Spring, summer and fall are a great time to get outside and enjoy the weather. Night times can also be a fun time with your kids, with campfires and ghost stories. What better way to enjoy a camp with your kids than to make some fun food? Instead of the traditional smore’s though, why not try something new? We’ve got 5 great recipes for you to liven up your night, and get creative with every day household cupboard items.

Campfire Dogs

• Spider Dog – Put two fingers over the center of the hot dog and slice through the center – from your fingers to the end. Then roll the hot dog 90 degrees and slice through the center again. The result will be four “legs.” Repeat this for the other end of the hot dog.
• Squid Dog – Cut the hot dog in half. Put two fingers over the rounded end of the hot dog and slice through the center – from your fingers to the end. Then roll the hot dog 90 degrees and make two slices. This will give you 6 “legs.” Repeat this for the other half of the hot dog.
• Octopus Dog – Same as with the Squid dog above – but… do not cut the hot dog in half. And, make a few shallow cuts on the inside of each “leg,” this will cause them to curl more when cooked over a campfire.

Campfire Breadsticks – Using a stick and a can of refrigerated breadstick dough (2 strips per camper, 12 strips per can) wrap the stick with the dough, pinching from the top. Cook the strips over a campfire, rotating the stick occasionally to make sure it all cooks evenly. Make sure to use the hot coils rather than the flames, coals cook more evenly and won’t burn the bread. Once it is a nice golden brown, it’s done!

Dutch-Oven Camp Bread – Cut up dough into small pieces and mix with sugar and cinnamon. Put in a Dutch-oven over the fire and let bake for 25-30 minutes. Make sure to supervise when the bread is done so no one gets burned. Coat with extra sugar or cinnamon or brush on a little butter for added flavor.

Pie-Iron Sandwiches – Using a pie iron, you can make just about any kind of sandwich your kids would like. Decide on your bread and fillings, and spread a bit of butter on the outside of the bread. Cook your sandwich over hot coals for about a minute on each side. Keep a close eye on it as not to burn it, and remove promptly. Make sure to use gloves to handle the pie irons for the next round of sandwiches.

Banana Boats – Start by peeling a banana from the top to the bottom, cutting all the way through the banana itself, but not the peel underneath. This will create a nice V-shape with banana and peel on both sides. Have your kids then stuff the boat with marshmallows, then wrap each boat softly with aluminum foil. Be careful not to get the marshmallows stuck to the foil. Place over hot coals for about 5 minutes. Once done, kids can eat the yummy dessert right out of the peel.

Feel free to get creative in your own way with these recipes as well. You can create breakfast pie-iron sandwiches using ham and eggs, or make a dessert pie-iron sandwich with fresh fruit and powdered sugar. Add some peanut butter to the banana boats after they are cooked, or cut up your hotdogs into a variety of other shapes or critters. Any way you do it, it’ll be a fun and memorable night with your kids!