GET OUT AND SEE THE WONDERS.

Get out and see the wonders of nature, And the best way to do that is hiking.  Whether Short distance, long or over night for a day or more.
Whatever’s the case, one thing is certain: We go hiking for only one reason. And that reason is to enjoy what Mother Nature has to offer.
You can always recognize a first time hiker the minute you see him or her approach, hobbling under at least 50 pounds on the back (for a two-night trip!) comprised of a backcountry pack that is the equivalent of the Beverly Hillbillies’ flatbed, a 10-pound tent, a pair of running shoes, a dozen bagels, and lots more watchamaccallits which he insists might come in handy during the trip.
It’s an amusing picture, to be sure, but true for almost every hardened backcountry veteran out there the first time they started hiking. Not to worry though. If you’re one of the newbies to hiking, it won’t take long for you to put enough miles on the boots. As time goes, you’ll find yourself picking up some decent sense of fine-tuning your art along the way, until your pack finally no longer resembles a truck and you no longer carry nearly as many bagels.
Equipment:
What’s the big deal about hiking boots?  Aside from the fact that they’re expensive, that is. But do you really need to buy such an expensive item when you’re only starting out?
I will be giving you, What equipment you need and don’t need.  Check my log out often for the latest article on this subject.  Such as, what the best kind of boots you need, tents, food, etc.

Fun Day Trips From Las Cruces.

Fun Day Trips From Las Cruces, New Mexico:

The mid-sized city of Las Cruces sits just an hour north of El Paso, Texas on Interstate 10. Connecting with Interstate 25, the city is a convenient stopover for road travelers passing through. Yet there is also much to do and see in this beautiful area of the Southwestern US.
You can explore the history of space with a stop at the New Mexico Museum of Space History in nearby Alamogordo. This facility features an amazing 40-foot wraparound OMNIMAX theater as well as a replica 2001 space station, as well as other interesting exhibits. The museum also is located adjacent to the John P. Strapp Air and Space Park which provides you with an interesting walk down space history lane, including the Sonic Wind I rocket sled.
Also in the vicinity of Alamogordo is the White Sands National Monument, a gorgeous natural wonderland of rolling white sand dunes that offers picture-perfect snapshot opportunities, time to reflect on the natural beauty, and fun for the kids as they sled down the impressive dunes. The White Sands National Monument is located close to the Lincoln National Forest, which is surrounded by the Sacramento, Capitan, and Guadalupe mountain areas as well as the Chihuahuan Desert. The area makes an impressive scenic drive.
Between Alamogordo and Las Cruces is Oliver Lee State Park. This state park is a gorgeous natural area located at the opening of the Dog Canyon in the Sacramento mountains. The canyon is a 180-acre wilderness with water flowing year-round, making it a beautiful oasis in an otherwise arid landscape.
Leading north out of Las Cruces is the Geronimo Trail National Scenic Byway, which stretches almost seventy miles into the rugged landscape. You can enjoy a range of views on this scenic drive, including craggy mountain peaks, serene valleys, wildflowers, a variety of wildlife, and beautiful water ways. As the scenic byway ends at Interstate 25, you will be in an ideal spot to spend some time exploring the beauty of Elephant Butte Lake State Park, near the city of Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. This park is known for a variety of recreational activities including camping, RVing, fishing, water sports, hiking, and golfing.
With such a wide variety of exciting day trips to choose from in Las Cruces, there is truly something for everyone to enjoy!

RAY’S OUTDOOR POKE GREENS

This recipe is also good with turnips greens, or mixed salad greens.  Do not boil mixed salad green, Just put the mixed salad green in the  medium skillet and follow the skillet instructions below.

 
1 1/2 lb Fresh, young poke greens
8 Slices bacon
6,boiled eggs,  chopped                                            2 or 3 boiled potatoes, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste                                          

For Arkansas Poke Greens,  Delete the boiled eggs and potatoes.  Add 6 eggs whipped and stir into the mixture below.

Check poke greens carefully; remove any discolored spots on leaves thoroughly; drain well.

Place poke greens and water to cover in an 8-quart Dutch oven; bring to a boil. Cover; reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes or until poke is tender. Drain well and chop. Set aside.

