Country Comfort Hot Showers

We have had a few people ask us about our shower so here is a quick look.

This is a Country Comfort gas hot water system.

These are Australian made and come from Australian Direct and at $299.00 they are not cheap but i can tell you it was well worth the price.

We have one of those fold up shower tents they are great until you have to fold them up that is. 

They are a nightmare, you end up folding/ bending it as much as possible and then shoving it into the bag as quick as possible before it unfolds it self. I suggest you get someone to help you so your not the only one swearing at it.

Other than that they are pretty good as a shower tent, the water drains easy and it has 2 mesh pockets for your soap and shampoo.

I do suggest that you get a couple of those rubber/ foam mats for under it, it will make it a lot softer on your feet especially when you don't notice the rocks and sticks when putting it up.

These tents also double as a loo tent. At $59.00 they aren't cheep but if you need it for more than a few days it is well worth it.

We have used it on a couple of short camp trips and the 42 nights we spent camping at Quidong before we moved to Early Bird Farm, where it is up again and we will use it till we build our wash house.

The Gas shower comes with a shower head that fits through the back window of the shower tent and can hang from the roof with velcro tabs or the hook.

This is a collapsible 100L water tank, we picked these up at anaconda for $40 each 

The top zipps on with a vent at the top.
If we shower together we use about 30L and if we shower separate about 20L each.
Save water and shower with a friend......

The shower also comes with the coil hose and a pump.

We purchased a small battery for $30 to run the water pump.

A 8.5kg gas bottle hooked to the instant hot water system. For the 42 days we camped we used less than a 1/4 of the tank, so its pretty cheap to run.

Now we have a 45kg gas bottle hooked to the hot water system.

With all the frost we have been getting the water freezes in the hose and the knobs on the system freeze up as well, so we cant get our shower until later in the afternoon or at night before it gets too cold.

Today we decided to bring the pump and hoses into the cabin and to cover the water tanks, gas bottle and hot water system, in hopes that we can get a shower in the morning.

But alas a hot shower was not to be.

Cant wait till we build the wash house.

Happy Adventures Nicole, Andrew & Sally Girl

Wonder wash * Review

This is my camp washing machine, you can fit up to 2 big towels so it holds a decent amount. 

I have also washed Sally Girls sleeping bag in it.

If you wash the cleanest items first you can reuse the wash water for the next load.

This type of washer does not wring out the washing, that will have to be all you and i have learned to use a bit of hot water in the rinse water so its not so freezing cold.

You only need a small amount of washing liquid / powder, i use liquid as it does not need to be dissolved and i find it washes out better than the powder.
If your washing a lot of items fill the washer half full, add your items. You can then add more water if you need too but do not over fill with either water or washing as it will not wash well.

Screw down the lid and make sure it is on properly and then turn the handle and give your arm a work out. It can be used left or right handed. A few turns one way and then the other. 

Depending how dirty your items are it should only take a few mins.

Now this is where a husband comes in handy........ :o)

There is a stopper in the bottom so when you empty it the wash is not sucked into the drain and stop the flow. I have found that when i am washing the stopper drops out and is tumbling around in the wash. This will not cause the machine to loose water.

When your ready to empty your machine attach the spout and it will empty on its own.

This very brown water was after tea-towels, table clothes, hand towels, bath mats and car rags in that order.

After the wash you wring it out as much as you can into the machine, drop the wash into a bucket with clean water and rinse and wring out, this is where i put in some hot water so i don't freeze my fingers off.
I have found the washer to be very good it cleans really well and does not use a lot of water or detergent.
I can highly recommend the wonder washer.

Clean washing flapping in the wind always makes me smile.

Added:
These washers are about $50 depending where you get it from, you can also get replacement parts.
They are light weight and easily pack back into their box and i highly recommend keeping them in the box as it makes them easier to pack into the car, caravan or trailer. 

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Happy Adventures Nicole, Andrew & Sally Girl

Camp Cooking * Bread

Best Ever Bread

This is my Best bread ever recipe over on my Going Green Blog.

