Camp Laffalotta: part final

Camp Laffalotta didn't go as well as I hoped this summer, but it was better than doing nothing. We learned about oceans, the solar system, dogs, dinosaurs, and now, finally, pioneers and ancestors. After our FANTASTIC visit to Nauvoo, Illinois, how could I let the summer finish without touching on pioneers and our family ancestors?

I checked out Little House on the Prairie and we've passed the halfway mark with my reading it to the girls. I have to laugh at how closely dh seems to be listening to the story when he happens to be around. :-) We listened to three of the others in the series on our trip and have already read a couple others, so we are just rounding out our experience with those books. I think we have just one left after this one, By the Shores of Silver Lake. Not my favorite one, which is probably why I've left it for last.

Today for lunch we are going to have:
Johnny Cakes

1 cup cornmeal
1 tsp salt
1 Tbl butter
1 Tbl sugar
1 cup water
1/2 cup milk
vegetable oil or shortening
maple syrup

1. Place cornmeal, salt, butter, and sugar in a mixing bowl
2. Boil the water in a covered saucepan and pour it into the bowl.
3. Add the milk to the bowl. Mix thoroughly with a spoon to make a smooth, thick batter.
4. Use a paper towel to coat a griddle and pancake turner with a light coat of oil.
5. Heat a frying pan and reduce the heat to medium.
6. Drop the batter by spoonfuls onto the hot griddle, like you would with pancake batter. Use a pancake turner to press each spoonful flat to about 1/2" thick.
7. Cook the cakes two at a time over medium heat for about 5 minutes on each side. The cakes should be crisp and slightly brown when done. Flip them a second time, if necessary.
8. Serve the cakes hot with maple syrup.

Hay-time Switchel

2 quarts water
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1/8 cup cider vinegar
1/2 tsp ground ginger

1. Heat 1 qt water in a covered saucepan. When the water is hot but not boiling, little bubbles will form on the side of the saucepan.
2. Stir in the sugar, molasses, vinegar, and ginger. Continue stirring and heating, but don't let the mixture boil. When all the ingredients have dissolved, turn off the heat.
3. Remove the mixture from the stove, and let it cool until it reaches room temperature.
4. When it is cool, add the rest of the water.
5. Pour the switchel into a pitcher and chill it in a refrigerator. Serve cold.


I wonder if we will be full or starving? Haha. That switchel looks too interesting to NOT try.

Here is a link to pictures of us in Nauvoo, Illinois:
link to pictures on Facebook

Edited to add pictures. The Johnny Cake batter wasn't nearly as thick as the recipe led me to believe it would be. It still made a nice eggless kind of pancake. The girls liked it. The switchel met with mixed reviews. We thought it was too sweet and would have cut the sugar by half.