I’ve only been backpacking since last year. BUT, I feel like after spending 21 days with my backpack, I have a little bit of trail cred… I definitely learned about things I don’t want to live without during the summer heat. Speaking of summer, we …
Breakfast is legit my favorite meal. I suppose that could be because it’s my biggest meal these days. Oatmeal used to be my go to, but now, there’s so many options. Maybe that’s because my pallet has expanded, I could probably list more foods that …
Have you ever tried backpacking food? The dry stuff you add water to? Well, I have and I’m here to tell you that most of it is a little on the bland side and not very healthy. When you are used to eating fresh veggies daily, it’s hard going on a long adventure without having something you’re used to. In my case, that’s broccoli. When I was prepping for the JMT last year, I was determined to have some healthier homemade foods out on the trail and found a way to bring my favorite along. The best part was it was super simple to make and just as easy to rehydrate and eat. A little salt and a little cayenne pepper, yummm!
I buy the $5 bag of broccoli crowns because I don’t like having all the broccoli butts, the trees are my jam. Plus when I’m not prepping for a backpacking trip it’s the easiest way to go, just throw them in the pan and steam them. When I prep them for backpacking, I chop my broccoli up pretty small and leave the butts out. I’m toying with the idea of making dehydrated broccoli soup, I’m sure I could use the butts in that. One of the bonus points or chopping up the broccoli smaller is that it dries faster, plus it takes up less space in your bag. Don’t chop it up too small because it’s nice to have something to chew on like you’d eat it at home.
My favorite meal when backpacking is my broccoli with Daiya Mac and Cheese. There’s something so satisfying about a creamy pasta dish with broccoli. If only I could make nachos on the trail, that’s probably one of my other favorite comfort foods. I’m going with the mac and broc being the fuel that took me to the top of Half Dome. #carbloading What’s your go to for backpacking adventures? There’s never a shortage of trips to go on and variety is the spice of life! Let me know if my broccoli recipe serves you well on one of your next trips. <3
Ingredients:
The how to..
Store them in an air tight bag until you’re ready to eat them. I’m not sure how long they will last but I had mine stored for a couple months before I made it to the JMT.
Did you know that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has recommended that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity each week? That’s two and a half hours! For kids the recommended activity amount is even more time, an hour a …
Foods can be medicine if you eat the right ones, foods can also cause bloated bellies… I’ve already shared about a 5 Bloat Causing Foods, but wanted to share more because bloat is sooo uncomfortable!
Summer is coming, I hope. I’m ready to soak up the adventures that our short season holds. The crew enjoys getting out into the woods. My boys especially love to chop up firewood, whittle sticks, catch snakes, and do “boy” things. I’ve found a love for backpacking last year, but they aren’t stoked to carry their weight and hike ten miles in. What I actually love about backpacking, is the simplicity. Sure there’s different gear than regular car camping but who really wants to carry their Coleman grill for ten miles?
When we used to go camping, it was a whole process. I’d spend 3 days prepping food for our trip. We would load up our car, and trailer, with all sorts of things, ranging from coolers to canoes. Recently I decided to pack the boys up and go camp on my family’s property before it sells to someone else. Having the new perspective of preparing for backpack camping really helped me to keep it a little simpler, and a lot less stressful.
Even though it was CRAZY windy while we camped, all three of us thought it was a really great weekend. So what was different that was so special? Well, let me tell ya!
I love food; fancy, simple, sweet, salty, meals, snacks, I love it all. In the past, I always went all out with the foods. Part of that was probably because our friends always had fancy camp trailers that allowed them the comforts of home, and we were always in a tent. ⛺️ They always had fancy foods, and of course, I felt the need to “compete” somehow.
Camp food doesn’t always have to be beans and hot dogs. Simple can come in the form of soups, sandwiches, salads. So many of those come pre-made and fairly healthy if you’re looking in the right place. Don’t forget to bring fruit for a sweet tooth fix. Longer trips make it harder to keep fresh produce but I’ve learned if you eat the faster spoiling stuff like berries first, you’ve got it made with bananas and oranges the rest of the time.
One thing my boys loved having while camping was pancakes. This time I opted to make them for our trip. Pancakes were the most complex dish we had, which isn’t saying much, all I had to do was mix the milk and Bisquick, then make them on the Coleman Grill. You know what though, it’s perfectly okay to have cereal, or bagels as an easy breakfast. I forgot we had grilled peanut butter and banana sandwiches, as an improv lunch. It was just going to be regular peanut butter and banana sandwiches but I realized I could grill them. #sogood
This can make or break a camp trip. When it’s cold outside, it’s miserable! When it’s burning hot out, it’s miserable! Be sure to have what you need, BUT don’t over do it! Part of the joys of camping is there isn’t a lot of stuff to worry about. We brought a few things that we could have done without. If you’re thinking about bringing camp chairs, maybe you can find a log to sit on instead. Or you could squat, we’ve become so accustomed to luxury living we’ve lost some of our mobility along the way.
