In perusing various blogs I've noticed that oatmeal is a breakfast staple when camping. I'm assuming it's because it's easy to buy already portioned out, and is cheap, light weight, and easy to make when at camp.
If you've been following my posts you'll see I've been experimenting with mixing up oatmeal (not from packets though...) and have had mixed results. The thing is, in attempting to eat oatmeal every morning for those experiments, I've come to the realization that if I was on a week long trip, or longer, I'd come to hate oatmeal pretty quickly.
At home, I like a variety of other hot cereals, and wonder why they rarely seem to show up on people's lists of camp meals.
Cream of Wheat - You can buy this in single serve pouches just like instant oatmeal, but lets be honest...it's not all that tasty. I usually drop a few scoops of blueberry baby food into it, and it's much better. I don't see why you couldn't dehydrate baby food into fruit leather so it's good for the trail. Or you could mix in some jam from a little packet. The draw back? Apparently, it's severely lacking in fibre, so it's not such a great choice. I remember at one time there was a whole wheat option, and Bob's Red Mill has Organic Whole Wheat Farina (which is what Cream of Wheat is...) so I'm going to give that a try and see if it's any good.
Red River - (or variations on the theme...) You can get lots of mixed grain hot cereals, from 5 grain to 12 grain and they are a favourite of ours (except Bubbie of course.) Squatch will eat two or three servings of it himself. This one is the highest in fibre of the hot cereals (24% of your daily requirement I think.) The drawback for this one is that clean up is a pain in the butt. I'm going to give the Ziploc bag/cozy method a try with it though.
Oat Bran - I tried this for the first time when I was in the hospital after having Squatch and loved it. A little brown sugar, some chopped pecans and yum. It's also super healthy, high in fibre and it's really easy to make as well. I'll give it a try with the bag/cosy too.
Granola - Normally, I only eat granola on top of my yogurt, but I also love it with milk, and I know you can make it a hot cereal as well, and there's a ton of ways to make your own to your own tastes...plus you can eat it plain out of the bag, which makes it extremely versatile.
After browsing through the Bob's Red Mill website I've found a ton more options, including one that's definitely going on my must try list - Peppy Kernels Hot Cereal. Also, there's one that's like large flake oats, but it's also got other grains in it (5 grain rolled hot cereal) I had to try five different stores to find this, and will let you know how it was tomorrow after I've tried some.
I know there are recipes for breakfasts using millet, quinoa, rice and pretty much any grain you can think of...kind of makes me wonder why you'd want to eat instant oatmeal every morning...
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Day Trip: Snowshoeing and skating at Arrowhead Provincial Park
New Years Eve at Arrowhead...in one word...busy! The place was packed with skiers, and families checking out the skating trail. We didn't want to have to try and rent skis since the gatehouse was packed with people trying to do just that, so we stuck with our snowshoes and did the Stubb's Falls Trail.
If you'll remember, we hiked to Stubb's Falls from our campsite last Mother's Day and spent forever there taking pictures. It's just as awesome in the winter, in many ways maybe more so. The water level hadn't gone down at all, which was a bit unexpected. There was lots of it frothing over the ledges and cutting it's way through blue tinted ice. We took a whole bunch of pictures again.
But I'm getting ahead of myself. The trail can be accessed at one of two places, either the first parking area after the bridge, or the next road which also is an access point for ski trails and the skating trail. We chose the first, and crossed the road and followed the trail until we came to where the Stubb's Falls Trail meets up with the second parking area. For a while, skiers, skaters and snowshoers are all going side by side, but after a bit, the skate trail turns off and then further down the official ski trail does as well (though other trails meet up with it again by the Falls them self.)
Point of irritation...the stairs you must descend to get to the bridge over the falls means you have to take off your snowshoes. Now, this wasn't a problem for the adults. Our snowshoes are relatively quick to get done back up, but Squatch's took us ages since they are just a bit too small, so Chris opted to carry him down the steps.
