Cracker FAIL

I shouldn't experiment. It's dangerous.

Just to see what would happen, I randomly threw together water, chia seeds (about 2:1), sesame seeds, ground flax, a bit of spelt, dehydrated garlic, Italian seasonings, and a *thpt* of Bragg's. I tossed it in the oven and warmed it for about six or seven hours at 170 degrees, the lowest my oven goes.

*urp*

I love the sesame flavor. That's a definite win. But the crackers have this strange flavor at the back of my nose that's like something went bad, and there's this weird texture that, even though it's all crackery and shit, seems slimy. I'm going to try again and actually use someone's real recipe. The only problem is I don't have a dehydrator, and every chia cracker recipe I've found is raw. Bummer!

I'll report later.

What was paved with good intentions? Freeways?

Good intention: to use the new books I just purchased during our cross-country road trip, as well as some prepared tasty bits from those books.

I was just diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, and though I have doubts that my condition is actually full-blown and permanent (I've had a two-year-long allergic reaction-and related illnesses-to our current location, resulting in asthma, high blood pressure, three months' worth of pneumonia at one point, and a few crazy instances of eyes so swollen, my eyelids looked like they were ready to crawl off my face). I'm pretty sure moving away from here is going to do my body absolute wonders. In the meantime, I've done quite a bit of research to find out how I can keep from exacerbating my multiple issues.

What I've found is that I should swear off wheat for a while, and I should go very raw. I'm totally addicted to hot food (it's fucking cold here, yo), so I can't guarantee 100% raw, but I can aim that direction at least.

To aid in my endeavors, I purchased Erin McKenna's Babycakes, Jennifer Katzinger's The Flying Apron's Gluten-Free and Vegan Baking Book, and Ani Phyo's Ani's Raw Food Kitchen on ebook. I have them stored on my happenin' Sony and will have them available when we stop to visit family.

Family who are notoriously not vegan. No BBQ? Perish the thought.

I hope when we get to Virginia that I'll be able to afford a Vita-Mix. I've been ogling them for a couple years now, but I'm starting to jones at this point. I think that would aid in my soupy addiction and in my desire to drink fibrous juice.

Anyway.

I'll report on those baked goods and some of the raw stuff I try to make and store in a cooler. I have no idea how long they'll last, if they'll be worth the work, etc. But I'm determined to find travel-safe foods that will sustain a hungry vegan for longer than a measly flying day through various metropolitan airports. Ahem.

I do know having the ereader is going to be immensely helpful. I usually don't like to read cookbookson the ereader because of its black and white screen, but since I can see the purty photos in color on my computer, I feel better about having only black and white on the actual reader. And all I'll really need, I hope, is access to better than the local Stop-n-Go in the teensy town where my in-laws live.

IN the meantime, my fellow travelers, remember that the best raw travel foods come in their own packages: bananas, oranges, avocados and kiwis (slice in half, scoop with a spoon). Some grocery stores carry eco-savage but terribly convenient fruit/veggie wipes, so you can take a handful of those with your cukes, apples, pears, etc. Just be aware of any produce checkpoints and the rules they might have. Don't go carrying a pallet of cukes, in other words, or else they might be confiscated, and that would be full of suck and woe.