One thing I never regret maybe going a little overboard on is sleep. I brought my cozy sleeping bag and sleeping pad, along with the pups big dog bed. That’s one of the perks of car camping, even though the wind kept me up, I didn’t have to fight the dogs for my sleeping spot.
This was the game changer for our weekend. Usually camping involves riding dirt bikes, hiking, swimming in lakes, and hanging out with friends. This means I rarely need to bring anything to do. This time it was just us and my family property. These are the essentials we bring to have a good time when it’s just us, and when we are going for minimal cargo.
All three of us were excited to get up to my family property for the weekend. I’m sure if one of us wouldn’t have been excited, they would have dragged the trip down. Pick a place that everyone can enjoy, and if not everyone can enjoy it try finding a place that the biggest complainer will enjoy. 😉
We made sure to enjoy the drive by stopping along the way and goofing around. Don’t take things too serious, be silly and laugh with your kids. You have to be in the right mind to enjoy yourself, and that can make a world of a difference with how they respond to you.
The boys were a little rambunctious at this pit stop, but it was all in fun. Plus the little bit of crazy time they had out of the car made the last 30 minutes of the ride a little mellower. Ps. It looks like Damien is dangling James over a cliff but there’s a big patch of grass on just the other side.
Last thing I want to mention, is don’t forget to grab the camera to capture those memories. BUT don’t get so caught up in taking pictures that you miss out on enjoying the fun!
I found a recipe for lentil toast in the Vegan Yack Attack On The Go! cookbook. It was so good. I’d never actually made my own lentils, other than in soup, and they we always pretty squishy. I had to google search to find a recipe …
This weekend I went on an impromptu trip to the coast with my husband. Initially we were debating on going to Smith Rock to go hike around, but ended up deciding on the coast. It was the kind of trip that I searched, and searched …
I’ve done a few Spartan Races. A couple at the same venue, some out of state, and country. I’ve had a different experience at each place and want to share with you a couple things I’ve learned by trying the different race locations.
Some of the race locations I’ve been privileged to visit are Washougal (2), Seattle (3), Sun Peaks Canada (1), and San Jose (1). I would have to say Sun Peaks was my favorite, just because there was snow. I had planned to do a Beast in Montana but ended up injured beforehand, so it’s still on my bucket list of race locations to visit.
I guess I should also mention that all of these races now have kids races. They’ve even stepped them up since I started. They have three different race distances for the kids so that they can be a little more competitive for the older kids who can’t sign up for the adult races yet. I’m hoping to get my 13 year old son to try out one of the longer more competitive kids race this year so he can give me feedback on the new style. Aren’t they sooo cute???
This was my very first Spartan Race destination and they say “You’ll know at the finish line,” which was absolutely true, I was hooked. At my first race, I was muddy and covered in bruises, and I couldn’t stop smiling from ear to ear. The Washougal/Pac West Sprint is always in August, and both times I ran here, I was pretty hot.
A couple things to consider if you’re planning on visiting Washougal as one of your race destinations…
Seattle has two venues. I’ve only been to the one in Snohomish. It’s horse country, aka horse poop country. I raced here in the late fall and in the early spring. It is a crazy rainy area, duh, Seattle… I’ve heard that on other dates they had people actually run in the river, but I didn’t have to do that because the rain had the water too high.
A couple things to consider if you’re planning on visiting Seattle as one of your race destinations…
If you go to a race in Sun Peaks, make sure you take a few days to visit the surrounding areas. I had so much fun being a tourist. There was a suspension bridge, a beautiful golf course (that was for my husband), and lots of beautiful views to be seen. The venue was actually a ski hill, and they had a cute little village to wander around. I’d really like to visit here again, not for a race, but to be able to enjoy the ski season.
A couple things to consider if you’re planning on visiting Sun Peaks as one of your race destinations…
I didn’t train for this race. I did the Sprint here, which I’m really glad about because the Super map looked rough. They had lots of hill to climb on the Super. I enjoyed not freezing my booty off because it was so warm outside, I actually was stoked for anything that involved cold water.
A couple things to consider if you’re planning on visiting San Jose as one of your race destinations…
I could tell you what my least favorite obstacle is, but I don’t really have a fave venue. Each one had things I loved and things I didn’t love so much. My first was probably my favorite due to the fact that I had such a rewarding experience with it. I’ve never felt more strong and capable in my life. Seattle is my go to race location because it’s close to me, plus they usually have a Sunday race. But there is a part of me that loves traveling so, I’ll probably visit other venues in the future.
My last two races, a Sprint at Seattle and a Sprint at San Jose, were pretty cool because I had friends to run with me. Having a “team” to help you when you need it, whether it be physically over an obstacle, or mentally to help keep you focused to keep pushing up the rope, is pretty awesome.
Have you done a Spartan Race? Which was your favorite venue and why? Or which one are you planning to race for your first?
This is my favorite soup. It’s easy to make and filling. During the wintertime I’d rather snuggle up with a blanky on the couch than slave away in the kitchen. The instant pot has made this an option. #thankyou