Conference turris::cooks

Chicken can be prepared quite easily on a grill. The secret to cooking
chicken on a grill is to not let the grill get to hot. Chicken breasts,
or thighs are something we roast often on a grill. Just lightly brush
with butter and cook over med-low heat turning every few minutes. Start
cooking bone side down. Serve with a fresh salad (easy to prepare at
campsite). If you can get corn on the cob, butter, wrap in heavy foil
and cook over low heat. Corn and chicken can be cooked together if grill
is large enough.

Another chicken idea is to cut up potato slices (leave skin on). Slice
some green italian peppers. Cut up onions. Rub olive oil on potato, and
chicken parts. Also sprinkle paparika on potatoes. Determine quanties
by number of people to serve. Wrap everything in heavy duty foil. Cook
on grill on med-low heat until potato tender and chicken done. Turn
occasionally. This recipe was given by someone else in a previous
note, but it works well on the grill.

One thing I like to do when backpacking overnight is make a plastic bag full
of biscuit mix. When it's time to cook, you just add water and heat it in
big blobs right on a skillet. Neat because you can do all of the mixing right
in the bag. Any old biscuit recipe works - just substitute water for milk,
unless you have a way to keep it cold.

On canoe trips, I like to keep the weight down because of portages.  So 
usually I look in the 'just add water' section of the super market.  
'Three Alarm' Chile and the competitors all are good camp-out food.  
Read the recipes first for how many pots and such.  Freeze dried soy 
bean meat can be found in super markets and may not taste as good as the 
real thing, but certainly tastes better than the real thing spoiled.  

If you go to EMS or the likes, 'one can find Freeze dried Ice Cream, Cottage 
Cheese and more.  

Carry an assortment of herbs for the fish you catch.

Enjoy.

This sort of thing depends upon what you have in mind and what you con-
sider "camping."  If it's like an extended picnic, where carrying a
cooler is legitimate, it's one thing: if it's overnight, it's another.

Picnic/camping:

1) If you don't have to cook your meals on the spot, anything prepared
ahead of time, from sandwiches to salads is okay.  A favorite of mine
(if you have some beverage) is peanut-butter-and-honey sandwiches.  Easy:
use spun honey (so-called "honey butter") 50-50 with a smooth peanut
butter like Skippy.  Put on *buttered* white bread.  Gives nutrition
and energy.  And most people like them.

Also, things like *real* beef jerky (available from Hickory Farms --
not that "formed and pressed" junk) is a good outdoorsy food, and it'll
keep indefinitely.

Beef sausage, salami, etc., also work well.  Use the individual-packet
mustards ("available" at most cafeterias) rather than lugging around a
jar of the stuff.

2) For cooking:  investigate freeze-dried foods.  There are a lot of good
ones, and you don't *have* to buy them at camping stores.  It makes a
difference what you cook over: a camp stove (fryer/grill) allows easy
cooking of bacon, eggs, and so forth.  A charcoal-style grill's another
matter and suggests things like the hot dogs and hamburgers you're
getting sick of (chicken's good here).

When using a grill, however, most people use too high a flame and/or
put the food too close.  A smaller fire and a longer cooking time do wonders
towards keeping things pleasantly cooked and unburnt.

For overnight or where a cooler's inappropriate, use foods that don't
need refrigerating.  These include the freeze-dried stuff and jerky.

Bon appetit!

Apollonius

I agree with the previous note - what you take depends on how you camp.

Here's some of our favorites if you have a cooler and a little more than stone 
and wood to cook over:

Sloppy joes - browned ground beef with bottled barbecue sauce over rolls.
Chili - make before hand, just reheat.
Pre-cooked chicken - wrap in foil and reheat.  Also good for lunch.
Fried potatoes - slice up cold precooked potatoes and brown in skillet with 
    butter.
Brisket - cook at home, reheat in foil or skillet.
Salads - I usually make a "normal" lettuce salad at home and put in a large 
	tupperware type bowl with a cover.  Then just add dressing at the 
	camp site.  If you're tired of salads, cut up your favorite raw veggies 
	and bring along a dip (my personal favorite is ranch dressing!).
Fruits - bake apples by coring the center, add butter, honey, sugar, nuts or 
	raisins, wrap in foil and bake over coals or grills.  You can also cut 
	up less solid fruits and store them in plastic bowls.  Be sure to toss 
	the fruits with some lemon juice to keep them from browning.
Breads - When I have the time beforehand, I like to make a French-type bread 
	and bake a sausage (usually linguica) inside.  The recipe I use has 
	the bread rising twice, so I usually add the sausage to the second 
	rising.  I make the loaves about 1/4 the size of a normal baguette.  
	These keep very well and are REAL GOOD.
Lunch - we usually just go for the hard cheese, salami/jerky type of lunch, 
	along with dried fruit of some sort.
Breakfast - I like using the packets of instant oatmeal.  I've also tried the 
	frozen pancake mixes that come in little milk cartons and they weren't 
	bad at all.  Especially if there's fresh blueberries growing around the 
	campsite.


Mainly, I try to get the majority of the cooking/cutting up done at home.  It's 
a lot less messy and time consuming.  And, my dishwasher does a lot better job 
at cleaning the utensils than sand does!

A word of caution, don't try using dry ice in the cooler.  We did that once and 
found that everything had carbonated.  Eating carbonated bananas first thing in 
the morning was a real shock.  The grapes and apples were pretty good that way
but milk and all the meats were pretty awful.

Have fun,

Lynne

	As with the previous two notes, how you're camping makes a
	big difference.

	We're heading to Tanglewood and Saragoga for the 4th of July
	weekend.  We're planning to "picnic" at Tanglewood on the
	lawn for prior/during the concerts thursday and friday nights.

	Thursday night we'll have cold lobster.  It will be used as
	a 'fondue dipper' with a lemon butter sauce and a newburg
	sauce warmed in fondue pots.  This will be served with a large
	salad (we have vegie salads with very little lettuce) and french 
	bread.  I can't remember what we're having for dessert (there are
	three houses involved!), but I think it may be a chocolate cream
	pie.

	Friday night we're having cold cornish hens stuffed with wild
	and long grain rice.  This will be served with marinated
	mushrooms, salad, and fresh fruit salad (it will be strawberries,
	blueberries, kiwi fruit, green grapes, cherries and melon with
	a little orange liqueur) for desert.

