Glamping, Texas Style

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I’m not much of a camping kinda girl.

But glamping (i.e. glamorous camping) – that’s more my style. 

I can enjoy Mother Nature much more when there’s I’m biting into a ooey-gooey s’more wrapped up in a soft, cashmere blanket in my own Pinterest-perfect oasis. For me that’s the only way to camp. 

So for this glamping trip, we headed to Walmart to stock up on the essentials for our luxury trip to the outdoors. A go-to resource for camping, I found both the must-haves for camping as well as the beautiful “Texas” touches to really upgrade our trip the wild (or in this case a spot not too far from home, but just far enough to enjoy the stars).

Comfort and cute is the name of the game for glamping, so I grabbed a few items to really make it homey like LED battery candles, lanterns (on sale), a few flower arrangements (you can’t always be sure what you’ll find in the wild), a warm, lush white down-like comforter, and tons of pillows. A few necessities haves included large clear jars with a little burlap for giving it that rustic, shabby-chic look, an easy-to-put-up tent, a table and chairs, and of course, an air mattress is a must-have to have you waking up like a princess the next day. 

My favorite find was this no-setup picnic table all-in-one that I found on Walmart.com and using their new unlimited shipping feature, Shipping Pass, was able to get it delivered to my door in just three days. (I’m a HUGE FAN of this new option and of course, the Walmart Site-to-Store option makes finding everything you need for glamping possible!) 

Since the menu plays a huge part of creating the ideal glamping experience. I mean what’s the point of all the work of putting up a tent and all the beautiful details, if you don’t have something to look forward?

But the menu doesn’t need to be hard to make or take too long to have ready either.

Just like glamping, Freschetta® is about the details with a homemade taste using only premium ingredients and a fresh-baked crust that is made like fresh baked bread, so it’s like you made your own, but with no work and only 15-20 minutes over the grill! (And there’s a gluten-free and cheese only version, too to fit all your campers needs!) That’s why Freschetta® Brick Oven Pizza is a great go-to for camping; you can make it over the grill for the ideal meal that’ll have you finishing every bite especially with my Roasted Garlic Butter Sauce! And no camping or glamping experience is complete without s’mores, but we added our own unique twist with S’mores Donuts using Honey Maid Graham Crackers, Hershey’s Chocolate, and Kraft Marshmallows. 

Setting the Scene

As the backdrop for our outdoor escape, I found this beautiful area surrounded by trees for a little privacy and super shade.  A few fallen tree trunks also made for some additional seating especially to enjoy the nearby sound of the recently filled running stream just steps from the glamp site. 

Designing the whole space only took 30 minutes! Starting with tent, I added a large outdoor patio rug to keep for keeping our “home away from home” also as clean as possible. Next using a pallet I had in the garage for the finishing piece, a laid up a headboard (you can normally find these at a large store or somewhere there is a lot of shipping, just ask if they’ll let you have one.) Then it was time for the air mattress, cozy comforter and a little mood lighting! 

Lighting is key for making it the beautiful and comfortable space you’re little for when glamping. Using a bungee cord and this LED battery operated lantern (for just around $10), I created a bedroom chandelier for a little just-the-right lighting once the sun goes down. And a few LED battery operated candles (made of real wax) give the space ambiance without the fear of catching fire or burning out! 

Pillows add all the punch for making a glamping space your creative own! While I was able to find adorable cow print pillows at Walmart, you can design your own, with any throw pillow and two handkerchiefs (or two large square pieces of material.) I just tied them at the corners and voilà, new pillows! 

My treasure find at Walmart.com was this amazing pine wood rocking chair (on big sale) to really set the scene for this outdoor retreat. Paired with an outdoor side table and a few “candles,” this natural wood rocker is ideal for staying up for hours talking, reading a book, pondering life, or just enjoying sipping coffee the next morning after the first break of day after a super slumber. 

