I don’t know about you but sometimes i get a hard craving for paella and being on trail means THAT craving will be difficult to satiate! While hanging out at camp and going thru supplies, i found the perfect combination of stuff to throw together a quick trail paella!
All you need is some spam, packaged chicken, Knorr rice sides, and if you have it…a package of olives! This takes about ten minutes to prepare, which includes time to sit.
Ingredients
Fry up your spam first and get it nice and crispy. Think bacon here. Then throw in your chicken (tuna would probably work fine too). If you have olive oil, then by all means, use it!! Stir this for about 1-minute.
Then add the knorr RICE side and prepare as the package states. (Note: prepackaged, already cooked rice will probably work too). Cook for 7-minutes covered on a med to low fire. Make sure you stir every minute or so. Then turn off the heat, add your olives and cover for 3-minutes.
Olives 🫒
ENJOY! I hope you have enjoyed this as much as we did!! Happy hiking!!
I don’t know about you but sometimes i get a hard craving for paella and being on trail means THAT craving will be difficult to satiate! While hanging out at camp and going thru supplies, i found the perfect combination of stuff to throw together a quick trail paella!
All you need is some spam, packaged chicken, Knorr rice sides, and if you have it…a package of olives! This takes about ten minutes to prepare, which includes time to sit.
Ingredients
Fry up your spam first and get it nice and crispy. Think bacon here. Then throw in your chicken (tuna would probably work fine too). If you have olive oil, then by all means, use it!! Stir this for about 1-minute.
Then add the knorr RICE side and prepare as the package states. (Note: prepackaged, already cooked rice will probably work too). Cook for 7-minutes covered on a med to low fire. Make sure you stir every minute or so. Then turn off the heat, add your olives and cover for 3-minutes.
Olives 🫒
ENJOY! I hope you have enjoyed this as much as we did!! Happy hiking!!
Back in November (2021) I had the pleasure of having my own, personal foodie “experience”, at the San Antonio Airport. Not every experience needs to be “Big” or planned out. Sometimes you can just walk in to it. As long as you are open to trying new things, a multitude of experiences are waiting for you. The wine today is a particular stand out. Something my mouth won’t soon forget. Would it be this good, if I took it home with me? I don’t know, but would love to find out and share this with my husband.
I am on a work trip to my home town of San Antonio, Texas. A culinary destination in its own right. Sure, I have my usuals. My “must-haves” when I touch down in San Antonio. Bill Miller’s “poor boy” brisket sandwich,
Brisket poor boy sandwich on rye bread!! 🤩
Mexican food (puffy tacos to be exact),
Delectable and famous Puffy Taco 🌮
and Blanco BBQ’s Chicken Fried Steak (it’s legendary… and if it isn’t, it should be!).
Chicken Fried Steak!
Today, I am at the Airport on my way back to the East Coast. I had about 3-hours to kill, so I had to make a very tough decision. Mexican food or Vino Volo? Yep, you guessed it, Vino Volo it is! I ordered the “Blockbuster Red” flight. A little pricey but, it had some very promising offerings of Bordeaux style blends. I started with an Opus One, then on to a Brio 2015 Red Blend…but the Cornell Vineyards 2014 Cab Sav was the true stand out here!
First of all, I can not believe that this is a Sonoma wine. My brain just refuses to accept that fact. The complexity, the mouthfeel, the way I can taste the earth and the age of the vines is just transformative. Not that I’m a wine snob or an expert in any way, but wow. Coming off a recent trip to Bordeaux, France this wine takes me back. Which is one of the primary things that connects me to the food and wine experience. It is the ability to be transported back to a memory or to another place with a simple bite or a sip.
Really?! Sonoma??I want this “library” at home!A sip for me….…and some to take home…Awesome salad!Tomato bisque…so creamy!
Secondly, I am so happy Vino Volo made it through the pandemic shut down. This place is a haven for weary travelers who just want a bit a good jazz “chill” music in the background, fantastic wine options, and a decent food pairing to round out a rigorous travel and work schedule. Today is just an ordinary day in the life of THIS road warrior and I can’t wait to get home!
Growing up in San Antonio, Texas, I can say this airport has been a labor of love to fly in and out of. Don’t get me wrong, it has been AWESOME having an international airport in my backyard…quite literally in my backyard, since I grew up about 5-minutes down the road! But that’s another story. What used to be a small, 2-terminal airport is now a HUGE, multi-terminal behemoth. The one thing this airport has never skimped on is the variety of food choices. Thank goodness Vino Volo landed here too! If you have never been to a Vino Volo, well then… you probably aren’t reading my blog, because you don’t like food and wine…and you don’t even know better! Also, if you actually haven’t been in one of these yet and have about 20-30 minutes to chill, then I definitely recommend stopping in. You can even buy bottles to take home with you. Just don’t try to crack one open on a flight…speaking from personal experience, that is a bad thing!