	Both of the above meals will be served with a cold Rose wine.

	We'll be leaving wednesday, but, since we have access to one camper 
	with a refridgerator the lobster and sauces will travel in that.
	The cornish hens will be cooked tuesday and frozen in a deep freezer
	(i.e.:  not the one over the refridgerator), then used as "ice"
	in the cooler that contains the second nights meal.  I also have
	two of those wonderful 'blue ice' things that hold the cold very
	well.  These too will go in the cooler.  The most important point
	is that this cooler _does_not_ get opened for anything until 
	mid-morning on friday, when I'll check the cornish hens and pull
	them out for a while if they need additional thawing.

	Lunches, both days, will be light sandwiches with coleslaw and/or
	three bean salad.

	Saturday we're planning on eating lunch in Saratoga so dinner will
	be good old beans and hotdogs ... at that point I rather think we'll
	all be ready for a less than sumptuous meal!

	Good luck with you're camping!

	Audrey

We will be at a campground in N.H., so we will have a cooler or two, a
portable gas grill (w/ cover for slow cooking) and the good 'ole open fire.
I would like to prepare a lot of the meals ahead of time (meals for 5-6 days).
I would like to have suggestions for preparation for:

chicken
stake
sish-kabob
fish/sea food for the first nite


Any other suggestions would make us into "happy campers".

Thanks,

Candy

OK. at a campground in NH.

Shish-kebob can be so-o-o-o much fun.

Standard lamb bits [our butcher does the marinade so I can't help there]
along with standard green pepper, onion, etc is always a favorite

A favorite with us has been butterfly shrimp, pineapple chunks, green pepper,
chicken bits [marinade white wine, olive oil, tarragon, garlic, black pepper]
cherry tomatoes, red onions [or pearl onions if they look good at the market]
fresh mushrooms.  Baste while cooking with melted butter, tarragon, lemon juice
or just use the leftover marinade.

A VERY easy skewered dinner is two-inch slices of kielbasa, baby corn ears,
peppers, onion, etc.  Baste while cooking with barbeque sauce.

A COMPLETELY different track from what you suggested is:

When we camp in campgrounds we often fix ahead things in sauces like
Fettuchini Primavera  or  Ravioli with Bolognese Sauce
Beef Stew  or  Chili con Carne  
Our most elegant was Veal Viennese with Rice Pilaf 

The trick here is that we do the preparation way ahead and freeze the meals
in "seal-a-meal"  It's wonderful to only have to boil water to cook and the
cleanup is as minimal as you can get.  An added benefit of this approach is
not having to buy as much ice for the cooler -- your frozen dinners help keep
everything else cold.

anniej

We just spent 6 days on a boat, we call it expensive camping.  We have a
coleman type stove and a gas barbecue.  I do lots of preparing a head of time.

We had ribs which I cooked before we left and put in barbecue sauce to 
marinate til we were ready to brown them up on the grill.  I did the same
with chicken wings.  Fully cooked they last in the cooler for several days.

We had chili done ahead and just heated on the coleman.

We had taco's for lunch one day. 

We had eggplant parmesian, the eggplant fried ahead, sauce and cheese added
at the last minute.  This was cooked in a disposable aluminum pan with the 
same on the top, placed on top of another disposable (top keep it away from
the direct flame).  It heats the cheese melts and does not burn.

We did have the usual steak, hot dogs and hamburgers as well as cold cuts.

One night we put the chili and cheese on the hot dogs to give them a little
different taste.

We tried several munchies from a previous note.  One was the cream cheese,
crabmeat and cocktail sauce served with ritz.  We also used pepperidge farm
sesame sticks for dipping.  They dipped better then the ritz and did not break.

                                    Judie

    I know I'm more than a year late on this, but we've spent the last
    couple of years camping and have improved on the menus each year,
    and would love to pass on at least a couple helpful hints I've found.
    The microwave has become a great help in camping, believe it or
    not! Usually a night or so before we leave I "bake" several pototoes
    in the microwave and then wrap them individually in aluminum foil.
    Then when we're camping I can just toss them on the grill for a
    little while and we have "baked" pototoes without waiting hours.
    Then for breakfast (my personal favorite and MUST meal when we're
    camping, I slice up a couple pototoes and have homefries, you can
    also slice up the pototoes and re-wrap them with all sorts of veggies,
    and spices and butter/margarine and through them on the grill too.
    
    Also as far a meat/chicken goes, most of the time I use boneless
    breast of chicken, it cooks faster and is easier to store. I will
    make up some marinades (I like a lemon one for the chicken) and
    put the marinade and the meat/chicken in a freezer safe zip-lock
    bag and them through them in the freezer, I pack my cooler usually
    the night before we leave, and all the frozen stuff helps keep
    everything cool, and by the time we're ready to eat its usually
    defrosted.
    
    shish-ka-bobs are a favorite camping dinner too.
    
    hope someone gets something out of this.
    
    bets
    

CACHE::SCOUTING is a conference about Boy and Girl scouting.  Note 10
in that conference is collecting recipes that are useful for campfire
cooking.  If any of you have recipes that would be useful to scouts,
please post them in SCOUTING.

Press KP7 (SELECT) to add SCOUTING to your notebook.

Allen Leigh
SCOUTING moderator

    Take any biscuit mix (Bisquick is what I would use) and mix up the
    recipe for regular biscuits. Mold a hand full around a 3/4 inch
    dia. green stick. Taost over med. hot coals slowly until golden
    brown. Pull out the stick and fill with your favorite jam or jelly.
    Be careful not to make the dough to thick on the stick, or it won"t
    cook all the way through.

    This is a great recipe for pork chops that I use even at home!!!
    
    4 to 6 pork chops
    1 c. quick cooking rice
    1 pkg. dehydrated onion soup
    
    Brown pork chops in a little oil, then remove from skillet. Pour
    in rice. Brown rice in drippings, stirring often. Pour in soup.
    Mix thoroughly with rice. Return pork chops to skillet and add
    enough water to cover the chops. Cover. Cook until pork chops are
    tender.

