Last Chance Cook-Off 2008

WOW! What a great day!

Me and my boys got to the Sportsman's Warehouse in Midvale right around 9:00am this morning. There were three teams in the process of setting up with the other two teams showing up shortly after. All five teams were set up and ready to go by 9:30. It was obvious that all of these cooks have competed before and were ready for a friendly battle. And what a battle it was.

We all had a quick Cooks Meeting at 9:45. Having five teams that have cooked many times before makes hosting a cook-off so much easier. Basically, I told them where to get water, where the dishes needed to go for judging, and the location of the restrooms. 15 seconds later, we were done. Cooking started at 9:50.



The first couple of hours were a little chilly. Setting up on the west side of the building provided everyone with cold shade. A couple of people walked the 20 feet in front of the cooking area to stand in the parking lot and warm sun. Bakin Bill was nice enough to serve everyone some of his bean and ham soup and I heated up my Jambalaya to warm everyone up. Around noon, the sun peaked around the corner of the building and soon we were all bathed in glorious sunshine. It was great to have the sun warming my bones. The coats and sweaters started coming off as the teams worked in their last hour. I think it was great weather for a cook-off this time of year.



Through out the day, there were many customers that couldn't help but notice us cooking outside and stopped by to see what we were doing. As always, Jack Wallace did an amazing job of communicating his love of Dutch Oven cooking and offered details on IDOS and the chapters in this area. Jack has his book of pictures that really does a great job of detailing the process of preparing some wonderful dishes. I think Jack was able to sign a few people up today. I do hope that our little cook-off helped influence some sales for Sportsman's Warehouse today as well.

Just before 2:00, everyone pitched in and helped everyone take their dishes to the receiving area in the back of the store for judging. DeeAnn Johnson had already set up all the tables and had plates and utensils waiting for the food and the judges. DeeAnn is one amazing lady! I don't remember exactly who judged each category. Eight of the food judges were chapter members that have either been to World's or have qualified for the 2009 WCCO. The ninth judge was one of the department managers from Sportsman's Warehouse. I was going to be the ninth judge, but I really wanted a representative of Sportsman's Warehouse to get a chance to judge these amazing dishes. He was thrown in at the last minute and did an awesome job!

It took the judges about thirty minutes to go through the five dishes per category. There were some amazing dishes on those tables. After judging their category, the judges sort of mingled around stealing little bits from the other categories. Most just couldn't wait until the DOG event at three. The food was so tempting and the entire store had the great aroma of Dutch Oven cooking. I bet everyone in the store could smell that great food. I wonder if the sales associates had a hard time helping customers due to their mouths watering?



At three o'clock, everyone grabbed a seat in order to hear the list of winners. Jon Larson and Sportsman's Warehouse were very generous with the prizes for all five teams. Debbie and Michael Hair took first place. They had the highest scoring dessert and tied for highest scoring bread. Jason Jensen and Phil Newman came in a close second and had the highest scoring main dish. Their main dish had a higher score than all the other dishes. Carol Hokanson came in third and tied for the highest scoring bread. Erik Hanson and John Buxton came in fourth. Ted and Connie Cromer came in fifth. Every team walked away with a gift card from Sportsman's Warehouse. The fourth and fifth place teams received a hand made rolling pin from the Legendary Terry Lewis. The good folks at Sportsman's Warehouse got to taste the dishes and awarded Carol Hokanson's dessert as their People's Choice award.

James Knowles and his family spent most of the day with us. James is new to Dutch Oven cooking and was fascinated with the talent and presented dishes from the teams today. He prepared a corn bread and a curry dish for the DOG event. His curry dish was a great addition to the dishes presented by the teams.

I really like a cook-off like today. With some cook-offs, it seems most teams are really tired from cooking all day and are ready to go home after such a long day. Today, there were a few people that had to leave early because of obligations, but it seemed some of them wanted to stay and enjoy the friendly atmosphere. Many people sat around talking long after they were done eating. Most teams left their dishes out for everyone to enjoy for a while. I think I finally started cleaning a little after four. Even then, I kept running into others from the event either in the store shopping or outside chatting with others. It's really great to have such a social gathering surrounding a cook-off. We have a great chapter full of great people!



Thanks to all the teams for giving it your best today. Thanks to all the judges for being willing to help your fellow chapter members. Thanks to Terry for the rolling pins. And many thanks to Jon Larson and all the great people at Sportsman's Warehouse for making us feel right at home.

Here are a few links for your viewing pleasure.

Cook-Off on the chapter site

Pictures from the cook-off

For all those chapter members that couldn't make it today... you sure missed out on a great event!

Until next time....

Ranes
=0)

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Howdy,

Most of you know I have a couple of different hobbies and there are times I like to combine events. On 4 October.. yes, conference weekend... there are two different events being held by the Utah Association of Geocachers (UTAG). I think it might be an awesome event for UTAG, Dutch Oven cooks, and the Trikke group!! I haven't really been given permission to invite my other hobbies... but I'm going to anyway. =0)

The first event is a Willow Parik CITO event. CITO stands for Cache In, Trash Out. It's a community service event where a lot of geocachers show up and clean up an area. UTAG does this about every month or two at different locations. On 4 October, we are all meeting at Willow Park in Lehi, UT to help clean up the park.

