Cooking

Objectives

Each Scout should be able to do the following: (Boy Scout Handbook pp 313-343)

  • Prepare for requirements T3, S3g and F4.

  • Plan a menu for the season.

  • Cook a simple meal.

Materials

  • Bread or muffin mixes of different flavors. Approximately one per participant.

  • A heat source, pan of water and sealable sandwich bags.

Discovery

  • Give each Scout a sandwich bag and the ingredients for his muffin mix.

  • Have each one put the ingredients into the bag.

  • Get as much air out of the bag as you can and then seal it.

  • Next, the Scout should mix up the ingredients by „swishing‟ the bag.

  • When the muffins are mixed, put them in boiling water to cook them. They should be ready by the end of a meeting if you do this as an early preopening activity. This would also be a fun camping activity.

Process

  1. Use the Boy Scout Handbook to determine good meals.

  2. What are we going to eat? To answer this question, you need to ask a few more.

    1. How long will we be out? For short outings, fresh foods are fine. For trips of more than a day or two, carry supplies that won't spoil.

    2. How many people are going? This helps you decide how much food to take for each meal.

    3. What are you going to do? Estimate how much time you want to spend cooking. For days packed with action, choose recipes that won't take long to prepare. However, cooking may be your major camp activity. Take the ingredients and gear and you'll cook a real feast!

    4. How will you reach camp? Are you travelling by car? Then you can take griddles, Dutch ovens and plenty of utensils. If you'll be packing everything on your back, keep your menus and your load basic and light.

    5. What kind of weather do you expect? Winter menus should contain more of the fats your body burns from heat. Include soup mixes and hot drinks. Summer meals may be lighter and include more cold fluids.

  3. Plan the menu for the New Scout Campout, using the food pyramid, serving sizes and budget.

  4. Explain hand washing, 3-pot dishwashing, disposal of dirty water and waste and following Leave No Trace.

  5. Explain duty rosters, why they are important and what duties there are. Create a duty roster for the next campout.

Application:

Scouts should cook meals on their own at the camp-outs after this presentation. They will need to perform T3 and S3g on campouts. The completion of F4 will be the definitive application of this exercise.