Feeding the Masses

       As you sit at home anxiously searching the AGLP website for some shred of evidence that your child is surviving the harsh conditions faced in Alaska, I feel a certain obligation to assure you your child is not starving. As few of you probably know, I am head of the “nutrition committee.” Not only am I the food goddess and control every morsel that goes into our mouths, I am also a great lover of food…healthy food. Never fear, your child is not being stuffed full of Cocoa Puffs and French fries, as they may later complain, but rather pastas, vegetables, and whole grains. Of course there is the occasional snack for a sweet tooth; however, our time in Alaska is too fast paced and full of rigorous activities for anyone to survive on a diet of grease and sugar. I offer you my secrets to feeding the masses, in hope that you will not fret or suffer sleepless nights over the nutritional conditions your child is facing.
        Seventy-eight mouths to feed, morning, noon and night…thousand dollar tabs at the grocery store for food that will last three days. Nearly 1,000 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches consumed in three and a half weeks, we on the “nutrition committee” are all about quantity…wait, wait we care about quality too. We choose our food from the finest selection of fruits, meats and cereals Sam’s Club has to offer. Have you ever felt the urge to cook twenty pounds of ground beef for a single meal of tacos? We have. My dedicated committee members and I along with many selfless helpers labor to satisfy each AGLP traveler. Each van is responsible for preparing, serving and cleaning up after five or six meals. We choose to work together to create each delicious meal. Without the willingness of all the travelers to assist the “nutrition committee” members, the meals served would be no where near as tasty as they have been these past weeks. After each meal I am baffled at the number of AGLP travelers offering help, even if the help is not needed. I feel as if none of these people are properly thanked. I am continually applauded for a great meal and patted of the back for my hard work, but in all reality, I could never have succeeded in completing my job without the aid of others. Teamwork is the most important secret for feeding the masses.
        There you have…no need to fear for your child’s stomach. The “nutrition committee” never settles for less than a full belly. So when all of your kids return home five pounds heavier, please do not assume this weight gain is due to junky meals. Though I would not rule out the ice creams on which your child may have spent all their precious money. For the sake of your sanity, I hope you will be relieved by this documentary of the workings of the “nutrition committee”. By the way, I would not expect your traveler to eat any peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for a few weeks.