East and West Lake Trail: Almond Milk Hot Cocoa

I made this and stored it in some coffee thermoses for the hike. It was still hot when we were picnicking, and warmed us up as the winter winds were gusting around us.


Ingredients: (4 cups)
4 cups Unsweetened Almond Milk (you can do vanilla too if you'd like)
4 Tablespoons of Coca Powder (add more if you'd like0
1/3 a cup of Sugar

Directions:
Heat 3 1/2 cups of the almond milk on the stove. In the last 1/2 cup of the almond milk cold, and mix the coca powder and sugar with a small whisk. Its easier to get the dry ingredients to dissolve in a smaller amount of liquid. Once the almond milk is hot, pour the cocoa, sugar and milk mixture in to the pot. Heat for a few minutes more and serve. You can add cinnamon if you'd like, or peppermint schnapps ;)

East and West Lake Trail: Bitesize Apple Sauce Muffins

A first time hiking comrade, Glynnis, made the bite sized muffins. Her mother passed this recipe on to her, but I think its originally a southern living recipe. These were great for breakfast on the way to the hike, as well as a dessert at the lunchtime picnic.

Ingredients:  (Yields: about 3 1/2 dozen.) 

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

3/4 cup applesauce

1 3/4  cup self-rising flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

1/4 cup sugar

1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon

Directions: 

Cream butter; gradually add 1/2 cup sugar, beating until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Stir in applesauce.  Combine flour and salt; add to cream mixture, and stir just until moistened.

Spoon batter into lightly greased minature muffin pans, filling two-thirds full. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes or until done.  Remove from pan immediately, and dip muffins tops in melted butter.  Combine 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon, sprinkle sugar mixture over top of each muffin.  

East West Lake Trail: Granola Bars

This recipe came from Smitten Kitchen via my roommate, Jenn. She says that it is super easy and you can always replace honey with Agave Nectar. 

Ingredients: Makes 12 to 16 granola bars

2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup shredded coconut, loosely packed (I used unsweetened)
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
2/3 cup honey
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cup dried fruit, or a mix of dried fruit (I used chopped apricots, cranberries and raisins)

Directions: 

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Butter an 8×12-inch baking dish (lacking this, I used a 9×13-inch) and line it with parchment paper.

Toss the oatmeal, almonds, and coconut together on a sheet pan and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in the wheat germ. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F.

While the mixture is still warm, stir in the honey, vanilla and salt until the mixture is well coated, then the dried fruit. Pour the mixture into your prepared baking dish andpress, press, press it in (wet fingers and/or a silicon spatula work great for this) until the mixture is packed as tightly as possible.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool for 2 to 3 hours before cutting into squares — your best serrated knife is great for this.

East West Lake Trail: Roast Beef and Dijon Mustard Sandwich

Ingredients: (for one sandwich) 
Two Slices of Private Selection Fiber and Flax Seed Bread
Two Slices of Boar's Head London Broil Roast Beef
1 Slice of Boar's Head Muenster Cheese
1/2 Tablespoon Spectrum Mayonnaise 
1 Tablespoon Trader Joe's Whole Grain Dijon Mustard
Handful of Arugula
Cracked pepper

Directions: 
Mix the Spectrum Mayonnaise and Dijon Mustard together. I preferred it a little more mustard-y than mayonnaise-y, so feel free to change the ration to taste. Spread the mixture on each piece of bread. put the 2 pieces of roast beef on one slice, and put the muenster cheese on the other slice. Put cracked pepper on the roast beef, top with handful of Arugula, close sandwich and enjoy! (I like to cut the sandwich in half)

Hummus and Chicken Sandwich from Blood Mountain

Ingredients:
Bread, preferably wheat or whole grain
Red Pepper Hummus
Oven Roasted Chicken sliced Deli Meat (I got a pound for 9 people)
Muenster Cheese
Spinach, remove the stems
Dried Rosemary
Cracked Pepper

Instructions:
I take the construction of my sandwiches pretty serious. So, this is the order I recommend.
On each peace of bread, spread some hummus, like you would mayonnaise. On one piece place 1 or 2 pieces of deli meat. Next, a piece of muenster cheese, and then the spinach. I like to put the pepper and rosemary on the other piece with the hummus so that it sticks and will be evenly distributed. Then close the sandwich, and I like to cut them in half before the hike. Then you don't have to eat it all at once if you don't want to.

I always make at least a couple of extra sandwiches for a hike. Some people want one and a half sandwiches, which is a place where being cut in half comes in handy. :)