Camping anytime soon? I know I am

 

• To make an outdoor hand washing station, use a clean milk jug. Tie a string to a golf tee or nail and poke the tee into the side of the jug.(near the bottom) tie the string to the bottom, and tie the string to the jug, so that it won't get dropped. Fill the jug with water. To use, pull the tee out, loosen the lid and a stream of water will pour out. Replace the tee and recap when finished. TIP! Set this out of the way so the mud won't become a problem. I prefer using a golf tee rather than a nail. The nail tends to rust and an advantage of the wooden tee, is that it will swell a little and not drip as much when not in use.
• To make freezer packs for your coolers, make juice and pour into plastic bottles, leaving room at the top for expansion.  Freeze, then add to your cooler. Saves space, and you get to drink it when defrosted. Perfect for hot sunny days
• Pre-mix spices for a recipe before leaving home and store them in a plastic film container
• To make fruit salad in a bag: Add a can of fruit cocktail and a can of pineapple chunks (retain the juice of both cans) A cup of coconut, a box of instant vanilla pudding, and a banana to a plastic bag and seal. Squeeze the bag and serve the salad right from the bag. This is even better if chilled
• When tent camping (or in a camper) sometimes the wind can take the paper plates and napkins with it off the table. Put all the plastic 'utensils' in a ziplock bag to prevent them from blowing away.
• The new flexible cutting boards are great! But if they seem to skate around on the countertop, place a damp towel under the cutting board, you will be suprised at how well it anchors the board
• Organizing tips: Do everything you can before leaving home. Take everything out of the original packaging and put it into whatever you will have to store it in. Put all condiments in squeeze bottles (mayo jars take too much space)
• Freeze your meat before beginning a trip, it lasts better in your camper fridge, and you don't have to shop so often. Also freeze water in a milk jug and put one in the bottom of the fridge as it keeps much colder. If it starts to melt, you will know that your refrigerator is off.
• Try to use disposable cups and plates wherever possible. However, keeping young children from spilling styrofoam cups is a big challenge. If you put a styrofoam cup into a heavier cup. It makes drinking easier and clean-up easier for you!
• For your camp kitchen, be sure to pack thongs, heavy gloves (for handling wood), disposable ligther (long type) and a pump-type spray bottle for holding your cooking oil
• When you have a jar that has a seal of paper across the entire top, (Like coffee creamer. etc) rather than rip the entire cover off , you can cut a small triangle at the egde of the jar, it will act as a spout when you want to pour it out. 
• Be sure to bring along a small plastic dish tub, old towels, dishrags, scrubbers (for the pans) and dish soap.

Treats to eat while camping;

 

 

BANANA STUFFED FRENCH TOAST

 

1 firm ripe banana

1/2 cup cream

1/4 cup milk

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla essence

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

four thick slices day old bread

2 T butter

 

Cut bananas into slices, set aside

 

Whisk together remaining ingredients, except for bread, of course

 

Cut a pocket in each bread slice by almost cutting each slice in half, but leaving one edge intact. Arrange a layer of banana slices inside the bread pocket. In baking dish, arrange bread pockets in a single layer and pour egg mixture over them. Soak for 15 minutes, turning over once or twice

 

Melt butter over low heat and cook stuffed bread until golden. Serve with maple syrup

 

CRISPY TREAT POPS

 

1 /4 cup butter

1 package marshmallows

6 cups of crisped rice cereal

1 cup M&M's

 

12 paper cups

12 ice cream sticks

 

(Makes 12 pops)

 

Combine cereal and M&M's, set aside. In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt margarine and marshmallows together, stirring constantly

Combine marshmallow mixture with cereal mixture and stir well. Mix completely until all cereal is coated. Spoon mixture into paper cups and press lighlty to fill. Insert ice cream sticks into the center of the mixture an press again lightly with fingers. Cool. When set, tear off the paper cups, leaving just the pop and the stick.

 

As an alternative, you can also press half of the mixture into a 9x9 square baking pan and cool. Cut into squares. Serve!

 

FOOLPROOF DARK CHOCOLATE FUDGE

 

3 cups semisweet chocolate chips (or good quality chocolate)

1 can sweet condensed milk

dash salt

1 cup chopped walnuts

1  1 /2 tsp vanilla essence

 

In a saucepan, over low heat, melt chips with sweetened condensed milk and salt. Remove from heat, stir in walnuts and vanilla. Spread evenly into aluminium foil lined 8 or 9 inches sqaure pan. Chill 2 hours or until firm. Turn fudge onto cutting board; peel off foil and cut into squares. Store loosely covered at room temperature