The second UTAG event is the Fall Bike Ride and Breakfast Along the JR Trail. This event will start with a Dutch Oven Breakfast and will be followed by a nice morning ride up the Jordan River Parkway.

A few of you have asked about having a Breakfast DOG in the past, and this seems to be a perfect occasion. And, I know some of the Trikke group might be interested in a ride along the Jordan River Parkway.. that's why they changed their name to Parkway-Sports ! =0)

CLEAN UP

For those that want to help clean up the park, they will start cleaning at 8:00am.

BREAKFAST DOG

Breakfast is to be served at 9:00. I will be there around 7:00 to 7:30 to set up and start cooking. There is the chance there will be many geocachers there to clean and / or ride the Jordan River trail and they will not be providing any food of their own food. A couple of us are planning to feed all those that show up. It's a great event that I don't mind supporting at all and I would love to see a lot of Black Pots filled with breakfast foods! I have been asked to make Biscuits and Gravy. I'm going to try 60 biscuits in a 12" DO!!

Jordan River Ride

This is where a third hobby of mine comes in. The Jordan River Parkway between Willow and 1100 North in Lehi is a pretty good ride an a Trikke. From 1100 North to Thanksgiving Point is a lot harder.. more hills. South of Willow Park is very smooth and flat. This might be a great event for the Trikke group. My kids will love riding their Trikkes on the parkway! Of course, bikes, roller blades, scooters, skate boards, roller skates, or those that want to walk are all welcome to join.

If you are interested in joining me for this event, will you please let me know so we can get a head count?

2008 Lehi Rodeo Round Up cook-Off ~ After the party

Howdy all,

I have to be honest... I was concerned about the Lehi cook-off this year. Because of the economy, some of my sponsors weren't able to be as generous as last year, and I had five teams drop out in the last couple of weeks.

Continuing the Honesty theme... I think the 2008 Lehi cook-off was the best damn cook-off I have every witnessed!

The first obvious difference this year was the 30 foot by 30 foot tent that the Hutchings Museum provided for the cook-off. They were also responsible for providing so many chairs and tables. Thanks to Val and Susan and the Lehi folks for providing such great shade and seating.

This year, I had six teams. All six competed at the Advanced level... even the team that has only competed in one other cook-off. The main dishes were so impressive, it took the judges just under an hour to judge just six dishes.

Looking at the scores (Excel sheet), you will see that the six teams were only separated by 18 points total. The top three teams were only one point away from each other. But, if you look at the scores per dish, you will see that the best dishes in each category really were scored much higher than the rest.

Lisa Blodgett's Key Lime Cheese Cake was nine points above. The Hair's Poppy-Cheese Bread Blossom was nine points above. Jared's Southwest Chipotle BBQ Ribs was fourteen points higher. The other dishes were awesome, but the best dishes really were The Best!!

All six teams did an amazing job... and any of these six teams stood a very good chance of winning. If one or to small things would have been different, the line up could have been completely different. All six teams should be VERY proud of what they accomplished yesterday. Every judge I talked to was impressed with the quality of dishes presented. Any of these six teams had a very good chance of winning.

Speaking of judges... wow! I had a total of NINE World Champs and two IDOS presidents (Kent Mayberry shares the joy of being both a champ and a president). To add to that list of Legends, I had Bakin Bill and DeeAnn Johnson. I am honored that these amazing people were willing to help me. I think that says a lot about the quality of the Lehi Cook-Off, and it makes me proud of what we've accomplished with this cook-off. My mom was pretty impressed, too. =0)

After the judges were done, I invited all the teams and sponsors to the judges tables to try each of the presented dishes. I really hoped that this would be similar to a DOG event where we were able able to socialize and talk about the dishes. It was great seeing a team sharing thoughts and ideas about the dishes right beside the past champ judges. I almost didn't want to break up the party, but I had to announce the winners at some point. No one was in a hurry to get their dishes off the judges tables.

Like I mentioned before, I was a little concerned about the prizes. BUT... and (like me) that is a big BUT... every team that entered walked away with over a hundred dollars in prize items. For a $10 entry fee, you got the chance to compete against some awesome cooks, you got the chance to rub shoulders with past and current champs, and you walked away with no less than a hundred dollars in prizes. I think that's a pretty good return. I would say the sponsors did a great job of supporting this cook-off and I thank each and every one of them!

I did the prizes a little different this year. Each team got aprons, cook books, seasonings, teas, and gloves. I had six prizes off to the side.. from a Lone Star Grill from Texaloy to an Edger from Home Depot. Each of the six teams, starting with the First Place team, got to choose one item from that pile. And... I had three prizes off to the side for the top three teams. I thought this was a unique way of offering prizes. It gave the teams a chance to choose an item instead of being stuck with what I thought they might want. I hope they appreciated that chance. It definitely made offering the prizes a lot more fun.

Another thing I found interesting... At past cook-offs, usually the teams and judges are ready to get home after a cook-off... especially in such high heat. Yesterday, many people stayed after to chat and help clean up. I was really amazed that so many people stayed just to socialize and help out. Another proud moment for me. It really was more like a competitive DOG event than a cook-off.

