INTRODUCTION - WEBELOS OUTDOOR COOKING Cooking and eating are an adventure. Eating is fun and so is fixing food to eat. There are so many activities that offer an opportunity to cook and eat. There is just something about camp cooking that is special. Cooking outdoors requires a different set of rules and equipment. Take time to plan some activities that will include food preparation, whether it is brought in a paper sack or food that will be prepared by the boys. Even cooking a hot dog or marshmallow can be a real challenge - having it cook just right and not burnt. Cooking is a skill and cooking outdoors with charcoal, wood or a buddy burner will take some skill. Take time to talk about what you plan to cook, discuss safety and practice fire building. It is fun to beat eggs, mix pancakes, make a milkshake or cherry cobbler. It can be lots of fun as long as you know what you are doing. Don't be too ambitious to start with; remember the age of boys you are working with. Do simple recipes and progress as their skills develop. Outdoor food does not have to be cooked. A good lunch can be part of the day without having to take time out to cook. This has everything you are going to need for the weekend including meal menus, how to cook, and how to clean. This is a quick reference guide that will help your den now and in the future. Safety & Good Cooking Habits For safety, always keep a bucket of water nearby when cooking outside. Read and know about making fires and fire safety. Give yourself plenty of time to start a fire and wait for wood or briquettes to be ready. Organize the bowls, spoons, pans and other equipment that you will need. Protect your clothes from spills by putting on an apron; then wash your hands. Read the entire recipe carefully. Have all the ingredients for the recipe. Measure ingredients accurately. Follow the recipe mixing the ingredients. Stay near your food. If you forget them, they will cook too long and burn. While the product is cooking, put things away and clean up your work area. Always use potholders when handling hot pans. Keep all towels, pot holders, clothes and hair away from the flames. Let a pan or bucket of water heat on the fire while you eat and your dish water will be ready when you are. Turn pot handles away from the edge so no one will bump the handle and cause pot to spill. Learn how to use a knife.
COOKING RULES OF THUMB THE GOLDEN RULES OF FOOD SAFETY ALWAYS WASH YOUR HANDS BEFORE AND AFTER HANDLING FOOD ALWAYS WASH YOUR HANDS AFTER USING THE RESTROOM, etc. When preparing food, keep surfaces and utensils clean. Use one cutting board for your raw meats, another for your fruits and vegetables that won t be cooked. WASH YOUR HANDS BETWEEN EACH TASK. Keeping a clean kitchen area saves on cleaning up after the meal and keeps food related illnesses at a minimum. A clean heavy plastic sheet can declare kitchen boundaries. ALWAYS SERVE FOOD ON CLEAN PLATTERS. Now, you are probably thinking, I know that! Why are they saying that to me? But think? Have you ever taken raw meat to the barbecue on a plate and than put the cooked meat back on the same plate to serve? Don t do this unless you have washed the dish in between. Raw meat has bacteria that will spread to the cooked meat. FOOD STORAGE AND SANITATION Perishables: Because of the warm temperatures in the summer, food can spoil very rapidly if left un-refrigerated. Scouts should make sure that food is cooked promptly after being brought back to the site and that food items such as milk are not kept from one meal to the next. Any perishable items that are questionable should be thrown out and not used. Unused Food: Staples such as peanut butter and jelly must be stored so as not to attract animals into campsites. Staples can be locked inside a cooler where animals cannot reach them. Garbage: Garbage should be placed in garbage bags and brought to the dumpster at the end of each meal. Garbage bags should be kept tightly sealed. No garbage can be burned in fires. Grease should be disposed of by pouring it in a jar or can and allowing it to solidify before placing it in the garbage. Also make sure that picnic tables and eating areas have been cleaned so as not to attract animals. Site Cleanliness: The local wildlife can be anything but cute when it visits your campsite each evening in search of food. Make sure no food is left in coolers or tents. 1-1
