• 8 Ounces condensed mince pie mix
• 8 shortbread cookies
• 1/2 Cup chopped walnuts

Serves: 4

Instead of reserving mincemeat pie for just the Christmas season, reader Ron Bonig spreads the traditional food around the calendar. "I serve hot mince pie in a mug to trailmates on the first night out, particularly in winter. It tastes exactly like mince pie, except it takes only a one-burner stove to make."

In Camp: Follow the package instructions for preparing the mince pie. Break up two cookies in each mug. Ladle the hot mince into the mugs and stir. Stir equal portions of walnuts into each cup before eating.

• 1/2 Cup crumbled graham crackers (about 1 1/2 crackers)
• 1/4 Cup chocolate chips
• 1/4 Cup chopped walnuts, toasted
• Marshmellow Fluff(optional)

Serves: 2

At Home: Combine all ingredients and divide evenly into two small oven roasting bags or zip lock heavy duty freezer bags.

In Camp: Squeeze as much air from the bags as possible. Make sure the bags are securely closed and submerge them in hot water until the chocolate has melted. Remove the bags from the water, top with fluff and eat!.

• 1/2 Cup powdered milk
• 1/4 Cup almond paste
• 1 Tablespoon sugar

Serves: 1

A mere half cup of this brew has enough calories to make Roseanne blanch, so double the recipe at your own risk. This smoothie is equally good and refreshing as a cold drink. If your sweet tooth gets excited too easily, either skip or cut back on the additional sugar, since almond paste contains plenty.

At Home: Combine all the ingredients in a blender and give it a good swirl, then double-bag the mixture in zipper-lock bags.

On the Trail: Place ingredients in a mug, add 1/2 cup water (hot or cold), and stir well. Makes one 6-ounce serving.

• 1 1/4 Tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/4 Tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1/4 Cup powdered milk
• 1 1/4 Tablespoons potato starch

Serves: 1

This makes a rich, thick beverage you're just as likely to eat as drink. I like to have one at breakfast-time with a bowl of oatmeal or as an after-dinner chaser.

At Home: Combine all ingredients and place in a zipper-lock bag.

On the Trail: Place ingredients in an insulated travel mug, add 1 cup boiling water, stir well, cover, and let stand 5 minutes.

• 1/4 Cup dried fruit
• 1/2 Teaspoon sugar
• 1 Teaspoon potato starch
• 1 Tablespoon orange powder
• 1 Dash salt

Serves: 1

Orange powder has delectable flavor, but if you can't find it, orange-flavored breakfast drink will work in a pinch.

At Home: Place the dried fruit in a blender and swirl until it's cut into very small pieces. Mix the fruit with the other ingredients and store in a zipper-lock bag.

On the Trail: Place ingredients in an insulated travel mug, add 1 cup boiling water, stir well, cover and let stand 10 minutes.

• 1 envelope pina colada mix
• 1/3 Cup powdered milk

Serves: 1

Team up an off-the-shelf pina-colada mix with powdered milk to make a very sweet smoothie that tastes a lot like dessert. Good hot or cold.

At Home: Combine the two ingredients in a zipper-lock bag.

On the Trail: Place ingredients in a mug, add 1 cup boiling water, and stir well.

• 1/2 Cup powdered milk
• 1 Tablespoon butter powder
• 1 Tablespoon potato starch
• 2 Teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 Teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 Teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 Pinches ground cardamom
• 3 Pinches black pepper

Serves: 1

This concoction is not for the faint-hearted! Take the edge off by reducing the amount of ginger, cardamom, and black pepper. Guaranteed to warm you on the coldest afternoon or prime your tastebuds for dinner.

• 2 Tablespoons pina colada mix
• 2 Tablespoons orange powder
• 1 Tablespoon coconut cream powder
• 1 Teaspoon potato starch

Serves: 1

This is equally good with cold water.

At Home: Place all ingredients in a zipper-lock bag and mix well.

On the Trail: Put ingredients in a mug, add 1 cup boiling (or cold) water, stir well.

Sources for the ingredients are abbreviated and in parentheses.

