Skylemar’s Top Ten:

Junior, Superman, Tony, David, Juan, Benjamin, David , Miguel and Harry.  Rich too, on Jr’s day off.

This is the all-star team that works harder than anyone else here, there and anywhere.  They are the one and only Kitchen Staff of 2026.

Feeding 375 people three meals a day is daunting.  Skylemar campers are fussy customers too.  The food has to taste great and be served hot to everyone all at the same time. 

Think about the effort it takes to make Thanksgiving dinner.  Junior does this once every couple of weeks, for 375 houseguests.  It takes 18 turkeys, 100 pounds of potatoes (that need to be mashed), and 12 giant sheet pans of stuffing. Only 25 pounds of peas – not a big seller with most of the boys.  Plus, on this same day he still has to make breakfast and lunch.

He and his assistant chefs get to camp a couple weeks early to unpack the kitchen and make 9,000 meatballs.  Of course we could buy frozen, and that’s what we’re told “everybody does”.  But that’s a hard “no” for Junior, who believes that quality comes first along with cleanliness.  Plus, he combines ground beef and ground turkey, so each ball is flavorful while the fat is reduced.

It’s a well-oiled machine, thanks to the dynamo combo of Junior and Superman.  Junior is one of the most talented chefs in the country.  He never needs a recipe, and has incredible physical strength needed to stir, toss, and lift.  Try carrying a pot of hot oatmeal for 250 people and you’ll get the idea.

Junior is also the master of the warming oven.  These are giant boxes, set to 180 degrees. To make scrambled eggs he needs to crack 1,260 eggs and then uses the giant mixer to beat.  Scrambling on the big flat top is strenuous with such a load. The eggs must be cooked until a specific point where they can then be put in the warmer an hour before serving, so that all the batches of eggs combined are hot and perfect. 

Superman’s name says it all.  He’s the superhero of clean and does the work of three men.  His job is to keep every single piece of the kitchen immaculate, and trains and supervises a crew of 9 people to maintain his high standards.  That’s why the Health Inspector loves us, and each year says that we have one of the cleanest kitchens in the state.

Every day he washes 1,200 cups, 1,125 plates and 3,375 pieces of silverware.  The enormous pile of pots, bowls and sheet pans never end until around 6pm.  Superman teaches his crew to make these pans shine as they did when brand new.

Meals are based on what the kids like, with plenty of side options for those who don’t.  For example, there’s always pasta at every dinner.  Some like it with parmesan cheese, some only butter, but only a small number go for the sauce.

Breakfast always has a hot option (like pancakes, waffles, French toast sticks, cinnamon rolls, eggs, etc.), oatmeal, fresh cut melon, yogurt, Wow Butter and jelly sandwiches, whole fruit and The Cereal Bar.  There’re five kinds of cereal, so there’s something for everyone.  Frog Loops (aka Fruit Loops) is top fave, with Lippy Charms (aka Lucky Charms) a close second, followed by Frosted Blakes (aka Frosted Flakes).  Alas, the two healthier cereals don’t have too many takers.

Fan favorites for lunch are teriyaki bowls, ramen bowls and THE BEST chicken tenders anywhere that many enjoy with Junior’s Special Sauce (secret recipe, of course).  Also popular are tacos, grilled cheese, chicken sandwiches, sliders, pizza bagels and steak subs.

Skypotle (just like Chipotle) and Wing Night are the #1 dinners, followed by grilled chicken, chicken lo mein and a traditional cookout.  If you don’t like the entrée there’s always the pasta or salad bar.

Just about every brand we use or way we prepare has a reason behind it.  For example, take Wow Butter.  Sure, Sun Butter’s cheaper, but we did our own study.  For taste, texture and appearance, the Skylemar experts (our counselors during pre-camp orientation) select Wow Butter.

Quantities are staggering – boys love to eat.  Spaghetti Dinner takes 80 pounds of pasta and 1,600 homemade meatballs.  Tacos take 120 pounds of meat, 125 tomatoes and 36 lettuce heads.

The prices this year are staggering too.  Blake and Danny do inventory and ordering, and they spend about $13,000 per day.  How’s that for a grocery bill?

Nevertheless, the importance of good food can never be underestimated.  Of course, we can’t please everyone all of the time, but we come pretty darn close.  Something delicious has a way of making even the rainiest day seem a little bit sunny.  Lucky for us, Skylemar has the greatest kitchen staff in the whole wide world.