Most of the campers felt that although the camp food was not fancy, it was warm and good. Running off calories during the days’ activities meant the meals were especially welcome for staff and campers alike, and the girls often learned to eat and enjoy food not found at home.
The girls learned to like new dishes like tuna noodle casserole for Kerry Weber‘s (1952) friend; Johnny Cakes for forties’/fifties’ camper Marcia Sherman; creamed eggs for Edna Young (1932), canned fruit for fifties’ camper Susan Alcorn; creamed corn with bacon for Barb Hale (1950); banana boats for sixties’ camper Coleen Gasta and desserts for everyone!
“The food was not fancy, but it was not like home either,” said MaryBeth Morton (1974-75), who recalled more of the rituals surroungding the food in the lodge. “It was served family style and someone would go to the counter to get it. There were call-outs for certain things while we were at the table. We said grace and we were all excused at the same time.”
Judy Crissey (1954) said she was not a finicky eater and thought the meals were good. “I never gave food a second thought,” she said, remembering the bell that rang for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
“I was always hungry, even though I was a skinny kid,” said Lucille Greenwald (1947-50). “We had those little boxes of cereal and it was never enough. If you were hungry at bedtime, you could go to the kitchen door and someone would give you some weird thing like prunes….”
Another self-described skinny kid, Pat Rehmus (1962-65) never had any food issues, but loved the rituals of making popcorn and pizza at night by the fireplace, while they sang. “I was never a breakfast eater, so I know I could do without if I didn’t like what they had for meals. There were always peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.”
Maggie Young camped in the sixties’ and seventies’ and was never hungry. She was always amazed at how much food came out of the kitchen. As one in a family of four, who did not have much, the food seemed to be piled high at camp!
The camp food was a change for Jodi Tripp (1957+), whose family was all about the meat and potatoes. She had her first taste of spaghetti at camp and has memories of the salt tablets she took to keep from being dehydrated.
Spaghetti and potatoes may have been a staple. Dorothy Niedzielski (1946-47) left camp and told her Mom, “I never ever want to have my meals in a bowl again!” (Even though she though the food was okay, she got tired of eating and spaghetti and soup from a bowl. )
Debbie Tweedie thinks spaghetti was served more than any other food in the sixties’ and seventies’, but Margot Homburger (1946-52) seemed to think all that was served was potatoes! “Every year my Mom would say I wasn’t going back because I would lose weight,” said Margot, “but we ran it off! I think they were generous with the food and we could go back for seconds on everything but the meat.”
Edna Sheffer was known for making donuts out of mashed potatoes, “which made a freaking mess”,according to Kathy Hall (1966-71). “I thought the food was awesome. She was an older woman and I can still see her laughing so hard—even the look on her face when I worked as a kitchen aide in 1970.”
Sisters Amy Johns (1967-78) and Priscilla Johns (1968+) said Edna taught them to make real donuts and the ones made from the leftover mashed potatoes, and Amy said, “I would kill for those fried left over mashed potatoes. Edna was phenomenal!”
Priscilla and Amy would eat anything put in front of them, but Cilla’s favorite was grilled cheese and tomato soup. “There were always PBJ’s with crushed potato chips, if you were picky,” laughed her sister.
What new food did you try? What was your favorite camp food?