    
    Here I some I do:
    
    Bake up some nice large baking potatoes at home (microwave or oven).
    When cooled slice them and place each potatoe on a 12" X 12" piece
    of foil.  Add things like thawed frozen cauliflower florets, some
    shredded cheese and peas and wrap tightly.  Place on grill for 1/2
    hour to 45 mins and you have delicious baked potatoes with melted
    cheese and cauliflower!!  Other potatoes fillers are things like cheese
    and pineapple with a sprinkling of nutmeg, chilli and cheese, chilli
    and onions, broccoli and cottage cheese, baked beans or even peanut
    butter and banana chips!!!  Just make them up and wrap them
    individually, label them with masking tape that you remove before
    putting them on the grill.

    Another nice foil bundle is sliced vegetables, tofu, and seasonings.
    I like snow peas, carrots, broccoli, tofu with soy sauce.
    
    For breakfast I find things like ready prepared French toast, pancakes
    and the like the best thing.. they just need warming up.  You can
    carry a small jar of honey or pure maple syrup.
    
    The best way to do an egg on the grill is to bake or poach it. 
    They sell some pretty neat gadgets for this in most camping stores
    now.
    
    good luck!
    gailann

    I always bring spaghetti sauce or american chop suey sauce with
    me.  I freeze it before had, it helps keep the cooler cold longer.
    Placed in a sauce pan, these should heat nicely on your grill, but
    I'm not sure how successful you'll be getting water to boil for
    the pasta.  You can get a good rolling boil over a camp fire (I
    use a cover on the pan to keep out the ash).
    
    I make beef stew and pot roast in my dutch oven.  I have a gas
    stove, but these too can be made over a camp fire.  Again, I'm not
    sure you'd get enough heat out of the grill.
    
    Chris 

    
    
    We have a single burner stove that attaches to a small bottle
    of propane.  It is very small and light weight.  We cook every
    thing from bacon and eggs to spagetti on it.  It boils water in
    a snap.  Of course we also bring a small grill to barbecue on.
    
    
    You can put steaks or chicken in zip lock bags with your favorite
    marinate.  Just take out and grill when ready.  Left over grilled
    chicken with some cheese makes greats sandwiches the next day.
    
    
    
                                  Donna
    

    We did bacon and eggs in a pan on the grill (just make sure its
    a pan that you don't mind dragging along - don't bring the family
    heirloom).  Just bring a pot holder so the heat doesn't burn your
    hand/arm when you're hanging onto the pan to flip the eggs,etc.
    
    Have fun.  

Re: Note 1720.0       need help w/ideas for exciting 'camping' food          1 reply
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you go with the gas grill you can treat it just like a gas stove.
I have used it to boil water for coffee, placed a fry pan on the grill
to fry eggs, heat stew, cook spaghetti, etc.  Just place the pot or 
pan on the grill as if it were the burner on your gas stove.  

Depending on the wind it may take a little longer or be less even in 
heating.  If you go with a charcoal grill you might want to use an
old pan because it does leave a lot of soot on the outside of the
pan and can be hard to clean.  I've never had much problem with the
gas grill since it burns much cleaner.  Word of warning:  Those
little disposable gas cartridges don't last long so if you are using
them bring several spares.

Foods:

I like simple meals when camping since it's harder to prepare things
without all the convenience items you have at home.  Besides for some
reason, maybe the fresh air, everything tastes better when camping.
Remember to bring any spices that you will need.  I try to make the
meal in my head to make sure I have everything like utensils,
seasonings, pot or pans.  Ever try to divide up a steak between
four people with nothing but a plastic spoon, open a can of Dintimore
stew with a pen? 

London Broil and fried Potatoes is an easy one: We usually bring a
nice London broil steak; frozen solid and placed in the cooler it will
make the ice last longer.  Slice up some potatoes in small cubes to
make them cook faster and rap up in foil with oil and onions and place
them on the grill with the steak turning several times.  Takes between
25 to 35 minutes to get them nice and brown. 

It's a little early still but we usually stop at a farm stand on the 
way and pick up things like fresh string beans, apples and oranges,
and corn on the cob.  You can cook corn in the husk right on the grill
as long is it has just been picked and its moisture content is high.
You could also try soaking in a pail of water just before grilling
the corn on the cob.  

A variation on hamburgers is to rap them in foil with sliced
carrots, celery, etc. and grill them.  A complete meal and 
comes out great with no clean up.  I think I remember seeing a
specific recipe for this in this notice file somewhere. 

Marinated chicken breasts always comes out fantastic on the grill.  
(I don't know what my wife uses for the marinate but it has seven
seasons Italian dressing and garlic in it. She probably doesn't have a
recipe because it always comes out different - but always good.  I
could be convinced to ask here for the ingredients) 

>Has anyone ever cooked eggs on a grill????  Or should I bring
>a coffee cake????

Like I said, I just put the fry pan on the grill and fry up the eggs,
or fry pancakes (I buy the frozen pre-made stuff that comes in the pint
size milk carton because its easy and again freeze it to add more
cooling to the cooler) As you can see I have had food go bad on 
camping trips and like freeze everything to avoid the possibility
of food spoiling.  Bring the coffee cake also -- I always seem to
eat more when I am out in the fresh air.

>BTW - how does one make coffee on a grill?  I think this trip

I just put a pot of water on the grill to boil and make instant.
I have friend that use a percolator on the grill, but ours is 
expensive so I leave it home.

I can just here all you gourmets out there.  Instant coffee?, pre-made
pancake mix?, canned stew?.  O'well my priorities are on easy 
preparation when camping besides my wife refuses to cook when camping
and she's the gourmet!

-JFK-

    Once, in Junior Girl Scouts, our patrol could NOT come to a decision
    on what to bring for food, so we decided to all bring individual
    rations.  I had everyone over at my end of the campfire with this:
    
    1 frozen breaded veal pattie per person, or more if you're hungry
    Per pattie:
    	1/4 to 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce, either homemade or commercial,
    		preferably the marinara type with chunks and mushrooms.
    	1/8 to 1/4 cup parmasan cheese.
    	Shortening or oil to grease the pan.
    
    Cooking:
    	Grease up your frying pan, lightly.  I usually bring cast iron
    pans on camping trips when weight is not a problem.  Fry the
    veal pattie until light brown on both sides.  Pour the sauce over
    it, sprinkle with cheese, cover, cook until bubbling hot.  Mmmmmmm.
    	If you want, and if you can wait for water to boil over a camp-
    fire, cook some spaghetti to go with this.  "gourmet" camping made
    easy!
    	You could also cook the sauce in a separate pot, if you have
    other things to fry and don't want to clean tomato sauce off of
    your frying pan.  Then you'd sprinkle the cheese on at the table.
    
