Baking Bread On A Stick

Bread Baked On A Stick

To make bread on a stick, just mix water with Bisquick mix (you can buy this already prepared or mix your own before leaving home). Don't add too much water or you will have a sticky dough that you will not be able to handle. You want the dough to be thick like soft modeling clay. And be sure you don't add the water until just before you are ready to bake the bread. It is always wise to keep a little biscuit mix to flour your hands so the dough won't stick to them. Ordinary flour will also do the trick if you happen to have some at camp.

Along with preparing the dough, you must also prepare a baking stick. Get a stick about as long as your arm and as big around as your thumb. The stick can be a dead, dry stick, but a green stick from a living tree or shrub is best as it will not catch fire so easily. However, do not choose a stick from a tree or shrub which may be bitter, for it will make the bread bitter. Peel off some bark and taste the sap. This will tell you whether the stick will give the bread an undesirable flavor. Next you must peel off the bark for about six to eight inches or more at one end of the stick.

Powder your hands with flour or biscuit mix. Pull off a large pinch of dough from the mixture you made. Mold it around the end of the stick, pressing it until it surrounds the stick like a piece of bark. For best results, it is wise not to have this dough more than a quarter to a half inch thick at any spot, and whatever thickness you decide upon should be the approximate thickness all around.

Baking bread on a stick requires a fire that has plenty of hot glowing coals and little or no flame. How high above the glowing coals you should hold the dough in order to bake it at the right speed to produce a golden brown surface and get it well done is something that only experience can teach. Just remember that you cannot expect to bake such bread in less than ten minutes, and ten minutes seems like a long time to hold a stick over a fire. To avoid having to hold it, place a log or a rock at the edge of the fire, or drive a short forked stick or two cross sticks near the fire. This may require choosing a prop of a different height. The end of the stick away from the fire can be weighted down with a small log, a rock, or held in place by driving two sticks crossing it.

Watch the bread carefully. As it turns a golden brown next to the fire, turn the stick slightly and brown another portion. Keep up this process until the bread is brown on all sides. Remove the stick from the fire. Gently twist the bread off the stick. Put some butter and jam or honey into the center of this hollow biscuit. It will be delicious.

Remember to try not to eat stick bread that is burnt black in spots, is gray from a smoky or flaming fire, or that is not well done inside. Practice until you can get it just right.

Twists

Twists are biscuits made by winding "ropes" of biscuit dough around a clean stick a half inch in diameter and of a convenient length and propping over the fire to bake.

After mixing the biscuit dough, shape it into a long sausage, one inch wide and 1/2 inch thick. Slightly grease the stick. Place the dough around the end of the stick in a spiral fashion.

The secret of making good twists is to prop the stick over hot coals so you will not have to sit and hold it like a fishing pole. Watch the twist very carefully and turn a little as soon as one portion takes on a golden brown. Adjust the height of the twist as the fire dies down or builds up. Do not expect to bake them in less than ten minutes. The goal is a well done, golden brown twist, not a blackened, raw-hearted one.

Dog In A Blanket

Spear a hot dog lengthwise on a long, pointed stick. Broil over the coals for a few minutes. Cover with a 1/2 inch layer of dough and bake the same as the twists.

-- Campcraft, MV Honor Series, Young People's Department of Missionary Volunteers, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

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--Happy Camping,

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Know and practice the safety rules in camping

Generally speaking, camping is a safe outdoor activity. The hazards of camping are no greater than living at home. With that being said, however, carelessness and ignorance sometimes do cause accidents in camp or bring minor physical problems that might easily have been avoided. A camper who uses common sense is a safe camper.

As with all activities, there are a few rules that should be abided by in order to ensure a safe environment and a happy experience.

1. Do not hike or camp alone (groups of three or more work best).

2. Have permission of the landowner where you are camping.

3. Never leave camp without informing those in charge where you are going.

4. Always have a fire permit where required.

5. Certain hours for meals, hikes, assembly, bedtime, rising, etc. must be set when a large number camp together. The larger the number, the more strict these regulations must become.