Also, YES! My husband did get to try to the wine. Most of it made it back!
My vacations are primarily centered around hiking and food. This vacay is no different. Kauai is full of both, at a World class level. I have spoken to so many people who have “visited” Kauai and only saw the Poi’pu and Waimea side of the island. They have no idea what Kauai is actually about!
My personal favorite is the Northern side of the island. Not because I’m bougie but, because i love the densely forested hiking areas and primitive beaches. I truly enjoy the feeling of being lost, in the middle of nowhere and the North side has an abundance of all those feels. Every time i visit Kauai, i find a new beach or hike and it always surprises me!
Queen’s BathLooking out over Queens Bath
Queen’s Bath is actually a pretty cool hike! Oftentimes the gated door leading to the trailhead will be padlocked, but just walk around to the far right and you will find a small, established footpath that takes you around the gated area. Just make sure you play it smart, or you could end up as one of the notches on the “death” board near the baths ☠️
Hideaway BeachLow tide at Hideaway Beach
Hideaway Beach was an amazing find! We’ve stayed in the Princeville area 3 times now and didn’t know this was here. The path is just behind Hideaway Pizza and is concrete but, that doesn’t mean it isn’t tough 😆 it’s a very steep grade getting down, so wear proper shoes.
This was a great place to snorkel and check out some pretty cool tide pools! Take a cooler with a lunch and some drinks, to make a day of it! There are lots of trees for coverage. And you can paddle out beyond the reef for surfing too.
Snorkeling at turtle caveGreen Sea Turtles 🐢 Incredible patterns on the sea cave
Turtle cave is located on the beaches/cliff areas right adjacent to the Bali Hai in Princeville. It’s a fairly strenuous hike down and you have to navigate over some pretty gnarly volcanic boulders to get in to the water and enter the caves. Again, wear shoes or your feet will get destroyed. make sure you check the tide report before you go. You do not want to get caught off guard. This is not Disney Land!
Hiking up Okolehao trail to Hihimanu summit ridgeOn the ridge trailOkolehao and Hihimanu in the distance!Beach trail leading over to Hanalei Bay, 1.2 mile hike Ha’ena
Curious about the best time of year to visit Kauai? Well that really depends 🤷♀️ my personal favorite time of year is winter, Jan-March. Although, it can be a wetter time of year, the whales are moving in, the waves are larger, and for hiking, it’s not too hot yet! Kauai (or any of the islands) can get super warm in the summer months.
Be adventurous! Drive to another side of the island from where you are staying. Talk to locals. Take a tour! I highly recommend a food tour with Tasting Kauai! Ask for guide “Susan”. She is a wealth of knowledge in the local Hawaiian culture.
Furakake fries at KenjiKenji Kobe beef burgerTacos at Verde! Brussels at Kauai Beer in Lihue 😋Cheers!
No COVID is not over, it’s still a thing and there are still protocols in place that must be followed if you want to enjoy your trip. It’s a drag, but hey, being sick can also be a drag, so let’s focus on the positive,,, YOU ARE TRAVELING! Or maybe you are getting ready to travel to Hawaii! 🤙
First off, to get to Hawaii you definitely have to be prepared for some significant travel time and you need to make sure and register your trip on the Hawaii State “safe travels” website. As of today (3/15/2022) you still need to provide vaccination status in order to avoid quarantine. It’s a total pain in the rear end, but if you are a World traveler, then you already know that this is a requirement pretty much anywhere right now. It takes about 15 minutes to complete and then you are ready to roll!
Secondly, make sure you get a window seat, the photographs from the air are incredible. At approximately 40,000 feet, you are damn near in suborbital flight!
Somewhere over Colorado
Masks are totally still in vogue and mandatory when you fly and when you visit any in door establishment in Hawaii. It looks like this may go away as of 3/25, so fingers crossed, the islands will be fully open!!
Wear your mask, unless you are eating 😆
The season of the mask is almost over, so start making your plans to get out there and enjoy some beach time in Hawaii!
Whelp, it’s gonna happen. The husband and I will be starting our thru hike of the Appalachian Trail at the end of March! I’ve been trying to convince myself that I am just going along for moral support, it’s really “his hike”. But honestly, the reality of walking approximately 2180 miles is starting to sink in and I am coming to the conclusion that this is my hike too. 🤷♀️
We’ve prepped and packed and then yep… re-packed our backpacks, maybe 10-times now. His is at about 25-lbs fully loaded. I’m at about 22-lbs.
