Realistic non-cooler based menu planning

[Savannah]

Reposted from the 4-page Food Thread with a few additions, my non-refrigerated, non-fussy food list.

Breakfast:

* Shredded wheat & Horizon farms non-refrigerated milk (I often chill it, but it's not mandatory)
* Canned espresso

Lunch:

* Underwood's Devilled chicken on whole grain bread*, or
* Peanut butter and jelly or honey

Dinner:

* Tuna/Salmon packets (vacuum-sealed)
* Trader Joe’s rice/jambalaya packs

Canned chili or ravioli is also good. You can heat it, but you don't have to. I will also be adding a variety of pickled foods to my list this year.

Portable snacks: Jerky, Granola bars, Nuts, Gingersnaps (& Ginger candy in the 1st aid kit, settles tummies) Pretzels/chips, Dried fruit, Fruit cups.

And of course, juice, soda, pedialyte, beer & spirits.

Don't forget a can opener, bottle opener/corkscrew, dishes and utensils, salt & pepper (etc), a mug with a caribeener, & drawstring garbage bags for your garbage & recycling.


* Here is the trick I use to keep bread edible for 5-6 days: buy it on the way--a few hours before entering BRC. I don't chill it, because I feel there is too much risk of it getting it wet--your mileage may vary. Open it at least once a day, and let it breath for a while (20-30 minutes, whatever) to get the moisture out. This goes against my real-world habits in a really big way & can feel pretty strange--it would normally be a great way to get immediately stale bread. However, it has worked for me every time, no less than 5 days of good bread, sometimes more. Still, however, I make sure to consume a lot of bread in the first few days especially, so that if it goes bad it's no big deal.

(This year I will also try tortillas, and also air them out.)

[C.f.M.]

I was pretty sad and upset that the gluten-free bread products I'd totally splurged on went BAD before I ever got to eat them.

[junglesmacks]

Sorely lacking in fruit and vegetables...if you go this high sodium/carb packaged route, get some vitamins or something, too...

That totally goes without saying. Personally, every day I take 50g of whey protein + full serving of All-One vitamin powder (like 2000% RDA of everything) + creatine powder. I plan on making up small snack size ziplocks of a daily dose for each day.

Go to your local smoke shop. Get 2"x2" bags fill with your vita-mix and hassle air port security when they try to give you grief!

lol.. last time I was in Santa Barbara where the company is based, I picked up 6 huge cans of the stuff to put in my suitcase since I'm friends with the owners and score decent hookups. You should have seen how they freaked out over the stuff in the little tiny Santa Barbara airport. I kept mouthing the words "It's just vitamin powder.." over and over again..

[illy dilly]

Sorely lacking in fruit and vegetables...if you go this high sodium/carb packaged route, get some vitamins or something, too...

That totally goes without saying. Personally, every day I take 50g of whey protein + full serving of All-One vitamin powder (like 2000% RDA of everything) + creatine powder. I plan on making up small snack size ziplocks of a daily dose for each day.

Go to your local smoke shop. Get 2"x2" bags fill with your vita-mix and hassle air port security when they try to give you grief!

lol.. last time I was in Santa Barbara where the company is based, I picked up 6 huge cans of the stuff to put in my suitcase since I'm friends with the owners and score decent hookups. You should have seen how they freaked out over the stuff in the little tiny Santa Barbara airport. I kept mouthing the words "It's just vitamin powder.." over and over again..

And as soon as you start mouthing anything their suspicion factor is doubled!

[Leo]

Last year I went without a cooler and lived with the following menu:

Breakfast: Powdered OJ, dried fruit, coffee, Quaker instant oatmeal.

Lunch: Ak-Mak crackers with peanut butter, coffee, V-8 juice, dried fruit, beef jerky.

Dinner: Nile Spice couscous or Nile Spice black beans & rice, V-8 juice, beef jerky, dried fruit.

Snacks: Dry-roasted salted peanuts and cashews, hard candy, Clif bars.

Needless to say, it was a very monotonous diet, so this year I am bringing a cooler so I can enjoy some fresh fruits and vegetables.

