One of the advantages to this military lifestyle is making fabulous friends wherever you go. On the other hand, one of the biggest disadvantages is that we also say 'see ya later' more often than we wish. The Hubs and I have so many wonderful friends, all of us scattered to different points around the globe. The hope is always that we'll be stationed together again, and if not... well, we visit whenever we can!
One of my best pals (and her hubs), transitioned back to civilian life not too long ago. They've embarked on a fabulous new adventure as RV enthusiasts and military retirees. Totally living the dream!
Abby is my blogging inspiration, my photog buddy, and an excellent confidant. We still 'yak' when the opportunity arises, and share our lives with each other. True friends aren't separated by distance, they just find ways around it. I'm so glad I found such an excellent friend in my Abby.
Today, she agreed to guest post for me, sharing one of her RVing recipes for the rest of us. I am always in awe of how easily Abby adjusted to life in an RV. And how many delicious meals she can make in such a confined space! Keep reading for a peek into Abby's world, and her post-military life:
 |
| Skunk Pizza |
When I think culinary, I
picture a huge kitchen with many beautiful appliances, delicious aromas, fresh
herbs for seasoning, and graters for a sprinkle of parmesan. Heck, I picture
Allison’s house. I don’t picture the miniature kitchenette inside an RV.
 |
| My RV kitchenette (don’t blink or you’ll miss it) |
So that must mean for
delectable food, I’d have to raid Allie’s house (believe me, I have) because
otherwise my dinner menu would center around s’mores and tinfoil packages of
freeze dried food found in the camping section of retail stores, right? Nope! I
can make it all in my kitchenette. When I’m craving a certain something-or-other,
with a little creativity, I can make it.
Pizza was on the menu
tonight. While out hiking in the Ouachita National Forest, my husband, Paul,
took a pretty good tumble, so
he deserved some comfort food. After all, he had done the same for me after I’d
sprained my ankle and had to hobble back down Elk Mountain.
Pizza really is great comfort food, isn’t it?
First thing was first to make
pizza: The crust. Allison has mentioned before that I had made pizza dough for her and the Hubs back in
El Paso, but the secret to that dough had been that I used a bread maker.
Primitively camped there in the Ouachita National Forest in Arkansas, we didn’t
have electricity, so using my bread maker wasn’t an option unless I started up
the noisy generator. So I opted to make the concoction with my own two hands.
 |
| Making pizza dough |
My crust would be an “artisan
crust” (my lingo), which would have texture and consistency of something
between a thin crust (my favorite) and a traditional crust (Paul’s preference).
Marriage is about compromise, right? First I mixed my dry ingredients: One cup
of flour, a quarter cup of grated parmesan cheese, a teaspoon of baking powder,
and a pinch of sea salt. After blending the mix, I added the wet ingredients:
Two tablespoons of olive oil, two tablespoons of sour cream and a quarter cup
of hot water (with a little extra on hand if the mix seemed too dry). With the
world-traveled tea kettle and my propane stove, boiling
water was a cinch. No cavewoman fire-lighting skills needed.
While I mixed my ingredients
and kneaded the dough, my dogs, George and Emma, who were tied outside, let out
a few barks. I appreciated our seclusion in the Ouachita National Forest. We
were the only campers at Knoppers Ford,
so no one would be bothered by barking dogs, and our “backyard” was the
beautiful, wide open forest.
 |
| Emma and George outside our campsite at Knoppers Ford Recreation Area |
When my dough was ready, it
was moist to the touch, but not sticky. I plopped the ball onto my pizza pan
and began to spread it. In an RV many essentials take on a mini form. My
rolling pin is one of them (though I do miss my marble pin for home defense!).
After spreading it, I poked the dough with a fork to so that it wouldn’t get
bubbles in the crust, and I pre-baked it for three minutes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit
so the dough looked as though it was just beginning to dry.
Now it was on to the topping.
Instead of traditional pizza sauce, I wanted something a little “foo-foo”
(that’s a Paul term) like pesto. Confession: I’m not that awesome. My pesto
would only be an illusion. To create it, I mixed two ingredients, dried basil and
olive oil. Cool, huh? Okay, not so much, but it would still be tasty, even if
it was actually non-pesto.
 |
Here’s the deal about
full-time RVing. An RV is short on space, which isn’t conducive to lugging
kitchen appliances. We agreed only two appliances could move into the
RV with us: Paul chose the coffee maker and I chose my bread maker. The food
processor went into storage. Food storage is also limited, so I make shortcuts
(dried seasoning is easier to store than fresh, for example) and keep only the
essentials around. By leaving the land of housing and suburbia, I’ve also
forfeited my quick access to grocery stores when I have a craving. Way out in
the American backcountry, the stars were bright, the air was fresh, the coyotes
howled, and we were next to nature. To me that’s an okay trade for pesto.
As I spread the "pesto" on my
crust with a rubber brush, the dogs’ barking escalated to full-blown
carrying-on. Obviously, cooking is a horribly inconvenient time to be
interrupted by boisterous dogs—unless the said cooking has an interruption that
smells like…
Skunk!
This next step in pizza
making is very important. Save the dogs. I hauled out into the dark and shoved
the dogs back into the RV after two quick sniff tests. Lucky for me, the skunk
had only fired a warning shot out of reach of the dogs’ ties. So that’s why
this is called “skunk pizza.”
 |
Excited, the dogs wrestled on
the floor shaking the RV like there was an earthquake while I went on preparing
the toppings…until the skunk fume dissipated and the aroma of bacon frying
filled the camper. Then I had their full interest. “Sorry doggies. Bacon is for
people.”
The pizza toppings I chose
were thin sliced tomato, diced onion, chopped bacon and kale. The kale might
sound crazy, but I promise it’s yummy, kind of like spinach on pizza is. I used
only light, leafy pieces, which gave an extra pizazz of flavor, but wouldn’t be
overpowered by crunch (that’s the bacon’s job) or fiber of the stems.
 |
| Toppings |
The next step was my favorite
part, grating cheese. I am a cheese freak, so it’s a wonder how any actually
made onto the pizza itself! Allison has taught me a lot
when it comes to skills in the kitchen, and I put to use some of her advice
making this pizza: Grate your own cheese. Cheese that comes pre-grated and
packaged is kept separated and loose by corn starch, which takes away from the
moisture in the cheese. Trust me, Allie is right that a pizza with freshly
grated is better. Not a little better. All the way better.
 |
| Grating cheese |
My little RV oven was just
the right size for a pizza big enough for two. I baked it on the top rack at
425. Because not all ovens are created equal, the cooking time can vary, and my
recipe needed between twenty and thirty minutes. I pulled mine out closer to
thirty when the cheese was beginning to golden. I confirmed the crust was ready
by using a spatula to test. It lifted on the side without sticking to the pan
and without seeming floppy. Time to serve and gobble.
And there you have it:
Cooking in an RV isn’t much different than in a house! And it tastes just as
delicious. Dishwashing on the other hand…well, just appreciate your dishwasher
for me when you clean up after dinner. Happy travels!
 |
The finished product
|
I'm sure you enjoyed this fun recipe for cooking in a small space, and adapting your needs to suit the environment. If you'd like to keep up with Abby and all her RVing adventures, please check out her blog at 1,000 Miles On My Own Two Feet. You won't be disappointed!
As always, happy cooking my friends! Though I'm crazy busy planning our current PCS move to Germany, I'll be back soon with plenty more recipes and adventures to share.
