1,000 Followers and FREE Double Fudge Mint Brownies

Good morning Foodies! It's a sunny (but chilly) Wednesday here in Chicago, and I just got done placing the order for the Twitter Give Away I did yesterday!
In celebration of reaching 1,000 followers on Twitter, I gave three lucky @NikkiTheFoodie followers 68 oz of sheer gourmet decadence with our Double Fudge Mint Brownies.
I love giving away great gourmet prizes, and I'm particularly fond of this item not only because it's chocolate (drool) but because the photography for it was taken by me!
I cut up a huge slab of brownies, set up my light box and chocolate mint ecstasy followed...

Yeah...it's like that.
I need a brownie now!
So...the three lucky winners are as follows:
@Calla68
@I8LA
@FujiMama

Congratulations to all three of you. Your Brownies are shipping UPS Ground out of Biddeford Maine today, and I truly hope you enjoy them!

Meal Planning for The Middle of Nowhere

Good Tuesday morning to you friends and foodies. It's a misty gray Tuesday here in Chicago, and I'm trying to push that out of my head in favor of thoughts of my camping excursion.
Obviously on of the biggest parts of my vacations is always the food. So in the spirit of vacation equals good eats, I have started meal planning so I can create a shopping list for tomorrow.
I think I have the entire meal plan worked out from Friday night to Monday morning...and reading over it is making me hungry.
So here we go...recipes for this camping trip.
Friday Night:
Meal- Dinner
Menu- Grilled Cheeseburgers on Pretzel Buns. Campfire Baked Beans & Smore's for dessert with Hot Buttered Rum.

Yes...Pretzel buns. In my book, there is no better bun for a big thick juicy burger than a stout flavorful pretzel bun. And to my massive joy, there happens to be a bakery on the island we are going to so that means fresh baked bread every day. I think I have died and gone to carb heaven.
Saturday
Meal-Breakfast
Menu-Campfire Skillet Breakfast
Ingredients
1/2 lb smoked apple-wood bacon
4 cups of red potatoes peeled and cubed
1/2 onion chopped
6 eggs beaten with salt and pepper to taste
1 Cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions
Cook bacon until just slightly firm in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. remove bacon from skillet and set aside. Stir potatoes and onion into the bacon fat. Cover and cook until potatoes are soft. About 10 minutes.
Crumble bacon back into the potatoes, stir in eggs, cover and cook until set. About 2 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and allow to melt. Serve immediately.

This along with some biscuits and some coffee...I'll be good for the day.

On Saturday we plan on going to the City of Big Bay Wisconsin, so we are going to try and find a cool restaurant there. More on that later.
Meal: Dinner- Saturday Night
Menu: 8-10 oz Maine Lobster Tails 6 oz Filet Mignon, Campfire Baked Potatoes and Fresh bakery bread.
For Dessert: Warm Campfire Baked Apples filled with Caramel.

Campfire Lobster Tails. I love this recipe to no end. I made it on the last camping trip I took, and it was the only good thing about that trip. Never before had I enjoyed a lobster tail that was so flavorful and fell out of it's shell like that.
The lemon flavor permeated through the entirety of the lobster tail to the point where all I had to do was drop the meat from the shell and dig in.
It was perfection in a little red outfit.
My favorite lobster recipe of all time, and that's saying something.
Our Filet Mignon....despite the fact that I have enjoyed these steaks more times than I can account for, it still excites me. Tender, flavorful aged full trim filet mignon melts in your mouth each and every time.
These are the steaks that dreams are made of.
Combine the two of them...It's culinary insanity.
And for dessert...Caramel Filled Warm Apples. Again, one of my camping favorites. Too easy, too delicious.

Sunday- The forecast on Madeline Island for Sunday is NASTY. Luckily for me, I have a camper I will be taking with so I don't have to sleep on the ground and can enjoy such novel inventions as heat and a warm place to curl up if it's nasty out.
Love camping, but seriously...I'm a bit old for a week of sleeping on a cold wet ground. With as much as I work I can't get sick. So camper camping it is with my mobile hotel.
With Sundays high only making it to 42F and the low hovering around 30F with chances of rain and snow, I am planning on making a massive pot of soul warming beef stew. That's going to cook all day through breakfast, lunch and dinner. I'll share that ROCKIN recipe with you when I return from the trip. Onto the rest of Sunday!

Breakfast: Griddle Cakes, Sausages and Eggs at the campsite <-- Self explanatory. Lunch:Hobo Pies- Magical Recipe right here, you can pretty much make this in any way you like from vegetarian to ham and cheese or pizza. Versatile, easy and delicious. Perfect camp food.
Dinner: Campfire Beef Stew (See above)
Monday
Meal- Breakfast Before take-down.
Menu- Biscuits, Red Eye Gravy and Sausage.

Then we pack it up, and set off for home, but don't return to the grind until Wednesday. Figured a full day to recover from the long drive and unpack was wise.
And with that, I close this long rambling post and leave you with some images of the place I'm going, because it's breathtaking and I'm super excited.

Sea Caves on Madeline Island

Inside Sea Caves on the Apostle Islands

The Lighthouse in Big Bay

Campfire Cooking- Another Wisconsin Adventure Planned

Good Monday Morning Foodies! I am fired up and ready to go because this Friday at 3am, yours truly will be on her way up to Madeline Island Wisconsin for my last mini vacation before the crazy holidays begin at work. Ever seen pictures of Madeline Island or the near by town of Big Bay? I had not either, but after I had I was suddenly THRILLED there was no space left in Devil's Lake. Otherwise, I would have never found this place and it seems PERFECT for me in every way!
Here are some pictures I have found:



Madeline Island Sea Caves. Top Canoe destination in the world, when it's winter, Ice Caves take over and there are Christmas Tree Lined Ice Roads...


There are so many naturally beautiful and historical places to visit on Madeline Island, in Big bay Wisconsin and on the Apostle Islands. I know it's going to be awesome, and the drive up should be gorgeous with all of the robust fall colors.

As far as the menu goes...I really only have a few things planned, so I'm totally going to have to do some grocery shopping this week for camping supplies! But atleast I know I'll be making Campfire Lobster Tails, and Filet Mignon from Lobster Gram again. The ultimate comfort food in the ultimate setting.
I love camping.
I'll bring back lots of pictures to share!