    --Louise	

    I agree with simplicity - it seems like what usually happens is
    that we go with a bunch of people, then you end up trying to make
    bacon eggs and hash browns for 16 people with 2 skillets and one
    spatula over one incredibly hot fire!  The bacon gets started too
    early, so it's done first, so everyone munches on it while the potatoes
    are cooking, so then you end up eating runny eggs with greasy potatoes!
    And who wants to wait around for enough water to heat to wash all
    those greasy dishes??
    
    We bought a propane stove for this year, and I'm really looking
    forward to using it!  Another thing I want to try over the fire
    are the sandwich maker gizmos with long handles.  You use two slices
    of bread, and the filling can be whatever you want - ham and cheese,
    popperoni and cheese and sauce, fruit pie filling, etc.  I don't
    know if an egg would get cooked inside them, though - I don't know
    if it actually makes enough of a well to contain it.  But a slice
    of ham, a slice of cheese and an egg sounds tasty and easy!
    Has anyone tried these with eggs or maybe a spoonful of Eggbeaters?
    
    Terry
    
    

    A good way to take "pasta" camping is do like restaurants do cook
    enough pasta for your sauce--- freeze the sauce "Zip lock" the cold
    drained pasta.... When your sauce is bubbling -- add the pasta directly
    to the sauce on your camp stove/fire..heat back to just bubble..temp &
    serve with your "bagged/seasoned" salad.. Some red wine-- bread sticks
    and you think you are in "Tony's" or who-evers restaurant/or @ home.
                                          Good stuff-enjoy      <DICK>
    

    Previous replies have hit on my favorite camping meal - foil dinners.
    I prefer boneless breast of chicken cut into bite size cubes, but
    you can also use  hamburger or any other meat cut into bite size
    cubes.  Just add cubed potatoes, carrots, onions, turnip, and any
    other veggie that hits your fancy, a littel salt and pepper and
    a pat of butter.  Wrap in 2 layers of tin foil, then throw them
    directly in the coals.
    
    Best thing I remember about this meal was the dessert we would always
    have - foil desert.  On a piece of foil, place a pineapple ring.
    The put a peach half on the pineapple, then fill the peach half
    with some frest raspberries.  Sprinkle with some brown sugar and
    a pat of butter.  Again, do the double layer of foil and throw directly
    on the coals.  We would put the dessert on as we started eating
    the dinner.  When dinner was over, the desert was ready.  Dessert
    didn't take long at all.
    
    Good luck.  It sounds exviting.  I haven't camped in years.
    
    
    	-Nancy

    If you go with charcoal try K-bobs.
    
    Last year for the Henninger Second Annual Pike's Peak Hill Climb
    Campout my wife decided to be adventurous:
    
    Alternately, skewer meat cubes, shrimp, green pepper pieces, onions,
    etc.  Grill until shrimp is pink and meat is done to preference.
    
    If fishing is on the agenda:
    
    Salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste the interior cavity.
    
    Wrap fish and bacon strips in foil cook about 3-5 minutes per side
    depending on size.  ( A Tbs of butter could be placed in the cavity
    in lieu of the bacon )
    
    AND THE Piece d' Resistance ( apologizes to the French)
    
    S'mores
    Toast marshmallows to desired color and mushiness.
    Remove from stick by makeing a sandwich with Hershey bars and graham
    crackers.
    
    Good Eating.
    Don
     

    What we usually do is, boil chicken or ribs before we leave home
    and pack them cold or frozen in the cooler.  When it's time to eat
    just pullout the old bottle of B Bque sauce and cook over the grill.
     Takes a lot less time than waiting for them to cook completley
    over the grill and a lot less mess thatn cleaning up a pot while
    camping.
    
    I like the idea of cooking the spagehtti before hand.  Anything
    to save time.
    
    Another way to cook an egg would be in a n orange half.  That's
    right ORANGE HALF.  TAke an orange cut it in half, scoop out the
    orange and drop an egg in it.  Wrap up with aluminum foil and place
    on coals. You can also use this for cooking muffins.  Mix up a batch
    of muffins and put in ziplock bag, stick in cooler when ready to
    cook just pour into orange shell and bake in aluminum foil.
    
    	Well have fun camping.  I can't wait to get out myself.

   Pork chops and lamb chops cook great over a grill.  In my house even
in the dead of winter (I've got the snapshots to prove it) we cook them 
outside on the gas grill.  I've also taken a cheap steak and sliced it
thin (1/8 inch or so), marinated in teriaki, and then skewer them on the
thin bamboo sticks for teriaki steak.  It could easily be prepared ahead
of time, ZIP locked and frozen to help it keep longer...

   You're only restricted by your imagination...


Al

    For coffee we've always used the plastic Melitta coffee maker and
    filters on top of an old stovetop coffee pot -- just pour boiling
    water over the grounds in the filter and you have great coffee!
    (We also make two or three pots first thing in the morning and 
    keep it hot in an "air pot" -- stays hot and fresh all day.)

                              on the road again
    
    
    Coffee while camping
    
    The Melita suggestion is expert, but if you want that chuck wagon
    feel, you'll need a heavy duty coffee pot that can stand a lot of
    heat.  I've made my coffee in wood fires, using a blue-speckled enamel
    perc.  I add my coffee, water, and, don't laugh, egg shells.
    After the water percolates, the shells help keep the grounds out
    of the coffee.
    
    Also, for any pot/pan I use on charcoal or wood, (hold your laughter)
    I apply a liberal amount of (biodegradeable) liquid soap to the
    outside.  Really!  The more you use, the easier the soot will be
    removed.  I've just wiped some of mine clean!                     
                                 
    Enjoy!

    
    
    We have found that you can make a really interesting meal out of
    vegetables and nuts etc. Basically the trick is to find whatever
    is fresh and nice, chop them up and cook them with liberal amounts
    of tomato paste (from a tin) and whatever nuts you fancy. It makes
    for an easy and tasty meal. We do the cooking in a large cast iron
    pot over an open fire.
    
    Be warned however, unless you are extremely keen on vegetables,
    more than two of these types of meals on a trip gets a bit hard
    to take (our experience). Its an ideal meal for the last night of
    a camping trip when all your ice has melted and you can't keep anything
    real cold.
    
