Paleo Pecan Pie Bite and Holiday (backpacking) Recipe Book

I teamed up with Heather’s Choice to write a Holliday Recipe E-Book. It contains a few festive recipes that will be delicious in the backcountry or at home and totally FREE! I had so much fun working with the great people from Heather’s Choice. Below is a recipe for Paleo Pecan Pie Bites.

Full disclosure I am an affiliate of theirs, but I highly recommend their products. They make Paleo food for the backcountry. Like actually Paleo and with actual real food ingredients. When I don’t have time to make my own dehydrator meals, I use theirs. It’s great having food I feel good about eating or feeding to my kids.

It was Heather’s First E-Book I turned to when learning how to make my low-carb, high-fat meals for my sheep hunt.

Check Them Out!

The Holliday Recipe Book contains recipes for

  • Autumn Trail Mix
  • Pumpkin Pie Fruit Leather
  • Thanksgiving Turkey Jerky
  • Pumpkin Chili (based off on Pumpkin Pie Spice Chili)
  • Backcountry Thanksgiving Feast
  • Pecan Pie Bites (recipe below)
  • Key Lime Packaroons

Download your FREE Holiday Recipe E-Book!

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Paleo Pecan Pie Bites

Paleo Pecan Pie Bites

Sometimes the little treats make all the difference. These little Paleo treats are great in the backcountry or at home

Course Dessert
Keyword backpacking, dehydrator, paleo, treat

Ingredients

  • 2 cups pecans
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • cup maple syrup
  • 2 oz chocolate finely chopped optional

Instructions

  1. In a blender or food processor, chop nuts until most of the pieces are very small, but larger
  2. than grains of sand.
  3. Add salt, vanilla and maple syrup, pulse to combine.
  4. Use a small cookie scoop or tablespoon to portion and form little balls.
  5. Place the balls on a dehydrator rack sprayed with coconut oil.
  6. Flatten to form disks.
  7. Dehydrate at 115° F until completely dry, about 8 hrs.
  8. Melt chocolate in a double boiler.
  9. Coat pie bites in chocolate and place back on dehydrator rack to cool completely

 

Pecan Pie Bites

 

 

3 Supplements to Bring Backpacking

supplements for backpacking

During my Delta Dall Sheep Hunt, I took 3 Supplements and was amazed at how big of a difference it made. Every ounce counts, but with some research, these three found a place in my pack. (Here is a Round-Up of all the food I brought)

I choose these 3 Supplements to increase my athletic performance and decrease pain and inflammation because let’s face it sheep hunting is a lot of damn work and can sometimes be painful.

I am NOT a doctor, this is NOT medical advice. I’m simply telling you what I personally brought on my sheep hunt. If you are thinking about adding supplements to your diet do your own research and speak with a medical professional.
supmlemnts
Harvard Health

The 3 Supplements and Why I Brought Them

Spirulina

Spirulina is high in protein and nutrients. I figured if nothing else, protein and micronutrients never hurt, especially when you are exerting yourself so much. However, it has been shown to boost athletic performance and decrease inflammation (well at least in rats)

According to a study that was published earlier this year, “The results of this study imply that supplementation with spirulina extract may protect athletes against a deficit in immune function (especially, anti-infectious function) associated with strenuous exercise, and may cause a beneficial shift in “overtraining threshold” preventing a radical deterioration of immunity.”

Translation: spirulina boost immune function decreased by hard exercise and allows you to push harder without overdoing it.

Spirulina is well studied, on PubMed, there are over 1,700 published articles. I love that spirulina has been scientifically proven to be so beneficial, but I love how it makes me feel even more. In my n=1 experiment, I have found it gives me a boost of energy.

Use

When we were packing out meat and I was super tired, I would take a small handful to give me a little bust.

Spirulina is part of my normal diet as well. I add the loose powder to smoothies and my kids like it mixed into their yogurt.

Shroom TECH Sport

Like spirulina, mushrooms have been well studied and have way too many benefits to cover in this post.  Onnit has also done their own clinical trials that found Shroom TECH Sport increases athletic performance.

Use

I used as directed (take 40 minutes before workout) for my training leading up to my sheep hunt as well as every morning during the hunt.

Onnit has a money back guarantee (you get to keep the product), so I figured it was worth a try. I personally found it gave me an extra spring in my step for workouts and hiking.  This supplement is a little pricey (beware of cheap supplements, they are probably crap and could be dangerous!!) so I only took it on “breakthrough” workouts.

Turmeric

Like the other supplements, turmeric has been widely studied. A quick search on PubMed shows turmeric has been shown to help prevent cancer, decrease pain, increase cognitive function, and has strong anti-inflammatory properties while being considered safe with only mild side effects (if you take a super high dose). Ginger or black pepper increases the absorption of turmeric so many supplements include them (and many recipes).

Note: I also added cinnamon to my Instant Backcountry Bulletproof Coffee to help decrease inflammation.

Use

I took two tablets each morning and evening. I skipped it one evening and the next morning I could defiantly feel the difference.

Bonus “Supplement”

Salt

Ok, this isn’t a supplement, but salt and electrolytes are very important especially when eating a low carb diet or when you are very physically active. It also makes all food taste better. I brought along a little extra salt. Since I made most of my own food, I didn’t have to use it, but I will bring it next time.

Sea salt and Himalayan salt are best because they contain other trace minerals and don’t contain anticaking agents. I can taste better, but I have been called a salt snob before.

If you are reading this post you might also be interested in how I make my own High-Fat Dehydrated Meals for my sheep hunt. By going Keto/low-carb on my sheep hunt I was able to get cut 10 lbs from my back.

To see more of my adventures and Paleo-ish/ Mostly Low-carb food, follow me on Instagram or Facebook!

*Wild and Well Fed is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. While this does not add any cost to the consumer it helps Gina continue to work on this blog. She only provides links to things she thinks will help you or you might really like. Thanks for the support!

