#yes I did go hiking with a pocket full of frogs

[freckle-craft]

She looks evil, but she’s really just proud of flying up there

[musings-from-mars]

@nuts-and-dolts-week - Day 8: Bonus Day!

For Bonus Day, with some inspiration from the FS discord, I gave myself a little challenge to create a story that somehow integrates every prompt for Nuts and Dolts Week! And this is the result!

This has been such a fun event to be a part of, and not only that, this is the first ship week I’ve ever completed! That may not be a huge accomplishment but I’m still super happy 🥰 Thank you to Bio for running this event and to everyone who created content for it, you’re all so talented and sensational!

You can read all my other NnD Week submissions on AO3, maybe kudo and comment if you are so inclined~ Hope you enjoy, thank you so much for reading!

Nuts and Dolts Week 2021 Stories - MusingsFromMars on AO3

Tomorrow they would graduate from Beacon, but tonight, they would have one more picnic in the Emerald Forest.

With a basket full of food and treats in the crook of her elbow, Ruby walked along with Penny down the familiar hillside trail, hiking into the forest towards what they had begun to call Their Spot. The sun at this point was almost set, bathing the partly cloudy sky with a bright orange hue. An evening picnic might have been unusual to most, but to the couple of soon-to-be huntresses, it was perfect.

Since this would be the last time they’d have a picnic like this together, they both went all-out with their preparations. Penny had dressed in her favorite white flowery dress and sun hat, and even had cute sparkly pink lip gloss, eyeliner, and green eyeshadow (all courtesy of Belladonna Cosmetic Services). Ruby had gone even more formal, wearing a white button-up, black suspenders and bow tie, and a red skirt. Weiss had remarked to her that this was a bit much for a picnic, but Ruby assured her that this was perfect for the occasion. Weiss couldn’t be blamed for not knowing all of her plans, after all. In fact, no one else knew what Ruby was planning for this evening.

Tucked securely in her shirt pocket was a small velvet drawstring pouch. Inside it was a ring, Penny’s ring. Ruby had made it herself. Even though her area of expertise was weapons crafting and not jewelry design, she was happy with how it turned out. She even felt confident that Penny would love it, too. Ruby had made it with her in mind, after all. And tonight would be the night that she would give it to Penny and ask her to marry her.

Ruby felt oddly calm about her plan right now. She had imagined herself being really nervous and unable to keep quiet about her plan for long, but now that they were on their way to the very spot she would propose, Ruby felt confident and at ease. Maybe that was the effect Penny had on her. Ruby always felt more comfortable whenever Penny was nearby. It was as if seeing her happy and safe was enough to put everything in perspective. How bad could a problem be if Penny were there for her?

Once they arrived at Their Spot, Penny unfurled the blanket she’d had tucked under her arm, spreading it out over the grass. From here, the thick treeline blocked out the setting sun, leaving them surrounded by soft shadows and gentle warm hues from the dusk sky. 

This was all routine by this point. Penny would lay out the blanket, they’d both sit down and open the basket, and Ruby would start munching away at a sandwich while Penny made some tea (using a kettle, the water they packed, and her ability to hold anything in her hand and superheat it, of course). Penny enjoyed making tea this way because it made it easy to smell the complex aromas. While Penny’s tech advancements still didn’t allow her to taste, she at least had made a breakthrough and could now smell things, and tea was one of her favorites. “I am brewing lavender chamomile,” Penny said to Ruby. “It is the tea we had together the first time we had a picnic here.”

Ruby finished her bite of sandwich and smiled. “I love how you can remember little details like that.”

“I remember most everything,” Penny said. “Though our first picnic is certainly easy to recall. It was a lovely occasion.”

“Besides us starting a minor forest fire with Weiss’ electric kettle,” Ruby recounted with a laugh.

“And that is why we use this method now.” Penny nodded to the kettle, holding its underside. “It is much less dangerous.”

“Yeah, I shouldn’t be trusted around hot surfaces,” Ruby said with a giggle, then took another bite of sandwich. “Do you…” She began, but recalled her manners and swallowed her food before continuing. “Do you remember our first date?”

“Of course,” Penny said with a grin. “The one you essentially had to force me to go on.”

“I didn’t force you, did I?” Ruby asked with a raised eyebrow. 

“I was certainly nervous about raising the ire of General Ironwood,” she recalled. “But I am quite thankful you did convince me to go to the arcade with you, even if the General was cross with me.”

“You got so many tickets!” Ruby remembered.

“The patterns and rhythms of those arcade machines were not very sophisticated. They were easily exploited for maximum payout.”

“I still have that big plush frog we got as a prize somewhere,” Ruby remembered. “What did we call him?”

