I personally LOVE a hearty bowl of chili and how easy is it to brown some meat and then throw in some beans and/ or veggies and simmer as long as you want?? That is literally the instructions for every item on this list. IT’S JUST THAT EASY.

Loaded Taco Soup

This recipe feeds anywhere from 6 – 8 people

Ingredients

• 1 lb of ground meat, beef or turkey (I prefer turkey, you can’t tell the difference in the soup and it helps cut back on the calories!)
• 1 onion, diced
• 8 oz can of tomato sauce
• 3 cans of diced tomatoes (I prefer the petite diced vs. the larger ones.. one of the “what are these weird chucks??” from the kiddos)
• 3 cans of beans, drained (I use black, kidney, and pinto. Choose whatever makes your heart happy.)
• 1 package of taco seasoning
• 1 tbsp ranch seasoning (I prefer this Garlic Ranch seasoning)

Directions:

Add the onion and ground meat to a pot and cook until meat is browned. (If you use beef, drain all the fat drippings.) While that is cooking, add all other ingredients to a mixing bowl. Once the meat and onions are ready, throw everything else in the pot cover and set to low… simmer for as long as you would like. The longer the better!

Our taco soup is fairly easy, fairly healthy and totally filling. Top it with your favorite taco toppings, that’s all there is to it! DELISH!

Chunky Chili w/ Cornbread

This recipe is pretty close to the taco soup above, but the small adjustments make a world of difference!

Ingredients

• 2 – 3 lb of ground meat, beef or turkey (I tend to throw in more meat just to give the chili that chunky goodness in every bite!)
• 1 onion, diced
• 16 oz of tomato sauce
• 3 cans of diced tomatoes (I prefer the petite diced vs. the larger ones.. one of the “what are these weird chucks??” from the kiddos)
• 3 cans of beans, drained (I use black, kidney, and pinto. Choose whatever makes your heart happy.)
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 2 tsp garlic salt
• 1 tbsp ranch seasoning (I prefer this Garlic Ranch seasoning)

Directions

Add the onion and ground meat to a pot and cook until meat is browned. (If you use beef, drain all the fat drippings.) While that is cooking, add all other ingredients to a mixing bowl. Once the meat and onions are ready, throw everything else in the pot cover and set to low… simmer for as long as you would like. (At least an hour) The longer the better!

Serve with your favorite hot sauce and other chili toppings with a piece a warm corn bread.

Cheesy Broccoli & Bacon Soup w/ French Bread

This recipe yields about 5 cups of soup

Ingredients

• 10 oz of frozen broccoli

• 1 package of country gravy (prepared makes 2 cups)
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 lb cooked bacon, crumbled

Directions

Throw everything in your pot and simmer until dinnertime. (At least an hour!) Serve with sliced French or Sourdough bread… yum!!

Creamy Chicken Chili

This recipe feeds about 6 – 8 people

Ingredients

• 1 lb chicken breast, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 tbsp oil
• 3 cans great northern beans, drained
• 3 cans of diced green chilies (12 oz total)
• 1 package of taco seasoning
• 1 tbsp ranch seasoning (I prefer this Garlic Ranch seasoning)
• 1.5 of cups sour cream
• 4 fresh jalapenos, roasted (I prefer to slice down the middle, cut of the stem, take out the seeds and throw them in some how oil until they start to brown)

Directions

Saute the onion, chicken, and ranch seasoning in a pot with the oil until the chick starts to brown slightly. Once the chicken is ready, throw in all remaining ingredients, EXCEPT the sour cream! (SIDE NOTE: This chili packs quite the punch. If are cooking for kiddos, you may want to forgo the jalapenos in the chili itself and just serve as a topping option.) Simmer on low for at least an hour, or as long as you would like. Just before you are ready to eat, remove from heat and stir in the sour cream.

Serve with shredded cheese, tortilla chips, and any of your other favorite chili toppings. THIS. IS. A. CROWD. PLEASER!

What are your go to camping dinners? Share below and let us know!

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The post 4 Hearty Camping Dinners appeared first on Backwoods America.

When we are out on the mountain, I am all about easy, yummy, filling food! This recipe is just that! With these easy to follow instructions, this will become one of your easy-peasy go to’s for every camping trip!