The loaf was a little smaller as we got back too late so i pull out about a hand full of dough and used it to make nann bread.

3 cups Bread Flour
1/2 tsp Yeast
1 3/4 tsp Salt
1 1/2 cups Warm Water
for the full recipe instructions for the oven follow the above link.

Mix altogether to form a shaggy dough, leave in the bowl and cover, depending on the weather and how much time you have, leave to rise in a warm spot for at least a few hours longer if its not a warm day and you have to rise it outside.
This loaf ended up sitting for 2 days before i got to cook it.

As i have learned from a previous try you must have the bread dish up off the bottom of the camp oven or all you will get is a black loaf that's still doughy inside.

This bread took about 40 mins to cook, i hung it over the fire for the whole bake time, turning a couple of times. For the last 10 mins i placed coals on the lid to brown up the top.

The loaf may have been smaller bit it still had a good crust with a fluffy soft centre.

Enough to have with our Sausage Hot Pot and four thick slices for poached eggs the next morning.

I did notice that it didn't rise as much but that was due to all the cold weather and not much sun.

Happy Adventures Nicole, Andrew & Sally Girl

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Camp Life

Little bit of rain is a bit of an understatement especially when your camping every thing seems wet, cold and miserable.

The clothes don't dry and your towels are wet before you even use them.

We went into town to do the wash the other day as it was the first lot of sun we had seen in over a week. Washed it all and took it back to camp to hang on the line, the sun didn't last long and the rain was on and off, then it got cold so in came the washing. 

The following day it was raining and miserable so we went back into town and put all the washing through the clothes dryer. 

Anyone who knows me knows i don't use dryers they are a huge waste of power and your clothes shrink.

Well clearly i forgot about the shrinking in my water addled mind and now all my long sleeved shirts are now 3/4 sleeves,  not to mention how short they now are i can barely tuck them into my jeans. They weren't the only things to shrink and unfortunately it was all my stuff and Andrew got away with all his clothes still the same size.

This is a bridge on New Line Road at Creewah, only after a little bit of rain. It did clean Betty's tires and rims but that was short lived, cause there is always another lot of mud to drive/slide through.

Today we went into Merimbula and picked up some LED Strip Lighting, well i can tell you they are well worth the $70 we spent. It makes night like day well almost and now when we get back after dark it makes cooking a whole lot easier than with just lanterns.

Maybe now we will stay up past 8pm, well unless its too cold that is and our nice warm bed calls to us as it has been known to do ( i swear ).

Curry Chicken for Andrew's dinner tonight but with no chicken as the chicken isn't delivered to the butcher till tomorrow. Cooked under the new lighting, oh its like Christmas......

A bit of time spent at the beach in Pambula.
The best part of going to the beach when its cold or raining is you get it to yourself.

No matter the weather, we love the beach.

Despite all the rain and shrinking clothes we are still having fun.


Happy Adventures Nicole, Andrew & Sally Girl

Camp Life

All in a days work.........

New spark plug in the chain saw.

Cutting up some fire wood.

Doing the washing.

Using the facilities.

Hanging out by the fire.

Sally Girl with her new coat.

A man's work is never done........

Happy Adventures Nicole, Andrew & Sally Girl

Camp Oven Cooking * Sausage Hot Pot

Sausage Hot Pot

This is for two but again you can size it up to however many you need to feed.

4 Sausages 

1 Tbl Onion flakes or 1/2 a fresh onion if you have it

2 cups Beef Stock

1/4 cup Rice (uncooked)

1 Tbl  Mixed Herbs

1 Piece of ham chopped or a slice of bacon

small clove of Garlic grated

a few dried mushrooms or fresh if you have them

Salt and Pepper

Worcestershire Sauce a good couple of splashes

Brown your sausages in a fry pan.
Add to your camp oven rice, herbs, salt and pepper, worcestershire, stock, mushrooms and onion if dried.
Cut up the sausages and add to your camp oven, I use a pair of kitchen scissors to cut them up so much easier.