Beans and lentils, freeze-dried: Legumes are a great protein source and add hearty flavor to soups and stews. Dehydrated bean flakes and powdered beans (HFS/S; PFO for organic) are fine for burritos, spreads, and soup thickeners, but if you like to see beans in your bowl, opt for freeze-dried. Options for freeze-dried include kidney, black, pinto, and white beans, plus lentils (AA/AF/BP).

Butter powder: Real butter powder (TBC) tastes better than butter-flavored sprinkles (S). Add to hot cereal, pancakes, soups, and stews. Rehydrated butter powder doesn't spread or taste like the real thing on bagels.

Cheese powder: Add to eggs and one-pot meals (AA/CAS/S/TBC). Try blue cheese powder in macaroni and cheese for a distinctive taste (TBC).

Coconut cream powder: Combine this unique ingredient (AFS) with rice, onion, cilantro, ginger, garlic, and shrimp for a Thai-flavored dinner, or team with fruit and rice for an amazing rice pudding. Powdered coconut (TBC) can be substituted, but because it has less fat, it lacks the same richness.

Eggs, whole powdered: Use in place of fresh eggs when baking, or scramble with herbs or salsa for a breakfast with bite (AA/AF/TBC).

Fruit, dehydrated: Great as a snack and cooked in pancakes or cobblers. Apples, apricots, bananas, cranberries, dates, figs, mangos, peaches, pineapple, prunes, and raisins are widely available (CC/HFS/JT/M/S; WA sells organic varieties). Also consider sweet or sour cherries and blueberries (CC/JT/M/TBC/WA), bananas, guava, nectarines, and strawberries (WA has some organic items). Add variety with raspberries and persimmons (JT/M), jackfruit, kiwi, passion fruit, and star fruit (M).

Fruit, freeze-dried: Cook blueberries and pineapple (AA), peaches and strawberries (AA/BP) in cobblers, pancakes, or hot cereal. They also make a fine snack by themselves.

Ginger, candied: Adds zing to gorp (S/TBC/WA; HFS may sell in bulk, which is less expensive).

Grains, quick-cooking: Quinoa, quick-cooking barley, and instant rice are readily available (S) as the center of any meal. Add lemon juice, oregano, and dried cranberries to leftovers for a tangy cold lunch. If you're not a white rice fan, try freeze-dried (AA) or dehydrated brown rice (AF) in soups and other one-pot meals. Add veggies, seasoning, and a little meat to wild rice (AA/GWR) for a distinctive and delicious entree.

Maple syrup granules: Add water, and presto-maple syrup (above right) to top pancakes or add to bland oatmeal (AF/BP/HF).

Meat (beef, chicken, and turkey), freeze-dried: Expensive but extremely lightweight, these add protein to one-pot meals. Throw a handful of chunks in a pot with rice to create stuffing for a burrito (AA/AF/BP/R).

Meat (chicken, sausage, bacon), dehydrated: Dehydrated chicken and sausage (CC) require longer rehydration time than freeze-dried meats. Bacon bits (S) are a lightweight way to add meaty flavor to eggs and soups.

Pasta, quick-cooking: Just add boiling water and let stand for 10 minutes. It's the fastest pasta around (AA).

Salsa, dehydrated: Use on burritos, eggs, and anything else that needs spicing up (HFS/PFO).

Shortening, powdered: Expensive but ideal when you don't want to mess with a leaky bottle of oil. Sprinkle into a frying pan-it melts to oil as it heats up-or use in baking, where 1/2 teaspoon of powder equals 1 teaspoon of oil or shortening (HF).

Shrimp, cooked freeze-dried: Pricy but so good. Rehydrate in water, and then cook with rice or other grain (AA).

Sour cream powder: Stir a teaspoon of powder into hot cereal, pancakes, and biscuits. To make a garnish for Mexican food or one-pot meals, just add water (AA/TBC).

Tomato powder: Indispensable for making spaghetti sauce even your Italian aunt would be proud of. Add herbs like basil, oregano, and garlic plus dehydrated veggies like onions, green peppers, and thinly sliced mushrooms to water. Stir in tomato powder and let simmer until the veggies are rehydrated (AA/AF/TBC).

