It is two sealed packs inside – one is the hummus, the other is crunch pretzel chips:

The kit weighs 4.56 ounces and the plastic containers are very rugged (recyclable as well – #5). Normally I shy from lumpy containers (since you have to pack it out empty and/or crush it first) but what occurred to me is the pretzel half is a perfect drinking cup! Or rehydration vessel…..the two pieces snap together tightly. I wouldn’t use it for hot drinks but for cold, go for it! As well, if you need a cup for dunking it is small and easy to grab (great for filling hydration bladders). And when you get home? Recycle it! PS: If you have little ones, it would also make a great “leaf-rock-twig” holder!

Now onto the food in said cups – Sabra has long been my favorite hummus to buy. It is creamy and tasty. The red pepper one is my favorite of their varieties (it comes in 3 choices for the To Go Packs). If you are the type who has never cared for hummus – too much garlic, too sour, too whatever, give Sabra a try…it might change your view! I found it was the right amount for a snack.

I found the packs in the ready to grab section of the deli at my local Safeway – I would suggest looking around that area of your grocery store!

~Sarah

Breakfast Pistachio Rice Pudding

Rice, milk, cranberries, a little brown sugar and cinnamon and lovely green pistachios – yum!

~Sarah

The packaging is considerably friendlier for kneading the butter before you open it (to get the oils to mix back in), more durable and lets face it…a lot neater looking. The company has also brought the packets out in two sizes, 0.6 ounce and 1.06 ounces. The smaller is the “calorie pack” meaning it is for smaller appetites. The 1.06 ounce packet is perfect for hiking, you can slather the almond butter on heavily. The option though is nice, the smaller packet would be well suited to children as well. The company sells direct on their website in various amounts (and has a “Buy $50 get free shipping deal”). Or look for it in Whole Foods in the nut/peanut butter aisle.

As for the almond butter? It is very tasty and smooth. It works as well on bagels as it does in recipes (you can use almond butter in nearly all recipes that call for peanut butter).

It is also sold on Amazon, if you have Prime Shipping you can get a decent deal on the packets:
Barney Butter Almond Butter 0.6-Ounce
Barney Butter Almond Butter 1.06 Ounce

~Sarah

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

Wilderness Poets is a small company that is based out of rural Washington State (down near Mt. St. Helens), having recently moved over from Portland, Oregon (which is well known for its crazy foodie ways!). At our local natural food chain PCC (think a less commercial version of Whole Foods) their lovely nut and seed butters are carried in single servings tubs (1.5 ounces) in 4 varieties. They are not cheap though – at $2.89 a tub. But is quality ever cheap? For special treats I don’t mind paying a bit extra. They do though have a special online, through their website, where you can get all 4 varieties at a bit better price.

Over the years I have found as well that I prefer butters made with raw nuts versus those made with roasted nuts so if one isn’t used to texture it might be odd. At first. Life is too short to eat cheap peanut butter full of hydrogenated fats! Think luscious green spread…this is nirvana in a tub:

Pistachios, olive oil and Himalayan crystal salt is all it contains. Due to being natural (yay!) you do need to stir the butter up:

The butter works with both sweet and savory applications. It is amazing on caramelized onion bread, just saying!

Up next I am planning on sourcing some of their trail mixes to review as well, since they come in single serving tubs as well…..

~Sarah

Breakfasts:

Carrot Cake In A Bowl

Hazelnut Chocolate Spread

Super Oatmeal

Super Charged Oatmeal

Oatmeal With A Little Extra

Instant DIY Oatmeal Packets (with vegan options)

Trail-Nola

Lunches:

Cranberry Almond Tabouli

Dinners:

‘Cheesy’ Rice and Vegetables

The Health Bowl

Pesto Tomato Pasta

Vegan One Pot Mac n’ ‘Cheese’

Fuel Saver Quinoa

Veghead Couscous Pilaf

Lentil Soft Tacos (an adaptable recipe)

Desserts/Energy Bars/Snacks:

Peanut Butter Granola Cups

Raw Recipes For The Trail (a collection of vegan friendly raw recipes)

Dry Mixes/Dehydrating:

Quick Asian Peanut Sauce

Making Your Own Instant Beans

Dehydrating 101 (A collection of how-to’s to get you started on dehydrating yummies!)

Dry Onion Soup Mix

Vegan ‘Cheese’ Sauce Mix

Classic Bannock Bread

Low Sodium Bouillon Mix #1

Low Sodium Bouillon Mix #2

DIY Instant Salsa Mix

Sport Drink Mix

Dehydrated Pesto Mix

~Sarah

And this method is doable on alcohol stoves – if you have a 7 minute frame time of fuel you can do it. Unlike how most cook it, the seeds stay fluffy and have that bite – and it isn’t all soggy (y-u-c-k). Head over to TrailCooking for the how-to!