Cook bacon in a medium skillet over low heat until crisp. Drain bacon; reserve 3 tablespoons drippings in skillet. Crumble bacon. Add chopped poke and bacon to bacon drippings; cook over medium heat 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in eggs, potatoes; cook over medium heat, stirring often. Add salt and pepper to taste.

RAY’S HOT PEPPER BEEF

 

Do you like spicy foods?  I mean hot foods, Or should I say hot, hot and hot  like pepper hot.  If you like peppers, you will love this dish.

MIXING of peppers, like Jalapenos, Jalapeno chili pepper: 2,500 - 8,000 Scovilles.  Serrano pepper: 5,000 - 23,000 Scovilles.  Thai chili pepper: 50,000 - 100,000 Scovilles.  (Scovilles, is how hot the pepper is, The higher the number, The hotter it is.)  Any other kind that you may have will do the trick also.  I would only put one or two of each kind and the rest Jalapeno peppers. It will also color the dish. Jalapenos will add the favor to the dish.

Just be careful not to get the dish too hot with peppers.

Clean the peppers, cut off stem, and split the peppers keeping the peppers whole.

I generally add any where from 8 to 10 Jalapenos, and maybe a Banana Pepper, and a couple of red peppers for color.  Just remember to taste one Jalapeno to see how hot they are.  Jalapenos will vary from mild to hot.  Adjust accordingly.

In a large pot, fill the pot with the below ingredients.

Cut up a roast into 2x2 chunks. Any large roast will do.

1 cup of soy sauce

1 tablespoon of sesame oil

1 clove garlic chopped

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon sugar

1 chopped onion or 3 or 4 green onions cut up into 1 inch.

Add peppers

Add all to pot, stir, and add water to cover the meat.

Boil for 2 hours, and simmer for additional hour.  Check often to make sure the water level stays the same.  Stir carefully not to mash up the peppers.

The meat will be tender.  Serve with white rice. 

Camper's Easy Chili

DUTCH OVEN CAMPER’S EASY CHILI
1 lb Ground beef
1 med Onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon Garlic powder
1 tablespoon Chili powder (or to taste)
2 1/2 teaspoon Ground cumin
1 can Crushed tomatoes with added Puree (28 oz)
1 can Chili beans (kidney)
1 can Tomato paste (6 oz)

1. In a large 4 qt Dutch oven or large saucepan, cook beef and onion over medium-high heat, stirring often to break up meat, until lightly browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Drain off any excess fat.

2. Stir in all remaining ingredients. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer, uncovered for 10-15 minutes.

3. Optional:  Those in a few red hot chilies to your liking.

CAMPFIRE VEGETABLE SOUP

1 lb Ground beef
1 package (16-oz) frozen mixed soup vegetables 
1 small can  tomato sauce

1 can kidney beans red or dark red

1 small can tomato paste
4 cups Water
2 tablespoon Beef flavor instant bouillon
1 teaspoon Basil leaves
1 teaspoon Marjoram leaves
1 teaspoon Salt  or salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon Onion salt or powder 
1/2 teaspoon Pepper
1/4 teaspoon Garlic powder
1/2 lb Package macaroni if desired

macaroni  uncooked

Grated Parmesan cheese opt

In dutch oven, brown ground beef; drain.
Stir in next ten ingredients.
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 30 minutes.

Prepare macaroni according to package directions;

drain.
Add to soup mixture; heat through.
Serve with Parmesan cheese.
Refrigerate or freeze leftovers.

