A reflection on Lazy Breakfast…
After all yesterday’s activity, starting the day with a sleep-in seemed like a good idea anyway, but it worked out really well since we have Lazy Breakfasts every Sunday morning.
The logistics of the morning consist of the admin team and any other staff volunteers coming at around 7:30 am to prep. Bacon is diced, veggies are sauteed, and the walk-in fridge is raided for any tasty-looking leftovers suitable for putting into an omelet. Buffalo chicken is a favorite mystery omelet ingredient, but this morning, it was breakfast sausage with some fresh green peppers. At 8:30, the big kitchen window rolls open, and the team makes eggs in a variety of ways fresh for each camper as they order. Toast, bacon, and cereal are also available.
The staff does the cooking, but the orders are taken by 8-10 volunteers, generally from the junior village, who take the orders from the campers and pass them on to the staff. It SOUNDS like a disaster waiting to happen, but it’s a beautiful chaos and after an hour, everyone who chooses to eat breakfast has been fed.
This was my 20th-ish summer of making the bullseye for Lazy Breakfast, which might also be known as “toad in the hole.” I offer three variations: plain, dusted with cinnamon sugar (the “Rocky”, named for the home region of the camper who suggested the addition), and one with cinnamon sugar, bacon, and a slice of cheese. We call that one “the Abomination”, given the title by our previous kitchen manager, who found the combination unpallateable, despite it being the most popular option.
So one of my favorite things about Lazy Breakfast is how so many different parts of the camp community come together to make a special meal that many campers look forward to each week not only for the food options but the ability to sit with friends in different cabins and spend the bulk of the morning still in pajamas. It’s a great community moment, and while it’s extra work for the staff, it’s also a definite labor of love.
After Lazy Breakfast today, we had a normal morning of activities and an ironically busy rest period, with an all-camp pick-up (camp beautification), followed by our first team meetings for Titan’s Day, and then the bittersweet last signup for activities for this summer. We ended the day with a hamburger barbeque dinner, and then the campers were challenged to question subjects in a whodunit mystery evening program.
Hopefully you’ve been enjoying the photos. Thanks for reading, and we’ll check-in with an update tomorrow.
Benches up,
Jeff “Mel” Melrose
Assistant Director/CIT Director