I recently moved into a new position at Girl Scouts: Volunteer & Member Communication Specialist at your service! My change in position also came with a change in the workspace. While settling into my new cube I found a stack of Girl Scout handbooks, meal planning worksheets, magazines, and annual reports from various eras over the last century and I am just going nuts over them.
One of my favorite items from the stack is the “Day Hikes” handbook, copyrighted by Girl Scouts, Inc. in June of 1934.
This book has everything—what to bring, definitions of different types of hikes (rain hikes, snow hikes, historical hikes), games to play, and food to make. I was particularly tickled by the food for hikes section so I thought I would do a post on campfire cooking and share with you a few of these gems.
My campfire cooking doesn’t extend far past pudgy pies and Jiffy Pop so some of these more “rustic” cooking techniques were particularly impressive to me:
Some of the recipes sound incredibly delicious. I appreciate that Girl Scouts in the 30’s also believed in adding bacon to everything. I will say that a few of these dishes have questionable nutritional merit, but chocolate sandwiches are fine in moderation, right?
Campfire cooking continues to be a Girl Scout tradition, although the tools have changed a bit over the last 80 years, we see fewer sticks and more pie irons. Looking through these old recipes inspired me to dig up a few modern campfire meals:
(1) Pigs in a Blanket | (2) Pie Iron Tacos | (3) Dutch Oven Mac and Cheese | (4) Chili Cheese Fries
Don’t they look AMAZING? Campfire cooking is a great way to bond with your girls and teach them a new skill. Plus, enjoy delicious food: win, win, win. If you’re looking for more outdoor experiences with your girls this summer, I definitely encourage you to look into troop camp. River Valleys Camp staff lead the activities so you are able to participate alongside your troop in things like boating, archery, arts and crafts, and more.
Have a great start to your summer!
–Brianna