The truth is, you don't need snowshoes. The trail is packed and easy to walk on, at least it was for our trip. We ended up carrying them for the last half of the loop since we were always passing people in sneakers and felt kind of stupid.
After we got back to the car, we decided to try out the skating trail. The trail is 1.1km of flooded road looping between road two and three of the Little East River Campground. Bubbie had to rent skates, and swears they were dull as a kitchen knife, so it took us forever to make one circuit. Chris and Squatch made two more after us girls limped our way back to the picnic tables to sit around the fire and get warm.
There were a few handy warming shelters where you could sit and eat your lunch. The one we stepped into was full so we didn't stick around but I did notice there were racks hanging over the wood stove for people to put their hats and mitts, giving them a bit of drying time.
Unfortunately, the tubing hill was closed but I don't know why. There seemed to be lots of snow, but the girls at the gate house were looking pretty harassed so I didn't want to bother them for details. I highly recommend making Arrowhead a destination for winter fun though. The skating trail was very cool, and there are certain nights the loop is lit by tiki torches which would be very awesome. There is also a lot of cross country ski trails ranging from beginner to expert. Rentals are available, and the cost of entering the park ($14) is included in the cost of your trail pass (something like $33 for a family of four) so it's a bit more expensive to ski than the other options.
I am a little surprised they charge extra for trail use though. I did a quick check to see if Algonquin does, and found there's no extra charge. I'm wondering if maybe they need to charge to justify having staff on at times other than Christmas holidays. Algonquin is going to have a fairly steady flow of people, but I'm guessing not many people know about the trails at Arrowhead. It's too bad because for people coming from the city, it's easier to go up Highway 11 and get to Arrowhead than it is to get to Algonquin.
Personally, I prefer it when there isn't a ton of people around, so I'm hoping we get back up there on a random weekend to see how busy it is. It would be nice to be able to take pictures of the falls without having to try and frame it to keep a dozen strangers out of the shot, or to have every skier we passed tell our kids to not step on the ski trail with their snowshoes (when I'd already told them that before we got out of the car, and they weren't near the ski track anyway.) It would have been nice to have been able to sit in the warming shelter and eat lunch (not that we packed one...Mum brought a bag full of peppermint patties, and that was all we had, not even drinks. We're really going to need to work on preparing for these trips better)
All said though, Arrowhead is a nice place to spend a snowy winter day, and I highly recommend it to anyone.
On a side note, I have pictures to post, but am having trouble getting them from iPhoto to the blog on my new computer...I'll figure that out and post them separately.
If you'll remember, we hiked to Stubb's Falls from our campsite last Mother's Day and spent forever there taking pictures. It's just as awesome in the winter, in many ways maybe more so. The water level hadn't gone down at all, which was a bit unexpected. There was lots of it frothing over the ledges and cutting it's way through blue tinted ice. We took a whole bunch of pictures again.
But I'm getting ahead of myself. The trail can be accessed at one of two places, either the first parking area after the bridge, or the next road which also is an access point for ski trails and the skating trail. We chose the first, and crossed the road and followed the trail until we came to where the Stubb's Falls Trail meets up with the second parking area. For a while, skiers, skaters and snowshoers are all going side by side, but after a bit, the skate trail turns off and then further down the official ski trail does as well (though other trails meet up with it again by the Falls them self.)
Point of irritation...the stairs you must descend to get to the bridge over the falls means you have to take off your snowshoes. Now, this wasn't a problem for the adults. Our snowshoes are relatively quick to get done back up, but Squatch's took us ages since they are just a bit too small, so Chris opted to carry him down the steps.
The truth is, you don't need snowshoes. The trail is packed and easy to walk on, at least it was for our trip. We ended up carrying them for the last half of the loop since we were always passing people in sneakers and felt kind of stupid.
After we got back to the car, we decided to try out the skating trail. The trail is 1.1km of flooded road looping between road two and three of the Little East River Campground. Bubbie had to rent skates, and swears they were dull as a kitchen knife, so it took us forever to make one circuit. Chris and Squatch made two more after us girls limped our way back to the picnic tables to sit around the fire and get warm.
