I attended Camp Waldemar, an all girls sleep-away camp tucked deep in the Texas Hill Country, for seven straight summers. I had the time of my life at Waldemar, and it holds a special place in my heart. I hope to have my girls attend camp at Waldemar when they are old enough and make some of the same lasting memories and friendships that I did.

One of the most special pieces of camp life at Waldemar is the cuisine. Waldemar food is not your normal sloppy joe type fare. My friends from home always joked that going to Waldemar was like spending the summer at a country club, and they weren’t that far off. Every meal was served family style with assigned tables and fancy silverware. We were graded on table manners and were expected to sit up straight and follow the rules in order to get a perfect ten score. Some might think this was a little excessive for a girls summer camp, but it taught me life lessons that I still carry with me today.

Over the years, Waldemar received so many requests for recipes, Laura Pipkin Kramer compiled a cookbook in 2001. So, I get to keep those recipes with me and share them with my family (and now you). I could go on and on about the food, but once you try it, I won’t need to say anymore. The first recipe I’d like to share with you is the simple and easy chocolate chip cookie recipe.