Camping For Boys Part 18

[Ill.u.s.tration: Rocky Mountain Lantern]

The can is carried lengthwise, with the wire handle run through a hole in the closed end on through the entire length of the can and out the open end. Do not wrap the handle wire around the can. It will slip off. Two cuts, crossing each other, make the candle opening, with the cut edges bent inward. The candle is pushed upward as it burns down, the flame being kept in the middle of the can. The cut edges prevent it from falling out until the last hold is melted away. The "Searchlight" gives good service when hung in the tent or on a nearby tree, but is especially valuable in lighting up a rough path on a rainy, windy night.

Camp Hanger

The camp hanger shown in the ill.u.s.tration can be hung from the ridgepole of the tent, and is particularly useful when from two to four persons occupy the tent. It can be raised and lowered at will by attaching the hanger to a pulley arrangement. The hanger may be made of wood in any length. Ordinary coat hooks are fastened to the side with screws. A common screw-eye is used for the line at the top. A snap hook attached to the rope facilitates its removal at will.

A boy of ingenuity can make a number of convenient things. A good drinking cup may be made from a piece of birch bark cut in parallelogram shape, and twisted into pyramid form, and fastened with a split stick. (See ill.u.s.trations on opposite page.) A flat piece of bark may serve as a plate. A pot lifter may be made from a green stick about 18 inches long, allowing a few inches of a stout branch to remain. By reversing the same kind of stick and driving a small nail near the other end or cutting a notch, it may be used to suspend kettles over a fire. A novel candlestick is made by opening the blade of a knife and jabbing it into a tree, and upon the other upturned blade putting a candle. A green stick having a split end which will hold a piece of bread or meat makes an excellent broiler. Don't pierce the bread or meat. Driving a good-sized green stake into the ground at an angle of 45 degrees and cutting a notch in which may be suspended a kettle over the fire, will provide a way of boiling water quickly.

For suggestions in building a camp-fire and cooking on hikes, see chapter on "Cooking on Hikes." The bibliography for the whole subject of Hikes, including cooking, is on page 153.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Birch bark cup, Camp fire tongs, Camp Broiler, Bark Plate, A Novel Candlestick, Pot Lifter, Pot Hook, To Boil Water Quickly.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Extemporaneous Dining]

CHAPTER XII--COOKING ON HIKES

BUILDING A COOKING FIRE FIRE BY SUN GLa.s.s GRIDDLE CAKES BROILED BACON CREAMED SALMON SALMON ON TOAST BAKED POTATOES BAKED FISH FROGS' LEGS EGGS COFFEE COCOA SAMPLE MENU RATION LIST DISH WAs.h.i.+NG

The Fireplace

Take two or three stones to build a fireplace; a stick first shaved and then whittled into shavings; a lighted match, a little blaze, some bark, dry twigs and a few small sticks added; then with the griddle placed over the fire, you are ready to cook the most appetizing griddle cakes. After the cakes are cooked, fry strips of bacon upon the griddle; in the surplus fat fry slices of bread, then some thinly sliced raw potatoes done to a delicious brown and you have a breakfast capable of making the mouth of a camper water.

Another way of building a fire: Place two green logs side by side, closer together at one end than the other. Build fire between. On the logs over the fire you can rest frying pan, kettle, etc. To start fire have some light, dry wood split up fine. When sticks begin to blaze add a few more of larger size and continue until you have a good fire.

Sun Gla.s.s

When the sun s.h.i.+nes a fire may be started by means of a small pocket sun or magnifying gla.s.s. Fine sc.r.a.pings from dry wood or "punk tinder" will easily ignite by the focusing of the sun dial upon it, and by fanning the fire and by adding additional fuel, the fire-builder will soon have a great blaze.

COOKING RECEIPTS

Griddle Cakes

Beat together one egg, tablespoonful of sugar, cup of new milk, or condensed milk diluted one-half. Mix in enough self-raising flour to make a thick cream batter. Grease the griddle with rind or slices of bacon for each batch of cakes.

