CAMPING DAY TWO – MASSACRE ROCKS STATE RECREATION AREA, IDAHO

So I really thought camping in Nevada would be the challenge but it is SOOOOO HOT here. Beautiful but HOT. This place is situated along the beautiful Snake River. I was grateful for the free showers and the clean bathrooms. The staff was super-friendly and the visitor center has a lot of historical documents from people who came along the Oregon Trail. The fishing was also really fun. My daughter caught six fish, running a close second to the reunion record of seven.

We are camping here for my husband’s family reunion. (Every year the reunion is a camping deal – so fun for everyone!)

With temperatures in the 90s and only partial shade from a juniper tree or two, I barely want to move. Not to mention packing all of the gear uphill to our campsite and setting it all up. Dinner had to wait until the sun went down, or at least was heading that way. Unfortunately, that means I didn’t get any pictures. Tonight our fellow campers prepared dinner. It was so good.

We started off with a little fresh guacamole and chips while we waited for the main event to start. Matt made the guac “loaded” just like I like it – avocado, garlic, onion, jalapeno, tomato, etc. So good! Matt and Julie also brought some pork ribs and yams so they decided to wrap the yams in tin foil and cook them over the campfire. They were so good with a little pat of butter! The dogs loved the yams too. The ribs were a little more tricky since none of us had ever prepared them over the campfire before. But they turned out awesome and practically fell off the bone. So here is how we did it:
Dutch Oven Ribs

Oil a large Dutch oven with vegetable oil, then place the ribs in the Dutch oven. Cover ribs with ½ cup barbeque sauce, 2 cups of ginger ale and some water. Place the Dutch oven on the grill grate on top of the camp fire and let cook for about 45 minutes (add more water and/or ginger ale if the liquid starts disappearing). Remove Dutch oven from fire, remove ribs from Dutch oven then place the rack of ribs on the grill grate. Let cook around 5 minutes per side, cooking for a total of 20 minutes longer like this:

Cook 5 minutes meat side down.
Cook 5 minutes meat side up.
Cook 5 minutes meat side down and baste the top with more barbeque sauce.
Cook 5 minutes meat side up and baste with barbeque sauce.

Take ribs off of grill and test one for doneness. If they are under done, return them to the grill. Once cooked, let ribs rest a few minutes, covered in tin foil before cutting.

Eat Well

~Trish