[kman]

I'm not sure I want to try and take my Vitamix with me.

Yes, but DOES IT BLEND?

[ConnieH]

I was pretty sad and upset that the gluten-free bread products I'd totally splurged on went BAD before I ever got to eat them.

Here's a recipe for low-carb "scones" I developed, I think all of these ingredients are gluten free? If you could borrow access to someone's RV oven, it would be really easy to mix up the dry ingredients ahead of time and make on the playa:

1 cup soy flour (or rice flour might work, haven't tried that)
1/2 cup coconut flour or oat flour
1/2 cup flax meal
1/4 sugar (I use xylitol, Splenda may be ok, but I'd reduce to 3 Tbsp)
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda

whisk or sift to combine

whisk the following together and add to dry ingredients just until moist:

1 cup milk (almond, rice, coconut, soy - single serve tetra paks are perfect)
1 egg or egg substitute
3 Tbsp melted butter or oil

Mixture should be sticky, drop onto greased or parchment covered baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees 12-15 minutes until lightly brown. Makes about 8-9 good sized scones.

This is the basic recipe, to this you can add 1-2 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 cup raisins, or dried blueberries, dried cranberries, chocolate chips, carob chips, chopped nuts, whatever. I made these with chocolate chips for my 7 year old son - he LOVED them, thought they were big chocolate chip cookies, which essentially they are, but much better for him

[theCryptofishist]

If you give up the "realistic" requirement, then you can bring plastic sushi.

[Elorrum]

If you give up the "realistic" requirement, then you can bring plastic sushi.

serve it over and over. I wish I had some plastic sushi.

I like canned fruit, it's nice on cereal, as a snack as a drink... I got some small cans of Mandarin oranges on sale, and thought I might "just see how they are" Now I need to go buy some cans of mandarin oranges. They weren't really syrupy sweet which was nice. If you like instant oatmeal, just add hot water to the bag.

[silkkat813]

My first year I planned to get the Trader Joes' Indian Fare. But the store in Reno was all sold out on Sunday. They said they would restock on Monday morning, but we never went back to check. My second year I bought a bunch of the Indian Fare before getting to Reno. It was good. But I felt I wasted too much time cooking. And washing.

Good thing about Indian Fare is you cook it in the bag in boiling water so you don't have to worry about washing a pot. But we had a girl at our camp who cooked it in the pot to not worry about using so much water. Whichever works best for you.

I also like to bring trail mix, but not the type with chocolate mixed in. That is messy. My first year I brought a lot of tuna in a pouch to create less trash of brining cans, but I was sick of tuna after 4 days.

For breakfast I am fine with eating dry cereal. Or poptarts. And fruit. I brought lots of apples and oranges that stayed good all week.

I remember a camp last year that served cold strawberries and cheese at their happy hour on Saturday. I really thought it was heaven after Indian and dry cereal all week.

[VeganChoirGirl]

Are you planning just for yourself or for multiple people?

Have you considered MRE's? (Although I don't know if and where you would get them in Reno so close to the burn)

MRE's are NOT a great plan...HUGELY high in calories, saturated fats, not very tasty, and dense. They are SURE to give you the worst constipation you're ever had if you eat them all week.

Some suggestions-please keep in mind that you will be creating some moop from your non-cooler menu...so be prepared to haul it out and get rid of it.

Canned fish It's SO good on the playa. Many people who don't generally eat this in the default world WILL eat it on playa.

Try:
Tuna and Salmon Pouches
Sardines/Anchovies in olive oil
Canne crab and shrim
Smoked shell fish, especially oysters and muscles

You can mix this with packets of mayo, mustard and relish (no cooler required...though VERY MOOPY!) and put on crackers, eat plain...whatever. They have lots of good fat, they're salty, and filled with protein

Tasy Bites or any other indian/thai style ready meals. They come in pouches so you can just take the boxes off, and bring the foil pouches. Leave it in the sun for a while, come back...it's hot. If you really want you can cook it over the stove.

