Ash Cake, anyone?

The chickenpox have finally started clearing up. We didn't go to church this week, though, just in case people saw the little pox and still thought Max was contagious- which he wasn't. Joe only had a couple of pox. This was his very last one that had to heal before he could go back to school. It was mostly gone on Friday, so off to school he went- much to his dismay!
Saturday we had to take the kids with us to the stake center where we learned how to cook over a fire and in dutch ovens. We have been asked to be the Ma's and Pa's from our ward (along with one other couple) for the pioneer youth trek in July. This was one of our training days. We were told, no children, but since ours still had chickenpox (Max, did anyway) and they all had to be at various games throughout the day, they came, along with a bunch of videos and the portable DVD player. Three cheers for electronics! They stayed in the truck and watched their videos and made a grand mess, while we learned how to make stew, bake bread in a dutch oven, make yummy scones and butter, and ash cakes- everyone's favorite (not!) Seriously, who comes up with this stuff? One of our friends said, "I'm sure some idiot dropped his bread in the fire, picked it up, brushed it off and ate it and someone wrote it down like a recipe." Rob was quite the rebel the whole time. They could tell they had their hands full with him. For some reason we aren't allowed to bring belts. So while they were talking about going to a blacksmith to get your striker made for your flint to make a fire, Rob says, "while you are going to the blacksmith, I am going to go to the leather tanner and get myself a belt made!" We may have made them reconsider us as good Ma's and Pa's, but they did keep coming over to try our food. We were told by several of the stake leaders how we were the best and most experienced of the bunch and even the teacher commented how our cornmeal was the best. Got to thank Rob's Mom and Dad and Step-Dad for all those great camping trips and his Mom who taught him how to make cornmeal mush! Sorry- I still don't like it- made over a hot fire or in my own kitchen! I foresee a little weight loss on this trek!