For the past several years Ryan has planned a fishing trip up on Lake of the Woods for him and 2-3 friends. Despite having a 5mo old I told him to cary on with his usual plans, it's good to get away and de-stress! So what does one eat while trapped in an ice house for 3 days? I'm not saying that what these guys eat for 3 days is "healthy," but compared to what other folks bring, I think they are doing pretty good. No frozen Jacks pizza for these guys! After doing this for several years we have come up with a fairly standard menu, and do all the cooking/prep ahead time to keep things simple and easy for them.  
Here's the menu  
Breakfasts: Eggbeaters (don't need to worry about breaking or freezing) + sausage or bacon 
Lunch: Ham or turkey or PB&J sandwiches 
Suppers: 

•  Brats (no buns) and baked beans
• Fried fish (if they catch any) using MSG free coating and peanut oil + frozen french fries 
• Chicken Tacos: 3# shredded chicken made with Trader Joes taco seasoning in the instant pot and then frozen. flour tortillas, sautéed peppers, salsa, and shredded cheese
• If the fishing is bad,(which it was this year) homemade Beef and bean Chili that we make ahead of time and freeze.

Snacks: Goldfish crackers, trail mix, beef jerky. I also make a batch of cookies each year and put them in individual bags for each guy.  In the past I have made Paula Deen's PB monster cookies. They are super tasty. This year I made a  batch of plain chocolate chip cookies. 
Drinks: Coffee, Zevia, Bottled water, beer (lots of beer)

After 8.7yr of marriage I have learned that when we travel Ryan will ask me at least 3 times what we are doing, where we are going, and what he should pack.  Even if I just gave him the itinerary information the day before.  I finally got smart two years ago and started making a packing list.  Not only has this reduced my frustration from the "Didn't I already tell you this?" and has actually made it easier for me to pack too. Ryan also started doing this for his annual ice fishing trip; and now that we have Fredrik, it's going to be indispensable. I've found it helps keep me from overpacking (as much), as well as prevents the inevitable forgotten item.
How do I do it?

1. List off the days you will be gone and what activities you will be doing.  
Thursday - Drive to Grandmas (Lunch at rest stop - chicken salad wraps + Veggies & Dip)
Friday - Help with yard work
Saturday - Bake Pies, Brewery Tour, Christmas Caroling
Sunday - Drive Home (Lunch at rest stop - sandwich + veggies)

2. Begin to list what and how many of EVERY clothing item you will need. If anyone in your family/group needs a special item just for them make sure it's listed. Example:
Socks - 3
Underware - 3
Work boots

3. List your toiletries. If you are staying in a hotel or going camping you probably don't need a hair dryer, shampoo, conditioner...  But if you are staying at your brothers apartment, you might want to bring your own. 

4 -6. Don't forget road trip snacks or other random items. This might include your gear list when camping/backpacking.  If you are cooking meals you might want to include each days meal plan and ingredients needed. Or this might be included in your itinerary at the top of your list. (See above) During our recent trip to my hometown for Thanksgiving it included my spectra breast pump, milk bags, the charging cord,  hush machine and charging cord, 4moms playard, etc... and the pumpkin pies!

7. If you have a pet(s) you may also want to list who is taking care of them, and if they have any special items besides food that you need to leave out or bring with to the boarding facility.

As you pack and load up your vehicle, cross off items or put a check mark next to them.  Whatever works for you and your brain. After being printed, reviewed by Ryan, and actually used, the list ends up looking like this:
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Even though it's an extra step, it's so worth it!  If you save your list, you can always reuse or easily amend an old list for a new trip. What travel and packing tips do you have?

As of this past week I am officially 23 weeks pregnant. Ryan and I also celebrated our 8yr anniversary and coupled it with a "baby-moon" to the North Shore for some hiking. As much as I hate to admit it, pregnancy does actually make hiking slightly more difficult.  I think the most challenging part was not being able to take a big deep breath anytime I wanted to.  It also felt like I got worn out faster than I typically would.

Before leaving it dawned on me that I had no pants that would fit while hiking. Thanks to Motherhood Maternity I happened to find a pair of light-weight pants with the giant maternity waist band and wore them for two days. It was nice that the were so light weight and breathable and they convert from capris to pants. The only draw back was that they would start to sag a bit in the crotch so I had to keep pulling them up or the very tops of my thighs would rub together.The problem was most noticeable if I had my fleece zip up tied around my belly.  Obviously, these pants were not made for hiking, but they got the job done, and will look cute the rest of the summer.  If I were to go back, I'd probably just pack a pair of yoga/athletic stretch pants and wear those instead to avoid the issue.

Ryan and I love visiting Minnesota State Parks.  Several years ago we spent a week car camping in Grand Marais, we've backpacked a couple others, and this past weekend we celebrated our 8yr anniversary by renting an AirB&B cabin on the Baptism River. Whenever we have a long car ride with a potential lunch stop over make us turkey/chicken salad sandwiches with a side of veggies and hummus. Keep it all packed in a cooler with some ice or we often use frozen water bottles. This isn't much of a recipe, but after several hours in a car and a very muddy 2 mile hike through Jay Cooke State Park it sure hit the spot.  We can also testify that it's mighty delicious after the Split Rock Light House Tour while sitting on the rocks/beach of Lake Superior. This is a great way to use up leftover chicken or turkey any time of the year, but especially when leaving home for several days.  If you don't have any cooked, feel free to use canned.  

Ingredients
10oz cooked chicken/turkey, cut into small pieces. 
1 Tbs mustard
3-4 Tbs Mayonnaise
​1Tbs apple cider vinegar
Lots of Penzey's Now Curry Spice blend
1-2 stalks celery, diced

Method
Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.
Add more mayo or curry powder as desired.
Serve with a spoon, lettuce wrap, regular wrap, bun, or bread.

I ate mine with a spork and chunks of celery and red bell pepper.  Ryan's was on a hollowed out bun (so you can put more stuff in it) with pickles and sriracha sauce. As you can see we do actually use plastic...GASP! When it comes to traveling it's lighter weight, and we don't have to worry about it breaking.