For me, pretty doesn’t have to be complicated, so a little burlap made for an easy table runner, a few tall glass jars with candles, and a little twine for that detailed touch. I also made these bouquet of flowers by with several bunched up recycled coffee filters and inserting the ends into straws to use as the centerpiece for our dining decor. 

Now that we finished the fab, it’s on to the food! 

No need to make glamping hard, make sure to bring a cutting board and have either your own grill/fire pit available for the easiest and safest way of cooking up a mouthwatering meal that doesn’t have to take hours to create! First off, start your fire! Using self-starting charcoal (the briquettes already have lighter fluid on them), you can rock a fire ready to cook in just around 10 minutes using the grid-pattern technique. Lay out the charcoal one-by-one in a grid covering the whole grate/floor of your cooking device and then light the four briquettes at each corner with a large lighter! In seconds, you’ll have a fire roaring and be ready to go. 

While Freschetta® Brick Oven Pizza is already good, we took it first-class by adding a roasted garlic butter sauce (with only two ingredients) for the golden touch! Garlic and butter always make everything better and this little trick can be done anytime (including in your oven at home) to make your meal really wow!

Roasted Garlic Butter Sauce

Taking a bulb of garlic, on the cutting board slice the stem just about 1/2 inch to expose the cloves. Place the garlic in the middle of double foil and making a little bowl around the bottom so you can add oil (olive or vegetable will work) directly to the garlic (about 2-3 tablespoons). Then close the garlic with the remaining foil ends to create a little “garlic” flower and add it directly to the fire source (I actually laid mine in the coals.) 

Making Pizza on the Grill

While the garlic cooks in the fire, it’s a perfect time to get started on the pizza! To make the best grilled pizza over an open flame, all you’ll need is two pieces of foil to lay on the grate and Freschetta® Brick Oven Pizza. Remove everything from the pizza and place it frozen right over the foil. Now all you have to do is wait 15-20 minutes until the crust is browned and the cheese is melted! 

While the pizza is cooling for a few minutes, also take out the garlic and allow it to cool slightly. Open the foil and you’ll find that the garlic smells like heaven and has “melted” into a paste-like creamy consistency! Using a towel or something to keep your hands from the heat, you’ll squeeze the garlic into a small bowl (about two tablespoons) along with the butter (about 3-4 tablespoons) and mix!

And that’s it for the sauce!

Now just dip your cut slices of pizza into the sauce to enjoy every bite from start to finish!

S’mores Donuts

Now you can’t forget the s’mores when you go camping or glamping – it’s like a rule! But sometimes you gotta change up the rules a little bit! So whether you eat these S’mores Donuts for breakfast or dessert, they’re going to knock your socks off with the right amount of marshmallow and chocolate inside the donut (made from canned biscuits) and of course, the crunch of the Honey Maid Graham Cracker for the finishing touch. 

While making these little babies takes no time at all, the trick is getting the oil hot enough to “fry” the biscuits. I recommend putting your pot or dutch oven (another must for camping) with two-inches of vegetable oil over the fire while you’re cooking other items, so it’s ready when you are! You’ll know it’s the right temperate by testing it first by adding a small part of a biscuit to the oil to make sure it bubbles. 

Now add one large marshmallow (I don’t recommend the jumbos though) and one small chocolate (Hershey’s miniatures are just the right size) and sandwich them between two raw biscuits, pinching the sides until it’s closed. Next add the biscuit to the oil until it’s golden (it won’t but just a few seconds depending on the temperature of the oil.) Using tongs, transfer the biscuit to a plate and quickly add add another chocolate (or drizzle just a little melted chocolate) and finish with graham cracker crumbs! 

Now it’s ready to sink your teeth into! Like any s’more this donut can be a little messy, but it actually can last longer than traditional s’mores so you can munch on them into the night. However, they are best served warmed and eaten with your fingers for all the fun! 

Now doesn’t this just say home sweet home?!? Little cleanup, little work and lots of good food with a fabulous place to call home – if only for a few hours! 

Check out other ways to glamp and get your s’mores on with Freschetta and Honey Maid!

What’s your best camping/glamping tip?