Outdoor Cooking with Kids

            Campfire cooking is a great way to spend time with your family but it isn't always possible to get away for a night. The good news is that you don't have to drive off into the wilderness to have a campfire. A backyard cookout can be just as much fun.

            Don't have a backyard? A driveway or patio will do, you just have to be more creative. Use a BBQ to contain the fire and make sure it doesn't leave scorch marks on the driveway.

            When you are planning an outdoor cookout, it's important to keep some guidelines in mind so the event is a fun, safe one for everyone from the smallest toddlers to teens.

Contain the fire. Fires should never be allowed to roam out of control. Dig a shallow pit and surround it with bricks or stones to help keep fire contained and to mark a clear area that children should stay back from. Be sure the rocks aren't river stones, which could explode when water inside them turns to steam.

Don't use accelerants. If you have problems starting the fire, use more paper, not gasoline or lighter fluid. These can cause explosions and can be unpredictable. Keep any accelerants far away from the fire as the fumes can also catch fire.

Keep water nearby. Should your fire decide to take on a mind of it's own, it's a good idea to have a bucket of water nearby to toss on it. Don't build the fire under overhanging branches, since sparks can fly up and set fire to dry leaves or twigs. The same goes for building near dry leaves or grass. Hose down the surrounding area, just to be sure, before building your fire.

Keep kids back from the fire. This sounds obvious, but it is often more difficult than it sounds. Some ideas:

- Draw a ring with lime about two feet from the fire and make it a no trespassing area. You should also observe this unless you are lighting the fire or need to add wood and can't do it from outside the fire line.

- Supervise kids. Any child under the age of 12 should not be left alone in the presence of a fire. If they get too close, remind them to move back.

- Give them tasks away from the fire, like carrying and stacking firewood, helping with food preparation and making a seating area.

Use long cooking sticks. Avoid giving kids short sticks to roast their hot dogs or marshmallows. It should be possible to stay at least 3 feet from the fire while cooking. This prevents accidental falls into flames. The hot dog should be well speared to make sure it doesn't fall into the fire where younger children might try to reach it.

 If the stick gets a little wobbly from length, you can put a log or rock between your child and the fire to help balance the stick.

Food safety. For children under three, cut hotdogs lengthwise in half before letting them chow down. A round hotdog is the perfect size and shape for choking on.

Let the fire burn down. For best results, let your fire burn properly about half an hour. Then stop adding wood and let it reduce to mostly coals. This is when you should begin cooking. There aren't many flames to scorch the food and the heat is more even. Children will be less likely to try playing with the fire because of the lack of interesting flames, as well.

Don't burn the marshmallows! Ok, that's pretty much impossible, but if your marshmallow catches fire, it's best to keep it away from your face. Have a fan ready to fan out the flames instead of blowing on it. Little kids don't have the coordination we do and might bring the marshmallow too close to their face or clothing. And waving the stick wildly in the air is a great way to send a burning missile flying straight into someone else.

Watch the clothing. When near an open fire, it's a good idea to keep loose clothing to a minimum. It blows in the wind and could whip into the fire before you notice. Same with long hair, wear it in a ponytail to prevent accidents.

Have fun. The most important part of a cookout is to enjoy it! This is a great time to talk, share ghost stories and look at the stars. And of course, cook! Check out the recipes below to get a head start.

Coal-Baked Potatoes

Little kids can help you wrap the potatoes in aluminum foil and poke holes with a fork. Careful when opening the potatoes, hot steam could build up inside.

4 medium potatoes

Aluminum foil

            Wrap each potato securely in aluminum foil. Use a fork to poke holes in two or three places, right through to the potato. Once your fire has burned down a bit, use a rake or poker to move aside some coals. Lay the potatoes on the coals and heap more on top. You can build up the fire a bit at this point. Let the potatoes bake for about 20 minutes. Use a fork to check the tenderness before opening.

            Serve with toppings such as grated cheese, bacon bits, sour cream or chopped tomatoes.

Fire Scones

This is reminiscent of summer camp. Be careful to wrap the dough firmly around the stick so it won't fall off.

Biscuit mix for 1 dozen biscuits

Jam or peanut butter

            Take a handful of biscuit dough and flatten it slightly in your hand. Wrap it around the end of a roasting stick, closing it over the end.

            Bake slowly in the fire about 2-3 minutes, or until the dough is flaky. Cool a moment and slide off the stick. Fill the hole with jam and enjoy.

Smokes

These age-old favorites are sure to please your kids just as much as they did you. Try some twists on the old standard, like white chocolate, or chocolate graham crackers.

Graham crackers

Bar of chocolate

Marshmallows

            Have crackers prepared with a square of chocolate on one and a plain one sitting nearby. Roast the marshmallows to perfection and press them between the two crackers immediately so they melt the chocolate. Cool a moment and enjoy.