“Mister Bumpy Butt.”

“Mister Bumpy Butt!” Ruby said with a grin. “Because he had—”

“—bumps on his butt!” Penny finished for her.

“I still say he should talk to his frog doctor about that,” Ruby joked. 

“Indeed, butt bumps could be a sign of underlying illness.”

Ruby snorted and laughed, leaning over and lying her head on Penny’s shoulder. “Gods, we’re so weird.”

“Yes, but I enjoy being weird with you,” Penny replied, smiling as she leaned her cheek against the top of Ruby’s head. 

“As do I,” Ruby agreed. 

As Ruby took another bite of sandwich, Penny’s kettle began to whistle, and she retrieved two mugs from the basket. One mug already had a few sugar cubes sitting in the bottom. That was Ruby’s mug, of course. Penny filled both with hot tea and handed one to her. No matter what kind of tea it was, Ruby always had to drink it with sugar (much to Weiss’ and Blake’s horror). She took a careful sip and hummed happily. “Perfect as always, Penny.”

“Why thank you,” Penny beamed and set the empty kettle aside. She cradled her mug with both hands and enjoyed the smell of the tea as steam floated from the mug and into the air. She watched as Ruby sipped her tea, then asked, “Do you remember about a couple years before we met properly in Vale, you had accidentally met me when I was still in development at Atlas Academy?”

Ruby’s eyes went wide, and she had to make sure to swallow her tea lest she choke on it before answering, “I almost forgot all about that!”

Penny grinned and nodded. “You know, my father almost deleted that conversation from my memory for fear of ‘contamination,’ but then figured he had advanced my software far enough to the point that my interaction with you might be beneficial. And it turns out it was!”

“How so?” Ruby asked curiously, sipping her tea a bit more carefully.

“I think back to that meeting, and the way I remember it, from that day forward I had so much confidence when meeting new people. I admit, it took me a while to really understand that I might have been, well...forward with new acquaintances, but I think because you, the first ‘stranger’ I ever met, were so nice to me, it made me so optimistic about meeting new people.” She smiled at Ruby. “And that’s why I have so many friends now. All thanks to you.”

“Thanks to me and my insatiable curiosity,” Ruby added with a giggle. “But that’s honestly really sweet. I’m glad I ran into laptop you all those years ago.”

“That laptop was not the most aesthetically pleasing chassis to inhabit. I mean, I had very little physical self-awareness at that point, but looking back on it…”

“Yeah, you’re way sexier now,” Ruby joked.

“Precisely!” Penny agreed wholeheartedly, once again making Ruby laugh.

The sun had fully set by now, and stars began to dot the dark blue sky. The daytime warmth still lingered, but a gentle breeze began to slowly whisk it away.

“Ruby, look at me.”

Ruby blinked and looked her way, surprised by the suddenness of her request. “Huh?”

Penny only stared at her in the face, not offering an explanation. A few seconds later, she smiled and nodded. “Yep. Quite similar indeed.”

“What?” Ruby asked.

“Your eyes,” Penny said. “They look so similar to the moon when it is dark out.” She looked over Ruby’s shoulder. “But I have never gotten to make a side-by-side comparison until now.”

Ruby turned and looked the same way and saw the shattered moon. It had been just behind her head from Penny’s view. Ruby giggled and looked back at her girlfriend. “You’re so sweet.” 

Penny smiled wide, her green eyes practically glowing with happiness. 

“You know,” Ruby began, leaning a bit closer to Penny. “I don’t think I could compare your eyes to anything.”

Penny tilted her head to the side a bit. “Oh? How come?”

“I’ve never seen anything like them. They’re just so bright and shiny and green.”

Penny blinked, then her cheeks glowed a faint green. “You mean my eyes are incomparable?”

Ruby hadn’t realized her own romantic turn of phrase, but she smiled and nodded. “Yeah, exactly! There’s nothing in the world quite like your pretty eyes.”

Penny smiled, then leaned forward and kissed Ruby’s cheek. “You are so sweet.” Then her eyes went wide, noticing something else behind Ruby. “Oh, the fireflies!”

Ruby gasped and turned her head quickly, and sure enough, the night’s first lightning bugs were beginning to emerge, darting about and glowing. More and more appeared, blinking in a constant array of light like a visual symphony. 

“It has been so long since we have seen so many,” Penny said with delight. “Oh, I am so happy they appeared tonight. You know it is almost as if they knew this was our last picnic here, because at this time of year their numbers typically begin to dwindle due to the changes in weather…”

Penny was once again infodumping about insects and Ruby’s heart swelled with a familiar adoration. She wanted to kiss her so bad, but that would mean interrupting Penny as she talked about the temperature preferences of flying bugs. She held off her desire to tackle her into the grass and pepper her face with kisses until later. In the meantime, she set her tea aside and propped her elbows on her knees, all while watching those aforementioned incomparable eyes as they followed the flights of nearby fireflies as she continued. 