Tuna, freeze-dried: Canned tuna is a staple for backpackers, but to go really light, try freeze-dried (AA).

Vegetables, dehydrated: Add veggies and seasonings to beef or chicken broth for a warm soup. Try cabbage, carrots, celery, mushrooms, onions, sweet peppers, and tomatoes (AF/CC/HFS/JT/S/TBC; AA has greatest selection).

Vegetables, freeze-dried: Peas and corn (AA/AF/BP/JT/MH/R; M has only corn) and green beans (BP/MH/R) rehydrate in about 10 minutes. Asparagus and broccoli are better as soup add-ins than as side dishes (AA/AF).

Resources

AA/AlpineAire Foods. For a list of retailers, contact P.O. Box 926, Nevada City, CA 95959; (800) 322-6325; www.alpineairefoods.com

AF/Adventure Foods, 481 Banjo Ln., Whittier, NC 28789; (828) 497-4113; www.adventurefoods.com; adfoods@dnet.net

AFS/Asian food stores-bigger cities usually have one or two Asian groceries

BP/Backpacker's Pantry, 6350 Gunpark Dr., Boulder, CO 80301; (800) 641-0500

CAS/Cabot Annex Store, Rt. 100, Box 332, Waterbury, VT 05676; (802) 244-6334

CC/Chamy Co., 3131 Western Ave., Ste. 329, Seattle, WA 98121; (800) 322-7010

GWR/Gibbs Wild Rice, P.O. Box 277, Deer River, MN 56636; (800) 344-6378

HF/Harvest Foodworks, RR 1, Toledo, ON, Canada, K0E 1Y0; (800) 268-4268; www.harvest.on.ca; thefolks@harvest.on.caHFS/Health food stores

JT/Just Tomatoes, Etc., P.O. Box 807, Westley, CA 95387; (800) 537-1985; tomatoes@evansinet.com

M/Melissa's, P.O. Box 21127, Los Angeles, CA 90021; (800) 588-0151; www.melissas.com; hotline@melissas.com

MH/Mountain House. For a list of local suppliers, contact P.O. Box 1048, Albany, OR 97321; (800) 547-0244; www.ofd.com/mh; mtnhouse@ofd.com

PFO/Paradise Farm Organics, 1000 Wild Iris Ln., Moscow, ID 83843; (800) 758-2418; paradise@moscow.com

R/Richmor. For a list of local suppliers, contact P.O. Box 8092, Van Nuys, CA 91406; (800) 423-3170; www.richmor.com; mail@richmor.com

S/Supermarkets

TBC/The Baker's Catalogue, P.O. Box 876, Norwich, VT 05055-0876; (800) 827-6836; www.kingarthurflour.com

WA/Walnut Acres Organic Farms, Penns Creek, PA 17862-0800; (800) 433-3998; www.walnutacres.com

• Minute Rice or instant precooked rice or…
• Instant Mashed Potatoes or…
• Ramen Noodles (or fresh pasta, esp. angel hair) or…
• Extra fine dried egg noodles or…
• Couscous or…
• Any instant precooked grain that doesn’t require further cooking

Each of the above will reach an appetizing texture with little or no cooking. Throw in some boiling water, mix and let sit

Any source of protein such as canned chicken, turkey, shrimp, tuna, ham, bacon bits or tofu. Then jazz it up a bit with a sauce:

• Pesto(don’t forget the olive oil)
• Turkey Gravy
• Peanut Butter and Soy Sauce
• Hollandaise
• Green Peppercorn
• Miso
• Curry
• Lemon Dill
• Instant Chicken/Vegetable Soup Mix
• Bearnaise
• Chicken Dijon
• Whatever else you can think of

Serves: 1

The final product should be the consistency of a thick soup or stew to prevent scorching and to provide extra water for fighting dehydration. There are a variety of pre-made and powdered sauce/gravy mixes out there to experiment with. The advantage of glop is that it can be cooked in one pot in a short time with ease and provides the carbs, fat and protein you’ll need at the end of the day

.