I have the Final Scores (Excel), images of the teams and presented dishes, and the Recipe Book posted on the chapter website. I have pictures posted on Picasaweb.google.com. I have comb bound cook-books for sale for any interested.

Again, I have to say this has been the best cook-off I have ever witnessed... if I do say so myself... and I just did. None of it would have been possible without the generosity of the sponsors, the support of the judges, and the ambition of the competing teams. I didn't make the cook-off a huge success... I just made the phone calls and sent out the emails. The teams, judges, and sponsors are responsible for just how great this cook-off was. I can't thank you enough!

THANKS!!

Ranes

Storm Mountain ~ June Updates

Howdy all,

It's been a while since I sent out a big, bulk email. I gave all of you break for a few weeks and it's time to catch up.

Contents:
Greetings
Camp Chef DOG ~ 7 June
Eagle Mountain Cook-Off ~ 7 June
6th Annual South Salt Lake Cook-Off ~ 14 June
City Weekly Cook-Off ~ 14 June
June DOG ~ 21 June
Lehi Cook-Off ~ 28 June
West Haven Cook-Off ~ 28 June
West Fest Cook-Off ~ 28 June
July DOG at GANS ~ 12 July

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Greetings

I hope all of you have been having a great year so far. The Storm Mountain Chapter has been involved in a few great events these last few months and the Dutch Oven competition season is about to hit us at full speed. For those that like to compete, there are already a few cook-offs scheduled and booking up fast. For those that don't like competing, the chapter has a few upcoming DOG events that I think will be great. I hope to see all of you at any of the upcoming Chapter events!

A few of the chapter members have email accounts that get bounced when I include links in my emails. Because of this, I'm not linking to any in this email. Most all of this information can be found on the chapter website or on the IDOS forums.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Camp Chef DOG ~ 7 June

This year's Camp Chef DOG will be on Saturday 7 Jun at the Camp Chef warehouse in Logan, UT. Setup starts at 9:00, lunch is at noon, the raffle drawing will be after lunch, the tour will be after the raffle drawing. This year, Camp Chef is handing out tickets for the raffle and the tour for those that cook for the DOG. All of you can feel free to skip this event... that will better my chances at the raffle and will make the 'tour' that much better! Visit the IDOS forums for more details.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Eagle Mountain Cook-Off ~ 7 June

Eagle Mountain has been a popular cook-off for many years. This year, they are making their cook-off an IDOS qualifier and it is obvious by the teams that have signed up. There are many great names that will be waging war for the first WCCO qualifying event of the summer in this area. I am betting it will be an awesome event and I am disappointed that I won't be there! For those not going to the Camp Chef DOG in Logan, this might be an awesome cook-off to watch.. or to take your chances competing against some great chefs. Visit the IDOS forums for more information.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
6th Annual South Salt Lake Cook-Off ~ 14 June

Debbie Hair has helped run this cook-off for South Salt Lake in the past. The event is usually around the 4th of July, but they scheduled it earlier this year. This is a Novice only cook-off and not an IDOS qualifier. For any of you that are interested in competing but are worried about going up against the 'big boys', this is a perfect place to start. Check the forums for details.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
City Weekly Cook-Off ~ 14 June

The Salt Lake City Weekly is having their 2nd Annual Summer RecFest at the Gallivan Center in Salt Lake City. Kent Mayberry and Roger B are the head judges again this year. This is a WCCO qualifying event. For anyone interested in competing, contact Annie Quan at 801-575-7003. Deadline is 30 May. Again... the IDOS forums has more details.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
June DOG ~ Lehi, UT 21 June

Last year, I thought it would be a good idea to have a DOG event the weekend before the Lehi Cook-Off. I thought it would be a great time to have some of the competing teams try out their dishes. I invited the local Geocachers (UTAG) and the Salt Lake Trikke Posse to join us. I have to admit the event was not as big as I hoped, but it was still a great event.

This year, I have hopes of a bigger, better event. I have rented a pavilion at the Olympic Park in Lehi from 4:00p until 10:00p. This park is 15 acres and is located along the Jordan River and the Jordan River Parkway. There are 20 tables and a fire pit near the pavilion. There are playgrounds and bathrooms and bike paths and soccer fields and tons of room. Bring your bikes, trikkes, skate boards, kites, frisbees, fishing poles, horse shoes, and appetites for a great afternoon in an amazing park in Lehi!

I have invited the local geocachers (UTAG) and the Trikke group again, and I'm hoping to get a few more groups included. There are two or three geocachers (including Kent Mayberry, the Cast Iron Boss) that call themselves The Unknown Hobos. They have scheduled this event as a geocaching event. The Trikke Brothers (and Heather) should be there with some Trikkes for those that want to try them out.

So, feel free to invite your co-workers, buddies, neighbors, family, etc. All I ask is that everyone brings something and enough to share. Show up early and cook... or bring a bucket of chicken... doesn't matter to me.

