Gleek out! Guide Camp 2010

So this summer we caved to the pressure of the kids (yes caved is exactly the right word, there was no squeeing or excited clapping from Lynsey and I at all. I don't know what you mean) and planned a Glee camp for our girls. Excitingly we were to be joined by the rest of the Division which meant doubling the size of our camp. The girls had an amazing time, including a workshop with a local theatre's MD, Regionals, Sectionals, slushie wars, and cheerleading amongst many other activities.

I wish I had taken a picture of our stores tent, for those that think I'm cake obsessed - it was full of tupperware that was, in turn full of cake. Epic. Although I confess I didn't actually have time to make any myself so we all went without my parkin this year.

I love the food you eat on camp, eggy bread, coco pops (I eat coco pops at no other time of year than Guiding holidays) threesies and elevenses as legitimate meals, and then the surprise when people realise that on top of reaching our 5 a day with no problem (more on this in a moment) we eat amazing, normal food.

Just quickly to address the 5 a day issue: Fruit juice and fresh fruit with breakfast, fresh fruit for elevenses, salad with lunch (cherry tomatoes and chopped up cucumber and carrots are an easy win), vegetables always with dinner. Fruit chopped up and left under a wet muslin/ in the fridge for people to graze on.

Examples of camp meals outside of eggy bread. Which I could happily live on.

Fajitas - our girls love these, we cook the chicken with garlic, spices, onion and peppers over the fire, and have another pan that's just veggies. Served with wraps, guacamole, soured cream, grated cheese and salad. Clear plates and always always a queue for seconds.

Ratatouille - a new addition to our repertoire, onions, garlic, aubergine (don't say anything. I ate it) peppers, and courgettes. Add tins and tins of tomatoes, some tomato puree and you're good to go! Again cooked in a pan in olive oil - fancy(!) - over the fire, and served with grated cheese and baked potatoes. And here is the photo story of it being made... (I don't know why we added carrots this year, but it worked).

You can see the haybox in the photo below, it's just a tea chest, lined with hay that you put food in and it works a bit like a slow cooker, keeping it warm and cooking it on really super slowly. You have a big cushion of hay that goes on top and then the lid to keep all the heat in. Really terrific gadget there.

Baked potatoes - We cook the potatoes by building up the fire at lunchtime, letting it cook down to embers and then putting the potatoes (wrapped in foil) in. We fashion lids out of big baking tray type things and then after about 4-5 hours pop them in our hay box to keep them toasty warm until tea time.

We've also done camp roasts where we've cooked potatoes and chops over the fire, and veggies in big billies.

Spaghetti bolognaise - easy peasy, chuck everything in and cook slooooowly, stirring lots. Yum.

Sausages and mash - the cooks patrol hate this as they have to peel buckets of potatoes, but everyone loves sausages that taste of woodsmoke, and we also fry off lots of onions to go with. Baked beans too.

Basically, if anyone in the whole world anywhere ever tells you there's a reason to eat savoury rice, or meat out of a tin 'because you're camping' they're talking rubbish. Neither my girls nor any of our leaders eat anything other than fresh, relatively healthy (if you ignore the cake and the cheese) food when we're away. And when you've been outside all day keeping your site tidy, running or doing activities, collecting wood, managing your tents or playing baseball with added water you are hungry and everyone eats.

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