Country Comfort Food

Friends in Chicago are astonished I don't like corn. "But you're from the South," they cry, referring to north Missouri and the Kansas City area. Everybody in Chicago thinks I'm from the South and that my slight twang is deep southern. And since my kinfolk originally come from Kentucky, which really is the South, not liking corn is especially an abomination.

So I had to come up with a variation I could like. Cornbread is okay, and maybe soup with about ten percent corn. I don't like grits because they're runny and the only acceptable runny dish for me is oatmeal. I decided to bake the grits--and doll it up with some extras. Here are grits anyone can like!

Bear & Animal Country - Food Handling & Storage

It's up to you, me, and us, to protect the animals from our food. Once animals become a nuisance-doing what is natural in scavenging for food-to park visitors, they are taken away and shot. Even when the animal is rightly there first, the National Park Service and Lang management agencies feel this is the only way to protect the (in whole) Animals. However, there is no uniform policy in protecting the animals. That's up to individual parties and state agencies and namely up to you and me and us.

What To Do With Food

o Don't leave food in your pack anytime, ever.
o If it has a smell-toothpaste, powder or even used utensils-must be stored in proper overnight containers.
o Store food downwind. Store your food container(s) from 100 to 200 feet from your campsite.
o Leave compartments and such unzipped and unbuttoned. The critters will only snoop and not shred.

What To Do in Bear Country

o Use a bear container or box or other methods (see below) for proper food storage.
o Use freeze-dried or dehydrated meals. Less simmer means less scents.
o Use cooking clothes to cook in. Store them with your food items overnight.
o Use double Ziploc bags to store used food items.
o Use soap and toothpaste away from your sleeping area.
o Store cooking cutlery and wrappers and trash with your food.
o If you wash in the river, keep the rinse water away from your campsite. The smells and especially the salts will attract all kinds of rodents and other dallying woodland creatures.
o Don't leave behind any trace of food.
o Don't give the fluffy little chipmunk any food, no matter how cute he is.
o If the bear takes it, it's his. Trust this. Don't chase a bear.
o Either run or stop and roll up into a ball if a bear comes at you. Ask rangers before entering the woods.

How to Store Food

Bear Box: Keep your food in a bear container if you're hiking backcountry. If you're camping within campgrounds, do not store food in your car. Store all perishables in Bear food lockers. These are large, latchable containers (like a walk in freezer) where you can store food.

Bear Poles: These are poles stored at backcountry camp spots used for placing food bags up in trees. You'll hang your bag up on a hook in a tree, high off the ground.

Bear Wires: These are wires used for counterbalancing food bags up in trees. These are nice to have pre-installed, as you don't have to search for the perfect bear resistant tree (a branch 15-20 or more feet high, 15 or so feet from the trunk, not strong enough to hold up a cub [mama bear will push baby cub into trees]).

Country Life Natural Foods

Country Life Natural Foods, situated in Pullman, Michigan, is a retail and wholesale distributor of natural and organic food, as well as an active promoter of physical and spiritual health. Aside from supplying their produce to the local area, the company also delivers it to 18 neighboring states using transport (and the rest of the nation using the United States Postal Service). The goods they sell are extensive, and include beans, grains, seasonings, pastas, granola, jams, spices, meat substitutes, juices, soy cheese, yoghurt, cereals, dried fruits, nuts, and over a thousand other items.

Mission Statement

Like many other natural food suppliers in the United States, the mission of Country Life is to encourage others to live wholesome and healthy lives by eating the food that nature intended for us. However, unlike most other suppliers, it is also a Christian organization (in fact, it is connected to the Oak Haven ministry, which is also located in central Michigan), and so, whilst not overly evangelistic, the company does approach its mission from a religious angle.

Seminars and Classes

Although Country Life's mission is similar to those of other natural food companies, it takes its message one step further by actively organizing and hosting seminars and classes that are relevant to its interests. Perhaps the most popular and well-known class organized by the Country Life is its vegetarian cooking class, although it hosts many other classes including: Recovering from depression, controlling diabetes, and even wilderness survival (the latter partly occurs outdoors).

Information About Ordering

If you would like to order goods from Country Life, then you can either visit their physical health food store located east of Pullman, Michigan (open 9-5 EST Sunday to Wednesday, 9-7 Thursday, 9-1 Friday, and closed on Saturday), or order online using their online shop. The online shop is the most effective option, especially if you live outside of Michigan, but remember that you will have to pay for the postage costs.

Country Life Experiences Can Enrich a Child's Life

It's hard to be a kid these days. When I was a child growing up in small-town Texas, we would head out the door each morning of our summer vacation and be outside all day. Even then, when we were called in at the end of the day, we reluctantly went inside. Kids these days sit slack-jawed and glassy-eyed in front of the television, playing video or computer games and messing around with their smart phones. I've seen them as young as 10 years of age fiddling around with their very own smart phones. The other day I asked an acquaintance what she got her 5-year-old for Christmas. She said, "You're gonna think I'm crazy, but I got him a smart phone; he can play games on it"... SERIOUSLY!!!?. And, yes, I do think she's crazy.