Monday, November 29, 2010

i was talking to my mama today on the phone, and she asked me what i'm going to do in february when my lease is up... whether i'll be month-to-month here in the townhouse on my lease or whether i'll plan on moving, etc.

i told her i didn't know what i was going to do because our landlord hasn't made up his mind on whether he'll sell the place or not. she mentioned me maybe renewing my ad on equimax and trying to get out of charleston. i told her i didn't want to worry about that right now, and when she tried to push the issue, i told her i didn't want to talk about it.

i've not definitively come out just yet and said, "in march, i will thru-hike the appalachian trail," but our little snippet that we had this afternoon makes me think that she's not going to support my decision to get the hell out of society for a while.

i'm just so tired of the daily grind of living to work. i majored in horses and yes, i have a bachelor's degree, but the thought of getting back into the horse world almost sickens me. i don't want to work with horses for the rest of my life. i would love to just win the lottery and give it all back to society and then just keep enough to keep me on the trail for the rest of my life.

or i'd like to thru-hike the app trail and then use it as a resume-builder and maybe get on board with an outfitter or something. i just regret majoring in horses and i should have never done it. it's not gotten me anywhere in the two or three years that i've been out of school.

anyways. so i guess this was basically to vent because my mama's pushing me towards getting back into my field of study, but i've decided i don't like my field of study, and i'm sick of working right now because i'm working more than 40 hours a week at two jobs that are barely paying my bills.

i'm getting old. i've been a workhorse for almost ten years now. i worked all the way through school, and for the last four years, with maybe two six-month breaks in between, i've held at least two jobs. can i please just say that i'm EFFIN SICK of working? i know everybody in society has to do their parts, and i KNOW i don't have it rough because my parents take care of me when my finances fall short and i need my wisdom teeth taken out or my truck has to be towed because the ignition coil busted in the middle of the road, but i just feel like i need a break. does that make me sound like a spoiled little brat? by no means am i rich, but you don't have to be to be a brat.

blah. i guess i'm just stressing out a little because i'd really prefer to not have to move or get another job or anything come march. i'd rather just hit the trail and hike my little heart out.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

fewd

Bacon Polenta
Serves 1
½ cup instant polenta
2 tablespoons shelf-stable bacon
½ tablespoon onion flakes
½ tablespoon butter powder
1 teaspoon chicken or vegetable broth powder
2 packets Parmesan cheese

At home: combine everything except the Parmesan in a zip-locking plastic bag.

In camp: Bring 1 ½ cups of water to a boil. Add the polenta and simmer until cooked
and creamy. Top with the Parmesan cheese and enjoy.

Chai Cheesecake
Serves 4

This dessert needs either cool weather for it to set up. It can also be divided in half for smaller portions.

1 11.1 oz package instant cheesecake mix
1/2 cup powdered milk
1 teaspoon ground ginger
¼ cup crystallized ginger, chopped
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon allspice
½ teaspoon coriander
¼ teaspoon turmeric
At home: open the cheesecake mix. In a zip locking plastic bag, combine the crust mix, 1 teaspoon ground ginger and the crystallized ginger. In a second zip locking bag, combine the cheesecake mix, powdered milk and remaining spices.

In camp: in your pan, combine the cheesecake mix with 1 ½ cups water. Stir to combine, breaking up any lumps. Set aside to firm up. Once set, top with crust mix.


Nutella Cream Pie
Serves 1

Try this with banana pudding too!

2 T Nutella (or 1 single serving package)
1 snack pack vanilla pudding
1 mini graham cracker tart shell

At home: put the Nutella in a screw top container (or bring the single serving package) Place everything in zip locking plastic bag.

In camp: spread the Nutella over the sides and bottom of the tart shell. Top with all of the pudding. Eat!

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

other recipes...

whenever i cook, i actually cook and don't usually take shortcuts. if i want something quick, i use frozen meals that just zap in the microwave: i don't try to act like i'm really cooking and use instant gravy, etc. therefore, it's almost like a light bulb moment when i come across very simple, quick recipes online that actually uses those sorts of things. i feel i should keep track of them, however, because it's just not that stuff i think of everyday. 

  • foil pack of chicken, stovetop stuffing, instant mashed potatoes, instant gravy, craisins
  • three-minute pasta, foil pack of chicken, pizza sauce
  • hot chocolate mix :)
  • Chicken Mushroom Cheese Couscous
    Serves 1

    1/3 cup couscous
    2 T dried mushrooms
    1 T dried chicken (or a small can/pouch)
    2 T cheddar cheese powder
    1/2 t chicken or vegetable bullion
    1 T dried peas (or vegetable of your choice)

    At home: combine all of the ingredients in a zip locking plastic freezer bag.

    In camp: add hot water to cover. Stir well, place in a cozy and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Stir again before eating.
  • 1 package ramen noodles (any flavor, discard the spice pack) 380 cal
    4 Tablespoons olive oil 520 cal
    4 slices pre-cooked bacon, crumbled into bits 70 cal
    1 Tablespoon garlic powder
    4 Tablespoons parmesan cheese (could use the packets that Pizza hut and other pizza places give out) 80 cal
    red pepper flakes (again, from Pizza Hut) and black pepper to taste

    Boil the ramen noodles, discarding the spice pack. Drain the water. Add remaining ingredients and stir until well mixed.
  • www.wildernesscooking.com
  • www.onepanwonders.com

granola

ingredients

  • 3 cups rolled oats
  • 1 cup slivered almonds
  • 1 cup cashews
  • 3/4 cup shredded sweet coconut
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup raisins
directions

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts, coconut, and brown sugar.
In a separate bowl, combine maple syrup, oil, and salt. Combine both mixtures and pour onto 2 sheet pans. Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to achieve an even color.
Remove from oven and transfer into a large bowl. Add raisins and mix until evenly distributed.

new happenings!

there are new happenings to report! 

i will be pre-gaming the app trail with the foothills trail of north and south carolina in a few weeks. it's a 77-mile trail and some people on whiteblaze have apparently done it in three days. i think that's way optimistic and i took off five days for it. 

i went to half moon outfitters on folly the other day and bought the trail guide to the foothills. i had to get out of there fast, though, because when i walked upstairs and started looking at the packs, i started grinning from ear to ear. i looked at the gregory jade 60, but the price tag on it was $250. i reckon i might be able to get it cheaper on ebay. 

i talked to bill earlier. he said gregory is all he hikes with. he also recommended the msr whisperlite. i figure that's probably the stove i'll wind up getting. i've not really heard anything negative about it. 

i'm gonna start looking up recipes for the trail. =)