Pumpkin Spice Paleo Chili

Pumpkin Spice Paleo Chili

It is Pumpkin Spice Season and I fully embrace it! I’m not talking about some gross oversweetened “coffee”. Pumpkin Spice Paleo Chili, on the other hand, that is what I’m talking about. The warm flavors taste like a cozy sweater feels.

In Pumpkin Spice Chili, the pumpkin isn’t super pronounced but adds a nice sweetness and body. Many chilies are thickened with flour, but I have gotten in the habit of thickening stews with pureed vegetables.

Cinnamon is a common ingredient in chili, so ginger seemed like a logical next step to me. Like the pumpkin, the ginger doesn’t stick out too much, just adds a little something special.

Why Pumpkin Spice Paleo Chili is the Perfect Dinner

For Kitchen Essentials, I use almost every day, check out my Amazon Shop!

Pumpkin Spice Paleo Chili

This Chili taste like a cozy sweater feels

Course Main Course
Keyword bone broth, crock pot, paleo, slow-cooker
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground meat* your choice
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 can pumpkin
  • 4 Roma Tomatos diced, canned will do
  • 1 yellow bell pepper diced
  • 2 cup bone broth
  • 3 cloves garlic chopped
  • 1 tablespoon chile powder
  • 1 tablespoon teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder
  • Any random veggies you have laying around optional
  • 5 ounces baby spinach roughly chopped

Instructions

  1. In a cast Iron skillet brown meat and onions.
  2. Add vinegar to skillet. As the liquid sizzles, scrape up any brown pieces that are stuck to the bottom of the pan. Vinegar will help decrease any gamy flavor.
  3. Add meat mixture to slow-cooker with all other ingredients except spinach.
  4. Stir to combine
  5. Cook on LOW 6-8 hrs
  6. After chili has cooked, stir in spinach and allow it to wilt

Recipe Notes

*I usually use game meat but will use beef if that is not available.

I sometimes add the left-over zucchini scraps from making zoodles or any other vegetables that are looking a little wilted in my fridge. To this day I have not found a vegetable that has not tasted great in this chili. If you find one, please let me know!

To see Gina’s adventures and Paleo-ish/ Mostly Low-carb food, follow her on Instagram or Facebook!

Paleo Pumpkin Spice Chili

Instant Backcountry Bulletproof Coffee

a cup of Instant bullet proof coffee for the backcountry

This is another “non-recipe”. Instant Backcountry Bulletproof Coffee was a big part of my nutrition on my Dall sheep hunt, but it really simple to make, takes up little room in your pack, and delivers calories and coffee while practically weighing nothing. I now keep one or two in my car just in case I need a quick meal.

Update

Since returning from my hunt, I have been playing around with my morning cup of fatty coffee, and came up with 5 more “recipes”. The original Instant Backcountry Bulletproof Coffee did the trick. I wasn’t crazy about the way the MCT powder tasted, but it was fine. But these Protein Keto Coffee for the Backpacking and Meal Prep are better tasting and just as practical! This post is still relevant and contains some good information, but if you would like more variety, including Mochas, also check out this post. The new recipes are also higher in protein.

Warning about low-carb backpacking

Before you try low carb backpacking I recommend that you eat low-carb/keto for at LEAST 6 weeks. Without properly preparing your body to burn fat as fuel, you will not get all the benefits of a ketogenic diet in the backcountry and you may not perform as well as you would like.

If you need help making the transition contact me or I recommend The Keto Reset Diet by Mark Sisson and Brad Kearns. That being said I am so glad I went keto for sheep hunting. I was able to get all my food down to just over a pound per day.

Check out the DIY High-Fat Dehydrated Dinners I made and all the other food I borough.

Instant backcountry bullet proof

Overall I was really happy with a bulletproof coffee every morning on my hunt. Next time I will bring some plain coffee as well. Sometimes it’s hard to drink a 500 kcal coffee first thing in the morning. I would have preferred a hot cup of black coffee to start my day most mornings. Then once I was hungry, drank the bulletproof coffee, maybe cold.

There are high-fat premade coffees on the market. I made my own Instant Bulletproof Coffee because the commercially available ones did not have enough calories in 1 packet. Multiple packets would have been a hassle and extra weight. I needed a 500 kcals breakfast to get to my 3,000 kcal/day goal.

Instant Backcountry Bulletproof Coffee

This can barely be called a recipe. 

Course Breakfast
Keyword backpacking, batch cooking, high-fat, keto, ketosis, make-a-head
Prep Time 2 minutes
Total Time 2 minutes
Servings 1
Calories 500 kcal

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup Ripid Fire Ketogenic Creamer
  • 1/4 cup Aspen Naturals Keto Protein Powder
  • 2 teaspoon instant coffee
  • 1 dash cinnamon
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 2 cups hot water

Instructions

At Home

  1. Mix all ingredients in a snack size zip-lock baggy

In the backcountry

  1. Add coffee mixture to hot water and sir.

Recipe Notes

This recipe makes 2 "cups" of coffee

Why I chose each Ingredient

Grass-Fed Collagen + MCT Oil Powder

Is a good source of MCTs and Collagen Protein. Increases physical activity increases your need for protein and collagen contains amino acids many people are deficient in. It also contained twice the calories per 1/4 cup as the RapodFire Creamer.

Ketogenic Creamer


The powdered butter is a good source of fat and tastes good. I was bulkier than the MCT/Collagen powder and it contains guar gum (derived from a legume) which some people may be sensitive to, but I didn’t notice any side effects.

Instant Coffee

Let’s be honest, there is no good instant coffee, but when you are camping everything tastes better. I bought Yuban at the grocery store and it worked fine. I also put it in my Epic Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies (grain-free). It is a lot cheaper than the Starbucks VIA.

Cinnamon


Tastes good and is an antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties.

Sea or Himalayan Salt

Salt makes everything taste better and supplies essential electrolytes. Salt is your friend

To see more of Gina’s adventures and Paleo-ish/ Mostly Low-carb food, follow her on Instagram or Facebook!

