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[at-l] Mac 'n Cheese on the Trail (fwd)

Tom wrote:
>>Looking at my box of Kraft yesterday in the kitchen,
I got a bit flustered.  Directions:  (1) Boil the noodles
for 8 minutes; drain.  (2) Add Sauce powder,
(a) 1/4 cup milk and (b) 1/4 cup margarine.  Stir and eat.

(A) do you actually boil your noodles all that
time on your stove, or is there some steeping method that
works well and saves fuel?  (B) Do you use nonfat dry milk
plus water, or something else? (C) Do you carry margarine
or butter out on the trail?  If not, what do you use?  If so,
how do you carry it?<<<<

Mmmmmmm....mac-n-cheese. The directions on the box are not too useful for
backcountry preparation. Here's how to cook up some sacrilicious
mac-n-cheese on the ol' whisperlite. Boil up some water. Measured
quantities (i.e. exactly 2 cups) are only to be used on the first week of
a thru-hike. If i had to guess though, i'd guess 1/2 to 3/4 of a Nalgene.
Don't worry about too much water... you can drain it afterwards. Add
noodles at the beginning so they can start absorbing the water as it's
coming to a boil. Let the water boil and stir for 3-5 minutes while
boiling. Cut off the whisperlite and put the top on the pot. Let sit for
about 10 minutes. Don't peek... you'll release the heat/steam that is
cooking the noodles and saving fuel. After the noodles have cooked, add
the CPP (cheese powder product). Stir. Add a sleeve of crushed Ritz
crackers. Or even better, about 3 packs of those Dorito's jalapeno cheese
crackers, or some other derivation. Add garlic or garlic powder, or both.
Add hot sauce. Add stinky cheese (parmesan). Finally, take out your
squeeze bottle of Parkay (don't go for the cheapies...less calories).
Figure out how many days until your next town stop. Divide the remaining
squeeze butter by that many days, pour in, and mix. Sacrilicious. Milk is
not needed, but if you want to throw some powdered milk in their too, go
for it. YMMV on cooking time, but you get the idea. HTH! HAND!

Mac-n-cheese master
(aka Rambleon)
rambleon@email.unc.edu

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