Canned Soup/Pasta/Rice cheap, easy, cold or heated up in the sun/over the stove. Add rice, noodles, beans, or lentils (bring dry and cook there). Use the rice or pasta with canned tomatoes, beans, and other canned veggies/meats/whatever, personalize it to your taste. You can heat over the stover, super easy. Velveta for mac n' cheese (you could also make the blue box with shelf stable milk and marg. The velveta will be good for nachos as well)

Hash Browns and Corned Beef Hash I like the hash browns that are dehyrated in the carton. Pour in some of those, banana peppers, corned beef hash or canned ham...awesome breakfast

Cereal whatever cereal you want and horizon shelf stable milk. SOOOOOO good, especially if they milk is cold...but you can definately do it with a cooler free method

Canned Fruit like peaches/pears, add some dry oatmeal, some cinnamon, some nuts, some raisons, brown sugar, and packets of shelf stable marg. and cook over the stove. It's a quick cobbler and an awesome treat or end to a proper "meal."

Nachos canned beans, jar salsa+velveta heated up, jalapenos, pretty much anything you want to add to personalize


Snacks chips, crackers, easy cheese, nuts, raisons, granola, snack bars, fruit cups, fruit snacks

Condiments go to a restraunt supply store and buy some mustard/ketchup whatever packets, hot sauce in a bottle, put them in a bag, bring them.

I hope this helps.

[Elorrum]

vcg brings up a good point... regularity. without lots of fresh fruit and veggies, I substitute dried fruit, prunes, and fiber bars (basically a fruit leather) Cereals, I like the high fiber cereals, good as snacks, or as a breakfast, and oatmeal. I tested a cold can of baked beans the other day to see if it would be something I could manage as a worst case scenario. Although it has the reputation of being one of the saddest meals, it wasn't bad at all.

[kman]

vcg brings up a good point... regularity. without lots of fresh fruit and veggies, I substitute dried fruit, prunes, and fiber bars (basically a fruit leather) Cereals, I like the high fiber cereals, good as snacks, or as a breakfast, and oatmeal. I tested a cold can of baked beans the other day to see if it would be something I could manage as a worst case scenario. Although it has the reputation of being one of the saddest meals, it wasn't bad at all.

While I admit I was miserably lonely at the time I made the discovery, spaghettios with meatballs are also pre-cooked in the can and can be eaten cold, right out of the can, very easily. Since the discovery that cold spaghettios are nearly as good as hot spaghettios, I've saved myself time and eaten them cold a number of times since, and actually enjoyed them.

[VeganChoirGirl]

spaghettio's=devil

[moonrise]

I need a veteran to help here

I don't want to baby sit this in a cooler;

Baileys Irish cream or carolinas irish cream..is it a problem to take this unopened?

will it last after i open it for a day or two?

stupid ass question but i want the stuff for a fire coffee drink i'm doing.

otherwise, it's that dry creamer crap...or black coffee..since the coffee will be iced not hot...freezed dried iced coffee and powder creamer...yuk

[junglesmacks]

My first year I planned to get the Trader Joes' Indian Fare. But the store in Reno was all sold out on Sunday.

Whoa whoa.. back that azz up. Nice little tidbit there. I'm flying through on Friday, picking up the truck and hanging out in South Lake Tahoe until Sunday evening. Sounds like I better make the TJ run on Friday rather than Sunday..

Love all these other suggestions, including the plastic sushi. Wondering if I can broil rubber chicken while I'm at it?

[FaeTora]

Ah you can always count on VCG and canned fish together.

CFM. Yeah even off the playa I can have a hard time keeping gluten-free bread products to stay as long as I need them, lucky my store carries half loafs which work for at home purposes. Even with this I wouldnt take it to the playa. They are.. particular.

[junglesmacks]

Baileys Irish cream or carolinas irish cream..is it a problem to take this unopened?

I see bottles of Bailey's sitting warm on a bar shelf all the time.. I don't think it's a problem..

[weather man]

<SNIP> I'm flying through on Friday, picking up the truck and hanging out in South Lake Tahoe until Sunday evening. Sounds like I better make the TJ run on Friday rather than Sunday..

We've got a Trader Joe's in Carson City. 35 minutes from SLT, on the way to/from Reno.