Ingredients:

• Garlic butter mix (I just get a small stub of spreadable butter and mix a few tables spoons of Garlic Ranch Mix)
• Pre-made pizza dough. We have tried a few different brand, nothing really stands out at this point so just go with what you like!
• Your favorite pizza sauce
• Cheese! We use shredded mozzarella
• Toppings… anything you love

EASY to Follow Directions:

-To start off, I used a 14 inch dutch oven, pre-seasoned. If you are in need of some new cast iron skillets or dutch ovens, try these! You will not be disappointed!

• Place a metal grate over the top of the fire pit and get your fire going. We were camping in Pine valley, UT and each of their fire pits came with metals grate attached. If you are looking for your own grate to bring with you, check out this one by Texsport. We have the extra large one, and use it pretty often. Comes in pretty handy!

• Next spread your pizza dough along the bottom of your dutch oven, making sure to push up around the edges to start creating a crust. Place on metal grate.

• After about 10 to 15 minutes, flip your dough over. >> WARNING << THE DUTCH OVEN WILL BE HOT. That being said, I use my fingers to grab to side of the dough and flip it over. (Your can always grab a turner though.) Once you have the scary part done, use your fingers and gently push the crust towards the edges and with the round of a spoon spread some of the butter garlic mix along the crust.

• Next set up your pizza however you like. I start with the sauce right in the middle and spread in a circle with the back of a ladle, leaving 2 inches around the edges clear. (I let the kiddos help so ours never looks pretty, but it always tastes amazing so.. whatev! Next, I layer cheese and toppings until I am satisfied.

• Cover with tin foil and keep a close eye. I use tin foil instead of the cast iron lid, just makes it easier to peak in when needed. In total it took about 10-15 for the cheese to fully melt and the bottom of the crust to turn golden brown.

• Transfer the pizza from the dutch oven to a cutting board and let cool for a few minutes before slicing up.

What are your favorite pizza toppings? Mine are chicken, spinach, onion and jalapeno … mmMMMmmm! Let us know how this recipe works out for you and share your dutch oven pizza pictures too!

Thanks for reading and please share the love by liking and following on social media!

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It’s the most wonderful time of the year here at #thatcampinglife… 2019 Archery Hunt in Southern Utah! (insert “can I get an AMEN” emoji here) Where the best part of waking up is throwing on your camo, grabbing your coffee, and jumping in the side by side!

This year we have partnered up with a relatively new company that is literally changing the way you will start your day. SERIOUSLY. Since their Kickstarter Campaign in 2017, this Santa Cruz, CA company is quickly changing the way enjoy our morning cup of joe up on the mountain. Let’s dive right in to it.

Steeped Coffee offers five roasts, with the unique combinations of flavors you are sure to find one to make your taste buds sing. I personally fell for the Sunrise Blend. Light, smooth… tastes buds rejoicing. (I read somewhere along the way that the lighter the coffee the more caffeine, whether or not its true, I tend to be a little bias on the lighter brews!) BUT to be unbiased, I asked the rest of the crew and it was a pretty even split with the Driftwood French Roast on top.

We start our mornings up on the mountain at around 6:00 am. Whether it’s off the hunt, or off to fish you know, we need hot coffee to get us there. We filled up our travel mugs with hot water, put a c-bag in each one, put on the lids and were on our way. The coffee steeps for 5 minutes, that’s it. We even filled up a half-gallon rambler with boiling water, brought extra bags, and enjoyed a second cup while we were out.

Another notable attribute of this brand is their conciseness of our footprint we leave behind. Each coffee bag is made with 100% biodegradable material that can be dropped right in to your garden. THAT’S HUGE. In a world where it seems we create more waste than we can dispose of, this is a game changer that all nature lovers can get on board with.

Now let’s talk cost. Cost is important, and just like with the rest of our camping gear, you get what you pay for. But every once in a while you find that happy medium (like a $200 cooler that works like the $600 cooler). That’s where I would place this coffee. With a 30 pack subscription selling for about $1 a cup (FOR SPECIALTY COFFEE???) you really can’t beat that price. I mean, it tastes more expensive than it is, SCORE! With the variety of subscriptions and kits Steeped coffee offers, you can cater your order to your needs. It’s a no brainer!

