Peggy Aydelotte sends a very novel fun idea for adult recognition. In the Alpine District at the Chief Seattle Council in the state of Washington, the Roundtable staff there goes the extra mile giving an award to an appreciative person who thanks volunteers for all they do.

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This year we gave our first annual J. Martino Tribute Award to Mr.. Martino himself. The award is given to an appreciative person who thanks volunteers for all they do. We give this award because so often a good volunteer goes unnoticed, and we want people to know we "appreciate being appreciated."

Mr. Martino is a den leader and regular participant in our Alpine District Roundtables. The award included a card from Roundtable staff that said, "Thanks for sticking your neck out to say thanks to a volunteer. You make our wishes come true." I threaded a leather thong through a pair of turkey neck bones, and hot-glued a wishbone to the neckbone. You could probably carefully drill through the wide part of the wishbone, and thread that on the thong as well. We presented this "lovely" award to him Olympic medal style.

Peggy Aydelotte, Alpine District Roundtable Staff, Chief Seattle Council, WA

Rik Bergethon compiled this list of foil dinner/dessert recipes for his Roundtable in Pueblo, Colorado.

Foil Cooking Recipes

A compilation of sources

And cooks

Gathered for a Roundtable presentation

VARIATIONS ON THE HAMBURGER FOIL DINNER

Just a touch of garlic salt makes a lot of difference. If you look at the labels in the stores, you will see that onion and garlic are part of almost everything! It doesn't take much to make it great.

I like to use cabbage leaves to wrap it all in before I wrap in foil. A little catsup helps for some boys. I also add a few slices of onion. Around here, we never seem to have enough. The kids all go for seconds!

We add Cream of Mushroom soup to our "hobos." It adds taste as well as additional moisture. A couple of tablespoons will do just fine. Yum-yum.

How about BBQ sauce, Worchester sauce, or even Italian dressing?

Spices - a measuring teaspoon of Italian seasoning or of curry powder or of chili powder wouldn't hurt it either.

You might be able to combine BBQ and chili powder; or Italian dressing and Italian seasoning; I don't recommend mixing Worcestershire and curry powder though.

We have spiced up our "hunters pack" aluminum foil dinners by adding Heinz 57 sauce. It is the boy’s secret ingredient. It really makes a big difference. We've had boys finish one dinner and return to make seconds and thirds until all the ingredients are gone. I remember some were just cooking the leftover onions or potatoes as long as they had the Heinz 57 left to spice them up.

Instead of hamburger, try Pork Loin, or Boneless Chicken Breast! Also vary the vegetable ingredients to include slices of tomato, and/or bell peppers. BBQ sauces may be included also.

If you use chicken, try pineapple slices with mild BBQ sauce.

Ground turkey can be used instead of ground beef, and is "more healthy".

I've substituted Mrs. Dash, garlic pepper, Montreal seasoning, or any other favorite general- purpose seasoning for the pretty dull salt and pepper usually found in a foil dinner. We've added celery, green beans, and onions into our dinners for some additional variety.

Also, consider replacing the hamburger with stew meat, cubed steak, or chicken or turkey breasts cut into stew meat sized cubes.

As to spices, consider adding a part of a clove of fresh garlic. Smash it first.

You might also consider adding soy sauce, teriyaki, or plain old steak sauce.

Try adding small dough balls of biscuit mix for dumplings.

In addition to the ingredients you mentioned, I always use onion, bell pepper, radishes, Lowry's Seasoned Salt (and/or Lowry's Seasoned Pepper), and Worcestershire sauce. In addition, I sometimes will use barbecue sauce and if someone thinks to bring some along, sweet potatoes (try it!). I have also seen other people use soy sauce, Tabasco, etc.

One of my favorite additional ingredients in a foil dinner is a dash (maybe a big dash) of Wyler's bouillon granules. These add significantly to the flavor. I typically use Seasoned Salt instead of just plain salt. You also left out one of the main flavor ingredients, Onions. Anything in the onion family can add lots of flavor, try scallions or green onions if the boys are a little squeamish about yellow onions. Garlic (salt, powder, crushed) can add a nice flavor.

