Don’t judge a book by its cover.

That’s what South Surrey’s Karen Robinson-Rafuse would like people to keep in mind when they read her recipe for ‘armpit fudge.’

“It doesn’t sound very appetizing,” she admits. “But it’s a really great recipe for kids because they can make it while they’re camping.”

The oddly named treat is a favourite around the campfire during Girl Guide trips, which Robinson-Rafuse volunteers for as a leader. All the ingredients are put into a zip-lock bag, then manually mixed and warmed up. To speed up the warming process, campers often place the bag somewhere warm – such as their armpits.

When Robinson-Rafuse isn’t teaching Girl Guides her unique brand of culinary arts, you can find her at the University of B.C. where she’s studying economics.

She said she’s always been intrigued by the economy, and plans to either go to grad school or get her certified accountant designation.

“I just think (economics) is very interesting, because you get a better look at what’s really going on when a new policy is introduced, like the HST,” she said. “Now I understand why, and not just what the politicians are telling us.”

The long-time Peninsula resident is also a new pledge for the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority at UBC. The group meets weekly to plan social events as well as philanthropic endeavours – they recently raised more than $1,000 towards breast cancer research.

As if her schoolwork, sorority activities and Girl Guide commitments don’t take up enough of Robinson-Rafuse’s time, she’s also a member of the UBC equestrian team.

Having ridden horses for the past 16 years, she and her horse, J’adore, were provincial champions up until an accident earlier in the year left Robinson-Rafuse with a broken arm and J’adore with a fractured leg.

“We were kind of a motley crew,” she said.

While Robinson-Rafuse is fully recovered from the incident, she hasn’t been able to ride her horse just yet, who’s still recovering from her injury.

However, she said the break from horseback riding has allowed her to focus on her studies and many extracurricular activities, such as teaching her young Girl Guides to cook with their armpits.

As a guide herself for several years when she was younger, she’s enjoying spending time with the girls, reminiscing about the things kids enjoy, such as favourite Disney movies.

“It’s really interesting because I don’t have any younger brothers and sisters,” she said. “It’s cool to remember being a little girl.”

Armpit Fudge:

Ingredients (single serving):

2 oz. powdered sugar (1/2 cup)

1 Tbsp butter

2 tsp cream cheese

dash of vanilla

2 tsp cocoa

Instructions:

Place all ingredients in a sandwich-size plastic zipper-bag. Squeeze out all the air. Squish and mush the bag (under the arm!), until all the ingredients are well-mixed and there is a creamy consistency. Add any favorite flavors or other stuff (raisins, M&M’s, chopped nuts, etc). Take out a spoon and enjoy.