Pinterest Backcountry Bullet proof Coffee

*Wild and Well Fed is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. While this does not add any cost to the consumer it helps Gina continue to work on this blog. She only provides links to things she thinks will help you or you might really like. Thanks for the support!

Super Easy Packable Keto Lunch

packable keto lunch

I have a hard time calling this a recipe, but my Packable Keto Lunch worked so well on my sheep hunt I now keep a stash my fridge. I try to have prep salads for lunch, but sometimes it just doesn’t happen, and I need something fast on the way out the door.

I first made Super Easy Packable Keto Lunches because I knew they would hold up after a week in my backpack. After eating them for almost a week straight I still liked them. When I returned home from my hunt I had some leftover and realized they were great even when you aren’t in the backcountry.

I love these Packable Keto Lunches so much they were the only recipe from the blog that made it into my E-book 10 Minute Meal Prep!

3 Reasons Packable Keto Lunches are the Ultimate Meal Prep.

  1. They take less than 5 minutes to prep
  2. They take up almost no room in the fridge
  3. They last weeks in the fridge

Sheep Hunting Food

During my Delta Dall sheep hunt, I wasn’t very worried about total carb intake. In general, just feel better when eating low carb, however, sheep hunting is so strenuous I knew some extra carbs would be nice. I wanted high-fat food because fat has over twice as many calories as protein and carbohydrate per gram.   If you are interested in keto backpacking foods, check out my DIY high-fat dehydrated dinners.

(Here is a Round-Up of all the food I brought)

packable keto lunch

When I made my backpack hunting meals I used multiple types of nuts and spice blends to mix it up.  You can use your favorite pre-made spice blend (such as Trader Joe’s Chili Lime or Everything Bagle), get creative and make your own, or just use salt.

Pick Your Nut

Nut Nutrition

Other Ingredients Nutrition Facts

Meat and Chese

Soaking Your Nuts

nuts soaking

I also took the extra steps to soak and dehydrate them. This makes them easier to digest. If this sounds like too much work, just buy your nuts dry roasted and salted : )

If you are interested in learning more about soaking nuts, check out this post, and remember you can make over 10 meals at once that will keep for weeks in your fridge so it might be worth the time : )

Super Easy Packable Keto Lunches

I started making these for backpacking, but I liked them so much I now keep a stash in my fridge at all time.

Keyword backpacking, backpacking food, dehydrated meals, high-fat, keto, low-carb, meal prep
Prep Time 2 minutes
Total Time 2 minutes
Servings 1
Calories 500 kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 Paleo Valley Beef Sticks or 1 Epic Bar
  • 1 organic cheese stick
  • Nuts see table

Instructions

  1. Place all ingredients in a snack size zip lock baggy.

  2. Store in refrigerator. 

Recipe Notes

I like Paleo Valley Beef Sticks because they are fermented, which gives them a great flavor and probiotics! (They are also available through Subscribe and Save on Amazon)

Choose the nuts that fit your dietary needs.

Try soaking and dehydrating your nuts to make them more digestible.

I recommend making 10 or 12 lunches at a time, depending on how many meat sticks come in the box.

If you would like more protein, add a second meat.

If you chose to use Epic Bars, check the nutritional label. Each flavor has different a different amount of carbs.

Follow Gina on Instagram or Facebook!

Keto Lunch

*Wild and Well Fed is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. While this does not add any cost to the consumer it helps Gina continue to work on this blog. She will only provide links to things she thinks will help you or you might really like. Thanks for the support!

DIY High-Fat Dehydrated Dinners for Backpack Hunting

After going through all the work to become fat-adapted for my sheep hunt, I couldn’t find premade backpacking meals that were high enough in fat and lower-carbs.  made my own DIY High-Fat Dehydrated Backpacking Dinner.

Jump to Recipe

(Here is a Round-Up of all the food I brought)

DYI high-fat dehydrated dinners

Note: To make these meals truly “keto” you will need to leave out the potatoes in the Japanese Curry and the Beans in the Chili. I don’t really care if I am #keto. I wasn’t worried about some carbs because of the high amount of physical activity I was doing. My goal is never to be “KETO”, I just want to feel my best and decrease my pack weight.

4 Reasons to Make High-Fat Dehydrated Meals?

 

1. The Health benefits of low-carb while in the backcountry

  • A low-carb, Paleo-ish diet, has anti-inflammatory properties. Sheep hunting is extremely strenuous and hard on your body. Anything you can do to decrease this stress and help you recover faster is worth it. Plus, anyone who has eaten Mountain Houses for a week knows about the GI stress they can cause.
  • When your body is fat adapted, you can go longer between meals and if you must skip a meal, you don’t get that hard crash you do when burning carbs. Fat is also a cleaner burning fuel that everyone carries plenty in their bodies. This translates to better performance in the backcountry.

A Day's food Backpacking Food

2. They Weigh Less

  • Fat has over 2 times the calories per gram than carbohydrates and protein. This means you can either carry way more calories or your back can weigh less. Two pounds of food per day backpacking is considered pretty standard.
  • I was able to get around 3,000 Calories/day to weigh just over a pound/day. This meant my husband’s and mine pack were 10 lbs lighter each (on a 10-day sheep hunt)! That is huge! Especially when you are my size…. And female.

3. DIY High-Fat Dinners are Delicious

  • We looked forward to eating them each night, but when you are working that hard, food just tastes better too.
  • I did not experience the strong food cravings I typically do during a long hunt. I’m not sure if it was all the veggies and micronutrients, or just the taste, but I was craving a good cup of coffee instead of my usual hamburger or sweets.

4. You can control what goes in them

  • I love using real food ingredients, that I know my body performs well on. You can also make them suit your personal tastes. Say you don’t like carrots, just swap them out with another veggie you do like.
  • Want to stay in ketosis the whole time or ear strict paleo? Leave out the beans and peas and just add more fat. Personal I wasn’t too worried about my Marcos. My goal was to perform better not be in ketosis 100% of the time. Sheep hunting is so strenuous, I knew my body would appreciate the extra carbs and go back into ketosis quickly. But you are in control!

