OK, so I just realized I never got to share my story about the food, heat, and our best friends back in my beverage column in January. I apologize. My mind was elsewhere that week, as I had gotten some bad news. That’s why the following week, I wrote about putting your hope in God and the lyrics to Katy Nicole’s song “When I Fall.” Everything else seemed so small that week. I always have to write what’s on my heart, so I did.
I am doing and feeling much better, and I love that I can share this with you now. It’s a fun little story — something I will never forget and always tease our friends about.
Back during COVID, we started making a big Sunday breakfast and watching church online because we couldn’t be in church at that time. Once we started going back to church, we knew we were going to miss the breakfast part, so we decided that when we got home from church every Sunday, we still were going to make a big Sunday breakfast. We have done it every Sunday since.
I bought my husband a Blackstone Griddle the following year for Father’s Day. The things you can make on those are awesome! We decided to take it up to the river with us because it would make making breakfast so much easier.
Our best friends went in with us on our lot about eight years ago. It’s been fun being together and making memories with them at our home away from home. Lindsay grew up camping her entire life, and I grew up as a river rat.
Lindsay and Joe Kanger have about anything and everything for camping. When I say Lindsay grew up camping, I mean she knows how to rough it. When I say I grew up a river rat, I mean I grew up swimming in the river, putting river muck all over my body willingly, and camping in a nice camper with my grandparents on different weekends. There was really no roughing it at the river.
Lindsay grew up cooking everything over a fire and started out in tents. My bougie rear wouldn’t be caught dead in a tent. I need AC and a fan, and I know I won’t wake up with a daddy longlegs in the tent the next morning. Nope. Nope. Nope. That’s a physical fear of mine and something I can’t ever do again. Waking up to dozens of daddy-long legs and having a sleepover with me is something I will never do again.
Getting the heebie- jeebies just thinking about it!
At the river, Lindsay loves to cook over the fire. She loves making mountain pies and cooking breakfast over the fire.
Now, let’s talk about this for a minute. Do I love a mountain pie? Absolutely. Do I love a steak cooked over our grate on the open campfire? Oh, for sure!! But let me point out that I do not want to cook over a fire on a 90-degree day with humidity that feels unbearable. Adding a fire to the mix is just asking for a waterfall to come out of my upper lip, and it doesn’t sound appealing. On days like this, give me the cool flowing river all day or AC in our camper. I don’t want to be outside around a campfire.
Sunday mornings come at the river no matter the temp, but the Blackstone has surely helped us.
One morning last summer, we planned on making pancakes, bacon, and eggs on the Blackstone.
We always include Joe and Lindsay when we cook, or many weekends, Linds and I will have our menu ready to go together. This certain Sunday, Linds wanted to make breakfast mountain pies. Let me say first that this weekend was brutally hot. You walked outside and wore the heat — one of those weekends where you lived in AC or the water.
I said, “Linds, it’s so hot. Why don’t you just skip your mountain pies and have a big breakfast with us?”
She had her heart set on making these mountain pies. She grew up making breakfast mountain pies and enjoys them, so I couldn’t blame her for that.
“Girlfriend, it’s a sauna out here. Why on earth do you want to cook over a fire and sweat more? At least use our Blackstone to cook everything on,” I offered.
She explained, “I can’t cook it over the Blackstone because it just won’t taste the same.”
When I say she is a die-hard camper, I mean this girl is a die-hard.
This particular morning, they planned on cooking over the fire for two, and we planned on cooking over the Blackstone for the four of us. We planned on eating together once everything was all cooked. Well, things didn’t go as planned, but you are just going to have to find out what happens next week as, sadly, I am reaching my word count max. (I go over often. Haha.)
Until next week, folks!
Cheddar Ranch Chicken Burgers
Ingredients:
• 2 lbs. ground chicken
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1 oz. ranch seasoning, mix
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup finely diced onion
• 1/2 cup finely shredded sharp cheese
Directions:
In a mixing bowl combine all ingredients together. Mix really well until everything is combined. Line a baking sheet or large cutting board with wax or parchment paper. Shape the chicken mixture into patties. Cook over black stone, large skillet or pan over medium heat for 6-8 minutes on each side or until fully cooked through and golden brown.