It wasn’t until a few minutes later that Penny’s voice began to trail away, and she turned to look at Ruby. “Oh, I have been talking for quite some time, huh?”

“Yeah, but I like listening to you talk about fireflies, Firefly,” Ruby said softly with a smile, still with her hands under her chin, still resting her elbows on her knees. 

Penny chuckled bashfully. “They are just such fascinating creatures.”

“Hey Penny?”

“Hm?” Penny turned, her eyes meeting Ruby’s again. With the moon reflecting off her eyes, they almost seemed to shine. 

“I love you.”

“I love you too.” Penny smiled gently.

Ruby reached out and took Penny’s hand in hers, then took a moment to look around. “Uhm, here.” She got to her feet, still holding Penny’s hand. “This way.”

Penny stood and followed as Ruby led her off the picnic blanket and onto the grass. They walked through the grass a few steps, fireflies floating about them as if used to their presence. Ruby stopped and faced Penny.

Her heart was pounding in her chest, and despite the slowly falling temperatures outside, she was beginning to feel a little hot under her button-up. Here was the nervousness she expected to feel earlier, springing up just as she was about to do what this entire evening was leading to. She took a breath and fidgeted a bit with her bow tie.

“Are you okay?” Penny asked quietly, still holding one of Ruby’s hands. 

“I’m...great,” Ruby said. It sounded like a lie, but it wasn’t. She felt anxious, sweaty, and absolutely fantastic all at once. “Penny, I… I have something to ask you. It’s important.”

Penny nodded, giving her her full attention. 

Ruby took a breath and nodded. “Penny, when I told you that you are a real girl, I meant it. That day in that alleyway in Vale, I could see how unsure you were, how scared you were. And yet, when I assured you that you’re as real to me as I am to you, you believed me. I could definitely tell how happy that moment made you feel from how hard you hugged me, but...it made me happy, too. To know that I had said something to make you feel real…” Oh no, tears. Not now, tears. “And you believed me.”

Penny stepped a little closer and nodded. “Of course I believed you.”

Ruby smiled, but she willed herself to continue. “Then that day when I thought you were going back to Atlas. I was so scared because I wasn’t sure if I’d ever get to see you again. I ran to find you, and I confessed to you right then and there that I loved you, that I couldn’t let you leave because I knew that you wanted to stay just as much as I wanted you to stay. And…” She was losing her fight against her tears, one escaping and running down her cheek as a smile grew on her face. “I said I love you. And...you believed me.”

“Of course I believed you,” Penny said again with a soft chuckle. She lifted her hand and gently wiped away Ruby’s tears. “I have loved you since the day we became friends.”

Ruby nodded and sniffed. “So have I.” She wiped at her own face, doing her best to compose herself. She wanted to get this moment exactly right. “And now we’re here tonight, for like the hundred-dozenth time. And…” She stared at Penny for a second, taking in a deep breath. She let it out slowly, then reached into her shirt pocket and pulled out the pouch. Penny’s eyes followed as Ruby loosened the drawstring, flipped the pouch over, and let a ring roll from the bag and into her hand. It was a shiny bronze color, with red and green gems embedded in a zigzag configuration all around the circumference. Ruby pocketed the pouch and held the ring between her thumb and index finger. She looked up at Penny and saw her eyes were wide, as if she were slowly beginning to understand. 

“Ruby…?”

“And now I’m asking you to marry me,” Ruby said, chuckling with a grin. “Can you believe that?”

“Ruby…” Penny covered her mouth with her hand.

Ruby got down on one knee, holding the ring up to her. Her nerves were gone, replaced only with a blooming joy in her chest. She will never forget the look on Penny’s face at this very moment. “Penny, will you marry me?”

Penny proceeded to tackle hug her to the ground. Ruby grunted and laughed as her back hit the grass. “Yes!” Penny lied on top of Ruby and smiled down at her. “Yes, I will marry you, Ruby!” She kissed her, and Ruby hummed softly and wrapped her arms around Penny’s neck, deepening the kiss. Her nerves were a distant memory now. Now she felt like she was floating just like the fireflies around them, with the love of her life in her arms.

After their kiss, they both found their way back to their feet. Ruby was glad to have held tight to the ring both during and after getting tackled, and she smiled at Penny as she took her hand. “Well then,” she slipped the ring onto her, a perfect fit. “Just call me fiancée.”

