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What I'm Loving: Really Cool Camp Gear from A Well Crafted Party

Over 8 years ago I married my husband and we went on our very first camping trip as a married couple for our honeymoon. It has always been one of my favorite things to do with my husband, friends, and family. My son’s first camping trip was when he was 6 weeks old, but we then got out of the habit of stealing away to the woods for a weekend because life happened. This year I promised myself that we’d make time for trips like this instead of looking back at another Summer of missed opportunities due to busy schedules.

I’m so glad that I made that commitment. The past two weekends I’ve enjoyed some real quality time with my family, friends, and good ole’ Mother Nature. I came back to the real world with posts about a delicious summer sipping cocktail perfect for camping and a tutorial on how to make fire roasted corn on the cob.


Smart Camping Gear that is also Really Cool!

While I love a good rustic campground, I also know that there are a few items that are just awesome to have while camping. Here are some of my favorites and some items that are on my wish list for future camping trips.

Camping Wish List via A Well Crafted Party

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  1. Ozark Trail Hobo Tool – 7-in-1 This has been my favorite camping tool hands down! It is a knife, spoon, fork, can opener, bottle opener, and corkscrew all-in-one! The tool folds all up together, but can also detach so that you have a knife and fork usable at the same time!
  2. GSI Outdoors Pinnacle Dualist Wish list item big time! My friends had this when we were camping and it was amazing! The set had a pot, two bowls, to cups, and two forks that all fit into each other. The pot helped water boil SUPER fast on a little camp stove.
  3. Therm-A-Rest NeoAir Trekker Air Mattress, Pistachio, Regular While I love camping and I love camping in a tent… but, I’m getting older and I need a little cushion. I love that this air mattress is compact and doesn’t need a big pump to air it up. But, if I’m gonna be completely honest with you… I really want the Coleman Double-High Quickbed because would be like sleeping on a real bed in the middle of the woods!
  4. ReVIVE Rugged Camping Charger & 5000mAh Solar Battery Pack for Charging at the Beach, Lake, Forest, Desert, and more – Includes Cleaning Brush While I tell myself that I am going to unplug when camping… I still want to have my iPhone camera. This charger would save me when my palms start to get sweaty from being disconnected for too long! (I joke. Sorta.)
  5. Sol Republic’s Motorola Deck Speaker  Speaking of things that need charging… I was recently sent this amazing little speaker (smaller than a breadbox) that can be charged up and used nearly anywhere. It connects to phones/ipods wirelessly and up to 5 people can play DJ by highjacking the link. It is so cool and has great sound. The first thing I thought of when playing around with it was how great it would be for our next camping trip.

That is my current gear list… though, I know I’m missing quite a few items.

Know of another camping item you can’t live without or is on your current wish list? Comment with a link below!

Disclaimer: I was offered compensation for my work on this post about Amaize Sweet Corn. The below idea for how to cook and eat Amaize is my own. All opinions are my own. Thank you for reading, sharing, commenting, and interacting with sponsored posts on my page. This helps support this blog and keeps original content coming your way!


Fire Roasted Corn from A Well Crafted Party

Little known fact about me… I went to high school in the middle of a corn field. My senior shirt had a caricature of my entire class (all 40 or so of us) in the middle of corn with the caption “Children of the Corn!” Besides being a little bit creepy… it was great growing up with farms all around us! I was raised on tasty corn on the cob, creamed corn, sweet corn, pop corn and the likes. While I don’t eat as much corn as I used to, I do like to dress up salads, garnish tacos, or just eat a perfectly cooked corn-on-the-cob in the hot summer months.

When I received a box of Amaize, a sweet corn, right before heading out camping I knew that I wanted to try roasting it over a fire. Pretty much everything tastes better over a fire while camping. But, I gotta say, cooking over a fire isn’t always the easiest! The heat is constantly changing, you have to make sure your food doesn’t catch on fire, and you have to sometimes deal with smoke. These corn on the cobs were SO worth it though!

How to Make Fire Roasted Corn

Ingredients:

  • Corn with husks (I used the Amaize Sweet Corn)
  • Contained fire with grill grates positioned above it. (Tip: Make sure the fire is burning completely and fairly consistently. I usually wait until some of my wood looks more like charcoal before throwing down some food on the grill.)
  • Tongs
  • Sharp Knife & Cutting Board
  • Butter & Seasonings of Choice (I used salt, pepper, and an italian seasoning blend)

Fire Roasted Corn a How To from A Well Crafted Party

amaize-fire-roasted-corn-cutcorn

Fire Roasted Corn from A Well Crafted Party

Directions:

  1. After your fire is burning fairly consistently (not huge flames!) put down the corn husk and all on a grill grate above the flames. That is right… you don’t need to peel back the husks, don’t need to de-silk the corn, and you don’t need to wrap it in anything. Bonus, if you accidentally drop an ear in the dust it won’t matter because it is protected by a husk! Don’t worry if your husks are getting a little singed. Your corn will still be great unless the husks begin to come off completely.
  2. Roast for approximately 1 hour— rotating your corn every 10 to 15 minutes. This is absolutely not precise! Fire burns at different temps depending on a lot of different factors. Test the corn by squeezing with your tongs or sticking a fork in them. If it feels like there is some give or juice comes out then it is a safe bet that they are done. When I feel like the corn is done I typically pull one out and cut it up to test. If it isn’t quite done then you can always wrap the corn in foil and cook it a little longer.
  3. Using tongs, put a corn on the cob on your cutting board. Slice off the back end of your corn.
  4. Then, holding the corn husk firmly at the top of the corn, squeeze the corn out of the husk. (Saw this little corn trick via Instructables using microwaved corn. It totally works on roasted corn as well! Changed my life.)
  5. Doctor your corn with butter and seasonings… enjoy!

Fire Roasted Corn from A Well Crafted Party

 

More About Amaize Sweet Corn:

  • Amaize Sweet Corn was created using traditional, natural breeding methods through hybridization meaning this corn is never genetically modified. (Non-GMO)
  • The corn is sweet and crunchy… it didn’t get gross and mushy after cooking!
  • The corn had a 22 year development period. Seriously, so cool to think about how many different variations and flavors were created to get to this sweet and crunchy corn.
  • Amaize is available from June to September and is currently being sold for a limited time exclusively in Portland at New Seasons Market.
  • Follow along on their Facebook page to learn more!

PS. Please be careful of fires this time of year and pay attention to your local burning laws!

What do you like cooking over a camp fire?

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One of my hands down favorite things to do in the summer months is going camping. I love being outdoors, the way the stars look when away from the city, and anything and everything cooked over a campfire. This last weekend (and this weekend actually) we got away from it all and headed out to the wilderness to camp.

While I enjoy a good beer next to the campfire… Sometimes it’s nice to have something a little different. I wanted a refreshing cocktail that would be the perfect thing to drink after a long hike when settling in to enjoy the campfire for the evening.

This drink did the trick and it’s SUPER simple to make and take on your next camping trip, outdoor party, or picnic.

Bourbon Arnold Palmer

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/4 oz Bourbon ( I used one of my favorites- Buffalo Trace)
  • 3 oz lemonade
  • 3 oz iced black tea
  • ice
  • lemon wedge for a squeeze and for garnish

Directions:
Pour all ingredients over ice, pouring bourbon last, squeeze 1 lemon slice in, drop over top, and enjoy!