One Pan Wonders

This has been circling several different hiking message boards. I did a little googling and found the whole thing here. LINK Yes. It is long, but it is incredible and worth a full read. It brought tears to my eyes. And yes. I go alone. (sometimes)

The Girl Who Goes Alone

Here’s the thing about being a girl

and wanting to play outside.

All the grownups grind it into you from the get go:

girls outside aren’t safe.

The guy in the car? If he rolls down the window and leans his head out, run,

because the best you can hope for is a catcall, and at worst,

you’ll wind up with your face on the side of a milk carton.

Even when you’re a grown-up girl, your father—because he loves you—

will send you a four-page article about how to protect yourself

while standing at the ATM, while travelling unescorted, while jogging solo,

an article informing you how to distinguish phony police

and avoid purse snatchers, pickpockets, rapists and thugs.

Tell someone you’re going into the woods alone

and they’ll fill your ears with every story they’ve ever heard

about trailside cougar attacks, cave dwelling misogynists,

lightning strikes, forest fires, flash floods,

and psychopaths with a sixth sense for a woman alone in a tent.

To be a girl alone in the wilderness is to know

that if something goes wrong—

you picked the trailhead where the ax murderer lurks

or the valley of girl-eating gophers—

if you don’t come home unscathed, the mourning

will be mixed with I-told-you-sos

from everyone whose idea of camping involves an RV or a Motel 6.

The message is clear: Girls must be chaperoned.

So when, at the end of the day, you zip up the tent

and lie back in your sleeping bag,

fleece jacket bundled

into a lumpy pillow under your head, the second

you close your eyes every least night noise is instantly magnified.

You lie there and consider the pungent heft of menstrual blood,

how even your sweat is muskier, louder, when you’re bleeding.

Not hard to imagine its animal allure—every bear for miles around

sniffing you on the night wind.

You lie there listening, running a mental inventory of any

potentially scented item—

did every one make it into the food bag hung from a tree?

Toothpaste, trail mix, chapstick, sunscreen—fuck.

Sunscreen still in your pack, nestled right beside you

where Outdoor Man used to sleep. So you’re up, out of the tent,

headlamp casting its too-bright spotlight, darkening the dark outside its reach

as you lower the bag, shove the sunscreen in on top of the trash

with its food wrappers and used tampons. Hoist and tie.

Far enough from the ground to elude the bears?

Far enough out from the branch to thwart raccoons?

Tree far enough from the tent to keep from signaling the proximity

of ground level, girl-shaped snacks?

You go alone—in part—to prove that though Outdoor Man has left you,

his body is the only geography he can deprive you of.

He can give his muscled calves and thighs, his shoulders, chest and hands

to another woman, but not the Sauk River old growth, snow fields of Rainier,

sea stacks of Shi Shi.

He can keep from you the sweet, blood-thrilling hum of his body, but not

the sweaty, blood-thumping-back-aching pleasure of a hard-earned

panoramic view, high altitude starlight or the singular blue of a crevasse.

The thing about being a girl who goes alone, who goes

again and again is that it freaks

the potential next boyfriend. He doesn’t want to be out machoed

and he doesn’t want to admit it and he hopes you can’t tell.

The thing about being the girl who still goes alone is that it proves

you don’t need him and no matter how you show him you want him

it’s not the same

and you both know it.

Zipped back into the tent you remind yourself you’ve never really been in danger.

When have you ever been in danger? Well there was that boy, but years ago,

a teenager like you, driving around bored and pissed at the world,

his BB gun and his father’s two rifles

and on the seat beside him. Lucky you.

The gun he leveled on the window ledge

lodged nothing more than a BB in your thigh.

The thing about being a girl alone in the woods is you know too much

about the grain of truth in the warnings.

Even if you seem impervious, weird good luck leaving you so far unscathed,

you know the other girls’ stories—your sister

date raped after a party in college, a friend

raped by a stranger at knife-point, the two women

shot on the Pinnacle Lake trail. The singer

killed by coyotes in Nova Scotia.

The thing

about being a girl

who goes alone

is that you feel like you shouldn’t go

if you’re afraid. If you go it should mean you’re not afraid,

that you’re never afraid. Your friends will think that you go unafraid.

This girl

who goes alone

is always afraid, always negotiating to keep the voices in her head

at a manageable pitch of hysteria.