CORNISH HEN

At home, parboil (3 min.s) a Cornish hen. oil it up, salt and pepper and wrap in foil. Cook as you would a foil pack (15 min/side). Do another pack of just thin sliced potatoes and onion, salt/pepper with a bit of olive oil. Makes an OUTSTANDING meal.

Differentiate your foil packs by wrapping a length of foil in with the folded seam; never an argument over whose pack it is

PIZZA POCKET

I have seen a pizza pocket dinner, made with those packages of 'flat' dough (those tubes from The Dough Boy). You take the flat dough, and fill the center with pizza sauce, pepperoni, cheese, with optional mushroom, olives etc. Fold it over to enclose the 'goodies' and wrap in 2 layers of foil. 'BAKE' 10 minutes on each side, and you might have a pizza pocket.

SEAFOOD DINNERS

For variety, try peeled shrimp or scallops, snow peas, strips of red pepper, sliced mushrooms, thin slice of gingerroot. This cooks rather quickly, usually in less than 10 minutes depending on size of shrimp or scallops. Kids seldom like it . . . it's too different.

Shark chunks cook up well with a thin slice of lemon.

HAM DINNERS

I have done chunks of ham, sweet potatoes (par boiled), pineapple. As soon as it comes out of fire, I add a few mini marshmallows on top. Ham pieces or steak, Pineapple slices (or tidbits) dash of teriyaki sauce (or marinade) and mixed vegetables to taste.

Ham & Potatoes Au Gratin: Cubed Ham, chopped Potato, Onions, Grated cheese of your choice.

CHICKEN DINNERS

Try using boned chicken instead of hamburger. Cooking time is the same, add a small amount of water or soy sauce to replace the water found in hamburger.

One of the best foil meals I had included a combination of chicken breasts, shrimp, snow peas, celery, and bean sprouts. Similar to a stir-fry. The meat was place on the bottom (by the way, the chicken had been slightly cooked prior to going), with the veggie’s on top. I had a couple of dashes of Teriyaki sauce, some spices (tarragon and others from a pre-mix spice jar). Only exception was that I didn't turn it over, I let the veggie’s cook in the heat from the meat. They were still slightly crunchy, almost steamed.

Lemon Chicken

Take a whole chicken. Brush with melted butter. Take a whole lemon, slice, and squeeze juice over chicken. Sprinkle generously with Lemon & Herb spice. Put leftover lemon peel & pulp inside chicken with slices of onion. Wrap in foil. Cook until done. 40-60 minutes.

We also cook potatoes & onions in other foil packs.

For dessert. Take a banana, slice in lengthwise in the peel. Insert butter and brown sugar into the slit. Wrap & bake.

Try boneless chicken breasts, green peppers, onion, carrots, potatoes, and mushrooms, in a cream of mushroom sauce. They are cooked the same way as your foil packs, but are gourmet quality!!

One that we tried is the chicken with instant rice and cream of celery soup (undiluted). I thought it was good and it cooks up quick. You can also try baked Apples with sugar, butter, and cinnamon. Bisquick mix is good for individual biscuits just coat the foil with butter or oil before you plop the biscuit dough on the foil keeps it from sticking. Baked potatoes are good and you can put cheese, butter, etc., on after they are cooked.

One other point in case you are not aware, use hard wood for making your charcoal resinous wood like pine or cedar doesn't make long lasting charcoal.

FOIL FAJITAS

Marinated Fajita Meat (Beef or Chicken), Onions, Green Peppers. Serve on tortillas with cheese, salsa, etc

HOBO POPCORN

In center of 18" x 18" square of heavy or doubled foil, place one tsp. of oil and one tbs. of popcorn. Bring foil corners together to make a pouch. Seal the edges by folding, but allow room for the popcorn to pop. Tie each pouch to a long stick with a string and hold the pouch over the hot coals. Shake constantly until all the corn has popped. Season with salt and margarine. Or soy sauce, or melted chocolate, or melted peanut butter, or melted caramels or use as a base for chili.

PORTABLE CHILI

Cook up a pot of chili (homemade or canned). Buy individual size bags of Doritos or something similar. Cut an X on front of bag and open. Put chili on top of the chips, and shredded cheese. And you have portable lunchtime nachos/tacos.

HELPFUL HINTS

Do NOT, REPEAT NOT use cheese in your recipes, unless put on after cooking. The cheese will warm and separate and the oil will catch fire or cook the food faster than expected. We had a few very unhappy Cubs expecting Cheeseburgers, but receiving, well something else if you can imagine.