    We use cashews, brazil nuts and wallnuts etc.
    
    The vegetables which work out well include zucchini, eggplant, button
    squash, potato, pumpkin, carrot, parsnip, swede. The idea is to
    use some which carry flavour and some which provide flavour so you
    get accasional "tasty" bits. I forgot onion and capsicum.
    
    You can also add various herbs such as oregano, marjorum, basil
    and paprika. If there are not too many fussy people you can add
    some chilli (our son objects if things are too hot - but he is getting
    better). You add these on the basis of smell - when it smells great
    there is enough added.
    
    NB. The vegetable names are what we call then in Aus so there may
    be some translation necessary (service provided on request).
    
    
    pete
    
    
    
    
    
    

    
    	On arrival, a beer
    
    	Early afternoon (pre walk)
    		Young Hunter valley semillon
    
    	Post walk, maybe a good lighter style chardonnay
    
    	pre dinner - aged semillon or rhine reisling/ white burgundy
    		     if you are rich
    
    	dinner - more aged whites
    		 pinot noir
    		 earthy red - say an old shiraz (aka hermitage)
		 a cabernet - big style
    
    	Remember the aim is interesting wine to go with the interesting
    	food - not quantity
    
    	post dinner - MUSCAT, MUSCAT and port and tokay and MUSCAT
    			(i like muscat)
    
    	Berocca
    
    	Breakfast - champagne/coca cola depending on your head/stomach
        

    If you have some foil and a grill, you can cook lots of goodies.
    
    On a piece of foil put a pork chop, add a slice of tomatoe, green
    pepper and onion.  Season to taste; garlic, salt, pepper, etc..
    Wrap in foil and put on the grill.
    
    On a piece of foil put a pork chop and a few slices of potatoe.
    Season to taste. Wrap in foil and put on the grill.
    
    Soak an ear of corn in water.  Wrap ear of corn in foil and put on
    the grill.
    
    On a piece of foil put a piece of fish (cod, haddock, flounder,
    whatever you like), add pat of butter/margarine, slice of onion, 
    or whatever else you like.  Wrap in foil and put on the grill.
    
    You can also cook chicken wrapped in foil.  Just before it's done,
    remove from foil and grill.  It will get the barbeque taste without
    being burnt.
    
    I often marinade some beef kabobs or lamb kabobs with onions, garlic
    and spices.  I do this at home before we leave and store then in 
    a plastic container (zip-lock bags would do).  Then just cook them on 
    the grill.

    Someone already mentioned pancakes for breakfast.  I usually stop
    at the fruit/vegetable stand before our camping trips.  I usually pick
    up some apples, strawberries, blueberries, or whatever is in season.
    
    You can put a few blueberries in the pancake mix before cooking, and
    top the pancakes with fresh blueberries.  I've also used frozen 
    blueberries in a pinch.  Or you can cut up an apple, add a little sugar 
    and cinnamon and add to pancake mix.  Or cook plain pancake and top 
    with sliced strawberries.
    
    I've also made french toast when camping.  In a bowl add a carton of 
    Eggbeaters, some sugar and milk.  Dip in bread, and cook.  Top with 
    strawberries or blueberries.

    Thanks for all the great ideas....I never imagined being able to
    eat good while camping....
    
    You have also mentioned a few items to bring, that I never would
    have thought of, like dish detergent, and a frying pan.  Can anyone
    think of other essentials that are easy to forget (espicially for
    a first timer)?
    
    I was also wondering if they food will keep in the cooler for the
    4 days?  Must have to have a ton of ice!
    
    Well thanks again, and please keep them coming!  I love seeing all
    these great ideas!  At least I don't have to worry about eating
    _hot dogs_ (night mare city), but I think I will be drinking instant
    coffee....we are going to be lugging enough stuff as it is to have
    to fool with a coffee pot...
    
    
    Thanks again!
    
    michele
    

    Bring:
    	A tarp to put up over your eating area in case of rain
    	something to sit on if the ground is wet - a stack of
    	 newspapers or paper grocery bags works fine!
    	Something to put trash in
    	Something to put garbage in - some places ask for them
    	 to be separated when disposed.
    	A plastic basin for dishwashing
    	soap and a dishwashing scrubber in a plastic ziplock bag
    	matches
    	The aforementioned pot and frypan, plus a spatula and a
	 long-handled big spoon, plus all your tableware (plates etc)
    	 and at least one sharp knife, and a can opener.
	Salt and pepper
    	Depending on the campsite, a water container.  Full or empty,
    	 again, depends on the campsite.  Out west some places it's
    	 best to carry your own water.
    	A lantern - either oil or candle powered - with fuel.  Much
    	 better than a flashlight for making up camp in the dark.
    	 I guess one of those new-fangled stand-up battery powered
    	 lanterns would work too.

    I'll let someone else pick this up from here.
    
    --Louise    

    In addition to what's listed in .24, I usually bring:
    	flashlight
    	ax or something for cutting wood for the fire
        pot holder
        rain coat, and warm sweater
        piece of rope (to make a clothesline, by tying to 2 trees); usefule
            to hang wet clothing, air out sleeping bags, etc...
        small first aid kit, with at least bandaids and ointment
        if you bring wine, don't forget the cork screw
        bug spray

    Some more items,
    	in addition to the fry pan, I bring a 1 1/2 or a 2 quart pan
           that I can use to heat water or to cook vegies, stew, etc..
        paper towels
    	to minimize dishes (I hate doing dishes) I bring paper plates,
           paper/plastic cups, foam cups and some sturdy plastic or foam
           plates and napkins.  If you use plastic silverware, remember 
           to bring at least 1 sharp knife, and fork; plastic doesn't 
           work well to cut or check food for doneness on the fire.

    About ice for the cooler.  It really depends on where you are
    camping and the type of camping you are doing.  
    
    Some campgrounds sell ice, so you can restock ice in the cooler each 
    day.  Some campgrounds have stores that sell ice within a couple of 
    miles of the grounds.
    
    If there is no place to buy ice during the trip, make sure everything
    you put in the cooler is already cold or frozen and put as much ice
    as possible.

re .23
<    I was also wondering if they food will keep in the cooler for the
<    4 days?  Must have to have a ton of ice!
    
