Road Tested: West African Chicken Stew

It's a rainy, raw day here in Greenville, SC - the kind of weather that is perfect for another one of our favorite dishes. We have enjoyed this stew often because it is warm, tasty and easy to make in a slow cooker.

WEST AFRICAN CHICKEN STEW

Ingredients:

• 6-8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 medium, finely chopped onion
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 2 medium, sliced zucchini
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 6 oz. can tomato paste
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. curry powder
• 1 tsp. smoked paprika
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks*
• 2 tbsp. butter (optional)*
• 1/2 cup finely chopped peanuts
• salt to taste

Directions:

• In a medium skillet, brown chicken in olive oil and set aside.
• Saute onion and garlic in remaining drippings until translucent, then add to bottom of slow cooker along with the chicken broth, tomato paste, curry powder, cumin and smoked paprika.
• Add chicken thighs and place slow cooker on low heat for 7 hours.
• The last hour, place the slow cooker on high heat and add the zucchini.
• 15 minutes before serving, add peanut butter and mix well.
• Serve garnished with chopped peanuts.

* There are two options for use of the sweet potatoes in this dish:

1. Peel the sweet potatoes, cut into chunks and add to slow cooker after the stew has cooked for four hours.
2. Microwave whole sweet potatoes for ten minutes or until tender, scoop pulp into a bowl, mash with 2 tbs. butter and use as a bed for the stew when serving.

We have prepared this dish both ways, but find that adding the sweet potatoes directly to the stew brings out deeper levels of flavor.

Enjoy!

copyright 2009 Lane A Geyer

photos by Deb & Lane

Howie Breaks An Arm In The Rain

After arriving back in the Greenville, SC area last Wednesday, we are finally spending the entire day settling in for an extended stay. Deb is putting up decorations for what will be our first Christmas as full-time RVers.

We left Marietta, GA mid-morning on the 2nd for what would be a wet and wild drive. There were only light showers as we made our way through the always insane Atlanta traffic, but by the time we crossed the border into South Carolina the skies unleashed downpours of biblical proportions. At times it rained so hard I could barely see ten foot in front of us and traffic slowed to 40 mph. It was a situation were I should have pulled off the road and waited out the storms, but we had to reach Greenville as soon as possible to help out my parents after my Mom's hospital stay. We finally made it to the campground by mid-afternoon and did a quick set-up in the still pouring rain. It proved to be a wet, miserable and exhausting day.

Unfortunately, Howie (House On Wheels Is Excellent) experienced a broken wiper arm during the trip. About 30 miles outside of Greenville the passenger side wiper began to slowly disappear below the windshield until it finally stuck there. A few minutes later we heard a sharp snap and knew it was a goner. Fortunately, the drivers side wiper was not affected so we pushed on as fast as the weather would allow. Once the rains subsided, I discovered that the drive brace on the wiper arm had indeed cleanly snapped beyond repair. Oh well, one more thing to keep me busy.

For the past few days we have been occupied helping my parents put out decorations, preparing meals, completing household tasks and doing whatever we can to help out during Mom's recuperation. It is good to report that she is resting comfortably at home and making progress everyday.

We are booked into the FlowerMill RV Park in Taylors, SC for at least a month. It is a very basic campground, but provides everything we need while enjoying Holiday visits with family and friends. We'll keep you posted on our stay here as time allows.

copyright 2009 Lane A Geyer

photos by Deb

On The Road Again

As the old sayings go, "All good things must come to an end" and "Life Happens".

We had planned to hang out in Heiskell, TN for a few more weeks, but my mother was admitted to the hospital two days ago with heart problems and a gash on her head due to a serious fall. No fears, she is back at home today recuperating comfortably.

Given that our schedules are wide open, we are currently on the way to Greenville, SC to lend a helping hand. We spent the day driving South on I-75 and are spending the night in Marietta, GA. Except for some wrong turns getting to the campground, the trip was smooth and uneventful. If all goes as planned, we will arrive in Greenville tomorrow for an extended stay.

But leaving the Volunteer Park Family Campground was bittersweet. It is one of the friendliest, most clean and comfortable campgrounds anyone could expect. We meet many good people and will always remember the beauty of the area. If you are ever in the greater Knoxville, TN area and are looking for a great place to stay, keep them in mind. You will not be disappointed.

copyright 2009 Lane A Geyer

Road Tested: Creamy Mac & Cheese

Here's another one of Debs Road Tested Recipes. This mac and cheese takes a little time to prepare, but is worth it. It can be made with just an electric burner and counter-top oven (once again saving us additional LP expense). The best part is that it refrigerates and reheats well without drying out.

