camp recipes

Although our guides will be doing all the cooking during our Nahanni trip, we're each responsible for bringing one appetizer and one dessert for 12 people. HELP! I need ideas. The ingredients have to be non-perishable and easy to carry (i.e. doesn't matter if they get squished into a knapsack). Short cooking time is good (I prefer NO cooking time, of course, but that's just me :)). There will be a reflector oven available.

I found the following recipe for BLACK FOREST COBBLER on a camp recipes website. Recipe is by Jay Bingham:

1 Can Cherry pie filling
1 box Fudge Cake mix
1/2 Can water
3-4 Tbsp Butter/Margerine


Dump the pie filling in the oven, pour half a can of water in and mix. Sprinkle Cake mix over fruit, dot with butter.

Cook in Dutch Oven at about 325 degrees for 30-40 minutes, turn oven about every ten minutes. When done this looks like it is burned, so a little extra care must be taken to not actually burn it. When I server this up the first few folks asked if it was burned, then when they found out it wasn't it was gone in a flash.

I'm going to try out this recipe tonight, though I'm going to leave out the butter/margarine since I can't count on having any available. Anyway, if you have any ideas, please let me know! Any suggestions appreciated.

p.s. Hm. Is a reflector oven same as a Dutch Oven? HELP!!!

p.p.s. Obviously it isn't. I followed the instructions above, but when the time was up, the ingredients looked exactly the same (i.e. cake powder poured over goopy cherries). Yuk. Desperate, I tried mixing it all together and put it back in the oven. An hour later, it came out looking like an underdone cake. Some parts were enough like chocolate cake to eat (which I did, of course...didn't want to see good chocolate go to waste) but the center was goopy with cherries and never got properly baked. BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD, sigh.

memory

My brother loved Star Trek. He and Ruth didn't at first, though...I remember them groaning whenever I had it on ("can't we watch something ELSE?"). Then he got hooked on it, even more so than I did, especially the music. He bought the soundtracks to all the movies, could hum the prevalent soundtrack theme if you gave him the name of a Classic Trek episode. I even have a sound clip of him humming the "Pon Farr" theme on my computer, and from time to time I'll de-archive it for a listen. Strange, hearing my brother's voice coming from my computer. At the end of the clip, he gives a half-laugh and says, "Ack" because he has screwed up one of the last notes. :-)

The first time we went into Jim's and Diane's house after they died was very strange. Laundry still draped over the basket, bed unmade, food in the fridge. And in the tool/laundry room was an unfinished model of the Enterprise...a huge thing with electrical wires connected to lights that would eventually (when the model was finished) represent the lit windows of the ship and bridge. Jim's favourite ST movie was Wrath Of Khan (my favourite, too!).

Jim had been working on his Ph.D. in Computer Engineering at the University of Waterloo when he and his wife Diane were killed in a car accident six years ago today. His professor and friends at the university (with my family's cooperation) got a fund established in their name for promising engineering students: The Jim and Diane Ohi Memorial Fund.

Sometimes I find myself speculating about what Jim would be doing today, had he lived. What he'd be like, how many children he and Diane would have had (they had been married just over a year when they died and hadn't started thinking about starting a family yet), how different my family gatherings would have been. But I usually stop myself from speculating too much because inevitably it just makes me sad.

It's tough sometimes, not dwelling on "what-ifs". We all go through that sometimes, don't we? I think some people never get themselves out of that mindset, and spend their lives full of regret, wishing things could have been different.

I refuse to be like that. In fact, the tragedies in my life have only made me appreciate life that much more. It's one reason I hate wasting time (and get impatient with people who waste time) and try not to spend too much energy on worrying about things which ultimately aren't worth it in the long run. Too much good stuff to do, too little time. :-)

I'd be interesting in hearing any of your "how to live your life to the fullest" philosophies. Maybe I'll compile them into a list and post them on a separate page for all our inspiration. :-) Anyway, I'll end with a few more of mine:

Debbie's Life Wisdoms

• Embrace life, don't "just coast".
• Beware procrastination.
• Whatever you do, keep a sense of humour.

brush with fame

Was out looking for Inkspot office space (I am getting very claustrophobic...amazing how an online business can generate so much paper, books and supplies, plus I will probably start hiring people) on King St. W. and came around a corner to find Kim Basinger taking a breather between shooting movie scenes. Lots of lights and camera equipment around.

Have to make up my mind whether or not to sign a lease for an office space I fell in love with. I'm used to working at home! It will be a bit odd, having to commute somewhere again.

Thanks for the camp recipe sites, Andrea!!!

By the way, has anyone seen The Blair Witch Project? I want to, but some people report that those prone to motion sickness might not wise to see the movie since the entire thing was shot with handheld cameras (apparently people have been leaving the theatre after fifteen minutes or so, asking for their money back).

office hunt

Went back to visit the building again, but now we're leaning towards a smaller space (660 sq. ft). We've asked for the property management office to fax us a formal offer. Fingers crossed! I took the streetcar to the building to see what the commute would be like...20 minutes, which isn't bad. Checked out the neighbourhood, including a health club only a few minutes' walk away. Once I start commuting, I'll likely quit my current club and join one closer to work (which also is half the price of my current gym!). Hopehopehoping the space we want is still available! (unfortunately the woman who normally handles the leasing was sick today, so someone else showed us around but wasn't able to answer all our questions).

Having dinner with Allison, Jodi and Kathy Johnson this evening.

Hey, sf writer Brian A. Hopkins is giving an Inkspot author chat tomorrow evening, if anyone's interested (I plan on being there). For more details, see Inkspot chat info. Read his latest story at Chiaroscuro.

test chat room

If any of you have time, could you please do me a huge favour and try out the following chat room interface? I'm especially interested in hearing from those of you who had problems with your browsers crashing with the TalkCity chat room. The following gives you an option of using a non-Java browser solution:

Java interface
Standard web browser interface
Telnet interface

I welcome all feedback/comments. Please note that you have to register first (you'll be asked for a nickname and your e-mail address).

Allison has updated the Filkers Homepages section. If you see anything that needs updating, please let her know.

Check out Inkspot's new e-mail newsletter, Global Writers' Ink, which officially launched today! One reason I've been so panic-stricken lately, helping to get that set up. Next major project (other than possible moving into new office space) is starting up Inkspot's new series of online workshops for writers later this year.