Now let’s talk cost. Cost is important, and just like with the rest of our camping gear, you get what you pay for. But every once in a while you find that happy medium (like a $200 cooler that works like the $600 cooler). That’s where I would place this coffee. With a 30 pack subscription selling for about $1 a cup (FOR SPECIALTY COFFEE???) you really can’t beat that price. I mean, it tastes more expensive than it is, SCORE! With the variety of subscriptions and kits Steeped coffee offers, you can cater your order to your needs. It’s a no brainer!

Now let’s talk cost. Cost is important, and just like with the rest of our camping gear, you get what you pay for. But every once in a while you find that happy medium (like a $200 cooler that works like the $600 cooler). That’s where I would place this coffee. With a 30 pack subscription selling for about $1 a cup (FOR SPECIALTY COFFEE???) you really can’t beat that price. I mean, it tastes more expensive than it is, SCORE! With the variety of subscriptions and kits Steeped coffee offers, you can cater your order to your needs. It’s a no brainer!

Now let’s talk cost. Cost is important, and just like with the rest of our camping gear, you get what you pay for. But every once in a while you find that happy medium (like a $200 cooler that works like the $600 cooler). That’s where I would place this coffee. With a 30 pack subscription selling for about $1 a cup (FOR SPECIALTY COFFEE???) you really can’t beat that price. I mean, it tastes more expensive than it is, SCORE! With the variety of subscriptions and kits Steeped coffee offers, you can cater your order to your needs. It’s a no brainer!

Bottom line… we give this convenient, single serve coffee two thumbs up. Up on the mountain or back and your home base, Steeped Coffee really does live up to the hype.

Check it out at Steepedcoffee.com and TRUST ME on that Sunrise Blend!

AS ALWAYS, like, love, share and comment! And to check our a cool little video we created featuring Steeped Coffee, check us out on insta @thebdubamerican … Thanks for all the support and the love!

The post Who Brought the Coffee!?! appeared first on Backwoods America.

The Campgrounds

The Campground is amazing, one of the best looking campgrounds that I have ever been to. The roads are paved all the way through so access to all sites is nice and extremely easy.

There are six different campgrounds throughout the rec area, some offering only tent camping, and some that offer both. In addition to all the campgrounds for single and double use sites, there are also a few group campgrounds.

Each camground has something amazing to offer. You can stay in one that has horse corrals so you can bring your horses, or stay in one that is geared toward the tent camper. No matter how you prefer to camp there is a campground out here for you.

The Sites

To me the best camp sites are the ones that the kids can run around and I don’t have to worry to much about them. At Pine Valley all of the sites are very spacious. We had room for our 35 ft trailer, kids play area (tent pad), picnic table, fire pit and about a 30 foot dog runner.

There are trees all over the campsites, so no matter what campground you are in there will be a spot to find some shade. There are no hookups at the sites up here so you do get the feeling of doing some primitive camping while also having the campground luxury.

You are allowed to have a generator, they do have a quiet time but it’s not that early, we also brought our camp chef, but if you like cooking on the fire you can do that as well.

The nice thing about this campground is that your neighbors aren’t that close to you. We lucked out and didn’t have anyone within 100 ft from us. Some sites are closer together than the others, but you will be satisfied with any of them.

I have to say that I probably like the sites here better than any other site I have stayed in this year.

Hiking

There is a ton of hiking and horseback trails in the pine valley rec area. We did not do too many of the trails that went up into the mountains, but we did do the hike down by the Santa Clara River almost every day.

This hike is a lot of fun for everyone. There are spots that the kids and the dog could get into the water. There are also spots to walk across logs over the water. This path is paved all the way around and has benches if you need to stop and take a break. If you keep following the trail along the river you will eventually get to the lake.

Fishing

I will say the lake is pretty small and fairly crowded, at least where the fishing is good. The lake is nice looking and it is within hiking distance to get to it if you feel like walking a ways. The lake is stocked with trout, but we didn’t have any luck so I couldn’t tell you what they were biting on. It was a very nice lake to sit with your family and enjoy a cold one even if the fish aren’t biting.

