Bare bones...

Fat SAM · Post by **Fat SAM** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 8:11 pm

So this year, I'm going alone. I'm going to try to strip my whole trip down to (with the notable exception of copious amounts of alcohol) exactly what I need. It's my fifth Burn, I know what to expect, I know what my body likes water-wise, but I have yet to go super light on food. Since it's a green theme this year, I was thinking of ditching the propane stove and working solely with food I don't have to cook or even add water to. I'm no nutritionist but I'm aware that even with regular, healthy meals on the Playa, my internal works act a little differently, shall we say?

Any tips on healthy foods that provide lots of energy without taking up much space and without requiring cooking and minimal special storage needs (like coolers, ice/dry ice). Bear in mind, too, that I'll probably end up at a bento house out there, the pancake playhouse...my personal stash doesn't really need to be varied or tasty, just nutritious and energy rich. I like to go get the food people are kind enough to provide, but I like to do for myself, as well.

I guess examples of what I'm looking for are things like the 'poorboy peanut butter power bar' I heard about:
Spelt bread - 1 piece, cut in half
natural peanut butter
two slices of jack cheese
raisins
honey

In all honesty, it doesn't sound that good to me, but dammit, it sounds like it's full of pep.

And also...drinks? Energy rich drinks? I am willing to pack cold beverages down - I'm already packing beer cold; why not put in something healthy, too? Or should I just stick with plain old water (which I don't chill...I heard that it's better for your body that way).

FabFascist · Post by **FabFascist** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 8:19 pm

Personal favorite:
No Bake Peanut butter cookies:

2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3 cups quick cooking oats
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Combine sugar, milk, butter and cocoa in a saucepan and bring to a boil, cooking 1 minute.
Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients. Stir and mix well.
Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper, letting stand 30 minutes or when dry and cool. Store in well-sealed container.

These puppies have about 350-400 calories a piece!!! Recipe is for 12, so...

Also, I recommend picking up an MRE or two as fall back calories. Can't go wrong with those... from what I understand they have about 2000 calories each.

buzcut · Post by **buzcut** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 8:45 pm

MRE's will stop you up faster than anything..

last resort 100% like your gunna die if you dont eat.

Fat SAM · Post by **Fat SAM** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 8:46 pm

I thought about MRE's but I think they cost more than I want to spend on just a couple meals.

How well do those cookies keep?

StevenGoodman · Post by **StevenGoodman** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 8:51 pm

You can do what Geekster does. Just eat the Campbell's Chunky soup stuff straight out of the can, and a cold PBR to wash it down.

For "no cooking" I just bring bread/lunchmeat/cheese/tomato/mustard and make sandwiches, works for the first few days, then the bread dries out. Two sandwiches and a banana and I am stuffed.

Dork · Post by **Dork** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 9:44 pm

I haven't cooked anything out there for a couple of years. Here's a few of my favorites:
Burritos (good ones, from a burrito shop, no lettuce) cut in half, individually wrapped, and frozen. Last at least 5 days in the cooler and it's a good compact full meal. Let one sit on the hood of my car for an hour and it's done.
Chunky Soup, as mentioned.
Canned chili. They don't seem to make the cardboard containers anymore, unfortunately. Those rocked. The ones with chicken or turkey aren't quite as heavy going down.
Tuna pouches, with a little oil or mayo packets. Good with crackers too.
M&Ms, nuts, fruit cups, raisins, are all real easy
Hard boiled eggs are good for breakfast, take off the shells at home and toss them in the cooler. Better yet, make deviled eggs.
My favorite - fresh pineapple, cut at home and put in a ziplock bag. Lasts all week in the cooler and is a great mid-day snack. Or just get it in the little cups.
Summer sausage, cheese, and crackers. Oh yeah...
Any kind of cracker, chip, pretzel, etc will do fine.

Costco has some good organic smoothies - haven't tried them on the playa, but maybe I will this year.

CapSmashy · Post by **CapSmashy** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 6:44 am

I'm planning on bringing backpacker meals (freezedried) and other similar type meals/sides that you just add boiling water too and let sit.

Nong Shim noodle bowls and add in a can of chicken or tuna.

Oh, and my obligatory, emergency can(s) of Dinty Moore beef stew. Tastes like crap at home, but has never let me down when out in the boonies.