• 1 Cup instant brown rice
• 1/4 Cup slivered almonds
• 1/4 Cup dried mushrooms
• 2 Tablespoons onion flakes
• 1 Tablespoon dried green or red pepper flakes
• 1/2 Teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 Cups water
• 20 Ounces canned chicken (don't drain)
• 2 instant cream of chicken soup

Serves: 3

As Scoutmaster of Troop 283 in Orlando, Florida, reader Steve Diedrich is always searching for easy-to-make dinners that'll satisfy 30 or so boys while backpacking through Ocala National Forest and the Smokey Mountains. Several years of trial and error yielded this recipe, which gets the troop's thumbs-up (offered here in an easier-to-manage version that serves 3, instead of 30).

At Home: Combine the first six ingredients in a zipper-lock bag.

In Camp: Stir the bagged ingredients into the water and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in the chicken and soup mix, and simmer for an additional 3 to 5 minutes.

• 12 garlic cloves
• 1 Cup dried apricots
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 12 Ounce-packages pasta
• 2/3 Cup olive oil
• 3/4 Cup dry white wine
• 1 Dash black pepper

Serves: 2 or 3

In Camp: Slice the garlic and apricots, and pluck the needles from the rosemary sprig. Cook pasta 1 minute less than the recommended time. Set aside covered but undrained. In another pot, lightly brown the garlic in the olive oil. Add white wine and simmer on medium-low heat uncovered for 5 minutes. Add rosemary needles, slivered apricots, and black pepper. Simmer 7 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta, add apricot sauce, and toss. Serve immediately.

• 1 dried Alredo sauce mix
• 1/3 Cup powdered milk
• 2 Teaspoons Butter Buds
• 1/4 Cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/4 Teaspoon black pepper
• 1 Pound pasta
• 3 Ounce-packages freeze-dried corn
• 1 1/2 Cups water
• 2 Tablespoons dried basil
• 7 Ounce-packages smoked salmon, crumbled

Serves: 3 or 4

At Home: Combine Alfredo sauce mix, dry milk, Butter Buds, Parmesan cheese, and black pepper in a zipper-lock plastic bag.

In Camp: Cook pasta 1 minute less than the recommended time. Add dried corn and set aside, covered but undrained. In a separate pot, add the water to the dried sauce mix. Simmer 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Drain pasta and corn mixture. Add sauce and toss well. Add basil and salmon. Toss gently.

• 12 Ounce-packages angel-hair pasta
• 6 garlic cloves
• 2 Tablespoons parsley flakes
• 1/2 Cup high quality extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 Cup grated parmesan cheese

Serves: 3

At Home: Pack the pasta in a hard-sided container or dry water bottle.

In Camp: Mince the garlic and parsley. Cook the pasta as directed. Drain it immediately and toss with olive oil, garlic, parsley, and black pepper. (If you can't stomach raw garlic, saute the garlic in olive oil for 2 minutes after the pasta is done.) Serve immediately, sprinkled generously with Parmesan cheese.

• 1/4 Cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 Tablespoons your choice of dried Italian spices: basil, oregano, garlic, celery salt
• 1 Pound pasta
• 1 Cup water
• 6 Ounce-packages tomato powder

Serves: 3 or 4

At Home: Combine Parmesan cheese with dried spices and pack in a zipper-lock plastic bag.

In Camp: Cook pasta according to package directions. In a separate pot mix the water with the tomato paste and the cheese-and-spice packet. Stir until smooth. Heat the sauce. (If the water was warm to start, you can skip heating the sauce.) Drain the pasta and return it to the hot pot. Add the sauce and toss.

• 2 Tablespoons chopped banana chips
• 2 Tablespoons chopped pecans
• 2 Tablespoons raisins
• 2 Tablespoons unsweetened coconut flakes
• 2 Teaspoons instant milk powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 Teaspoon coriander
• 1/4 Teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 Teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 Teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 Teaspoon cardamom
• 1 Dash cayenne pepper
• 3/4 Cup boiling water
• 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
• 14 Ounce-packages raw tofu, crumbled
• 1/4 Teaspoon powdered ginger
• 1/4 Teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 Tablespoon honey
• 1 Pinch salt

Serves: 2 or3

At Home: Combine banana chips, pecans, raisins, coconut flakes, and milk powder in a zipper-lock bag. In another bag, combine turmeric, coriander, cumin, nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom, and cayenne pepper.