[moonrise]

yup, but roasting hot? can be 100+ degrees....i know, was out there a few weeks ago 112 degrees...fun! ducked into brunos...and....had a soda!

[shroom]

bumping up


& reminding myself to get the precooked bacon that doesn't need a cooler.

[C.f.M.]

Baileys Irish cream or carolinas irish cream..is it a problem to take this unopened?

I see bottles of Bailey's sitting warm on a bar shelf all the time.. I don't think it's a problem..

They don't have to be frigidair'd, one is an ingredient in DOOM JUICE, so I've taken it and uncoolered it, plus the Kahlua creamer (SO GOOD) sits out fine - at least in Georgia/N.C. 90+ summer weather.

One of my campmates lived off of MREs last year..."I would not want to have to eat this in a combat situation."

Now, he's a wiry guy, able to consume that many calories and badness, but I wouldn't want to. They're made to susist upon when necessary, not eat well from...and they're kinda pricey considering what you get.

And the MOOP! Oh my goodness, the packaging alone from one MRE was more trash than I could generate in a couple of days...and it's all plastic, not burnable.

[uniforall]

Not all fresh produce needs refrigeration. Citrus comes with its own tough protective shell and will be fine for several days at least if kept well ventilated (in a wire basket, not a plastic bag) and out of the sun. Potatoes will also be fine in these conditions, and can be boiled in water, with no mess. If you get small baby potatoes they will cook up faster. Drizzle with garlic and herb infused olive oil, top with crumbled cheese, bacon bits, etc; or just use them to sop up your canned sardine sauce.

In bringing canned or jarred foods, remember portion sizes. If you have no-one to share that huge can of smelly stuff with, the remainder will be a problem. I try to bring small cans and also some ziplocks so that if I have to throw a fishy can away, I can first encase it in a ziplock to avoid stinking up my trash bags. A fine mesh bag suspended out of the way can be useful for tossing cans or orange peels in to dry them out before disposing.

Persian/Mid Eastern markets have little cans of rice-stuffed vegetables and grape leaves that are quite tasty.

Some brands of bread mold much more quickly than others. Crackers will most likely be OK all week. I get high fiber ones with zesty flavorings like caraway. Any source of fiber out there is welcome. Of course, you can also bring some fiber pills.

[junglesmacks]

It just hit me like a 10 lb pancake..


What about just add water type (Krusteaz) blueberry pancake mix + syrup?? No refrigeration needed, just add water. Wham. Enough pancakes to feed the whole camp + passer-byers..

[mudpuppy000]

It just hit me like a 10 lb pancake..


What about just add water type (Krusteaz) blueberry pancake mix + syrup?? No refrigeration needed, just add water. Wham. Enough pancakes to feed the whole camp + passer-byers..

Hmm, are you going to cook it or just drink 10 lbs of pancake batter?

[junglesmacks]

It just hit me like a 10 lb pancake..


What about just add water type (Krusteaz) blueberry pancake mix + syrup?? No refrigeration needed, just add water. Wham. Enough pancakes to feed the whole camp + passer-byers..

Hmm, are you going to cook it or just drink 10 lbs of pancake batter?

Depends on what it's mixed with

[Elorrum]

It just hit me like a 10 lb pancake..


What about just add water type (Krusteaz) blueberry pancake mix + syrup?? No refrigeration needed, just add water. Wham. Enough pancakes to feed the whole camp + passer-byers..

Excellent idea! This gives me hope for the theory of parallel evolution. Great ideas do come newly to separate people. Hey, Og, look what I invented, I'm gonna call it a wheel... oh uh, say looks like you already got one."
Snark aside, Krusteaz blueberry pancakes are a great thing for camping. I used to measure it out as cupfuls into small baggies, put them all in one big baggie. You can get rid of the box, pour it into a big ziplock, and add water slowly and knead it, or mix it in a bowl to the right consistency.

[C.f.M.]

(It is)

[mudpuppy000]

(It is)

That looks strangely yummy... I'm going to have to look for that at the Japanese grocery store next time.

[junglesmacks]

or even..