Pancakes & Turkey Gravy

Ingredients: One package Bisquick Shake & Pour pancake mix One 10 ½-ounce can Campbell’s Turkey Gravy One 10-ounce can chunk turkey ½ cup milk 1 teaspoon Dale’s Steak Sauce ¼ teaspoon poultry seasoning Sprinkle of garlic powder Directions: Mix the pancake batter according to directions on the package. Start cooking the pancakes. Mix gravy, chunk turkey, milk, Dale’s Sauce, poultry seasoning and a sprinkle of garlic powder in second pan; heat while pancakes cook. When the pancakes are done,put them on a plate, and pour the gravy mixture over them. Makes 10 medium pancakes.

I am writing from the road, heading west. We’ve stayed at several very nice places so far. The first was Fort Valley Stables in Fort Valley, Virginia (888/754-5771; www.fortvalleystable.com), not far from I-81. The road up to it is a bit narrow and curvy, but worth the effort. The stables has nice pens, electric hookups, and access to trails. It also has cabins and rental horses.

Next, we stayed overnight at a lovely farm owned by Teresa Spangler, The Circle S, in Abingdon, Virginia (276/628-3232; www.circlesfarm.naxs.com). It’s only two miles from Exit 19, off I-81, about 45 minutes from Mt. Rogers. You can stay in a nice cabin or park your rig on a concrete pad, which offers trailer hookups. Teresa welcomes children and pets. 

From there, we spent a week at Long C Trails (270/618-7500; e-mail, LongCTrails@yahoo.com), located on the Kentucky/Tennessee border at Westmoreland. It’s owned by the Hanes family, who developed the camp on the old family farm. A beautiful creek runs through the place, offering a cool retreat from hot weather. The place has big box stalls, a shower house, and electricity.

On Saturdays, you can buy breakfast or supper prepared by a local group, which uses the profits for a children’s summer camp. There’s also cowboy church on Sunday.

As I write this, we’re in Arkansas at the Lonesome D Campgrounds (479/938-2899), close to New Blaine. It has pens, electricity, water, restrooms, and shower facilities. And miles and miles of trails. It’s been beautiful spring riding weather — 70 degrees, with cool nights. Spring wildflowers — redbud and dogwood — are in full bloom. I’m keeping my eyes on the ground looking for mushrooms. I’d sure love a mess of those tasty morsels.

In the meantime, I’ll whip up some pancakes and turkey gravy. This is a quick-and-easy dish, and the ingredients travel well. When I was packing for this trip, I had our upcoming pack trip in mind, so I didn’t want to use any glass jars. Campbell’s Turkey Gravy, which comes in a can, is a good solution. And Bisquick is conveniently sold in a plastic bottle — you just add water and shake. The recipe card is below.

No-Slip Saddle Fix
I’ve found a way to make saddle pads nonslip. Find the kind of shelf liner made from soft, poly-foam material. Look for the softest kind available, which is usually cream-colored. I found a 5-foot-by-12-inch roll at Dollar General for $2. I can get two to three pieces out of one roll. It’s also available at Bed, Bath & Beyond for $9 per roll.

Cut the material to fit under your saddle pad. You don’t need a very big piece — just make sure it goes across your horse’s back and down both sides a bit.

After you cut the material to size, lay it in the center of your horses back, and put the saddle pad on top. To clean, I just throw the liner in the washer once a week with the trailer rugs.

This type of shelf liner also comes in a smaller, brighter-colored variety. I use this on the trailer countertops to keep stuff from sliding off when we travel. I also use it on the truck dashboard to keep sunglasses and such in place. Also, a piece across the console gives our dog, Tap, a nonslip surface to stand on.

When we’re on the road, our home number is disconnected. And I don’t get a chance to check e-mail every day, but I’ll answer as soon as I can.

Kathy Rumsmoke, 67 Stewart Rd., Horseheads, NY 14845; (607) 594-2191; grumsmoke@aol.com; www.garthandkathy.com