In Camp: Soak the banana chip mixture in the boiling water. Do not drain. In a separate pan, heat the oil and brown the tofu, then add the dry spice mixture, ginger, and garlic. Cook for a few more minutes, then add the banana chip mixture and honey. Mix well and cook until the curry is hot. Add salt to taste, and serve over rice.

• 1 Tablespoon cumin
• 1/2 Teaspoon chili powder
• 1 Cup black bean flakes
• 2 Tablespoons mixed vegetable flakes
• 3 Cups boiling water
• 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
• 14 Ounce-packages raw tofu, crumbled
• 3/4 Tablespoon onion flakes
• 1 Teaspoon garlic powder
• 3 Tablespoons soy sauce
• 4 Tablespoons tomato base
• 1 Pinch salt

Serves: 4

The following can be made with raw, precooked, or dehydrated tofu. Skip browning the tofu if you use precooked or dehydrated (you'll need to rehydrate this in camp). If your tofu is already seasoned, decrease spices by half.

At Home: Combine cumin and chili powder in a zipper-lock bag. In another zipper-lock bag, combine the black bean and vegetable flakes, both of which are available at natural foods stores.

In Camp: In a large pot, rehydrate the bean and vegetable flakes in the boiling water. In a separate pan, heat the oil and brown the tofu, then add the dry spices, onion, garlic, soy sauce, and tomato paste. When the beans and vegetables are fully rehydrated (no need to drain), add the tofu to them. Add salt to taste. Heat, mix well, and serve over cooked rice or with cornbread.

• 1 Tablespoon chopped, dried tomatoes
• 1 Tablespoon dehydrated bell pepper flakes
• 1 Teaspoon basil
• 1/2 Teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 Teaspoon turmeric
• 1 Dash cayenne pepper
• 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
• 14 Ounce-packages raw tofu, crumbled
• 1 small onion
• 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 Pinch salt

Serves: 2

At Home: Combine the tomatoes with pepper flakes in a zipper-lock bag. In a separate bag, combine basil, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne pepper.

In Camp: Rehydrate the tomatoes and peppers, then drain them well. Saute the tofu in oil until slightly browned. Add the tomatoes, peppers, onion, garlic, and spices to the tofu, mix well, and cook a few more minutes until heated. Add salt to taste. Serve the mixture hot with a bagel or tortilla. Leftovers can be saved for a tofu burrito dinner: Reheat the Tofu Scramble, add rice and grated cheese, wrap in a tortilla, and top with salsa. For an even easier version of this recipe, use Nasoya's New Menu TofuMate Breakfast Scramble in place of the spices.

• 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 Cup peanut butter
• 1/3 Cup honey
• 4 Tablespoons dehydrated bell peppers
• 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
• 14 Ounce-packages raw tofu, crumbled
• 1 Teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 Teaspoons powdered ginger
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 1 Dash cayenne pepper
• 5 Tablespoons soy sauce

Serves: 2 or 3

At Home: Combine the vinegar, peanut butter, and honey in a leakproof container.

In Camp: Rehydrate the peppers and drain well. Heat the oil in a pan and brown the tofu, then add the garlic, ginger, onion, cayenne pepper, and soy sauce. Saute for a few minutes, then add the bell peppers and peanut butter sauce. Mix well and cook over medium heat until hot. Serve over rice or pasta.

• 5 Cups uncooked instant long-grain white rice
• 2 1/2 Ounce-packages tomato soup mix
• 3 Ounce-packages dried vegetables or vegetable flakes
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons ground red pepper
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons ground black pepper
• 6 Cups water

Serves: 8

This spicy rice is ideal for big groups or long trips. If you're looking to serve only a few, divide the mixed dry ingredients into four equal parts and pack them in zipper-lock bags. Each bag serves two and requires only 1= cups water.

At Home: Combine all dry ingredients in a zipper-lock bag.

