One Pan Wonders
Backcountry Cooking at its Finest
The idea of One Pan Wonders developed several years ago, as I began getting frustrated with cookbooks aimed at backpackers. They all seemed to require the use of a dehydrator, or had really awful food combinations. The more I talked to my trail companions, and wandered the aisles of the grocery stores, the more times I said "hey, we could make that into a backcountry meal!" My good friend and trail companion, Sarbar, started harassing me about writing an actual cookbook to cement my ideas into a form people could use. The more I write and experiment, the more ideas I seem to come up with... 
I didn't own a dehydrator until very recently and I didn't want to pay a fortune for freeze-dried meals that don't taste all that great. I started with simple stuff. For example: a box of Rice-A-Roni, with some instant black beans thrown in for backcountry black beans and rice (this takes forever to cook I don't suggest it!). There are so many options available now, it is really easy to put together backcountry meals at home. See my links section for sources.
About Me:
I grew up car camping, mostly along the Washington and Oregon coasts. We did a lot of cooking over the fire and some of my recipes will reflect that experience. As I got older, I started searching for people to hike with. I found the backpacker.com forums, (about 10 years ago now!!) which is where I eventually met Sarbar. Her and I put together a local hiking group on those forums. These are the people I still hike with most of the time. This is partially where I acquired the name "Dicentra." That group continues to grow.
I studied Conservation of Wildland Resources at the University of Washington. This led me to working for Olympic National Park for three seasons. The first season I was a "volunteer in park," working a permit desk and doing trail monitoring. The next two seasons, I was a paid biotech, doing plant research for the natural resources division of the park. I also worked on the Elwha Dam removal project, compliance surveys for park projects and hunted for rare plants. Those two summers were amazing! I was on the trail more often than I was off. Three or four field days a week, and then additional hiking and backpacking on my days off. I got a lot of miles in those summers. Wore out two pairs of boots!
This is not my first attempt at a website. Long ago, I wanted a place to store my trip reports and photos, so I created THIS site. It is a bit out of date at the moment, as I have been busy with so many other things, but I'm planning on updating and improving it soon. If you would like to read about some of my past trips, please visit. Current trip reports are up on the blog on this site.
Several years, trails and many miles later, I have a beautiful daughter and I recently got married! I met my husband on the trail. He has become my best recipe tester. Much of what I have accomplished could not have happened without him in my life.
Things have changed so much in recent years. After a hiatus, while pregnant and after, I'm back into hiking full swing and I'm getting out for overnighters this summer. I am very determined to be both a mommy and a hiker, so that means most of the time, my little one accompanies me. Lordy is she getting heavy! She hikes on her own, beside me, these days. At two and a half years old, she's hiking almost three miles without much help! I'd much rather have her on the trail with me instead of in front of a video game! 
Disclaimer:
I am not a nutritionist, nor do I have any sort of professional training in food preparation. I am just a hiker and backpacker that likes to eat well and has taught herself how to cook, both in the backcountry and at home. I do not take any responsibility for the use of of any materials or methods described on this website, nor of any products mentioned in them. The wilderness can be a dangerous place, as can cooking. Use caution to prevent burns, spills and other incidents while cooking in the backcountry. I do not take any responsibility for the use of of any materials or methods described on this website, or in our books, nor of any products mentioned in them.
