Fall Camping Recipes-You Gotta Eat!

Now that the air has gotten cooler outside and the leaves have begun to be tinged with red...thoughts turn towards hiking and camping in that very narrow window between the heat of summer and the snow cold of winter. Whether you're an avid backbacker or a day packer with the family, there's no reason why you have to always have freeze-dried foods or hotdogs and hamburgers. The important thing about being together in the outdoors is to enjoy nature and for a memorable trip all the way around, unique, easy to prepare dishes are the way to go. Bedcause it's this simple: no matter where you are...you gotta eat. So, why not make it fun and delicious? You don't have to suffer just because you're outside.

Sherpa Tea
A very quick early morning pick-me-up on cold days is Sherpa tea. Very easy to fix and tasty as well..

At home:

• Combine 2 cups of instant dry milk
• 1/3 cup of sugar
• 2 tblsp. instant tea powder

In Camp:

• Use 2 to 3 teaspoons in hot water and add a dab of margarine

Chilly Morning Wake-Up Cereal (Serves 3)
On chilly mornings, nothing beats a hot cereal for ease of preparation.

At Home, place in a bag:

• 1 cup quick oatmeal
• 1/3 cup toasted wheat germ
• 1/3 cup chopped
• roasted peanuts (throw these in the food processor)
• 1/4 cup of raisins
• 1/4 cup of chopped dried apples or apricots
• 1/4 cup sunflower seed kernels
• 1/2 cup instant dry milk
• 1 tblsp. date sugar

In camp:
You can add either 1 and 1/2 cup of cold water, mix and eat, or add mix to 2 cups of boiling water and gently simmer for 2 minutes.

Usually lunch is a quick affair out on the trail and foods that pack and carry well are dry salami, pepperoni, or Thuringer. The dryer the cheese, the longer it will keep. Try Provolone or Romano. Combine these with crackers for a quick lunch that can be carried along if you're trying to make the miles. But if you feel like stopping and taking a break to try and catch a second wind on a cold day, try a quick curried soup.

Quick Curried Soup (Serves 2)
At Home prep, bag together:

• 1-single serving package of instant green pea soup
• 1 single-serving package of instant tomato soup
• 1/3 cup instant dry milk
• 1/2 tsp. of curry powder (more if you want it extra hot!)

In camp:
Divide mixture into two cups, fill with boiling water and stir well

For dinner, Cashew Rice Curry along with Shrimp Creole is an excellent, and filling meal. And easy to prepare.

Cashew Rice Curry (Serves 4)
At Home:

• Wrap 1 teasoon of salt and 3 teaspoons of curry powder in a separate package
• Pack:
• 2 cups quick rice
• 1/2 cup instant dry milk
• 1/2 cup cashew pieces
• 3 oz. of havarti or jack cheese, grated (about 3/4 cup)

In camp:
Mix together salt and curry powder ina little watert to make a paste. Add 4 cups of water, mix well, and bring to a boil. Stir in rice, cover, and gently simmer until soft. Blend in dry milk, nuts,and cheese. Serve when cheese has melted.

Shrimp Creole (Serves 3 to 4)
At home:

• Pack together:
• 1/4 cup dried green pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup dried tomato pieces
• 1 cup quick rice
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• Pepper to taste

Also pack:

• one 4 1/2 ounce can of small shrimp
• 1 single-serving packet cream-of-mushroom soup

In Camp:
Cook contents of bag for about 6 minutes in 4 cups of water. Stir in soup mix to blend, then add undrained shrimp and more water, if needed. Heat through. A good drink to serve for dinner and with the above is Russian tea

Russian Tea Recipe
At home, mix together 1 cup of powdered orange drink mix (tang):

• 1/2 cup of sugar
• 1/2 cup instant tea powder
• 1 qt. lemonade mix packet
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of each:
• ground cinnamon
• ground cloves

In camp:
Use 2 to 4 tablespoons mix in 1 cup hot water

An excellent dessert for those cool Fall nights is Pumpkin Nut Pudding. Easy to prepare and goes well with the above dinner.

Pumpkin Nut Pudding (4 small or 3 medium servings)
At homeackage together in a 1-qt. ziplock bag:

• 1 small package of instant vanilla pudding
• 1/3 cup instant dry milk
• 1/4 tsp of each: ground nutmeg
• ground cloves

In a separate container with a tight lid, put:

• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin pie filling
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

In camp:
Add 1 and 1/4 cups of cold water to the pudding bag, seal, and mix well. Then add pumpkin and blend well. Top each serving with a sprinkling of nuts.