In Camp: Pour the bagged ingredients and water into a pot. Bring to a boil. Stir once or twice. Lower heat to simmer; cover, and cook 5 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

• 5 Cups uncooked instant brown rice
• 1 1/2 Cups sunflower seeds
• 1 1/2 Cups slivered almonds
• 1/4 Cup parsley flakes
• 1/4 Cup chicken bouillon granules
• 6 Cups water

Serves: 8

This is also a bulk recipe that can be divided into four equal parts for meals that serve two campers (add to 1 1/2 cups water).

At Home: Combine all dry ingredients in a zipper-lock bag.

In Camp: Pour the bagged ingredients and water into a pot. Bring to a boil. Stir once or twice. Lower heat to simmer; cover, and cook 5 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

• 8 dried shiitake mushrooms
• 4 1/2 Ounce-packages instant mushroom rice
• 1/2 Cup dehydrated black beans
• 1/4 Cup grated cheddar cheese

Serves: 2

In Camp: Place the mushrooms and rice in a pot and fill the pot with enough water to cover the ingredients. When the water comes to a boil, reduce heat and boil for 5 minutes. Add the beans to the pot, reduce heat slightly, and simmer 5 minutes. Drain off excess water and stir in rice seasoning packet (if there is one) and cheese.

• 2/3 Cup raw cashews
• 1 1/4 Cups freeze-dried corn
• 3 Tablespoons chopped dehydrated onion
• 1 1/2 Cups instant brown rice
• 6 thinly sliced dried mushrooms
• 1 Ounce Coconut Ginger soup mix
• 5 Ounces can chicken in water

Serves: 2

At Home: Spread nuts on a cookie sheet and toast at 3000F for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool, then store in a zipper-lock plastic bag. Combine corn, onion, rice, and mushrooms, plus seasoning packet, in a second zipper-lock plastic bag.

In Camp: Place bagged corn mixture and chicken in a pot and cover with water; mix well. Bring to a boil; simmer 5 minutes (adding more water as needed) or until done. Garnish with nuts.

Cook the Ramen noodles (without the flavor pack) along with the dried peas. When the noodles are cooked, drain away from camp. Top with ham and add red pepper and parmesan cheese to taste. Mix, eat and enjoy.

At home: Mix the basil, oregano, parmesan cheese and garlic powder in a resealable plastic bag and label.

In camp: Soak sun dried tomatoes in four cups of water for ten minutes. Remove the tomatoes from water and bring to a boil. Break the angel hair pasta in half and add to the boiling water. Cook pasta until done, usually four or five minutes, depending on how firm you like it. Drain water away from camp. Leave noodles in the pot and add tuna with oil, tomatoes, and contents of the cheese and spice package you assembled at home. Stir well.

A low fat version can be made with water-packed tuna, but you'll want to drain most of the water before adding. If weight is not a factor, two small cans of tomato puree can be used in place of the sun dried tomatoes. This meal goes good with bread fried in margarine and garlic.

Cook the rice according to the package directions, using the water, salt, and margarine from the ingredients listed above. While rice is cooking, peel the hard-boiled egg and finely chop. Drain most of the water from the tuna (away from the camp). When the rice is cooked, leave over low flame and toss the raisins, curry, chopped boiled eggs, and tuna with a small amount of tuna water. Mix thoroughly and heat briefly. Remove from heat and serve. A couple of tablespoons of chopped almonds makes a good addition to this recipe.

At home, combine: bulgur, corn and/or dried veggies, and the bacon bits. Pack the cheese in a separate plastic bag. On the trail: place bulgur mix in pot and add 5-1/3 cups water. Bring to a boil and simmer until done (about 10 minutes depending on the thickness of the dried veggies and type of bulgur). Serve into bowls and sprinkle with cheese. Makes about 5 cups pilaf, or two 2-1/2 cup servings.

• 1/3 Cup powdered milk
• 1 Cup instant rice
• 1/2 Teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 Pinch nutmeg
• 1/2 Cup instant vanilla pudding
• 1 Cup raisins
• 2 Cups water

Serves: 1

At Home: Place the powdered milk, rice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and pudding in a zipper-lock bag.