Summer Camping Trip Barbeque:

The glorious summer camping trip barbeque is the quintessential warm weather gathering celebrating food, friends and family. And yet such a tried-and-true formula for good times has fallen into a slump of overcooked burgers and dried out hotdogs grilled by dad or your favorite uncle, who slave away with beer in hand over the open coals. Having become more chore than relaxing afternoon, the following tips will liven up your barbeque without overly challenging the hosts or overwhelming the guests.
Bring on the Chicken!
Admittedly, there is nothing wrong with the traditional burger and dog, but these days people are becoming more and more health conscious and even if consuming red meat isn’t the primary concern, the high fat content of burgers and dubious ingredients of hot dogs may well caution your guests against over indulging. Why not try something different?  The bold, strong flavors of the Southwest are easy to replicate and you won’t need to put your uncle out of a grilling job. Marinated and grilled chicken breasts or thighs alongside a variety of toppings such as grilled peppers, chopped onion and tomatoes, sour cream, cheddar cheese, guacamole and shredded lettuce make an easy to pull together build-your-own fajita bar. Sure, this requires a bit more effort compared to combating the grease flare-ups from your flammable burgers, but it is different, delicious and will have your guests raving.
Freeze the Fruit
Sure, canned beverages are easy – easy to purchase, to chill and to serve. But, they’re really high on the boring scale. Making a revival to home parties everywhere is the nostalgic beverage of choice, punch! With a plethora of recipes available for punches of all kinds, from those made with alcohol to ones with ice cream in them and every kind in between, the best and most refreshing punches are those made with a variety of citrus juices and not so heavy on the syrupy sodas. Easy enough to make alcoholic, vodka goes with many kinds of punches, so does rum. And the one for the kiddies can be kept totally separate. Punch up your punch with frozen fruit instead of ice cubes! Use a melon ballet to carve balls out of the melon and freeze them on a cookie sheet. Frozen grapes also work really well. Not only with the frozen fruit act the same as ice, but your guests will rave about your ingenuity and they also make a great healthy snack for the kids!
Nothing Wrong with Potluck
Potluck contributions to a gathering have been getting a bad reputation, but this is more due to lack of communication rather than any sort of lack of culinary skill. Ask your guests to each bring a salad to contribute to your barbeque, but don’t be afraid to lay down some guidelines such as the required amount. There’s nothing worse than somebody showing up with a giant bowl of tuna salad compared to the tiny cereal bowl full of a different pasta salad. Tell everybody you need a certain amount of each, enough for everybody to have a spoonful or two. In addition, ask your guests to bring specific kinds of salad, such as leafy greens, vegetarian pasta salads or meaty pasta salads. This way you’re sure to have a variety of dishes available with amounts to feed everybody.
Entertain the Kids
Summer gatherings are all about socializing and catching up with people not seen in a while. Bored children can be a huge hindrance to adults who want to chat, so the easiest way to handle this is to be sure that the kids have something to do. Entertainment for the kids does not need to be fancy or expensive. Things like toss rings purchased from the dollar store can be a wonderful distraction, or borrowing a variety of water guns from guests can lead to a friendly game of soak ‘em. Water balloons are another great, inexpensive distraction, especially if they have to fill and tie the balloons themselves. Have some of the older kids be responsible for setting up games for the smaller ones. There’s no reason why mom and dad should have to play babysitter if there is a responsible teenager around who can shepherd the kids into fun activities.
Themed Parties
If you’re feeling especially adventurous you can plan your barbeque around a theme. Some unique theme ideas suited for outdoor entertaining are:
Surf & Turf – grill shrimp skewers alongside beef kabobs, and have all your salads and side dishes revolve around either the land or the sea.
Sticks
– plan a fun menu where every item is served on a stick. From grilled kabobs to a variety of meat and vegetable skewers, even your desserts can be served on a stick with a pot of melted chocolate for dipping.
Hors d’Oeuvres
– instead of a heavy meal, plan a variety of lighter dishes and enlist the help of your guests. Rather than heavy pasta salads consider the plethora of finger foods that can be made without much fuss. From simple cubed fruit to cheese and crackers, it doesn’t need to be complicated. Have several guests just bring dips with bread, chips or fruit for dippers.
Beer Pairing
– everybody knows about wine and cheese pairings, but beer and food pairing parties can also be a lot of fun. Ask your guests to each investigate a kind of food that would match well with a particular beer, and then to provide either the food or the beer for everybody to try.
No matter how entrenched you are with your regular summer barbeque routine, there’s no reason why you can’t change things up a bit to make the party more enjoyable for both you and your guests. Just a little bit of creativity and the willingness to try something new will open up many possibilities to create a memorable camping summer party.