I go knowing that there will be a moment—maybe long moments, maybe

hours of them, maybe the whole trip—when I curse myself for going alone.

When I lie in the tent and all I am is fear.

I walk in the wilderness alone so I can hear myself.

So I can feel real to myself.

I walk into the wilderness alone

because the animal in me needs to fill her nose with the scent of stone and lichen,

ocean salt and pine forest warming in early sun. I need to feel my body—

taxed and stretched and aching.

I go because I know I’m lucky to have a car, gas money, days off,

the back and legs and appetite

to take me there.

I go because I still can.

The girl who goes alone

claims for herself

the madrona, juniper, daybreak,

she claims hemlock, prairie falcon, nightfall,

nurse log, sea star, glacial moraine,

huckleberry, trillium, salal,

snowmelt, avalanche lily, waterfall,

birdsong, limestone, granite, moonlight, schist,

cirque, saddle, summit, ocean,

she claims the curve of the earth.

The girl who goes alone says with her body

the world is worth the risk.

Chatting with Rooinator the other day, he sort of gave me an idea... I always get our grocery ads in the mail on Tuesdays. Normally I sit down and make my menu and grocery list for the week. I also take note of what things I can stock up on for backcountry food. Sometimes I share my finds with friends that I know are also stocking their pantry.

This week I thought it might be fun to share with everyone. Let me know if you like this idea and I'll make it a regular thing. Post your finds too!

QFC

Rice-a-Roni and Pasta Roni - 10 for $10 (See Top Foods!)

Barilla Pastas and Sauce - buy one get one free (BOGO)

Farmhouse Pasta and Rices - 10 for $10

Classico Pasta Sauce - $1.99

Fritos - $1.99

Sarah Lee Bagels - $1.79

Idahoan Mashed Potatoes - 10 for $10

Honey - BOGO

Dinty Moore Stews - BOGO

Kroger PB - $1.29

Stagg Chili - 10 for $10

Mission Flour Tortillas $1.99

Safeway
Not backpacking, but they have the best deal of all the stores on corned beef and cabbage. Just FYI

Avocados - 2 for $1

Salad mix and sliced mushrooms $0.99 when you buy 5

Lunchables - $0.99

Barilla Pasta - $0.99

Classico Pasta Sauce - $1.79

Cereal (various) - buy 5 for $1-2 each

Fritoes and Cheetoes - $1.29

Progresso and Healthy Choice Soups - 10 for $10

Hamburger Helper - $0.99

Cheese sticks - $2.49 with coupon

Rosarita Refried Beans - $0.79

Albertson's

Cambells Cream of Mushroom or Chicken Soup - $0.75, others 10 for $10

Cereal and Crackers (various) - $1.88
Prego Sauce, Pace Salsa, Pepperidge Farm Cookies - 2 for $4
Goldfish Crackers (11oz box) - $2.49

Frozen Corn and Peas - $1

Wild Harvest Organic Tortilla Chips - $1.99

Top Foods (AKA Kroeger)
Jiff 18oz - $1.49

Top Ramen - 10 for $10

Pasta Roni - $0.69

Tillamook Shredded cheese and butter - $1.75
Valu Time Diced Tomatoes - $0.79

Valu Time Soups - $0.55

Bagel Thins (new product!) - 2 for $5

Triskets and Wheat Thins - $1.99

Ocean Spray Oatmeal (new product!) - $2.99

Bandit Wine (in the tetrapack) - $5.99

Bread Crumbs - $0.99

Bare Fruit - BOGO

Mushrooms - $2

Salad Mixes - BOGO

Grocery Outlet (check here for trail bars and other goodies too!)

Avocados - 2 for $1

Mushrooms - 2 for $3

Tostitos Salsa - $0.99

Calidad Tortilla Chips - $0.99

Oberto Beef Jerky 3.25oz - $1.49

Big Buy Bacon - $1.49

Hummus 14oz (two flavors) - $1.99

Hubby, the kidling and I spent part of the weekend at the used bookstore. I picked up yet another cookbook. 365 Easy Mexican Recipes. I also have 365 Ways to Cook Vegetarian from the same series so I knew it was going to be a good one. I'm loving this book! As promised, the recipes are easy and almost all of them sound good.

To start with, I made the Black Bean Soup.

