[at-l] Backpackers' Fav Topic -- FOOD

[lorac4491 at linkamerica.net (Coosa Donaldson)]

http://www.savannahnow.com/stories/070704/2286353.shtml

Some of the story . . .

Backpacking is great fun for the Conners family, but preparing for such a trip is challenging. Backpackers must consider weight and durability of their gear and their food.

"At the first stop on the Appalachian Trail, there are piles of canned goods that first-time hikers leave there," Christine said. "They realize they can't carry all that weight, and they unload at the stop."

Nutrition and durability are important. Food must keep for at least a week and be nutritionally dense. "We're looking for everything nobody wants," Christine said. "Fats, carbs, you need a lot of salt. We also look for fiber and protein balance."

"If you just took macaroni and cheese, you'd be just about dead," Tim added. Hallucinations taught him that lesson during one of his earlier backpacking trips. "I didn't pack well for that trip; I was eating junk. Two weeks in I swear I saw a Pepsi truck over in the meadow. I hadn't crossed a road in two weeks."

Later on the same trip, he hallucinated an ice cream truck.

In time, the Connerses learned proper food preparation from other, more experienced backpackers. Eventually, they authored a backpacking cookbook, "Lipsmackin' Backpackin,'" released in 2000.

And they have another book out this year.

MORE
After all their backpacking and publishing accomplishments, the Connerses remain ambitious. They hope one day to hike the entire 2,635-mile Pacific Crest Trail. They'd like all four children to carry their own packs.

For now, they'll settle for shorter hikes in the southeastern United States. During their next family outing - two nights and three days in north Georgia's Vogel State Park - Maria will have to walk on her own. It's baby David's turn to ride on the backpack.

Hey, someone invite this family to our next Southern RUCK !!!!!!!!!

Two recipes.
Fabulous Fry Brownies

At Home: 

1 cup all-purpose bleached wheat flour

1/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons nonfat powdered milk

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1/4 cup walnuts

In a bowl, combine flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, salt and powdered milk. Thoroughly mix, then add chocolate chips and nuts and mix again. Place 1/2 cup of mixture into each of 6 resealable quart-size freezer bags.

On the Trail

2 teaspoons vegetable oil per serving

2 tablespoons water per serving

To make 1 serving, heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a pan at low heat. Add a second teaspoon of oil and 2 tablespoons of water to 1 bag of brownie mix. Knead the mixture in the bag. Once the pan is hot, scoop small, spoon-size mounds into the pan or cut a corner from the bag and squeeze out small brownie batter blobs. Cook until the bottoms are browned and the tops are no longer shiny. Flip, flatten, and brown the other sides. 

Chicken Curry Salad

Salad ingredients:

5 cups cooked brown rice

1/2 cup white wine vinegar

4 (5-ounce) cans low-fat chicken

1 cup finely chopped celery

1 cup finely chopped carrots

1 cup finely chopped apples

1/2 cup minced parsley

1/2 cup minced green pepper

2 tablespoons minced dried onion

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

Dressing Ingredients:

4 tablespoons olive oil

4 tablespoons safflower oil

2 teaspoons brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons curry powder

1 teaspoon cumin powder

3/4 cup water per serving

At Home

Salad: In a large bowl, toss the cooked brown rice with the vinegar, set aside, and allow to soak for 1/2 hour. Add chicken (broken up into small pieces), celery, carrots, apple, parsley, green pepper, onion and sunflower seeds. On six separate plastic-lined drying trays (each tray equals one serving), place 1-3/4 cups of rice mixture and dehydrate. When completely dry, place each serving in a separate resealable plastic bag.

Dressing: In a separate bowl, combine olive oil, safflower oil, brown sugar, salt, garlic powder, curry powder and cumin powder. Place in a leakproof squeeze bottle.

On the Trail:

The night before you plan to eat this meal, place 3/4 cup of water into one bag (one serving) of salad mix. Keep salad at the bottom of the bag and roll up the bag like a burrito to help keep it from leaking. Allow to sit overnight. In the morning, check how the rehydration is progressing and, if necessary, add more water. The salad should be fully rehydrated by lunchtime. At lunchtime, stir a sixth of your seasoned oil dressing into one serving of salad.


Coosa Donaldson
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