Camp Green Lane Blog Post July 15th

Cooking is and always has been the center of camp.

First, its physical location, the back screen door of the White House, puts Cooking literally at the center of camp. But, for as long as I’ve been coming here as a camper, counselor and now supervisor, Cooking has always sat in a place close to the heart of a Camp Green Lane day.

In terms of activities, I’m not sure what the distant second is among favorites because Cooking has dominated best-of CGL lists for decades. Take a look at the Elective selection sheets and some cabins fill out Cooking straight across for everyone’s first choice each week. There’s a theory that people get so upset about missing Cooking because of weather and/or special events impacting the schedule, that’s the reason we have an eight-day rotation.

And I don’t have to tell you how popular the Cooking Camp-Within-a-Camp is each summer.

I guess that all adds up to: our kids really love to cook!

Cooking is something everyone in camp looks forward to, mostly because of the treats you get to eat when you’re done. But Cooking might also be fun for those who like to collaborate, work on something as a group, and then enjoy it together. But really, it’s always been about the food.

Here’s a little about how the sausage gets made each day at Cooking.

It’s no secret, the same thing is typically made all day for the purposes of simplifying the ingredients and maintaining a consistent oven temperature from one class to the next, etc.. Each period, a new cabin will come into the Kitchen and prepare the same thing as the last group that came before it. It switches from day to day.

Today’s dish: CGL Cupcake Cones

Today was Someday on the schedule, so that meant Boys’ Elective got the Kitchen going and preheated the oven to 375. One boy prepared the whisk; the next poured the flour, then another was tasked with measuring butter, then sugar.

The next period, girls from Palace did the same thing, and also carefully cracked an egg into their bowl.

Third period, the Braves circled up around the table and someone else measured the vanilla for their project.

Fourth period, Ritz arranged enough cake cones on a baking sheet for everyone while the counselors mixed the whole thing in a bowl.

Fifth period, the Orioles carefully filled their cones with the batter, dusted them all with sprinkles and baked them in the oven.

And like they did all day before, the Orioles cleaned up the Kitchen, they washed their bowls and spoons and they waited. And waited.

Oh, it feels like an eternity for those cones to cook.

And then like magic, right before the period blows, the cones cool enough to handle and everyone can enjoy them as they race out the back door to their next activity.

Are there any left?

Can I have a bite of yours?

Today, like it is every day, Cooking was busy.

And, like it’s always been, Cooking was the heart of CGL day.