Recipes for summer cookout meals

I cannot believe another school year is over; it has simply flown by. Both Ross and Lexie had wonderful years. As we make plans for the summer, camping out and cooking outdoors are on the list. The Girl Scouts of Otahki Council sent in an entire volume of outdoor cooking recipes for you to try this summer.

Kick the Can Vanilla Ice Milk

4 cups whole milk or 99 percent fat-free milk

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

Equipment needed:

1 three-pound coffee can with plastic lid

1 one-pound coffee can with plastic lid

Masking tape to use around lids to prevent leaking

Old pair of work gloves

Pour milk directly into can. Add sugar, vanilla and salt. Stir with wooden spoon or plastic spatula until sugar dissolves. Place plastic coffee can lid on can and seal with tape. Set this can in the center of a 3-pound coffee can. Pack ice cubes tightly around the 1-pound can and pour approximately 1/2 cup of table salt over ice. Place plastic lid from 3-pound coffee can on can and seal with strip of tape that runs across top of plastic lid and down sides. Lay can on side and roll back and forth on tabletop for approximately 30 to 40 minutes. Use gloves to keep hands from getting too cold.

Vanilla Ice Milk with Pudding

1 small pudding (any flavor)

1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar

2 1/2 cups milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Same directions as above.

Cherry Cobbler

1 box white cake mix

3 cans cherries

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon corn starch

1 stick margarine

Mix together and heat cherries, sugar, corn starch and margarine. Add dry cake mix. Cover and bake in Dutch oven.

Foil Dinners

12 raw, sliced potatoes

12 carrots, cut in strips

Sliced onion

3 pounds ground beef

Salt and pepper

Form meat into patties. Wrap meat, potatoes, onion and seasoning in foil. Place on coals. Cook on each side 20 minutes.

Orange Balls

1 (6-ounce) can frozen orange juice, thawed

1 large box vanilla wafers, crushed

1 stick margarine, softened

1/2 cup chopped nuts

1 box powdered sugar

Mix all ingredients. Form into balls. Refrigerate. Makes about 120 small cookies. For camping, set in top of cooler in pan or on sheet of aluminum foil.

No-Bake Raisin-Nut Balls

1 cup raisins

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup sugar

Mix all ingredients together except sugar. Mold into balls and roll in sugar.

Hot Ziggities

2 cups grated cheese

2 cups chopped wieners

2 chopped hard-cooked eggs

2 tablespoons mustard

1/4 cup pickle relish

Hot dog buns

Split hog dog buns, fill with mixture of other ingredients, wrap in heavy aluminum foil and cook over coals for 15 minutes or until cheese melts.

Walking Salad

12 apples

24 caramels

Chocolate chips

Miniature marshmallows

Core apples (be sure to leave bottom skin intact). Stuff with remaining ingredients.

Jungle Stew

2 pounds ground beef

2 onions, diced

3 cans chili beans

2 cans tomatoes

1 cup macaroni (uncooked)

Salt and pepper

Brown meat and onions. Drain. Boil macaroni until tender and drain. Combine all ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes.

Spoon Tacos

2 pounds ground beef

2 large cans chili

1 large bag corn chips

1/4 pound cheddar cheese

2 tomatoes

Lettuce

Brown ground beef and cook with chili until hot. Shred cheese, lettuce, and cut up tomatoes. Put chili mixture in bowls. Add vegetables and cheese. Sprinkle corn chips on top.

Chicken In The Woods

3 cups uncooked rice

3 small cans boned chicken

3 cans cream of chicken soup

Salt and pepper

Cook rice 25 to 30 minutes until tender. Drain off excess water. Add chicken and soup. Season. Heat well before serving.

Chicken And Dumplings

2 to 3 small cans boned chicken

3 cups water

2 to 3 chicken bouillon cubes

2 cans biscuits

Combine chicken, water and bouillon cubes and heat to boiling. Cut the canned biscuits into fourths and add to boiling chicken and broth. Cook about 20 minutes.