Penny grinned and hugged her again, not tackling her but still squeezing tight. “I love you.”

Ruby hugged her back, happily sinking deeper into the embrace. “I love you too,” she whispered. 

After reveling in this embrace for a while longer, Ruby opened her eyes and looked up, seeing the Beacon tower in the distance. In a lot of ways, this place had changed her life. She had fulfilled her dream of becoming a huntress and had made friends that she’d forever consider family. But at this very moment, she felt the most thankful for having met Penny. If coming to Beacon had changed her life, then meeting Penny was what made it brighter. She would never forget the years she spent here, but when it came to her and Penny, they had countless more memories to make in the future, together as real girls, as wives.

[luci-in-trenchcoats]

A Safe Mistake (Part 9)

Summary: Dean takes the reader and Ethan on a camping trip...

Masterlist

Pairing: Nanny!Dean x Single parent!reader

Word Count: 2,300ish

Warnings: language, minor frightening situation

Two Months Later

“Boys, I’m home,” you said, kicking your boot against the door when your hands were full with dinner. You waited for one of them to come around the corner and take it from you. You sighed and set it down on the floor, kicking off your shoes and coat, carrying the bags into the kitchen. It took a moment to realize the house was a bit too quiet. Not a minute later the door to the garage opened, Ethan walking out in the cutest little jumpsuit you’d ever seen. “Well what are you up to handsome?”

“Changing oil,” said Ethan, Dean sticking his head around the door frame with a smile.

“Two more minutes, sweetheart,” he said. He pulled the door shut as you and Ethan washed up, starting to dish everything up by the time Dean was walking in. “Baby needed a change.”

“I helped,” said Ethan, climbing into his chair, Dean sitting down across from him. You snuck a picture of them in their matching outfits, Ethan explaining all of the steps to you as you ate.

“Alright, little dude. Why don’t you go change into your normal clothes so we don’t get the house all dirty,” said Dean. Ethan gave him a thumbs up and headed upstairs.

“I might not know much about cars but I don’t think putting the thing in the other thing is how you change oil, babe,” you teased.

“He’s got time to learn,” said Dean. “I figured better to keep an eye on him out there than leave him in here by himself.”

“Where did you find that adorable jumpsuit?” you asked.

“The garage ordered child sizing accidentally beginning of the year. They were more than happy to give it a good home,” said Dean.

“Got any in my size?” you teased.

“No. Nope. I think a tank top and short shorts will work perfectly for you,” he said, getting a whack on the arm. “You’re right. I’m mistaken. That’s car washing attire.”

“Huh, to think I’ve been doing it in shorts and a bikini top all these years,” you said. “I didn’t realize-”

“No. That is definitely the correct attire,” he said quickly, chuckling as he stood up.

“So you wear a bikini when you wash Baby?” you said, leaning against the counter.

“Don’t be ridiculous. Speedos all the way,” said Dean. You stared at him a full second before he burst out laughing, a hand on your chest.

“You are something else, Winchester,” you said, shaking your head. “You better not be showing that ass and other assets off to the neighbors.”

“Only you?” he teased, grabbing the plates.

“Definitely only me,” you said back. You settled down before Ethan got came back, Dean off to take a shower while you changed. Ethan was tucked away in bed a few hours later when Dean’s phone rang, a call from Sam coming in.

“Hey, Sammy,” said Dean, smirking as he listened. “That’s great news, Sammy. You excited?...I bet...you did...really?...that’s great Sam...we’re good...mhm...yup...okay, go study super dad...yeah, night bitch.”

“What’s up?” you asked, Dean shrugging. “He told you the sex didn’t he!”

“Maybe…” teased Dean.

“Oh come on, dish,” you said.

“It’s a boy,” said Dean.

“Oh that’s great!” you said. “Jess thought it might be one.”

“They’re both beyond excited. Sammy also got some news from a law firm today. If he commits to working for them for five years after he graduates, they’ll cover his last two years of tuition,” said Dean.

“Really? That’s awesome! Is he going to take it?” you asked.

“Yeah. Unfortunately...they’ll have to move back closer to home, you know, to Lawrence,” he said with a smirk.

“They’re moving back here? That’s great,” you said.

“Well it won’t be until he graduates but yeah, Sammy’ll be back home,” said Dean.

“I’m so happy for you, Dean,” you said, wrapping your arms around him and pulling him back into your lap, giving him a big cuddle.

“He did say he and Jess are going to have to ditch on the camping trip with the newborn being around though,” he said.

“Maybe later in the summer once they got their feet under them we can go again,” you said. “First kid is tough.”

“I can’t even imagine raising one by yourself,” said Dean.

“But you pretty much raised Sam. Hell, you changed his diapers and potty trained him,” you said.

