightseeing we did outside out of the campgrounds was a visit to Kingsley Plantation. It is Florida’s oldest standing plantation. An audio tour could be accessed via a smartphone for loads of details about life on the plantation and circumstances experienced by its inhabitants. The plantation is part of the National Park Service.

Coastline RV

Sadly, I did not get very many photos at Coastline RV. That is a shame because it is a wonderful campground. Check out our previous post, Camping in Relative Luxury if you would like to see lots of photos showing how nice it is.

We met our friends there for a couple of days on our way home. They were there for a month, but we were only there a couple of nights. It was great seeing them and the weather was not bad during this stop.

Winter in Florida Food

We had most meals in our camper, but did get to enjoy some local cuisine. At Tomoka, we had takeout from Hulls Seafood and Alfie’s Restaurant. Both were excellent. We also had carry out pizza with our friends while they were at Tomoka. The pizza was good and the company was great.

While at Fort Clinch, we had a wonderful outdoor lunch at The Sandollar. On the way to our campground, we picked up a delicious lunch at Fancy Sushi.

Lastly, when visiting our friends at Coastline, we had two nice meals at restaurants with outside seating . That was really special, food I didn’t cook and conversation with good friends. There has not been much of that in the last year. That drink below was mine—a margarita with strawberries and jalapeño peppers. It was awesome!

This was not one of our best trips because of the challenges of COVID-19, bad weather, and new puppy accommodations. Even so, it was better than staying at home and we made some progress at camping with a pet. Looking forward to getting out again soon!

Happy camping!

New Puppy and Her First Camping Trip

New Puppy

We took a camping trip with a brand new puppy after traveling for four years without any pet and after having no dog for decades. We have a precious goldendoodle, Sophie, who was three months old when we begin our two-week trip. This major change will certainly have a big impact on how we experience camping.

Sophie is such a smart girl. She is progressing well on potty training and has learned basic commands such as sit, down, stay, and leave it. But, she can be quite a handful. Biting and nipping, standard puppy behavior, is a challenge every day. So, it will be interesting how she adapts to a camping environment.

Paraphernalia and Limited Space

Our T@B 400 is a wonderful camper, but space is definitely limited. We chose a doodle predicted to top out between 35-45 pounds. She will not require a lot of room in the camper, but when you add all her stuff, it will have an impact.

Undoubtedly, the biggest use of space is her crate. We have an interim crate that is smaller than what she would need if fully grown, but it certainly takes up our dining space.

We also brought a variety of items including toys, bully sticks, a brush and comb, harnesses and leashes. I packed those in a covered box. Lastly, we needed food for the two weeks and her bowls. Whew, camping has become much more complicated!

Riding in the Car

Sophie has previously taken a couple of short trips (45 minutes one way), so we believed she would be okay riding in the car. However, we didn’t know how she would do on a much longer trip. I am delighted to say that she was a real trooper. Mostly, she slept in her crate. We made frequent stops to stretch her legs and for potty breaks. She was such a good girl in the car!

Puppy and First Night Camping

Out trip consisted of three different campgrounds with a one night stopover at a Corps of Engineers campground. This would let us know how she would adapt to new surroundings and sleeping in the camper.

Puppy in camper — Sophie’s First Night in the Camper

She slept wonderfully well in our camper, just like at home. I think she was a bit tired from the long drive, but she was a good little camper.

Three Campgrounds

We stayed at three campgrounds, Tomoka State Park for eight nights, Fort Clinch State Park for four, and Coastline for two. The awning and rug helped with the sandy site at Tomoka and the dirt site at Fort Clinch.

Hanging out on the rug at Tomoka State Park

I wish I could say that she stayed on the rug most of the time and played, but she did not. She discovered digging! So it was sand at Tomoka and dirt at Fort Clinch and it made quite the mess!

She was so sweet to have as a campsite buddy though. The potty training continued to go well and she was mostly a nice companion.

However, she would not leave sticks and Spanish Moss alone. We were constantly taking them away from her.

Campground Environments

It rained a lot at Fort Clinch and because the sites were dirt only, we had a horrible, muddy mess.

We have dealt with wet campsites before, but kept our trekking in and out to a minimum. But, that was not an option with a puppy who had to go out often.

Our last campsite was a dream for puppy camping though. Coastline RV was all bricks, concrete, and gravel.

Walking with Sophie

Sometimes, it was easy to walk Sophie. She would stay close and not pull. I began working with her to heel. At times, she did an amazing job. At other times, she became a crazy puppy. She would bite on her leash, jump upon us, and nip at our hand and clothes. It was like a switch was flipped. That part was not fun!

One thing she really loved about walking was encountering other dogs and people. She loved them and tried to go see everyone near her. That tail would be wagging like crazy! It was a joy to see all that puppy happy.

First Visit to a Restaurant

We had a very delicious lunch at Sandollar, a restaurant with outside seating on the water. It is a very dog-friendly establishment. Our server was very responsive to Sophie and gave her a big bowl of water. You can’t really tell by the picture below, but Sophie was really good. She just didn’t want to pose for a picture.

Puppy’s first restaurant visit — First Restaurant Visit

Puppy Camping Conclusion

So, our new puppy is a great little traveler. The issues we had with her, such as the biting and not behaving on the leash are issues we had at home as well. I hope she will outgrow those tendencies with proper training. The downside is that our small camper is much tighter with the three of us. We may have to get a bigger camper at some point in the future.

Lastly, if you would like to see more of our posts, check out our page, Retirement and teardrop camping!

Happy Camping from the three of us!