More details can be found on the Storm Mountain Chapter website under Chapter DOGs... and of course in the forums.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Lehi Cook-Off ~ 28 June

So far, I have eight teams that are interested in competing in Lehi on 28 June. I have stated no past champs or current qualifiers for the Lehi cook-off. There is a cook-off in Eagle Mountain on 7 June and a cook-off in SLC on 14 June. It is possible one or two of the teams that have shown an interest in the Lehi cook-off will have to drop out if they win either of the previous cook-offs. I still have spots left open. With that said, here are the eight teams that have an interest in cooking in Lehi:

Jared and Kathy Cahoon
Ted and Connie Cromer
Mary Allen Dwire
Tim and Amanda Watt
Mark Hansen
Bill and Toni Thayn
Debbie and Mindy Hair
Erik Hansen and Jarin Blackham

I was trying to get all my Food Judges to be IDOS WCCO Champs. I have a few, but don't think I will get able to get all nine. My plan B is to get as many Champs as possible... and IDOS Presidents. I might have to resort to plan C. Here is a list of those that have shown an interest in judging:

Dian Mayfield ~ 2008 Champ
Scott Clawson ~ 2007 Champ
Bruce Tracy ~ 2004 Champ
Kent Mayberry ~ 1999 Champ and past IDOS President
Janet Wayman ~ 1998 Champ
Terry Lewis ~ 1996 Champ
Kent Rappleye ~ Current IDOS President

Field Judges and Judge Assistants:
Omar Alvarez
Bakin Bill and DeeAnn Johnson

I am still contacting folks for judging, so this list might change. Terry is trying to qualify for the 2009 IDOS WCCO... so if he doesn't win in Eagle Mountain or the SLC Weekly, he might be competing in West Haven on 28 June instead.

More information can be found on the Chapter Website... and in the forums.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
West Haven Cook-Off ~ 28 June

I don't know much about this event other than it is in West Haven, UT on 28 June. I noticed the event listed on the IDOS Cook-Off page, but didn't see it in the forums... so I posted the information in the forums. It is a WCCO qualifier.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
West Fest Cook-Off ~ 28 June

This is an annual Cook-Off held in West Valley City at the Centiennial Park during the city's WestFest celebration. I don't have much more information than that. For those interested, contact Vickie at the General Army Navy Store at 966-5556.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
July DOG at GANS ~ 12 July

Colleen Sloan usually teaches the monthly Dutch Oven demos at the General Army Navy store in Salt Lake City. For July, Colleen is having a "Parking Lot Cooking" demonstrations and has asked Storm Mountain to join her. She will be doing demos on tailgating and other parking lot cooking ideas. So, bring a pop up tent and your outdoor chairs and join us.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Wow... you actually read this far down?? Thanks!!

That's about it for now.... as if that weren't enough. The month of August usually has many cook-offs every weekend, so I doubt we do a chapter DOG in August.. unless we do it during the week... maybe at the Chinese Gourmet on 4500 South in SLC? =0)

Feel free to forward this to anyone you think might be interested.

See ya'll soon,

Ranes

Howdy all,

I am just getting started with doing a few follow up items for yesterday's Taste Of Dutch. I have posted what few pictures I have on a new picasa web site I created for IDOS events... http://picasaweb.google.com/IDOSStormMtn/2008TasteOfDutch. I am going to start placing my IDOS events images here and keep the Storm Mountain Chapter events in the Storm Mountain chapter gallery because of storage limitation. And, I might be helping another chapter or two do something similar... and we can all link our sites together to share with the world. Wouldn't that be cool?

I am hoping that Jack, Dian, Mark, and any other's that took pictures will send them to me to add to this photo album. I have far too few images for such an amazing event.

Mark Hanson did an awesome job of summing up his thoughts of the event on his Black Pot blog site: http://marksblackpot.blogspot.com/2008/04/another-big-dutch-oven-day.html. I really appreciate Mark's time and dedication of documenting his Dutch Oven cooking experience over the last year. His comments on the event are well written and impressive. He does go a little overboard with sucking up to me so much... but I don't mind the flattery. =0)

I want to thank everyone that showed up to cook. I have to openly apologize to the Taste of Dutch cooks by saying I'm sorry I didn't get too many chances to visit your booth and thank you personally. I tried to tackle too much by stating I would cook the Rhodes bread all day long, and my jambalaya at lunch. I know most of you old pro's could have cooked circles around me... and most of you did! I know it is a lame excuse, but I got in over my head with cooking so much bread. It was a stress that I brought on myself and I know it showed. Mark Hanson REALLY saved my butt by helping cook and serve all that bread. And my two boys were simply amazing with how much they helped. It really bothers me that I didn't make more time to spend with all of you. I have pictures of a few of you.. .and I don't even know your names to associate with the pictures.

It does help to read the comments of Omar on the Yahoo groups forum and Mark on his blog site. Both said they were so busy they didn't even get to eat their own food. That's my point exactly. I got so busy with cooking and serving and talking about the chapter... that I neglected to get to know the cooks and thank them properly for helping me out. It is my loss.

Okay... enough with the apologies.

I am very impressed with the amount of labor Randy put into setting up over the weekend. He didn't seem to slow down at all. He bought every thing needed for our hand washing stations, dish cleaning stations, sanitizing buckets, all the charcoal, the charcoal drums and fire stick, the burners and pots for water... etc, etc. Thanks Randy!

And... thanks to Ted, Phil, and anyone else who helped keep all that hot water hot... all those coals lit... and everything else you did to help with the taste of Dutch. I know you guys were busy with the cook-off... and you still made the time to help us. I simply could not have done it all by myself. Thanks!

