Earlier this week, Nathan asked me if we could have a "Pioneer Party" on the 24th. So after our decidedly un-pioneer dinner (I neither killed nor butchered the cow that gave us our hamburgers), we had a little pioneer celebration. First, we made gingerbread, the old fashioned kind that is actually a cake. We did it just like the pioneers: in addition to the flour, sugar, and molasses, we added some milk-free butter from our non-dairy cow, a not-egg from our almost-chicken, and then beat everything up with our oxen-powered hand mixer.
Next we poured the batter into a pan and baked it in our buffalo chip-fueled Whirlpool oven. Unfortunately for us, the thing overflowed all over the oven, making our entire house smell like the previously mentioned all natural fuel. When I pulled it out of the oven, the top was cooked, the edges were smoldering, and the bottom was still raw. So I slid a middle piece onto a plate and stuck it in the microwave to see if I could finish cooking it so the boys could at least have a taste. In spite of the fact that we have had our current microwave for nearly a year, eight years of habit still rule my microwaving skills and I forget that the new one is more powerful. Can you see where this is going? It wasn't long before wisps of smoke started escaping from the microwave and when I opened it up, I couldn't even see the plate for the smoke. (I really am a better cook than this, I swear! But since I don't believe in doing anything halfway, a disaster always seems to turn into a total catastrophe!) Nathan asked if we can try again with a pan "this tall" (his hands were about a foot apart). I felt really bad for burning his pioneer party dessert. And we didn't even get to do the part where we poured our applesauce (that we actually did make just like the pioneers, and may I say that homemade applesauce beats anything in a can!) on the top.
While the gingerbread was baking (before it started to look like the inside of a volcano in here), we made tin can lanterns. The boys drew designs for their lanterns, but before I thought to tell Daniel it needed to be a simple design, he had this whole elaborate plan drawn up. It had a picture of the space shuttle and an airplane and I think it even had a covered wagon. The words were something about the "pioneering spirit." I felt bad telling him it wouldn't work for this project. He was sad for a minute or two, then drew a solar system. This part of the party was a complete success.
The boys spent an hour hammering nails and were mighty pleased with their results. We didn't have time to put on handles or find candles tall enough to fit in the can and still light (we had a microwave induced inferno to deal with), so we just lit a tea candle and inverted the can over the top (hence the reason Nathan's trees are upside down in the picture).
After that (since our dessert was a bit crispy from our indoor campfire), we acted just like the pioneers and put everyone to bed when it got dark. Those pioneers really knew how to party!
But seriously, I'm so grateful for all the hard work the pioneers did and all the sacrifices they made so that I can be where I am, living the wonderful life that I do. I never would have survived the life they lived. Considering I nearly burned the house down this evening without once actually dealing with an open flame (Kev handled the candles!), I probably would have turned the entire wagon train into kindling long before we reached the Rockies.