Now fry up your ham and garlic.
If using fresh onion and mushrooms fry them at the same time until onion is caramelized.
Add all to the camp oven and place over the fire just off to the side.
Stir every 10 mins of so and turn the pot so it cooks even and does not burn on one side.
You Dont want a huge amount of flames or coles under it or it will burn and not cook.

About 40 mins over the fire give or take depending on the amount of heat, then its cook and ready to serve.

I like to serve it with mashed potato and crusty bread.

No bread this time as i have not mastered bread in the camp oven yet.

Side Note: i like to use a spicy bbq sausage. 

If your gravy is not thick enough then add a little flour and stir to thicken ( a little goes a long way when it comes to the flour).

If you dont have mixed herbs then it is also nice with 1/2 tsp Thyme and 1/2 tsp Parsley.

I made this recipe up for the slow cooker but it is heaps nicer in the camp oven.

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Happy Adventures Nicole, Andrew & Sally Girl

Camp Oven Cooking * Beef Stew and Dumplings

Camp Oven Beef Stew with Herb Dumplings 

This recipe is for 2, however it can be up sized to how ever many you need to feed.

250g diced Chuck Steak

3 Tbl Flour

Salt & Pepper

Oil to fry

1 Carrot diced chunky

1 Potato diced chunky

couple of dried Mushrooms or fresh if you have them

1tsp Onion Flakes

1 cup Beef Stock

1 cup water with 1 1/2 tbl Beef Stew Season

Herb Dumplings

1 cup SR Flour

Mixed Herbs

Salt

1Tbl Oil

1/2 tsp Onion Flakes

Water to make a soft dough

Mix flour, salt and pepper, use to coat meat.
Brown in the camp oven in a little oil.
Add veg and stocks.

Cook over a low heat on the fire about 45 mins
Siring and turning the oven to make sure it cooks even.

Mix up the Dumpling dough, pat it into a round about 2 cm thick and cut into pie pieces.
Add to top of stew 10 mins before serving.

I am not a fan of all those stews that have tin tomatoes, and this one has none.  It is very tasty and can also be cooked in the oven or slow cooker.
Below you will find the recipe for my Beef Stew Season.

Beef Stew Season    

If you love a rich hearty stew then this seasoning will bring out the flavour of  even the cheapest cuts of meat.

1 cup Flour

2 tsp Oregano

1 Tbl Basil

2 Tbl +1 tsp Salt

1 1/2 tsp Black Papper

2 Tbl + 1 tsp Garlic Powder

2 Tbl + 1 tsp Paprika

1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper

1 Tbl Celery seed or ground dry celery

2 Tbl + 1 tsp Onion Powder or onion flakes

1 tsp Rosemary

Place all into a jar and shake well, don't forget to label it.

To use add 1 1/2 to 2 Tbl per kilo of meat.

Add it to your stock and mix.

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Happy Adventures Nicole, Andrew & Sally Girl

Day at the Beach

We went into Bega yesterday for a bit of shopping, Sally Girl really does love going in the car as soon as you open the door she jumps in.

After that we stopped off at Merimbula and then went straight into Pambula to the beach.

Pambula is one of the best beaches especially if you walk around to the Pambula River Mouth.

Sally Girl had not been to the beach before and usually shy's way from water but she seemed to have fun running through it and especially likes walking on the sand.

As it was hot Andrew and i got an ice cream and Sally Girl had an icy pole.

I am pretty shore she liked it course it was gone in less than a minute. Yum....

When we got back to camp we went on over to Phillips place and started up the fire so we could cook a chook in the camp oven.

After her big day at the beach and helping start the fire Sally Girl had earned herself a rest in the dirt. I am pretty sure she was once a black and white dog now she's more brown the white.....

 The chook i stuffed with sage and onion stuffing from the day before's leftover bread.

Getting the fire hot.

Chook in the fire to cook for one hour.

When it came out, the outside was black but under the skin it was moist and juicy. Yum..... Chicken....

Sally Girl was finding it a bit cold early in the mornings and kept trying to get on our bed, so while in Bega i picked up a kids sleeping bag for $16, zipped her up in it last night and she didn't get up until we did. 

Happy Adventures Nicole, Andrew & Sally Girl