I can still remember those dehydrated scrambled eggs my eighth-grade classmate served up on our school trip to Point Reyes—tasteless and terrible to swallow. I had already experienced much outdoor cooking at my dad's summer logging camps in Northern California. Breakfast and supper were always prepared over an open campfire, and we celebrated my mother's August birthday with a spectacular camp-style meal of grilled steak and lobster. The mere scent of campfire smoke evokes savory tastes and smells that will always linger around the memories of great meals. The thought of dehydrated eggs dulls in comparison.
If you are a parent and want to teach the kids a love of the outdoors, you know that safety and comfort are essential, not a luxury. Also, with today's busy schedules, the process needs to be simple. For our family of five, we use four rubber boxes with lids. One holds the life vests and fishing gear; a second contains tents, bedding, canvas chairs and tarps; a third totes our paper goods and dry and canned foods; and a fourth serves as the camping kitchen (think of what you need for preparation, cooking, eating and cleanup). The tubs make it convenient to pack and load, keep everything dry and out of the paws of critters while camping, and store neatly in the garage upon returning.
So here's the good part: camping food for families. Think in terms of perishables first, canned last. Your earlier meals can be more elaborate with fresh foods, but consider your cooler space, how long your ice will last and whether or not you want to replenish fresh foods and ice while camping. We allow our perishables to dwindle over three days. The fourth day is still tasty, just less fresh. Seal your meats and pack them frozen to help keep the cooler cold and clean.
Bring your first day's lunch in a smaller cooler for an easy-to-grab picnic while traveling. Make sure everyone has a water bottle, and if you don't want campground drinking water, bring enough for your stay. Replenish other water needs at your campsite. Prepare and pack meal ingredients in zip-lock bags for quicker camp meals. And, bring enough nonperishable snacks for the duration like dried fruits, nuts and a variety of snack items.
Hit the road early with breakfast as you drive, following this four-day menu:
Day One
Breakfast (on the road): all-natural cereal bars, bananas and a boxed soy drink for protein. Thermos of coffee or tea for parents.
Picnic lunch: premade French bread sandwiches (simply slice a loaf of bread lengthwise, smear with mustard and mayonnaise, and top with Muenster cheese, smoked turkey, lettuce and any other favorite toppings, then slice into individual servings), bag of your favorite Kettle chips, large Ziplock bag of baby carrots, radishes and celery sticks, and Pink Lady apples. Plan on stopping at a state park to eat, explore waterfalls and trails, and respectfully discard trash (most have recycling).
Supper: Campfire Chicken Fajitas (see recipe), boxed Spanish rice (follow directions), left-over veggies from lunch and marshmallows to toast (organic ones are available).
Drinks tip: Horizon Milk offers individual servings in packaging that allows for room-temperature storage. You can also bring frozen or powdered drinks to mix with water, herbal tea or cocoa packets. A warm drink is blissful after dinner.
Day Two
Breakfast: Farmer's Eggs (see recipe), mountain donuts (refrigerator biscuits rolled into balls, lightly fried in a Dutch oven, then dipped in cinnamon sugar), orange slices and hot beverage (cowboy coffee brewed in a percolator over a campfire is a must for us).
Lunch: Cheese and crackers, pickles, cherries, baby carrots and yogurt-covered pretzels.
Supper: Grilled steak (add lobster and a bottle of Merlot for any camp-side celebrations), sautéed mushrooms in garlic butter, garlic bread (wrap in foil on the grill), Dutch Oven Scalloped Potatoes (see recipe) and premixed green salad with vinaigrette dressing. If you don't remember the marshmallows, the kids will.
Day Three
Breakfast: Flapjacks (add-water-only pancake mix), strawberries (slice, lightly sugar and freeze before trip and they will be thawed for this breakfast treat) and whipped topping, maple sausage links and coffee or tea.
Lunch: Instant cup-of-soup, fruit leather, crackers and peanut butter.
Supper: Tamale Bean Casserole (simply mix two cans of tamales with two cans of ranch-style beans, a can of sliced olives, a can of mild diced chilis and shredded cheddar cheese), canned corn, warm tortillas and S'mores.
Day Four
Breakfast: Oatmeal (prepared with pumpkin pie spice, powdered milk, dates and pecans), applesauce, and coffee or tea.
Lunch: Peanut butter crackers, jerky (buffalo, turkey, beef or soy), fruit leather and the last of the snacks.
Supper: Plan on treating the camp-cook to dinner on the road or stop at a store for a quick picnic dinner of rotisserie chicken, three-bean salad and fresh grapes.
You can always alter this menu to fit your tastes, family's dietary needs and any fish you wish to add to the meals. The main idea is to plan, prepare or freeze fresh ingredients, and seek dried or canned options for the longer you stay. Blend your family's favorite tastes into camping meals they will savor for a lifetime. There is something so wholesome and satisfying about eating outdoors, as if the experience enhances our taste buds. By-pass those dehydrated eggs and go for the real deal: create delicious camping foods that will foster your family's enjoyment of the outdoors.
Charli Mills writes food-related articles on behalf of Valley Natural Foods where she is the marketing manager. Charli has published articles on history, women in the outdoors, environmental philosophy and cooperatives.
Where to Camp
State forests provide camping access in forested areas with little intrusion of modern facilities. We like the private and authentically natural setting of state forest camping, but if that sounds too rustic, Minnesota State Parks offer flush toilets, showers, electrical hook-ups and organized nature programs. Individual state forest sites are on a first come, first served basis.
Even though we do not camp at state parks, we do purchase an annual pass so that we can visit during our journey, either for a picnic, activity or shower. Have a good map and know your course and time of travel before leaving. Your first day can be spent adventuring along the way, but arrive at least four hours before darkness to set up your camp and get dinner started.
You can access a list of state forest campgrounds at www.dnr.state.mn.us./state_forests/lists.html or make State Park camping reservations at www.stayatmnparks.com.
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Comments: 7
We keep frozen gallon jugs of water in our big freezer to use with the ice chest. No leaky ice bags and the water is potable as it melts.
My childhood memory of dehydrated eggs still invokes shudders.
Annina is right about how camping food is also useful during emergencies.