How to make DIY High-Fat Dehydrated Backpacking Dinners

I started out by downloading the Heather’s Choice Ebook. They are a great company that makes healthy, gluten-free backpacking foods. Honestly, if I hadn’t been set on Low-carb, I would have saved a ton of time and just bought all my food from them.

Full Disclosure. I am an affiliate with them. The worst affiliate ever. I have recommended their food and E-books countless times, and this is the first time I am using my link.

Anyways, the E-book has lots of good recipes and how-tos to make your own meals.

General process

  1. Start by dicing all your veggies up. Smaller pieces dry and rehydrate faster.
  2. In a large skillet brown meat and onions with 2 about teaspoons salt (depending on the recipe). I used caribou and ground turkey.
  3.  Meanwhile, bloom 1 teaspoon gelatin in about 1 tablespoon of cold water. This is optional but results in a pleasant sauce and gelatin (collagen), is a great source of protein and great for you. Ok, I’ll leave it there, but I really could talk about collagen for a while.
  4. Once the meat is browned, add the spices. Keep stirring until you can smell them.
  5. Stir in wet ingredients, veggies and gelatin.
  6. Simmer until most of the excess liquid is gone.DIY high-fat dehyrdated dinners
  7. Let the meat mixture cool until it is easier to handle.
  8. Dehydrate on the highest setting on your dehydrator or lowest setting in your oven*.dehydrating in a convection oven
  9. Once all the food is completely dried, let cool to room temperature.dehydrated backpacking food

    Packaging You DIY Dehydrated Meals 

  10. In 3 mylar bags, equally, divide all the ingredients.
  11. If the recipe calls for coconut butter add it now if the recipe calls for butter or cheese, add those in the backcountry, just before you devour your dinner (remember to pack it).
  12. Add a desiccant packet. I skipped this step, but for peace of mind, I won’t next time!
  13. Seal bag with iron or hair straightener. Try to get all the air out you can. This was the first time I have used my straightener in a LONG time.how to seal a mylar bag
  • To play it safe, I stored my meals in the freezer just to make sure nothing would go bad. Technically you shouldn’t have to, but who wants to get sick in the middle of nowhere on some mountain?

In The Backcountry

  1. To eat, simply add about 1 ½ cup boiling water and give a stir. Fold over the top (clip closed with the clip on your pocket knife), and let sit 20 minutes, if you can.DYI high-fat dehydrated dinners2. Stir in butter or cheese if desired and Enjoy!

For many of the kitchen essentials, I used to make these meals and use every day, check out my Amazon Store!

*dehydrating times will vary greatly depending on your oven or dehydrator. If you are using a convection oven, the fan will speed up the process. Unfortunately, you will just have to keep an eye on your food. Dehydrators take less supervision than ovens. Good news, these meals can be made in advance, so pick a day when you have plenty of time or break it up into batches. I dehydrated all my food one day and package the next, but there is no reason you couldn’t break it up even more.

Follow me on Instagram to see what I’m eating and my latest adventure!

 

Updated: More of my Recipes!

Here are more Low-Carb DIY Dehydrated Dinners

Japanese Curry

 

Low-Carb Dehydrated Japanese Curry

Green Chili

Low-Carb Shrimp Scampi with Zoodles

Dehydrated Low-Carb Shrimp Scampi with Zoodles

Berbee Chicken Soup

Low-Carb Dehydrated Berbere Chicken Soup

Basic Chili

Keyword backpacking food, dehydrated meals, high-fat
Servings 3

Ingredients

Veggies

  • 1 bell pepper
  • 3 zucchini
  • 1 can beans drained
  • 5 oz baby spinach no need to chop

Meat Mixture

  • 1 pound meat of your choice
  • 1/2 onion

Spices and Seasonings

  • 2 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin whole if you have it
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • cayenne pepper

Wet

  • 1 can fire roasted tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon gelatin bloomed

Add in the Backcountry

  • 3 tablespoons butter 2T/serving
  • cheese to add the desired calories

Recipe Notes

Leave out beans and add more butter to make keto.

Low-Carb Dehydrator Berbere Chicken Soup

This DIY Low-Carb Dehydrated Berbere Chicken Soup recipe is based on Somalian Inspired Chicken Soup. It is super healthy, yummy, and lightweight.

Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword backpacking, cabbage, chicken soup, dehydrated, dehydrator, high-fat, keto, low-carb
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Dehydrate Time 12 hours
Total Time 12 hours 30 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 376 kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon grass-fed gelatin
  • 1 Lime  juiced
  • 1/2 onion
  • 1 teaspoons salt
  • Avocado oil for cooking
  • 2 teaspoons Berbere seasoning
  • 4 clove garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 20 oz cooked chicken shredded
  • 1 red bell pepper diced
  • 1 jalapeno finely diced, or to taste
  • 1 can green chili
  • Cilantro Stems from 1 bunch, chopped
  • 2 carrots thinnly sliced
  • 1 head Napa cabbage shredded
  • Butter or butter powder

Instructions

At Home

  1. To bloom gelatin, mix with lime juice in a small bowl and set aside.

  2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown onions with salt and enough oil to keep from sticking.
  3. Add berbere and garlic to the pan and continuously stir until you can smell the spices and garlic.
  4. Turn heat down to medium.
  5. Stir in tomato paste. Keep stirring until the tomato pastes is a little darker in color.
  6. Add chicken, bell pepper, jalapeno, cilantro stems, green chilis, carrots, and bloomed gelatin.

  7. Over low heat simmer for about 15 minutes or until most of the liquid in the bottom of the pan is gone.
  8. Off heat stir in cabbage.

