Lessons Learned - 2

I can say that being a member of the Boy Scouts of America gave me the opportunity to try many different skills, cooking being one of them.  My second lesson came on another overnight camping trip.

This time it was very simple.  I took a package of Jell-O with me as part of my menu.  I had a little mixing container and I was all set.  When I went to make the Jell-O, I added the power to my container, then I added correct amount of water and thoroughly shook it up to get it all mixed.

I set the container in the cold stream that ran past our camp and then went to do other activities.  When it was time to eat, I retrieved my container and sat down for my meal.  When I opened the container, I didn't find the nice firm wiggly Jell-O that I expected, but instead was a watery - lumpy sugary drink.  I tried adding more powder and putting it back in the stream, but it just did not help.  It was just a mess that I ended up discarding.

When I got home, I told my mom about my experience and she asked me "You did boil the water?"  What you have use boiling water!  Of course, I didn't know this as in an effort to save space and weight (I'm learning), I removed the exterior box and discarded it before leaving home.  I also had never made Jell-o or read the directions on the box.

My Lesson learned is always make sure I understand the directions and have a copy of them for reference me no mater unless I am absolutely sure of my knowledge in cooking a specific item.