BLOCK ice will keep much longer than cubes or crushed ice.  Depending of
course on the outside temps, the size of your cooler, how often you get
into the cooler and if the foods you're eating on the 3rd and 4th days was
frozen solid when you started, a couple 10 pound blocks will still be ice
at the end of your trip.

If you aren't going to be where you can replenish your ice, freeze all food
that is freezable before you start - let the frozen food keep the rest cool -
buy your ice in blocks not cubes, use a cooler that is an apropriate size - if
the cooler is large enough, cover the ice and the frozen food in the bottom of
the cooler with plastic and towels to minimize the loss of cold air when the
cooler is open. Early in the morning (when it's still cool outside), move
whatever you're eating that day to the top of the towels, this will keep the
milk, coke etc cool while dinner thaws.  If you minimize the time the cooler
is open, you shouldn't have any trouble (I had ice left after 3 days on a
houseboat in Fla a couple years ago - temps were 65 day time and around 40 at
night.  Good luck on your FIRST camping trip.

Al

    
    
    re 1720.23
    
>    have thought of, like dish detergent, and a frying pan.  Can anyone
>    think of other essentials that are easy to forget (espicially for
>    a first timer)?


    
    

    RE: .15 Another "trick" that works on settling coffee grounds
    is to insert a fire brand/stick into the boiling coffee water.
    It will instantly cause all the grounds that are floating around
    in the coffee to settle to the bottom of the container (pot-can
    whatever you use..You shake off as much ash as possible just be-
    fore inserting the stick..trappers and mountain dwellers have used
    this method since D.Boones days...a little care when pouring ;->
                                            Try it--it works!! <DICK>

    We freeze water in 1 gallon plastic milk jugs (1/2 gallon when using
    a small cooler).  The water that forms in the jugs as the ice melts
    seems to slow melting.  It also reduces the amount of water you
    end up with in the bottom of the cooler.
    
    Chris
      

    It seems that whenever I go camping with a large group it is always
    somebody's birthday. Therefore, we always bring along some cake mix
    (from a box) and some frosting in a can. Here is how to steam a cake on
    an open fire:
    
    You need a metal bucket and a square cake pan such that when you put
    the cake pan in the bucket, it gets "stuck" in the bucket about a
    quarter way to half way down (so your bucket has to get wider from 
    the bottom up). 
    
    Prepare the cake mix as directed on the box. Pour into the square
    pan. Boil water in the bucket (the water line should be well below the
    point where the cake pan fits into the bucket). Cover the cake pan with
    foil and carefully place into the bucket. Then cover the bucket with
    foil and punch a few holes in the foil. It usually takes about twenty
    minutes or so for the cake to firm up. Usually there is enough mix to 
    make two pans of cake. Let the cake cool and you can use the frosting 
    to make a layer cake!
    
    This took a bit of trial and error but it really does work! Also,
    don't forget the birthday candles!! 

    Something we like to do for breakfast, we call "egg pockets".  We fry
    up a bunch of scrambled eggs, and you can add whatever you like.  We
    add, bacon bits, cheese, and onion.  When this is all done, we put a
    spoonful into Pita pocket bread.  It makes a good hot breakfast
    sandwhich.  It also not messy, and the kiddies can eat it.  Plus,
    there's no dishes to clean up afterwards.  
    
    Re; a few back, on the frozen water...We also do that, and it also
    makes for a good supply of drinking water if your out somewhere where
    theres no fresh water.  We freeze everything that can possibly be
    frozen.  (even milk)  It stays longer, and also helps to keep other
    items cold in your cooler, before you have to start replinishing your
    ice supply.   

    How about Seymours (sp?)
    
    Toast a marshmellow or two over the open campfire and when golden brown
    put between 2 graham crackers along with a nice big chunk of chocolate
    candy bar.    **Delicious**  I was also thinking of doing this over
    my gas grill sometime.

	And I recently discovered you can toast mashmellows over an
electric stove!  Hold near the burner and turn steadily.  Try making
s'mores with Pepperidge Farms Orleans cookies- they're cookie on one
side, dark chocolate on the other.  Practically ready-made!  

    Not sure for a girl scout campfire, but kabasa SP? on a stick is
    excellent on a campfire. Just split the kabasa before puting on
    a stick so it doesn't flame up.

    Jim

    There are a bunch of camping meal notes and this seemed the most
    adequate (90, 142, 504, and 1242).
    
    I have probably a stupid question but.....
    
    What kind of pan do you cook with?  
    
    We're going camping this weekend (haven't been since I was a girlscout) 
    and I can't remember.  
    
    Should we take the grill off the barbecue and use it?  The campground
    has Fire Rings.  
    
    Do you use an iron pan?  
    
    Isn't there some cream you need to put on the bottom?  (you can tell
    I paid attention in GS camp!)
    
    Should we take or grill?
    
    What's the easiest way to make coffee?  
    
    We don't want to buy a stove....(what's the point of camping?)  
    
    Thanks for any help, 
    Kristen

    My Seal-a-Meal comes in handy for camping - I can't handle standing
    over a smoky fire, so whenever I cooked, just made extra and froze in a
    S/M.  Since they were frozen, they helped keep stuff cold in the
    cooler, too.  All I needed to do was boil water, put the bag in, open 
    the bag and dump on plate or bun. Miminal fuss, although that plastic
    is not biodegradable.  But we saved on water for cleanup!  Some of the
    things we've done is Sloppy Toms, BBQ chicken for sandwiches,
    meatballs.  If you take some rice in the boil in bags, you can do all
    kinds of Chinese stuff, too.  Not as good as at home, but sure beats
    hotdogs and burgers.
    TW
    

    re: .7  The "cream" you put on the bottom of the pans is soap. Rub the
    OUTSIDE of the pot or pan with a bar of soap until it is covered. Do
    your cooking over the wood fire and the pan will get black. When you
    wash up the soap and the black will come off without a lot of
    scrubbing.     -Dick
    

    Along the line of s'mores, we also made banana boats at camp.
    
    Slice a banana lengthwise, with peel on.  Stuff with bits of chocolate
    and marshmallow.  Wrap in tin foil and cook over coals until the banana
    softens and the filling is melted.  A ripe banana works best (but not
    too ripe.)
    
    I've been trying to come up with a more healthy version, but there's
    just no substitute.  Any suggestions?
    
    Nancy

    Forgot one of my favorites in the real food department--roasted corn.
    
