“USA 🇺🇸 ~Arizona in Kingman and What Are We Doing to Stay Busy?”

• November 6, 2022
• By Pen
• 0 Comment

When we were in the Durango, Colorado campground, before we came to Arizona, we had free apples for the taking.

I said to the big guy; “If you pick, I will make applesauce! Yesterday was that day. (in the fall the apples stay good for awhile, even after picking) It took me seven hours, and I (we) produced four pints, from a lot of free little apples.

I used to have a farm and I planted and grew a huge gardens; harvested it and canned. I made pickles, tomato sauce, and even apple pie filling to have on-have. If I didn’t have enough of something, I used to go to farmers in the area and get permission to scour their fields after their harvests were done. Lots more free food! I picked berries and canned jams.
I also fished for Salmon and bottom fish, to put up as well.
(I’m an Oregon girl; born and raised).

I milked a cow and raised pigs. I made butter, yogurt, my own breads and ice cream.
I raised chickens, and beef. I had horses I team-roped with. I always worked full-time, ran my farm, and raised my family.
How did I do all that? I have no idea! 🤣

I certainly don’t do all that anymore, but have a soft spot for my applesauce. It’s so easy.
We also planned on making jams last summer, but we were in Colorado in the summer and too high up, where berries don’t grow.
Oh well, maybe next year!

Applesauce

Ingredients:
12 golden delicious apples
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tsp Vanilla
1/2 Tsp Cinnamon
1/4 Tsp Nutmeg
1/4 Tsp Cloves
1/2 cup water

Basic Instructions:
Peel and core apples. Cut into slices, much like you would for a pie. Place prepared apples in the crock pot. Add sugar and spices to your own personal taste, then toss apples together till combined.
Add in the water.

I no longer have a pressure cooker, but got me set-up with the water-bath sealing in our Class A.

Now, I use my crockpot to cook down the apples, which doesn’t save any time, but I dont stand over a hot stove for hours, stirring the apples anymore, either. Also, I core and cut apples with an apple slicer/corer… makes for quick work, too.

Cover with crock pot lid. Cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours, until apples are very softened. Cool down, but keep warm

My colander used to press the apples from the skin, before putting applesauce in jars. I store it, even not in use, in my dishwasher I never use. 😁

All items needs to be warm when assembling the applesauce: clean jars in oven on low heat, finished applesauce out of crockpot, lids, and rings. (jar lids and rings can warm in a fry pan with water, on the stove).

Be sure to wipe jar edge, after filling (1/2 to 1 inch from top). In order for a good seal, the jar edges must be clean.

20-minutes at a full boil, seals the lids with rings

Eat Applesauce right away, or  Can it. Also the applesauce can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to a few weeks. The same is true after opening a canned jar of Applesauce. It must be refrigerated.

Note: I make killer buttermilk pancakes, and I primarily make the applesauce to put on these fresh cakes. YUM.

I also have a few other recipes I make that call for applesauce; like applesauce cupcakes.
Store bought applesauce is just gross, IMHO.
🤣

If we have to be “kinda stuck” someplace, our current campground is very nice and very peaceful for the most part, here in Kingman. The winter weather in this part of Arizona can get chilly at night (freezing temps, already), but daytime is sunny, with perfectly warm enough temperatures.

Even with unexpected surprises, I wouldn’t change our lifestyle right now, while we are stateside.
We love it! We roll with it!

It’s been a little windy here, every now and again, so our camp flags get quite a work out, sometimes.

“Welcome To Our Campsite”
Daryl and Pen
http://2gypsiesinthewind.com

If it’s nice enough for the Fire Chief, here, it’s nice enough for us!

Since I post my blogs on various social media groups, I just wanted to mention about these really cool dog kennels that are part of some of the camp spaces, here. I’ve never actually seen this set-up in a campground, before now.
All I can say, fellow campers is; unless your dog is kennel-trained, this will NOT work, to leave your dog(s) in said kennel, whilst you take off for the day….a 1/2 day, 1 hour, 3o minutes, or even 1 minute!  Hell, the dogs don’t want to be in these kennels, when their humans are sitting at the picnic table, right next to them, either!
Hello campers. Do you hear your dogs cry-whining?
Poor pups. Poor camp neighbors!

