Another Story from a Girl Raised in Alaska

Often on long dark winter evenings my dad would read to us. I think my favorite book was Heidi. As he read to us about Heidi and the Alms Uncle eating goat cheese and bread, we would pretend to be characters from the book. We really had goat cheese made from the milk from the goats we had on the farm. My dad would take the cheese and toast it in the fire in the barrel stove. Our cabin was heated by this stove, and it often served as an oven as well. I can remember my dad baking us birthday cakes in a Dutch oven on top of the barrel stove. It was tricky baking, but well worth it.
We would enjoy popcorn popped over the fire in a long-handled screen-covered popper. These are probably only found in antique country stores anymore.
One of my favorite evening treats was called bannock which was a flat bread concoction. Bannock flavors ran anywhere from sugar and cinnamon, to garlic, or plain with butter. Dad mixed up the flour, salt, and maybe a little baking powder and who-knows-whatelse, and made a thin batter which he poured into a hot skillet and fried for a little while. Our little mouths watered as we waited anxiously for our treat.
I'll write more another day!