    Remove the silks from ears of corn, leaving leaves on.  Cook over coals
    for about 30 mins.--works best over the edge of the fire.  Check after 
    20 mins. to make sure corn is not drying out.  May want to brush on
    butter at this point and rewrap in leaves.

    Re: .10--  Try soaking the whole thing in cold water just befor placing
    over the heat--- helps to "steam the corn" and also helps prevent the 
    husk/leaves from burning too bad--- have a pot of "seasoned
    butter/margarine" available to dip the hot ears in....WOW!! good
    stuff!!                                                  
    
                                                                      <DICK> 

    We always have "campfire eggs".
    
    To prepare: into slice of bread, cut round hole (keep cutout piece).
    		In frying pan, toast bread (the outside part, with crust)
    		until toasty on one side. Once toast has been turned over, 
    		break an egg into the center (cutout) of the bread/toast.
    		Butter and begin toasting the round (cookie like) piece of
    		bread while the egg is cooking on the first side. When egg
    		is cooked to desired "doneness" on the first side, flip the
    		egg/toast over, at the same time flipping the round piece.
    		Cook on second side to desired "doneness".
    
    My kids love these.... and have given them a new name "cookie eggs".
    This has been dubbed due to the "cookie like" round thing which is used
    to "sopp" the egg yolk.
    
    This was a Boy Scout favorite due to the fact the egg didn't run around
    the pan while trying to cook it.
    
    Bob G.
    

    
    
    JELLY STICKS
    
    Mix up Bisquick for the regular biscuit recipe and mold a hand full
    around a 1" dia clean green stick and cook SLOWLY over med hot coals
    until golden brown.  Make sure it's not too thick so that it will cook
    through.  When done, slide of the stick, gently, and fill the hole with
    your favorite jam.
    
    ANGLES ON HORSEBACK
    
    Take small wedges of angle food cake and dip them in sweetened
    condensed milk (not evaporated) roll in coconut and toast over med hot
    coals.
    
    CAMPFIRE STEW
    
    Brown ground beef and chopped onions in a large pot over hot coals,
    when browned add canned vegatable soup.  I can't remember the
    quantities.
    
    SQUAW CORN
    
    Cut raw bacon into 1" peices and brown in a large pot over hot coals
    with chopped onion and chopped green pepper, when done add canned cream
    style corn heat and serve.
    

    Well, we're back from our camping trip and had a great time (and very
    hot Georgia weather!)
    
    I just thought I'd drop a note here in case there are any other novice
    campers out there wondering how to cook 'over-the-open-fire'
    
    We ended up buying an aluminum camping set at a sporting goods store. 
    The set included a coffee pot, 2 pots with stable lift up handles,
    coffee cups (that also doubled as measuring cups), 4 plates, and a
    little gadget to allow you to pick up the pots.  However, this gadget
    thing was good if the fire was small.  My husband's into roaring fires
    so unless we were in the mood to burn the hair off our arms, we didn't
    use it.  I brought a pair of Fireplace Tongs that worked great.  If
    you're going camping and don't know what you need, I highly suggest
    getting a set like we did.  We forgot we would need a pot for hot water
    to wash dishes in.  The set costs $16.00 and worth every penny!
    
    I used cheap dish soap and coated the pans, and they washed like new.
    (thanks for the tip!)
    
    In K-Mart they had a wire rack that you stand over the fire to put your
    pans on that worked great.
    
    I also used an iron pan, but I really didn't like it.  It made the food
    taste like metal so I think I'll leave that one at home next time.
    
    As far as food, we had Bratwurst and a baked bean mixture that I dumped
    in a plastic bag and froze before we left.  (The beans had 1 small
    onion, 1/2 cup catsup, honey, mustard, Worceshire Sauce.  We cooked
    them about 45 minutes and tasted great.)  
    
    We also had Sloppy Toms (mentioned earlier).  Can't say I really cared
    for them.  The turkey just didn't taste good fixed that way.  We also
    made up a few of the Suddenly Salads and put them in plastic bags.
    
    In the morning we fixed eggs.  I just cracked some eggs in a plastic
    bag and threw in some mushrooms and by the time we were ready to cook
    them, they were scrambled (in the bag). 
    
    We're going again in a couple weeks and want to make
    biscuits (in the fire).  Does anyone have a recipe for this?  Or have
    one for cooking over the fire?  If there is one already thanks for any
    pointers...
    
    Kristen

    I learned to bake "poppin fresh" biscuits in scout training.  Arrange
    the biscuits in heavy duty foil.  Seal tightly all around.  Place on
    hot coals, flip after 5 mins.  Cook another 5 mins or so.  They will 
    burn easily on the coals, so watch them closely.  You may want to turn
    them 180 degrees as well, so the center of the fire doesn't burn them
    on one side.
    
    Chris
    
    

    
    Speaking of cooking with the scouts.......
    
    If you want to try something different cut an orange in half and
    eat it, but be careful and leave the rind in one piece. Next break
    and egg and put it into the rind(should be cup shaped) then put
    it on a bed of coals. The egg will cook in the rind in a couple
    minutes.
    
    Another thing to do if cooking potatoes. Take a large nail (there
    are two types of nails. One has a flakey coating on it DO NOT use this
    type) and insert it into the potatoe. Wrap in aluminum foil and
    put into coals. Let cook until done. The nail heats up and cooks
    potatoe from inside.
                        
    There are lots of little tricks like these, if I think of more I'll
    put them in here......
                                      Walt

    Great fun with Bisquick-- Take a clean stick (like you might toast
    a hot dog or a marshmallow on)
    
    open the box of bisq/mix pour in the top a little amount of fluid
    water/milk/mixed of butter milk etc. into a little cavity.
    
    Stir with the stick and it makes a "glob of dough" on your stick
    keep stirring until no more flour/mix adheres to the "glob"
    
    Form by lightly forming with your hand into a ball
    then toast over the fire until done. Great tasting and everyone 
    can make their own "toasted biscuit on a stick"
    
    Only precaution is do not use too much liquid or you will be baking a
    loaf of bisquit dough instead of an individual serving.
    
    When you are done just reseal the box for use another day!! 
    
                                                     
                                                              <DICK>

    
    Thin slice potatoes, onions, add butter and season to taste. Arrange
    on a piece of alum. foil and cover with another piece. Tightly fold
    all sides and place on a grate over hot coals. Cook 10 - 15 mins.
    each side. (time may be off. this is usually done on a gas grill).
    
