Muskoka Must-Haves.

When visiting a friend, do you pack Kit Kat or Quinoa? Beefaroni or beets?

Courtesy of Samantha and Caillianne Beckerman

Recently, we found ourselves standing in the junk-food aisle at Loblaws while our health-conscious pony friends meandered around the freshly tossed, freshly spritzed fennel aisle. We were en route to Muskoka – a friend was hosting our company and we’d promised to bring sustenance. Problem was, we were stumped on what to bring.

Our suitcase was a no-brainer:

-8 Bikinis
-1 Bottle of Perfume
-3 Bottles of OFF to mask said perfume
-3 Bottles of Hair Thickener
-1 Bottle of Hair Thinner
-3 Bottles of Self-Tanner
-1 Bottle of Skin Bleach
-3 Bottles of Prosecco
-1 Case to carry all the bottles.

But when considering food, the issue got a little more complex. Bringing too much would leave our host frustrated and having to carry everything home to Toronto come Sunday night. Bringing too little would appear rude and ungrateful. With 3/5 guests being vegetarian, we also had to re-evaluate the food groups. Instead of Turducken we’d need Tofu. And instead of Sirloin we’d need Simply Soy. But which aisle was that in?

Courtesy of Samantha and Caillianne Beckerman

The standard for guests is to simply “bring what you intend to eat”. But sadly, if that were true, the Cowgirls would be found huddled in a corner gorging on Haagen-Dazs with a beer helmet attached to their head. No, no. Not pony-like at all. Supplying for everyone would be on the agenda but what foods would everyone agree to? And what wouldn’t melt or grow stale on the long ride up? Here’s what we brought:

-1 Bag of Tostitos (forgot salsa)
-1 Bag of Kit Kat Bites
-1 Box of Wheat Thins
-6 Slabs of various cheeses.

Pathetic grocery shopping on our end. And yet, when push came to shove, it was our mighty Kit Kats that were engulfed first. Call it a Muskoka-Manifestation, but the processed always prevail. And fortunately, we were in great company – so there was one item on the menu everybody could agree on:

Courtesy of Samantha and Caillianne Beckerman

BOOZE!

–The Cowgirls