

How to cook with sand
The business of cooking with sand is serious, especially when done on the beach. It involves various textures of sand (wet, dry, part wet, really really wet, not so wet, was wet a few minutes ago). Sometimes, it also needs some water and a variety of containers. Container color is important and can show what ingredient goes in it. The red one holds pepper; yellow, salt; green either thyme or basil depending on the dish and the smaller ones contain sugar, maple syrup and ketchup. The order of adding ingredients also makes a difference, especially considering the texture of sand (see previous list). Wet on dry tends to make soup while dry on wet is more likely a cake. The actual result is always at the discretion of the chef, of course.

Keeping things running
Keeping track of all the materials and tools required constant attention and was a full-time job for at least one of the kids. Particularly the water. One child fetched water regularly if there wasn’t an adult doing it. This was quite exhausting, since water gets heavy the further from the waves it gets. Even lightening with spillage, the beach is wide and there was a ways to go before reaching the kitchen.

Rest in the Shade
After a long day building and cooking, it was time for a drink of cool water and a break from the summer sun in the shade. The kids took periodic breaks as the day became quite warm. It was hot even, further away from the water. A snack was very welcome too, especially one that was cool and nicely frozen. It’s too bad their creations weren’t edible or they could’ve designed their own treats!