Oh, and lots of fruit cups.

skygod · Post by **skygod** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 8:23 am

Last year I went thru a coupla cans of powdered gatorade.
I think it really helps replace the potassium I lose when I sweat so much.

jpx · Post by **jpx** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 10:18 am

i have been turned on to cans of rice-stuffed vine leaves ...

...this kind:

you can buy them in a flat tin in olive oil that can be a meal for one or a side for two, with no fridge required. the kind i'm thinking of has a pudding top lid, too so you don't need a can opener.

usually right beside these on the shelf they have giant greek beans in oil and tomato sauce. again with a pudding top lid. they're giant beans, alright, like the size of a superball. they make a good breakfast, lots of nutrition.

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 10:57 am

CapSmashy wrote:Oh, and my obligatory, emergency can(s) of Dinty Moore beef stew. Tastes like crap at home, but has never let me down when out in the boonies.

.

Got THAT right! Dinty is a traditional staple in my playapicnicbasket!

Smoked oysters, too.
And cheeeeeeese.

FabFascist · Post by **FabFascist** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 3:47 pm

I have had the cookies last a couple of days in ziplock bags. Playa heat makes them congeal if you leave them out and they become sort of a non-bake "pie kinda thing". I toss them into a cooler with some ice.

I can't vouch for their actual life though because they are GONE within a couple of days.

I'd recommend running a test - make a batch, toss a couple in a zip-lock and toss on the counter for a few days.

Make the full recipe though, because once you have one... they tend to disappear.

skygod · Post by **skygod** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 5:55 pm

robotland wrote:
CapSmashy wrote:Oh, and my obligatory, emergency can(s) of Dinty Moore beef stew. Tastes like crap at home, but has never let me down when out in the boonies.

.
Got THAT right! Dinty is a traditional staple in my playapicnicbasket!

Who would name their kid Dinty?

MozyBonz · Post by **MozyBonz** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 7:27 pm

Bare bones?!!!?

Wow! Glad to see this is not nude pictures me again..people are only now recovering from the last time..

Sorry carry on.

Captain Goddammit · Post by **Captain Goddammit** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 8:21 pm

Easy-Cheese. It's one of nature's perfect foods, and particularly well-suited to the playa. It requires no refrigeration, comes in a dust-proof aerosol can, and is yummy on crackers or whatever.
I never show up without it.

MozyBonz · Post by **MozyBonz** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 10:47 pm

Easy-Cheese....good one.

We had people doing body shots with Easy-Cheese at the e-playa bar last year.

Whisky sexy women and Easy-Cheese who needs more?

pbmaniac2000 · Post by **pbmaniac2000** » Fri Jun 29, 2007 12:06 am

My best friend in the entire world when it comes to food is the food saver. All i need is that and a cooler of dry ice.

I make all sorts of great meals about a week before burning man. Pretty much anything that is easily frozen. spagetti is amazing!! Then i make up a large batch and use the food saver to make individual portions. Throw them in the freezer until you have to leave for burning man. I then throw them in a cooler full of dry ice. Get the nicest cooler you can find. The more your spend on it the more everything is going to stay frozen!!!

So through out the week i will just grab out a small meal, or snack and throw it in my solar oven(make one yourself, don't buy it). Takes like 20 minutes and the meal is super duper hot. When you are done just pick up your little plastic bag and throw it in your trash can. Its the only way to do it. Boiling water totally sucks. Especially come friday and saturday, you don't want to do anything you don't have to.

Davoid · Post by **Davoid** » Fri Jun 29, 2007 12:17 am

Snarfing a quarter pound of tortilla chips with a proportionate amount of salsa in a fit of gimme-salt-in-ma-belleh has unintentionally served as a meal on more than one occasion. And though I never eat 'em at home (er, at my apartment), I re-recommend fruit cups; throw 'em in the cooler (if your beer allows it) for a refreshing snack. Any kind of granola or decent cereal is also great for a quickie. I'm liking "Optimum Power Breakfast" cereal from Nature's Path these days- tasty and energizing. You can use those shelf-safe cartons of milk, though obviously, cold milk is better than warm (same applies to my soy).

This year I snagged some of those wick'd (as opposed to wicked) sternos from work, the kind with a small inner lid for heating and a bigger outer lid for cooking. Reuseable for up to 5 hours of cooking, supposedly. I'll use 'em in case of supreme laziness/gotta-get-back-out-there, and find out if they actually get stuff hot enough.

