TASTY TUESDAY - BIRTHDAY EDITION

With our birthday right around the corner (the 25th!) I thought it'd be great to share this fabulous cake recipe I came up with. The trick is to use whatever chocolate cake (or any flavor) and frosting recipe you like. I have several, and ended up using our family dad's chocolate cake recipe for this one. It's even easier than it looks!

TASTY TUESDAY - FROM THE ROAD

Destination: Eastern Sierras / Location: Gus's Jerky 

When you're making the drive through the Eastern Sierras, Gus's Jerky is one of those places you just gotta stop and grab a snack. They have everything a road tripper could drool over from your salty to sweet cravings and even a few random in between-ers you just can't live without. Their jerky is bomb and the whole place just reeks of road trip charm. There's also a little chihuahua named Pepita who likes to lounge in the sun and wait for dog lovers to come give her a good rub. She's probably my favorite part about the place. We sunbathed together and ate our jerky. 

TASTY TUESDAY

Fettuccinie c/o Cappellos

Gluten-free, grain-free pasta with a buttery flavor and silky consistency is my kind of dinner. We decided to top our pasta with homemade pesto, a lightly breaded chicken breast and roasted lemon brussel sprouts. The great thing about this meal is that the pasta only takes a few minutes to cook and voila! You're ready to eat. 

I made the pesto with fresh basil leaves and whatever shaved almonds we had laying around (works just as well as pine nuts), garlic, salt & pepper and parmesan cheese blended in the Vitamix. The brussel sprouts were roasted at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, dusted with salt & pepper and freshly squeezed lemon juice.  Bake or grill your chicken, and use eggs to get the bread crumbs to stick for a healthy alternative to butters or oils. Tasty yum in your tum!

TASTY TUESDAY

If your mouth isn't watering yet, I don't know what's wrong with you because homemade buttermilk pancakes are the BEST! Even moreso when you're camping. I planned ahead and premade my pancake batter. There's two ways you can do this: 1) Pack dry ingredients in a ziplock, and wet in the cooler, or 2) Just make it and pour it in a mason jar and keep it in cooler. I did both, because it made quite a few pancakes and the love just kept coming every morning we camped. So.freaking.good.

Ingredients: 

1 t. salt

2 t. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

2 cups flour

2 T. sugar

2 eggs

2 cups buttermilk (2 cup milk + 2 T apple cider vinegar)

2 T. butter, melted

Directions: 

1. Mix dry ingredients

2. Add wet to dry

3. Whisk, mix and POUR on the griddle

Camp grinds gone wild. 

You'll never wanna eat non-pancakes camping again.

TASTY TUESDAY

Designer Whey products c/o Designer Whey

You may have noticed our delicious treats popping up on Instagram, and we're here to tell you Designer Whey makes bomb protein bars and protein shakes. They do it all. It's fuel for your adventure, and you gotta taste it to know it. Finally...a protein bar you can actually enjoy. The shakes are also so easy to take on roadtrips or camping, just throw them in the cooler and you're good to go! Check out their collection of products here.

MCCALL WEEKEND

 Location: McCall, Idaho / Activity: swimming and relaxing / Food: Ice-cream Alley

We headed to McCall to stay at our friend's cabin for a much needed getaway. Nothing says girls weekend like late nights, painting nails, ice-cream, and laying out! A few of our favorite things to do in McCall, Idaho include:

1. The Pancake House- one of a kind dining in a rustic mountain lodge

2. Ice-Cream Alley- famous for its mountain sized scoops and huckleberry ice-cream

3. Payette Lake- excellent boating, sandy beaches, and spectacular scenery

TASTY TUESDAY - CAMPING BREAKFAST

Dishware and cutlery c/o Kupilka

 It's simple, really. Camping breakfasts don't have to be complicated. Here we had some scrambled eggs and turkey sausage, all cooked to perfection over a campfire with a delicious cup of hot chocolate. We don't need to tell you how to make scrambled eggs and sausage, but we can tell you what you might need to make it.

What you need:

1. camping cookware, we recommend this set

2. coffee pot, we love this blue one

3. serving cup/bowl with cutlery

Ever wondered how to clean your dirty dishes when camping? Here's a little tip. Fill a pot with boiling water to make clean up a bit easier. The pot can also double as a sink to wash your other dishes and utensils with a mild camp soap that is environmentally friendly. You can always heat the dishes over the fire for sterilization before cooking again if you don't have camp soap. Let dishes air dry before stowing or using again. Happy camping!

TASTY TUESDAY - HEALTHY SNACKS

 

Bottle Cozy c/o Freaker USA | Bottle Cooler c/o Mile High Co. | Knives c/o Proof 

If you've been a long time follower or reader of Traveling Triplets, you might notice that we're kinda big on traditions. Similar to last week's Tasty Tuesday, this meal is what we grew up calling "healthy snacks." It was one of those Saturday nights stay in and watch a movie followed by a heaping bowl of ice-cream kind of meals. We also took it to the trails, stuffed it in our winter parkas on ski trips, and craved it on family gatherings and for your run of the mill Friday night occasions. It has stuck with us, and when we demand a "healthy snacks" dinner to our husbands, they roll their eyes wondering why it's even considered a meal. But, like I said, in our books - it totally counts! 

What you need: 

1. Your favorite crackers. We prefer Chicken in a Biskit every time. 

2. Summer sausage salami. Sliced to perfection.

3. Freshly sliced apples (green and red)

4. Pepperjack, swiss, and cheddar cheeses (the more the merrier)

5. Grapes (on the side)

6. Garnish with honey mustard or for an extra kick, horseradish (our personal fav)

So, what do you think? Have you tried this before? Tell us if you think it's a meal or not! :)

TASTY TUESDAY - FOIL DINNERS

Knife c/o Proof | Lighter c/o Proof 

Foil dinners have been in the family since the beginning. We grew up on these. Every camping trip to the mountains called for a little independence in the kitchen. Before we hit the road, mom let us roll out the foil and design our own meal. We always loved wrapping it up in extra layers of foil and curling in the edges. When all was said and done, we wrote our names, drew pictures and had some fun doodling on the outside so we knew whose meal was whose. 

The three of us chopped away as the sun faded into night, and with the fire crackling it wasn't too long before dinner was sizzling. Just wait about 10-15 minutes and dinner is ready. We always bring along some Franks Red Hot Sauce and ketchup to squirt on top, and marinade with Worchestire sauce for cooking. Always delicious. Warm, healthy and hearty. Just the way we like it.