Cabbage Bombs

Prior to Man Camp, there was a lot of e-mail chatter among past participants. Two words kept popping up in many of those messages. Cabbage Bombs!

Of course, I was intrigued.

Cabbage Bombs! I envisioned a campfire cabbage roll, similar to the potluck dinner staple of my youth. They consisted of seasoned ground beef, rice, green peppers, and onions wrapped in cabbage leaves that were bathed in tomato sauce.

My vision of the Cabbage Bomb wasn't close to being accurate.

Cabbage Bombs aren't cabbage rolls.

They're much bigger and grander and worthy of their name. Cabbage Bombs consist of an entire head of cabbage that's been cored and stuffed with whatever ingredients tickle your fancy. Then you wrap it in foil, set it next to the fire, and roast until it's nice and soft.

I dub this Cabbage Bomb "The Josey Wales" because it's stuffed with whiskey, beef jerky, and jalapeno peppers. This trio of ingredients might not sound appetizing, but it creates a rich, beefy broth that's reminiscent of soy sauce, perfect for dipping leaves of cabbage.
I can't wait to create my own Cabbage Bomb on my next cookout.

drop cabbage, not bombs,

muddy

Man Camp 2010

Saturday, rain clamped its teeth on our day and refused to let go. This picture speaks for itself.

There were breaks in the clouds throughout the day, and this picture tells a different story.

Despite the rain, I had a great time at Man Camp, and if I'm invited back, I'll attend next year. Tune in tomorrow and I'll tell you what's wrapped in the foil.

can you guess what's in the foil?
muddy

The Greasy Five: Essentials for Camping with Ruffians

This weekend I'll be camping near Noel, Missouri, with a crew of whiskey swilling ruffians whose idea of a meal is six courses of meat followed by whatever they chuck into the deep fat fryers. This yearly event is called Man Camp. It's my inaugural participation in this fabled event, and I don't know what to expect.

I've never camped with a group before. Camping has always been a solitary event, where I decompress and commune with nature. I anticipate that Man Camp will be overwhelming for me, so today's Greasy Five consists of things I'll take to help me cope on this outing.

• Whiskey: This is used for medicinal purposes.

• Fresh fruits and vegetables: Since a diet of only grease and meat releases Mr. Crankypants from his cage, I'll bring my own little stash of greens

• Reading Material:

• Coffee: For this trip, I purchased a new percolator for my camp stove. For me coffee is more important than clean underwear.

• Notebook: When my camping companions begin to sound their barbaric yawps over the Ozark Mountains and things become a bit unbearable for this introverted soul, I'll take a walk with my notebook and do some writing.

wish me luck,
muddy

PS. . . For years, I was led to believe that Man Camp locale was a primitive environment (I guess, actually only the behavior of the participants is primitive), but I now know the truth. This year's outing will be held at the River Ranch Resort. For the record, any place that has miniature golf and delivers pizza to your campsite isn't primitive.