  9. Spread the mixture on dehydrator trays, about ¼ inch thick.
  10. Dehydrate at 165℉ or the highest setting on your dehydrator, for 12-16 hours, until the food is completely dehydrated.
  11. Once all the food is completely dried, let cool to room temperature.
  12. In 4 mylar bags, equally, divide all the ingredients.
  13. Add a desiccant packet.
  14. Try to get all the air out you can.
  15. Seal bag with iron or hair straightener.

In the Backcountry

  1. When you are ready to eat, add 1 ½ -2 cups of boiling water and let rehydrate for 20 minutes.
  2. Stir in the butter and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

  • Use canned chicken to save time.
  • If using butter powder, you can add the powder directly to the mylar bags before you seal them at home.
  • You can buy berbere seasoning, here is my favorite. Most other brands contain salt.  If you buy a blend containing salt, you will need to adjust the amount of salt you add to the soup. 
  • Here is a recipe if you would like to make your own.  Berbere is delicious so be prepared; you will want to use it in other recipes.

To see more of my adventures, how I am getting ready for my next hunt, and Paleo-ish/ Mostly Low-carb food and what I am currently cooking, follow me on Instagram or Facebook!

Pinterest

*Wild and Well Fed is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. While this does not add any cost to the consumer it helps Gina continue to work on this blog. She will only provide links to things she thinks will help you or you might really like. Thanks for the support!

Low-Carb Egg Puffs

low-carb egg puffs

Do you like cheese? Do you hate when your blood sugar spikes only to crash again? Are you busy? Want to add some to your diet? If you answered “yes” to any of these Low-Carb Egg Puff are for you!

If you would like more Low-Carb recipes you can make ahead of time, check out my E-book 10 Minute Meal Prep!

Low-Carb Egg Puffs

Low-Carb Egg Puffs are fast and simple to make and can be made ahead of time. Ever since I went Keto to increase my fat-burning capabilities these Low-carb eggs puffs have been in my breakfast rotation.

Course Breakfast
Keyword batch cooking, eggs, gluten-free, keto, low-carb, make-a-head
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 16

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup coconut flour
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 8 eggs
  • 8 tablespoon butter melted and cooled
  • 1/4 cup sour cream full-fat
  • 6 oz grated cheese chedder, pepper jack, mozzarella
  • 3 oz power greens, frozen and crumbled* optional
  • 7 oz sausage**, cooked (or bacon)

Instructions

  1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together coconut flour, garlic powder, salt, and baking powder.

  2. Add in eggs, butter, and sour cream.
  3. Whisk until completely mixed.
  4. Stir in the cheese, greens, and sausage. To cut down on dishes the same whisk can be used 😉

  5. Scoop ¼ cup mixture onto two baking sheets, lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper. (I use a #20 scoop)
  6. Bake 400° F for 15-20 minutes (depending on your oven), until the edges just start to brown.

Recipe Notes

*I keep a bag of power greens in my freezer for smoothies and baking. This allows me to buy in bulk and they never do bag. Freezing also makes some of the nutrients more bioavailable. Once the leaves are frozen I crumble them up

** Organic Frozen breakfast sausage is a great timesaver. I just take it out of the freezer and cut into 1/4 inch pieces. 

*Wild and Well Fed is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. While this does not add any cost to the consumer it helps Gina continue to work on this blog. She will only provide links to things she thinks will help you or you might really like. Thanks for the support!

Delta Dall Sheep Hunt 2018

Gina Ciolkosz wtih Dall Sheep

 


A LITTLE BACKGROUND ON MY HUNTING BUDDY

Gina Ciolkosz on Delta Alaska Dall Sheep Hunt

 

Just before I started dating my husband, I was about to join Match.com (I promise this is about hunting!) It was August 2013, I needed a hunting buddy for the upcoming sheep season. I would say that at the time I wasn’t interested in finding a life partner but a hunting buddy.  I figured you couldn’t ask a guy to help you packout out if you aren’t willing to put out.

Right when I was about to set up a Match.com account, I had a conversation with my roommate/landlord at the time(enter future husband, Ryan) about how great sheep hunting was. Ryan decided he wanted to give it a try and offered himself up as my new hunting buddy. We started getting ready for the season by outfitting Ryan with the right gear, studying maps, and making packing lists. Within a couple weeks, we had also started dating.

Life Happens

Just before the sheep season opener, my mom, who had been battling breast cancer for a couple of years, took a turn for the worse and I had to fly to Wyoming to be with her. Shortly after I arrived she died, so sheep hunting that year ended up being the least of my worries.

We tabled it until the following year when Ryan drew a great tag (DS203) for just outside of Delta Junction, Alaska. Certain hunting areas in Alaska enough people want to hunt, that the Alaska Fish and Game set up a lottery for tags. You must put in for the individual hunts and for some tags, the odds are very low.

Then…wait for it… later that month, I found out I was pregnant.

Life did what life does, and long story short, I had to wait 5 years to go sheep hunting. This year was a big deal to me – the stars aligned, life calmed down, and I drew a Delta Dall Sheep tag! I’m the first to admit I’ve been super lucky with sheep tags. The four years I have put in for sheep tags I have drawn Tok Management Area and Delta! Anyway, I was super excited and wrote a little post about the Draw Results.

This sheep season was the first time my husband and I had been on a real hunt together (we previously had only done  a fast-overnight brown bear hunt the first fall we dated), it was the first time we had spent a night away from our now two kids together, so in a way, this sheep hunt was like our belated honeymoon.

PREPARING FOR A SHEEP HUNT

Sheep hunting is like the marathon of hunting. Much like people train for a marathon for months, it takes months to prepare for a sheep hunt. A day after tags came out in February, I had designed nutrition and training programs to physically prepare for the hunt.  During my Delta hunt, we covered over 60 miles and, who knows how many feet of elevation gain, all with a ~ 60-pound backpack. I’ve run a marathon without training before, but I would not want to go sheep hunting without a strong training base.