Mushrooms and Pasta, Fancy Camping Food

Mushrooms

Mushrooms are the vegetable for this weeks’s Good Friends Good Food cooking group. My husband and I are on a two-week camping trip, so my dish was prepared in our small teardrop camper. The only real concession was that I used my Instant Pot for its sauté function because I didn’t have a large skillet.

This is a very simple recipe for Portabella Mushrooms and Pasta that is easy to make and more delicious than you would expect. The recipe was obtained many years ago from a friend. This version has goat cheese, but the original was for feta. However, both work well in the dish.

Recipe

Ingredients

1 c. Chicken Broth
2 Tbsp Butter
2 Garlic Cloves
6 oz (2 large) Portabella Mushrooms, sliced
1 jar Roasted Red Pepper, cut into slices
8 oz. Fettuccine or Spaghetti, cooked
6 oz. Goat or Feta Cheese

Directions

Bring 3/4 c. broth, garlic, and butter in a large skillet. Next, add mushrooms and cook on high heat until tender and liquid is reduced by half.

Add red pepper to mushroom mixture and heat through. Next, add pasta and remaining broth and toss until coated.

Lastly, serve with cheese evenly placed over top.

Mushrooms and Pasta cooked in Instant Pot

This Version

This was my first time to serve this dish with goat cheese. We were shopping for ingredients in a small, gourmet market that did not have feta cheese, so I substituted the goat. It was delicious! Though there is no meat in this dish, my husband, a serious carnivore, loved it. It was also quite fancy camping food.

I always use Barilla Protein Plus for all my pasta dishes. It tastes much like regular pasta, but has more protein and fiber. I especially like it for a vegetarian dish such as this.

Good Friends Good Food Posts

Peggy’s Stuffed Mushrooms

Ulrike’s Royal Mushrooms with Cashew Nut Sauce

Lastly, my page, Vegetables with Good Friends, Good Food, has a listing of all the vegetables our group has prepared.

Pinto Beans, Baja’s Best with Modifications

Pinto Beans

Pinto beans are the focus of my dish for this week’s Good Friends Good Food offering. The category is fresh shelled beans. I needed a way to use ingredients on hand and this dish served that function.

My search for a new way to prepare shelled beans found this recipe, which hails from Epicurious, Baja’s Best Pinto Beans.

I made a few modifications, many based on recipe comments.

Recipe

The recipe that follows includes my modifications which were soaking the beans overnight, reducing the brown sugar, and adding a bay leaf.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp Olive Oil
Medium Onion, chopped
4 Garlic Cloves, chopped
Large Jalapeño Pepper with Seeds, cut in half lengthwise
1 Tbsp Dried Oregano
1 tsp Ground Cumin
5 c. Water (9 1/2 cups if not presoaked)
1 lb. Dried Pinto Beans, rinsed and soaked overnight
Large Bay Leaf
1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
1 tsp Salt

Directions

Firstly, heat oil in large pot over medium-high hear. Next sauté onion till translucent, 3-5 minutes. Add garlic, jalapeño pepper, oregano, and cumin. Cook for one more minute.

Add water, beans, and bay leaf. Stir, cover, and cook over medium-low heat for 1 hour. Remove jalapeño and bay leaf. Add the salt and sugar. Cook uncovered on medium-low heat for approximately 30 minutes or until beans are tender and most of the liquid has evaporated.

Remove from heat and coarsely mash most of the beans using a potato masher. Season with additional salt if desired.

Cool slightly and refrigerate until cold. Rewarm in nonstick saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently.

Results

The beans were slightly spicy and flavorful. I served them on a tostada shell with cheese, avocado, and chunks of browned andouille sausage. It was quite tasty.

Pinto Beans and avocado on tostadas — Pinto Beans on a tostada

I plan to serve leftovers as a dip, topped by cheese, sour cream, green onions, tomatoes, and peppers.

Good Friends Good Food Posts

Be sure to check out other ways to prepare shelled beans prepared by members of the group. My page, Vegetables with Good Friends,Good Food, has links to other vegetables.

Ellen’s Shell Beans

Kayte’s Carrots and Fava Beans Salad

Margaret’s Red Beans and Rice

Nancy

Peggy’s Lima Bean Salad

Ulrike’s Lentil Edamame Ragout

Happy Cooking!

Turnip Greens, Not Just for Luck in The New Year

Turnip Greens

Greens are the vegetable for this week’s Good Friends Good Food and I prepared turnip greens. It was my choice and I actually cooked them on New Year’s Day.

I really enjoy greens, turnip and collard greens in particular. However, I really don’t prepare them very often. They are like the forgotten vegetable at our house. They always pop into my memory around New Year’s Day. According to tradition, they represent paper money. It is very important to eat all the right foods for luck in the new year, especially if you are from the South.

Because they are so easy and nutritious, I plan to serve them more this year. Who knows, maybe the luck can extend to other days.

This rendition is just a random concoction of mine. Every time I prepare greens, I just add ingredients intuitively and have never documented quantities. I liked this version, but my husband wanted more sugar added. Pepper sauce added to individual servings and cornbread to accompany are a must!

Recipe

Ingredients

4 Tbsp Butter
I Medium Onion, diced
2 c. Water
3 Medium Turnips, peeled and diced
Large Bag Turnip Greens, Washed
1 Tbsp Horseradish
1 Tbsp Sugar
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper

Directions

Firstly, combine all ingredients in a large pan. Next, bring to a boil and simmer, covered, for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Lastly, serve with pepper sauce and cornbread.