Principles versus practicality (PCT d - 55)

With 15 days to go until my overnight hiking trip to Bear Trap Canyon (near Norris, MT), I'm focusing on making my own "just add water" dehydrated meals that are suitable for the backpacking trail. When Birdie (my daughter) came over for a visit on Tuesday evening, we tried out a Knorr Pasta Sides dish (Parmesan flavor) and a Mountain House Chili Mac with Beef meal (Spicy sauce with macaroni, beef and beans). The former was okay, but the real surprise was just how good the Mountain House product was. It was very easy to make, still piping hot after 13 minutes of waiting, visually appealing, smelled good and was very tasty. Definitely rated 5 out of 5 stars (*****).

Homemade all-in-one meal

Using an ordinary domestic dehydrating machine, I had previously dried out some cooked ground meat and some vegetables (butternut squash, diced carrots and cauliflower). I bought some Safeway-brand stuffing mix, some Idahoan mashed potatoes (Loaded Baked^® flavor), some Safeway gravy mix, and I cheated slightly by adding some 'real' butter.

The store-bought dry ingredients were carefully weighed and split up into 2-serving portions. The potatoes serve 4, so I split those into two. The gravy was the same. The stuffing mix serves 6, so I split it into 3 equal portions. Then I added a cup of my dehydrated mixed vegetables and a cup of ground meat. Normally, I might split the resulting recipe between two ziptop bags, and each person could add their own 1¼ cups of boiling water but, for testing purposes, I used 2½ cups of boiling water. The resulting mix was left to stand (rehydrate) for 10 minutes.

After dividing it into two equal portions, the result: it was certainly enough, volume-wise, for one person for one meal. The second half will be taken to work tomorrow for my lunch. The taste was actually pretty good. The squash was still a bit hard, but the carrots and cauliflower were good. The potato and stuffing mix were a nice consistency and the meat was good. Overall, a successful 4 out of 5 stars (****). The nice thing about it, too, was that there was zero added salt, unlike the freeze dried stuff which ends up having 1,500 mg of sodium per real serving.

Birdie said that she liked the squash as it was, a crunchy snack, without rehydrating. I didn't try it.

Normally, when I'm grocery shopping, I avoid the center aisles, which have all the pre-packaged "convenience" foods. My friends who know me well also know that I try to avoid products made or sold by Kraft Foods and Nestlé. The trouble is, so many foods that backpackers might take with them are made by these companies. Thinking about dry whole milk, for example (versus that nasty non-fat stuff), Nestlé's Nido brand is really popular, but I refuse to buy it or use it. A couple of alternatives: Augason Farms is stocked by a local store (Vans) in Helena, and Thrive sells freeze dried products through their MLM home distributor network. I'll be trying both of those in the coming weeks.

As well as avoiding Kraft and Nestlé products, I'm also torn between wanting to stick to my low carb diet, which has worked so well for nine months, and wanting to field-test my provisions for future backpacking and hiking trips, but they inevitably contain lots of carbs.

On our trip to Crater Lake in May, I know we'll have to carry an average of 1.5 lbs of food per person per day, which means 10.5 lbs each for the seven days that we'll be hiking (unless we mail some food to ourselves at Mazama Village, and pick it up at the end of day 4). With 5 lbs of water, and 25 lbs worth of other gear, we'll be toting 40 lbs on our hips for 100 miles. If "convenience" foods offer a way to reduce that weight, that may be the lesser of two evils (but there's almost nothing more evil than Kraft and Nestlé).

Super grains - fortified hard tack

Last weekend I posted about the idea of making hard tack but adding some quinoa and amaranth for extra protein and other nutrients. Tonight I made some.

Ingredients

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• ½ cup quinoa
• ½ cup amaranth
• 1 cup water
• Pinch of salt (I used pink Himalayan, but I'm sure any kind would do)

Add caption

Instructions

1. Mix the flour and grains in a bowl
2. Add water and mix together
3. Roll out on a floured surface until about ¼" thick
4. Transfer to a baking sheet, score in squares (perhaps 1" or 2" squares), and prick with a fork
5. Bake in a 250 °F oven for 90 minutes

The idea is to find a balance of ingredients that will taste good, keep for a long time without going rancid, and that will have nutrients that will keep us going on our 100-mile hike in May.

