Because most of my friendships in the Bay Area were based on having lunch together in the many restaurants around, I had lost most of my cooking skills.
And as a result on day 4 of this trip, I burned the food. I can’t totally blame that on the Bay Area, while it’s not a very uncommon feature of my cooking life. Even before the Bay Area, I could totally loose interest during cooking and only remembered that I was cooking after … smelling it. Back then friends were surprised when it did work out.
From day 5 to 26, I was served delicious breakfasts, healthy lunched and amazing dinners. No complains. It also was a good push to set me back on track of cooking every day myself. And slowly during this trip I gained more interest in food. From helping friends out in their garden, to working on organics farms. From collecting cook books, to baking bread on my grill. One more last push is needed; a full month dedicated to food and cooking. 
It starts off with a field kitchen 
• Steak, quinoa, brussels sprouts with bacon and sour cream• Broccoli-kale, spaghetti (fries?), mushroom-nut crumble
• Pizza
We move to a house with a full kitchen (and away from the bears)
• Anti Pasta• Lasagna from scratch
• Broccoli-spinach quiche
• Brussels sprouts • Chicken drumsticks
• Coleslaw
• Apple crumble• Apple pie
• Apple turnover
• Coconut cookies• Muesli bars
• Vanilla cookies
• Whole wheat bread• Raisin bread
• Banana bread
• Harvest and roasted sunflower pits• Roasted Spanish nuts
Some evenings we go on apple hunt. Before the developments around Shuswap lake, orchards had dotted the shore. Now the left over “wild” trees are scattered throughout the area and we become experienced apple tree spotters. But we get more from the land. Pine mushrooms in the forest and green tomatoes from the garden. 
This calls for some canning:• Green tomato chutney
• Chunky vanilla pear jam
• Apple sauce
• Apple butter
But the most proud I am of the thanksgiving turkey. 
We are a month later and I can honestly say, I enjoy cooking and I am not a horrible cook anymore. N, thank you for eating everything I put in front of you. Love you lots.Iris (Lee Creek, 49763 miles)
