Cooking in the West

Every time I hear a story about someone who has to be rescued from a mountain adventure by Search and Rescue, I think back to a few years back when we set out on a wilderness trek that was not well planned. It started out with the fateful words, “Let’s go to Blue Lake! I have never been to Blue Lake.” The whole family agreed it would be an adventure, and that turned out to be an understatement.

My father was an outfitter for many years, and he tried to instill in us a need to be prepared for anything to happen in the mountains. I am pretty sure if there are holes in the floor of heaven, he was up there shaking his head if somehow he watched our Blue Lake adventure.

I remember him saying, “Never get your feet wet ‘cuz that could kill you.” He also made sure we were always prepared to get a fire started “Cuz not being able to start a fire could kill you.” There was a long list of things that could kill you, and I thought of several of them as we violated them all on our trip to Blue Lake.

First of all, we decided that we would meet at 12:30 P.M. to head to the mountains. I knew my father would not have approved of this, because he was always rearing to go at daylight, and he would chirp, “The round-up doesn’t start at noon.” 12:30 P.M. would have sent him into contortions. By the time we had rounded up all the fishing lures, hot dog buns, sun screen, and all of the necessities, it was at least 1:00 before we were ready to roll. We ranged in age from my three month old grandson, Jasper, to Remi’s 78 year old mother.

After a long bumpy ride up the Boulder River Valley to the Four Mile Field Station, we decided to unload the four wheeler and side by side and strike out for Blue Lake, a destination which none of us had ever experienced before. Six adults, 3 boys, 2 dogs, and a baby do not exactly fit on a four wheeler and a side by side along with a cooler, a gas can, fishing poles, fishing chairs, and a tiny charcoal barbecue, so it was decided that Brooke and the baby and I would stay behind to wait to be shuttled up to the lake on the second trip.

A couple hours went by, and Brooke and I started to get concerned. Big gray clouds had moved in, and a stiff breeze kicked up. When we dug our coats out, we noticed that the back seat of the truck was loaded with coats and sweatshirts, which meant the others had left theirs behind. I knew that Bret’s grandfather would have had apoplexy if they had known that his grandson was leading this expedition into the wilderness in shorts, and I knew that at least one of the explorers had set off in flip flops, and none of them had coats or raincoats. I knew that being caught without a raincoat could kill you, because I had been told that many times.

Just when we were thinking we might have to make the baby a bottle by mixing formula with iced tea, because the water was in the cooler, which was (hopefully) at Blue Lake, Bret came back for us. We loaded up all the coats and headed to the mountains. It was now 4:30 P.M., and we all had a strong sense that we should be heading out of the mountains instead of into the mountains.

Bret had dumped his cargo at a sign that read, “Blue Lake 1/2 mile,” and returned to pick us up thinking that his passengers had walked the half mile on up to the lake. As it turned out, they had walked farther than a half mile when they encountered a party that told them it was at least 4 1/2 miles to the lake. Wisely, they turned back and started walking back down the trail. They included my 78 year old mother-in-law, and three boys ages 8 through 5, who were freezing and starving to death according to them. When we came upon them walking down the trail, they were soaked to their knees from wading through the water on the trail, and I think they were contemplating eating one of the dogs if the hot dogs did not show up soon.

They were delighted to see us even though we had no food, because Remi who had gone happily on to Blue Lake on the four wheeler (thinking everyone was coming behind him) had the cooler. Optimistically we started the charcoal and a fire and waited for him to decide we weren’t coming. It was well past time when we should have been heading out when Remi showed up. He showed us pictures he had taken of Blue Lake, which was still partially frozen and very snowy, and we had a wonderful picnic using the four wheeler for a picnic table, and then we piled 6 adults, 3 kids, a baby, 2 dogs, and all of our gear on the Pioneer and four wheeler and headed down the mountain. Miraculously we made it back before darkness or any raindrops fell. Good thing it was the longest day of the year, and good thing my dad was right about one thing, “God takes care of innocents and idiots!”

My featured cook this week is my neighbor Guelda Halverson. These are great to bake and take when you head out on any adventure that might kill you! The first two recipes came from Guelda’s mom, and of the last recipe, Guelda said, “I worked on a local ranch near Lewistown during the summer of my 6th and 7th grades in school as a cook’s helper. This is just one of the many great recipes I got during that time from Zeta Burleigh.” Thanks, Guelda!

Mom’s Sugar Cookies

4 1/2 C. flour

3 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

1 t. nutmeg

1 t. lemon juice

1 C. shortening

2 C. sugar

4 well beaten eggs

2 T. cream

Sift flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg together. Set aside. Cream lemon juice, shortening, and sugar. Add eggs and cream. Add flour mixture and mix well. Chill until firm enough to roll to about 3/8 inch thickness. Cut with cookie cutter. Bake on Pam sprayed baking sheet for 12 minutes at 350 degrees.

Mom’s Best Banana Bread

1 C. shortening

2 C. sugar

4 eggs

2 C. mashed bananas (about 6 bananas)

2 T. vinegar plus milk to make 1 cup liquid

4 C. flour

2 t. salt

2 t. soda

1 C. chopped nuts

Mix together the vinegar and milk and let sit. Cream together shortening and sugar. Add eggs. Beat well. Mix in bananas and milk/vinegar liquid. Add flour, salt and soda. Mix well. Fold in chopped nuts. Pour into two greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 about 1 hour. Remove from pans immediately and cool on wire racks.

Zeta’s Ginger Cookies

1 1/2 C. shortening

2 C. sugar

2 eggs

1/2 C. molasses

4 t. soda

4 C. flour

2 T. ginger

2 t. cinnamon

Cream together shortening and sugar. Add eggs and molasses. Mix well. Add flour, soda,ginger, and cinnamon. Mix well. Chill dough. Form dough in small balls, and press with sugared glass. Bake at 350 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on wire racks.