DISH WASHING AND CLEAN UP The task of cleaning up after each meal should not take more than 20-25 minutes if the job is done efficiently and the patrol members work together. Here are the clean up steps that should be followed: 1. Cooks put a large pot of water on the large burner well before the Patrol sits down to eat. 2. Right after the meal, clean up Scouts prepares three pans of water. A dishwater pan is prepared by adding soap to a mixture of hot and cold water. The rinse pan contains very hot water. The "sanitizing" pot consists of hot water with a sanitizing tablet dissolved in it. Each Patrol member wipes out all food particles and grease from his utensils with a paper towel and the throws the paper towel in the trash (not in the fire!). Two Patrol members should do the personal dishes of the Scouts assigned to clean up. Clean up Scouts start wiping out and scouring the pots and pans used in cooking. 3. Each Patrol member washes his dishes in the soapy dishwater. A scrubbing pad can be used if needed. 4. After the dishes have been in the wash water and are clean, the dishes are dunked in the hot rinse water (use hot pot tongs or a dunk bag if the water is extremely hot). 5. After having been rinsed, the dishes should then be dunked in the sanitized solution for about a minute. Dishes removed from the sanitized solution are then placed on a clean, plastic sheet to air dry. 6. Clean up Scouts wash all pots, pans and utensils which were used for cooking using a scouring pad or cloth as appropriate. These items are then rinsed and air-dried. 7. Dishwater is dumped in the Troop wastewater disposal site (not latrines) at least 50 feet away from the patrol Sites and away from streams, trails and other sites. 8. Dry dishes are neatly stored in the Patrol Box such that they are ready for the next use. The area is policed and the cooking fire is extinguished completely. 9. The Patrol leader dismisses the Clean up Scouts after he has determined that the clean up job has been completed to his satisfaction. NOTE: If the wash water gets especially greasy or if there are too many food particles in it, the clean up Scouts should prepare a new pot of wash water. 1-2
SUGGESTED SCOUT GRACES The following non-denominational Scout graces are recommended. MORNING GRACE Father we thank thee for the night: and for the blessed morning light; For rest and food and loving care; and all that makes the world so fair. Amen. NOON GRACE Father, for this noonday meal, We would speak the praise we feel, Health and strength we have from thee. Help us, Lord to faithful be. Amen. EVENING GRACE Saying graces can be a way for a scout to remember that he is doing service for something much bigger than him or herself - even if a service project isn't done. Bring reverence to your camping outings with these before meal graces. Saying thanks can be fun and active so bless the meal and dig in! Tireless guardian, on our way, Thou hast kept us well this day. While we thank thee, we request, Care continued, pardon, rest. Amen 1-3
WEEKEND MENU BREAKFAST LUNCH FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY Breakfast Bars, Scrambled Eggs, Canadian Bacon, Fruit Juice, Milk Hot Dogs, Beans, Corn Chips, Fruit Drink, Milk, apples Breakfast in a Bag, Fruit Juice, Milk SAFE HOME! DINNER CRACKER- BARREL WELCOME! Participants Arrive at 6:00 PM Foil Dinner w/ground beef, diced potatoes, and baby carrots. Fruit Drink, Milk, Pudding Cups Provide marshmallows for Webelos, small pepperoni and cheese platters for adults 1-4
