Rich Drinks -

Trail Mochas

Pudding Cocoa

Breakfast -

Cranberry Pan Biscuits

Sarah’s Fattening Coconut Blueberry Oatmeal

Cheesy Bacon Grits

Lunches -

Pecan Cranberry Ranch Chicken Salad

Savory Tuna Salad

Veghead Couscous Pilaf

Dinner -

Lemon Tuna Spaghetti

Italianish Double Cheese Taters

Dessert -

Pina Colada Mini Pies

Huckleberry Donuts

Snacks/Bars -

Chocolate Energy Balls

Triple Chocolate Cherry Fudge

Peanut Butter Granola Cups

Easy Nut and Chocolate Truffles

~Sarah

New to the scene is Dr. Drip Coffee, an easy to use way to make fresh coffee on the trail (or really anywhere) using ground coffee, not instant. The entire packaging is compostable (and or recyclable for the outer box) – all of it – making it a friendly choice. (I am testing it out in our backyard composter btw!)

Since decaf is often the sad cousin of coffee I decided to try a cup of their Decaffeinated Premium first. It shockingly passed and well – it would have fooled me on that it was decaf. Strong fresh aroma when you open the vac sealed bag, a delicious smell (yes, Sarah loves her coffee….)

The directions are shown on the back of the outer packaging in easy to follow drawings (and in case you were ignoring that packaging the filter holder has the drawings printed on it as well).

As with a traditional drip filter you pour water slowly over the grounds, letting it filter through and then add more:

I brewed a full 2 cups of coffee that was rich, deep in flavor and taste and more so very easy to make. What I appreciated most was that the coffee wasn’t bitter in taste nor was it acidic in flavor. Now onto the packaging? Easy enough to deal with. When you take the filter off your mug, fold it closed gently and squeeze it carefully – don’t waste any coffee goodness. Then let it sit on a rock or wherever and dry out while you enjoy your cup of joe. Grinds dry out quick enough (as do tea leaves), then pack out. If it ends up in the dump at the end of the trip you at least know it will rot nicely there….

~Sarah

FTC Disclaimer: We received samples for potential reviews.

After all, how often does one see recipes for Pemmican anymore? (Lets just say that I have never been able to eat Pemmican without gagging….) Especially pemmican made with lard. Yum! (I am being sarcastic here)

Real Pemmican by Dennis Schmitt (see here for original article)

Ingredients:

• ¾ pound caribou jerky (or other jerky)
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 2 ounces raisins
• 2 ounces cranberries
• 5 ounces lard

Directions:

Run the dry jerky through a food grinder or food processor until shredded. In a loaf pan mix together the shredded jerky, brown sugar, raisins and cranberries. Melt the lard and stir it into the jerky nmixture. Once the loaf cools, cut itionto small pieces, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Yield 6 bars.

I considered making it. But I couldn’t bear wasting the raisins. And besides that….where the heck-o-la was I going to find caribou jerky (Oh wait. I am sure I can find it online if I cared enough.)

Now you know to be wary of going down memory lane….thanks a lot John for making me laugh.

~Sarah

Packs of freeze-dried fruit in Kiwi, Apricots, Apples & Strawberries and Peaches. Being that the fruit is freeze-dried it is of course very light – the packs feel like air (you might almost wonder if the resealable pouch is heavier than the fruit!). The pieces are large though (a nice touch) and in the case of Kiwi it is thick slices of the fruit:

The bags are .88 of an ounce and about 2½ servings for all flavors except for the Apple/Strawberry which is one serving  – perfect for a dayhike or a weekend long trip.

Crispy, lightly sweet and nicely packaged. They can be found through their store and also on Amazon and other sources as well.

~Sarah

FTC Disclaimer: We received review samples for potential product review.

While they look like cookies they are not quite that. A blend of savory and sweet in a cookie shape that is more like a biscuit. Gluten free and vegan, they are packed with the power of quinoa flakes and flaxseed meal. Find the recipe for Quinoa Raisin Drops on my personal blog, Gazing In.

For those of you retching into your wastebasket over the prospects of eating quinoa n’ flaxseed fiber-fest you can go make the piggy worthy Cran-Mac Caramel Bars instead:

Somethin’ fer everyone!