In all this place has been one of my favorite this year. I will definitely be trying to make it back there as soon as I can.

Get outside and tell me about your favorite campsites!

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The post Pine Valley Campground appeared first on Backwoods America.

Fishing with the little ones is not an easy task from getting all the poles ready to talking about the importance of patience. Most kids will sit there and play with their pole or reel it in every couple of minutes because they had a “huge bite”.

If you are looking into getting your kids out on the lake to fish then hopefully I can give you some tips and some encouragement to do so.

Find a good spot

I usually have the lake picked out way beforehand. Just as important as the lake is finding a good spot for all the family to fish from or are we taking the boat out. I like taking the boat if it is just me and one or two kids, but any more than that it because to crazy. At the lake I look for a spot that isn’t too steep and has some nice areas for the kids to fish from that is big enough to fit all of them without getting crossed up with each other.

Get the Gear Ready

After the spot has been found then I get all the pole ready before going to the water, usually at camp. The older kids can get their own hooks tied up, but I do all the tying for the younger kids. It is important that the young kids stay safe with the hooks especially since they have barbs. There are some great bobbers for kids if you are worried about this. It is also important to use the right kind of bait, we mostly fish for trout so we usually use power bait and night crawlers. Head down to the lake a get your spots ready to fish.

Casting Out

Casting out is a hard one for kids especially younger ones. For my youngest kids I will generally cast their poles out for them, but the older kids will do it themselves. Some things I recommend is the type of reel you get for kids just learning to cast. I usually start my kids out with a spincast fishing reel, because it is the easiest to use. I will eventually work them up to using a spinning fishing reel, which is a little bit more advanced, but also the most common reel. You can also get kids fishing poles that have waited fish attached to them so that young kids can practice casting in the yard or wherever.

The next thing is how kids cast. What I have found to be the easiest and safest is teaching them a side arm cast instead of over the head. Since hooks have barbs on them to prevent the fish from getting off easily we need to be as safe as possible and this keeps the hook as far from themselves as possible. Also, make sure they are watching around them as they cast so that they aren’t going to hook someone else.

Landing a Fish

It is important that kids learn patience and fishing is definitely a way to teach this. There are days that you can be out on the lake for hours and not catch a single fish. When that fish does get on the hook it is important that the young ones learn to land it quickly, but also should learn to stop really when it gets to the waters edge.

Once the fish has been catch, teach the kids how to properly remove the hook without doing damage to the fish (not always possible, but help them to know what to do if you can’t get the hook out). After the fish is off the hook take your pictures and either release the fish or keep it for dinner. Kids should be learning the difference between a fish we release and one we keep for dinner (check the lake restrictions as well).

Have Fun

Fishing is fun. Try and teach kids that fishing is fun even if the fish aren’t flying out of the lake. Keep the kids involved so that they don’t lose interest in this sport, if they aren’t having fun it is much more likely that they are going to stop doing it.

Also LET THE KIDS GUT THE FISH….or at least learn how

Have some good tips for fishing with kids? Let me know!

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The post 5 Tips For Easy Fishing With Kids appeared first on Backwoods America.

The majority of the camping we do is with lots of family and usually “off the grid.” I would not chose this campground for multiple trailers in a group since each campsite is separated by a fence. I will say that for just one RV and my family it was amazing.

Road Up

The road going up to the resort was not fun by any means. I am confident that my wife would have been better off if I pulled over and grabbed a bottle of wine out of the trailer for her. The road is very narrow and at times feels like my F-250 would fit on it, let alone the 35ft trailer attached to it. (We found out later on from the camp host that we went the “hard” way. Mental notes all around… DO NOT GO THROUGH DRY CREEK DR.!) That being said we made it and the many beers after we got to the site were much more enjoyable.

The Site

The sites are amazing. They are separated by wooden fences and have their own grassy areas to enjoy being outside. And the views. We walked the camp ground a few times during our stay and I am confident that there is not a site in the place that doesn’t have a perfect view. When I go camping I want to be outside, I don’t like spending all the time in the RV. I want to set up corn hole, crack open a cold one, and not feel like I am having to move chairs and tables out of the way to get from one side to the other. This place has a great area for the kids right next to your trailer and you don’t have to worry about the kids wondering off to the other campsites. Bonus point for having room for all that, with a 35 ft trailer and park the truck. This place has room for everything!

