Early rifle hunting season has begun in the high country. This is an old favorite of mine entitled Diary of a Camp Cook. If you enjoy it, I think you will enjoy the post above, which is an album of photos from the Meadow Creek Camp where this story took place! Diary of a Hunting Camp Cook Day #1: It was a beautiful ride into Meadow Creek today. I think it was about 60 degrees and cloudless. To top it off, my favorite horse was saddled for me at the trailhead. The weather forecast says there is some nasty weather coming, but you cant believe those idiotic meteorologists! Its hard to believe I actually get paid to take a nature ride into the wilderness and throw on a pre-assembled pan of lasagne tonight! Day #2: Apparently I owe the meteorologists a huge apology. Our indoor/outdoor thermometer hanging on the tent pole reads 30 degrees below in blue and 10 below in red. We dont know if it is actually 20 below or what, but I do know that I am going to send a strongly worded letter to the Coleman sleeping bag company when I get near a post office. My sleeping bag, which is rated to 20 below, must not have been tested at this altitude, because the only way I can keep warm inside it is by getting out of it to put wood on the fire every 15 minutes. Day #3: Everything is frozen - especially myself. I had to chop ice every time I hauled a bucket of water today. When I checked the water filter system, there was an icicle hanging from it, so I am boiling all the drinking water. The cook tent has been redecorated in a clothesline motif, tastefully adorned with bags of frostbitten onions, potatoes, apples, and other produce, hanging beside all of the guides hats, gloves, boots, and clothes. I am worried that my faithful companion, Alvin the Chipmunk, did not survive this nasty betrayal by Mother Nature, because I havent seen him yet this trip. Hopefully Alvin had sense enough to either hibernate or head south. Day #4: This cold snap is getting old. I decided I had to take a bath today, but I could only work up enough courage to wash my hair, face, and hands. I tried to slip a new pair of Under Armour on under the old pair, but they were too tight to allow that. I could not risk losing the body heat that would escape by changing into a new pair, so I decided to rot instead of freeze. At least sweat hasnt been a problem. One good thing about this trip is that it is so cold that no one has asked to take a shower, so I have not had to pack shower water out of the frozen creek. They spotted a huge grizzly today, so the hunters are packing their guns with them to the outhouse. Im not worried, because I think my scent is too frozen to attract a grizzly. Day #5: Its a darn good thing the wood restriction has been lifted, because you have no idea how big of a woodpile (painstakingly cut with a crosscut and an ax by the same guys who keep a watchful eye on the wood consumption rate) it takes to thaw a 24-pound turkey and make dinner rolls rise inside a cook tent when the snow is falling horizontally outside. I must remember to suggest that next year when they set up this camp, they need to put the outhouse, the creek, and the woodpile directly adjacent to the cook tent. I have a bunch of other suggestions, like bringing along those propane Mr. Heaters, buying an outfitting business in Hawaii, etc., but for some reason the boss (Brett Todd) doesnt seem too receptive to suggestions this week. Day #6: They left my saddlehorse in camp today, and I briefly wondered how angry the boss would be if I left a very apologetic note and rode out a day early. Then I remembered that I LOVE this job, so I would never want to do anything to jeopardize it. Several of the guides have been blatantly coveting my job this week, so my sense of job security is quite low. Besides that, I have been having disconcerting Donner Party-type dreams, so in case they are omens I will stay put and watch my back, because the cook would probably be the first to be sacrificed in the event of a food shortage. Day #7: It is still windy, but the precipitation is in the form of rain this morning. Fortunately it warmed up and rained all night, so the trail is more soupy than icy. Usually when I ride away from Meadow Creek, I am not ready to go, but today I am thinking about getting home to central heat, flannel sheets, a hot shower, and restaurant food. One of the hunters told me he comes here one week a year and thinks about it the other 51 weeks. I know what he means, because despite this weeks extreme temperatures, I cant wait to get back here - in June! I love my recipe columnist job, because I receive wonderful recipe collections and letters from readers. Jeanne Mohr of Joliet, Montana sent me a cookbook entitled A Taste of Heaven, which was compiled by the Joliet Baptist Church. It is a beautiful cookbook that is available from Jeanne or from the Joliet Baptist Church, 605 Central Avenue, Joliet MT 59041. Thanks, Jeanne! Mohrs Calico Beans (submitted by the John Mohr family) 1 to 1.5 lbs. Montana ranch raised Angus ground beef 3-4 pieces bacon 3 lb. 5 oz. can pork and beans 15 oz. can kidney beans, drained 15 oz. can butter beans, drained 1 C. ketchup 1/4 C. brown sugar 3 T. white vinegar 1 t. salt Cook bacon. Crumble. Brown burger, drain, and put in a crockpot. Add bacon and all remaining ingredients. Stir well. Cover and cook on low for 4-9 hours. You can add more pork and beans if you wish. Nancy Vorheess Creamy Pumpkin Pie 1/2 C. cold milk 1 pkg. vanilla instant pudding (6-serving size) 1 t. pumpkin pie spice 1 C. Libbys 100% pure pumpkin 1-1/2 C. Cool Whip 1 graham cracker crust Beat milk, pudding mix, and spice with whisk for one minute. Mixture will be very thick. Whisk in pumpkin. Stir in whipped topping. Spread on crust. Refrigerate at least two hours. Garnish as desired. (Note that 1/2 t. cinnamon, 1/2 t. ginger, and 1/8 t. cloves can be substituted for pumpkin pie spice.)
Posted on: Sun, 28 Sep 2014 15:37:10 +0000
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