kittle Posted May 12, 2006 Author Share Posted May 12, 2006 Anarchist, This isn't the NSP, but it is last year's NSP. The menus have been approved for each campout. The rest of the boys in the patrol like what they are eating. I don't think that they Troop has a guide. I just asked my son and he said that it has been almost a year since he has seen the Troop guide at a meting. Let me add here that there are only 2 active boys that are older than my son. The SPL is 16 and the now ASPL is 14. The rest of the active boys are in 5th (just crossed over) and 6th grade. I am hoping to work with him on his cooking skills a lot this summer. We usually have a fire going in our yard once a week. We have a large yard and have lots of sticks that fall from the trees. So, we made a firepit in the yard and take advantage of it. I will have to look and see who our local Merit Badge counselor for Cooking is. If there isn't one handy, I will practice and see if I can teach the boys a thing or two. I enjoy cooking outside over the grill or campfire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anarchist Posted May 12, 2006 Share Posted May 12, 2006 Whoa kittle, whats wrong with just encouraging and watching?...Let them "teach temselves". First, have a short talk with the SM about the situation with his/her support - then shift it to the SPL (two older scouts?)....let them know that "business... or breakfast as usual" expands no boys horizon...have them start with easy meals...you can make suggestions or better still have them make a list (see below) of what they want...besides hot dogs (which is one of the three basic food groups along with Pizza and candy) Pick up a bunch of outdoor cookbooks for them to 'read" and start practicing indoors...Have the boys make a list of their favorite home (Mom) cooked meals and work towards them learning how to cook those...They will cook better meals if they like what they are about to eat...teach them that camp meals (excluding religious or heath issues)are a compromise...what you get "this meal" may be different from what you "want" but your "turn" is coming! Have your boys fry eggs and bacon at home for their families and bake store 'canned' biscuits, then maybe fry chicken...boil noodles and cook some fresh green beans -encourage him/them "do" dinner- a few times for the "family", while you stand back and "instruct". "Teach" them to boil, bake and grill, from a bit of distance...work up from there ...Maybe even giving only written instructions and only speaking when he(they) is/are about to make a major whoooops...It will take more time but they learn faster...(contradiction?) And what they can cook at home (absolutley) can be cooked outside! Invite the boys over to the 'fire pit' to practice cooking techniques...and prep techniques (cutting potatoes and onions, etc)...but you might want to consider starting out on troop gas stoves and/or charcoal fires...using grills or grids. Maybe spread the costs by having the patrol families over for "cook outs" that the boys "do it all"...(and they can, you know...with just a little help). If you are doing anything more than foil meals...(unless you have a lot of hard wood and time) ...getting a uniform bed of coals is slow and hot work...Fire-cooking is usually an uneven cooking method and takes a lot of effort and 'intuition' or experience...though, it can be really fun to cook your eggs and bacon in a brown paper bag held on a stick over a 'low' fire... Most boys expect to cook meals on stoves set at the "nuclear fire" setting on the dial...and thus, many burned meals and scorched pots...best advise to give them is to "set stoves" on lowest setting and work from there... and constantly remind..low/medium heat! It is surprising what boys can learn from books and the net...if motivated...and encouraged...give them direction, and the chance and be surprised! (I hope) bon appetite Anarchist Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SR540Beaver Posted May 12, 2006 Share Posted May 12, 2006 "Most boys expect to cook meals on stoves set at the "nuclear fire" setting on the dial...and thus, many burned meals and scorched pots...best advise to give them is to "set stoves" on lowest setting and work from there...and constantly remind..low/medium heat!" This reminded me of a scout who is no longer with us. No, not dead, he left scouting. He was one of those that could care less about the joy of cooking and saw it as a chore. No matter how many times we told him, he thought a larger flame was going to get the job done faster. He made lots of pancakes burned on the outside and goo on the inside. His sausage patties were always blackened outside and raw inside. We used a lot of odds and ends donated paots and pans and he actually burned the enamel off of two different pots. He was a bull-headed little cuss who always insisted on doing it his way. His fellow scouts don't miss his cooking! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottteng Posted May 13, 2006 Share Posted May 13, 2006 on our last campout the old goat patrol had smoked chicken leg quarters cut into leg and thigh in the brinkman wet smoker. Mix of hickory chips and mesquite. Cooked all day and met the burn regs for camp as we cannot have open fires due to dry conditions. Trying to set the example for the boys that have hamburgers and hotdogs for almost every dinner meal. There was leftover chicken and after we had dined and we shared with the boys. There were not any extra sweet potato's that were grilled on the coals in the smoker but I'm sure the boys enjoyed their chips. The boys regard their meals as a treat. For a quicky meal with leg quarters Par boil chicken and pack with marinade or bbq and freeze finish over hot coals or briquets at camp til warm inside and charred outside. Have done this at home many times should work as well taken to camp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AwHeck Posted May 14, 2006 Share Posted May 14, 2006 Our troop has a book full of "approved" meals that the patrols can choose from when planning their meals. That's not to say that they can't create their own but somehow this gives them additional ideas. I have put all of the menus (or at least all that I was given in electronic form) on the troop's forum - feel free to review and use any that you like! http://themountaintroop.com/phpBB2/index.php Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John-in-KC Posted May 14, 2006 Share Posted May 14, 2006 Let the fire get to coals... Chicken on the grill ... 20 minutes to a side After both sides are done (cut open one to check, should be white all the way through) Coat with BBQ sauce, grill 5 more minutes each side. Add some corn on the cob (either in the ears or in foil with a bit of water... Biscuits on foil or in the Dutch... and the youth have a meal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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