Having kids may have put backpacking plans on hold for the foreseeable future, but our children have not stopped us from camping. In fact, camping is one of our favorite things to do as a family. As a parent, it gets exhausting to feel like we are always disciplining, so often saying No. “No, it’s too expensive.” “I can’t now, I’m washing dishes.” “Please don’t put things in other people’s noses.” In other words, we feel like fun-haters.

But camping. Camping is a “Yes” time more than any other. Yes to juice boxes and potato chips, instant oatmeal, and trail mix with M&Ms. Yes to grazing all day without asking “Can I have a snack?,” yes to hot cocoa every morning. Yes to cooking food on sticks over a fire, to letting caterpillars crawl all over you. Yes to the kids sleeping in their own tent, to wearing headlamps and playing War with fart cards into the night.

And since we car camp now instead of backpacking, yes to bringing a cooler.

Every time we camp I spend a week rehashing “Okay, now what do we usually bring?” I have lists all over the house – “Buy juice boxes,” “Make pimiento cheese,” “Don’t forget ice!!” This time, as I prep for our trip to Mount Rogers, the highest natural point in Virginia (5,729 feet), I thought I’d write out a checklist and post it here so next time I’ll know where to find it. I’m always looking for new food ideas for camping trips, and thought some of you may be too.

Our meals are simple – instant oatmeal and boiled eggs for breakfast, except on the morning after dessert-experimentation night. Assuming my Dutch oven plans work, we will eat blueberry crisp for breakfast that next day. For lunch we eat fruit; crackers or sandwiches with pimiento cheese, chicken salad, or peanut butter and jelly; and pudding (or deluxe graham cookies with peanut butter – YUM) for dessert. Yes, we eat dessert after lunch.

We’re trying something new this time with dinners. We’re still roasting hot dogs one night (and a Bratwurst for me – hot dogs make me gag), but we’re also going to attempt to cook a dessert on the campfire. We’ve got S’more supplies as backup. Just in case. On the second night, we’re going to make pizza over the fire using a cast iron skillet and Boboli crusts. We have never tried this. Cross your fingers for us. We don’t have backup for the dinner. Only for the dessert.

Here’s what’s in our cooler:

Juice boxes, Cokes
Jelly
Applesauce, Handi-snack puddings
Pineapple, grapes, cherry tomatoes
Half & Half
Pimiento cheese (recipe below)
Chicken salad
Boiled eggs

For hot dogs:

Hot dogs, 1 bratwurst
Ketchup, mustard, relish

For pizza:

Shredded mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses
Pizza sauce, pepperoni

For desserts:

Hershey bars (duh)
Blueberries and topping (in separate containers) for Dutch oven crisp*

I also bring three bags of food, separated by meal. That makes it easier to locate nourishment when we’re tired and cranky, and the car is bursting with crap that falls out every time you open the hatch.

In our breakfast bag:

2 boxes instant oatmeal
jar of sugar
coffee
black tea
hot cocoa

For lunch and snacks:

Giant box of Triscuits
Loaves of bread
Peanut butter
Trail mix (recipe below)

And for dinner and dessert:

Hot dog buns
Red potatoes
Potato chips
Can of baked beans
Boboli pizza crusts
Box of heavy duty aluminum foil
Small bottle of olive oil
Marshmallows, graham crackers

* I will try to remember to document our first attempt at Dutch oven cooking over a campfire. If we succeed, I will share the recipe. If not, here are a couple of our favorite camp recipes as consolation.

Pimiento Cheese Recipe

12 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded with a large grate
3-4 Tbs Duke’s mayonnaise
1 Tbs minced onion
1 4oz jar diced pimientos with liquid

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Transfer to sealed container and store on ice in cooler.

Trail Mix Recipe

1 jar honey roasted peanuts
1 bag M&Ms
1 8 oz package Craisins
1 cup cashews

Dump everything into a gallon size zip-seal bag. Shake it up. Store in the front seat with Mom for emergency anti-grump, or in the lunch/snack bag.

So that’s what we do If you’ve got any favorites, please tell me in the comments. I’d love to hear them!