We are hitting the trail this week. Literally. We figured backpacking is just a few degrees away from #camperlife , so why not give it a shot? As 2020 is going, we are likely going to need to learn how to carry everything we own on our back and hide in the woods for extended periods of time-- it's good to practice for the apocalypse.
Too dark? Have you seen 2020?? Just kidding. We hope.
After a joke about meeting halfway between California and Tennessee, two of our best pals, Bryan and Aaron (who let us park in their street and use their shower and electricity when we are in Nashville) turned that joke into a proposition for a South Dakota backpacking trip. This was back when we thought we still had shows lined up for August-end of year hahahahahaha *sob*. So, having no idea what we are doing, said "Of course! Yes!" I've read Wild and have also told the entire movie plot of Into the Wild to Scott, so we are obviously prepared for this sort of thing. Since then, we've watched the calendar crumble in all sorts of ways. But the trip remains.
(Before we go any further, we should say-- we have taken the precautions (all four of us). Masks, minimum contact, hand washing, testing, the works. We understand that this is a pandemic, that this is a time of no joking around. And we are not. Which is why we are heading to the great outdoors with two of our most mutually careful and healthy friends.)
After much assurances that they weren't go to leave me wedged between two rocks where I'd be forced to saw off my own arm and drink my own urine, we got down to business: food. They'd take care of dinner, and we'd take care of breakfast, and peanut butter sandwiches and vegan jerky in between (PS we just discovered coconut meat jerky and it has changed a lot of things for us. Actually, it's just changed whether we eat jerky. Which is now a decided YES).
In the last two weeks, I've been making charts and graphs and mixing the idea of breakfast with even more limited supplies, times weight, minus a frying pan. For our four day trip, I've narrowed it to Strawberry Chia Pudding, Bear Bowls (spicy mashed potatoes & TVP-- you'd be surprised), Tuscan Potato Quinoa Porridge, and, this month's Rumbly Tummy-- Beary Tasty Quinoa Porridge (get it? Because I'm scared of bears? And because berries?). You will likely find the rest of the recipes at our new Instagram page @the_rumbly_tummy .
Quinoa flakes are new to me. They whip up faster than quick oats and have a smidge more protein, making them great trail food. At least, from what I know about trail food; which at this juncture, is nothing. But I've read things on the internet and I've pretended while making this in our camper that I am by a river and talking to a deer with a hawk on my shoulder, and they all agree that this is great trail food. The texture is a little different, a little grittier than oats, but the belly filling is the same. Overall, a delight. So without further ado, here's August 2020's Rumbly Tummy: #traillife edition.*
Beary Tasty Quinoa Porridge
Ingredients:
2/3 c quinoa flakes
3 TBSP powdered coconut milk
2 TBSP coconut sugar
1/3 cup freeze dried blueberries (or berry of choice)
1 TBSP raisins
1 TBSP walnuts
pinch nutmeg & cinnamon
Instructions:
Place all ingredients into a sealed container or ziplock bag.
On the trail, pour contents into bowl, pour 1 c boiling water over ingredients. Stir vigorously for 30 - 60 seconds. Let sit 5 minutes to thicken. Eat it all gone. Run from bears.
*for those of you non trail hikers, you may want to replace the powdered milk for nondairy milk of choice & the freeze dried berries for fresh, heated all on a stovetop stirring consistently over medium heat til thick.