There were a few handy warming shelters where you could sit and eat your lunch. The one we stepped into was full so we didn't stick around but I did notice there were racks hanging over the wood stove for people to put their hats and mitts, giving them a bit of drying time.
Unfortunately, the tubing hill was closed but I don't know why. There seemed to be lots of snow, but the girls at the gate house were looking pretty harassed so I didn't want to bother them for details. I highly recommend making Arrowhead a destination for winter fun though. The skating trail was very cool, and there are certain nights the loop is lit by tiki torches which would be very awesome. There is also a lot of cross country ski trails ranging from beginner to expert. Rentals are available, and the cost of entering the park ($14) is included in the cost of your trail pass (something like $33 for a family of four) so it's a bit more expensive to ski than the other options.
I am a little surprised they charge extra for trail use though. I did a quick check to see if Algonquin does, and found there's no extra charge. I'm wondering if maybe they need to charge to justify having staff on at times other than Christmas holidays. Algonquin is going to have a fairly steady flow of people, but I'm guessing not many people know about the trails at Arrowhead. It's too bad because for people coming from the city, it's easier to go up Highway 11 and get to Arrowhead than it is to get to Algonquin.
Personally, I prefer it when there isn't a ton of people around, so I'm hoping we get back up there on a random weekend to see how busy it is. It would be nice to be able to take pictures of the falls without having to try and frame it to keep a dozen strangers out of the shot, or to have every skier we passed tell our kids to not step on the ski trail with their snowshoes (when I'd already told them that before we got out of the car, and they weren't near the ski track anyway.) It would have been nice to have been able to sit in the warming shelter and eat lunch (not that we packed one...Mum brought a bag full of peppermint patties, and that was all we had, not even drinks. We're really going to need to work on preparing for these trips better)
All said though, Arrowhead is a nice place to spend a snowy winter day, and I highly recommend it to anyone.
On a side note, I have pictures to post, but am having trouble getting them from iPhoto to the blog on my new computer...I'll figure that out and post them separately.
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Not as cool as I'd thought...
So, a month ago, I saw bags of heirloom carrots in the grocery store...you know, the ones that come in colours other than the normal orange? I thought it would be awesome to dehydrate them and add them to the kid's ramen noodles along with dried corn, celery etc. This way at least there's some vegetables in the meal, plus, I love the purple carrots.
In theory, a cool idea...but when you rehydrate them, some of the colour comes out of the purple pieces and turns everything you cook with them a gross blue-grey colour. It doesn't change the taste or anything, but ramen ends up looking like zombie brains or something. Ugh. Lesson learned.
In theory, a cool idea...but when you rehydrate them, some of the colour comes out of the purple pieces and turns everything you cook with them a gross blue-grey colour. It doesn't change the taste or anything, but ramen ends up looking like zombie brains or something. Ugh. Lesson learned.
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Three Sister's Soup
I apologize for not posting this sooner. I've had a few days of internet issues, and the hamster escaped...in my office. The whole room got torn apart as we chased him down, so until I got it all reorganized, I couldn't get to the computer. I still have a narrow path through boxes, it's sort of a treacherous journey getting over here, but since all the kids' unwrapped Christmas presents are hidden under my desk, I couldn't let anyone else help.
Anyway, I did try this recipe from The Complete Trail Food Cookbook and it was alright. I think I'd go a little lighter on the thyme and add a tsp of vegetable soup base (without any MSG) and see how it works.
My only issue with it is that it tells you to let the ingredients soak for 20 minutes then simmer for another 10-15. I'd like to try it with a cosy (when I make one) and see if it works that way simply for fuel conservation.
