The first test of my idea for my web cooking site for RV'ers.

Ever since I told everyone what my new website will feature, I thought I'd give you a preview of the type of content, such as instructions and pictures for making the recipes. I started with the most simple of recipes, beer bread. So here goes...please leave your comments, suggestions and any feedback you may have.

EZ Beer Bread

This is a great recipe if you are looking for something different to bring to a potluck or just make dynamite french toast or even regular toast for that matter. This recipe has been handed down over generations of campers. Well, I think it has, anyways..but if I just made that up, we can start handing it down to future campers, eh? It is great to take along the ingredients in a plastic baggie...just the flour and sugar ok?. Keep the beer warm. This recipe can be made in a rig kitchen oven, a counter top roaster, which is how I did mine today, or in a dutch oven over the coals with a few briquettes on the top to brown the bread top.

Assemble your ingredients. You will need:

3 cups of self-rising flour (yes make sure it says self-rising on the bag!)

2 to 3 tablespoons of sugar

12 oz. of any good lager beer.

Here is good place to experiment. Use seasonal specialities, unique imported beers, local microbrewy offerings. Be bold for goodness sakes. I brought this Blue Moon in Edwardsville, IL where the college kids imbibe great quantities of this served in glasses with slices of orange in them. It does have a slightly citrus note to it. I have also made this with MGD. I could fib and say that I send Paulie to the grocery store to buy beer just for bread, but you will all laugh at me and snicker to yourselves...Pffft! So I enjoy a cold one now and then!

Now, get a nice big bowl and a wooden spoon...I have only one large bowl in the rig so it is a multi-purpose mixing bowl, serving dish and punch bowl.

Measure three cups of the self-rising flour...dump into the bowl. Next add the sugar.

Now slowly pour in the beer. Reminder...only use warm or room temperature beer. And, no, do not warm up the beer in the microwave...just don't put it in the cooler or fridge. Again, you can use cans or bottles, it's your bread yanno.

Next just mix until the batter has incorporated all the beer and there are no dry ingredients in the bottom of the mixing bowl. The batter will be lumpy and sticky. Like this...

Then this...

A closer look...I need to mix just a bit more here...

Flop the sticky dough into a greased pan. I am using my old faithful silicone bread pan, only 'cause I didn't bring a regular bread pan for goodness sakes. I don't like the silicone cause it bulges in the center. I use Pam baking spray with flour in the silicone pans.

Smooth out the top...I like it lumpy...it seems more homemade or "rustic". All right, no comments on the brown edges on the pan...it is a well used staple in my kitchen and it was a cheap one to boot.

Now put the bread in your cooking appliance of choice. It should bake at 375 degrees for approximately 45 minutes. I am using my Nesco knockoff. I left in the rack, turned upside down just to keep the pan off the bottom of the roaster. I have also made this in my rig's oven . I have added a flat pizza stone, or you could slip some unglazed ceramic tile into the oven. I have found(after burning countless goodies in my oven) that you need something to absorb the heat and let it distribute evenly. Rig ovens can be tricky to use. Not the convection oven...I don't have one of those...yet. My old Pampered Chef cookie/pizza stone works well for me. The temperatures are very static in these propane devils.

OK, set your timer for 40 to 45 minutes. If you don't know how hot your rig oven cooks, keep a watchful eye on the bread...you don't want it to over-bake.

I lost track of time and I think I over-baked by about 5 minutes. I will note this on my personal recipe so when I use the Nesco knockoff, I will adjust baking time. I will add dutch over baking in a campfire at the end of this recipe. Note: use a serrated knife...it will make slicing easier.

I just had to try it so I slathered it in margarine (I hate margarine, which is all Paulie wants to use...I do have real butter in the freezer...) and blackberry jam. Ohhhh.....

It's great!

See, I have NO self-control. I just had to eat a big bite. Then I sat down and ate this with a french press brewed cup of coffee with cream. Oh my. So. Good. Paul came in and he whacked off a hunk. He only put that crappy fakey margarine on the bread and then had the nerve to say it was...."well, you know...bland" Ass. From now on I shall refer to him on this new site as "The Polish Prince". He doesn't deserve to be named.

Dutch Oven directions for a campfire...

The difference here is you are really camping...kinda like pioneer people...and good for you! One of these days, I think I will try it. If I can convince the old skin-flint Prince to let me buy a decent Lodge dutch oven...when pigs fly I guess. Anyways...if you are a Pioneer Camper, just grease your smallest dutch oven and plop the sticky dough in...Bake over hot coals about 1 hour. Place a few hot coals on lid so top of bread will brown.

So, folks there you have it. My first attempt at my RV cooking website. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I will now be "photographing" my cooking adventures and saving them in files I can upload to the page. It may take a couple of weeks to get enough stuff to post with. I will not only be posting recipes, I will be sharing a lot of tips and tricks I have collected in my years of RVing. (And reading other tips and tricks, and yeah, picking fulltimer's brains...!)

Take care, and hugs to you all

dennise