Building the Cooking Fire

• There is a difference between a high flamed, nightly campfire and a cooking fire. You don't want the flames to burn your food and you want the coals to cook the food evenly. To begin making those coals, fill the fire pit with crumpled paper, or kindling. Next, lay tinder (small pieces of wood) in layers over the paper, crisscrossing with each layer. Light the paper to start the fire. When the tinder is aflame, lay fire wood evenly over the flames. When most of the flames are gone and you have white coals, it is time to cook.
  
  

Methods

• There are three methods of campfire cooking. The first involves either a sharpened stick or specialty fork to spear the food and cook it directly over the open flames. Another is to place a grate over the fire in order to cook as you would with a home grill. The third method is to cook, with foil or cast iron, directly in the coals of the campfire. Combine methods to have your kids cook a whole campfire meal. Have an older child, or adult, slice off the top of one onion per person, then scoop out the insides. Put the insides of the onions inside of whole potatoes, sliced open, along with butter, bacon bits and a pinch of salt and pepper. Wrap the potatoes in foil and have an adult place them in the coals for 45 to 50 minutes. Meanwhile have an adult put one pound ground extra lean beef or turkey, one egg, a quarter cup milk, some salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and two slices of bread, crumbled into a large plastic zip top bag. Have a young child massage the bag to mix all ingredients. Scoop the meatloaf mixture into the hollowed out onions then wrap each in foil. An adult can place the foil packets directly into the coals for about 20 minutes. For dessert, kids can make S'mores with marshmallows cooked on a spear directly over the flames then placed between two graham crackers with a chocolate piece. Chocolate frosting, or a chocolate and nut spread, are tasty alternates to the chocolate piece.
  
  

Safety

• There are concerns about safety whenever you are working with an open flame, especially when children are involved. Make sure they don't play around the fire. Ensure that the only contact with food in the fire is made by adults. When you are going to bed for the night, put out all flames and coals. If you can still feel heat from the ashes, it is not out. Make sure the fire is upwind from your tent or sleeping area and always keep a bucket of water and a shovel nearby to put out the fire quickly.