What's In a Name?

This blog is about camp cooking and simple recipes for camping. Few of these are my own creations, and many have been passed along from family and friends through the years. Each blog entry will be dedicated to one recipe.

Now you may be wondering where the names for this blog came from. Although it's a blog about camp cooking, the names are camp-related although not cooking-related.

Minnesing Meals

Alqonquin Park is a Provincial Park in south, central Ontario. Cannisbay Lake Campground is a campground along the Highway 60 corridor. Minnesing, is a set of mountain bike trails with a trailhead that starts near Cannibay Lake Campground. In the summer months, the Minnesing Trail is a series of mountainous trails of varying lengths through the rugged wild of Algonquin Park. The sign at the trailhead states something to the effect of, "These trails are suitable for mountain bikes only. They should not be attempted by small children and unfit adults." Minnesing is a steep, rugged, set of trails consisting of hilly, sometimes muddy, terrain filled with rock, roots and obstacles. Both statements are entirely true. In the winter, the trails are used by cross country ski enthusiasts. The trails are arranged as four concentric loops; Sugar Bush Run at 4.7 km, Timber Slide at 9.1 km, Polly's Pitch at 17.1 km and Calighen's Corners at 23.4km. In the heat of summer, with recent rains still wet on the slopes and pooling in the base of runs, these trails are difficult to say the least.

What does that have to do with cooking? Nothing really, but it sure stokes the appetite.

"A" My Name is Alice

"A" My Name is Alice is a camping game that I made up many years ago when my kids were young. I didn't know many campfire games or songs, so this was my invention. It had to be easy enough for my young children to play, but as a bonus it is as entertaining for adults and an interesting twist can make it even harder.

When everyone is gathered around the campfire, this game will often start by one person just randomly calling out, "A" My name is Alice..." The rules are simple. You need to come up with a person's name, a place, a food and an animal that start with your letter of the alphabet. Recite the following inserting your words.

For example, my son starts out by saying, "A. My name is Alice. I live in Amsterdam. I like to eat Apples and I have a pet Aardvark." The next person comes up with, "B. My name is Bob. I live in Bobcaygeon. I have a pet Baboon. And I like to eat Bananas." And so it goes around the circle.

For younger kids, other players can offer them suggestions. You can accept words that start with the same sound, even if it's not the right letter. For older kids, give them the time to come up with their own words. For adults, you can make it harder by having other players call out words that the person in the hot seat then CANNOT use. The rules can be decided as you go along. For example, do you allow adjectives, like fried chicken for the letter F. It's usually good form to offer accolades to someone who can use the same letter twice, like "Orono, Ontario". Smarter players will figure out their next letter in advance and start thinking up the words.

What does this have to do with camp cooking? Only that evenings by the campfire are the best time for campfire snacks.