His packJake-a-lope ready to roll!My first pack attempt-FAIL! 🤣
Actually, I’m way more focused on the food aspect *shocker* I’m sure! I’ve been experimenting with trail recipes that don’t consist of throwing hot water in a bag. It’s a challenge, but I’m committed to the cause! Live well, Eat well and for goodness sake, drink the good wine!
Spam and noodles with Kale
So, we are starting the trail together and will complete the initial 70-miles together from Amicalola Falls to Hiawassee, GA. Then i have to come off trail until June 1st. My youngest is graduating high school, and i don’t want to miss any of the last few months together!! After June 1st, we will be on trail together until we summit Katahdin, Maine, which is the northernmost terminus of the trail! I will have to flip back down to Hiawassee, to jump back on and finish the miles that i wasn’t able to complete… but by then, my trail legs should be in full beast mode!! 💪🏽
Feel free to follow our journey via our YouTube channel or check in for our updates here!
Who doesn’t love a great cut of meat procured for a super great price in bulk? Vegetarians, THAT question was not for you. But seriously, there’s nothing like buying a whole beef tenderloin and getting it home to prep, then after a couple of filet cuts, you hit gristle and you’re like “what the heck?!” (or other expletives), i thought this was a “good” cut of meat! What you didn’t know is even a “good” cut of meat has to be trimmed of the “silver” skin and the tendon that runs along the length of the whole piece. You can buy it pre-trimmed but, #1 it costs more per pound, and #2, i like to form a bond with my meat and that requires hands on prepping.
Lastly, you can get all sorts of cool morsels off of your trimmings, you wouldn’t have had other wise! and mmmm, just pop those yummy little pieces right in your mouth 👄 a little salt and pepper is all you need!
Hopefully, you find watching me trim meat as satisfying as I do…doing it!
Do you have any cool tricks with bulk meat purchases?
2 Tbsp of dried chili Pequins (if you like spicy, if not, then omit)
2 HEADS of garlic peeled
1 sweet yellow onion peeled
2-3 Tbsp sea salt
4-5 limes juiced
1 Tbsp dried Cumin
1 bunch (2 cups) fresh Cilantro
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
Boil a large pot of water. Remove from heat when boiling. Immediately add dried chili pods, push pods under water (they like to float), and Soak for an hour to rehydrate.
Soak those Chilis!
Wait 30-minutes then, in a blender, Purée onion and garlic. Add about a 1/2 cup of chili water from the pot of soaking pods, to help the blending.
Blend the onion and garlic
In a large sauce pot, add the oil and heat on medium til glossy. Add the slurry of onion and garlic to the pot and 1 Tbsp of sea salt. Sauté for about 10 minutes. ⚠️ THIS MAY CAUSE YOU TO TEAR UP… as in cry. Turn the stove top vent on to help alleviate this!
After about ten minutes of cooking the “on-gar” slurry, start to blend up the rehydrated chili. I used two blenders for this but, you can do in batches. Make sure on of the batches gets the cilantro blended in with it! You will need to add the chili water (by the ladle) in to the blender to help the chili blend. It will be thick but you want it to move around. Add enough of the chili water until you see consistent movement. *if using the chili pequin, then add these to the blender at this point! Then pour in to the pot with the on-gar sauté.
Once in the pot, squeeze fresh limes or add the pre-squeezed juice and cumin to the pot.
Cook til bubbles form and then switch to low for a simmer. You want this to simmer together for about an hour. But don’t let it burn. You can add additional chili water if you like more fluid.
Once it cools down a bit I jar this nectar of the chili Gods and use it throughout the winter. My lucky family and friends, might get a jar as a gift 🎁
Now, some people like to add sugar and/or vinegar. I am not a big proponent of added sugar, so i leave it out. Vinegar can be a nice add if using this as more of a chip dip. For this sized batch you could add 1/2 a cup of white vinegar. And salt this to taste.
I use this sauce as a base for chili con carne (classic meat chili),
Not so classic chili con carne
chili con queso (hot cheese dip), a basting sauce for fish, pozole rojo (pork stew) and chicken mole . It’s also great mixed in to minced meat for meatballs or jazzed up hamburgers. Highly recommended with game meat like venison or bison!!
What is your favorite home made foodie gift to receive from family or friends? Is there a special recipe you look forward to every year?
