Camping Breakfasts

By Brenda Hyde for the Dollar Stretcher webpage.

One of my favorite childhood memories is of my Dad cooking breakfast while we were camping. He would whip up scrambled eggs, fry bacon and "toast" bread over the fire or the camp stove. It always seemed to taste better than at home! Now that I am a Mom, I have developed my own recipes and tricks for camping breakfasts thanks to my Dad's inspiration! Lucy's Note: On of my favorite camping breakfasts is: Bacon fried in a cast iron skillet, crumbled. Chopped up, cooked left over, potatoes which you add to the crumbled bacon. Add how many every eggs you would like and stir till eggs are done. You can also added chopped onion and seasonings. Yum!

Breakfast Tips and Suggestions :
I indulge my children once a year and buy the little boxes of cereal that come with a variety of choices. Yes, it's more expensive, but they think it's extra special to have their own box. Often they wake up while we are camping and are "starving to death", so I let them pick a box of cereal and fix their bowls while I clean up the tent, gather up clothes for the day and then start fixing a hot breakfast.

I have a supply of old bowls, eating and cooking utensils, and cast iron pans. I splurge and purchase paper plates and plastic cups, plus napkins and paper towels. We do have a camping stove, but we cook over the fire as well. I recommend using a cooler for the perishable food, of course, but also heavy duty, covered plastic tubs to store the cooking supplies and non-perishable food. Be sure to bring along a small plastic dish tub, old towels, dishrags, scrubbers (for the pans) and dish soap. I've found that loose items, paper or even plastic sacks just end up making a mess.

The recipes below are fun and easy. I also like using left over ham, or deli ham, chopped and cooked with scrambled eggs. For easy breakfasts or snacks, bring along bananas, oranges, toaster pastries (you can warm in a pan or on the fire very briefly) and yogurt. We usually have a big breakfast, a light lunch as the kids get hungry later, and a hearty supper with time for marshmallows and S'mores afterwards.

Click Here for recipes: http://www.stretcher.com/stories/01/010716d.cfm