Black Bean Soup

2 T vegetable oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 t dried oregano

1 t ground cumin

1 15 oz can chopped tomatoes

1/4 cup prepared red salsa

2 16 oz cans black beans, drained

1 14 oz can chicken broth

1 lime, quartered

cilantro for garnish

Saute onion and garlic in oil. Add herbs and spices. Cook until onions begin to brown. Add tomatoes, salsa, beans and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Cook, 5 minutes, stirring.

In batches, puree the soup in a blender or food processor. Return soup to pan and heat through. Serve with cilantro and lime wedges.


But you all know that I can't follow a recipe, right?   So  I made a few changes...  I didn't have any salsa in the house, so I used 2 cans of tomatoes instead of one. I also used 3 cans of black beans. I added about 1 1/2 tablespoons dried cilantro instead of adding it as a garnish. I wanted the soup to be vegetarian (vegan!) so I used vegetable bouillon instead of chicken broth. I added two carrots, diced, for color (sauteed with the onions and garlic) and after tasting the almost done soup, added about a tablespoon of chili powder.

Pretty, isn't it?



I don't have a food processor, so I used my stick blender to puree the soup. I left just a few beans whole for texture. I then let the soup cool before spreading it on lined dehydrator trays.



Five trays of soup later...  The dehdrator was set at about 140 degrees and ran for about 5 hours (more or less). 



I'm thinking I can add some instant rice or various veggies (zucchini, tomatoes, corn?) to the finished soup to give me more variety. Taco sauce for more of a kick would be a good addition too.

Just a few pics from the weekend.  We took advantage of the decent Seattle weather to take the kidling for a short excursion. Not exactly hiking, but there was a lot of rock throwing, stick finding and general nature appreciation. Felt good just to get out.

Backpacking food making season has begun!

I was out of a few key ingredients (powdered milk, tomato powder, cheese powder...) so the other day I hit up my local natural foods store. Manna Mills. I love this place! Not only do they have an excellent bulk bins section, they have two whole aisles of gluten-free products. (I've had a lot of questions about gluten and dairy free items lately).

Here's just one side of one aisle of gluten free items - cookie mixes, breads mixes, crackers, pastas, snack foods...

I bought: powdered whole milk, white cheddar cheese powder, tomato powder, potato dices, TVP, some juice and snacks for the kidling and some gluten/dairy free cheese sauce mix.

I always take some time and check out what all is available in the bulk bins. They had several types of powdered milk (buttermilk, whole, non-fat, soy - in various flavors). I also discovered powdered rose hips! I didn't buy any this time around, but I will next time I am there. I am thinking they will be great for trail teas.

One thing I did buy, and I've already started playing with was powdered orange zest. I was thinking that it could be a good substitute for the True Orange packets I'm always raving about that can be hard to find.  I put a tablespoon of the powder in a cup of hot chocolate yesterday. It tastes good, and smells wonderful, but it gave the hot chocolate a slightly strange texture. A tad grainy. I think the powdered zest will be better in actual meals versus drinks... Cranberry Orange Chicken and Rice anyone? Or the Orange Tabbouleh recipe that is in the book.

Like most of the other herbs and spices I found, It is made by Frontier Foods. There was also a lemon zest powder. In theory, you could also make the same thing at home by drying zest and then running it though a food processor or coffee grinder. I love having options! You'll be seeing more orange flavored recipes in the near future!

Yeah yeah. I know. This is way late. But I finally got it typed up and thought I'd share... For those who are interested. Writing it up helped fuel my PCT obsession, however. Now I'm looking at a 117 mile section for 2010.

Day 5 Deception Lakes to Stevens Pass

19+ miles

We awoke early. Jared came and shook my tent a little before 6am, but I was already up. We took about an hour to break camp, intending to have breakfast a bit further down the trail so we weren’t inhaling bugs with our coffee> We were on the trail by 6:45am.

The day started with the bugs following us up a long steep and hot climb to Pieper Pass. Then the trail drops back down via long, hot and rocky switchbacks to a bench where we got a great view of distant Glacier Peak. It seemed we kept getting closer and closer to Glacier Lake, but never actually arriving there.

There were a few minor stream crossings on our way down, and I soaked my bandanna every chance I got. The trail passes above Glacier Lake and meets up shortly after with the Surprise Lake Trail. The trail climbs again, above Surprise Lake via long hot and brushy switchbacks to Trap Pass.

