by Renee Rotto

Created on: September 08, 2009   Last Updated: September 11, 2009

There is nothing like a camping adventure to rewind our clocks. Getting away for some rest and relaxation in the great outdoors can be so rejuvenating for the spirit. Throw in a little fishing and hiking and the world makes sense again. But with all that we still need to eat.

Some people like to buy all kinds of elaborate cooking equipment to make meal easy as home cooking but that's not really camping. Sure you can buy a propane grill and lots of fancy kitchenware but you will miss some of the ambience that is camping. Give me some cast iron cookware, an open fire, and some charcoal briquettes and away we go.

I love cooking with cast iron. Not only is it virtually indestructible and great for camping but also it is known for its health benefits. Do you know that every time you cook with cast iron you add iron to your meal? More iron is released into the food when cooking foods high in acid. The tomato sauce you use in your chuck wagon chili will be even healthier. One of the best inventions is the Dutch oven. The lid is flat to place briquettes on top for even cooking and baking. So you basically only need a Dutch oven and cast iron fry pan and you're good to go.

Seasoning your new cast iron cookware is easy. Just coat lightly with vegetable oil and place in 350-degree oven for 1 hour. Wipe dry when cooled with a paper towel and store in a dry place. Do not use abrasives, or soap when cleaning. And never put them in the dishwasher. Make sure you dry the cookware completely before storing. For the first few uses use a little oil and preheat pan before cooking.

Cooking over an open flame is not difficult or stressful if you do a little preparation before hand.

Roughing it doesn't mean you can't bring supplies from home. Take along some food like canned chili beans, marshmallows, hot dogs, ground beef, canned vegetables, Bisquick mix, or Hungry Jack dinner rolls. You can also bring some fresh vegetables and fruit. Freeze you meat and bacon in Zip Lock Freezer bags. Water, tea or Koolaid can also be frozen in gallon water jugs.

Plan your meals ahead of time and bring what you need. If you're planning to fish and eat the fish you catch, you might want a lemon and some butter. You can also bring along some packages of condiments leftover from take outs.

Other types of campfire cooking are foil cooking, stick cooking and can cooking.

Foil cooking is simple. Wrap fish, meat or chicken pieces with vegetables seasonings in foil and place on hot charcoals.

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