“I guess. It felt different, cause he’s my brother,” said Dean.

“Thankfully we are beyond the diaper stage with Ethan,” you said, nuzzling into Dean. A few seconds later you watched the power go out, your head tossing back.

“I think the storm they said might kick the power-”

“Kicked it? Yeah,” you sighed, stretching as you both sat up in the dark room. Dean turned on the flashlight on his phone, pulling you both to your feet. “There’s a few flashlights in the garage.”

Dean went off and grabbed a few of them, offering a bit more light as you moved around downstairs. You headed upstairs to Ethan’s room, the space far darker than he was used to. You opened his shades but it was still dark and you hoped he’d sleep through it until his night light came back.

You called it an early night and climbed into bed, a flurry of light feet in the hall and the push of the door making you laugh quietly.

“Mommy. Dean,” he said. You sat up, Ethan walking to the end of the bed with his bear in tow. “It’s dark.”

“The power went out, kiddo,” said Dean.

“Can I stay?” he asked.

“Yes but you have to go back to sleep,” you said softly. Ethan was up on the bed like that, stepping all over you and Dean until he found his way to the middle and crawled under with his bear. You scooted over a bit, Ethan shoving his bear next to you, turning his face into Dean’s chest, using his arm as a pillow.

“Night,” said Dean, booping your nose with his finger.

“Night boys,” you said, pulling up the covers a bit more.

When you woke up, the sun was just starting to rise, the power thankfully back on. You rolled out of bed and took a quick shower, getting dressed for the day before you made your way back into the bedroom.

Somehow Ethan had managed to splay himself across Dean’s chest, Dean’s arm curled around the bear, both of them snoring lightly. You made sure to get a few pictures before you gently woke up Dean, plucking Ethan off and sending him to get dressed.

“Why does it feel like I slept with forty pounds on top of me?” he asked.

“Probably cause you did,” you said. Dean sat up with the bear, shaking his head at it as he set it aside. “Come on, time for work.”

“Uh, no it’s not,” said Dean with a laugh.

“Uh, yeah it is,” you said.

“Uh, it’s sort of Saturday, sweetheart,” he teased. You opened your mouth but quickly groaned. “Does this mean I get to tear those work clothes off you?”

“I’m going back to bed,” you said, ripping them off and leaving them in a pile on the ground. You grabbed your pajamas from the hamper and climbed under the covers. Ethan came back a few minutes later, scratching his head.

“Isn’t today-”

“Head on back to bed, Ethan,” said Dean, tossing Ethan his bear. “Everybody’s sleeping in today.”

Three Months Later

“Ethan, hold up,” said Dean. Ethan stopped on his way out of Baby, Dean pulling out a baseball cap and plopping it on his head. “One last birthday present for the big guy.”

“My birthday was two days ago, Dean,” he laughed.

“Oh, so you don’t want more presents?” teased Dean, Ethan shaking his head. “That’s what I thought.”

“What’s camping?” asked Ethan.

“Camping can be a bunch of different stuff but this time, it’s this little cabin over here that we’re going to stay at for a few days. We’re gonna go hiking and fishing and a bunch of other stuff,” said Dean.

“I don’t think mommy knows how to do that stuff,” he whispered.

“I heard that young man,” you said. “I know how to do all of that.”

“You know how to fish?” asked Dean.

“Well...sort of...I went once with my grandpa when I was Ethan’s age and stop trying to laugh, Winchester,” you said. Dean was biting his bottom lip, holding up his hands. “I was five.”

“Little dude’s five. I can give you both a refresher,” said Dean.

“I still can’t believe you’re five,” you said, grabbing a backpack and duffel bag, waiting by the front door of the cabin with Ethan. “Going to kindergarten in the fall-“

“Dean. Mommy’s whining again,” said Ethan.

“Yeah, mom. Let him get bigger so he can start carrying the heavy stuff,” teased Dean.

“True,” you said, Dean slinging a bag over his shoulders before slamming the trunk shut. He pulled the cabin key from his pocket and opened it up, Ethan tilting his head as he looked around the space.

“You want us to stay in there?” asked Ethan.

“Uh huh. Where else would we stay, silly,” said Dean.

“Where’s the TV?” he asked.

“Right over there,” you said, pointing to the floor unit.

“That’s not a TV,” he said.

“It was when we were kids. But we did not just drive for three hours to watch TV, kiddo. Why don’t you go explore?” asked Dean.

“Don’t go too far, Ethan,” you said. Ethan took off down the one hall while you and Dean put away some food in the small kitchen. “So I have a question…”

“One of the couches should be a pullout,” said Dean with a smile.