Breakfast - SATURDAY BREAKFAST BARS, SCRAMBLED EGGS, BACON, FRUIT JUICE, MILK Materials List (use up for this meal) Serving Size 6 Quantity Item 6 boxes Apple Juice ½ Gal. Milk 1 box Breakfast Bars 1 doz. Eggs 2 pkgs. Canadian Bacon 1 stick Butter or margarine 10-12 pkgs. Salt 10-12 pkgs. Pepper Utensils: 1 Griddle, 1 Frying Pan, 2 Spatulas Preparations: Read Complete Instructions Twice Before Starting Fireman: One cooking fire, one for dishwater Cooks Open Canadian bacon packages. Break up bacon into individual pieces and place them on the griddle pan over a medium heat. Cook until crisp place in foil when done and keep warm.. Break 1 dozen eggs into a pot. Add 1 ½ cups milk and ½ teaspoons of salt. Beat well with a fork Heat the frying pan and melt 1 tablespoon of butter in each. Pour the egg mixture in the pan. Cook gently over low fire. As the eggs set around the edges, scrape them towards the center. Keep doing this until the whole mixture is set but not too dry. Keep eggs near the fire to keep warm. Set out juice, cereal, and milk Say breakfast grace with your patrol before eating, and boil water for cleaning. 1-5
Lunch - SATURDAY HOT DOGS, BEANS, CORN CHIPS, FRUIT PUNCH, MILK, SLICED PEARS Materials List (use up for this meal) - Serving Size 6 Quantity Item 12 Hot Dogs 1 32 oz can Baked Beans 12 Hot Dog Roll 2 lb bags Chips packets packets Mustard Ketchup 6 boxes Fruit Punch 1 qt Milk 6 servings Sliced Pears Utensils: 1 Grill and 1 Pot or 2 Pots, 1 Spoon Preparations: Read Complete Instructions Twice Before Starting Fireman: One cooking fire, one for dishwater Cooks In medium pot, place and heat beans, stirring regularly so they will not burn on the bottom of pot. Boil franks or Grill at least 3 minutes on each side. Toast rolls if desired. Set out chips, milk, juice Say lunch grace with your patrol before eating, and boil water for cleaning. Serve Sliced Pears for dessert
Dinner - SATURDAY FOIL DINNER WITH GROUND BEEF, POTATO, BABY CARROTS, FRUIT PUNCH, PUDDING CUPS Materials List (use up for this meal) Serving Size 6 Quantity Item 3 lb ground beef (½ lb per person) 6 sm pkgs baby carrots (1 pkg. per person) (buy the 6pk carrots snack) 1 20-oz pkg diced potatoes with onions (Simply Potatoes) 6 servings per package 6 boxes Apple Juice 6 pk Pudding Cups 10-12 pkgs. Salt 10-12 pkgs. Pepper 8-10 pkgs. Ketchup Utensils: 2 cooking tongs, Preparations: Read Complete Instructions Twice Before Starting Fireman: One cooking fire, one for dishwater Cooks (demonstrate to all Scouts, who will prepare their meals) Split ground beef and potatoes into 6 equal portions Distribute carrot pks - opent Take meat, potatoes, and carrots and place into foil. Add 2 oz of water. Fold foil so that it covers up all ingredients; place onto hot grill or directly on coals. Cook about 25 minutes. Set out juice Say dinner grace with your patrol before eating, and boil water for cleaning. Serve Pudding Cups for dessert
Breakfast - SUNDAY BREAKFAST IN A BAG, FRUIT JUICE, MILK Materials List (use up for this meal) Serving Size 6 Quantity Item 6 boxes Apple Juice ½ Gal. 1½ Doz. Milk Eggs 1 jar Bacon bits 1 pkg. shredded cheese 1 pkg. Frozen hash browns 1 loaf Sliced Bread 2 pkgs. Butter or margarine 1 sm. Jar Fruit jam 10-12 pkgs. Salt 10-12 pkgs. Pepper 8-10 pkgs. Ketchup 6 Quart-size Ziploc freezer bag Utensils: 6 Ziploc freezer bag, 1 Large pot Preparations: Read Complete Instructions Twice Before Starting Fireman: One cooking fire or stove (adults to supervise use of stove) Cooks: (Instructions for each bag. 1 per person) Write your name on a Quart-size Ziploc freezer bag with permanent marker. Crack 2 eggs (large or extra-large) into the bag (not more than 2); Shake to combine them. Add a variety of ingredients such as: cheeses, ham, onion, green pepper, tomato, hash browns, etc. Each participant adds prepared ingredients of choice to their bag and shake. Make sure to get the air out of the bag and zip it up. Label each bag Place the bags into rolling, boiling water for exactly 13 minutes. You can usually cook 6-8 omelets in a large pot. For more, make another pot of boiling water. Open the bags, and the omelet will roll out easily. Set out juice, bread, butter, jam, and milk. Say breakfast grace with your patrol before eating, save boiling water for cleaning