My nutrition plan includes five and a half weeks of strict keto, months of low-carb eating, and countless fasted workouts. All this metabolic work allowed my body to become more efficient at burn fat and not be as depended on constantly eating.

The training program initially was designed to heal some injuries I have, increase strength and endurance. I was unable to heal from the injuries, so I just did the best I could. This was a source of anxiety for me.

Once your body is prepared as it can be, there is all the gear. Sheep hunters are notorious for their Excel gear lists. We had almost everything we needed, but for everything we didn’t have, we spent hours researching and discussing before coming to a final decision. Some final decisions on gear were not made until the very last possible minute.

DIY Low-carb backpackingfood

Food is another important part of hunting. I had decided to pack low-carb. Fat has over twice the calories than carbs and protein. It also is a cleaner burning fuel. I researched and tested many high-fat, backpack-stable foods. Some were a success (like my DIY high-fat dehydrated dinners), some were failures (like my meal replacement drinks). My DIY backpacking food turned out great and I ended up removing ten pounds from each of our packs, which is a really big deal, but that process will have to be its own post.

Every ounce counts! We weighed everything. There is a balance between functionality, comfort, and weight.

DAY 0 – THE BEGINNING

The week before my Delta sheep hunt I had been sick. I was already worried about how my body would hold up (I have a chronic leg injury from caribou hunting that prevents me from training very much). My cough and two sick kids had made sleeping impossible.

As the hunt got closer, most of my extreme excitement was replaced with anxiety. I wanted a sheep so bad. So many things can go wrong, and maybe I wasn’t strong enough, maybe I would miss my shot, who knew? I was definitely nervous. Last year only one woman successfully harvested a sheep on a draw permit. And only five total… those aren’t promising odds.

Ryan’s dad arrived the night before and I worked on finishing some last-minute things for the hunt and to set the kids up for while I would be gone.

On the Road

Once Ryan got home from work we packed up the truck and hit the road. We got to Delta at 11 PM and drove 30 more minutes to a campsite. We just slept in the cab of the truck. I had been sleeping so crappy, but sleeping in that passenger seat was the best sleep I had in over a week.

DAY 1 – COVERING GROUND

Now that we started the hunt, I was starting to get excited.

The early Delta hunt is non-motorized (and non-pack animal), which means you cannot use a 4-wheeler to transport you or your gear, even if there is a dirt road. So, after we woke up, we parked the truck just off the highway, packed up our bikes with kid trailers and hit the road.  

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We biked until we reached a swampy area and decided the rate of return was not high enough to continue biking and we would have to travel on foot.

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The week before sheep season, Delta had gotten a ton of rain. If the conditions had been drier, it would have been possible to make it further using bikes.  However, I will say it was the easiest six miles you can hope for in a sheep hunt.

We switched the gear from the trailer to our packs. Mine weighed 55 lbs. including all my gear, food, gun, and water. Ryan’s weight was 65 lbs. Ryan was carrying five extra lbs. for me. I had calculated that my high-fat food had saved us 10 lbs each., so I figured his pack was still lighter than it would have been if he was hunting with someone else. I felt pretty good about that. Pulling my own weight is really important to me.

It was still relatively easy walking on the trail for a few more miles, if you consider carrying a 65 lbs. pack easy. There was a slight climb but it was a nice solid trail. The trail got less and less well defined and it started to gain in elevation.

We stopped to glass the far-off mountains and saw a sheep that we thought was a ram, but it wasn’t in the direction where we’re headed. Normally if you see a ram you go after it, but it would have been hell to walk straight to him and we would be able to access the area he was in later once on top of the plateau.

While glassing, we realized we had to go down the hill we had just climbed up to get to the mountains. Giving up elevation is one of the hardest things to do in sheep hunting.

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By the end of the day though we were up the first part of the mountain. We had covered another eight miles by foot, within range of sheep country just in time for opening day.

DAY 2 – THE OPENER

Opening day!

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The second day was relatively uneventful. We hiked seven miles total and got on top of the plateau. On top was tundra, which is desirably hard to hike through. It is soft and lumping, which makes stabilizing a heavy load difficult. We stopped from time to time to glass for sheep and worked our way back further into the wilderness.

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Glassing takes a long time. Ryan and I would take out the spotting scope and binoculars and search every square in of mountain in sight. This is an important part of sheep hunting.

It was a little discouraging not seeing any sheep, but it was still early in the hunt. There was a tent where we had wanted to go, so we camped in a little canyon that night. It was  right next to a great place to glass for sheep the next day!

DAY 3 – NOTHING INSIGHT

In the morning we climbed out of the canyon and over to the large drainage we had wanted to hunt. We glassed it and only saw three ewes. We stayed up high and did a loop on part of the plateau where there were a lot of little drainages there could be sheep. Every little ravine we would stop and glass. As we got close to where we had started, we ran into a solo hunter. We chatted with him a bit. He had missed a shot at a nice ram opening day, which explained why we weren’t seeing many sheep.

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With all the glassing we only covered about five miles. We set up camp higher in elevation that night, but not very far from the previous camp. It was a nice place that we could glass nearby.

That night we heard a shot. My heart sank. That should have been my sheep. Why was I in my tent trying to sleep? (Actually, it totally sucks to field dress and pack out an animal in the dark so I wasn’t 100% mad about it.)

“No way they got a sheep,” I told Ryan, “who gets a sheep with just one shot?”, some people do, but there was also a chance they had misses and scared way more sheep.

DAY 4 – A CHANGE IN STRATEGY 

With the lack of sheep we were seeing, we needed to come up with a new plan. Our camp was in a good place. The way the mountain was shaped, we could head in a few different directions, so we decided to keep camp where it was. We packed up a couple days of food and the essentials and took off. Our hope was with a lighter pack we could travel farther and end up having more luck.

Early in the day, we stopped to glass and finally saw some sheep! They were miles away, we could barely tell they were rams, but they were! They were the only rams we had seen in a couple of days, so we took off after them. We headed down a ridge, then we would head up the next mountain, and across a ridge for a long ways.