So, what ARE we doing, since both our vehicles are in separate repair shops in this town? Unfortunately, we can’t get out to explore and adventure like we like to, but that’s just for now. It’s not forever.

I’ve always said; “boredom is a choice.” I still believe this to be true, and my kids learned real quick, growing up, never to tell me they were bored! 🤣
I like to stay busy.

Updates: I talked to our VW guy and explained we are unexpectedly “vehicle-less” in Kingman. He put his brother on our Bug, and is hoping to get it done by December (but still no promises) the other very good news is; all parts needed, have been ordered and received for our Bug!

Our other vehicle (Rusty the Dodge) is still sitting in a long que; not even looked at, yet. That shop has four transmissions taken apart and laying on their shop floor, while they wait for parts. They have run out of room.

Here at camp, our parking spot for “Rusty” is empty 🥲

We were suppose to leave tomorrow, for our cross-country trip to the East Coast for the holidays. Had we not cancelled the trip when we did; as soon as our car broke, we would have had to cancel later, with penalties for our campground reservations for sure. It just wasn’t meant to be. We do believe things happen for a reason, and staying put for now is probably a good thing, with pending diesel shortages, and with the current “climate” of our country. (and the whole world right now)

I’m still overcoming the let-down of not getting to be with our grandkids this winter. I miss them so much; it’s emotional for me, But, Daryl and have a very special bond ❤️ and are always each other’s family, when it’s just us, and for this, we are grateful and so, so appreciative.

Daryl has been rocking the grocery shopping, via electric bike these dayzzz. He’s all set-up with “saddle bags” to carry the groceries back home.

He has been adding this and that to the food purchases, each time he goes, to get us all set for Thanksgiving, sans the Turkey purchase (which will be a small one, purchased the week of, if we can still get one)….if we can’t, we will be fine, too. We understand we are living in challenging times for groceries, so will do with what we have.

Daryl is frugal; only buying good meats on sale. He was a butcher for 37 years, so he knows what he’s buying and he packages them up in butcher paper right away, to keep them fresh. (meat goes twice as far in our house, right now, since I’m off meat at this time).
No, I’m not vegan. “I loves me meat!”

What I have been doing, to stay busy, has been quite fun!
We don’t go out to eat very often, but when we have, not only has it become far too expensive, but the food quality has really taken a nose-dive. So, I’ve been collecting and researching, and organizing MANY recipes, with grocery lists to match.

I’m not talking my everyday and usual go-to recipes, either! I’m talking ALL the foods I’ve (we’ve) discovered around the world, in our years of traveling; foods I don’t usually make, and some I never thought about making, but why not, I say? I’m capable, I have the time, and I’m motivated! So when we crave Dim Sum or Korean BiBimBap, I can make it!

With the help of grocery delivery methods, I’ve gotten all the foreign spices, oils, herbs, rices, pastes, beans, noodles, rice papers, special lentils and barleys, rice wine, food molds, pastes, and even (Korean) stone bowls. (for BiBiBap) 

I can now make dozens of captivating dishes from:

Making trips back from the camp office, from picking up our delivered food item (by mail)

I do know, from having cooked a few foreign dishes, already, that other foreign lands and their spices, oils and such ARE quite different than ours, so if ya want it to taste the same, extra steps must be taken.

There is nothing like homemade food, in our opinions!

I’ve currently been on a systems  “cleanse” for a few weeks, and will be, till closer to Thanksgiving (not eating meats, sugars, or carbs), so foreign food cooking won’t commence till later. BUT, I’m ready and besides, looking at delicious foodie recipes when I’m starving is fun! I get my best work done, searching for the the most authentic recipes when in starvation mode! 🤣🤣

The big guy is not cleansing, however. 😁

I made BBQ Baby Back Ribs today! ($1.89/pound).
Daryl is clever and puts together a couple of dinner dishes at one time, for easy warm-up, the next day.