Indian Creek: 2-Day Menu

So I've started something new which may interest some of you. I'm officially done working wilderness therapy which means I'll have a lot more time and freedom to control my own food. Since my stomach has been bothering me a bit more lately, I've decided to cut out dairy and nuts, now that I don't need to depend as much on cheese and trail mix. Now if I'm hungry and grumpy while I'm out on trips, at least I won't have to deal with a large group of teenagers at the same time. Also, some of you are probably dairy- and nut-free and will appreciate some ideas to replace the cheese and trail mix. It seemed a little difficult at first, but once I got the hang of it, it wasn't bad.

The Fin

A couple weeks ago I went on my first crack-climbing trip to Indian Creek. I went with some friends from work and had a nice time with some great weather and great people. And I made sure to set the bar pretty low for myself, so I was amazed at how much better I did than I had expected. Most of the climbing I do is bouldering, so I find that I suffer when I have to stay on the wall for more than the 30 seconds that it usually takes to climb a large rock. Also, I've only ever climbed one crack and that was on a boulder that was about 8 feet tall, so I wasn't expecting great things at notorious Indian Creek. However, I sent a couple 5.9's, a 5.10+ (that was my favorite - a 3-finger crack called The Piano), and what we think was a 5.11- with an overhanging roof (although this last one was with a little help from my belayer...). And I successfully ate dairy- and nut-free the whole time! It required a little preparation beforehand, but it was worth it. I also got a little nervous that I didn't have enough food when we got to Moab so I bought a tub of guacamole and a package of Applegate Farms Genoa Salami at the City Market, which turned out to be an awesome choice; I was well-fed the whole time.

My friend Alicia on The Piano

Friday (left Salt Lake around 5pm, didn't get there til about midnight)

Dinner

• A jar of leftover ham soup & some olives

Midnight snacks

• Couple spoonfuls of guacamole
• 1 oz. salami
• olives
• coconut butter

Saturday

Breakfast

• 3 Hardboiled Eggs with Mustard & Butter (substituting olive oil for butter) 
• 2 oz. grass-fed summer sausage

Lunch/Snacks

• 1 17 oz. can coconut water 
• 2 grass-fed pepperoni sticks 
• 1 large carrot 
• Red Pepper & Turkey Sandwich (with 1/4 avocado in place of the cheese)
• multiple spoonfuls of guacamole 
• multiple spoonfuls of coconut butter 
• couple slices of cucumber

Dinner

• 3/4 tupperware (5.6-cup tupperware) of BOM-Ass Summer Sausage Stew (cooked at home)

Sunday

Breakfast

• the leftover 1/4 tupperware of BOM-Ass Summer Sausage Stew 
• 3 Hardboiled Eggs with Mustard & Butter (substituting olive oil for butter)

Lunch/Snacks

• 2 grass-fed pepperoni sticks 
• 1 large carrot 
• 1 baked sweet potato (cooked at home)
• Red Pepper & Turkey Sandwich (with 1/4 avocado in place of the cheese)
• olives
• multiple spoonfuls of guacamole
• multiple spoonfuls of coconut butter
• couple slices of cucumber

Dinner - Back at home

Food Totals

• jar of leftover ham soup
• pint-size container of olives (from the bulk olive bar at Whole Foods)
• pint-size container of guacamole
• 1 17-oz. can coconut water
• one half-finished jar of coconut butter
• 1 package Applegate farms Genoa Salami
• 4 grass-fed pepperoni sticks
• 2 oz. grass-fed summer sausage
• 2 large carrots
• 1 cucumber
• 1 baked sweet potato
• 6 hard-boiled eggs
• 1 red pepper
• 1/2 pound sliced deli turkey
• 1/2 avocado
• 1 small jar olive oil & vinegar salad dressing (for the Red Pepper Turkey Sandwiches)
• olive oil & mustard for the eggs in the morning
• 1 large tupperware BOM-Ass Summer Sausage Stew

BOM-Ass Summer Sausage Stew

This is the worst name I could possibly think of for this creation, but also the only name I could think of. Instead of calling it Broccoli Onion Mushroom-Ass Summer Sausage Stew, I decided to shorten it. Catchy, hmm? It's super easy to make and really satisfying. For some reason I really love the broccoli-onion-mushroom combo. I don't have amounts listed here because I just cut up as much as will fit in my pot and then cook it. I use roughly equal amounts of each vegetable, and as much meat as I feel I need. It's not really a light-weight or space-saving meal, but it's perfect for shorter trips. It may seem strange to use so much water, but it does a nice job of making sure the veggies don't burn, and as a bonus, it mixes with the coconut oil and makes a delicious, nourishing broth. I used to try to sauté things more, but that's pretty tough to manage on a fire or a Whisperlite. So now I just throw it all together and it always turns out perfect!

Broccoli
Onion
Mushroom
Grass-fed Summer Sausage
Coconut Oil
Water
Sea salt

Chop the vegetables and summer sausage and throw them in your pot. The smaller you chop them, the more you can fit in the pot, which is nice because it cooks down. Add as much coconut oil as you want, then enough water to come about 1/4 to 1/3 of the way up the pot (with everything already in it). Bring it to a boil and let it cook with a lid on, stirring every once in a while. You may need to add more water if the pot starts to go dry. When everything is cooked to your liking, remove from the heat and salt liberally. It doesn't take too long to get the veggies soft and cooked-through.