The Campground

There are so many great things about this campground. The individual sites are amazing and have full hookups. There is also a pretty good size pond that you can walk down to and enjoy. While we were there we didn’t have time to do anything at the pond and it was still fairly cold in the water at that time. They do have boats you can take out if you want to spend some time on the water and a grilling area with patio lights that overlooks the pond.

I asked the kids what they thought about the resort, and they loved the community area. The community area really made the campground feel complete. It was equipped with horse shoes, and enough area where the kids enjoyed a game of soccer with some kids they met out there. I am not a real outgoing “meet your neighbors” kinda guy, but it was pretty cool that the community area brought that out of not only me, but other families around the campground. I would recommend this place to anybody that has enough time to really enjoy being at the camp and wanting to be close to the national Park.

All and all, this campground really did have it all. My only regret was not staying longer! My family had a great time, it was a beautiful, and being 20 minutes from Sequoia National Park, it is just a great family spot!

Have some ideas on places to go? Let me know!

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Hanging out by the campfire with a beer and good company is one of the most enjoyable things to do while camping. That being said if you have kids it can also be one of the most stressful things to do at camp.

Kids love to do anything they can with fire, they like to roast mallows or burn sticks or anything else they think may be fun to burn. This is not a bad thing, but at the same time it is important that we teach our kids about fire.

One of the first things we teach our kids is the dangers of fire. I like to start with the basics about fire then ease my way into the bigger things. Kids need to learn that fire can hurt or how easily it can cause a massive wildfire.

Here are the things I teach my kids so that they know how to be safe with a campfire:

• First we make sure that campfires are allowed
• Campfires must be in a pit with rocks or some other non flammable barrier
• Check what is flammable around your fire pit, including what is above it.
• There should be nothing flammable near by
• Keep a water source nearby
• If kids are playing with sticks or roasting mallows, make sure that they do not pull them out of the fire while hot/on fire
• Make sure we fully put our the fire before going to bed
• Never leave a fire unattended.

Once we feel that our kids can be safe around a fire it is important that they know how to start a fire (without gasoline as fun as that is). I like to teach my kids how to start a fire with lighters/matches and we have been working on how to start one with flint and steel. (we use these survival bracelets as practice)

This is the basics of how I teach my kids to start a fire:

• Make sure we have the proper fire pit
• Gather all materials needed for a good fire. (kindling, twigs, logs, etc.)
• We then place the sticks in a tee-pee shape that is hollow
• Place your kindling or other form of fire starter (if you don’t want to find some you can buy some right here)
• light the kindling and what it catch the outer sticks.
• Once fire has a good flame it is time to place bigger sticks
• Finally it is time to add your actual fire wood.

Kids are going to play with fire at some point in their lives, if they are anything like I was they will play with it a lot. It is important to me that my kids learn about fire and how to be safe with it, just they way I was taught when I was growing up.

Get outside and have a campfire!

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The town has 5 buildings that are original and the rest have been restored to look like they did in the 1880’s.

My favorite places to go are places that have something for all ages. While you are here and need a treat you can take your kids to the candy and ice cream shop, then you can head down to my favorite part of the whole town, Lil’s Beer Garden, and grab an ice cold beer!

There are also many things you can enjoy as a family. We walked down the Maggie Mine that was an actual working mine back in the 1880’s. We also took a train ride around that town and learned a little bit about how things were done in the town. The kids can also pan for gold at one of the buildings in the middle of town.

Not only are all the buildings preserved, but you will also find other decorations and things like fire trucks and mine carts that came from this same time period.

We also enjoyed the full hookup RV park while we stayed here at Calico. This park is very well priced and worth the stay. In the middle of the summer it gets really hot and there are not many trees around, so I would recommend going in the spring or fall.

From the RV park you can take a short walk up to the Calico Cemetery. My Wife and one kid found it pretty creepy and would not go it, but me and the others enjoyed it.

This was a great stop along the path to our next adventure!

Do you have a favorite ghost town? Drop a line and let me know. Don’t forget to follow on social media and subscribe to our email list for future posts and adventures!

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