Even in the midst of challenging economic times, families continue to book reservations in parks and campgrounds, according to RV Trade Digest. Whether motivated by budgetary concerns or love of the outdoors, campers of every age are drawn to the campfire to swap stories and indulge their taste buds. Celebrate the great outdoors with your family by taking along these kid-friendly camping foods.
Camp Dough
Mix together ¼ cup margarine, 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 3 tablespoons of buttermilk powder, 1 ½ teaspoons of cream of tartar, and ½ teaspoon of baking soda until it resembles a course meal. Put it into a sealable plastic bag and label it "Camp Dough: Add ¾ Cup Water." According to Disney Family Fun, this will keep up to three days if you are not traveling in a very hot climate. Add ¾ cup of water, stir, and you can then use this dough for a variety of fun foods. Spread it out on a paper plate and cut it into squares big enough to cover a cooked hot dog. Wrap the hot dog with the dough, then place the Pup in a Blanket on a hot grill. Cook until the dough is a golden brown, rotating as necessary.
Alternatively, make Snakes on a Stick. Roll out pieces of dough into a long thin snake shape. Then wrap each snake around a green, de-barked cooking stick. Have your children cook their own snakes over the campfire until the snake is brown and the dough is cooked through. Slip the snake off the stick to eat it and serve with butter and jam. Snakes never tasted better.
Pizza
Grease or butter both sides of a cast-iron pie cooker. Place a slice of bread on one side of the cooker. Add a tablespoon of pizza sauce, and then have each child their own favorite ingredients that you have prechopped. Provide such toppings as mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese, onions, green pepper, ham and pepperoni. Add another piece of bread and then close the pie cooker. Place over a hot campfire, flipping the cooker over several times, for 10 to 15 minutes, until the bread is browned and the cheese is melted.
Hobo Dinners
Foil wrapped dinners are easy and fun. Chop up a variety of ingredients, including potatoes, carrots, green pepper, celery, onion, zuchinni, and whatever else sounds good to you. Let each child make their own meal. Basically, each person takes a piece of meat---such a flank steak, fish, chicken or hamburger---and puts it in the middle of a piece of double-wrapped, heavy-duty aluminum foil. Add some diced potatoes and vegetables on top, sprinkle on a little salt, pepper and other spices, and then wrap the meal tightly with another layer of foil. Cook this on a grill or on a grate over an open flame for 30 to 45 minutes, turning every 10 minutes or so. Use tongs to remove the meal from the grill or grate.
Trail Mix
While you are still at home, mix together your favorite ingredients to make a generous supply of trail mix. Make sure you have plenty of small lunch- and snack-sized plastic bags so kids can have daily single-serving portions readily available. Popular ingredients can include raisins, dried fruit, banana chips, nuts, seeds, shredded dried coconut, mini chocolate candies, pretzels, cereal, granola and yogurt-covered raisins.
Member Comments