Preparing Food for Hunting or Fishing Camp

When my husband takes his buddies up to our place for hunting or fishing camp, I like to pre-prepare some items so that they can be more focused on being buddies than on cooking duties. Some of his buddies and their wives are FANTASTIC cooks and like to make things also. Here is a meal that I prepared yesterday, here 'downstate', but I prepared it as if I were prepping ahead of time for hunting or fishing camp. First, here is a recipe for beef stew from Better Homes and Gardens 1989 New Cook Book. This happens to be my second favorite beef stew recipe. My first is for a recipe that can be made in the crockpot. This one is just as easy to throw together, but is cooked on the stove. Here is some recipe shorthand, capitol T's are Tablespoons. Small t's are teaspoons. C's are cups.

Beef Stew (stovetop) - I double this recipe in an 8qt. stock pot.
2 T. all-purpose flour
1 lb. beef stew meat
2 T. cooking oil
3 1/2 C. vegetable juice cocktail
2 t. beef bouillon granules (I use 2 t. beef soup base)
1/2 C. chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t. dried basil, crushed
1/2 t. dried thyme, crushed
2 1/4 C. potatoes, cut-up (I leave the skins on)
2 C. sliced carrots
1 C. sliced celery

Here is where I have to change the directions to be transported 'up north' for cooking.

Put the beef stew meat in a container that can be sealed, put flour into a small plastic bag/seal and put on top of the stew meat. Seal these 2 items together.

In another container, combine onion, garlic, bouillon granules, basil and thyme. Seal this container.

In another container, combine the sliced carrots and celery, add water to cover. Seal this container.

In another container, put in the cut-up raw potato, add water to cover. Seal this container.

Put these containers in a large paper bag with a large jug of vegetable juice concentrate and drop the instructions in the paper bag. Fold this bag up and put into the fridge. The pictures above make a lot more sense.

Here are the cooking instructions that I give to Bill for this recipe.

- Add the flour to the stew meat, seal container and shake.

- Heat 2T. of cooking oil in the 8 qt. stock pot. Add a few pieces of flour coated meat to the stock pot, brown on all sides, remove the meat to a bowl.

- After all meat is browned, return all of the meat to the stock pot.

- Add 3 1/2 C. of the vegetable juice cocktail.

- Add the container with the onion, garlic, bouillon granules, basil and thyme

- Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

- Drain the water from the carrot, celery and potato containers and add the drained vegetables to the stock pot.

- Cover and simmer for 30 more minutes.

- Serve in bowls with bread and butter.