Merriam-Webster defines soul mate as “a person who is perfectly suited to another in temperament.” With each passing day, I realize how perfectly suited John and I are. February 21, 2020, marked the 16th year since we legally became soul mates. Through our time together, we have traveled by plane, train, automobile, and kayak. To Japan, Italy, Ireland, Seattle, Montreal, Hudson Bay, the Arctic Ocean, Toronto, the Gulf of Mexico, and many other locations; sleeping in beds, trucks, and tents… whatever. We entered each adventure with equal enthusiasm—not needing to pull the other along. We share these special memories with each other and no one else, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Even though each trip changed us, traveling to the Gulf of Mexico in 2015 by kayak altered us the most. The other travels gave us memories and maybe an addition to our décor, recipe collection, or photo album. But, living three-and-a-half months on the river transformed our view of what we need, prompting our giving away of most our possessions, selling our country house, and building a 750 square-foot home. We live with less, allowing us to spend more time following where our souls lead. On June 10, 2020, we will drive to Lake Itasca to travel the Upper Mississippi River in a canoe. Being in the same boat will challenge our temperaments as we paddle together for twelve to sixteen weeks. I am eager to share this temporary way of life with my soul mate.
Over the next four months, my soul mate and I will create our own Excel spreadsheets as we plan for the trip. Most of my entries are in the food prep category. I shudder as I remember the preparations for our 2015 trip. Even though I had a spreadsheet, I didn’t develop a timeline for my activities. John and I had an emotional conversation about my lack of a schedule. As we made one, it was clear I would not make the April 1 deadline, so I had to double my daily activities. This year I have a plan, and I am on schedule. So far.
So, here’s how I progressed on my timeline the past two weeks.
I dehydrated a double recipe of veggie spaghetti and homemade meat sauce (made with venison Italian sausage) and garlic bread croutons. Add two servings of parmesan cheese packed in a small Ziploc bag to the dehydrated items, and a romantic spaghetti dinner is born (minus the wine and salad). The veggie spaghetti tasted the same as regular spaghetti and added a serving of vegetables, proving you CAN hide vegetables in anything. For more vegetables, I added zucchini, spinach, and mushrooms to the sauce.
I know. Mushrooms aren’t classified as a vegetable, but I researched to see if there was any benefit in adding mushrooms, except for enhancing the dish’s flavor. Although mushrooms botanically fall into fungi category, the U.S. Department of Agriculture considers them vegetables because they contain some of the same nutrients. They are a good source of niacin, pantothenic acid, selenium, copper riboflavin, potassium, dietary fiber, and vitamin D. Who knew?
Besides vegetables, another dietary consideration is protein. Protein appears in unique ways throughout my meal planning. For instance, my garlic bread croutons are protein enriched. Most bread has protein, but I boost the amount by making my homemade English muffin bread made with whey—a byproduct of my homemade fat free Greek yogurt. For extra crunch, I add a baggie of these croutons to quick beef stew, tuna-cheese soufflé, southwest lasagna, lazy lasagna, tuna Parmesan chowder with peas, and black bean stroganoff.
Leftover black bean stroganoff went straight to the dehydrator after dinner, as did the rest of our breakfast casserole. Breakfast casserole is one of our favorite dishes at home and on the river. The minced mushrooms (veggie nutrition) impersonate meat, making this a tasty vegetarian dish. I didn’t have any spinach but plan to add it to the recipe next time. I am determined to meet our vegetable serving allotment!
Besides leftovers, I dehydrated some ingredients. This week, using my homemade fat free wheat English muffin bread, I dehydrated bread cubes/crumbs. Once the cubes were crunchy, I pulverized half of them in my food processor, making breadcrumbs. The breadcrumbs need to come from dehydrated bread because non-dehydrated breadcrumbs will mold. Unlike the garlic bread cubes, which are a source of crunch for main courses, the bread cubes and crumbs are an ingredient in two dessert recipes—apple pie, banana nut bread. We earn our dessert every night.
On a different subject. When packing our boxes for our 2015 trip, I lamented that I didn’t keep track of our toilet paper consumption to get an idea of how much I needed. Unfortunately, we encountered an interesting situation on the Ohio River. So, I am trying to be intentional in my preparation this time (including vegetables and calories). On February 19, I put a new roll of toilet paper in the bathroom and will record when I replace it. Stay tuned.
Here’s to my soulmate, John. The one who shares my travels, adventures, enthusiasm, memories, 750 square foot home, future, life, and toilet paper.
Happy anniversary, baby!
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