SailorPam
Explorer
Joined 15 years ago
User Profile
User Widgets
All Activity
Re: BEST ICE CHEST UNDER $100
I've got a bit of a cooler fetish, although I have it under control these days. I've sold and given away more coolers than a normal person owns in a lifetime. I have to say my favorite is the original Coleman Extreme when they first came out. I think it is a little better than the newer ones with the wheels and cup holders. And the latch on the lid makes sure its closed. We would use it to keep our ice supply to feed into our "working coolers" that we are in and out of more frequently. That would be these AO Coolers These worked great on the boat and are easier to carry around. The ice lasted us through the weekend. We also use them as luggage when we fly to Mexico so we have a good cooler to take to the beach while we're there.770Views0likes0CommentsRe: Campfire Starters
buta4 wrote: REAL campers rip fur off of animals to keep warm -- and then eat their meat raw! Fire is for sissies!! :B:B Ummmm....soooo...Real campers = cavemen? :h That was funny though :B Having been dependent on wood heat (only) at one point in my life, I concur with the OP. When you get home you just want the fire to start and stay lit while you go on with life (aka get a beer ;)471Views0likes0CommentsRe: What is your opinion on cell/smart phones for travling?
I've found that I use my smartphones over the years far more than I thought I would. In fact my smartphone, mobile hotspot and laptop allow me to travel and maintain my business during my down season. It's a no-brainer for me. We currently use US Cellular which uses the Verizon network. We chose them because they had good coverage and good pricing - a little better than Verizon. And the customer service I've received has been very good. That being said, we now realize they don't have a presence in all markets, so if we have equipment problems in an area where they aren't we may be inconvenienced. So at some point in the future we will switch to Verizon I'm sure. We started with AT&T, but encountered more lapses in coverage on the west coast which is why we switched. I've found that the people I talk to who have smartphones almost unanimously say they use them more than they thought they would. Those who say they hardly ever use a cell phone are packing non-smartphones (dumb phones?).353Views0likes0CommentsRe: How necessary is a pantry for fulltiming?
Floor plan is important. It has to feel like home. So for somebody who likes to cook, the right floor plan PLUS the right kitchen storage is important because we tend to have more ingredients we like to keep on hand. If you like to boondock then food storage may also be an important issue because you may not be close to shopping as often. Also we try to keep heavier items lower, so if you are inclined to pack a lot of canned goods (or wine :)), keep an eye out for spots throughout the rig that will accommodate them. We pressure can meat, homemade stock, pasta sauces and chili so we have found the floor of the washer/dryer closet (which has no w/d)is a good spot to keep some of these items. Before we moved out of the sticks & bricks I would walk through the house and mentally note what would go with us and what we would get rid of. I would look in my kitchen cabinets and drawers and try to determine the keepers/tossers. Then when we walked through the various RV's I would imagine where things were going to go. I agree with the advice to send the salesman away. You really need to soak in the space to make a good decision.373Views0likes0CommentsRe: What is your Fav thing to make on the road
x2 on the cookies! We always pack some cookie dough and bake off a few in the morning to warm up the fifth wheel! Or some cinnamon rolls in the tube. Something that's easy to bake in the morning. In fact cookie dough is the traditional "Trailer Warming" gift we give to friends when they buy a new RV! The main thing I learned over the years is to pack plenty of easy food. I love to cook so I have a tendency to be over ambitious in my meal planning. I found sometimes I'm just enjoying visiting/reading/staring at the fire so much that meal time rolls around and I appreciate having some thing I can just heat up or pull out of the fridge.402Views0likes0CommentsRe: 50 Ways To Have Your Potatoes
YC 1 wrote: OK. Here is my top secret twice baked potato recipe. Bake large bakers in oven till done. Fork soft inside. Remove from oven. Use hand towel to hold a potato. Cut it in half lengthwise. Cut all of them in half. Scoop out potato with big spoon but be careful to not tear the skin up. Place skins aside. Fry bacon and white onion together. Pour off excess grease. Put bacon and onion in large mixing bowl along with potato insides. While mixer is stirring add sour cream, buttermilk, salt, pepper, white pepper, paprika, and parmesian cheese from a shaker can. Taste as you go and do not get them too wet. If they become runny use potato buds to stiffen them. Add chopped green onions. Not the white part, just the green. Scoop this stuff back into the potato skins. If you want to make it pretty use a big bakers bag with a fancy end to make them look pretty. Now sprinkle the top with some paprika (so they brown pretty). Put them in an oven at 350 for about 20-30 minutes. They are a lot of work but you will get raves. This is about my favorite too. I like the shaker-can Parmesan idea! Gonna have to try that one. Here's a few variations I use on mine: I use red potatoes for a smaller size serving to take to potlucks (or even baby reds as appetizers:)). Be sure to leave a little more margin of potato in the skin since the red skin is thinner than a Russett. I mix up the flavor of cheese I mix in the mashed potato mixture, sometimes I like to use sharp Cheddar, or smoked cheddar. Other times I go with Parmesan & Asiago. I always sprinkle a bit of the grated cheese on top. And at the very end I may broil them just a touch to get a little crispy brown on top. Dang, this thread is making me hungry!285Views0likes0CommentsRe: Hey, you good cooks-What would impress you?
