Camp Veggie Packets with Stick Bread

When the kids were small we spent a lot of weekends and vacations camping. The children always liked to 'cook' their own foods, so there were lots of weiners or kebab meats on long skewers, marshmallows, and bread baked on sticks - all cooked over a campfire. I discovered that vegetables were more likely to be eaten if they were also cooked on the fire, so we developed these foil wrapped veggie packets, which each person could create, using vegetable they actually like. They work because each vegetable is cut to make cooking time similar. For instance - carrots are cut julienne or very thin circles, and zuchinni in larger chunks, as they cook faster.You need a set of very long tongs for removing or turning these packets. I put in baking times from memory, it has been many years since we actually did this (1998), so trial and error are the rule.

Veggie Packets:
What you need: salt and pepper, butter, and a wide variety of fresh vegetables, including anything your family likes. We would have carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, peas, squash of any kind, mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, turnip, etc. Cut vegetables, according to density and cooking time needed- as mentioned above, and place into individual bowls. each person picks the vegetable they want, from about 1/2 cup total to 1 cup total - depending on the person's age and size.

What you do:  place each portion of vegetables on a square of heavy duty foil, folded to double thickness. Sprinkle veggies with salt and pepper, and add a teaspoon of butter. Place sides of foil together, and roll over several times to create a seal.  Fold in ends several times as well. Place prepared packets on a rack over coals, or close to the edge of the fire. Turn over and rotate packets to ensure even cooking. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from fire, and allow to cool before eating.

Stick Bread:

What you need: green wood sticks for cooking, prepared bread dough or biscuit mix. (frozen bread dough from the grocery store works really well for this, as it serves as an ice block the first day or so, then can be eaten as it thaws out.

What you do: Cut dough into small portions, about 1/2 cup each. Allow each person to hand roll the dough into a 1 inch wide snake (just like playdough). Wrap prepared dough around a greased stick. Bake about 10 to 12 inches from coals, turning the stick often to ensure even baking all around. Watch carefully to prevent burns.  Bread dough bakes in 4-8 minutes, biscuit dough a little longer, about 6-10 minutes. If you make this for breakfast, you can spread butter, peanut butter, and or jam right on it while still on the stick. Kids like to eat it right off the stick, I prefer to remove mine. Twisting the stick usually loosens it enough to pull the stick out, leaving a bread curl.

Have fun, and enjoy.