Super grains for making hiking/trail snacks

In the context of lightweight food that might be suitable to take on a long-distance hike, I was reading about hard tack recently, in an online backpacking forum, when I was reminded that five years ago I made my own kind of long-lasting basic "survival" food.

Sesame wheat crackers, easy to make

My daughter, Birdie, and I made our own sesame wheat crackers, using flour and water and salt and sesame seeds, with some baking powder added, I'm sure. Usually, hard tack is made with just flour and water and salt, and it is slow baked at a low temperature for a long time (like, 200 °F for four hours, or something like that). Anyway, that much wheat flour is not consistent with my low-carb diet at the moment and, honestly, doesn't sound that appealing on the palette. If we're taking sustenance with us on our 100-mile Pacific Crest Trail section hike in May, we want it to actually taste good, and be nutritious too, right?

So, I looked up some alternatives online that were still easy to make, but had more protein and other micro-nutrients, yet would still make a light, flavorful snack. The addition of amaranth and quinoa, both gluten-free pseudo grains with essential amino acids, seems to be the most popular idea for adding flavor and texture and nutrients. Other good things you can add to the mix include spelt, Kamut, chia seeds and teff. Look online for phrases like "fortified hard tack" and you'll find more details.

This site: http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Markets/10-ancient-grains-to-watch-from-kamut-to-quinoa has some info on the health benefits of "super grains". It also reminded me that the US Department of Health and Human Services and the US Department of Agriculture recently published their new, updated 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. (http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/ ). Check out this link, from the same site: http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Ingredients/Cereals-and-bakery-preparations/Seeds-avocados-and-clean-eating-will-gain-traction-in-2016-RDNs-say

So, when I get my supply of amaranth and quinoa, in a few days time, I will be doing some baking and I'll share the results here.

An alternative 'good for you' chocolate pudding

Ingredients

• 1 ripe peeled avocado
• ½ to ¾ cup water (start with a ½ cup and add more if needed to blend)
• 3 tablespoons raw unsweetened cacao powder
• 8 chopped pitted dates
• Dash of vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Blend all ingredients in a blender.
2. Serve chilled.

The avocado has excellent fats, the dates add some natural sweetness and fiber. The raw unsweetened cacao is packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. 

For a change, you could substitute blended coconut milk or almond milk for the water, or add a pinch of ground cinnamon. You could also top it with pistachio or other nuts.

Experimenting with a 'good for you' chocolate pudding

Back in the summer of 2014 I had an opportunity to learn first-hand how chia seeds will swell up and thicken any liquids into which they are poured. They are high in protein, and an excellent way to thicken your shakes and smoothies, or to make puddings. They have other nutritional benefits. A one ounce (28 grams) serving (two tablespoons) of chia seeds contains: 11 grams of fiber, 4 grams of protein, and 9 grams of fat (5 g of which are Omega-3). They're also packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

When I was drinking freshly squeezed vegetable juices, my diabetic partner at the time would add chia seeds to our drinks so that she'd get the extra protein she needed. It's really a good thing, hence the name Superfood in this recipe.

Chocolate Chia Seed Superfood Pudding

Chocolate chia pudding

Ingredients:

• 1¼ cup unsweetened non-dairy milk (almond or coconut)
• ¼ cup chia seeds
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cacao powder
• Dash of pink Himalayan sea salt
• 1 tablespoon organic raw honey
• Dark chocolate shavings for garnish

Instructions:

1. Add all of the ingredients to a large glass jar with a lid, give it a quick stir, then put the lid on.
2. Shake it like crazy to mix it all up.
3. Refrigerate until very thick and pudding-like, at least 4 hours or overnight, shaking or stirring occasionally.
4. Serve the pudding chilled with whatever topping you’d like.

