Trail Chili

Took my normal chili receipe at home and dehydrated the left overs. Just make sure that your ground beef is in small chunks. I used a slotted spoon to get it out of the pot and then dehydrated for about 10 hours.

Try using your uneaten left overs for your next meal on the trail. Nothing to lose!

~Happy Trails

Dehydrate Hamburger

This is pretty easy and will keep for ~one year in the freezer.

Buy the leanest hamburger meat that you can find. Cook until completely done. Many people have told me to rinse the meat after cooking but I find that it removes more flavor than grease. It is really important to remove as much grease from the meat as possible. Drain thoroughly. Drain again. Pat dry with paper towel. Place meat in dehydrator. You will need to place this on either a "fruit rollup tray" or parchment paper to keep it from falling through the holes in the dehydrator. Dry until it resembles aquarium gravel. It will not hurt to over dry but you DO NOT want this under dried. When complete, I place in Ziploc bag and put bag in freezer. I add to my meals as I am preparing for each trip.

~Happy Trails!

Gravy and Beef

Needed:
3 oz Dehydrated Hamburger Meat
1 Package Brown Bravy
2-3 Packs Ramen Noodles

At home:
Place 2-3 bags Ramen noodles without seasoning in Ziploc bag along with hamburger meat.
Place brown gravy in separate bag and add instructions.

On the trail:
Boil water needed for noodles, add to bag and drain if needed when done.
Prepare gravy according to instructions.
Mix everything and enjoy.

~Happy Trails!

Trail Pizza

Chicken Alfredo - Feeds Two

Needed:
1 - Pack Alfredo Sauce
1 - Can Dehydrated Chicken
2-3 Bags Ramen Noodles

At Home:

Place 2 to 3 bags of Ramen noodles without the seasoning in Ziploc bag along with the chicken.

In separate bag, mix half the Alfredo package with 1/3 cup powdered milk.

On the trail:

Bring water to boil. Add this to Ramen noodles and chicken bag. While this is rehydrating, dump alfredo mix into bowl, add scant cup of water. With continuous stirring, bring mixture to boil then reduce heat. Simmer until it thickens (~2 minutes). Season with garlic salt and pepper to taste. Add sauce to noodles and enjoy.

~Happy Trails

Happy New Year

We wish everyone a prosperous new year. Keep watching for great food ideas in 2008!

Merry Christmas

Hope Santa was good to you!

Super lite paper towel

My wife found these in Wal-Mart today. Cost $1 per package of eight. They weigh .1 ounce each. A whole package of them is less than one ounce. Once soaked in water, it produces an almost full size paper towel. Perfect for after dinner clean up. And they are biodegradeable to boot.

~Happy Trails

Home made oven

Quick Tip - Condiments

No need to load your pockets with packs of ketchup from your favorite fast food joint anymore. Now there is a great place to get almost any condiment that you can think of. They have everything from fudge frosting to A-1 Steak Sauce. Be sure to check them out.

http://www.minimus.biz/

~Happy Trails

3 Day Menu

I am getting ready for a 60 mile trek on the North-South Trail through Land Between the Lakes. I wanted to post my menu for any new hikers so they could get an idea of what they might carry. Weight will be my biggest concern since I want to complete this trail in just 3 days.

~Happy Trails

Brownie Mix

My wife sent me to the grocery tonight to pick up some items for her holiday baking. While scanning the isle, I came across this brownie mix. Once I removed it from the packaging, it weighed 3.6 oz. Will try it out in my backpack oven in the next couple of days and report the findings. Looks like it could be tasty.

Followup:

Got to make these for a midnight snack. Let's just say that I have found a quick and easy dessert. I was a little worried since the package said "Important: Do Not Bake". After 20 minutes in my small oven, I spread the fudge topping on and enjoyed a wonderful treat. This has earned a place on my next trip!

~Happy Trails