It may cost a bit more too, but try to keep your meats lean and let the veggies add the moisture necessary. Also, have some extra bread and cheese slices available as there will inevitably be an accident or two (broken foil-food in fire), and a few boys who will not be to happy with the final product. Don't forget extra utensils, as you'll be moving a lot of packages around.

DINNERS WITHOUT FOIL

How about baking muffins in half an orange with the pulp removed (and we hope eaten). Eggs in onion half with all but outer few layers removed. Meat loaf (I use recipe on Quaker Oats oatmeal box) cooked in onion half (mound it up as it shrinks while cooking). Twist on a peeled green stick. Potatoes wrapped in "clean" mud and baked in fire. Skin comes off with mud.

Foil Cooking Hints

Use two layers of lightweight, or one layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Foil should be large enough to go around food and allow for crimping the edges in a tight seal. This will keep the juices and steam in. This wrap is know as the "drugstore" wrap.

Drugstore Wrap

Use heavy foil three times the width of the food. Fold over and roll up the leading edges. Then roll sides for a steam-proof seal. A shallow bed of glowing coals that will last the length of cooking time is necessary.

Cooking Times:

* Hamburger: 8-12 minutes, Carrots: 15-20 minutes

* Chicken pieces: 20-30 minutes, Whole Apples: 20-30 minutes

* Hotdogs: 5-10 minutes, sliced potatoes 10-15 minutes

FOIL DINNER

Lay slices of potatoes, onion, and carrots on a sheet of heavy-duty foil then place hamburger patty on top. Cover with slices of potato, onion, and carrots. Season with butter, salt and pepper. Cook 20-30 minutes over hot coals, turning twice during cooking.

RECIPES

ALUMINUM EGGS (FOIL BREAKFAST)

Sausage

Egg

Hash brown potatoes

Salt, pepper and spices to taste

Place potatoes, scrambled egg (doesn't need to be cooked) sausage

Patty and spices in foil. Wrap securely. Place on coals for 15 minutes.

Klondike Snipe

1 Fresh Snipe If no snipe are handy a Cornish Game Hen will do

1 Cooking Apple

1 medium Sweet Onion

Several sprigs Fresh Rosemary (or from the bottle)

Lemon Pepper to taste

Enough foil to DOUBLE wrap the bird

At home remove the gizzard, etc.. from bird and parboil 3-5 minutes. (You Can do this in camp too ). also, peel and slice the onion and put it in a zip lock bag and wash the apple. In the field spread out the first set of foil, on it put the bird breast side-up, slice the apple, place some rosemary, apple and onion inside the bird and place the rest around it, sprinkle lemon pepper on and around the bird, wrap it with first foil and then the double wrap. Place on hot coals for 30 minutes flip after 15 at 30 minutes unwrap and pull on a leg if the bone pulls off the meat it's done> or you can check with a thermometer. If it's done enjoy. If not rewrap and try another 15 minutes or so

ALUMINUM EGGS

1 sausage patty

1 handful hash brown potatoes

1 dash water

1 egg, seasonings to taste

Wrap in double foil pack and placed on coals for 10-15 minutes. If it burns, cut down the time.

Mineshaft Pig

1 potato

1 sausage link

aluminum foil

Core a tunnel in a potato with an apple corer, then stuff the tunnel with a sausage link. Wrap in foil and bake on coals for in an over for about 45 minutes.

Worm in the Apple

1 apple 1 sausage link foil

Core an apple, stuff with sausage link, wrap in foil, cook until soft (less than 40 min.)

Pi-chee Ham

1 can candied yams

1 can Spam

a pat of butter

dash brown sugar

Slice Spam into a double layer foil pack. Put in candied yams, the Spam, butter and sprinkle some brown sugar on top. Seal the pack and heat on the coals for 8 minutes each side.

Caramel Apple

1 apple per person

3 caramel cubes per person

Wash apple, cut a slice off the top, remove the core and put the caramels in the hollow. Wrap in foil, seal well, and cook in hot coals about 30 minutes.

