goodbye real life

So the time has come to say goodbye to family and friends and embark on another season of planting. While it's sometimes sad leaving behind our 'real' life, the planting world allows us the opportunity to experience nature in all its glory (and I mean really experience it since we live in a tent for the duration of the contract) as well as the chance to spend time with a whole other group of friends some of whom we have known for years. But, more importantly, I get to cook up a storm for three whole months, making whatever I want! Perhaps I should put that into perspective: every single day (well, other than days off) I, along with another cook, prepare a full breakfast (I'm talking fresh baked goods, hash browns, meat, eggs of all kinds, fruit salad, and homemade granola), the most amazing lunch spread you have ever seen, fresh homemade bread and soup, and a huge dinner always consisting of salad, a main, a carb, some veggie sides, a vegetarian option, and dessert. Not only that, we make all sorts of ethnic foods including Thai, Chinese, Mexican, Italian, even sushi. And since we generally do all this from scratch, this, my friends, is real cooking. Real food for real hardworking people.

 

While not a typical dinner, this was a final dinner for our BC contract before heading to Alberta. Since the whole camp was packed up, we made a dinner of bagged fries along with chicken ceasar, buffalo chicken, and roasted veggie wraps. Sometimes you just gotta make do!

Over the years, many friends and family wonder why I keep going back. It's the lifestyle, the friends, the knowledge that you can overcome anything nature can throw at you (although that kitchen trailer is some warm when it's snowing outside but don't tell the planters that!), the living in a tent with only the necessities, the power to make any menu I can dream up. I guess it also doesn't hurt that, as a cook, I'm one of the most loved folks in camp! But, honestly, there's no way to make anyone understand until they can experience it for themselves. So, while I am aware this blog is entitled eatHalifax!, I plan to continue blogging while out there in the bush (oh yes, we even have a satellite to get the Internet) in an attempt to let you experience a little piece of our planting life. No more restaurant reviews sadly but wait til you see what we`re cookin`up this season!