    Slice zucchini, summer squash, onion, add butter and seasoning.
    Place in a frying pan and cook until squash is tender.
    
    A tip to novice campers. One piece of cookware I find indispensable
    is my griddle. Its rectangular, light weight, teflon coated and fits
    perfectly on my table top gas grill. All my meals are cooked on
    the gas grill and the griddle makes it so much easier to cook things
    like - eggs, pancakes, french toast, sausages, bacon, ham steaks,
    chicken pieces, etc.      
    
    Enjoy your camping.
    
    Al
    

    Straight from the Dartmouth Outing Club, eaten by Freshmen on camping
    trips for years...something only a person in Cabin and Trail could
    think up...
    
    MOUNTAIN STICKY STEW:
    
    1) boil as much rice as will make a good serving per person.
    
    2) toward the end of this, stir in a cup of grated cheese, but since
    we usually don't carry cheese graters up Mt. Moosilauke, you'll
    have to crumble it with your hands
    
    3) fry up some sausage and mushroom and onions and anything else
    you have that's handy and toss it in.
    
    4) if you're canoing down the Connecticutt, filch a little corn
    from the farms that butt up against the river...make certain it
    isn't feed corn.
    
    By the time you've spent five days either floating or hiking down
    the wilderness, you don't really get too picky about what you eat!
    
    daniel

    	We do a lot of trailer camping in Old Orchard Beach, Me.  We have a 
    cut down fire barrel that we placed an old wire rack over. From there
    we use the hand hammered WOK over an open fire. It gets very hot and 
    cooks quickly. We use it for stir frys, breakfast, chili, spaghetti
    sauce, deep frying, and of course popcorn. 
    
    Roland
    

    Whoaaa!!  I'm 5 years later than the last reply.  
    
    I figured I would reply with a quick and easy camping recipe just in
    case someone did what I just did, and that is review the list of topics
    and add a few to my directory.
    
    So here I am!
    
    I am an avid camper and this is one of my favourite dishes to create
    while camping:
    
    
    Buy some beef or pork ribbies and some V-H Honey Garlic sauce.   
    Boil some water is your handy-dandy camping pots (aren't they 
    attractive!?).  Add washed ribbies to the boiling water, salt 
    is optional, of course.
    
    Boil until cooked.
    
    In the meantime, boil some of the V-H sauce over a fire or your Coleman
    Stove, until it bubbles.   Add cooked ribbies and cover well with
    sauce.    Mmmmmmm.  Yummy yummy!!
    
    I usually serve the ribs with a salad, or baked potatoes (done in the
    microwave first at home, as a previous noter suggested), and sometimes
    with sliced tomatoes.
    
    Its sticky, but its delicious and easy!!
    
    Bon Appetit!
    
    Tracie
    
    
    In the meantime, 

    Kielbasa,Corn and Potatoes
    
    This is a quick, one pan meal. Can be cooked over the grill or the
    fire.
    
    For approx. four people
    
    One good size kielbasa (fresh made, less fatty)
    2 cans sliced potatoes
    2 cans whole kernal corn
    
    Put a little butter in pan, slice up kielbasa, add potatoes and simmer
    till hot. Add corn last and cook until completely heated.
    
    Of course you can use cooked potatoe as well.
    
    This does make a tastey meal.

    This is a recipe that has gotten rave reviews.  It's a one pan meal and
    it sounds like you campers and really "gourmets on fire"!
    
    It's called girl scout stew and my mom who was a girlscout, cadet, and
    then leader learned YEARS AGO.	
    
    1lb of hamburger
    2 cans vegetable or veg. beef soup
    1 can kidney beans 
    2 soup cans water
    1 roll pillsbury biscuts (I think they are the country - blue roll)
    
    Brown the hamburg (drain if you can) return meat to pot, add soup,
    water, and kidney beans (do not drain beans), when that starts coming
    to a boil put the biscuits on top and cover and simmer (if that's
    possible), when the biscuits have risen and seem cooked (they won't
    brown because they are steamed but you will just KNOW they are done)
    serve it up!  It's really great.  If you want to add more soup to the
    ratio just add 1 can of water per can of soup.  
    
    

I am going to be going on vacation and will need to take supplies
for cooking for a whole week.

The place we are staying at has a refrigerator (very small and not working
very well freezer) and a stove w/oven.  It is also equipped with all pots,
pans and such.

My problem is that we need to take a ferry to get to the island and I'm
hoping to carry as little as possible.  As you can imagine, having food
for a week and not wanting to carry more than one cooler is my biggest
issue (not to mention all the other stuff we have to bring, including
our son and his puppy).  

My menu on hand has Chicken, Hamburgers/Hotdogs, Steak, Pasta/Sauce
and Keilbasa for dinners.  Breakfast will be bisquick, eggs, bagels 
and bacon and lunches will pretty much be sandwichs from leftovers.
The dinners are already taking up alot of room in the cooler.  I'm
taking powdered drinks.  

I don't have alot of time to make things ahead of time and freeze them
which would of been the way to go if I planned ahead unfortunately.
I'm going to try some make some stuffed bread and meatballs but that
is really all I have time for.  Besides, we really want to cook on
the outside grill so that is why I'm taking the steak, chicken, sausage
etc.  We have the equipment to do good cooking so its not necessary
to live on boxed pasta and frozen lasagna.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks,
cj

    Not a menu idea, but a space saver in the frig and cooler, is to bring 
    the real milk that does not need refrigerated until open.  Most of the 
    stores locally carry it. You find it near the dairy case, or the drink 
    isle where they shelve the packaged drinks (the kind with the little 
    straws).
    
    Space friendly snacks include popcorn.
    
    For breakfast you mentioned pancakes -- the 'all-in-1' variety are
    very good ... you know ... all you add is water.
    
    Carel  

    Another thing I'd suggest is freezing the meats and using them for ice
    blocks instead of putting ice in the cooler.  That is a definite space
    saver. 
    
    Holly
    

    Pasta, rice, and beans make up a large portion of our camping meals,
    but then we backpack.  freezing the meat to use as ice does work great,
    though.  it's how we work when we do picnics or camping with the
    girlscouts or when we car camp with our kids.  
    
    Besides, that will give you room for at least one can of frozen
    concentrate for juice.
    
    meg