We are home from our trip at last!  There is nothing quite like home, sweet home.  We got in late and I kissed Oliver about a million times.  I sure missed that guy.  The fish are all still with us, thanks to my sister, but I didn't kiss them.  My sister also bought us a massive amount of donuts and left them on the counter.  THAT is a true friend, right there.

Our stay in Des Moines was lovely.  We slept in at the hotel and drove to the state fair for one last day of crazy fun.  

4 hours, 3 snacks, 5 rides, and 50 tractors later, we headed home.  The Iowa State Fair was an amazing fair- bigger and better than any fair I have ever attended.  I don't think we saw a third of it, but we wanted to get home early enough to get a decent night's sleep.

Before I complete the blog posts about our vacation, I wanted to share the yummiest meal we had on the whole trip- even better than all of the restaurants we tried in the wild west.  For real!  We made steak tips once and campfire potatoes twice.  They were delicious and oh so satisfying.  Both times we made the potatoes we couldn't get enough of them.  Reed ate two at each meal.  We went through an entire bag of potatoes in one trip.  
Dang.

On our way into the Bighorn National Forest, we stopped at a grocery store and picked up potatoes, a sirloin, and a marinade in a bag.  

We love this stuff.  We put the steak in the marinade bag and put it in the cooler until dinnertime.

Poke plenty of holes in each of the potatoes.

Rub the potato skin with plenty of canola or vegetable oil.  This give the skin a great texture and flavor.

"Can I help, Mommy?"

"Well, I'm pretty sure I just saw you grab a cow patty, so that's gonna be a big no.  Sorry, bud."  Oh, the glories of camping.

We are going to wrap the potatoes in foil, too.  Jacob and I are in love with Reynold's Wrap non-stick foil.  It is thick, heavy duty, and great for the grill and campfire.

Sprinkle each potato with salt and pepper.

And wrap 'em up!

The first time we made our potatoes, we had a grate over the campfire to put the potatoes on.  Later, in the prairie, Jacob made a coal bed for the potatoes to sit on.

Go ahead and get the potatoes started and give them about an hour to cook.  After about 30 minutes, you can get started on the beef tips.

Heat some oil in a cast iron pan or dutch oven.

Chop up an onion and add it to the hot oil.

Let the onions brown, and meanwhile, chop the sirloin into bite-sized pieces.  Then add that beautiful, marinated beef to the flavorful, browned onions.

Now we're cookin'!

Cook the beef until it is done to your liking.  We prefer medium/medium rare.

That's all!  We ate our potatoes with some butter, salt, and pepper.  As I said before, Reed just loved them.

Both in the mountains...

And in the prairie.  I love to watch that kid eat.

We have found our first campfire staple!  As the we enjoy the last days of summer and the cold nights of fall roll in, I am looking forward to enjoying this meal a few more times.  Even if it's just to get more pictures of Reed eating them.  Ha.

Campfire Beef Tips and Potatoes

Ingredients:
Sirloin or London Broil
Russet potatoes
​1 onion
Salt
Pepper
Butter
Canola or Vegetable Oil
Jack Daniel's Marinade in a Bag

Instructions:
Marinade steak for at least one hour.  Start your campfire and get it nice and hot.
Wash your potatoes and poke them plenty of times with a fork.  Rub each potato with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and wrap in foil.  Place the potatoes over the campfire, turning occasionally, for 45-60 minutes.

Chop the steak.  Heat 3-4 tablespoons of oil in a cast iron pan or dutch oven over the fire.  Dice an onion and simmer the onion in the oil until brown.  Add the steak to the oil and cook until the steak is cooked to your liking.

Check if the potatoes are done by poking with a fork.  The potato should be soft and easily pierced.  Serve the potatoes with butter, salt, and pepper.

This recipe is a family favorite!  We usually just call them "chicken wraps", but that name doesn't really do these hot, cheesy, spicy roll-ups justice.  I thought "melty" was just right.

When I make these, I make at least three dozen.  Yes, three dozen!  We eat until we are stuffed and refrigerate the rest for a few lunches and a dinner during the school week.  They reheat really well, and the mix can even be frozen separately.  It's a beautiful thing. 

To begin, sprinkle salt and pepper on 4 large chicken breasts.  I like to use seasoned salt for a little extra kick if I have any around.

Bake the chicken for about 20 minutes at 400 degrees, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.

After the chicken cools a bit, shred it or chop it into small pieces and compile your remaining ingredients: one stick of butter, Velveeta cheese, and two cans of cream of chicken soup. Perhaps not very healthy, but oh, so yummy!

In a large saucepan, stir together the two cans of cream of chicken, the stick of butter, and the Velveeta on medium-low until combined.

Add the chicken.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and break out the tortillas.  Butter one side of each tortilla and spoon about 1/4 cup of filling in the tortilla (not the buttered side).  Roll it up, butter side out!

Bake the roll-ups for about 20 minutes, then turn them and bake for another 10-15 minutes until golden brown. I like to eat mine piping hot with plenty of sour cream and salsa.

The Little Outdoorsman couldn't wait to eat!  I think he bit off a little more than he can chew.  He ate an entire roll up with a big dollop of sour cream.  Growing boy!

Ingredients:
- 30 small tortillas
- 4 large chicken breasts
- 1 stick butter
- 2 cans cream of chicken soup
- 16 oz Velveeta cheese (Mexican flavor, if possible)
- Salt and pepper

Sprinkle the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.  Allow to cool and dice or shred the chicken.
In a large saucepan or pot, melt together the butter, cream of chicken soup, and Velveeta cheese.  Add the chicken once the mixture is melted.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter one side of each wrap, fill with the chicken mixture, and roll up.  Bake for 30-35 minutes, flipping about 15 minutes in.  Enjoy with salsa, sour cream, or both!