Do you make food in the fire or in a cast iron pan?  

I am not the camping type but I think I would have BBQ type food if I was out there roughing it, is a cast iron pot the typed that is supposed to be a good way of getting iron into your system when cooking..

We do hot dogs on a stick, grilled cheese in a pie maker thingy and I am forever cooking on the fire (hot coals off to the side actually) in foil pans

When we're camping long term we bring with us this little propane stove to cook things on. But I've cooked things over a fire before and wouldn't mind terribly to do it again.

We tend to eat alot of stews and such when we camp.

You just take all the fun out of it if you don't cook the hotdogs or marshmellows on a stick over the fire. LOL As for a campfire meal - an old favorite from girlscouts my mom would fix. We called it hobo stew. You crumble up ground beef, sliced carrots, diced potatos and onions, then add some steak sauce and salt and pepper. Seal it up really tight in heavy duty foil. (We used double sheets) and cook it in the coals near your fire. Time wise? I've no clue since I haven't made it in years. But boy is it good!