February 2011 NW PA Hang

**HWS** · 02-13-2011, 12:10

PA Hangers,

After finishing up my Saturday chores yesterday, Whoowee, I broke out the Dutch Oven for a trial bake around 7 PM last night. I used my Weber chimney coal starter to ready my coals as needed for baking. The weather was a bit windy and temp not bad about 36 degrees. I had to use heavy duty tin foil doubled for a wind screen and had to bake by headlamp.

I started by lightly oiling the inside of the oven and lid. Then after putting the lid on the oven, placed the oven down on a hot bed of coals, to start heating her up, as I got my ingredients together the oven was ready to go.

I have friends that own restaurants and talked with a few of them about some cooking tips. Antonio mixed some spices for baking for me and suggested I use some fresh vanilla beans which I did and placed some on the top, The Cobbler came out delish. I had brought the hot oven down to my friends restraunt and dished out the cobler in his kitchen for feedback. No negatives, was asked by one server a cook for the recipe!

Gotta say fellas, didn't turn out to bad for a first timer not to bad at all. You wouldn't have been disappointed! I used a cake batter mix it was cooked through and surprisling moist.

I had to make some adjustments though, at about 40 minutes. I checked the Peach Cobbler and it wasn't browning on the top properly. I used 10 coals on the bottom and 12 on the top. I had some small coals still lit in my Chimney Starter and poured them in the top of the Dutch and evened them out. About 8-10 minutes later. Brown on the top, nice!

Hope guy's that I'm not going to be a one hit wonder.

I cleaned the Dutch as medicjimr suggested. Using no soap, just salt, water and a tightly wound fibered plastic whisk type brush. Cleaned and dried the pot and lid thoroughly. Coated the Dutch Oven and lid inside and out with a light coat of veggie oil, as suggested by manufacturer. Rolled some paper towels to produce an air gap between the lid and oven for air circulation, oven locked and loaded ready for some PA Hanging action.

Special thanks, to my HF friend ldcakes for the Peach Cobbler recipe!

As I have read many times on HF if you don't have pictures it didn't happen. So here is something that happened with pics!

P.S. The 3rd pic you can see the vanilla bean in the top crust and incorporated a fantasticl flavor.

**Can't Wait** · 02-13-2011, 12:28

Looks really good that there cobbler for a rookie , I have yet to use one myself have a ceramic cast iron for everyday cooking.

**SkyDog** · 02-13-2011, 15:45

Originally Posted by medicjimr

Looks really good that there cobbler for a rookie , I have yet to use one myself have a ceramic cast iron for everyday cooking.

Does this mean HWS is now known as Cobbler Rookie ???

**blisterboy** · 02-13-2011, 19:22

Hi gang, sorry so late with this post, We just got home from our day out. Good news so far, lots of snow with a crust. Snow shoes def. made a difference. We went out only a far as the Brest of the pond and the snow is still deep out in the open,and under trees.Will get some pic's posted soon. So an eye on the weather, Last minute packing, oh boy oh boy oh boy.......

**Myteathor** · 02-13-2011, 19:51

Me and the wife went out on Hickory Creek wilderness trail, Met a group on guys from Illinois and Ohio that hike that trail over this weekend every year, they said it was great wasnt too cold.
Me and the wife did about 4 miles round trip, weather was great today for it.
There was a crispy layer of ice under a few fresh inches then about a foot under that to another layer of ice.
I know its not the trail you guys are taking but its about a hour or so north of there through the woods, so conditions might be similar. There is a warm up here called for Wed, Thur, and Fri in the 40s and 50s, on Friday. Cooling off on Sat to a high of 35 with possible snow showers high of 35.

**Can't Wait** · 02-13-2011, 19:55

Originally Posted by blisterboy

Hi gang, sorry so late with this post, We just got home from our day out. Good news so far, lots of snow with a crust. Snow shoes def. made a difference. We went out only a far as the Brest of the pond and the snow is still deep out in the open,and under trees.Will get some pic's posted soon. So an eye on the weather, Last minute packing, oh boy oh boy oh boy.......

Thanks for update Dave , I am packed with exception of my down and food and water everything else is in the the sled waiting to go. was the 15" of snow what the ranger said I hope it sticks , did you see what I was looking at for first night hang. just below the gate on the right and left maybe 200 yards. I picked up new chem sticks to hang at turn in to spot for late stragglers. Thank Mrs Blisterboy for helping you scout today from us . Is it friday yet !!!!!!

**Myteathor** · 02-13-2011, 21:20

I just posted pics on my profile if you want to see snow conditions at hickory creek.

**blisterboy** · 02-14-2011, 17:46

I put two pic's up on my profile page takin at the bird watch hut

**chillyhiker** · 02-14-2011, 17:48

well I live 3 hours due west of where we will be hanging and the weather channel is calling for a high of 52 on Fri. low of 32 that night and a high of 34 on sat....down to 26 on sat night and high of 37 on sunday..with rain showers..

I hate the rain)...any way since most weather moves from west to East Im guessing the forcast will be similar for Pa...looking forward to meeting everyone and that peach cobler really looked good that HWS made..so see you guys in a few days. Chilly