My Lake Powell Reads

Yes, I take cook books on vacation. Along with a huge stack of cooking magazines. I didn't read MTAOFC cover to cover, but I did look at it quite a bit and I am excited to do some French cooking. However, after cooking all week at Powell, only to come home and the next day throw a formal dinner party for 27 people (thanks to Fairb for volunteering me) I need a break from the kitchen, BIG TIME! So sorry Juila, give me a couple weeks and I will be saying, "Bon Appetit!"

As for the second book, its the complete opposite of MTAOFC, its about food storage. People often ask me when am I going to post recipes using food storage (food storage? confused are you? Mormons are encouraged to store food in case of disaster, whether it be financial, natural, etc). I know some pretty hard core food storage chicks, who can whip some serious goods from their food storage. That ain't me people. First, I have to first admit that I haven't been following the Prophet, I don't have food storage! Ok, I admitted it! Shame me! Flog me! Banish me! When the emergency preparedness person in our neighborhood emailed me to ask me if I was level one certified for emergency preparedness, the only response I could muster was to tilt my head to the side, "da' hell?" When I asked Fairb what our emergency plan is, he said, "Follow me, that's the plan" When I asked what to do if he wasn't around (which he never is mind you) he said, "then follow you". So we are not prepared, we are terrible people.

One of the reasons I have never made food storage a priority is a really stupid superficial reason. When I look at hard core food storage people I kind of see them as crazy, gun wielding, doomsdayer right wingers. There are definitely those people out there, but most people are just doing what is right and trying to keep the commandments, which I am not doing. So I have decided to get going, and get my own food storage.

The book I read, "I Dare You to Eat It" was a good inspiration and it got me thinking on what I need. The best thing I got out of the book was, 1) getting food storage is following the Prophet and 2) food storage isn't just to sustain your family, but to sustain your neighbor, it is intended to be shared if ever needed. 3) There is no reason to not work on building your food storage.

The last thing I got out of it which I don't think the author intended is that I definitely won't be cooking out of my food storage, so no wheat berry and canned chicken recipes here, sorry folks. All the recipes she describes in the book were painful. I don't think I could cook any of them. She dares me to eat it, no thanks, I will take truth. The truth is, I will get food storage to follow the Prophet, but I'm not going to use it unless I have to! Let my enjoy my food till disaster strikes (which it probably won't).

So I am going to store, wheat, beans, rice, oats and pasta. Along with yeast, sugar, salt, some kind of fat like butter and spices. I could eat bread, pancakes, oatmeal, rice with beans to live, no problem. I have no intention of using it, and when it expires in 30 years, I will replace it. In a more rotating storage, I will store peanut butter, spaghetti sauce, canned soup, mac and cheese, Mrs. Butterworths, baking powder/soda and cereal. Maybe I will store powdered chocolate milk, and powdered regular milk. Some evaporated milk, and spice packets. I have a feeling that if there came a time when the Saints were called upon to use food storage, it would all be going to the Bishop's store house anyway. Here's my beans, take 'em. I'll cook on the chuck wagon that will be my other contribution.

So if you see me at the cannery, don't laugh! Just saddle up next to me and chat because I don't know what the heck I am doing!