Camp Style Dutch Oven Cooking

It was in 2013 that I ordered my first two camp style dutch ovens.

I’ve added a few more dutch ovens since that picture was taken. The ones with the feet and the flat lids with the rim are the camp style dutch ovens. The charcoal briquettes or wood coals are placed under the pots and around the lid and that’s the source heat.

This was my peach cobbler cooking. There’s a formula to use for the number of coals but sometimes, the circumstances dictate that you break the rules! Saturday was pretty windy and our coals kept burning up faster than we would have liked so a few more coals were added.

The foil liners aren’t necessary but I knew there would be leftover peach cobbler and I didn’t want us to bring it home, plus it’s so much easier to clean up the pot when we’re out in the park.

Speaking of buying dutch ovens, Lodge no longer makes the 16″ so the only way to find one is at a flea market, estate or garage sale. My friend’s husband LOVES looking for things on Craig’s List or at flea markets so I asked him to be looking for one for me. Here’s our text conversation.

You would have to know this guy to appreciate the “holy bat poop” comment. I cracked up. He’ll probably manage to find me one.

There’s a local group that meets once a month and cooks . . kind of a pot luck type deal. Saturdays are so busy around here that we have to just say “we’re going . . no matter what!” and that’s what we did this past week. I kept telling myself that it’s June and it was going to be miserably hot messing with coals and the mosquitoes were horrible and we are on Weight Watchers so I almost talked us out of going but I had committed to making a peach cobbler for this get together and so we went. It actually wasn’t hot at all . . was quite nice. Maybe the amount of Avon Skin So Soft, along with the 2 cans of mosquito repellent I used kept the mosquitoes away (not really – didn’t use 2 full cans!) but the mosquitoes weren’t bad and I’m glad we went.

It was a mighty fine peach cobbler, if I do say so myself. The only thing missing was Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla ice cream and I’m telling you . . as soon as it’s back on the shelves, Weight Watchers or not, I’m making another peach cobbler, maybe half a recipe, and we’re having peach cobbler and ice cream.

Vince seems to be enjoying the dutch oven cooking and it’s something we enjoy doing together.

One guy that comes is 101 years old! What a neat guy he is. He and his wife drive themselves, bring all their supplies and make something yummy. This time they made Taco Soup which was surprisingly spicy and quite delicious.

In case you’re trying to figure it out .. it’s the guy in the apron that’s 101 . . not the old guy on the left!  🙂

I like this guy! He’s funny and enjoys himself. And . . look at the park. Green! Amazing for this part of the country. What I really like about this guy is this:

I want one of these so badly and short of a miracle, I’ll probably never have one. A semi-local hardware store had them made several years ago and of course, they sold out quickly and there are no more. How cool is that thing?

Another couple makes the best biscuits! I would love to have grabbed a handful, along with some butter and jelly and gobbled them without regard to Weight Watchers points but I didn’t.

Vince and I controlled ourselves, ate just a little peach cobbler, a little of the chocolate Texas cake, one biscuit each and the other foods were pretty much Weight Watchers friendly.  For dinner, I had a bowl of strawberries, dragon fruit and blueberries and it looks like I didn’t gain any weight so it wasn’t a bad day.