Broiled Bacon

Slice bacon thin. Remove the rind which makes the slices curl up. Or, gash the rind with a sharp knife if the boys like "cracklings." Fry on griddle or put on the sharp end of a stick and hold over the hot coals, or, better yet, remove the griddle and put a clean flat rock in its place. When the rock is hot lay the slices of bacon on it and broil. Keep turning the bacon so as to brown it on both sides. Cut into dice.

Creamed Salmon

Heat about a pint of salmon in one-half pint milk, season with salt and pepper and a half teaspoonful of b.u.t.ter.

Salmon on Toast

Drop slices of stale bread into smoking-hot lard. They will brown at once.

Drain them. Heat a pint of salmon, picked into flakes, season with salt and pepper and put into it a tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter. Stir in one egg, beaten light, with three tablespoonfuls evaporated milk not thinned. Pour mixture on the fried bread.

Potatoes

Wash potatoes and dry well; bury them deep in a good bed of live coals, cover them with hot coals until well done. They will take about forty minutes to bake. When you can pa.s.s a sharpened hardwood sliver through them, they are done, and should be raked out at once. Run the sliver through them from end to end, and let the steam escape and use immediately, as a roast potato quickly becomes soggy and bitter.

Baked Fish

Dig a hole one foot and a half deep. Build a fire in it, heaping up dry sticks until there is an abundance of fuel. After an hour, take out the coals, clear the hole of ashes, lay green corn husks on the hot bottom of the hole. Soak brown paper in water and wrap around the fish. Lay it in the hole, cover with green corn husks, covered in turn with half an inch of earth. Build a fire over it and keep burning for an hour. Then remove and you have something delicious and worth the time taken to prepare.

Fried Fish

Clean fish well. Small fish should be fried whole, with the backbone severed to prevent curling up; large fish should be cut into pieces, and ribs cut loose from backbone so as to lie flat in pan. Rub the pieces in corn meal or powdered bread crumbs, thinly and evenly (that browns them).

Fry in plenty of very hot fat to a golden brown, sprinkling lightly with pepper and salt just as the color turns. If fish has not been wiped dry, it will absorb too much grease. If the frying fat is not very hot when fish are put in they will be soggy with it.

Frogs' Legs

After skinning frogs, soak them an hour in cold water, to which vinegar has been added, or put them for two minutes into scalding water that has vinegar in it. Drain, wipe dry, and cook. To fry: Roll in flour seasoned with salt and pepper, and fry, not too rapidly, preferably in b.u.t.ter or oil. Water cress is a good relish with them. To grill: Prepare three tablespoonfuls melted b.u.t.ter, one-half teaspoonful salt, and a pinch or two of pepper, into which dip the frog legs, then roll in fresh bread crumbs and broil for three minutes on each side.

EGGS

Boiled

Raise water to boiling point. Place eggs in carefully. Boil steadily for three minutes if you prefer them soft. If you want them hard-boiled, put them in cold water, bring to a boil, and keep it up for twenty minutes.

The yolk will then be mealy and wholesome.

Fried

Melt some b.u.t.ter or fat in frying pan, when it hisses drop in eggs carefully. Fry them three minutes.

Scrambled

First stir the eggs up with a little condensed cream and a pinch of salt and after putting some b.u.t.ter in the frying pan, stir the eggs in it, being careful not to cook them too long.

Poached

First put in the frying pan sufficient diluted condensed milk which has been thinned with enough water to float the eggs when the milk is hot; drop in the carefully opened eggs and let them simmer three or four minutes. Serve the eggs on slices of b.u.t.tered toast, pouring on enough of the milk to moisten the toast.

Coffee

For every cup of water allow a tablespoonful of ground coffee, and one extra for the pot. Heat water to boiling point first, add coffee, boil five minutes, settle with one-fourth cup cold water and serve. Some prefer to put the coffee in a small muslin bag, tied loose, and boil for five minutes longer.

Cocoa

Allow a teaspoonful of cocoa for every cup of boiling water. Mix the powdered cocoa with hot water or hot milk to a creamy paste. Add equal parts of boiling water and boiled milk, and sugar to taste. Boil two or three minutes.

SAMPLE MENU FOR AN OVER-NIGHT AND A DAY HIKE OR TRAMP

Breakfast