THREE SISTER'S SOUP
2 tbsp dried corn kernels
2 tbsp dried green bean pieces
2 tbsp dried winter squash pieces
1 tbsp dried potato slices, crumbled
2 tsp dried onion pieces
2 tsp dried celery slices
1/2 tsp dried parsley, crumbled
1/4 tsp dried minced garlic
1/4 tsp crumbled dried thyme
1/4 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 cups water
Soak the ingredients in the water for 20 minutes than bring to a boil and simmer 10-15 minutes. The book says once you mix the ingredients, they only have a shelf life of a month (I imagine freezing them would give you more time.)
For anyone who's interested, the dried ingredients weighed 1.1 oz and fit easily into a snack size zip top bag.
Anyway, I did try this recipe from The Complete Trail Food Cookbook and it was alright. I think I'd go a little lighter on the thyme and add a tsp of vegetable soup base (without any MSG) and see how it works.
My only issue with it is that it tells you to let the ingredients soak for 20 minutes then simmer for another 10-15. I'd like to try it with a cosy (when I make one) and see if it works that way simply for fuel conservation.
THREE SISTER'S SOUP
2 tbsp dried corn kernels
2 tbsp dried green bean pieces
2 tbsp dried winter squash pieces
1 tbsp dried potato slices, crumbled
2 tsp dried onion pieces
2 tsp dried celery slices
1/2 tsp dried parsley, crumbled
1/4 tsp dried minced garlic
1/4 tsp crumbled dried thyme
1/4 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 cups water
Soak the ingredients in the water for 20 minutes than bring to a boil and simmer 10-15 minutes. The book says once you mix the ingredients, they only have a shelf life of a month (I imagine freezing them would give you more time.)
For anyone who's interested, the dried ingredients weighed 1.1 oz and fit easily into a snack size zip top bag.
Thursday, December 6, 2012
What experiments to try next
I've been busy drying ingredients so I can try out a few of the recipes from The Complete Trail food Cookbook and have finally managed to get a good basic assortment of dried vegetables. My goal today is to try making Three Sister's Soup. I'll post later with my thoughts on how it worked out.
I've also been busy browsing my recipe books in search of meals that can be adapted for camping, whether that be something with minimal prep for car camping, or something that can be dehydrated and taken canoe camping or backpacking.
The first step will be to try the recipe as is, at home, and see how it passes the kiddy test. If that goes well (and I don't get my hopes up...you may have noticed Bubbie is a bit picky) then I'll break it down and see if its better to make the recipe as a whole and dry it, or dry the ingredients individually. I haven't really gotten to this part yet, which really depresses me. I'm starting to think I never will. So far I've tried three recipes that looked like they had a lot of potential for camp food. One would have been awesome in the dutch oven, and the other two I'm pretty sure could have been modified for backpacking. As always, three out of the four of us liked it, and one merely nibbled a bite smaller than a mouse would eat and pushed it away. Something tells me she'll be eating a lot of instant rice and spaghetti on camping trips.
On the other hand, last year on our Mew Lake trip, she ate things I didn't think she'd eat, and not only ate them, but went back for seconds and thirds. I don't know if the trick is to only let her try things at camp, or if that was a fluke. I know there's that magic "all food tastes awesome at camp" phenomena....hmmm
Anyway, lots of drying going on here, and there should be some good experiments over the next few days. One recipe I want to try modifying this week is called Caribbean potato and kidney bean curry. The picture looked good anyway...but then they always do, don't they?
I've also been busy browsing my recipe books in search of meals that can be adapted for camping, whether that be something with minimal prep for car camping, or something that can be dehydrated and taken canoe camping or backpacking.
The first step will be to try the recipe as is, at home, and see how it passes the kiddy test. If that goes well (and I don't get my hopes up...you may have noticed Bubbie is a bit picky) then I'll break it down and see if its better to make the recipe as a whole and dry it, or dry the ingredients individually. I haven't really gotten to this part yet, which really depresses me. I'm starting to think I never will. So far I've tried three recipes that looked like they had a lot of potential for camp food. One would have been awesome in the dutch oven, and the other two I'm pretty sure could have been modified for backpacking. As always, three out of the four of us liked it, and one merely nibbled a bite smaller than a mouse would eat and pushed it away. Something tells me she'll be eating a lot of instant rice and spaghetti on camping trips.