Okay.. .enough sucking up and being all mushy. Bottom line, I had a great time this weekend and it's because of so many great people that helped in so many ways. I truly hope it was a rewarding and memorable experience for all of you. And I hope most of you will join us at next year's Spring Convention.

Thanks,

Ranes

IDOS WCCO Semi Finals Friday

Here are some images from the IDOS WCCO on Friday, 14 March 2008

IDOS Forums with teams
http://forums.idos.org/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=15609

My Picasa photos
http://picasaweb.google.com/stormmtn/IDOSWCCOSemiFinalFriday

Photos taken by Robert Love and posted on the IDOS site
http://www.idos.org/Portals/1/Photos/2008%20WCCO%20Day%202/index.html

Enjoy!

IDOS WCCO Semi Finals Thursday

Here are some images from the IDOS WCCO Semi Finals on Thursday, 13 March 2008.

IDOS Forums with teams
http://forums.idos.org/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=15593

My Picasa Page with a couple more pictures
http://picasaweb.google.com/stormmtn/IDOSWCCOSemiFinalThursday

IDOS page with pictures by Robert Love
http://www.idos.org/Portals/1/Photos/2008%20WCCO%20Day%201/index.html

Enjoy!

Feb 2008 DOG ~ After the event

Many thanks to all those that showed up. We had around 25 to 30 people show up and it was pretty well divided between chapters. Bakin' Bill showed up from Lake Bonneville... so the directors from all three chapters in Region 3 were there. It was a good event. Three of us showed up early to cook on site. The rest were smart enough to cook in the warmth of their homes and bring their dishes. =0) But me, Ron, and Jack had a good time weathering the weather.

We had whole grain rolls, biscuits, cactus stew, caramel apple pie, brownies, roast chicken legs, elk chili, boiled peanuts, ranch beans, Mexican goulash, corned beef, chicken noodle casserole, oven chicken bake, BBQ chicken, rice, and a few other dishes. There was a lot of food!!

Pictures can be found on the chapter photo page... http://picasaweb.google.com/stormmtn/Feb2008DOG.

I am still trying to plan a DOG for next month, March. I would like to know if there is an interest in having a DOG in March and on what weekend you would prefer. I had thought of having a DOG event on Saturday, 8 Mar... the week before the World's Championship Cook-Off... to let the competing teams practice their dishes. Is there enough interest in this weekend? I know Dallin Cromer is getting married that weekend and Debbie Hair was suckered into helping cook for the reception. Should we have it on the 22nd or 29th? Does anyone want to host the event for March? If not, I am sure there is a church location or two that might be available.

Heck, maybe we can just have a DOG event at Dallin's reception? =0)

Annual Chapter Meeting Summary

Howdy all,

I feel we had a very successful and productive meeting this past Saturday. Thanks to Jack for taking pictures during the event. I'll try to recap the meeting without getting too lengthy.

First, let me get the elections out of the way. By a majority vote of those in attendance, the following members were elected to office.

Ranes Carter ~ Director
Carol Hokanson ~ Assistant Director
Debbie Hair ~ Secretary / Treasurer

I would like to thank Scott Clawson and the past officers for doing such a great job of organizing and starting the Storm Mountain Chapter. I hope we will all offer our support to Scott Clawson in his new role of IDOS Vice President. And, I want to thank Carol and Debbie for 'volunteering' for the positions for this year.

Now that the politics are out of the way, I'll detail the rest of the meeting… in no particular order.

I would like to welcome the newest chapter members, Del and Brenda Atikinson. The Atikinsons have offered their yard for a DOG event in a couple of months. And, welcome to Mark Hansen. I'm sure we will be hearing more from Mark in the near future. His passion for cooking is impressive. I've been trying to get Mark to visit with us at a DOG for months!

At some point, I mentioned that I would like to have most of the DOG events and cook-offs planned for the year. This will allow chapter members to plan accordingly… but more importantly, we can offer this information to visitors to our cook-offs and DOG events. While a visitor is showing interest in Dutch Oven cooking, we can hand them a flyer that details upcoming DOGs, demos, and cook-offs… and links to websites. These can made available at DOG events, cook-offs, the WCCO, the Spring Convention, the Camp Chef DOG, etc, etc, etc. Let's all support each other by advertising all of our events.

On the calendar page of the Storm Mountain website, I have a list of upcoming events. Here is a quick list of DOG events that are in the works:

* Feb 16 ~ with Oquirrh Mountain
* Mar ~ I wouldn't mind having a DOG a week before World's (8 Mar) to give teams a chance to practice. I would really like to hear from everyone if they like this idea. Otherwise we could have a DOG on 22 or 29 Mar.
* Apr ~ The Atkinsons joined our chapter on Saturday. They have offered their home for the April DOG. The 26th might be the better date with hopes of warm weather.
* May ~ Pretty much wide open right now. I welcome any suggestions. Might be a good time for a breakfast DOG or a camping trip?
* June ~ 21 June in Lehi, a week before the Lehi cook-off
* July ~ Sort of wide open, but there will be cook-offs and holidays to plan around.
* Aug ~ August is packed with cook-offs. We might skip this month.
* Sep ~ Annual FEKA DOG… combined event with geocachers.
* Oct ~ Currently wide open
* Nov ~ Last Chance Chapter cook-off and DOG to nominate a team for the 2009 WCCO.
* Dec ~ Only if enough people will voice an interest

As you can see, the year is pretty much booked with DOG events. I would really appreciate someone planning an event for March, May, July, and October. Maybe the Atikinsons might be willing to switch April another month if needed? I wouldn't mind a month or two with two events if needed (like community events, etc). I would really like a camping DOG at some point. If we use a campground that is near, we could have a night event and those that can't stay could go home. And we could have a breakfast event the next morning? Just ideas...