I love to make chili 🌶 salsas! I feel like it takes me back to my Latin American and Indigenous American roots. But with my mass batches of salsa comes a lot of garlic peeling. 😳 Like several heads of garlic at once. I wouldn’t say it’s one of my favorite jobs, but someone has to do it…and by someone, i mean me✋. I used to really dislike this part but, after experimenting with different ways to do this more quickly, i have found the mason jar shake is the quickest way to get it done! And bonus points if you can make some music 🎶 at the same time!! Check out the video below for this quick technique!
Mason Jar Shake!
I take the garlic off the head and put it in the jar, but honestly, you can drop it in whole. Make sure you seal the jar before shaking, 🙄 shake for about 1 minute very vigorously. *note, kids LOVE to do this job! Most of the garlic will be completely peeled. For the ones with peel on still, it will slip off very easy with a little squeeze.
What techniques do you like to use to peel garlic? Did the Mason Jar Shake work for you? Let me know! I’d love to hear from you 🥰
Let me preface this entry with my husband and I are by no means wine experts. we both greatly appreciate well made wine, but price and prestige are not a factor with our “likes”.
The terroir at this vineyard is situated on a bed of limestone pebbles. A hold over from a time when this land was under the ocean. This tough ground condition provides the struggle needed for the vines to thrive!
Tidbits about wine i learned today (yes, i am still learning even basic info!) Tannins are provided by the seeds, skins, and stems. The longer they sit with the wine, the more tannins! Tannins are essentially the “pucker power”/ “punch you in the face” behind the flavor and are stronger with younger wines.
Me and Jake in front of the wine wall.
At this vineyard, they do not use any machines to harvest. Everything is done by hand, to include tending the grapes during growing. We visited in late September of 2021 and the work crews had just started picking the grapes on the day we arrived (they had a late start this year)!
Ripe vineyards ready for picking!Work crews hand harvesting
Processing the grapes uses only a few machines. Mainly to move the grapes.
Processing grapes!
After the grapes are sorted and crushed, they are moved to the big tanks for fermentation.
Stainless tanksTop of the fermentation tank…where the stuff goes in!
In France, everything is done a lot slower. They prefer to do tastings at the end of the tours, whereas in US, we taste up front and then tour and talk. I prefer to taste up front, for obvious reasons! 🙄 Fermentation is completed in the steel vats and aging completed in French oak barrels, of course!
French oak barrels Barrel room tour Jake, soaking in the tour
In the cellar, the temperature for barrel aging feels to be about 50 degrees. This ensures fermentation does not continue. The aromatics from the aged French oak barrels is incredible. They are 225 years old! $600 eu a piece for the barrels! This vineyard has about 75% new barrels. They do not want the woody flavors. Preference is for the fruity flavors. After learning about barrels we moved on to the tasting. Finally the fore play has ended and we get to savor the flavor!
Close up of barrels
Apparently barrel making is an industry of its own!!
Tasting room! Let the tasting begin! 😋
Literally my taste buds are watering with anticipation. Maybe there is something to the French delay of gratification🤷♀️
Starting with the white, the glasses where slowly passed around.
Sauvignon Blanc.
Very fruity, fresh and citrusy. Very long finish. Strong Minerality. Rounded in the mouth. Pairs well with white cheese and fish/shrimp with butter sauces. This wine achieves the heavy citrus flavors because of the Sauvignon grapes.
Jake’s notes on the white, “would go well on a hot day due to the fresh mineralogy. Loves the citrusy flavors. Very nice to switch it up a bit from the heavy reds in the vacation.
Moving on to the Red tasting…
Beautiful legs
60% cab, merlot, and 7% petit Verdot.
She Said: Very peppery flavor. Notes of leather, vanilla. Lots of tannin mouth feel.
He Said: Jake’s notes regarding the red, very enjoyable. Very peppery with an outstanding bouquet. Mellow taste. Excellent tannins. We snagged a bottle to enjoy back on the ship 🤫
A couple of side notes, the field workers all look very Gypsy-ish. In the US, you would see primarily Mexican migrant workers. The workers out here have shanty towns established just in the peripheral of the vineyard estate for the workers. Well, i think the workers set them up themselves during the working season? I found this very interesting because my mother’s father’s family came from Mexico to the US as migrant workers in the 1800’s. But that’s a story for another day…
To sum it up, this was a very nice tour. We were able to drive thru old town Bordeaux first and then visit the winery. I would definitely recommend this excursion to others!
Oh! And we got this cute little keepsake that i used for my mask! It is the estate symbol.
The Food Guru: Food, Travel, Photography = Life 