Entries for October 2011

“The 2012 Winnebago Sightseer 30A is simply an amazing floorplan,” said Winnebago Industries’ Vice President of Sales and Marketing Roger Martin. “Amazing in that you won’t believe the amount of space and features found in this gas powered Class A coach. The 30A certainly lives much larger than its 31-foot length – seeing is believing in this case.” The double slide Sightseer 30A features a new innovative, extendible sectional U-shaped dinette that take...

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If a RV park with pure white sand and uncrowded beaches sounds like heaven on earth to you, check out Topsail Hill Reserve State Park! Topsail Hill Reserve State Park is located in Santa Rosa Beach, 10 miles east of Destin, Florida.  Topsail has been named one of ReserveAmerica’s top 10 spots for “Amazing Locations”, “Fishing Spots”, “Hiking Trails”, “Tours and Events”, and “Unique Cabins”. Topsail features 178 RV sites wi...

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If you're the adventuresome type and you love New Mexico hot foods, you will have to try some of these Hot Cocktails!  Mango-Ginger-Habanero Daiquiri For the Ginger-Habanero Syrup:  1 cup sugar 1 habanero chile, seeded 2 oz. fresh ginger, sliced   For the 7 Spice Powder: 2 parts each ground cinnamon, ground fennel and ground ginger 1 part each ground Szechuan peppercorns, ground cloves, ground star anise, an ground cardamom   For the cocktail: 2 oz. 10 Cane Rum o...

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Tailgating has taken the place of picnics in America.  It's what we do now. While football games are the standard for tailgaters , Nascar, concerts and even polo matches have large crowds of tailgaters these days . Tailgating can be an unruly affair or a statement of style.  Tailgaters become communities of food lovers and friends as well as friendly rivals.  It's like a great American neighborhood! Everyone has their own idea of what tailgating is from the set up to the food....

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According to legend, the Cobb salad was created at the Brown Derby Restaurant in Hollywood.  As with many "how this began stories" We don't know how much is actual fact, but the official story from the Brown Derby is that one night in 1937, Bob Cobb, then owner of The Brown Derby, prowled hungrily in his restaurant's kitchen for a snack. Opening the huge refrigerator, he pulled out this and that: a head of lettuce, an avocado, some romaine, watercress, tomatoes, some cold breast of chicken...

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Just as there are social norms you’re expected to know on land, you’ve got to know certain basic rules of boating etiquette if you’re going to be spending any time at all on the water. While it may feel like you’re the captain of your nautical domain, remember that a little consideration for your fellow boater can go a long way toward avoiding any misunderstandings or conflicts. You are responsible for your own wake and any damage done by it. If you’ve caused bo...

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Mercury Marine's new 150-horsepower FourStroke outboard received a prestigious innovation award this week at the International Boatbuilders Exhibition and Conference (IBEX) in Louisville, Ky. The 150 FourStroke, which will be available to consumers in December, was recognized by judges for its excellent fuel efficiency, light weight and performance, according to a news release Wednesday from Mercury Marine. The 150-horsepower engine is designed as the "ultimate outboard" for many boat types, ...

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 My best friend Leslie served this soup for a Halloween party.  It's become a favorite and regular dish at our house.  Thanks Leslie! LESLIE’S CREAMY GREEN CHILE CHICKEN SOUP FOR BASIC SOUP: 2- 8 OZ. PACKAGES CREAM CHEESE 3 CANS CHICKEN BROTH 4 GREEN CHILES (0R 1 CAN) 1/2 CUP CREAM OR HALF AND HALF SALT TO TASTE (YOU CAN DOUBLE THIS FOR A LARGE CROWD)   BLEND INGREDIENTS, EXCEPT THE CHICKEN, IN BLENDER(I DO IN 2 EQUAL BATCHES) POUR INTO LARGE STOCK PAN AND H...

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This San Francisco creation has been claimed to be created by almost every Joe who's owned a restaurant in the Bay area.  It's one of my all time favorite dishes for a quick brunch and easy to make in a small travel trailer galley because you only use two pans. With the addition of ingredients as basic but as unlikely as ground beef and spinach, the namesake cook (probably Italian-American) turned straightforward scrambled eggs into a distinctive treasure of tastes. For a full sense of p...

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Here's an honest to goodness real letter sent to Dear Abby.  How would your answer compare to hers? Dear Abby:  I recently bought a small travel trailer that I use for weekend fishing trips.  My dog, Goldie, accompanies me on these short trips and sleeps with me on the only bed in the trailer.   My wife, Shirley, is now expecting to go on some of my fishing trips with Goldie and me.  The problem is, Goldie is used to sleeping with me, and I believe she should h...

