I recently returned from an annual camping trip in the Missouri Ozarks – a trip I look forward to year-round because it is a special time when I can get together with a group of childhood friends and their kids without the distractions of everyday life. There is always a core group of two families plus friends and families who join us for the first time or come when they can. This year, there were 25 of us, but in years past there have been anywhere from 40 to 50 of us – and the kids always outnumber the adults!

Relaxing and staying cool in Sinking Creek.
We spend our days being lazy and literally sitting in chairs in the river while the kids swim and fish and snorkel. We also take hikes through the woods or float downstream on inner tubes and then spend our evenings chatting around the campfire or playing games in the lodge.
One of the greatest perks of the camp we use is that it has a lodge with a full, commercial kitchen! Two stoves, two ovens, deep sinks, lots of pots & pans, a huge refrigerator and a large deep freezer plus enough dishes and utensils to serve 80! We happily refer to the experience as “Fancy Camping.”
And, while each family brings their own food, our meals are always a potluck extravaganza!

We are all smiles for the big breakfasts!
Every morning, we make big breakfasts with most of the adults congregating in the kitchen to chat over pots & pots of coffee while we all help to prepare pound-after-pound of bacon, sausage patties and links, plus dozens of eggs, bags of potatoes, and can-after-can of biscuits and cinnamon rolls. One of the campers is known for her sausage gravy and this year she made it twice!
Of course, after such a big breakfast, lunch is a bit lighter – especially since most of us are down on the river relaxing. So, the kids know they can raid the fridge where they will find plenty of sandwich fixings plus leftovers from the night before. Someone usually has a cooler on the beach that is full of cut-up watermelon and cheese sticks and many swim bags contain chips and cookies to munch on throughout the day.

There's nothing like meat grilled over an open fire!
Then, there’s dinner! Everyone is ravenous after a long day of swimming and soaking up the sun, so we always put together a huge spread. Cooking dinner also has two staging areas: the kitchen, where we prepare the sides and salads, and the campfire, where we grill the meat. Pork steaks, bratwurst, chicken, hamburgers, hotdogs, steak – you name it, it’s grilled!
While the grilling occurs, the kitchen is a flurry of chopping and prepping a slew of side dishes and salads. Potato Salads, Fresh Fruit Salads, Pasta Salads, Lettuce & Veggie Salads – they’re all there. It also common to find someone pouring numerous flavors of canned baked beans into the same pot. The combination actually makes a great-tasting side dish!
Of course, while all the cooks and grill masters are doing their thing, there’s always a bartender mixing cocktails for everyone while someone else walks around serving cheese & crackers and chips & dips. And, this year, the kids even got in on the action and made their own appetizer from the crawdads they spent the day catching in the river!*

A refreshing summer salad!
While one of the campers is known for her sausage gravy, I have become known for my Tomato-Cucumber-Onion Salad, which is a refreshing treat on a hot summer day! At camp, I always make more than enough for dinner so that there are leftovers for the next day. Imagine how even better the salad tastes after it’s sat in the fridge for 24 hours!
I actually got the recipe from a church cookbook published by the Trietsch Memorial United Methodist Women in Flower Mound, Texas. It is a perfect go-to resource for potluck recipes because many of the recipes are written with a crowd or a large family in mind. (I also love to read church cookbooks because most of the recipes are passed down for generations and sometimes are well-guarded secrets that someone finally decided to share.)
Summer is truly an amazing time of year. The fresh produce is plentiful and all the camping trips, barbeques, picnics and outdoor celebrations provide wonderful opportunities for hanging out with friends and enjoying the potluck of good food made from well-loved recipes.
*Here’s a pic of the crawdads the kids made for an appetizer.