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Once we had dropped down on to a little ridge, we were able to look me with the back down the valley with the spotting scope. There was a lone ram! Closer, and it looked like he was legal. It is common in sheep hunting to spot sheep when you change your view. As you travel, you get new vantage points of the mountain. It is possible to be right above a sheep while he is tucked out of sight.

We turned around and got back on top of the ridge we had just been on. Day 4 was really really windy, and the wind was not in our favor. Ideally, you are downwind of the animal you trying to stock so it can’t smell you. The only thing we could think to do was stay just on the other side of the ridge and try to get downwind of him. We were hoping it was windy enough for our smell to be carried past.

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Once we were downwind, we went into a drainage to try to spot him and couldn’t see him. I must admit I was not feeling optimistic at this point. There was a good chance he had smelled us and decided to leave. We had also run into some ewes along the way.  We tried to give them enough room as to not spook them, but on top of the plateau was pretty flat, there wasn’t a way to get out of their sight. It was possible they had crossed the ram’s path and made him nervous.

We hiked back to the ridge top and started to work our way closer to where we thought the ram was. Down another drainage out of sight. Then we crawled up a little ridge until we could peer over. There he was, just out of range. Now I had hope again!

Back up to the ridge, we went and then back down another drainage. Now we were in rifle range!

Ryan was able to get a good look and judged him legal. In Alaska, rams must either be a full curl, have broken off both their tips, or at least 8 years old. This ensures the rams have time to reach breeding age and mate, but is not always easy to do. A legal ram is an old ram. If you shoot a ram that is not legal, the Fish and Game confiscate it. 

The ram was standing broadside! Because of the way I was lying I had trouble seeing through my scope and couldn’t judge for myself. Eventually, he bedded down, and I was able to get into a good shooting position. He was looking right at us. I waited until he turned his head. He was a full curl!

The shot, however, was a little tricky. He was laying down facing me, surrounded by rocks and about 300 yards away from me. Usually, I am very conservative on the shots I will take. But the chances of me just wounding him were low and for some reason, I felt incredibly stable, way more stable and calm than I normally feel at the shooting range.

I was sure of myself and this might be my only chance, I had to take the shot. Aim, breath in, breath out, squeeze. I squeezed the trigger.

Defying the laws of physics, he dove towards me and off the ledge he was laying on, but you could tell he was dead! I turned over on my back and took a couple of deep breaths…

THE REAL WORK

In sheep hunting, the real work begins when you pull the trigger, and I now had a sheep down over 20 miles from the truck.

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I didn’t wait for Ryan, I grabbed my pack and took off after my sheep, down the drainage, I THOUGHT he was in. “Ryan, I don’t see him!” I yelled. Ryan stayed high and went to look down the next drainage. There he was, near the bottom. Sheep country can be so deceiving.

When I got to him it was obvious he had fallen a long way. It was gruesome, but miraculously, his horns were just scuffed, not broken.

Unfortunately, we were unable to get a good picture of him. Dall sheep are such beautiful, amazing animals, and I will always be disappointed we didn’t get a good picture.  Killing such a beautiful badass animal is both the best, most exciting feeling and also incredibly sad at the same time.

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We pulled on our whites, the Tyvek suits painters wear. They are handy when stalking sheep if you find yourself without something to hide behind. Sometimes they will fool a sheep into thinking you are a sheep, therefore not a threat. I like wearing whites when I gut an animal, so any blood you get on yourself you can just strip off when you are done.00100sPORTRAIT_00100_BURST20180812142901821_COVER

Then we went to work field dressing and deboning my sheep. It was sunny, and the wind wasn’t blowing down where my ram laid. This might have been the first sheep shot in history mid-day with the sun out, imagine getting back to camp while it is light out! We took as much meat as possible, including some of the organs, out of respect for the animal and because sheep meat is so delicious. You only get about 60 lbs. of meat from a sheep.  

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Once he was all loaded in our packs, we looked up. Wow, was it steep.

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The climb ended up being about 1,700 ft of scree. Some places were so steep I was crawling on my hands and knees. On one of Ryan’s trekking poles, he has an ice ax, which I become extremely jealous of him. I’m not going to lie, with the extra 40 lbs. of sheep meat and horns in my pack, it was a struggle.

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Then once we were back on top of the plateau, we were in a windstorm. Some gusts were so strong, I had to take a knee, so I wouldn’t be blown over. At this point, it was only 2.5 miles back to the tent (if the tent was still there), but with the extra weight, elevation gain, and wind it took us 3 hours to get there. This is what is called Type 2 fun. At the time you aren’t sure why you do it, because it sucks, but in a few weeks, you are able to look back on it fondly.

Fourteen hours after we had left in the morning, we were back at camp, and the tent was still there! Caved in, but still there! I was a little surprised the stakes hadn’t been blown out of the rocky ground.

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That night we did not sleep well. Several times a tent stake would be blown out of the ground and would need to be re-staked. The occasional cave-in was not very conducive to restorative sleep. But I had my sheep!

DAY 5 – I’M TOUGH, I LOVE SHEEP HUNTING, I CAN DO THIS

We slept in a little but did not feel rested. We took our time eating breakfast and drank an extra cup of coffee. One of the best things about getting your sheep early is that you no longer need to ration your food and you eat pretty well on your way out.  The wind died down a little for us, which made breakfast and packing up more pleasant, but once we took off for the day it started blowing again.

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I hate the wind. I’m from a town in Wyoming, that is right next to the world’s largest wind-blown basin in North America. I moved away for a reason.

Day 5 was the most physical and mentally demanding, my mantra for the day was “I’m tough, I love sheep hunting, I can do this.”

Gina Ciolkosz, Delta Alaska Dall Sheep Hunt

After all day of hiking in the wind (did I mention it was windy) we were off the plateau. It was nice to be more protected, but that also meant more brush. Walking through the brush is also the worst, especially when you have a gun and two giant hooks (sheep horns) on your backpack that easily get snagged.