DEBS CREAMY MAC & CHEESE

Ingredients:

• 1 8oz package elbow macaroni
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/8 tsp powdered mustard
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (Sargentos recommended)
• 1/2 cup shredded 6 cheese Italian blend (Sargentos recommended)
• 4 slices cooked bacon, drained and crumbled
• 1/4 cup each of additional sharp cheddar & Italian blend cheeses (combined for topping)
• 1/4 cup cheese flavored snack crackers (i.e. Cheez Its) crushed

Directions:

• Boil elbow macaroni in salt water using a sauce pan for 6-7 minutes until almost cooked (al dente). Drain, rinse well with cold water and set aside.
• In a medium saucepan melt butter on medium-low, then add flour while stirring with a wooden spoon until mixture is smooth and has cooked for about two minutes.
• Add half-and-half slowly while stirring constantly for 10 minutes. (Do not skip the constant stirring, it is essential for a creamy sauce.) Add salt, pepper, powdered mustard and nutmeg.
• Remove pan from heat and add cheeses, stirring until smooth.
• Combine cooled macaroni with sauce and pour into a buttered 8 inch, square baking pan.
• Sprinkle top first with additional cheeses, then crushed crackers.
• Bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes until top is browned and bubbling.
• Add crumbled bacon to topping and serve.

Enjoy!

copyright 2009 Lane A Geyer

Traveling

One of the greatest gifts we have been given in this full-time RV lifestyle is the opening of our minds to the concept of true, unbridled travel. Here are some quotes that better explain the essence of our current life than I could at this point:

- "The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page." - St. Augustine

- "A journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it." - John Steinbeck

- "Traveling is a brutality. It forces you to trust strangers and to lose sight of all that familiar comfort of home and friends. You are constantly off balance. Nothing is yours except the essential things - air, sleep, dreams, the sea, the sky - all things tending towards the eternal or what we imagine it." - Cesare Pavese

- "Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living." - Miriam Beard

- "Tourists don't know where they've been, travelers don't know where they're going." - Paul Theroux

- "A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving." - Lao Tzu

- "Once you have traveled, the voyage never ends, but is played out over and over again in the quietest chambers. The mind can never break off from the journey." - Pat Conroy

- "Not all those who wander are lost." - J.R.R. Tolkein

copyright 2009 Lane A Geyer

photo by Deb

Visiting Knoxville

We spent time yesterday afternoon visiting the City of Knoxville while enjoying a good bar-b-que meal with my brother Jimmie, sister-in-law Allison and their children Jordan & Raegan. It was a glorious day with temps. in the 70's and full sun over the Tennessee River. Once again, we were impressed with the scenery throughout this area of the country and the friendliness of local residents.

The trip also gave us the opportunity to take another picture of the Geyer Family Football trophy in front of Neyland Stadium, home to the University of Tennessee Volunteers. (For the full story of the trophy and why these pictures are taken, see the July 7th posting titled South Carolina.) Although he lives in Knoxville and Jordan is currently enrolled at UT, you can see by Jimmie's hand-gesture that he has a low opinion of the team. What can I say, he's an avid Notre Dame fan.

copyright 2009 Lane A Geyer

photo by Deb

Things That Bug Me

We experienced several days of rain this week due to the after-effects of Tropical Storm Ida. Happily, there were no leaks through the roof and I was able to use the indoor time developing ideas for future posts.

Either because of the gloomy weather, or just because I needed to vent a little, a list emerged of things that have been bugging me. Here are a few of them -

Trashy People: Whether through laziness, rudeness, ignorance or just plain meanness too many people treat the world as their personal trashcan. I have spent too much time in too many campgrounds picking up litter. Mostly it is from fire-rings containing everything from plastic utensils to dirty diapers. Added to my dismay is the amount of trash I see along roadways. I have taken walks as far a five miles at a time in areas we stayed for supplies and to get exercise; it's a great way to get a true feel for the local land that would otherwise be missed in a vehicle. But no matter where I walk there are always too many bottles, cans and other debris spoiling the experience.

Wake up people! Be responsible and mature enough to take your garbage to a dumpster or keep it in your vehicle until you get home. Just don't leave it for me or the campground staff to deal with. There's a simple rule that every young Boy & Girl Scout knows: Leave your site cleaner than you found it.

The Professor Flame-O's: This is our endearing term for people who have no clue of how to properly light a campfire. I won't get into the basics of thermodynamics here, but let's just say dry tinder goes a long way in burning larger logs. Dousing the logs in copious amounts of lighter fluid IS NOT the answer!

Dangerous Drivers: This one makes me want to go off again about drivers in the Boston area, but I won't because I've written enough about that horrendous experience. It is only one example of too many dangerous drivers we have found everywhere.

Look people, if you want to act as if you own the road and the rules don't apply to you then buy the damn thing and I'll find another route. Otherwise, keep in mind that I am in a vehicle carrying 30 lbs. of LP and 80 gallons of gas. If you hit me there is a good chance a fireball of hellish proportions will arise. If you cut me off, there is also a chance that this six-and-a-half ton rig could end up making your fancy sports car look like a flattened soft-drink can.

The Number Of Times Paula Dean Says Y'all: I have lived in the South, have relatives residing in the South, spent a great deal of time visiting areas in the South and can say I honestly know Southern people. While the word y'all is part of the Southern language, it is not used in every sentence!

I'll give Paula her dues; she is a great cook that has built an impressive empire. I just wish she would develop a broader vocabulary. And that's all I have to say about that, y'all.

There...now I feel better.

copyright 2009 Lane A Geyer

photo by Deb