trail mix

Since the election night party starts around dinnertime, I plan on providing guests with some substantial snacking. However, the party is at Elixir, a bar with no kitchen, so all of the food has to be made in advance, and it must taste delicious served at room temperature.

To keep up with the patriotic theme, LibertySugar and I have come up with clever names for each of the dishes. Spicy buffalo chicken left-wings (or right! depending on your party) are cooled off with a scrumptious blue cheese dip. A campaign trail mix is crunchy and filling.

Lipstick pigs in a blanket are sure to be a crowd-pleasing favorite. Seven-layer dip with red, white, and blue tortilla chips rounds out the menu. To get the recipes to these festive election night eats, read more

For a boy's birthday party on Alcatraz, pack a portable feast of special dishes that wouldn't normally be found in the common ten year olds lunch box. Keep things simple with easy to eat chicken salad pitas. On the side offer a pasta salad packed with salami and cheese and small bags of chips (let each boy select their favorite bag of chips). Don't forget to pack snacks in case they get hungry while on the tour. Cheese and crackers, crunchy trail mix, and homemade fruit roll ups are filling without being too sweet.
For these kid-friendly recipes, read more

Looking for a quick snack before or after a workout? Trail mix has always been one of my favorites, and now Bear Naked (the company who makes that delicious granola) is making really unique variations of trail mix made with all natural dried fruits and nuts. There's no sugar or salt added, which is a plus. I picked up a bag of their Pacific Crest flavor. It's a little pricey (about $4 a bag), but totally worth it in my opinion (especially since I found it on sale for $2.50). Want to know what's in it? Then read more

I like to pretend that I'm a jet setter by traveling a lot. Last month I went to New York, this weekend I'm flying down to Los Angeles to spend Easter with my older bro, and in May I'm off to San Diego to host a barbecue. Recently I noticed a dramatic difference in air travel: gone are the free food and meals! Sure if the flight is a quick one and under two hours no free food is necessary. However if the flight crosses the nation, that's six hours with nothing but a tiny bag of peanuts?! Now I'm not complaining, I've actually never been a huge fan of airplane food, only god knows what sorts of chemicals and preservatives go into those little frozen meals, but I do need a little sustenance to tide me over. Luckily you've saved me from any in-flight hunger pains by sharing your favorite Airplane Snacks in the Yum Market. Here's what I'll pack in my Juicy Couture weekender the next time I head for the SFO/OAK:

TexasTwinkle showed us her "best snack for your backpack" a crunchy trail mix filled with healthy nuts and yummy M&M's. Sounds like the perfect treat to get your vacation started on the right foot. No time to make something before you leave? There's more, including store bought snacks to pick up on your way to the airport, so read more

Just when you thought you were going all natural and unprocessed, bits of garbage end up in your food. Three people recently found bits of hard plastic and glass in trail mix purchased at Wal-Mart, in fact the mix was Wal-Mart's own house brand. The company announced it was pulling Sam's Choice "Nature Trail" Trail Mix off the floor and that they programmed all Wal-Mart cash registers to block the sale of the product. They did this all voluntarily.

The tainted bags were sold in Ohio and North Carolina and were marked with the tag "Best by APR-23-2007." So if you bought any "Nature Trail" at Wal-Mart recently check your bags. You can return them for a whole refund. In any case, just be careful eating your nuts.

Hiking is one of the best things you can do to get your heart pumping and your muscles working. You don't have to hike a mountain in order to call it a "hike." If bad knees are your problem, stick to level ground. Going downhill really does a number on your joints.
Tips for a smooth hike...

Hike with a Friend - Never hike alone. There's safety in numbers. Speaking of numbers, it's a great idea to carry cell phones in case someone gets separated or hurt.

Plan Ahead - Know the terrain. Get a copy of the trail map so you know what to expect. A Hand-held GPS isn't a bad idea either.

Dress accordingly - Wear waterproof hiking boots that are high enough to protect your ankle. If it's cold out, wear lots of layers. Once you get moving, you'll quickly want to shed the warm stuff so you don't overheat.

Pack - Carry a comfortable lumbar pack or backpack. Fill it with a big bottle of water, first-aid kit, snacks like trail mix and granola bars.

Fit's Tips: Don't forget to bring a lightweight camera to save all your memories.