by Alain Bossé photography Steve Smith/Visionfire
Food is not my only love—I also love words. I especially adore unique and unusual words, so when we decided that we were writing a story about snacks ideal for road tripping, I decided to go in search of interesting travel words. Not surprisingly, did I find some great ones!
This story begins with our love of a good coddiwomple—to travel in a purposeful manner towards a vague destination. Is that not a great word? Before heading out we always experience resfeber (the restless race of the traveler’s heart before the journey begins) and when we return we often have a sense of fernweh (a feeling of homesickness for places other than home).
The urge to coddiwomple is particularly strong this time of the year, as it comes with the shift in daylight. Dark, stark winter light turns a little more golden, temperatures are comfortable, the earth releases a warm musky scent and the road beckons. This is the time of year when every evening after dinner, a shunpike—a slow, meandering drive through the countryside—becomes the perfect end to the day. A mere 10 years ago, after-dinner drives were for “old” people; now they’re seen as a luxury to be cherished. And if an evening drive is a gift, then a week on the open road is an absolute treasure.
A big part of road tripping is definitely food. There was a time in life when these summer road trips were filled with greasy burgers and hot, crispy fries, bottles of ice-cold pop, chocolate bars and chips…and ice cream—lots of ice cream. We ate all of it and we loved every single bite. But that’s not how we roll these days. Our waist lines got a little wider and we (hopefully) got a little wiser.
These days our car trips consists of fewer fries and more fruit, veggies and other healthier choices. Chocolate bars have been replaced by homemade granola bars; however there’s still the occasional stop for ice cream—because life is too short to give up all the little pleasures.
Although it’s never been easier to access healthy options when traveling, we find that stocking the car with homemade whole foods (and no additives) before we leave home just makes everything easier. We have a repertoire of recipes that typically only get used when we are doing road trips. Homemade granola bars are a favourite and homemade trail mix allows us to get that combination of salty and sweet that we absolutely love.
In addition to being nutritious, delicious and more economical, packing the car with food also brings me back to my childhood. My mom always prepared food for long trips and it was quite often enjoyed as a roadside picnic. We had a battered blue metal Coleman cooler that she would fill with sandwiches and cookies and if we were lucky there might be a few bottles of Pop Shoppe pop tucked in there as well.
In a world that has become increasingly busy, homemade food and road tripping just seem like the ideal way to slow down and remember what’s really important. So indulge in wanderlust, get out and feel the wind in your hair, keep your eye out for us and say “Hi” if we happen to cross paths!
Road Tripping Mix
Makes 8 cups (2 L)
1 cup (250 mL) cashews
1 cup (250 mL) whole almonds
1 cup (250 mL) pumpkin seeds
2 tsp (10 mL) sea salt
1 tbsp (15 mL) melted coconut oil
½ cup (125 mL) dark chocolate chips
½ cup (125 mL) dried banana chips,
broken
½ cup (125 mL) dried blueberries
½ cup (125 mL) dried cranberries
¼ cup (50 mL) coconut flakes, broken
2 cups (500 mL) popped corn
Toss cashews, almonds and pumpkin seeds in melted coconut oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Roast in a cast-iron pan over med high heat until golden and fragrant. Place in a large bowl and set aside to cool.
In another bowl toss remaining ingredients then add cooled nut mixture (the cooling step is crucial so that the chocolate doesn’t melt). Toss well, and place in a sealed container. Store in a cool dry place for up to 2 weeks.
Long Haul Bars
Makes 8 bars
½ cup (125 mL) maple syrup
¼ cup (50 mL) Lyles golden syrup
½ cup (125 mL) peanut butter
½ tsp (2 mL) vanilla
¼ tsp (1 mL) salt
½ cup (125 mL) white chocolate chips
½ cup (125 mL) dried cranberries
4 cups crisp rice cereal
Topping
½ cup (125 mL) white chocolate chips
1 tbsp (15 mL) coconut oil
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla
Combine maple syrup, golden syrup, peanut butter, vanilla and salt in a sauce pan and heat over medium until melted, stirring to combine. Set aside to cool.
Combine the white chocolate chips, cranberries and crisp rice cereal in large bowl, pour melted mixture on top and mix well. Place mixture into a greased 9x13 pan and pat down firmly and evenly. Set aside.
To prepare topping combine white chocolate chips, coconut oil and vanilla together in a saucepan, heat until melted stirring constantly. Drizzle over the prepared bars.
Refrigerate until firm. Cut and serve.
Creamy Parmesan Dip
Makes 1 ½ cups (375 mL)
8 oz(225g) cream cheese
½ cup (125 mL) powdered parmesan cheese
5 tbsp (75 mL) mayonnaise
½ tsp (2 mL) salt
½ tsp (2 mL) pepper
½ Tsp (2 mL) Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp (2 mL) hot sauce
Place cream cheese in a mixing bowl and work with a fork until soft then add parmesan,mayonnaise,Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce. You may use less or more hot sauce according to your preference.
Add remaining ingredients and mix with hand mixer until smooth. Refrigerate. Serve with chips or vegetables.
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Intro caption: Long haul bars.
