Finger Food Friday: Camping Edition

Before we start, I really need you guys all just to be impressed that I even attempted a FFF while camping.  Because, really, it was a disaster.  There is not a recipe or technique anywhere in the next 800 words or so that you are going to want to replicate.  However, if you'd just be impressed (or at the very least, morbidly curious), then maybe there's a little hope that this post won't be a complete waste of your time.

Like I've said before, here's to hoping.

K.  The objective was to make some yummy sliders.  I was going to make just plain old burger, bun, and ketchup sliders for the kiddos and then blow Mr. C's mind by topping ours with some sauteed mushrooms, onions, and a thick gooey slice of Pepper Jack Cheese.

What can I say?  I dream big.

Here's your ingredients.  Slider buns, ground beef, half an onion, a package of sliced mushrooms, olive oil, pepper jack cheese, S&P, and garlic, which somehow did not make it into the shot.

That's probably because it was hiding in one of these boxes:

These boxes, that made up my "kitchen" for the week.

So, first thing, you dump the ground beef into a bowl (or pot, because that's all I had to work with).

I need to confess something.  Ever since Mr. C and I did our half-assed cleanse last month, ground beef has been striking me as really- what's the word? Disgusting? Nasty?  Utterly unappetizing?   

Maybe it's cuz I buy the cheap stuff at a certain large discount super store.  I'm sure their cows aren't of the same caliber as those Jensen cows or Whole Foods cows.  

That must be it. 

Anyway, chop up some onions. Slice half of them into rings and mince the other half. 

   Chop up one clove of garlic.

  Throw the garlic and the chopped onion into the pot with your beef.  Reserve the sliced rings for later.

Add 3 TBS of Olive Oil for every pound of ground up (discount priced national chain superstore) beef.

Then take off your wedding rings ladies, cuz it's about to get messy up in h'yah.

GAWD.  Tonight, even I can't stand how dorky I am. 

Shaking it off, shaking it off. 

Okay.  

Next step.  Mix it all up. 

Form little tiny patties using about 2 inches square of meet.  Or, if you're speaking my language, about a shot glass full.  

 And this is where it all went to you-know-where.  (Sorry, I already used the term "ass" in this post. I can't bring myself to swear again. I'm a good girl like that.)

You may remember how a few months ago I set our backyard on fire while trying to cook bacon? Well, this time I almost burned down the entire lower Yosemite Valley.  Apparently, you shouldn't put burgers this close together on a Hibachi Grill.  

Who knew? 

Mr. C had to take over.  

He was wildly helpful by grabbing the nearest water bottle and dousing my sliders with it.  

Of course, I was wildly helpful in my own way by grabbing the camera and documenting the whole scenario. 

Anyway, after that little spectacle, I was too scared to continue grilling on the hibachi.  So I switched back to the fry pan.  

Don't those soggy burgers look too delicious for words?  

I did, however, skip a few steps.  Let me backtrack to the mushrooms and onions. 

It's easy. You throw them into a fry pan with about a TBS. of Olive oil and the sliced onion rings from earlier, salt and pepper them, then sautee them for about 3 minutes.  

Then, you carefully place them on top of your sliders and dismay when they keep falling off, much like a hat that's 5 sizes too big for your noggin. 

Forging ahead, you determinedly slice up some Pepper Jack Cheese....

And try to balance it on top of the teeny weeny burgers with the oversized mushroom hats.  

And then you realize that there's really not a lot of hope for this dinner.  

But your daughter has put her heart and soul into creating a wonderful side dish of celery with cream cheese.  And you feel like this is a step towards gaining approval from the vegetable gods. 

Then, you really count your blessings because it turns out your husband is a decent photographer who manages to make your soggy burger mess look somewhat appetizing. 

                                       

Somewhat.  

Any most of your family is happy with their dinner.  

Except for the baby, who is sleeping off a fever in the tent and who will, unbeknownst to you at the moment, keep you up all night with worry at how hot and miserable she feels.  

Yeah, that sucked.  

But we all survived.  And I just have two teeny tiny little vacation related posts left, and then we can all put this vacation behind us.  

By the way, another something important about myself that I discovered this summer.... I don't like Finger Food Friday.  I'm going to let Pioneer Woman do what she does really well, (cook and photograph food) and I'm going to move on to something I do well.  Like read.  And talk about books.  

That's right.  I'll be doing another weekly post, but it'll have to revolve around books since they don't require anything of me other than to read them.  

They're quite lovely that way. 

You all have a good night!