February 17 2007

Well gang, as many of you know, our web site has been experiencing serious problems of late.
Our experts are trying to remedy the situation, but so far it seems to be one of those "you can’t get there from here" kind of deals.
It is particularly frustrating because we want to use our email function on the web site to gather recipes and cooking tips for our club cookbook which currently is in the works.
As soon as hurt feelings heal, as well as several nasty bruises and contusions, we will have another meeting of the cookbook committee.
There is no way to comprehend the complexity of putting together a cookbook except by making the attempt. Especially if you’re doing it by committee.
There is something to be said for the old saying; "The whole is less than the sum of it’s parts."
There is one aspect of the cookbook on which everyone seems to agree however, and that is in the weights and measures section, where there will be table of equivalents that will convert teaspoons and cups and all like that, to different caliber shell casings.
Like a .22 caliber short might be equal to an eighth of a teaspoon, and on the other end of the scale, a 105mm howitzer shell casing might be the equivalent of, let’s say 5 cups of flour.
Originally it was rumored that one of our members always cooked using brass shell casings for measuring, and that he had a personal note book full of recipes that he might donate to the cause.
But as luck would have it, city life got to be too much for him and he is currently living on the side of a mountain somewhere in Idaho, and he hasn’t picked up his mail at the general store for going on three months now.
But one of those on the cookbook committee, having a fondness for the concept of shell casings for measuring devices, has committed himself to being our own sort of "Test Kitchen", and will work out a recipe or two using shell casings for measuring.
He seems to think that a kit of shell casings for measuring devices might make a nice Christmas present. Add a little pinache to the kitchen as it were.
At any rate, don’t give up on the web site, we’re doing all that we can do, and plan to get more duct tape first thing tomorrow.

Till next week
Helga Biermeister
Secretary