In Camp: Combine all ingredients in a pot and bring to a light boil over medium heat. Remove from stove, cover, and let stand for 5 minutes.

• 1 1/2 Cups honey
• 4 Tablespoons butter
• 2 Ounces white chocolate
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla
• 1 Cup sunflower seeds or nuts
• 1/2 Cup wheat germ or shredded coconut
• 2/3 Cup crunchy peanut butter
• 1 Cup dried fruit
• 5 Cups quick-cooking oats

Serves: 24

Boil the honey, butter, and chocolate for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add the vanilla. Mix together the remaining ingredients and stir into the chocolate mixture. Pour the dough onto a cookie sheet and flatten it into one large rectangle about 1 inch thick. Let cool, then cut into bars. Yield: 24 bars.

• 1 1/2 Cups couscous
• 1/2 Cup ground dried berries
• 1/4 Cup ground dried bananas
• 1/2 Cup dried pineapple bits
• 1/4 Cup raw sugar
• 1/2 Teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 Teaspoon salt
• 3 Cups water
• 2 Tablespoons clarified butter

Serves: 1

At Home: Package the couscous, berries, and bananas in a zipper-lock bag and the pineapple, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a second bag.

In Camp: Bring water and butter to a boil. Add the contents of the couscous bag, stir, then turn off the heat. Cover the pot and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff the couscous with a fork, then stir in pineapple mixture.

• 2 Cups rolled oats
• 1/2 Cup melted margarine
• 1/2 Cup brown sugar
• 1/4 Cup honey
• 1 1/2 Cups raisins, dried cranberries, and chopped nuts

Serves: 8

Mix all the ingredients and press into an 8 x 8-inch microwaveable pan. Microwave on high for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the mixture starts to turn brown. It should be soft to the touch when you take it out of the microwave. Cool, cut into squares, and wrap in plastic. Yield: 8 to 9 bars.

Serves: 1

Oatmeal is a backcountry staple that has one flaw: You have to cook it to enjoy it, right? Not so, say readers Steve Cash of Andeson, Indiana, and Jim Edgren of Chicago, Illinois, who've discovered ways to whip up a hearty breakfast that requires no cooking.

Scottish oatmeal: Traditionally, Scottish soldiers on march dipped a fistful of oats in a stream to make a paste or dough for a quick meal. To battle morning hunger on your next trip, place 1/2 cup oats in a bag and add enough water to make a paste. "Although not as tasty as maple and brown sugar, it does the job when you can't take the time to cook," Steve says. Underagers oatmeal: Instant oatmeal for infants and toddlers is formulated to be made with cold water on the spot. "There are many types," says Steve, "from oatmeal, rice, and barley, to those flavored with berries." Apple juice oatmeal: Add 1 cup water to a packet of powdered apple juice or cider, then pour the liquid over 1Z2 cup of quick-cooking grain, such as rolled oats, barley, and rye. Let the mixture sit for 20 minutes and by the time you take down your tent, you'll have "the best low-tech oatmeal" Jim has found.

• 2 egg
• 1/2 Cup cheese (grated)
• 1/2 Cup salsa
• 1/2 Cup ham
• 1 Pinch salt
• 1 Pinch pepper

Serves: 1

If you're determined to have fresh, whole eggs but not so eager for yolk-covered fleece, follow the advice of reader Tim Griffith of Chehalis, Washington, who solved the problem by leaving nature's fragile packaging at home and premixing his omelette in a zipper-lock bag. His boil-in-the-bag cooking tip: "I've successfully used zipper-lock freezer bags and heat-sealed bags, but avoid sandwich bags, which melt too easily."

At Home: Crack the eggs into a pint-size zipper-lock freezer bag and beat slightly. Add the cheese, salsa, ham, seasonings and, Tim suggests, "anything else that sounds good." Double bag the mixture "to prevent a sleeping bag-and-headlamp omelet."

In Camp: Bring a pot of water to boil and drop the bag in the pot. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until the eggs pull away from the sides of the bag.

Some of the above material is reprinted with permission from Backpacker magazine. Any commercial use of this material either in electronic or printed form is prohibited without express written permission from the authors. Copyright c 2000, all rights reserved