“Ethan’ll get a kick out of that,” you said.

“I say we change, grab some lunch and head out on a hike,” said Dean.

“Weather said it might rain later on,” you said.

“Eh, we’ll be back before then, promise.”

“You’re telling me neither one of you guys had been properly hiking before?” asked Dean when you were an hour into your hike, deep within the forest if you had to guess.

“We went to the nature center last year in our old town,” said Ethan.

“It was a place on a lake, teaches kids about woods, frogs, that stuff,” you said. “The quarter mile walk next to a parking lot was not a hike.”

“He has a valid excuse. You missy, do not,” said Dean.

“When was I supposed to have gone hiking?” you asked.

“Your parents literally have a house nestled up to the woods,” said Dean.

“Sorry I didn’t go wander around in the woods. I was busy being an overachiever when I was a kid,” you said.

“What’s an overachiever?” asked Ethan, climbing up on a rock and jumping off.

“Basically your mommy worked really hard her whole life but because she worked so hard and just focused on that, she forgot to have fun sometimes. Right, Y/N?” asked Dean.

“Yeah, what Dean said. Hard work is important but you have to enjoy life,” you said.

“Do you?” he asked.

“Of course I do. I got you and I got Dean,” you said, Ethan climbing up on some more rocks.

“Um, I have to go potty,” he said, looking around. You’d been walking for a while and were nowhere near the cabin or anything for that matter. Dean had a map and knew quite a bit about being outdoors so the fact you weren’t on any kind of trail at all hadn’t bothered you.

“Well, let’s find a tree,” said Dean. He pointed out a big one, Ethan frowning. “It’s okay. No one will see.”

“I need privacy,” he said.

“It’s just us three out here, Ethan,” said Dean.

“I think he’s a little stage shy so why don’t you take him over there. I gotta go myself anyways,” you said, heading in the opposite direction.

“Alright. Don’t wander too far,” said Dean.

“I got it,” you said. “Make sure he doesn’t get lost.”

“Dean, I gotta go,” said Ethan. Dean waved him forward, Ethan taking off. You headed the other way until you found some thicker trees, squatting down behind one for a moment. You pulled up your shorts when you finished, glancing around. You headed back the way you came, stopping when you realized you’d been walking too long and the trees weren’t thinning.

“Dean?” you shouted. You heard nothing and called out again, more of the same. “Dean! Ethan!”

It was silent apart from the sounds of the forest. You turned around and started to walk, looking for the tree you stopped at but ten minutes later you had no idea where the hell you were.

“Dean!” you shouted, spinning around, looking for anything familiar. “Oh, fuck me. Seriously?”

You stomped your foot in the ground, determined to find that original tree, knowing if you could just get there, you’d find the right way back.

A/N: Read Part 10 here!

[jenguerrero]

#voyageurpress #quartobooks #lindaly #tpwd #caddolake #johnsonsranchmarina

“Ooooh, I wanna go camping for my birthday!” “I’d like to go hiking!” My daughter and husband have birthdays a week apart and their requests sounded like one fantastic weekend! The Texas State Park campgrounds fill up pretty fast, so I polled my Facebook buddies right away to get a potential list of parks with the best trees. Got the site!

We’re all foodies. Adding birthdays on top of that, I really wanted to make lovely campfire fare, so I ordered a copy of The New Camp Cookbook. I gave it a flip through and flagged a lot of potential weekend deliciousness, and then I saw it, Dutch Oven Old-School Lasagna. Haha! Lasagna and Potstickers are her two favorite food groups. Perfect! (We already did his birthday dinner and cake at home!)

It’s very cool. You will not be bored with the same old campsite (or backyard!) meals. The author’s intent is that you do all the prep right at the campsite. Measuring and dicing out in the woods, where I have no desire to have a full pantry or fridge to work out of, sounded pretty bad. I prefer to keep things as simple as possible out in the woods, so that we can concentrate on hiking, canoeing, and chillaxing, so I did all the prep work at home, and even froze what parts would freeze well to double as ice packs in our cooler <I spell out those details below>. It worked out so well, and I couldn’t be happier with the book. <If you normally read my stuff, you’ll laugh at the pictures. When we got to the site, our lantern wasn’t working, so I had to shine a pocket flashlight on the salmon to get a shot. The pics look like something out of Blair Witch Project. LOL!>

Since you’re reading about campfire food, I’m going to guess that there’s a good chance that you like to see potential outdoor playgrounds. Caddo Lake is the only natural lake in Texas. Half the lake is in Texas and half is in Louisiana. It has a few miles of pretty hiking trails through the woods. But what they’re known for is a paddling trail. You can rent canoes there. On the state park website I found alligator warnings. What?! We got there and saw tons of canoes in the water. We went to the ranger station and asked. She said the alligators aren’t really a problem and they don’t usually come that far up the bayou. I generally think Bill Bryson nailed it in A Walk in the Woods when he said, “Bears don’t sign treaties.” Hmmmm. But I trust park rangers. They’re in the business of keeping humans and wildlife happy and safe. So we went. And oh my gosh, am I ever glad that we did! The campground was out of canoes, so the ranger sent us over to Johnson’s Ranch Marina.