~Sarah

From the March/April 2011 issue of Washington Trails Magazine are these two new recipes -

Savory Tuna Salad:

Peanut Butter Granola Cups:

~Sarah

New to the market it isn’t up on Jello’s website yet. Find the boxes next to the regular instant pudding (we found it at Walmart). It also comes in Caramel flavor though that wasn’t being sold there.

Easy to make, you can do it on trail. Each 3.2 ounce box calls for 1 cup of cold milk so use 1 cup cold water (streams are often cold enough for this if in the mountains) + 1/3 cup dry milk (non-fat works fine). The best option is to mix the dry mousse mix and dry milk in a quart freezer bag until dessert time. For best results pick up a backpacker friendly wire whisk (these can be found at dollar stores normally – they are super tiny and light – often sold for using in home bars for making drinks) and then whick away for a good 4-5 minutes. You can prop the bag into a “bowl” if careful. The pudding will thicken after a couple minutes. Then let the pudding chill sealed in the creek for a few minutes to finish setting up.

Ta-da! Tasty!

OK, yeah, it isn’t super healthy by any means (it is instant pudding after all) but it is cheap and fun to make – and is tastier than heavy instant pudding.

I also noticed that Jello has brought out a new line of three flavors called “Temptations by Jello” which are a more gourmet version of the above mousse. Only thing is those mixes have artificial coloring added so I had to pass on it. They did look fun though.

~Sarah

Now carrying that oil can be messy. For long trips a plastic 8 ounce bottle of oil from the grocery store can be nice (if you can find the bottles, thankfully most good quality olive oil still comes in glass!) Even then though carrying a bottle can be messy. Oil drips down the side, you need a stash bag and remember to carry it in a pot or similar to avoid any unpleasant spills, should they occur. You can of course carry it in a bottle of choice, often found in outdoor stores. Again, be sure to bag the container…just in case. You can also find travel sized containers of oil in stores like Cost Plus World Market (look in the gourmet food section for building food baskets), check in the oil section at fancier grocery stores or online – Minimus carries a number of bottles, with about 3½ servings in a bottle (some are even flavored).

Or…you can go the route I decided on many years ago: individual serving packets of oil. No mess, no fuss. You get exactly what you need for a meal and nothing to worry about.

The packets are ½ fluid ounce, about a Tablespoon each. When you see in a recipe where a packet of oil is called for, this is what we are referring to. Finding them locally can be hard, though some sandwich and sub shops carry them – you can always ask if they will sell you some. But overall the easiest way to get them is to order online. I usually order 20-40 at a time from Minimus. They carry the organic packets I prefer. The “buy $20 gets you free shipping” is always a great deal from them. Packitgourmet carries the organic packets and also the Salad & Sandwich oil packets. The Salad & Sandwich packets are a bonus for a couple reasons – one they work well with pan frying (see our recipe for Pizza Pan Biscuits) – the oil has a higher smoke point, meaning you can crank up the heat a bit more without burning the oil and it also has a lot less ‘olive’ flavor – I know not everyone loves the taste of extra virgin olive oil.

Yes, the packets do produce a small amount of trash. On the other hand you have no spills, messes and your oil stays perfectly fresh between trips – the little metal pouches are tough as nails!

~Sarah

(Sorry about the fuzzy photo…wrong camera setting!)

Banana Walnut Oatmeal Squares:

And a view of the back, nicely baked square:

As with the chocolate chip flavor the bar has a pleasing flavor, not overly sweet and is nicely chewy (but not hard). The nuts are bigger but still can be eaten with dental work. Look for the line in natural food stores.

~Sarah

Need ideas for meals to pack?

Dinners:

FBC style Cherry Chicken Couscous is easy and no cleanup:

FBC style Pizza Ramen is trashy good food. Consider it guilty pleasure fast food for the backcountry…..

One pot style Spicy Tuna Linguine sticks to the ribs and will fill you up nicely.

One pot style Harvest Pasta is a great vegetarian friendly meal (leave out the cheese for vegan):

Trail snacks that pack some fat and energy, yet easy to eat? Easy Nut and Chocolate Truffles:

Dessert? How about Mocha Pudding. In winter making pudding is easy as can be!

Or Chocolate Pretzel Bark. It will disappear quickly in a group!

Have fun and be safe!

~Sarah