Quinoa Pilaf Adapted for the Trail

Quinoa Pilaf with Spinach, Toasted Pine Nuts, and Feta Cheese

Avoiding dishes containing pasta, rice, and high-carb grains can be tricky when eating out or especially when dining with friends.  The "I have celiac disease" tends to work better than "I don't eat grains because cavemen didn't eat them."  Regardless, you're not likely to be invited back if your Standard American Diet (SAD) hosts believe you are a dinnertime pain in the @$$.

Hammock-filled woods at MAHHA Hang

Pot luck dinners can be challenging in a SAD crowd, but gatherings can also be a great way to find some new dishes to add to your recipe book.  Take our regional hammock hangs, for example.   Last year we had hand-tossed pizza over a fire, roasted whole pig, and steamed ramps, just to name a few dishes. I contributed some sautéed wild mushrooms after finding a beautiful chicken of the woods mushroom near camp.  Definitely not your usual pot luck food.

So it was at one such hang that I  found this fabulous new quinoa dish to add to my repertoire thanks to HF hanger Dylan.  Quinoa (pronounced "keen-wah") is the seed of Chenopodium quinoa, a close relative to one of my favorite wild edible foods Chenopodium album aka goosefoot. Quinoa is considered a "pseudo cereal," even though it is a seed and not technically a cereal grain, because it has a high glycemic load similar to other grains.  However, quinoa is tasty and versatile, and a great addition to my backpacking staples.

See the recipe by clicking the "read more" button below...

Spaghetti Squash: Cooking, Preparing, and Dehydrating

Americans are the superheroes of mindless eating. So it's no surprise that Supermarkets spend millions of dollars on marketing stratagems to help consumers part ways with hard-earned dollars. I am a fairly educated consumer, BUT, I am a self-admitted sucker for grocery store marketing gimmicks. 

For instance, you know that elevator music playing in the store?  The tempo is designed to lull you senseless; making you feel relaxed and spend more time in the store, thus spending about 29% more than planned. 

Soft, focused lighting and handwritten signs in the produce section also sells more - about 30% more!  The first thing consumers see is a dazzling array of colors. Fresh food that says "eat me!"  And I hear what that food is saying, and I buy everything in sight. 

I can't even imagine how much money I have spent over the years on produce, only to throw it later in the compost pile rotten because I never got around to doing anything with the stuff!  Fortunately, one vegetable "experiment" that I learned to use successfully is spaghetti squash. 

Spaghetti Squash

Trail Baking with a Foster's Pot, Caldera Cone, and Starlyte Stove

Demeter at the Halfway Point of the Appalachian Trail

Backpacking is a lot of different things to different people. Ask a dozen backpackers what makes them love the sport, and you will probably get a dozen vapid stares.  Maybe you will get a couple coherent answers :-)

To me, backpacking combines several of my favorite things.  Foremost is celebrating nature.  There is no problem that can't be solved after pounding the trail for an hour or two. Why does this happen? Who knows, but my theory: when you are on the trail, away from people and external stressors, you focus on simply living.

Another reason I love to backpack is how it strips away creature comforts, allowing me to live like a cavegirl (with the best down quilts and cuben fiber stuff money can buy). Hmmm, okay, a modern cavegirl with a few creature creature comforts :-) 

Trail Days: A Celebration of Appalachian Trail Hikers in Damascus, Virginia *with Video*

Annually, millions of people head to the woods to walk a portion of the Appalachian Trail, a 2,180 mile path winding its way through 14 states, from Georgia to Maine. Most visitors to the trail engage in day hiking or  multi-day backpacking trips. However, some people decide to hike the whole trail at one time, embarking on a feat called a "thru hike." (no, not a misspelling, as this is how many AT enthusiasts spell "through").

A Typical Appalachian Trail Road-Crossing Sign

Last year in 2013, three thousand hikers started either northbound from Springer Mountain, Georgia, or southbound from Mt. Katahdin, Maine. The hikers hope to reach the opposite end of the trail in 6 or 7 months, although a fraction of the hikers actually complete the entire trail in one try. This year about 600 hikers are expected to complete the trail in one calendar year.

Which Ground Meat is the Best Deal for Dehydrated Dinners?

I am thrilled to see that views on this blog just surpassed the 7,000 mark!!  I can't believe there are so many people on the blogosphere that enjoy reading about foraging, dehydrating foods, and eating healthier on the trail! Sharing my enthusiasm for the trail and eating well is my hobby and passion, and this is my creative outlet; pathetic, yes, but I can't sew or knit to save my life....

To celebrate,  I decide to have a little dehydrating fun, so off to the grocery store I go.

Which Meat do I buy to Dehydrate? 
Or For that Matter, the Best Bargain for Any Meal?

Wild Trail Foods Series : Wintergreen, Gaultheria, with Video

Winter is a great time to go skiing, snowshoe, or test the limits of your cold weather sleeping gear, but not such a great time to be a forager. The pickings are pretty slim in the winter months. Other than the occasional scraggly greens on the roadside, such as dandelion, cat's ear, or dock (and then usually at lower elevations), a forager has to endure five or six months of dreams of fresh greens and berries. Thankfully, wintergreen never fails to disappoint me when hiking the winter woods of Appalachia.

The Low Growing Wintergreen, with Edible Leaves and Berries

Winter Backpacking Gear List for the Very Cold Sleeper

Discussion forums are an incredible resource for the beginning backpacker.  I either participate or lurk on several different forums for years, notable Hammock Forums, Whiteblaze, and Backpacking Light, just to name a few. The information gleaned from more experienced backpackers is invaluable. Learning from the mistakes of those who have trod the forest before me!

Crossing a semi-frozen Seneca Creek in January; 0*F

Whenever contemplating a new piece of gear, the forums are the perfect place to find firsthand reviews.   Find hiking partners, ask about the "best" campsites on a specific trail, and (my fav) get some new recipes.  My husband appreciates the fact that I have meaningful discussions with other people and don't discuss backpacking or hiking with him morning, noon, and night. When talking about camping, what he hears is "blah, blah, blah."  Forums are the perfect place to hang out with "my people."