rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Jun 9, 2019 7:09:14 GMT -8
Dessert on the trail isn’t a true essential, but it can make a real difference in attitude, not to mention filling in the gaps if dinner was skimpy (or helping you get over it if dinner sucked). So share some of your favorites here, with recipes if they are yours to share (link to sources if they aren’t yours).
I’ll kick it off with a light and compact favorite we call “Fruit Compote” In a snack-sized zip-lock, mix about 2 Tablespoons each dried cranberries, dried blueberries, and dried strawberries. In camp, add hot water to cover and tuck it in the bottom of the cozy while you eat dinner. 2 servings if all you want is a taste sensation, 1 serving if you want something you’ll notice you ate. Freeze-dried blueberries work fine, but when I tried it with FD strawberries, they kind of went to powder. Still yummy, but not a good texture.
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zeke
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Post by zeke on Jun 9, 2019 7:55:08 GMT -8
That seems like it would work to add some flavor to oatmeal, as well. I don't do desserts anymore, but will accept a small bit of dark chocolate, or a couple of gummy bears, if someone offers. Just helping to lighten their load, you know, being helpful.
I used to carry 6-7 cookies for each meal. A tube of those p-nut butter oatmeal cookies from the GS would be 2 servings. A small bag of peanut M&Ms would be an afternoon snack. I may go back to the M&Ms, since I am burning 3500 kcals a day bp'ing and could use the calories and carbs.
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Jun 9, 2019 14:57:11 GMT -8
zeke, all those berries also often end up in the oatmeal . I also make apple crisp, which bears a lot of resemblance to granola.
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zeke
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Post by zeke on Jun 9, 2019 15:09:49 GMT -8
rebeccad I'd think any of those apple cinnamon granola cereals would do well with additional apples added into it for a crisp. Hot water, and wait.
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Jun 10, 2019 7:34:48 GMT -8
rebeccad I'd think any of those apple cinnamon granola cereals would do well with additional apples added into it for a crisp. Hot water, and wait. I like to make my own. I mix up the crisp topping at home (oats, cinnamon, brown sugar, butter, and maybe some wheat germ and/or walnuts), and bake it so it’s about right. Then in camp I hydrate the apples or whatever with hot water and sprinkle on the topping. Very convincing. A commercial cereal would work fine; I just find most of them have too much oil and sugar (well, in this case the sugar would be about right), and it’s often palm oil or whatever. Then they are baked until too hard, so they would have to be soaked and like the crisp topping crisp Any topping that’s leftover (sometimes hard to get it just right for multiple people) goes in/on the oatmeal the next morning.
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zeke
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Post by zeke on Jun 10, 2019 7:37:21 GMT -8
I was looking at the Bear Naked granola just the other day. Too many carbs for home use, but would work well in the field.
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ErnieW
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Post by ErnieW on Jun 11, 2019 6:35:03 GMT -8
I want to take my 7 year old twins backpacking this season so I am VERY interested in having good desserts. I recently tried MH Raspberry Crumble. Maybe it isn't fair to evaluate FD food at home but it wasn't so good. And the price definitely lowers the mark it gets. The big hit with my girls is astronaut ice cream. I bought a case box of the Neapolitan ice cream sandwiches. They are $3.50 a piece. A bit expensive but in terms of a motivating reward they are near priceless. You do have to take care they don't get smashed into dust. You can still eat them as dust but not as nice. I am going to try using my vacuum sealer on a couple. I think it would reduce packaging and make them a lot tougher for transport. My wife and I were brainstorming about trail mix this weekend. We were aiming for a mix(s) that would rate high with the twins. For me trail mix is dessert a lot of the time.
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zeke
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Post by zeke on Jun 11, 2019 7:52:29 GMT -8
M&Ms are hiking pills, as discussed in the Hiking With Kids section. Works on adults as well. Peanut ones, dark chocolate ones, peanut butter ones, it makes little difference to me. They work well as motivation to get to camp.
