Tag: food

Food/Beverage

OutIn Nano Portable Espresso Machine for the Outdoors

Erin Sluka

After a week off the grid camping with friends, I was a day into the trip when I remembered that I brought my OutIn Nano Portable Espresso Machine with me. This means I had hot espresso everywhere I had access to some coffee grounds and water. In fact, one of our friends purchased one at the end of the trip after being so intrigued. It truly was a lifesaver on mid-afternoons!

This is not a portable coffee maker, rather a portable espresso maker and, YES, there is a difference in my taste! The creamy coffee that is a result of a few moments of brew time is so delicious and I didn’t even need my normal creamer with it. Here are the details of this machine:

  • Made of food-grade stainless steel and Environmentally friendly materials
  • Heats the water to the perfect temperature of 92°C/198°F in less than 200 seconds
  • Use any brewable coffee abd it will have a richer froth and is ready to enjoy in 3-4 minutes
  • Compatible with both ground coffee and capsule coffee
  • One button click and rechargeable battery – comes with USB-C charger & measuring cup
  • Use cold or hot water – hot water takes seconds, cold water takes 3-4 minutes to brew

This lightweight machine easily fits in my hiking bag and sets up in seconds. It is a must-have while camping, traveling and hiking. You can find the OutIn Nano Portable Espresso Machine at OutIn.com or on Amazon.

Food

The Best Flavors of Sweet Chaos Popcorn and Wiley Wallaby Snacks

Erin Sluka
The Best Flavors of Sweet Chaos Popcorn and Wiley Wallaby Snacks

When I think of what makes a certain brand of popcorn stand out from the rest, I think flavor and the finish of kernels. I am not a fan of popcorn that leaves lots of flaky kernels behind and the best popcorn has flavors you can’t stop eating. Sweet Chaos popcorn has flavors that are so irresistible and it is all non-GMO and gluten-free.

Sweet Chaos non-GMO Drizzled popcorn is popped in coconut oil and flavored with just enough real cane sugar and sea salt. There are no artificial colors or flavors. It is a treat with the right amount of sweet and salty. Visit Sweet Chaos to order!

If you need to satisfy your fruity/sweet tooth, Wiley Wallaby is always a favorite. To up their licorice game, not only do they have the best flavor varieties, but also have the new, addictive Fruit Drops. You can eat licorice by the handful- tiny, bitesize, fruity handfuls of sweetness!

Whether you need a snack that is sweet, sour or spicy, shop the varieties of Wiley Wallaby for your summer snack packing!

Natural Foods

Wholesome travel snacks with Jessica’s Gluten Free Granola

Erin Sluka

The best granola is homemade granola where you can add your own fresh ingredients and guarantee they are real, wholesome and free of GMO and gluten. Or you can just snack with Jessica’s gluten free Granola that I have discovered and love. This granola will be my travel and camping snack go-to! It is made with real ingredients in small batches- as if you made it at home!

Wholesome travel snacks with Jessica's Gluten Free Granola

I have been following the Noom diet recently and am happy that a few of the granola flavors are a ‘yellow food’ for adding to yogurt or snacking on. You can choose from 8 flavors and all of them are so delicious! Right now, my favorite is Chocolate Chip in some greek yogurt with raspberries.

Ingredients in Jessica’s Granolas include ground flax seed and coconut. It’s baked at a low temperature for the best flavor and crunch. Their granolas are gluten free, non-GMO*, gluten-free certified (except Butterscotch Chip), contain real ingredients and have no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. I have found these granola’s in some of my local Safeways and you can order online or find near you with their store locator. They taste as good as homemade! Shop all Jessica’s Natural Foods products!

Food, Recipes

Burlap & Barrel Spices are Sourced from small farms

Erin Sluka

I just spent the last 2 days marinating and smoking some pork. I don’t typically smoke pork carnitas, but I knew if I gave it a try I could enhance those spices with a little Hickory and then give it a quick sear for those crunchy bits. The key has to be in the quality of spices. To me, quality depends on where the spices are sourced and the ingredients used. Here is how I spiced my pork and it was a hit!

  • Kosher Salt
  • Cracked Black Pepper
  • Brown Sugar
  • B&B Smoked Pimenton Paprika
  • B&B Toasted Onion Powder
  • B&B Pure Stripe Garlic and 
  • B&B Black Lime and Chili salt
  • Oregano

You will notice, I am a bit partial to my B&B Spices and this is because these are all sourced directly from small farms. These spices are aromatic and the flavors are just amazing. In working with small farms around the world, B&B has access to unique spices you just cannot find anywhere else in a standard US shop. With spices that are single origin, you always know exactly where they are traced back to. 

Back to the pork – I used the Costco packs of Roast and so it was 4 smaller roasts I smoke at 225 for about 5-6 hours or until they hit 165 degrees. Then I place it in a foil pan, pour some avocado oil on and add about 2 Bay Leaves per 2 roasts, cover with foil and back on a 350 degree smoker for a few hours until it hits about 200 degrees. Mine stopped at 203 degrees. I rest 1 hour still covered and shred. Then I heat up a skillet and get those nice crunchy ends in batches using the reserved liquids from the foil pan. It heats up very well back in the pan especially if you save some of the original juices. If you have never smoked your prok for tacos before, you are missing out!