On a side note we get our quinoa at Costco in nice sized bags. It is organic and prewashed and is a fraction of the cost that grocery stores charge. I got all crazy recently and bought a single pound of black quinoa that cost nearly as much as the multi pound package of white at Costco. Eek! (Want to see how I cook it at home? See my personal blog Gazing In)

~Sarah

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

It is frugally affordable, it is vegetarian/vegan and most brands are gluten free as well. You can even find it in bulk bins in some natural food stores. It is a great last minute score at grocery stores on the way out of town (look in the “ethnic” or “organics/natural foods” aisles for it.

But as with some foods it can be a learned taste. With a few tricks you can make it taste great. And like tofu, it takes on the flavor of whatever you add to it.

One of my favorite brands is Fantastic Foods:

Whatever you do, don’t make the whole box in one sitting. It makes a lot. A LOT! Divide it into 2 to 4 bags for easy snacks.

There are two ways to make it – cold or warm water. Both will work but I find if you have the time to warm up the water it tastes better. Mostly it rehydrate quicker that way as well. A convenient way to prepare it is pack the dry mix into a new quart freezer bag. When ready to prepare cuff the bag (that is fold down the top half, over the sides), to form a bowl. Add the olive oil required and then slowly add in the warm (it needn’t be boiling or even very hot, just take the chill off). Start mixing quickly until all lumps are gone. Then let sit for a good 5 minutes. For better taste drizzle more oil on top before serving. And don’t skimp on the oil called for – it really provides a smooth texture. And hey, all that hiking? You need the oil! So enjoy!

If you use cool water add the oil and water to the bag and either stir or better, seal the bag and gently knead it. Let it sit to rehydrate for at least 30 minutes, with cold mountain stream water give it an hour. And be sure to stir it up well before serving, to avoid any lumps o’ powder.

Drizzle on oil and maybe some parsley and dig in!

As for that blank canvas, instant hummus takes on so many options:

• Dried chopped artichokes
• Dried chopped roasted red peppers
• Dried chopped olives
• Olives from the fancy pants olive bar at the local trendy grocery store, pitted and chopped
• Sun-dried tomatoes, either air or oil packed, chopped
• Salsa Hummus (this is a great one in wraps!)
• Curried Fruit Hummus (really good with Triscuit-style crackers)
• Spread hummus on flour tortillas and top with rice and anything else that grabs you. Treat it like instant refried beans, just different!
• One winter I made a hummus soup by diluting the mix with more water. It wasn’t all start great, but neither was it bad.
• Even meat lovers can love hummus – you can add in chopped up shelf stable pepperoni slices and diced string cheese (pepper-jack is fun) for a different dip.

PS: You can always dehydrate hummus as well and make it from scratch. If you do this route I suggest leaving out the oil until you go to rehydrate for best results – and longer shelf life (since oil can go rancid).

~Sarah

In the last two or so years there have been new choices coming out and they don’t resemble the old stuff!

We were sent packages of Adventure Egg™’s Anywhere Scrambles™ recently to review. The packaging is modern – a re-closeable zip-top flexible bag with a gusseted bottom. Each package has 6 eggs worth of eggs and retails for $5.50, making it comparable to similar brands of pure eggs (nothing extra added), such as Ova Easy Eggs.

The eggs are fresh in appearance and aroma, don’t be put off though with how yellow they are – this is common in dried eggs. The eggs are fully pasteurized for food safety and portability and yes, are fully shelf stable!

While not noted on the package if you are making the entire bag you can easily add in the water (1 cup water for the whole package) and stir it briskly. I let it sit for a couple minutes and then sealed the bag tightly (using the zip-top) and shook it really good to mix up any remaining powder. Then I heated up a Tablespoon (1 packet) worth of canola oil and heated it over a medium flame, in a non-stick pan. Pour the eggs in and start gently scrambling, they cook up quickly.

Ford enjoyed his share with cheese all over the top. Lovely taste, not watery – they resemble a fresh egg cooked up (unlike scary low grade dried egg powder used in buffets……)

They work perfectly in nearly all recipes calling for fresh eggs and all recipes calling for whole dried eggs.

Want to know how to steam eggs and not use any oil or mess up a pan? See the Fauxbaker over on TrailCooking for an easy way!

Recipes? Ideas? Breakfast burritos are one favorite of mine to use dried eggs for. You can cook up a bags worth and spoon them onto flour tortillas with salsa and cheese and whatever else you crave – easy way to feed a large group and stretch out ingredients. Also good in Fried Rice and Spam-Tastic Fried Rice.

~Sarah