Ladies! Lipstick and Lobster — Trail and Camp Cooking Tips

Stacie Albright Shares Trail Secrets and Tips for the Ladies

Hey ladies this is for you! Even if you are a ‘seasoned’ off roader or a ‘newb’ to the scene, here are some little tips and tricks about keeping up our looks, a few dynamite recipes and some of the things that may make things more comfortable while out having fun on the trails. “

So, lose the heels ladies, grab a hat and put on some comfy hiking boots!

Lipstick

Lipstick, huh lipstick?? That’s just a catch word that I’m going to use for those girlie things that some just can’t live without. A tip for the day tripper: Before heading out grab a gallon sized zippered freezer bag or make up bag (so you can see your stuff easily) and throw your necessaries in and find a place in the glove box or center console where you know they’ll always be, secured and easy to find.

Lugging a purse around on the trails can be cumbersome and takes up precious space in your Jeep.

Oh, and I need to mention that most areas and trails have some sort of policy about packing everything out and if they don’t they will in the very near future; it’s really no big deal.  Just plan on it.

For those feminine things, bring along an extra smaller size zippy type bag (and a small paper bag for those of you who are timid) for your left-over stuff and dispose of properly. Sheesh, just think what the pioneer women had to go through!

I like to keep a package of some sort of wet wipes for a fast and easy freshen up. This will keep you looking and feeling great; dental floss for after meals and a pair of nail clippers and file for emergency nail repairs are also great items to add to your trail arsenal (plus they work great for splinter or cactus prickle removers, hey, it happens).

Personally, I like to go prepared and try to think of the little not so usual items to keep on hand.

Cooking in general…

If you have a big group with lots of cooks, cooking can be fun. Pot lucks, shared meals and BBQ’s galore are always fun.

Group BBQ and cooking fun

A good cook who plays the part and keeps the troops at bay (until the food is done)

How about some lobster?

Lobster, yeah right! No, I’m not going to give you a recipe for real lobster out on the trail, I just liked the word as it went well with lipstick! (a girlfriend of mine and I came up with this one while sitting around the fire one night).

However, if you happen to catch some freshwater crawdads all you have to do is boil some water and throw them in until they turn red, drain and serve with melted butter. Yummy! Looks like trail lobsters.

More trail recipes

Trail burritos cooked on the manifold are a favorite of four-wheelers. Just be careful not to cover up wires. May not work on all vehicles and cooking times may vary.

Wrap your ingredients in plenty of aluminum foil; place on the manifold at the start of the day.  By noon, you have a hot meal.

Cheese quesadilla style wraps and what you’ll need:

Foil
Large Flour Tortillas
Favorite cheese
(left over chicken, steak or other meat if you like).
Salsa (or not).

Wrap up ingredients burrito style then wrap in foil and slap onto a safe spot on the engine manifold before leaving for the trail and behold a melted masterpiece to unwrap for lunch!

Remember to do this you have to have a running motor for at least an hour or more; and at some point, it’s a good idea to turn it over to heat throughout.

Frozen burritos work fine too but they are WAAAY more fattening and we try to stay away from those things, right?

Hot left-over magic (my favorite)

The night before your trail run just make a little extra for your lunch the next day. Wrap up the left overs in a freezer type zip bag (use a good brand as these work better as they are thicker) and then wrap up inside aluminum foil the night before, wrap them in a double layer (makes it quick and easy to grab on the way out the door) and put them in a safe spot on the manifold when you leave home.

Voilà, hot lunch! This beats the cold soggy sandwich routine!

Left over spaghetti, lasagna or any other pasta, rice or noodle dish, I don’t recommend anything that is too soupy (until I can find some sort of container to put on the manifold that doesn’t leak and would fit!) Hot links, brats or your favorite hot dogs are also an easy quick lunch favorite.

Potatoes make a hearty meal…

For longer trips a good potato recipe is always a favorite especially if you couple it with some yummy brats! Here’s what you’ll need:

Diced potatoes, 2 small potatoes per person or one large per person. Use separate packaging for each individual serving.
Diced onion to taste, I also like to add a little bell pepper or mushroom but that’s not for everyone.
Bacon bits or ham (or not).
Small handful of favorite cheese (or not).
Season salt and garlic salt to taste (a couple of dashes usually depending on taste).

I like to drizzle a little bit of extra virgin olive oil over the taters before I seal them up in a big sheet of foil. I like to double wrap them in foil as well before throwing them on a safe and secure place on the manifold.

This recipe would need to be tweaked a little by experimenting as different vehicles have different heating levels (so bring a back up snack *smile*).

Just to be safe and on the cooked side, nuke the taters after they’ve been diced for a few minutes until they get a bit soft before folding them up in the foil. This recipe is best for longer trips of four hours or more.

Ziplock Omelets…

More “lobster” for the overnighter: Zipped freezer bag omelets are a favorite of ours. Here’s how to do them at home ahead of time and what you’ll need to take with you:

Two zip style quart size freezer bags for each omelet.
Small pot or coffee pot for boiling water,
Forks and paper plates; although you can eat these goodies right out of the bag if you had to just in case you forgot the paper plates and forks! No, I’ve never forgotten that stuff before, yeah right!!

Okay, now for the omelet prep part:

3 large whipped eggs (each omelet)
A dash of milk (or not)
About a handful of your favorite cheese
Ham, bacon or other meat (or not).

And whatever else you like including mushrooms, green onions, well you get the idea; and don’t forget a dash of your favorite seasoning (I usually put in a sprinkle of garlic salt).

Securely zip the first bag and REPLACE INTO the second bag and make sure that it is also securely “locked” and throw them in your ice chest.

In camp get your water up to a rolling boil and throw the bags in and boil for about 14 minutes. Pull them out and let cool for a minute and there you have it a perfect omelet.

Disclaimer: Using plastic bags to cook in has not been tested for safety. Some are more specific for boiling. You might consider using those.

Cartoon character of Stacie Albright (with lobster) by Ryan Williams, RTW Graphics

Well, there you have it! Here’s to Lipstick and Lobster! Have fun out there, ladies!

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