BIG D Real Estate™

CAMPFIRE COOKING FROM DALLAS (BIG D)

Texans love to eat and have a history of fine fixin’s! Our Cowboys have a legacy of eating around the campfire, and have some timeless campfire cooking recipes. Here are a couple of favorites to share that have been enjoyed by Texans for years.

Johnny Cakes

1 cup white cornmeal

1/2 cup flour (if available)

1/2 tsp. salt

Water

Combine dry ingredients and mix well. The flour is optional, but it will improve the texture of the cakes. Add just enough cold water until batter is stiff. Drop large spoonfuls of batter into lightly greased skillet. Cook slowly.

Cowboy Coffee

Ingredients:

• 4 quarts water

• 1 1/2 cups fresh coffee grounds

• 1 eggshell

• 1/2 cup cold water

Boil 4 quarts water in a large pot. Add coffee grounds and eggshell to the water. Allow to boil for one minute, then remove from heat. Let sit for two minutes. Next, add the cold water to the mixture so the grounds sink to the bottom. Serve with a ladle, or strain out all of the grounds. Serve and enjoy.

Cowboy Beans

2 pounds pinto beans

2 pounds ham hock

2 chopped onions

4 Tablespoons sugar

1-2 green chiles

1 can tomato paste

Wash beans and soak overnight. In the morning, drain beans and place in Dutch oven. Cover with water. Add remaining ingredients and simmer until beans are soft and tender.

There are several methods of campfire cooking, and some basic equipment is helpful. Dutch ovens are a popular choice, as they can sit on a grate or hang from a tripod, but a cast iron skillet or even a coffee can will do the trick. All cast iron cookware must be “primed” or oiled before use to take away any metallic taste from the iron. There are several methods, but Old timer’s know how to “sweeten the pot” with water and hay. It goes something like this: Fill the pot with water, throw in a handful of fresh hay (alfalfa or grass), and boil for 30 minutes. When dry, rub with cooking oil, warm on heat slightly, and then wipe off any excess. Always check iron pots for a “sweet smell” before using. Never pour cold water onto hot iron or it may crack. We like to make our hot coals using Kingsford, as it is always reliable and consistent. When using Dutch Ovens to cook on a campfire, use twice the amount of coals on top as on the bottom, as most of the cooking will take place in the top of the oven. Monitor cooking closely, especially as you are developing your instincts, because food can burn quickly. You can cook just about anything on the campfire, from chili & stew, to biscuits & cakes, to personal pizzas for the kids using split English Muffins, sauce, and cheese. Some things can be cooked directly in the fire, like foil wrapped potatoes, and "ash biscuits". You can also wrap meat in lettuce or cabbage leaves and cook directly on the coals. Coffee cans are great for layering foods. Cover the can with foil and place in the coals to cook too. There will likely be some "trial and error" for awhile using these methods.

We’d love to “swap recipes” as we build our database about campfire cooking, so feel free to write!

If you love Texas lore, keep reading our Texas Trivia-only in Texas!

We wanted to share a little bit of “Real Texas”, still found amidst the cosmopolitan backdrop of Dallas (BIG D)! This trivia is widely available in our area, but we still enjoy talking about our “roots”. It is our policy to credit the works of anyone who shares with us, but the author(s) of the works below are unknown. Enjoy the following addition, included just for fun (we cannot guarantee the validity of any statement below)!