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Black Beans are a delicious change from pinto beans and make a rich and thick soup.  Make it as hot as you like with the heat level of chile you choose to put in it! Black Bean and Sausage Soup       1 pound dried black beans (about 2 cups), rinsed, soaked in 4 quarts of water overnight or 6 hours, drained          1 lb smoked sausage, sliced thick          2 bay leaves  &nb...

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A couple of years ago Connie (my wife) and I took a trip up the Alaska Highway in our 2005 Winnebago Sightseer.  Some of the sights we saw were pretty cool.  Many of the animals that live in that area of the world hang out pretty close to the road, and when you’re traveling in a motorhome, it’s pretty easy to just pull over and enjoy the view. The Alaska Highway technically starts in Dawson Creek, British Columbia Canada and ends in Delta Junction Alaska, but there are m...

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You will love this cornbread with green chili, corn and cheese mixed in! 1 cup buttermilk 1 cup cornmeal 1 cup flour 1 Tbs. salt 1 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. soda 1 egg 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1 can (8 oz.) whole kernel corn, drained 1/2 cup chopped green chili 2 cups grated longhorn cheese Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan with Pam. Add corn meal to buttermilk and set aside. Combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, egg and oil.  ...

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My husband Jack loves beans of every kind, well except for Lima beans, which I love!  When we are on the road in our Monaco Vesta motor home I will cook a pot of beans about every week and bake New Mexican cornbread to go with them. One week we were traveling through Missouri and decided to make a stop to see the St. Louis Botanical Gardens. One of our guide books gave it a high recommendation.  We lucked out and got a space at the St. Louis RV Park for two nights.  It&rsq...

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1 oz vodka 1/4 oz Crown Royal® Canadian whisky 1/4 oz gin 1/4 oz amaretto almond liqueur 2 oz orange juice 2 oz cranberry juice grenadine syrup   Fill glass half full with ice and add the vodka. Put in the cranberry and orange juice next, then float the other liquors. Add grenadine to color, mix and garnish with a straw and a lemon.

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You will discover an amazing amount of things to see and do in Carlsbad, other than the famous Carlsbad Caverns, which is a must see of you are visiting this area of New Mexico.  However, if it's the bat flight you're most interested in seeing, the bats go south in October and return in March.  Other attractions to explore and enjoy include the Living Desert Zoo and Garden Park, Brantley Lake State Park, Sitting Bull Falls and Roaring Spring.  You will find many places to enjoy ...

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For many years during the 1980s several avid bass fishermen from Albuquerque, New Mexico would caravan down to Lake Obregon Mexico for our annual February fishing trip.  My wife and I drove our Minnie Winnie Winnebago Class C motorhome and towed our Tracker bass boat, which was pretty easy due to the lightweight of aluminum Tracker boats.  All of us drove motorhomes of some kind and we all towed our bass boats behind them as well. Our 1979 Winnebago Minnie Winnie The fishing back...

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Very potent and a great un-winder.  Thanks to Tom, a friendly island bartender from Cozumel for sharing the recipe! 1 oz. triple sec 1 oz. Galliano 2 oz. vodka 1 oz. creme de cassis 1 oz. creme de caco 1 oz. Southern Comfort 3oz. strawberries 2 oz. orange juice Ice Fill a blender with ice.  Add all ingredients listed.  Blend until smooth, stopping to stir the mixture as necessary.  The consistency should be the same as a frozen daiquiri.  Garnish with an o...

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As the weather begins to cool down it's time to fire up a big pot of chili!  This recipe combines 2 different meats and traditional seasonings.  It's guaranteed to warm you up! 1 lb. coarse ground beef 1 lb. chopped center cut pork chops ½ medium white onion, chopped ¼ cup chopped celery 1 cup of your favorite green chili salsa 1 medium tomato, chopped 1 tsp. cumin 1 tsp. oregano 1 cup diced green chili ¼ cup New Mexico chili powder 1 Tbs. hot New Mexi...

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Back in the mid 80s when there was still a upper lake above the narrows at Elephant Butte, several pop-up campers, travel trailers and even a 5th wheel or two could be found at a remote campsite “boon docking” on the west side of the narrows.  There were “out-house” style restrooms and a couple of make-shift launch ramps, but no water or electrical hook ups, so we always tried to take as much ice as we would need for the outing. Four of us were camping in our Lance ...

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