Scouting For Girls, Official Handbook of the Girl Scouts Part 60

_Corn Beef Hash_--Carry with the ingredients already prepared 1 part corned beef, chopped, 2 parts chopped cold boiled potatoes. Melt b.u.t.ter or suet into the frying pan. Fry.

Vegetables

_Boiled Potatoes_--Clean and sc.r.a.pe potatoes. Do not peel. Have water boiling and salted before putting potatoes in pot and keep water boiling until potatoes are soft. Large ones take about 25 minutes to cook. Plan to serve the meal about 25 minutes after the potatoes are put on the fire, for they are best served hot. When potatoes are cooked, drain water and keep hot until served.

_Fried Potatoes_--Slice cold boiled potatoes uniformly and fry in hot b.u.t.ter until brown.

_Fried Raw Potatoes_--Slice raw potatoes uniformly, boil in frying pan 5 minutes and then fry in b.u.t.ter until brown.

_Onions_--Boil in salted water 30 minutes until tender. Onions and potatoes go well together and campers should boil them together.

_Green Peas_--Buy them fresh from a farmer near camp if possible. Reject over-ripe pods. Sh.e.l.l and boil about 20 minutes in salted water, keeping peas barely covered. Drain almost all water when cooked and add one ounce of b.u.t.ter.

_Green Corn_--Boil corn about five minutes in boiling salted water.

Cocoa

One teaspoonful (level) to each person, 1/2 cup of water to each person, 1/2 cup of milk to each person. Cook cocoa in water 5 minutes; add to warm milk and allow it to reach boiling point. _Do not boil._

Bread

When possible carry along a supply of bread.

_Toast_--Toast may either be made over coals or by propping wire broiler upright before blazing fire.

"_Biscuit Loaf_--This is a standard camp bread, because it bakes quickly. It is good so long as it is hot, but it dries out soon and will not keep. For four: 3 pints flour, 3 heaping teaspoonfuls baking powder, 1 heaping teaspoonful salt, 2 heaping tablespoonfuls cold grease, 1 scant pint cold water. Amount of water varies according to quality of flour. Baking powders vary in strength; follow directions on can. Mix thoroughly, with big spoon or wooden paddle, first the baking powder with the flour and then the salt. Rub into this the cold grease (which may be lard, cold pork fat, drippings) until there are no lumps left and no grease adhering to bottom of pan. This is a little tedious, but don't s.h.i.+rk it. Then stir in the water and work it with spoon until you have a rather stiff dough. Have the pan greased. Turn the loaf into it and bake. Test center of loaf with a sliver when you think it properly done.

When no dough adheres remove bread. All hot breads should be broken with the hand, never cut.

"To freshen any that is left over and dried out, sprinkle a little water over it and heat through. This can be done but once."

Was.h.i.+ng Dishes

Every part of the camp work should be a pleasure, and there is no reason whatever that dish was.h.i.+ng should be an exception. If the following directions for dish was.h.i.+ng are followed the work may be so quickly and perfectly done as to be part of the fun.

1. Each girl should throw sc.r.a.ps from her plate into a trench or receptacle. Do not throw food sc.r.a.ps on the camp fire, as they make a disagreeable smoke.

2. Wipe each plate and other utensils as clean as possible with paper napkin, and throw napkin in the fire.

3. Sc.r.a.pe out all cooking pots. If any material has burned on them, boil them out with one ounce of was.h.i.+ng soda to one quart of water.

4. Pile all dishes thus prepared beside the two dish-pans. Partly fill the dish-pans with boiling water, putting a heaping teaspoonful of powdered soap in one.

5. Wash dishes with dish mop, and rinse in other pan of hot water.

If the water is kept hot one girl can keep two busy drying, and the whole operation for a party of four should not take over ten minutes. If unskillfully done, without sufficient hot water or preparation, it is a disagreeable task. Try to make it a pleasant one.

The coffee pot should be frequently boiled out with was.h.i.+ng soda.

The wire broilers may be cleaned by rubbing them with ashes from the camp fire.

In nesting a blackened cooking pail, wrap it in paper to prevent soiling the inside of the pail into which it fits.

Use the fewest dishes possible in cooking and you will lighten your labor.

Use the same plates for different courses, rinsing them with hot water.

Be sure to carry in your dish was.h.i.+ng outfit, was.h.i.+ng soda, powdered soap and dish mops.

"Dutch Cleanser" is very useful in cleaning dishes, pots and pans.

After was.h.i.+ng up for the night, put utensils and provision box together and cover with rubber cloth to protect them from the weather.

Cleaning Up

_This is important!_ If you leave your camping place littered with tin cans, paper, etc., you will be spoiling that place for future campers.

Burn all waste paper and string.

Bury tin cans and empty bottles.

Bury food sc.r.a.ps and refuse.

_Be absolutely certain that you have extinguished your fire._

You should take pride in leaving your camp site so clean that not one evidence of your camping remains except the ashes of the fire.

[Ill.u.s.tration: PHOTOGRAPH BY G. CLYDE FISHER.]

_Climb the mountains and get their good tidings._

_Nature's peace will flow into you as suns.h.i.+ne flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves._

--_John Muir._

MOUNTAIN CLIMBING

BY ELOISE ROORBACH, GARDEN EDITOR OF "TOUCHSTONE."

Mountain climbing is the final test of a Girl Scout's perseverance in following a trail, in endurance, courage and woodcraftmans.h.i.+p. Nature reserves her choicest beauties and secrets for those who know how to conquer all difficulties. No Girl Scout's education is complete until she has seen mountain peaks like waves of the sea flas.h.i.+ng with white snow foam, piercing the blue sky as far as the eye can reach; clouds forming below her feet; breathed rare air found only in high places; drunk from the pure source of rivers, and heard the mighty roar of waterfalls. A climb to a high mountain top is an experience that will enrich and influence the entire after life of whoever has had the hardihood and wisdom to accomplish it.

Before attempting this last test of scouting the girl must be in perfect physical trim, be able to sleep on the ground, have learned to live simply. Girls should train for this experience by taking graduated hikes. On these hikes the girls can practice using the condensed foods that must be depended upon in mountain climbing. The rations for those who wish to climb to high places must necessarily be condensed, for each Scout must carry her own rations for two weeks.

The foundation of a mountain climber's bill of fare is rice, bacon, cheese, chocolate, raisins, dates, dried fruits, powdered soups, whole wheat crackers, and tea. _Tea should be used instead of coffee._ The eating chocolate is sometimes made into a refres.h.i.+ng drink. Only a small amount of sugar and salt can be carried. This fare is augmented by mushrooms, wild fruit and berries and fish. Watercress is a refres.h.i.+ng addition and a good Scout knows where to find it. Some hardened climbers add a little "jerky" (dried meats) to this bill of fare.