The bald cypress trees look mystical when the paddling trail gets narrow and they form a canopy, and the mounds of Spanish moss hanging off of them have a softening effect like draperies. It’s straight out of Tiana’s playground in Princess and the Frog. Water lilies are everywhere, and Alex (my birthday kiddo) was delighted by holding her paddle over them and watching the water droplets disperse in a frenzied dance over the surface. And there are lightning bugs everywhere lighting up the woods. We hadn’t seen them since selling our property in New York. We’d missed them so much. It was an amazing adventure. You should go!

We came home, built a fire, and got the Dutch Oven Old-School Lasagna going while the kids went off to find the shower house. The lasagna was the perfect birthday dinner out in the woods! I’ll show you the other dishes I made in the book afterwards, but first let me get you the recipe for that lasagna! Thanks to Quarto for letting me share it with you!

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Dutch Oven Old-School Lasagna

Makes 6 servings

Ooey gooey goodness was once only possible at home, in an oven, where layer upon layer of pasta, cheese, and sauce bubbled together in a tidy rectangular baking dish. But classic lasagna can now be had in camp! It might be round, but it’s got all the flavors and layers you know and love. I use oven-ready noodles in this recipe to save the extra step of boiling them (and dirtying another pot… because who wants to do more dishes?).

FOR THE MEAT SAUCE (Prepare, bag, and freeze ahead of time! Thaw when ready. ~Jen) ½ pound (226 g) lean ground beef ½ pound (226 g) Italian sausage, casing removed 1 medium yellow onion, chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 (28-ounce/800 g) can crushed tomatoes 1 (8-ounce/226 g) can tomato sauce ¼ cup (60 ml) dry red wine 1 Tablespoon tomato paste 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1 teaspoon kosher salt ½ teaspoon fennel seeds ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper To make the meat sauce, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the ground beef and sausage. Flatten the meat, spread it across the skillet, and cook until browned on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Stir to break up the meat and continue cooking until browned all over, 3 to 5 minutes more. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion starts to turn translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato sauce, wine, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, fennel seeds, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce is thickened, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare a mound of wood coals, hardwood lump charcoal, or charcoal briquettes.

FOR THE CHEESE MIXTURE (Prepare, bag, & freeze ahead of time! Thaw when ready. ~Jen) 2 large eggs 4 ½ cups (500 g) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided 2 cups (450 g) ricotta cheese ½ cup (50 g) grated Parmesan cheese, divided ½ cup (25 g) chopped fresh parsley leaves, plus more for garnishing To make the cheese mixture, in a medium bowl, beat together the eggs, 4 cups (450 g) of mozzarella, the ricotta, ¼ cup (25 g) of the Parmesan, and the parsley. Stir until well combined.

FOR THE LASAGNA Olive oil spray 9 uncooked oven-ready lasagna noodles (I used more. I think my Dutch oven’s bigger. ~Jen) 3 cups packed baby spinach To assemble the lasagna, lightly spray a dutch oven with oil. Spoon 1/3 of the meat sauce into the oven, followed by 1/3 of the noodles, ½ of the cheese mixture, and ½ of the spinach. (Break the noodles into pieces to fit the oven.) Repeat with the remaining ingredients, finishing with a layer of meat sauce. Top with the remaining ½ cup (56 g) mozzarella and remaining ¼ cup (25 g) Parmesan. (Here’s my quick sketch of the layer plans. ~Jen)

Move about a quart’s worth of coals to the cooking pit and arrange them in a ring. Cover the oven, set it on the ring of coals, and place 1 ½ rings of coals on the lid.

Bake over medium heat for about 30 minutes, until all the cheeses are melted and the noodles are tender. Replenish the coals as needed to maintain medium heat and rotate the oven and lid halfway through for even cooking. Let stand, uncovered, for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with parsley.

