Written by Dr. Kloepper
“Hey, would you like to try some canned beef? It really tastes a lot better than it smells.” No really, it actually does.
Why, you might ask, were we offering people to try some canned beef? Well it was all part of our project prep. Our crazy, crazy project prep.
This week we’ve been starting the detailed aspect of project prep. Organizing equipment. Finalizing our travel schedule. Booking hotels for places we can’t camp. Making sure everyone can operate various equipment, which also included learning to pitch our tents!
Although the majority of the “big picture” items are now taken care of, our days are filled with long to-do lists to make sure everyone (humans and canine) are completely prepped for the trip.
For me, the most fun part of this whole adventure is food planning. I love to cook and I love to plan meals, but this summer poses a new challenge: figuring out how to make healthy, delicious meals for 3 women out of mostly non-perishable items. I’ve spent considerable time perusing the canned/dried goods aisle at the grocery store, and have come up with some fun recipe ideas.
First, I present to you, Cheesy Ranch Tuna Casserole:
Next, Spinach Lasagna ala Beef Chunks:
Next, Campfire Mexican Cornbread Skillet Casserole:
And finally, “Chicken Lo-Meinly we’re camping”
All my meals have 2 main rules: they must have protein, and they must have vegetables. Eating this way will be challenging, but everything always tastes better around a campfire (or, in our case, a small propane stove), right?
The Kloepper Lab 
June 6, 2016 at 8:54 pm
Wow, these sound pretty great! Do you have a more detailed recipes? I volunteer at a student food pantry and I think I want to pass these around for our students! (along, with your blog because what your doing is inspiring and very much cool!)
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June 9, 2016 at 11:07 pm
Basically we just throw everything in a pot together! As stated in the post my rules are it must have protein, veggies, and carbs. When you have that mindset, and a relatively flexible palate, the world is your can opener! I am also a huge fan of the “plus” pasta (the kind that is made with whole grain and had protein and fiber). We’ll cook that with some packets of pasta sauces (add water and simmer) and some more canned veggies.
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June 7, 2016 at 3:14 am
I love this post, food is always an interesting part of a trip
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June 9, 2016 at 11:08 pm
And also the most stressful! We are very lucky that none of us are picky eaters, and we each usually eat about the same amount so it’s easy to shop for a certain amount of days.
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