Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 24, 1983)
Portland Observer, August 24, 1983 Page 7 Econo-eating: If this sauce doesn't send you, you have nowhere to go . . . Light, easy foods for hiking by M onin» Stebbins O SU Extension Service There I waa on top o f the world. At least it teemed that way to me be cause the mountain was straight down on both tides o f the trail. I had my husband take a picture o f me in my hiking boots and back pack with the mountains below me. I figured my kids would never be lieve that their somewhat sedentary mother would be able to walk that far. I ’ m sure my husband hasn't any idea how much my lifestyle has changed. About the only walking I used to do was around the neighbor hood to walk the dog. This walk usually featured an ice cream cone and was a leisurely stroll on flat ground done only in the summer on good weather days. But, I'm just loving it — the flowers and the out doors and the hikes and even some backpacking. It's been great fun. There are very special needs as you backpack. I'm just amazed by my husband’s ingenuity with the foods we eat. O f course, he’s been doing this all his life and he looks on it as a challenge. You need to carry things that re quire no refrigeration. Since every thing must be carried on your back, you need to conserve weight. You also need to pack your cans and containers back out, so you don't want to take many. Foods need to be cooked using one or two pots for ihe whole meal. You need to save time and fuel so you can't cook things for very long. And you need io be aware o f your nutritional needs, including your energy needs, because you can get very hungry doing all that hiking. Food tastes good out there in the wild, too, so appetites seem to increase. There are many freeze dried foods available in recreation stores that are made specifically for backpack ing. Unfortunately, they cost quite a bit. The special dried meat items cost from about $3 to $6 for enough for two or three people for one meal. They are light though, weigh ing just two or three ounces. I f you’re going for a long time, you just about have to invest in some of these to be able to carry enough food for the whole time. W e stretch time, though, by combining them with some o f the convenience foods from the grocery store. W ith some meals we can get by for about S2 using only items from the grocery store. Planning, which is important any time you’re trying to save mon ey, is even more important for back pack meals. You need to write down menus for simple meals. Remember to plan snacks, too, otherwise you may be tempted to raid the food from a meal. I f you plan the meals you can put more thought into doing your own seasoning from your stock at home or things pur chased in the grocery store rather than just buying the ready-made packets from the recreation stores. The commercially packed foods are in strong pouches that make them almost indestructible, but some o f the plastic sacks, especially the ones that zip shut are handy to pack your own combination foods and with some careful loading into a stuff bag can be quite well protect ed. Since you have no refrigeration and must conserve weight, you can use foods such as small cans o f tuna, chicken or sardines for the meat group. Cheese is also a good choice on the trail because it’s so versatile. I f you're going for a long time, you can even cut it into meal amounts, wrap the chunks in cheese cloth and dip in paraffin, though this isn't necessary for a few days. Eggs will also keep well for three or four days and can be kept from breaking by packing in a special plastic container. Dried foods are available in the grocery store, too. Dried beef, jerky, soups, sauce and gravy mixes, instant mashed potatoes, instant rice, pancake and biscuit mixes and instant oatmeal are readily available and they are lighter than taking the fresh fruits or vegetables. O ur de lightful Oregon prunes are easy to carry and provide a good source o f Vitam in A — they’re much better than raisins. It's kind o f hard to find a good source o f Vitam in A , so that's a real bonus on the trail. Dried apricots are good for Vitam in A , but are more expensive. As far as I have been able to tell, about the easiest source for Vitam in C is the powdered orange drink, which I like to drink hot for break B A C K P A C K E K S S P A N IS H B IC E fast — it goes well w ith the instant oatmeal for a quick, hot breakfast just made by adding hot water. W hole grain crackers, such as wheat or rye, that are packaged in lubes or boxes are easy to take for your breads and cereals You can also take oriental noodles Other longer cooking pastas arc quite easy to take, but will usually require an extra pot for cooking — a great spaghetti can be made using spag hetti seasoning mix, tom ato paste and freeze-dried hamburger I 14 cups instant rice 1 teaspoon taco flavoring mix 2 packets instant tomato soup mix (the kind made for one cup serving) 2 to 3 ounces o f cheese A t home, put the rice, seasoning mix and soup mix together in a heavy plastic bag. In camp, boil water, measure 114 cups water into a container with a tight fitting lid. Add the mix and the cheese cut into cubes. Put the lid on and keep near the fire but not on it. It's ready to eat in 7 minutes. Generous amount Here are a couple o f recipes that are tasty and fit the needs of the backpacker. M y brother's Bar-BQ Ribs and Bar-BQ Chicken can ba purchased at thasa locations. for two, a nice side dish for three. This basic recipe can be varied using other soup mixes and small cans o f meat. For instance, use the rice, cream o f chiekcn soup and a small can o f chicken. Broadway b Flint BOB S PA P O fi/T E N O O D L E S Tuesday Friday 10am 2 to 3 ounces flat noodles Tuna (small can. packed in oil) Freeze-dried peas Margarine, butter, or substitute Bp m The Portland Saturday Markat Saturday b Sunday In camp, cook noodles in water. Drain, add tuna, including oil, re constituted peas and enough marga rine to make it a moist casserole. 10 a m B p m Excellent on Pork Chops, Steaks, and Chicken. Purchase this sauce at your local supermarket. sale! F_____ r , ■toar f ■¡•'A nuí ao "1 J L iir tî BÂT***** leale» lay 1 » rtia n m S1” Scale» lay JaBy »1” 1 Assorted 1 -Liter Cragmont Pop Mrs. Wright’s Flour Frozen Lemonade Asst flavors Heq Diet 4 M uets Ptus Déposa Town House Noodles Pork & Beans Fabric Softener tow n Mouse 30 o / Can Au Pulpóse 10 lb Bay Scotch Buy 6 or Can SAFEW AY No. 1 NORGOLD Fresh Beef Round Steak Whole With Bone-In. Limit 3 Steaks Beel Roast Smoked Picnics I I Boneless Round Tip, Rump or Round Roast, Delicious Enjoy This Flavorful Special Treat Blade Cut, Quality Safeway Pork Great Pan Fried Pork Steaks Sw eet C asaba M e lo n s S w eet R ed N e c ta rin e s O r Peaches Ex. L a rg e B e ll P e p p e rs T o m a to e s B sk t Prices Good 8/24 Thru 8/30/83 At Safeway In The Portland Area. B a c k -T o -S c h o o l S a le ! l ’w»1 Scotch Buy Men & Boys Socks AM ERICA’S FAVORITE FOOD STORE .15' 6 1 A U © 3-SahKct Sakai Natakoak SAFEWAY $J19 limar » Clu* M 59c Sales Limited To Retail Quantities i “W trs? Z * * ‘ P». • ' . ’V V ■ * ,v r - . . "W . ' f „• - ■ ■ A»- » 4% .< • ,o . • ? 7 •' - .
