The end of August is generally a trying time for me and my wife as parents of three energetic boys. To battle the ennui we packed up the family and headed about 10 miles west of our home and set up camp in Baker Park Campground on Lake Independence. You may have read today's article about the challenges of the water quality on the lake but let me tell you, Baker Park is a first class facility and Lake Independence is a metro body of water worthy of our protection.

I won't bore you with the details of our fantastic weekend...all I can say is if you're considering camping at Baker Park you should call and reserve. They also have a Halloween event called Baker-Boo the weekend of Oct 20-21 which is awesome for the kids.

I want to share one highlight because I'm interested in your stories.... I brought with me my 12" Camp Chef Cast-Iron Skillet that I've had for a couple of years but never used. I recently attended an event where Camp Chef sponsored a cook-off which inspired me to have my own little competition. I cooked up some pheasant sausage over the open fire and made scrambled eggs in my new skillet. I didn't have to season the grill or any of the food...the skillet comes pre-seasoned. I can honestly say I've never enjoyed cooking more than I did making this meal and I don't think I've ever tasted sausage and eggs that were this perfect. I made enough food for our group of five plus the group of four at the site next to ours....they provided the eggs.

Here's a shot of my breakfast masterpiece:

So, what do I need to do to take my outdoor cooking to the next level? I'm interested in hearing about your experiences and suggestions. Please post comments below!

Happy Cooking!