Primitive

Primitive

Believe it or not, there are actually places here on earth without refrigerators, stoves, or even microwaves. Scarier yet, many of these places are nearby by our homes and have been made dangerously accessible to our neighbors and small children. Although I have heard it called names such as "dirty dirt hole," I prefer to call it "the great outdoors."

Through my life I have gone on more than my fair share of camp outs. Therefore I believe I have earned the title of camper.

Contrary to popular belief, campers actually do eat more than just hot dogs and marshmallows. In a matter of fact, if your good enough and you know the right tricks, meals can be one of the most enjoyable parts of camping.

Your best friend while on a camp out, is fire. With fire you can cook almost anything that can be made at home. The two most common tools used to cook above a fire are Dutch ovens and metal grates. These work as the stove and oven. 

When cooking above a fire, make sure that the fire is not smoking too much or your food could taste like smoke. Also make sure that you do not throw any kind of unnatural material, such as trash, into the fire. This can potentially produce a smoke that can be harmful to consume.

Dutch ovens are one of the methods of cooking outdoors that has benifits that are above cooking at home. When cooking in a Dutch oven, use a Dutch oven coal chart (found online) to determine how many coals on the top and bottom will get you the perfect temperature. Before going on a campout check on line for great Dutch Oven recipies such as pollo asado, deep dish pizza, and cobbler.

Of course if you are feeling lazy you can just find yourself a stick and slide a hot dog down it, but with a bit of preperation you can begin cooking like a well paid outdoor chef (if those actually even exist).

Home Grown

Home Grown

  I have always loved to be thrifty. I conserve whatever I can, especially money. Last spring while at the store, my sister and I decided to get some seeds to plant in the backyard. It was one of those "why not" moments. They were only 2$. My sister decided to choose some exotic plants such as watermelons and pumpkins. I choose to get a packet of kale seeds. I figured my bearded dragon, Tempest, would enjoy eating it and then I could get my money back in the long run.

We planted our seeds and after a week or two they started to sprout out of the ground. With a little bit of love and water my kale grew and was soon ready to harvest. My sisters died. She must have been missing an ingredient (and it wasn't water).

It was satisfying picking off the first leaf and giving it to Tempest. Sadly he is a nasty eater and he just snatched it into his mouth and swallowed it. But I am sure, despite his rudeness, that it was enjoyed.

My Kale battled out the winter, grew some tall yellow flowers, and apparently had some offspring and now there is whole garden of Kale in our back yard. The success of this plant has inspired my dad to take up the hobby of gardening. He built an elevated box out of scrap wood, so he doesn't have to bend over, and planted tomatoes, peppers, and even a watermelon. Hopefully these plants will grow to produce their fruits. May the odds be ever in their favor (couldn't help it).

Having a home grown garden is beneficial for everybody.

Seeds are very cheap and even though they require maintenance, it is worth it. A tomato is the same price as tomato seeds which can produce enough tomatoes to open a ketchup factory. Also anybody who is into organic food but concerned about the increased cost, gardening is definitely for you. Even a small garden can produce enough fruits and vegetables for a family to not have to buy any from the store. If you are worried about what mad scientist inject into your food, planting seeds allows you to choose what is, or preferably what isn't, injected into them.

If you don't like to go outside and get a little dirty, you can grow an indoor garden. My grandma grows multiple plants for spices and natural medicines such as basil and aloe, from her windows.

In the end, a great reason for growing your own plants is the simple satisfaction of eating a dish that was prepared with plants that you raised like they were your own children. Except when these children grow up, you rip off their limbs, just enough for them to survive, and satisfyingly eat them.

Been there, Done that

Been there, Done that

The other month I visited the city of Philadelphia. While in Philly we saw the Liberty Bell, the USS New Jersey, and hundreds of nostalgic equestrians trotting around the city.

We were able to experience the great city through an overwhelming wave of sights and sounds. The buildings led up to the sky, the angry taxi drivers cursed in their rich Philadelphian accents, and when it was time to eat, we decided to try something new, experiencing the city through taste. We had ourselves a Philly cheese steak.

Food is a great way to experience culture.

After ordering our cheese steaks the guys behind the counters began working on their art. My eyes couldn’t follow the rehearsed speed and precision of their hands. In a quick moving city you have got to have quick hands.

Every culture has their own twist and spins on food.

In New York, pizza has become a specialty through time. They began to make as a cheap way to feed the rising about of workers flocking in. In Japan many times food is served in the most creative ways as an art form. In many countries, such as Germany, food is served in a series of several meals.

Every country does things their own way. These differences in food help to define a culture.

Next time you visit a new and unfamiliar place, ask what the local special is. Try it out. You will never completely experience your destination without it.