On the other hand, last year on our Mew Lake trip, she ate things I didn't think she'd eat, and not only ate them, but went back for seconds and thirds. I don't know if the trick is to only let her try things at camp, or if that was a fluke. I know there's that magic "all food tastes awesome at camp" phenomena....hmmm
Anyway, lots of drying going on here, and there should be some good experiments over the next few days. One recipe I want to try modifying this week is called Caribbean potato and kidney bean curry. The picture looked good anyway...but then they always do, don't they?
Friday, November 30, 2012
Experiment #5: Curried Pumpkin Soup
Last night I made up a pot of soup with the intention of drying it to see how it 1) dehydrated and 2) rehydrated. This is a recipe I make for myself for lunches often when I'm home alone because it's fast and easy...and Chris doesn't like it because he doesn't like curry, so I can't make it for dinners.
Curried Pumpkin Soup
1 small onion, chopped (you want fairly small pieces)
1 tsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup (half a large can) pureed pumpkin
1 potato shredded
pinch of cayenne pepper
pinch of red pepper flakes
Saute the onion in the oil for about 2 minutes. Add the seasonings and stir to coat. Add broth, pumpkin and potato. Simmer 8-10 minutes.
Usually when I make this for home, I cube the potato, but for the sake of even drying and faster rehydrating, I shredded them. You could use cubed and then puree the whole thing after it's cooled I suppose, if you like a smooth texture.
This makes a bit more than 2 cups worth of soup, which is one generous serving on the trail or 2 lunch size servings for me at home...okay I'd probably eat it all at home too...
Dehydrating: Ladle the soup onto a fruit roll tray, it should all fit on one, and dry for about 8 hours. I slept in and mine went about 12 hours and it was over dried.
Rehydrating: Because I was doing this at home, I put 1/2 of the dried soup into a pot and covered water, brought it to a boil and let it sit with the lid on for about 20 minutes. It didn't seem to be coming back fully so I added a bit more water and let it simmer for a few more minutes. It might have been the pieces of onion and potato holding their shape that looked like unrehydrated bits though, but I wasn't sure. It tasted the same as last night when I sampled a bit.
While this isn't a fully accurate test of the recipe (normal kitchen conditions rather than trail conditions) I'm convinced this will work well. Next time I won't let it dry so long.
Curried Pumpkin Soup
1 small onion, chopped (you want fairly small pieces)
1 tsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup (half a large can) pureed pumpkin
1 potato shredded
pinch of cayenne pepper
pinch of red pepper flakes
Saute the onion in the oil for about 2 minutes. Add the seasonings and stir to coat. Add broth, pumpkin and potato. Simmer 8-10 minutes.
Usually when I make this for home, I cube the potato, but for the sake of even drying and faster rehydrating, I shredded them. You could use cubed and then puree the whole thing after it's cooled I suppose, if you like a smooth texture.
This makes a bit more than 2 cups worth of soup, which is one generous serving on the trail or 2 lunch size servings for me at home...okay I'd probably eat it all at home too...
Dehydrating: Ladle the soup onto a fruit roll tray, it should all fit on one, and dry for about 8 hours. I slept in and mine went about 12 hours and it was over dried.
Rehydrating: Because I was doing this at home, I put 1/2 of the dried soup into a pot and covered water, brought it to a boil and let it sit with the lid on for about 20 minutes. It didn't seem to be coming back fully so I added a bit more water and let it simmer for a few more minutes. It might have been the pieces of onion and potato holding their shape that looked like unrehydrated bits though, but I wasn't sure. It tasted the same as last night when I sampled a bit.