Sue’s Goulash

½ cup Minute Rice

canned chicken, beef or chopped ham

dried onion flakes

dry seasoning to taste or gravy ingredients

Form three sheets of foil into a bowl shape. In the bottom, sprinkle and mix the dried ingredients, add canned meat, and ½ cup water. Seal and place on coal 15 minutes.

Cheese Potatoes in a Parcel

1 medium potato, peeled and sliced

2 oz. Cheese, cubed

1 lice bacon, diced

3 slices onion, separated into rings

1 tbs. Butter or margarine

seasonings to taste

Use a double thick layer of foil. With a little oil, lay the potatoes on the foil, season, scatter the cheese, bacon, onion rings and butter on top. Seal and cook over charcoal grill fifty minutes, turning often.

Rice on the coals

1 ½ cups minute rice

1 ½ cups water

1T. margarine

½ tsp. Salt

dash pepper

4 tsp. Instant bouillon

Form double sheets into a bowl, add ingredients and seal. Cook on coals 15 minutes. Serves 4

Sauced Dogs

½ lb. Hot dogs, ½ cup cheddar cheese, 1 hard-boiled egg, 2 Tbs. Chili sauce, 1 Tbs. Pickle relish, ½ tsp. Mustard, ½ tsp. Garlic salt

At home grind the ingredients together. At camp, serve on buns, wrap in double foil, heat on coals 10 minutes (serves 3-4)

Foil Baked Fish

Filleted fish, onion, salt & pepper, lemon, Tomato

Butter double layer of foil generously and lay on the fish fillet. Season and cover with onion rings, lemon slices and tomato slices. Seal tightly with foil and place on grill over coals. When steam balloons the foil, prick it once. A large fillet is ready in 20-30 minutes. If your fish tends to be dry, add a can of tomato sauce.

Veggies on the Barbie tips

Foil wrapped potatoes take 45–60 min.

Prick to potato to keep it room exploding

Sweet potatoes, yams, large onions 45-60 min.

Foil wrapped corn on the cob, 25-45 min., depending on the maturity of the corn.

Baden Baked Sliced Potatoes

Potato, margarine, garlic salt & pepper foil

Scrub and cut potatoes into thick slices, do not peel. On double foil, place one potato, add 1 T. margarine, season, seal and bake for an hour, turning often, on a grill, or 15-20 minutes on coals.

Drumsticks

1 lb. Hamburger, 1 cup Cornflakes, crushed, ½ chopped onion, 1 egg, salt & pepper, 1 tsp. Mustard, 1 Tbs. Ketchup

Mix all ingredients well. Wrap a handful around a green stick and wrap foil around meat and stick. Cook 25-30 min. over a bed of coals, turning slowly. Make 6-7 drumsticks.

Hot chicken sandwiches

1 can boned chicken, 1-cup shopped celery, ¼ cup ripe olives, ¼ cup shredded jack cheese, ¼ cup mayonnaise, 1-tsp. dry onion flakes hamburger buns

combine ingredients and spread on hamburger buns, wrap in double foil and heat over coals 15-20 min. serves 3-4

Ham ‘n Green Bean Bake

1 1/3 cups minute rice, 1 cup diced ham or Spam, 1 can (8 0z.) drained green beans, 1/3-cup mayonnaise, 2-tsp. dry onion flakes, 1 1/3 cups chicken bouillon or soup

Form triple thickness foil into a bowl, add mixture and cook over coals 30-min. serves 3-4

Cheap Pie

2 slices bread, margarine, cinnamon, sugar, jam or fruit pie filling

Butter two slices of bread, place buttered side down on foil, spoon on fruit filling, cinnamon and sugar. Place that pie on top of the other slice of buttered bread and pinch the edges together. Seal the foil and lay on the coals for ten minutes or more, turn for another five minutes.

Baked Bananas

Do not peel the bananas, but cut off the end tips to keep from breaking the foil. Slit the skin on the inside curve and fill with raisins and cinnamon sugar, chocolate or butterscotch chips, M&M’s, brown sugar, chocolate bar squares, wheat germ, mini-marshmallows. Place in heavy foil and wrap tightly. Heat in coals 10-15 minutes.

This is a labor of love. I regret that I could not include everybody’s name and source of these recipes, but you will have to search the internet as I have. Have fun, feed well.

Rik Bergethon, Pueblo, CO