While discussing DOG events, I mentioned the fact that Storm Mountain doesn't charge a fee to be a member, but you should be active with IDOS. Because we don't charge a fee, we have to rely on other ways of making money. I suggested a 'kitty jar' to be available at DOG events for those that would like to donate during the events. In the past, we have sold cook-books, spices, and dutch oven related items during events. And, we had raffles during our DOGs. We made $80 for the chapter this Saturday. Thanks to Scott and Jack for donating a keg roaster, a 14 inch DO, and 5 DO lids. Congrats to the winners. Donations for raffles are always welcome.

I also suggested that we should have a cooking fund raiser or two. One suggestion in the past was to have a offer a Thanksgiving Dinner. An additional option is to have demos during the day that details the preparation of a Thanksgiving meal… to be concluded by having the meal. One idea is to have a set price per person to sit through any of the demos they would like, then have dinner. As an example, someone could demo making a scratch bread. While that rises, someone could demo a turkey in an UTR. This could be followed by a dessert demo, or finishing the scratch bread, etc. Once all the demo'd foods are done, we serve the food to the 'students'. Of course, there are other options. If anyone is motivated to take on this task, I would really appreciate it. I have yet to do a demo and would prefer one of you pros to take this one.

At some point, we discussed upcoming cook-offs. I mentioned that hosting a cook-off can be a little stressful. I suggested that chapter members that aren't into competing could offer their support by helping with the cook-offs. I can think of eight to ten cook-offs that are held by members of Storm Mountain. And, I am sure there are other cook-offs that might not mind a helping hand. I think it would be great to have chapter members doing demos during a cook-off… or having members help set up and break down… or having members operate an information and/or merchandise booth. This will promote our chapter, which will promote IDOS, and help raise funds for the chapter. And, it will help our chapter members get to know each other better. I know everyone can't help all the time, but if most could help with just one event, it would really help those in charge of the events.

For those hosting cook-offs (Debbie, Todd, Bill, Scott, Thayns), I would really appreciate updated information as soon as you have it. I really want to keep my information current and correct. And for any of you that do demos, let me know so I can get it posted and advertised on the calendar.

Another subject was supporting IDOS and Region 4. I think it would be awesome to have chapter members at the World Championship Cook-Off in March in different positions. In the past, they have needed people to help with starting charcoal and with being cook's aids for the competing teams. I am planning on being there all four days as a cook's aid. I think we could help sell the cook-books or help with staffing the break room or help in an information booth or any other things that need to be done.

The same thing goes for the Spring Convention. It would be great if we could help with demos, or The Taste of Dutch, or the Youth Cook-Off, or crowd control, or an information booth, or anything that needs to be done. For those that have items for sale, you could be a vendor for the event.

Another possibility is supporting the Camp Chef DOG this June! They might be in need of volunteers.

It would be nice to be able to tell IDOS we have members that are willing to do what needs to be done to help support these events.

This lead into another topic of support. Debbie Hair cooked for the Ronald McDonald house a few weeks ago. I thought this was awesome and I applaud her for making this effort! I suggested we get involved with more community projects. It would be nice to offer food to a street cleaning crew (like at a Cache In Trash Out geocaching event), or maybe for community building projects, or for a family center, or any other areas that would appreciate our efforts. I know there were Dutch Oven cooks that fed the rescue crews in Price last year, as an example.

Finally, I talked about a new idea for the chapter. Right now, we have a chapter website, a chapter photo page, and a blog site (that is nothing more than my bulk emails). This last week, in the Yahoo group, there was a discussion on Cee Dub's newest episode of cooking a prime rib in Rock Salt. There have been a few people detail this process in both forums… especially Dave from California… but it was nice to see a video of how simple the process is. So… long story short… I created a Storm Mountain account on YouTube. I did a quick search of Dutch Oven videos and added those as favorites for now. I even found an interview with Wil Ward and Jan Smith from the 2008 WCCO. You can see Jack Wallace walking around in the background.

My goal is to video chapter members doing random tasks and posting those to YouTube. These videos will be edited to be five to eight minutes long. Some ideas for videos are how to season a Dutch Oven (it's talked about, but a video would be nice), how to save a rusted Dutch Oven (Jack?), how to store your Dutch Ovens, how to make a Prime Rib in rock salt, how to make bread or braid bread, how to make a turkey in an UTR (Bill?), how to make other things in an UTR, how to start and maintain coals, the use of a windscreen and dutch oven tables… and on, and on, and on. It would be really nice to have chapter members that are good at a particular dish to demo that dish for these videos. And it would be very nice to have many different members offer these demos. There are many people out there that are scared to try a Dutch Oven because they don't understand just how easy it can be. Maybe one person could do the cooking while another talks for the camera? Offering a recipe is one thing… offering a video that details the process is so much better. Another idea is to take digital images during the process to post with recipes. A step by step guide with pictures. Ideas for videos are welcome, volunteers to demo for the video are much appreciated.