6. In mixed camps, privacy must be carefully respected in regard to latrine areas, sleeping areas, etc.

7. Never swim or boat alone.

8. Never swim far from shore without a boat or raft and a friend near to give help if needed.

9. Never dive into unknown waters without first checking carefully for shallow spots and hidden dangers, such as logs, stumps, rocks, brush, etc.

10. When in a boat, do not change places in deep water, or if you must, keep body low, and decide who is moving where before you start moving.

11. If a boat should upset, just stay in the water by it and hold to its edge until help arrives -- unless the shore is near and you can swim to it easily. Remember, most small boats will not sink entirely.

12. Do not kill either plants or small animals.

13. Do not gripe -- regardless of the weather, the cooking, the insects, etc., keep from complaining. Complaining is catching, but so is a smile.

14. DO NOT PANIC -- regardless of the emergency, force yourself to remain calm.

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The 6Ws For Selecting A Good Campsite

Do you know what the 6 Ws are for selecting a good campsite?

Every campsite is different and unique, but if you are able to find a site that takes into consideration the 6Ws, you'll have a pleasant experience.

Wind

On a hot day, a cool breeze is very refreshing. Early morning breezes can also bring freshness to your tents and campsites.

Strong winds, however, can turn a good camping experience into a bad one. Ever try to set up a tent with hard winds blowing? Have you ever put a stake into the ground only to have it uprooted by the wind? Strong winds are also a problem when trying to start and contain a fire. You don't need the wind blowing sparks throughout your campsite. For these reasons, you'll want to have some sort of shelter (a large rock or a line of trees) to protect you from stormy winds.

While you want protection from heavy winds, be sure that you're enough in the open to get the benefits of those gentle breezes throughout the day. This will also keep you safe from any tree branches that might fall onto your tent and cause damage to you or to your camping equipment.

Water

Camping beside a lake, ocean, river, or stream always adds a special touch of fun to your camping experience. As kids, we used to forget about the camping and focus on the swimming. You'll want to make sure it is a safe environment for little ones, though.

It's always good to be able to have plenty of pure drinking water on hand. Usually rivers and streams can provide this for you. If the water supply isn't pure and clean, you can purify it with Halazone tablets, drops of iodine, or boiling.

You'll also want to make sure that if a heavy rain floods the lake, creak, river, or stream you'll still be high and dry. Make sure any heavy rains will drain out of your campsite and not in.

Wood

If you are at a campsite that permits fires, you'll want to select a site that has plenty of wood nearby. If you know in advance that there is limited supply, be sure you pack your own. Never cut down standing live trees for firewood or shelter unless you are in a survival situation. It may help if you take along camping stoves to conserve the wood.

To find dry wood after a rain, look under leaning or fallen trees and inside hollow logs. If the rain was windblown, look on the side of dead standing timber away from the wind. Use an axe or camp saw to cut into the dead wood - the center of the wood should be dry.

Weather

Take into consideration what the weather will do to your camp. Is there enough shade to keep you protected from the hot summer sun? Will rain send streams of water under your tents or make the ground around them swampy? Will lightning be attracted to tall trees in your camp and electrocute you? Take a look around you and determine if your campsite is "weather protected". The time it takes to select a different site may be well worth your time in the end.

Wild Things

Wild things are all around you - ants, mosquitoes, gnats, ticks, etc. They can ruin your campout if you are not careful. With careful planning, you can avoid some of them. If you pitch your tents 10 to 15 feet above a stream or lake, you can avoid those insects that swarm down close to the water's surface.

Poison ivy and poison oak can ruin a good campout if they find you first. Take the time to check your campsite for these wild things, especially if you are sensitive to them.

Make sure you protect your food from wild animals. Raccoons like to dine on your week's supply of food. In some areas, bears are a problem. Know what kinds of wild animals are in your area so you won't be surprised unexpectedly.

Willingness

The last W puts everything into perspective. It doesn't matter how much you know about the other 5 Ws, if you aren't willing to apply them to your situation, it won't do you any good. If you are the leader of the group, take responsibility. Be willing to take the extra effort to be selective when choosing your campsite. It may pay off dearly when you are able to avoid a calamity because you were willing to move to a different location.

I hope these suggestions help you make your next camping trip a more pleasant experience.

--Henry Juarez
www.FireWithoutAMatch.com