Interesting thread! I've always felt that the first priority is that my guests feel comfortable. They may or may not remember what you serve(some people just aren't foodies, no matter how good you are)but they will always remember how they felt as your guest. So I try to cook for the company. If you really want to get your cooking game on, start a dinner club with others who love to do the same. One of the best things we did when we lived in our S & B home was start a weekly Soup Night. We would send the invitation out in September to the group. Each Thursday night beginning in October through December we would put on a pot of soup. Guests weren't expected to RSVP. They could bring a loaf of bread, a bottle of wine, an appetizer, salad or dessert. Or nothing! Yes there were times when we had all desserts or five different breads but no salad. Worse things could happen. And everyone enjoyed just milling around and visiting. Sometimes someone would volunteer to be the Guest Chef and make their favorite soup for us. In January we switched to another friend's house for the rest of soup season. By keeping it at one location nobody had to remember who's house it was going to be at each week. It went on for several years and has resurfaced more than once since we stopped doing it a few years ago. We just got into the groove each year so setting up only took us half an hour or so. And most of the clean up was done by a guest or two who would sneak around and wrap things up while the hosts sat down to visit. It was a great experience and helped me and others feel more comfortable with the idea of entertaining.270Views0likes0CommentsRe: Here We Go Again Hopefully!
DH put ours in. We bought an electric fireplace from Home Depot. It was cheaper to get a whole kit with the cabinet than just the firebox. I think we paid less than $200. The firebox unit was separate from the cabinet which we gave away. DH put in a separate breaker for the dedicated circuit, installed an outlet and we were set. It was a good heat solution for us last winter when we were at a park that didn't meter electricity. i'm not sure how it would have penciled out if we were being charged for usage. Yes, it does take up more room than an equivalent space heater, but if you want a fireplace, you want a fireplace. Congrats on the new fifth wheel.279Views0likes0CommentsRe: Waxing the toilet?
Yaj wrote: Since I took my buddy Jim's advice I haven't had the problem you speak of. He convinced me to get on the Metamucil program (2 spoonful's a day dissolved in a big glass of water). The subject of the conversion was not about the sticking problem but none the less, the product does wonders. Once the Metamucil starting helping me I noticed the "sticking problem" became non-existent. I really mean it, it works, and besides it's good for you! Give it a try for a week and you to will become a believer! Over the years I have had the problem you speak of. I ended up making a little "hamster bed" out of toilet paper which worked pretty good. I even thought of a marketable product called the "Toity Doity", a pack of tissue like paper similar to coffee filters, but never went anywhere with it. Then strictly out of luck I came upon the Metamucil solution. I'm not kidding it really works! x2 AND you need less TP! This thread is excellent entertainment.210Views0likes0Comments
Groups
Chefs on the Road
Campground recipe recommendations, restaurants, and more!Jan 01, 20252,135 Posts Fifth Wheel Group
Interested in fifth wheels? You've come to the right spot.Feb 28, 202519,007 Posts Full Time RVers
Thinking about becoming a full-time RVer? Ask the experts.Dec 28, 20241,587 Posts
