Need energy on the trail? Here is a time-tested favorite from the  Boundary Waters in Northern Minnesota! Not only does it supply energy, but also tastes great!

Sunset somewhere in the Boundary Waters (All photos by Bob Patterson)

by Leon Pantenburg

The only item on the lunch menu the first day was a three-inch square of Hudson Bay Bread gobbed with about two tablespoons of peanut butter. I’d worked up quite an appetite paddling and portaging that morning, and privately wondered where I’d get the energy to last the rest of the day.

My oldest son, Dan, and I, along with seven other members of Boy Scout Troop 18 of Bend, Oregon, had just started on a nine-day canoe trip through the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in northern Minnesota. We left from the Boy Scouts Northern Tier High Adventure base at Ely, Minn., and all the food, cooking gear and a guide were supplied.

To my surprise, the Hudson Bay bread was so rich, filling and full of calories that I could barely finish it. I had ample energy to paddle, portage and hike until that evening. That was lunch for several days, and Hudson Bay Bread fueled many rigorous miles of paddling and portaging! There’s no question that the folks at the High Adventure base know how to fuel hungry paddlers!

Since that canoe journey in 2004, Hudson Bay bread has been put on my short list for high-energy, low-weight outdoor activity fuel. But being a freelance food writer, as well as somewhat of a health nut, I tweaked the recipe to make it a healthier food item.

The Boundary Waters: You must earn this beauty, and food is fuel. But it can also taste good!

Regardless of the recipe, one way to use the bread is to cut it into three-inch squares and put it into individual sandwich bags. For convenience, get peanut butter in one-ounce packets or fruit jam, and use that as a topping.

I assume the bread would last for several months, but don’t really know since it gets eaten too soon to find out!

Here’s the recipe for the bread given out by the High Adventure base at Ely. My suggestions for substitutions may change the flavor somewhat, but you’ll still get the nutritional punch needed for hiking, biking or any activity that burns a lot of calories.

HUDSON BAY BREAD

1-1/2 lbs. margarine or butter (Butter, always!)

4 cups of sugar (substitute raw, unrefined evaporated cane sugar)

2/3 cup Karo syrup (use maple syrup or blackstrap molasses. Get rid of the empty calorie refined corn syrup and add extra iron with molasses.)

2/3 cup honey

2 tsp. maple flavoring (If you use pure maple syrup, you don’t need this artificial additive.)

Cream together the above ingredients.

Add while mixing:

1-1/2 cups of ground nuts (Almonds can supply additional potassium)

19 cups of oatmeal (use steel cut or the kind you have to cook. The less refined the grain, the more nutrition).

Spread in a large sheet pan. Press it down into the pan. Bake at 325 degrees in a wind (or convection) oven for 15-18 minutes. As soon as the bread has been taken from the oven, use a spatula to press it down again. This presses the bread together to keep it from crumbling.

Cut it while still warm. For home-size preparation, cut this recipe at least in half. A conventional oven requires a longer baking time.

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A good way to steer your kids toward eating right is to teach them to cook. While hunger is generally the best sauce in the outdoors, a few good recipes can make the outdoor culinary experience even more fun.

Some beauty must be earned, such as this waterfall in the Boundary Waters of northern Minnesota. (Bob Patterson photo)

by Leon Pantenburg

When it comes to stocking up on survival food, the best, most inexpensive and tastiest option may be to make your own.

And while the idea behind an energy bar is to provide a quick dose of get-up-and-go, some of the commercial products can taste downright institutional!

But who says an energy bar has to be bland and yucky tasting?

Here’s a simple recipe for a whole grain energy bar that is quick, easy to make, and tastes good! And if your children get to help make the energy bars, that is another part of the outdoor experience for them to enjoy!

Easy Energy Bar

Ingredients

• 9 cups oats
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/3 cup light corn syrup (or maple syrup)
• 2 cups sugar (not refined, but raw cane sugar)
• 2 cups margarine, melted (butter, if preferred)
• 1/2 cup peanuts
• 4 cups chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a large bowl stir all the ingredients together.
3. Press 1/2- inch thick onto a 9×18-inch cookie sheet.
4. Bake at 250 for about 15 minutes, until the mixture is bubbly,
5. Remove from oven and let cool (this is very important, it will become very crumbly if not allowed to cool completely)
6. Cut into small pieces and enjoy.

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