Tart Berry Smoothies, or Liquid Joy

How good would a tart, juicy, berry-rich smoothie sound when you're 6 days in?

Flavor: 9/10 (seed bits)

Ease at home: 8/10 (powdering all the berries is a little tedious)

Ease at camp: 10/10
Heat level: 0/10

Times made: 1

I'll admit, this is not my idea. I was inspired by the Packit Gourmet's extraordinarily disappointing Jump-Start Smoothies and the sincere belief that I could do better.

Food Reviews, Cottonwood Pass trip: Packit Gourmet Picnic Potato Salad

Chicken Spring Lake, just before twilight.

At the end of a sweltering 12 mile day with plenty of tedious route finding, I can't think of anything more appetizing than a rich, tangy bowl of good potato salad with lots of pickles or cornichons. As such, I was extremely excited a few weekends ago in the Golden Trout Wilderness area to finally try Packit Gourmet's Gourmet Picnic Potato Salad. I was pretty beaten and bruised by the time we arrived at Chicken Spring Lake around 3PM, and thoroughly grateful with my past self for having the foresight to plan an afternoon snack devoid of almonds, dried fruit, or oats. With feet pounding, I quickly assembled the always easy-to-prepare PIG pouch and let it marinate. The result was tasty and satisfying, albeit with a few minor issues.

Food Reviews, Trinity Alps Trip: Cheddar Jack Cheese Spread from Packit Gourmet, Organic Garlic Pesto Frybread from MaryJane's Farm

A few weekends ago, my husband went on a weekend trip to the Trinity Alps with his friend Duncan, and puppy compatriot Guinness. He was hoping to reach Foster Lake on a ~17 mile loop over the course of 3 days. I'd packed him some homemade pasta with ratatouille, boxed macaroni and cheese for breakfast, homemade korean tofu soup (soondubu jjigae) for breakfast 2, homemade Thai curry soup, and other ready-made food to fill the gaps. I was excited to hear how the trip (and food) went on his return and asked him to take photos.

Food Reviews, Desolation Wilderness trip: Happy Hour Snack Pack from Packit Gourmet

Last Tuesday, Dennis and I were babbling on Facebook when I realized we were coming up on a 3 day weekend without plans. While the Diablo patch just hit and I was looking forward to playing games, neither Dennis nor I liked the idea of fermenting all weekend on the computer. There would be plenty of time to play games during the week, but only one 3 day weekend before Fall weather hit.