Skillet Pizza

Use Dutch ovens or large iron skillets with lids for this recipe.

1 English muffin per person, split

1/2 pound cheddar cheese

2 cans tomato paste

2 tablespoons oregano

1 salami

1/2 pound mozzarella cheese

Kettledrum Camp Stew

2 pounds lean beef chunks

2 cans tomatoes

1 lemon, cut up

2 pounds potatoes

2 cans corn

1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce

3 medium onions, diced

1 bottle ketchup

2 cans baby lima beans

Salt and pepper to taste

Brown meat and onions. Add potatoes and canned vegetables a few at a time. Add about two cups of water and rest of ingredients. Cook, stirring frequently about 45 minutes or until done. Add more water if needed.

Cole Slaw

1 large head cabbage

2 cups miniature marshmallows

1 can diced pineapple

Mayonnaise

Shred cabbage; add marshmallows, pineapple and mayonnaise. Toss and serve.

Shaggy Dogs

1 can chocolate syrup

1 package large marshmallows

1 package shredded coconut

Open can of syrup and heat. Toast marshmallows. Dip each in syrup and then roll in coconut.

Snow On The Mountain

6 Hershey bars

1 cup coconut

36 saltine crackers

Melt chocolate. Spoon on crackers and sprinkle with coconut.

Camper's Delight

6 cans fruit cocktail

3 to 4 sliced bananas

1 package miniature marshmallows

Mix all ingredients together. Serves 24.

Dump Cake

2 (20 ounce) cans cherry pie filling

1 (18 ounce) yellow cake

1 (12 ounce) can lemon-lime soda

Line a 12-inch Dutch oven with foil. Pour in pie filling. Sprinkle cake mix evenly over filling. Pour soda over the cake mix. Stir gently to combine cake mix and soda only (not pie filling). Bake 35 minutes until top is brown and springs back to the touch.

Pineapple Upside-down Cake

3 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 (20 ounce) can sliced pineapple

6 to 10 maraschino cherries

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 (18 ounce) yellow cake mix

1/3 cup oil

1 1/4 cups water or juice drained from pineapple

3 eggs

Line a 12-inch Dutch oven with foil. Melt butter in foil-lined pan. Arrange pineapple slices with cherries in center of each slice in bottom of the oven. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over fruit. Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Carefully pour the cake batter over the fruit. Bake 30-40 minutes until cake is brown and springs back when touched. (If using charcoal, use nine coals on the bottom of the oven and 12 on top.)

Hawaiian Walk-Aways

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese

1 cup milk

1 (8 1/2 ounce) can crushed pineapple

1 package instant vanilla pudding

8 ice cream cones

Soften cheese at room temperature. Gradually blend cheese with 1/2 cup milk. Add remaining milk, drained pineapple and pudding mix. Beat one minute. Keep as cool as possible. Let stand for 5 minutes and spoon into cones.

Apple Delight

12 apples

4 tablespoons sugar

3/4 cup biscuit mix

1/2 cup raisins

Cinnamon to taste

Chop apples (keep separate). Mix 1 teaspoon sugar, few raisins, and cinnamon to taste with 1 tablespoon biscuit mix. Stir into 1 chopped apple. Wrap in greased aluminum foil.

Applesauce Cake Delight

2 cans applesauce

1 package prepared spice cake mix, adding eggs as directed

Marshmallows

Put applesauce in kettle; place over fire. Prepare cake mix using only half the amount of water. When applesauce boils, drop cake mix by spoonfuls on hot applesauce. Test occasionally. When just about done, put marshmallow on each spoonful and cover. Gingerbread mix may be used instead of spice cake. If applesauce is too thick, add small amount of water.

Have a wonderful week, plan for your next outdoor adventure, and as always, happy cooking.

Susan McClanahan is administrator at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center. Send recipes to her at smcclanahan@semissourian.com or by mail at P.O. Box 699; Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63701. Recipes published have not been kitchen-tested by the Southeast Missourian staff.