While this isn't a fully accurate test of the recipe (normal kitchen conditions rather than trail conditions) I'm convinced this will work well. Next time I won't let it dry so long.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Experiment #4: Raspberries and cream oatmeal
My inspiration for this came from a really yummy looking recipe for raspberry cheesecake oatmeal. To be honest, I was going to make it with cream cheese, even though I wouldn't be able to make it that way when camping, but to my disappointment, I didn't actually have any cream cheese in the fridge.
This recipe calls for large flake oats that cook in 4-5 minutes. I did this because I wasn't sure how long it would take for the raspberries to rehydrate, and figured a few minutes of cooking would be better than eating berries with the consistency of styrofoam. (If you've never eaten a dehydrated raspberry, it's kind of nasty) Also, I made this for 2 people, where normally I've been making a 1 serving sample.
Raspberries and Cream Oatmeal (2 servings)
1 2/3 cup water
2/3 cup oats (large flake)
1/2 cup dehydrated raspberries
1 tbsp powdered skim milk
1 tbsp granulated sugar
Put the raspberries into the water right away. Once the water comes to a boil, add the oats and stir until cooked (should be 4-5 minutes) then stir in the powdered milk and sugar. The raspberries will break up into individual little pieces, but that actually makes it better because it means you get berry flavour in every bite.
Conclusion: I'm pretty picky about my oatmeal. I can't even get through a packet of the instant stuff because the last few bites worth make me want to puke but I scraped the bowl of this. Chris liked it too. It starts off kind of tart, but as you eat it, it seems to get sweeter.
When I calculated how much water (okay there was no calculating. I totally guessed) I figured the recipe on the oats calls for 2/3 cup water for 1/3 cup of oats (1 serving.) I doubled that and added another 1/3 cup for rehydrating berries and for the milk. It seemed to work well and the end result was neither too runny or a thick glue-like glob, so yay me! As to using large flake oats, yes it will increase fuel use to boil the oats for that long. I'm not sure if letting them sit in a cosy for a few minutes would work, I imagine it would. I don't have a cosy, but once I make one, I'll give it a try. I prefer large flake oats over the instant stuff anyway, so I'm hoping it works out.
Tomorrow's experiment...Curried Pumpkin Soup...it's on the dehydrator now, so I'll let you know how it turns out.
This recipe calls for large flake oats that cook in 4-5 minutes. I did this because I wasn't sure how long it would take for the raspberries to rehydrate, and figured a few minutes of cooking would be better than eating berries with the consistency of styrofoam. (If you've never eaten a dehydrated raspberry, it's kind of nasty) Also, I made this for 2 people, where normally I've been making a 1 serving sample.
Raspberries and Cream Oatmeal (2 servings)
1 2/3 cup water
2/3 cup oats (large flake)
1/2 cup dehydrated raspberries
1 tbsp powdered skim milk
1 tbsp granulated sugar
Put the raspberries into the water right away. Once the water comes to a boil, add the oats and stir until cooked (should be 4-5 minutes) then stir in the powdered milk and sugar. The raspberries will break up into individual little pieces, but that actually makes it better because it means you get berry flavour in every bite.
Conclusion: I'm pretty picky about my oatmeal. I can't even get through a packet of the instant stuff because the last few bites worth make me want to puke but I scraped the bowl of this. Chris liked it too. It starts off kind of tart, but as you eat it, it seems to get sweeter.
When I calculated how much water (okay there was no calculating. I totally guessed) I figured the recipe on the oats calls for 2/3 cup water for 1/3 cup of oats (1 serving.) I doubled that and added another 1/3 cup for rehydrating berries and for the milk. It seemed to work well and the end result was neither too runny or a thick glue-like glob, so yay me! As to using large flake oats, yes it will increase fuel use to boil the oats for that long. I'm not sure if letting them sit in a cosy for a few minutes would work, I imagine it would. I don't have a cosy, but once I make one, I'll give it a try. I prefer large flake oats over the instant stuff anyway, so I'm hoping it works out.
Tomorrow's experiment...Curried Pumpkin Soup...it's on the dehydrator now, so I'll let you know how it turns out.
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