There were other conversations during the meeting, but that is a pretty good summary of the chapter related events. For those that didn't make it, I sure would appreciate any input about any of the topics that you would like to share.

On that note, I would like to mention the IDOS forums. For those that haven't visited in a while, there are a couple of new forums… the Recipe Forum and the Regions Forum. The Recipe Forums have different topics to make posting and finding recipes easier. The Regions Forum has the Regions broken down. Under the Regions Forum is a Region 4 topic. Feel free to use this area to openly discuss chapter related events.

I really hope that many of you can make it to the combined event in February. I think it will be really great to get to know our neighboring chapter better. I hope to do more combined events in the future.

To the IDOS officials reading this, please consider this the minutes from our annual meeting.

To all those that read this far... thanks! I have to be honest and let you know that I spent longer on this email than the meeting itself!

Many thanks,

Ranes
=0)

Storm Mountain Chapter updates ~ 23 Jan 2008

Howdy All,

It's been slow these last couple of months... but I think it's going to be a busy year. I think it will be a great one!

Items covered in this email:

* Calendars and Planning
* January DOG ~ 26 June
* February Events
~ Storm Mountain / Oquirrh Mountain Chapter DOG
~ Snake Black Pot Chapter DOG
* March Events
~ DOS WCCO
~ March DOG
* April Events
~ April DOG
~ IDOS Spring Convention
~ Geocaching / Dutch Oven / Camping event in Idaho
* The rest of the year

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

* Calendars and Planning

In an effort to plan events, I am continuing my quest to maintain a calendar of Dutch Oven events in our area. Actually, I am maintaining multiple calendars. I have an IDOS Cook-Off and DOG events calendar posted on the IDOS forums under the Region section... and I have a local calendar posted on the Storm Mountain Chapter website on the Calendar page, and I have the same calendar posted on the forums under Region 4 of the Regions section.

And... I have a table located on the bottom of the DOG page on the Storm Mountain chapter site. This table shows events that are planned, being organized, or dates that are open for suggestions. Please, take a moment to look at that table to see if you are willing to host a DOG event on any of the open months.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

* January DOG

Our January DOG is this Saturday, 26 January. We are having the DOG event at the Golden Corral in West Jordan (8860 South Redwood Road) from 1pm to 3pm.

During this event, we will have our annual meeting to elect this years officers, discuss the chapter website, discuss upcoming DOG events and cook-offs, and discuss the direction and growth of the chapter.

Scott has done a wonderful job as chapter director over the last couple of years. This year, he will be Vice President of IDOS. I would like to run for Chapter Director. We need as Assistant Director and a Treasurer / Secretary. There are other options for those interested, but we need at least a Director, Assistant Director, and Treasurer / Secretary. Of course, we could always use volunteers to help with events, etc. We will discuss this at the meeting this weekend.

Scott is donating a Keg Roaster to be raffled, and Terry has said he will make a rolling pin for the raffle!! Many thanks to Scott and Terry for donating these items. Any other donated items would be greatly appreciated.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

* February Events

~ Storm Mountain / Oquirrh Mountain Chapter DOG

For our February DOG, we will be joining the Oquirrh Mountain Chapter at their location in Salt Lake City. The Oquirrh Mountain Chapter meets the third Thursday of every month, except December and January. During warmer months, the cook and eat in the pavilion of a church parking lot. During colder months, they meet inside the church. The church is located at 5025 West 4865 South in Salt Lake City.

Dinner is served at 6:00pm. For those that want to cook on site, a few of us should be there around 3:00pm.

I am hoping the Lake Bonneville Chapter will be able to join us.

I hope to do more combined events with all three chapters in Region 4 on a regular basis.


~ Snake Black Pot Chapter DOG

The Snake Black Pot Chapter will be having a DOG event on 23 February in Burley, Idaho. Dian and Omar are having this DOG event to allow some WCCO teams the chance to practice their dishes before the big competition in March. I don't have an exact location or times just yet, but I'm betting I'll get them soon.

If any of you are interested, we should try to car pool. We can discuss this at the meeting this weekend.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

* March Events

~IDOS WCCO

The IDOS World Championship Cook-Off will be held at the International Sportsmans Expo in Salt Lake City from 13 March to 15 March... with an Iron Chef Challenge for professional chefs to be held on Sunday, 16 March.

There are many Storm Mountain Chapter members cooking at the WCCO, and I would really like have other members help during the event. I have volunteered to be a cooks aid for all four days. Being a cooks aid is a great way to meet others and learn some tips and tricks.

~ March DOG

Following the example of the Snake Black Pot Chapter, I think it would be a great idea to have a DOG event the weekend before the WCCO for those that are competing will have a chance to practice some (or all) of their dishes. I would like to have a DOG event on 8 March.. but I don't have a location, yet. Any suggestions?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

* April Events

~ April DOG

I would like to have the April DOG on 5 April. Does anyone want to host the event for this month? Is this a good month for Tabby Mountain?