I insisted that we take a short break here. I was overheating and needed both to cool off and have a snack. There wasn’t much shade – it was quickly approaching noon, but we found a log to sit on. The boots came off temporarily and I got my snack. We didn’t have time to dawdle though, if we were going to make it back before dark.

From here, I started to look at the mini sections – how many miles until the next landmark on the trail? I was checking the guidebook just about every mile, but it did make me hike a bit faster, knowing what was coming up next that I could look forward to.

We got to Hope Lake around 2 or 3pm and broke for lunch. Again, the boots came off. We were both having foot troubles and Jared toyed with the idea of fishing until we saw all the day hikers swimming. Day hikers!! We hadn’t seen any day hikers in 5 days, not since Kendall Katwalk. I knew then that we must be getting close to home.

Hope Lake is also a major intersection, with several trails converging on its shores. We spent a bit of time picking huckleberries before heading back on down the trail.

Next “stop” was Mig Lake, just 0.7 miles uphill. It is very pretty, with large flat campsites and cotton grass along its shores. We were climbing again, but graced with views of more lakes – Swimming Deer then Josephine. We passed the Icicle Creek Junction, and not far beyond that we could see the fire damage from a few years back (2005?).

The trail drops down a ravine into talus as we approached sparkling Lake Susan Jane. We stopped briefly to resupply water and have a snack, but it was getting late. We couldn’t afford to stop for long.

Just past the lake we could see the power lines and other structures of the Stevens Pass Ski area. We had dropped down to Lake Susan Jane, but the trail was climbing back up the backside of Stevens Pass.

The switchbacks were short and steep. As they evened out and got longer and less steep, we were blessed with huge ripe huckleberries. We were hiking and eating as fast as we could do both at the same time. We should have skipped the huckleberry picking at Hope Lake and spent more time picking here.

When we reached the top of the chairlifts we called home to check in and I called my dad to come and pick us up. We were just five miles from the trailhead and despite my sore knee and aching blistered feet, I turned on the turbo boosters and left poor Jared in the dust. I was ready to be home and clean. He was taking it slow, having foot problems of his own.

I let him catch up with me and we walked out the last quarter mile or so together. My dad was already there waiting for us – and didn’t even comment on how bad we smelled.

We got off the trail around 7:30 or 8pm, but by the time we drove down the pass, nothing good in the way of food was open (and there was no way I was going to put my boots back on!). We ended up going through the Jack in the Box drive through – French fries and OJ for me, a full on greasy burger, Oreo shake and fries for Jared.

Jared’s truck was at my house and he still had a 2 hour drive back home. Meanwhile, I showered, and then took a long hot bath. Even after that my hands and feet were still dirty!

I spent the next day downloading photos, decompressing and eating anything that would sit still long enough for me to shove it in my mouth.

Red Dhal

The original recipe:

2 tablespoons butter

2 cloves garlic

1 onion, chopped

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 1/4 pounds tomatoes

1 cup red lentils

2 teaspoons lemon juice

2 1/2 cups vegetable stock

1 1/4 cup coconut milk

Since I can't follow my own recipes to save my life, much less anyone else's... I made a few changes. First, since I wanted this to be vegan, I used olive oil instead of butter. I sauteed the onions and garlic, then added the spices. I sauteed these for a few seconds, then added the vegetable broth, a can of petite diced tomatoes and the red lentils. I had more like a cup and a half of lentils (adjust water accordingly). I brought this to a simmer and then added a whole can of coconut milk and the lemon juice. As the lentils became tender, I tasted the stew. It was a little bland. So I added about a tablespoon of lemon curry powder. Now THAT's better!

The flavor is mild, but not bland. If you want more kick add more curry powder. Season to taste!



After the lentils had simmered for 10 or 15 minutes and were nice and tender, I let the dhal cool before spreading it on lined dehydrator trays.

A few hours later. Dried dhal. Yum! I'll mix this with some cooked and dried basmati rice or quinoa for full trail meals.

I'm a sucker for playing with the dehydrator. What's that? A new ingredient? Let's see how it dries...

I was familiar with mung beans as a bean that you could sprout, but I hadn't tried any trail cooking recipes with them. I can find them really cheap at the Asian Markets. So why not try something new?!