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Fri Jun 29, 2007 3:54 am

Playa Peanut Pasta

Ourzo pasta (one box)
(optional) peanuts, whole or crushed
Thai peanut sauce (one bottle)
One red onion
One or more fresh (but firm) mango
One can chicken (optional, I guess...)
water
cookpot and utensils

Boil the Ourzo (al dente) and drain excess water. (Into evap pond, or save for other cooking.) While pasta is hot, add peanut sauce, peanuts, onion (chopped to personal preference) and chicken. Mix, breaking up larger hunks of chicken. Add mango (cubed medium-small) last, mixing gently so as not to bruise. Serve. Consume. Moan with delight. Makes enough for you and everyone around you.

Fat SAM · Post by **Fat SAM** » Fri Jun 29, 2007 6:51 pm

So many good ideas...

What I'm looking for is protein though, lots of protein, with some carbs. Does anyone have any power bar recipes? Stuff I can make here and carry out. Shelf stable stuff that I can carry with me in my pouches.

FabFascist · Post by **FabFascist** » Sat Jun 30, 2007 5:14 pm

Hmm...

Maybe modify a recipe for hardtack by adding some whey protein powder?

For calories and snacking, hardtack is the bomb for storage - but not flavor... maybe experiment a bit with the basic recipe?

Just make sure you have good teeth...

The soldiers of the civil war would drop it into their coffee in the mornings for two reasons:
1. Due to poor storage and insect infestation, the bugs would float to the surface and they'd skim them off.
2. It helped prevent tooth chipping!

Make some and try it. What you don't eat, you could use to build shelter with...

Finnegan · Post by **Finnegan** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 2:09 pm

Lembas bread. It got Frodo to Mordor..

Flammepus · Post by **Flammepus** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 2:13 am

Protein? JIFFY LUBE!

or tofu stirfry, frozen and food saver'd into individual packets. That is the type of thing that I am doing again this year. Also, frozen packets of hummus are great and a good thing to be able to whip out for guests.

Oh, and nuts (pre-shelled, natch)

Lassen Forge · Post by **Lassen Forge** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 2:31 am

Flammepus wrote:Protein? JIFFY LUBE!

or tofu stirfry, frozen and food saver'd into individual packets. That is the type of thing that I am doing again this year. Also, frozen packets of hummus are great and a good thing to be able to whip out for guests.

Oh, and nuts (pre-shelled, natch)

Oh shit oh shit oh SHIT!!! ROTFFL!!!!

Sorry. Hope no one's offended. But when I glanced this really quick, I misread it as the following...

What bb thought she read, which isn't what Flammepus wrote: Protein? JIFFY LUBE!

or tofu stiffy, frozen and food saver'd into individual packets. That is the type of thing that I am doing again this year. Also, frozen packets of him-humans are great, they have a good thing to be able to whip out for guests.

Oh, and nuts (pre-shelled, natch)

MikeVDS · Post by **MikeVDS** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 7:38 am

If you really want to go bare bones, get one large plastic ziplock bag and fill with enough granola (raisins added is optional) for your duration. Add your water for drinking and then you're bare bones. This other stuff sounds like more work than I do for food and I don't consider what I do "bare bones" at all.

If you want more than that Gatoraid is always good. Big bag of beef jerkey. Big bag of any snack item. Giant tub of peanut butter and spoon.

... I think we may have a different idea of bare bones.

If you need dishes or anything other than a spoon to eat you're not bare bones.

fromMA · Post by **fromMA** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 7:59 am

What a coincidence....I'm going bare boned too. As a virgin I dont plan on wasting my time reading some survival guide. The way I figure it, each day Ill go to the shopping center that Im sure must be part of the Black Rock desert and bring back to my modular home some chinese takeout or maybe even go to a restaurant chain....who feels like cooking on a vacation. If I forgot something Ill just drop by the Wall Mart I'm sure is on the playa......I gotta tell you, this self sufficient stuff doesnt seem that hard :wink: In all seriousness......cant wait to come home!!!!!

mojo · Post by **mojo** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 11:17 am

Go to Costco for
1) big bag of raw shelled almonds
2) big bags of beef or turkey jerkey
3) dried fruit (they always have an assortment, pick what you like)

RINGMASTER · Post by **RINGMASTER** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 1:28 pm

MRE's really aren't so bad. They stop you up because they're so incredibly dense, but all that means is you don't need to sit on the toilet your first couple of days!

Bare bones...

Bare bones...

Re: Bare bones...