JUST TEXAS
Pep, Texas 79353

Smiley, Texas 78159
Paradise , Texas 76073

Rainbow, Texas 76077
Sweet Home, Texas 77987

Comfort, Texas 78013
Friendship, Texas 76530

LOVE THE SUN
Sun City , Texas 78628

Sunrise , Texas 76661
Sunset, Texas 76270

Sundown, Texas 79372
Sunray , Texas 79086

Sunny Side , Texas 77423

WANT SOMETHIN' TA EAT?
Bacon, 76301

Noodle, 79536
Oatmeal, 78605

Turkey, 79261
Trout, 75789

Sugar Land, 77479
Salty, 76567

Rice, 75155
Pearland, 77581

Orange, 77630

TOP THAT OFF WITH...
Sweetwater, 79556

WHY TRAVEL ALL OVER THE PLACE, WE GOT 'EM ALL RIGHT HERE IN TEXAS!
Detroit, Texas 75436

Cleveland, Texas 75436
Colorado City, Texas 79512

Denver City, Texas 79323
Klondike, Texas 75448

Nevada, Texas 75173
Memphis, Texas 79245

Miami, Texas 79059
Boston, Texas 75570

Santa Fe, Texas 77517
Tennessee Colony, Texas 75861

Reno, Texas 75462
Pasadena, Texas 77506

Columbus, Texas 78934

FEEL LIKE TRAVELING OUTSIDE THE COUNTRY?
Athens, Texas 75751

Canadian, Texas 79014
China, Texas 77613

Egypt, Texas 77436
Ireland, Texas 76538

Italy, Texas 76538
Turkey, Texas 79261

London, Texas 76854
New London, Texas 75682

Paris, Texas 75460
Palestine, Texas 75801

NO NEED TO GO TO WASHINGTON D.C.
Whitehouse , Texas 75791

WE EVEN HAVE A CITY NAMED AFTER OUR PLANET!
Earth, Texas 79031

WE HAVE ANOTHER NAMED AFTER OUR GREAT STATE
Texas City ,Texas77590

EXHAUSTED?
Energy, Texas 76452

COLD?
Blanket, Texas 76432

READ ABOUT HISTORY
Santa Anna, Texas

Goliad , Texas
Alamo , Texas
Robert Lee, Texas

OFFICE SUPPLIES
Staples,Texas78670

GO TO OUTER SPACE
Venus, Texas 76084

Mars , Texas 79062

THE STATE LINE
Texline , Texas 79087

FOR THE KIDDOS
Kermit, Texas 79745

Elmo , Texas 75118
Nemo , Texas 76070

Tarzan , Texas 79783
Winnie , Texas 77665

Sylvester , Texas 79560

OTHER ONE-OF-A-KIND CITY NAMES
Frognot,Texas75424

Bigfoot, Texas 78005
Hogeye, Texas 75423

Cactus, Texas 79013
Notrees, Texas 79759

Best, Texas 76932
Veribest, Texas 76886

Kickapoo, Texas 75763
Dime Box, Texas 77853

Old Dime Box, Texas 77853
Telephone, Texas 75488

Telegraph, Texas 76883
Whiteface, Texas 79379

LAST BUT NOT LEAST ... theAnti-AlGoreCity

Kilgore, Texas 75662

Here is what Jeff Foxworthy has to say about folks from Texas....

If someone at Lowe's offers you assistance and they don't work there, you may live in Texas;
If you've worn shorts and a parka at the same time, you may live in Texas;
If you've had a lengthy telephone conversation with someone who dialed a wrong number, you may live in Texas;
If ‘Vacation' means going anywhere south of Dallas for the weekend, you may live in Texas;
If you measure distance in hours, you may live in Texas;
If you install security lights on your house and garage, & leave both unlocked, you may live in Texas;
If you carry jumper cables in your car and your wife knows how to use them, you may live in Texas;
If the speed limit on the highway is 55 mph --you're going 80 and everybody's passing you, you may live in Texas;
If you find 60 degrees 'a little chilly,' you may live in Texas;
If you actually understand these jokes, and share them with all your Texas-loving friends, you definitely live in Texas!

Here are some little known, very interesting facts about Texas.
1.Beaumont to El Paso: 742 miles
2. Beaumont to Chicago : 770 miles
3. El Paso is closer to California than to Dallas.
4. World's first rodeo was in Pecos, TX July 4, 1883.
5. The Flagship Hotel in Galveston is the only hotel in North America built over water. Unfortunately, it was destroyed by Hurricane Ike in 2008.
6. The Heisman Trophy was named after John William Heisman who was the first full-time coach at Rice University in Houston.
7. Brazoria County has more species of birds than any other area in North America.
8. Aransas Wildlife Refuge is the winter home of North America's only remaining flock of whooping cranes.
9. Jalapeno jelly originated in Lake Jackson in 1978.
10. The worst natural disaster in U.S. history was in 1900, caused by a hurricane, in which over 8,000 lives were lost on Galveston Island.
11. The first word spoken from the moon, July 20,1969, was "Houston ," but the space center was actually in Clear Lake City at the time.
12. King Ranch in South Texas is larger than the state of Rhode Island.
13. Tropical Storm Claudette brought a U.S. rainfall record of 43” in 24 hours between Friendswood and Alvin in July of 1979.
14. Texas is the only state to enter the U.S. by TREATY, (known as the Constitution of 1845 by the Republic of Texas to enter the Union ) instead of by annexation. This allows the Texas Flag to fly at the same height as the U.S. Flag, and to have rights to divide into 5 states.
15. A Live Oak tree near Fulton is estimated to be 1500 years old.
16. Caddo Lake is the only natural lake in the state.
17. Dr Pepper was invented in Waco in 1885. There is no period in Dr Pepper.
18. Texas has had six capital cities: Washington-on the Brazos, Harrisburg , Galveston, Velasco, West Columbia, and Austin.
19. The Capitol Dome in Austin is the only dome in the U.S.which is taller than the Capitol Building in Washington DC (by 7 feet).
20. The San Jacinto Monument is the tallest free standing monument in the world and it is taller than the Washington monument.
21. The name “ Texas ” comes from the Hasini Indian word ‘’tejas” meaning friends. Tejas is not Spanish for Texas.
22. The State Mascot is the Armadillo (an interesting bit of trivia about the armadillo is they always have four babies. They have one egg, which splits into four, and they either have four males or four females)
23. The first domed stadium in the U.S. was the Astrodome in Houston.

Cowboy's Ten Commandments posted on wall at Cross Trails Church in Fairlie,Texas:
(1) Just one God.
(2) Honor yer Ma & Pa.
(3) No telling tales or gossipin'.
(4) Git yerself to Sunday meeting.
(5) Put nothin' before God.
(6) No foolin' around with another feller's gal.
(7) No killin'.
(8) Watch yer mouth.
(9) Don't take what ain't yers.
(10) Don't be hankerin' for yer buddy's stuff.
Y'all git all that?