Back in the UK the kitchen is my responsibility, it is where I learn to organise myself. I love throwing all these various ingredients together and getting a completely different outcome. So that is why I gravitate towards the kitchen on a daily basis, helping with the washing up as needed and filling up honey containers. At the ranch I have learnt to become more outgoing, I learnt to shoot a gun at a target!. But for those days when home feels like a million miles away, I stick to something I know, baking being just that.
So this is where the unusual title originates, we are all hard workers at he ranch, the horses will not climb the mountain themselves! So feeding us staff and our guests is an industrial task, as we are always 15 plus in one sitting during meals. As we all have a sweet tooth baking occurs in some form everyday and cookies/muffins In the freezer are a welcome sight for pack and hunting trips. So on one afternoon determined to stock the freezer in one go, Me and Georgina grabbed our large silver bowls and set about baking 56 banana muffins, 158 coconut raisin cookies and 2 family size butter tart tray bakes. Three and a half hours later with 10's of freezer bags in hands we had completed out goal. It was the first time I had laughed so much since being in Canada, as we danced around the kitchen eating raw cookie dough. Completing this small goal has made me determined to realise my larger goals.
My greatest responsibility in the kitchen came a few days later. As there are regularly many mouths to feed, two cooks normally operate in the Kitchen. However plans always change and my Georgina my co – chef was required at a BC hydro meeting. So I challenged myself to make 6 different dishes including lentil loaf, BBQ ribs and a crumble for dessert in 4 hours. At times I let the pressure get to me, but with a little help from our star chef who kindly assisted me on his day off, dinner was served by 5:30. With nothing burnt, including me and the ribs! I felt proud especially since my English, Rhubarb crumble has gained many compliments and has even been someone’s lunch. I proved to myself that I can work to my strengths, even if I lack in skill when it comes to hammering nails in to timber, I can cook for 30 and still enjoy the meal at the end.
Rebecca C, UK