~ IDOS Spring Convention

This year, the IDOS Spring Convention will be on 19 April. These events are being held in Region 4 and I really think it would be great if some chapter members would be willing to help support the event by volunteering. There is a youth cook-off, a Taste of Dutch, demos, etc. Even if you don't want to cook, I bet there are other areas where volunteers would be appreciated. For any attending, it might be nice to wear a chapter shirt to show support for the chapter.

~ Geocaching / Dutch Oven / Camping event in Idaho

Wow... April is a busy month... and the upcoming months after April will be even busier! Team Dutch Oven Delights from Idaho and the Snake Black Pots Chapter will be having a Dutch Oven Gathering / Geocaching / Camping event in Boise Idaho. There were a few geocachers from Idaho that attended one of our combined events last fall, and they thought it was a good enough idea to hold their own.

I'll get more information about the event and maybe some of us could carpool to Boise for the event.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

* The rest of the year

Here is some information I have about upcoming events in our area for the rest of the year. These events can be found on the Calendar page on the Storm Mountain Chapter website, and under the Regions 4 topic of the Regions section on the IDOS forums. Feel free to look at these calendars when planning any of your events. If you have any updates or see anything missing, please let me know so I can get them posted.

So far, I have heard of the following upcoming events for our area.

May ~ Wide open for DOGs... anyone interested in hosting this month? I have no information about local cook-offs yet.

7 June ~ Camp Chef DOG !!! This is an awesome event and there are some great deals to be had.
14 June ~ City Weekly Cook-Off
21 June ~ Probably a DOG event in Lehi, UT
28 June ~ Lehi Rodeo Cook-off... any volunteers are appreciated

4 July ~ 4th of July Cook-Off, Debbie Hair
July ~ Need a date and place for a DOG... anyone interested?

Aug ~ No DOG events planned, will be LOTS of cook-offs

Sept ~ Annual FEKA DOG, date and time not known

Oct ~ No DOG events planned, yet. Anyone interested in hosting this month?

Nov ~ Last Chance Chapter Cook-Off / DOG, date and time not known.

That's about it. July and August will fill up very quickly with county fairs and local cook-offs. It will be another busy year, I'm sure! I'll add the information to the calendars as I get them.

If you have any updates on these events, please let me know.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Thanks for taking the time to read all this,

Ranes

January DOG and annual meeting

Howdy one and all,

Our January DOG event has been planned... meaning we finally figured out which Golden Corral to have the event. We're still working on the itinerary. Thanks to Scott for making the phone calls.

Date:
Saturday, 26 January 2008

Time:
1pm to 3pm

Location:
Golden Corral
8860 South Redwood Road
West Jordan, UT 84088

Prices:
Adults $9.49
Children ages 9 thru 12 ~ $4.99
Children ages 4 thru 8 ~ $3.69
Children 3 and under free

We chose a buffet for this "DOG" event for a couple of different reasons. One, it's cold out there. Two, some of us would really like the chance to socialize without worrying about burning dinner. And third, we needed an indoor location for our annual meeting.

We would like everyone to show up by 1:00 so we can all pig out for a while. Then, after most folks are about ready to pop, we will have our annual chapter meeting. Getting thirds and fourths on dessert is fine.

Our main purpose for this annual meeting is to vote for the 2008 Chapter Officers. At a minimum, a chapter has to have a Director, an Assistant Director, and a Treasurer/Secretary. We could have a membership clerk, or a merchandise clerk, or a chapter photographer. If anyone is interested in any of these positions, please let me know before the event. If you would like to nominate someone, please contact me. We will vote by show of hands at the event.

During our meeting, I would like to discuss our current membership and members. According to my records, there are 6 members that are past due with their IDOS fees, and there are 12 members that will expire in March 2008. The Storm Mountain Chapter no longer charges a fee to be a chapter member, but you should be an IDOS member in good standing. Feel free to contact me if you need help renewing your membership.

I am hoping that this will be an active year for our chapter. During our January meeting, I would like to discuss upcoming Dutch Oven Gatherings and Cook-Offs. I would like to get the year outlined (if at all possible) to avoid conflicts with other Cook-Offs and DOG events. And, I would like to discuss some chapter fund raisers, charity events, and demos for the upcoming year. I would really like to see chapter members support each other with our Cook-Offs and DOG events. We could help each other setup, break down, offer support to the teams, finding sponsors and prizes, etc, etc. I have already started planning the Lehi Rodeo Cook-Off for 28 June!!

While we are at it, I would like to discuss the chapter website, the chapter photo pages, and the chapter BLOG site (which is really just a collection of the bulk emails that are sent to the chapter). If you have any concerns, questions, comments, etc... let's talk about it during the meeting.

And, during the meeting, we will raffle off a few items. I'm not sure if this will be a fund raiser for the chapter or not. If anyone has any items they would like to donate towards the raffle, please contact me. Scott Clawson has already offered an item.

The 2008 IDOS WCCO is coming up in March and the IDOS Spring Convention is coming up in April. I would really like to see our chapter support these two events and show our support to IDOS. We could all wear our chapter shirts! =0)

I'm sure there will be some other items to discuss during the meeting... as well as a lot of tall tales and just getting to know each other better. I hope everyone can make it.

See you then,

Ranes