My review of the book…

The New Camp Cookbook By: Linda Ly Edition: Hardcover

My thoughts and pics on the dishes we tried: 1) Blueberry Skillet Scones with Lemon Glaze – p 42. These were divine. They are rich, fragrant, and not overly sweet. I prepped the dough and icing in advance and put them in separate sealed bags. 2-5) Savory Oatmeal with Bacon, Cheddar, and Fried Egg – p 49. Delicious. This was everyone’s favorite breakfast. I cooked and crumbled the bacon and toasted the oatmeal in advance. Then I measured and separately bagged the bacon, oatmeal, cheese, and chopped onion. I measured ice water into a mason jar (they have measurement lines on the side), so that it would double as an icepack and a drinking jar, too.

6) Foil Pack Salmon with Pineapple Salsa – p 101. Fabulous dinner. The sweet, savory, and spicy salsa complements the rich fish perfectly. I washed the fish, seasoned it, and topped it with lime slices and bagged that in advance. And I made another sealed bag of the salsa in advance. This was supposed to be done in foil, which I forgot at home, so I just used my Dutch oven with a lid, and it worked perfectly. Our lantern was dead, so this photo taken with a pocket flashlight will have to do. 7-11) Dutch Oven Old-School Lasagna – p 179. All the yes! Lasagna and potstickers are my kiddos favorite foods, so I was thrilled to see one of them in the book for her birthday dinner. This works perfectly in the Dutch oven with coals. Everyone loved it. I made the meat sauce and combined the cheese mixture ahead of time, and separately bagged and froze those. Then I made a little bag of the topping cheese. There was supposed to be spinach in this, but I forgot it at home.

12) Mimosa Sangria – p 190. This was a lovely fireside sipper. I put the measured fruit, orange liqueur, and fruit juice in one mason jar ahead of time. When we were ready to drink it, I divided it between this and the other mason jar that the measured water had been in for the oatmeal that was now empty, and my hubby topped them both up with champagne. How’s that for glamping?! 13-15) Camp Chai – p 202. I made the chai concentrate ahead of time. Next time, I’ll make two batches because the kids loved this in the morning while they sat around the fire waiting for their breakfasts. It’s a total mug of coziness.

16-17) Campfire S’Mores, 6 Ways – p 209. My daughter chose a mash-up of two as her birthday cake. Chocolate graham crackers, Nutella, salted caramel, and toasted marshmallows. They thought they were way better than the standard deal. Next time, I’ll chill the Nutella and caramel so that it’ll stand up better to the molten marshmallow. One of my kids is a marshmallow igniter.

Some others I have flagged to try: Peanut Butter-Stuffed French Toast with Honeyed Blackberries – p 56 * Bacon-Wrapped Potatoes with Blue Cheese – p 62 * Egg-in-a-Hole Grilled Cheese – p 68 * Pile of Grilled Vegetables with Herbed Toasts – p 79 * Grilled Grape and Gorgonzola Pita Pizzas – p 92 * Vietnamese Pork Tacos with Pickled Carrots and Daikon – p 95 * Bacon-Wrapped Dates – p 115 * Grilled Corn on the Cob, 4 Ways – p 120 * Charred Romaine Salad with Lemon-Anchovy Dressing – p 127 * Peak-of-Summer Peach Caprese Salad – p 130 * Five-Alarm Three-Bean Chili – p 142 * Summer Vegetable and Salmon Packets – p 153 * Tin Foil Seafood Boil – p 157 * Grilled Flank Steak and Fingerling Potatoes with Chimichurri – p 162 * Dutch Oven-Baked Buttermilk Chicken with Kale and Apple Slaw – p 182 * Grilled Pears with Honey-Cinnamon Crème Fraiche – p 214 * Dutch Oven Strawberry-Rhubarb Cobbler – p 215

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The New Camp Cookbook

Food Saver

I bought my Food Saver for my sous vide. It’s nice to have, but completely unnecessary for that. Where it really shines in on road trips. We can play in the middle of nowhere and eat like kings. When I was in the market, the mamma jamma of Food Savers was on sale, so why not?! But there are much cheaper models in the Food Saver line.

Portable Grill

My little grill. My kiddo won this at Home Depot one day. Not even kidding. My husband is a garden enthusiast, and she tagged along with him to buy all the flowers. She saw a ballot box by the customer service desk and entered her name, and we got a call. It’s fun to drag along to the lake for a lazy dinner after a day of kayaking. There was a burn ban at the campground (we didn’t know that they still allowed fire to cook), so we brought this little guy along. He uses a standard propane tank just like a full-size backyard deal, folds up, and works well. Niiiice.

  Camping weekend! Dutch Oven Old-School Lasagna recipe and Cookbook review: The New Camp Cookbook #voyageurpress #quartobooks #lindaly #tpwd #caddolake #johnsonsranchmarina "Ooooh, I wanna go camping for my birthday!" "I'd like to go hiking!" My daughter and husband have birthdays a week apart and their requests sounded like one fantastic weekend!