CUB GRUB - Fun Food

Fruit Leather  (Bear Den Meeting Activity)

Cub Scout Program Helps Addendum

It was possible to have fruit to eat when traveling by wagon train by turning it into “leather.”

Ingredients: 2 cups of ripe fruit (berries, cherries, plums, apricots, peaches, apples, or a combination of these)

Utensils:  Table knife, blender, cookie sheet, plastic wrap, and wooden spoon

Wash the fruit and let it drain.  Cut it into small chunks.  Leave the peels on—they are chewy and nutritious.  Put the fruit in the blender and blend while counting to 15 slowly.  Pour the mixture out onto a cookie sheet lined with plastic wrap. Dry it in a warm place for a day or so. 

To eat, peel the fruit off the plastic wrap.  You can also roll it in the plastic wrap and store it in a covered container.

Pioneer And Western Recipes

Circle Ten Council

Johnnycakes

2 eggs, beaten
2 cups buttermilk
2 tablespoons honey or molasses
2 cups cornmeal
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter

Beat eggs until light. Add buttermilk and honey or molasses. Combine dry ingredients and stir into batter along with melted butter. Pour into buttered dripper pan and bake at 425° F. for about 20 minutes. Cut into squares.

Apple Candy

2 tablespoons gelatin
1 1/4 cups cold applesauce
2 cups sugar
1 cup chopped nuts
1 tablespoon vanilla

Soak gelatin in 1/2 cup cold applesauce for 10 minutes. Combine remaining applesauce and sugar and boil 10 minutes. Add gelatin and applesauce mixture and boil 15 minutes longer, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, add nuts and vanilla, and pour into slightly greased pan. Let set overnight in refrigerator. Then cut in squares and roll in powdered sugar. 

Dried Apple Rings

Santa Clara County Council

Start with firm, ripe apples (as many as you like), with a strong, tart flavor.  Peel and core them; then slice them across the core into rings about ¼” thick.

Dry the apples as quickly as possible before they spoil.  String the rings on a length of twine and hang it between any 2 hooks in a warm, dry, airy place.  Drying can be done indoors or out.  If outside, be sure the weather is sunny and dry, and bring the apples indoors if it becomes damp or rainy and during the nighttime dew.  If flies or insects try to feed on your drying apple rings, cover them with a piece of cheesecloth.  Outdoor drying during warm weather may take only a few days, whereas it may take up to two weeks to dry the apples indoors.

For indoor drying, hand the string of apple rings in the driest and warmest place in your house.  Depending upon the time of year, this might be in your kitchen, by a radiator or heater, or in the attic.  Don’t try to dry the rings in the oven, since heating them too quickly causes an outside skin to form and prevents the inside from drying.

Dried apple rings are usually eaten as a sweet snack, but they can also be put into cereals, cakes and other baking recipes.  They can be carried and stored safely without refrigeration, which makes them a perfect snack on hikes or long car rides.  They can be stored (for years!) in a jar with a tight lid without losing their flavor.

Double Berry Pie

Santa Clara County Council

Ingredients:

• 1 jar (16 oz.) blueberry jam
• ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
• 2 cups fresh blueberries or raspberries
• 9-inch frozen pie shell, cooked & cooled

Directions:

1. Using a microwave safe bowl, combine jam and cinnamon. Microwave on high for about 1 minute, until mixture liquefies (do not overcook).
2. Stir in the fresh berries and spoon into pie shell.
3. Place in refrigerator for a hour to chill.
4. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Crispix Ranch Mix

Santa Clara County Council

Ingredients:

• 8 cups Kellogg’s Crispix cereal
• 1½ cups bite-size cheddar cheese crackers
• 1 cup pretzel sticks (low-salt)
• 2 cups mixed nuts (unsalted)
• 2 tbs. vegetable oil
• 1 package (1 oz) dry ranch salad dressing

Directions:

1.        Using a 2 gallon storage bag, combine the Crispix, cheese crackers, pretzels and nuts.  If any of your boys are allergic to nuts, substitute with sunflower seeds or other snack food.

2.        Pour oil on the mixture and toss until evenly coated.

3.        Add the ranch dressing and gently toss again to coat.

4.        Store in an airtight container until ready to serve.