Date:         Tue, 29 Jan 2002 18:32:26 -0800
Reply-To:     Brian and Carol Megas <bmegas@ISLAND.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Brian and Carol Megas <bmegas@ISLAND.NET>
Subject:      Re: camping out veggie style
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Something close to my heart!  I haven't eaten dead animal parts for years,
but my husband and my children are hard core carnivores and my mother-in-law
doesn't know how to cook unless it includes ground-former-four-foots.  As a
result, I have become quite adept at making menus that keep everyone fat and
happy.  As to camp food - for the last few years, my husband and I have been
doing mostly backpacking camping excursions as we only just purchased our
'86 Westy to replace the one the kids grew out of 10 years ago, so I'm
having some trouble coming to terms with the fact that weight doesn't matter
so much and everything doesn't have to be dehydrated!  I'm looking forward
to being able to stew up some quick Thai curries because I will be able to
bring along the coconut milk and curry paste as well as the raw vegetables,
cashews and beer.  Staples which I keep always in the van are pasta, rice,
yuppie freeze dried instant dinners (of which the selection of vegetarian
entrees just keeps getting better and better), coffee, instant tofu milk
and, for my husband, canned fish.  Before a trip, I will load up with
zip-locks containing pre-measured flour mixtures for making
biscuits/hotcakes, butter, cheese, canned milk, frozen juice (to mix one cup
at a time) and a variety of canned beans, olives, peanut butter and honey.
Also, always on board are a selection of my basic spice rack, salt, pepper,
red pepper sauce, basil, cumin, turmeric, lemon grass, much garlic and
ginger, cardomom and cinnamon, as well as some olive oil and vinegar.  Oh,
and, of course, popcorn.  We had no trouble staying well-fed on 10 day
wilderness backpacking trips, so I'm sure we won't lose any weight in the
luxury of the Westy.

Bon appetit!

Carol Megas
'86 Westy "Bruno"
Brian, Carol, Thea, Deverelle and Kelsey Megas
   Box 1051, Chemainus, BC,Canada, V0R 1K0
      bmegas@island.net    http://www.island.net/~bmegas/
          **to make your dreams come true, you have to stay awake**