Uncooked. Pretty, aren't they?

I cooked up a big pan full, just using plain water. Then I spread them on lined trays to dry. I do this at the same temperature I do other beans. Nothing too unusual yet, other than the bean itself.

Like other beans, they split when they are cooked and dried.


Now! What do do with them? I had a corn and mung bean salad I like to take for work lunches... I decided to try and convert that into a backpacking friendly salad.



Hmmm... just a tad bland. I added salt and pepper and a handful of fresh carrot shreds. Now we're talkin! Yum. The carrots added a nice sweetness and crunch to the salad. They would work on the trail for the first day or two in mild temperatures. You could add dry carrots to the salad, but it won't give you the same crunch.



The trail version of the recipe:

Corn and Mung Bean Salad

Serves 1.
2.2 oz (not counting the carrots, olive oil and salt and pepper)

1/3 cup cooked and dried mung beans
2 tablespoons freeze dried corn

1/2 teaspoon dried chives
1 packet True Lime
1/2 teaspoon vegetable bouillon
salt, pepper and olive oil to taste

At home: combine all of the dry ingredients in a ziplocking bag.

In camp: add just enough water to cover. Set aside for 5-10 minutes and allow to rehydrate. Season with salt, pepper and olive oil and stir well before serving.


Stay tuned for more recipes using dried mung beans!

This pretty yellow package jumped into my grocery cart when I was shopping at Grocery Outlet over the weekend. It was a trail bar that I had not yet tried. Caution when shopping here. A lot of items are at or near their shelf pull dates. This bar has a date of March 20th 2010. Fine if you are hiking this weekend... Not so great if you are doing resupply boxes for September.



Sun Valley Bar in Goji Lemon Flavor. "Energy from the Sun" the package reads. One 2oz bar has 230 calories, 7 grams of protein, 45mg sodium and 4 grams of fiber. This bar is super high in vitamin C. 260% of your daily reccomended. I can pronounce everything in the ingredient list, including apples, pumpkin seeds and walnuts. No added sugar (the sweetener ir brown rice and maple syrup) All wonderful ingredients.

I had to google to see if they had other flavors. The bars also come in Cranberry Almond, Chocolate Chocolate Chip and Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip. Yum! Made in Sun Valley Idaho.  Visit their website and read the story of how the company came to be. I love this stuff!

Upon opening the package, the smell of the bar is slightly lemony and similar to that of a whole grain cookie. It is very soft and chewy, but just a tad on the dry side. It has a nice lemon flavor that isn't overpowering or overly sweet. There are real chunks of dried apple in there as well.  The nuts are obvious, but not large crunchy chunks.

This one is a winner!! I'll buy it again. Good stuff!

I spent my weekend shopping for new hiker food ideas, picking up supplies for existing ideas and hanging out with a cool hiker chick!

The result? 30+ hiker meals. 10 to each of the thru hikers I'm sponsoring and 10 new recipes to be tested (aka work lunches for this week). One of the things I purchased (finally!!) was a food scale. Why oh why did I not do this last year!! This is sooooo much easier to get correct proportions. The scale isn't anything fancy and it only cost me $10, but I think it has already earned it's keep!

First up, Warner Springs Monty's food. All portions are 4 to 5.5 ounces each and made to be just-add-hot-water.



Arichoke Pasta

Vegetarian Chili Mac (2)

Miso Shiitake Noodles

Miso Veggie Noodle Bowl

Chicken Artichoke Salad
Unstuffed Peppers (with Quinoa)

Warner Springs Artichoke Pasta

Black Beans and Rice (new recipe!)

Minestrone (homemade with noodles added upon packaging)

Then, Sugar Momma came over to hang out for some girl time. I did some easier/faster things for her (vegetarian) food. Remember the Lentil Stew I made awhile back? A good portion of that is packaged up for Sugar Momma now. There was also a red lentil coconut stew that I made and dried (will blog about that later this week) SM's portions are about 4 ounces each.

So far she's received two of each of the following:

Lentil Stew and Couscous

Red Lentil Coconut Stew and Rice

Vegetarian Chili Mac
Minestrone

Lentil Stew and Quinoa

Stay tuned this week for lots more photos, recipes, product reviews and other ideas. I've been BUSY!!