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RumiDude
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Post by RumiDude on Jun 11, 2019 9:34:18 GMT -8
Pudding + whatever floats your boat. I like banana pudding with banana chips and a crunchy coconut based cookie as a scoop. I also like chocolate pudding (fudge, dark chocolate, or even just regular chocolate) with FD blackberries and any number of sorts of cookies to scoop with. The cookies can also be crumbled into the pudding. Same for instant cheese cake sorta dessert. Adding coconut flakes, walnut bits, etc adds a bit of healthy calories to it.
Rumi
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null
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Post by null on Jun 11, 2019 11:15:54 GMT -8
but will accept a small bit of dark chocolate Chocolate bars are essential. I like Lindt Dark w/Chili or Orange. I opt for darker chocolate not only because of the taste but because it doesn't melt as easily as milk chocolate.
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ErnieW
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Post by ErnieW on Jun 11, 2019 12:04:44 GMT -8
I used to mix milk chocolate chips with Reese's peanut butter chips (from the baking isle). Pretty tasty if you have a sweet tooth. Not sure if the peanut butter chips are actually food though. This was mostly in the cold weather. I took some on a summer trip and had a melted bag of goo.
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Jun 12, 2019 7:25:03 GMT -8
but will accept a small bit of dark chocolate Chocolate bars are essential. I like Lindt Dark w/Chili or Orange. I opt for darker chocolate not only because of the taste but because it doesn't melt as easily as milk chocolate. We managed to survive 2 days in the Needles without chocolate, but it was tough. I agree on both points about dark chocolate. I also learned with my kids to keep the elements of the gorp separate—nuts in one bag, dried fruit in another, candies were left to the boys to choose, carry, and decide when to eat. This started because Eldest Son won’t eat nuts, but int he end I found I liked it, too.
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Jun 12, 2019 7:27:14 GMT -8
And just for ErnieW, I’ll share the Backpacking Brownies recipe. I think the original of this was published in Backpacker Magazine (yes, there’s a magazine) years and years ago. The full recipe easily makes 6 servings. But I have to go look it up. Please hold the line.
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Jun 12, 2019 7:40:17 GMT -8
Here we go: No-Bake Anniversary Brownies(So-called because we had them on a trip when two couples had anniversaries)
1 1/4 c graham cracker crumbs (just over one package) 1/4 c pecans (optional) 2 T powdered sugar 3 oz. semi-sweet chocolate 3 T powdered milk
At home: Premix the crumbs, pecans, and sugar. Bag the chips and milk separately in a freezer bag.
In camp: Mix 1/4 cup hot water with the chips and milk powder in their freezer bag. Squeeze and mix until melted. If necessary, put bag in the hot water in your pot for a few minutes, or leave it in the freezer bag cozy with dinner. When the chips are fully melted, add the crumb mixture, seal the zip-lock, and knead until well mixed. Shape and flatten the brownie until it fills the bag and forms a slab. You can then either let it cool until it sets up into a fairly solid brownie, or just grab spoons and sail in. Six servings. (It's rich, so you want to stop with a modest square of the stuff)
Backpacker, June 1997. I modified it for freezer bag cooking, because cleaning the pot after if you did it their way would be a huge PITA. Plus you can slice open a bag and lick it clean so none is wasted.
Because there is very little added water in these, I will make a batch and split it over multiple nights when there are just two or three of us.
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Post by cweston on Jun 12, 2019 9:00:49 GMT -8
We managed to survive 2 days in the Needles without chocolate, but it was tough. I agree on both points about dark chocolate. And just think, with the weather you had, you probably could have carried chocolate. (I didn't take any, either.) My (adult) son lives for those few squares of chocolate for dessert. I can take it or leave it--I do enjoy it, but I don't particularly miss it if I don't have any. I usually hold the chocolate squares (or maybe a Jolly Rancher) for shortly before bedtime: allegedly, it helps one to sleep warmer if your body has something to digest.
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