Last week Thursday evening several of us attended Women’s Night Out at Shetek Camp. Growing up I spent a lot of time there as even before there were camp facilities, my Dad farmed the land. We made hay, harvested the oats crop, used the lake for washing up after a day of making hay and in general kept the grounds ready for future use. As a family, we never went camping but our parents saw to it that we attended church camp at least one week each summer. The first camp I attended was held at the old Boy Scout camp on the east side of Lake Shetek. I didn’t get homesick until the parents were invited to our last evening camp service. No way I going to stay one more night. It did cure my homesickness at least until I went to college but after a quick weekend home I was ready to go back to St. Paul and continue my studies. Back to camping days. We slept in tents and put newspapers on top of the cots before the bedding for a bit of insulation. Needless to say, if it rained most everything was damp and cold. No electricity except a light bulb on the end of a long extension cord so it was to bed early and up early in the morning. I wish we could have been taught how to swim although I doubt there were any others who knew how to teach us. We did have a lot of fun just playing in the lake during our “swim time”. Our attire was one piece bathing suits, dresses, skirts and blouses and certainly not shorts. We may have had a pair of pedal pushers for recreation time. Occasionally a camper would get a letter from home otherwise no communication from outside of the campground. It was a time of meeting new friends some of which lasted for many years. What wonderful memories of those days. The last camp I attended was at Big Trout Lake at Pine River, MN. We went there for the weekend for Freshmen orientation at Bethel. It is interesting that now my granddaughter Alexis works there in the office. She enjoys camp life and was fortunate to be hired at least for the present time after working at another camp near Brainerd. Camping has become a year-round opportunity for many with retreats for weekends or longer times for both young and old.
Thursday evening was a time to reminisce and support the camp for the future. The facilities have certainly changed over the years with cabins, dining hall, and lately the new chapel. The food was delicious, how could it be any other way with Judy as the cook, the speaker was inspirational and a sizable donation was made to the camp from the offerings and silent auction.
Burger and Fries Pot Pie
1 1/2 pound lean ground beef
1 large onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2 cups frozen crispy French-fried potatoes
Heat oven to 450º. Cook beef and onion until beef is thoroughly cooked; drain well. Sprinkle flour over beef mixture. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in tomatoes; heat to boiling. Remove from heat. Spread beef mixture into a greased casserole; sprinkle with cheese. Arrange frozen potatoes evenly in single layer on top. Bake uncovered about 20 minutes or until potatoes are golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. 6 servings
Oatmeal-Apple Muffins
2 egg whites
3 teaspoons oil
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup skim milk
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup raisins
1 cup peeled sweet apples
Preheat oven to 425º. Mix egg whites, milk and oil in bowl. Add dry ingredients, mixing well until blended. Place batter in muffin cups, filling 3/4 full. Bake 15 minutes.
Spicy Pumpkin Bars
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 eggs
1 container cream cheese creamy ready-to-spread frosting
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup apple juice
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
Heat oven to 350º. Grease 15x10x1-inch pan with shortening Lightly flour.
In a large bowl, beat all ingredients except frosting on low speed until moistened. Beat 2 minutes on medium speed. Spread batter in pan.
Bake 20 to 30 minutes. Cool completely about 1 hour. Spread frosting over cooled bars. Refrigerate until set. Store in refrigerator.
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