Other optional toppings: crystallized ginger, goji berries, nut butter, coconut, fresh citrus, bananas, nuts, pomegranate seeds, whipped coconut cream.

336.2 pounds today, and my staple breakfast

336.2 lbs (152.5 kg)

The progress continues. At this morning's weigh-in I was 336.2 lbs (152.5 kg). That will be my 'marker', my reference point at the beginning of the new year. This is the point from which all of this year's progress will be measured. 

Monthly targets for next year

Based on the progress I've made in the first six months of this journey, and bearing in mind my goal of reaching 178 pounds by my 50th birthday, I'd drawn up a back-of-an-envelope quick table of monthly targets.

• Oct 2015      356       Actual: 356.2
• Nov 2015      341       Actual: 345.4
• Dec 2015      327       Actual: 336.2
• Jan 2016      312     
• Feb 2016      298     
• Mar 2016      283     
• Apr 2016      269     
• May 2016      254     
• Jun 2016      240     
• Jul 2016      226     
• Aug 2016      211     
• Sep 2016      197     
• Oct 2016      185     
• Nov 2016      178     

Even if I don't hit every target, or I'm not at exactly 178 lbs by next November 28th, I'll still be a heck of a lot closer than I would have been if I'd just sat on the couch and not changed any of my behaviors! As long as I'm below 200 lbs, I don't mind taking an extra month or two to reach my target. 

What's really funny is that even at 178 lbs, my BMI will be 24.9, borderline overweight. According to the chart, I should be aiming for 149 lbs. That's not going to happen! 

Wilted spinach with eggs

Wilted spinach and eggs, my
"breakfast of champions"

My "go-to breakfast" these days is a very simple wilted spinach with eggs, soft yolk of course. I start with a couple of large knobs (2 tbsp) of good quality butter. Kerrygold butter is tasty and has a great natural yellow color. Then I fill the pan with as much spinach as will fit in it. Initially the lid might not fit very well, but the spinach soon cooks down. After a few minutes, I'll turn the semi-wilted spinach over so that the other side gets a chance to cook. 
In the meantime, I have cracked my three large eggs into a small dish, ready to add to the pan. An extra knob (1 tsp) of butter is added to an empty circle that I have created in the pan. The eggs are quickly added, with seasoning (usually just salt and pepper), and the lid is placed back on. This cooks over a low to medium  heat for several minutes, until the egg whites have set and the yolks are the desired consistency. I like mine runny. Depending on what I have in the fridge, I'll sometimes add a small sprinkling of Parmesan cheese, or some salsa or picante sauce. 

Cauliflower tortilla recipe

This versatile cauliflower tortilla recipe is super simple and allows you to "have your cake and eat it", so to speak, if you are trying to avoid wheat flour. The ingredients are very straightforward:

• a large cauliflower, with the stem and leaves removed
• one or two eggs (depending on how large your cauliflower is)
• seasoning to taste

That's it! 

Then, preheat your oven to a moderately hot 375 °F (190 °C, Gas mark 5). 

Using a blender or a food processor, pulse the cauliflower until you get a texture finer than rice. Steam the riced cauliflower over boiling water or in a microwave for 5 minutes.

After letting it cool for a few minutes (so that you don't burn your hands), place the steamed cauliflower in a wet dish towel and squeeze out as much excess water as you can. You should be able to get out a lot of water; be really aggressive about squeezing it or you’ll end up with soggy tortillas later.

Cauliflower, eggs and seasong

Transfer the cauliflower to a bowl. Add in the eggs (one if it was a small cauliflower, two if it was large), salt and seasonings (you can use any spices you like). Mixture should not be sloppy wet. Use a rolling pin for thinner, larger tortillas.

On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, separate the mixture into 6 balls of equal size, and spread each ball out on a parchment-lined baking sheet to make six small circles.

Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes; then flip and cook for another 5 minutes. Allow to cool.

The finished product