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On the map, we covered about 8.5 miles, but by the end of the day I was about to my limit and was sore all over. With a pack that heavy, you are never sure if it’s harder to do uphill or down, the easiest one is always the one you are not doing.

We made camp next to the trail in the brush on the flattest ground we could find. Even with all the bear sign around camp and meat hanging nearby, I was so tired slept well

DAY 6 – POOF, IT’S OVER

The last day was the shortest and easiest (relatively). We had three miles on a nice trail, then a six-mile bike to the truck. I had a little bike trouble but was able to take care of it before it became a big deal. There was so much weight in the trailer, my rear axle bouned out a couple of times, walking my bike down a steep rocky hill.  I was thankful for my cycling days back in college and my Leatherman. We also ran into two hunters that had called it quits because of the windstorm, proof I’m not the only person who hates wind.

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Getting back to the truck was great. It felt good to put on some yoga pants and Crocs. I felt so satisfied with our successful sheep hunt and was so glad to have gotten some alone time with my husband. However, It is an odd feeling for a hunt to be over. Six months of planning and preparing, and a week in the mountains, then poof – it’s done.  Sheep hunting is a true emotional roller-coaster.

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Now, even before all the feeling is back in my feet, I want to go back. I’m already starting to train and plan for next year.

Follow me on Instagram to see my latest adventure!

Triple Cocoa Coconut Fat Bombs

Triple Cocoa Coconut Fat Bombs have become my go-to snack, even my kids love them! I started making them when I first went keto. I’m not full-time keto, but I used it to get fat adapted for my sheep hunt (which I’m totally glad I did!). I ended up making a lot of my own food for my sheep hunt, including these and DIY High-Fat Dehydrated dinner.

(Here is everything I packed on my sheep hunt)

triple cocoa chocolate coconut fat bombs hunting

I like these fat bombs because they aren’t just pure fat, they the have a little texture and nutrient. Oh, and they have chocolate!

Cocoa butter is the fat found in chocolate. It contains healthy saturated fats, that have anti-inflammatory properties. I also like it because cocoa butter is hard at room temperature, so if you take your fat bombs out of the refrigerator they don’t melt.

The Triple Cocoa Coconut Fat Bombs are so fast and simple to make I bring them on every long hike I do. I also made them for my sheep hunt, and I often pack them for my kids as a snack at preschool (they are nut-free).

making fat bombs

Triple Cocoa Coconut Fat Bombs

These are my go-to fat bomb, they are great for a little snack to fuel all your adventures, even if that's just surviving the day. Each bomb contrains about 1 g NET CARB.

Course Snack
Keyword coconut, cocoa, chocholate, fat bomb, nut-free, dairy-free
Prep Time 2 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 3 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup cocoa butter
  • 1 cup shredded coconut
  • 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
  • 2 oz very dark chocolate chopped
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • stevia, to taste* optional

Instructions

  1. In a medium saucepan, gently melt cocoa butter over LOW.

  2. Once cocoa butter is melted stir in coconut, cocoa powder, vanilla, salt, and stevia*.

  3. Scoop 1 tablespoon mixture onto a small sheet tray, lined with a silicon baking mat or parchment paper. (I use a #50 scoop)

  4. Refrigerate until hard, then store in an airtight container in the fridge. These keep really well.

Recipe Notes

* personally I don't like stevia and prefer my fat bombs less sweet, but make your fat bombs the way you like! Also, you can add a tablespoon of coconut sugar which will add less than 1g carb per fat bomb, this is how my husband likes them and if you are hiking hard that little bit of carbs won't kick you out of ketosis.

Chcolate fat bomb

*Wild and Well Fed is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. While this does not add any cost to the consumer it helps Gina continue to work on this blog. She will only provide links to things she thinks will help you or you might really like. Thanks for the support!

Slow Cooker Bone Broth- Why Sourcing your Bones Matter

Wild Game Bone Broth

 

As a hunter and spouse of a hunter, I feel so incredibly lucky to have access to such high-quality meat. You can’t buy better meat. Not only is game meat much more humane than “conventionally farmed meat,” it is more sustainable and provides an excellent source of nutrients. Game bones also make the best bone broth.

When an animal lives and eats in the wilderness, it is exposed to fewer pollutants and eats exactly what it is supposed to eat. Wild plants tend to have more nutrients than farmed plants, and those nutrients are stored in the tissues of the animals that eat them. Wild game and grass-fed meats have higher amounts of Omega-3 fats and vitamins and minerals than does grain-fed meat.

How I Source My Bones

This season, I couldn’t go hunting. However, I did help friends butcher their caribou. As is customary, they rewarded me for my efforts, and I chose my payment in bones. Later in the season, my husband also harvested two black-tail deer. If you have never seen a black-tailed deer, they are hilariously small. I could fit the bones of more than one leg in a gallon Ziploc bag!

I have been making bone broth for a while, but this was the first time I made it from game bones. Typically, with grass-fed beef bones, I make a batch of broth for my family and the second batch for my dog. By then, the bones are so soft, you can cut them with a butter knife.

After the second batch of caribou broth, the bones were almost as hard as when I started! So, I made another … and another! I was amazed. The caribou bones produced two times the broth as beef bones did. I’m no scientist, but this can mean only one thing: Game bones are kick-ass!

If you do not have access to wild game bone broth is still worth making!

Sourcing Your Bones

If you aren’t a hunter or simply can’t bring yourself to pack out the bones (trust me, I’ve been there), bone broth is still worth making. It’s just important to source your bones thoughtfully. Bones are a tissue that bioaccumulates. This means if the animal is exposed to pesticides, heavy metals, or pollutants, you’ll find these substances in the bones. This is bad news if you don’t source bones from a quality source.

If you don’t have access to wild game bones, buy bones that are organic/grass-fed/pasture-raised. Good places to look are your local farmer’s market or butcher shop, or you can purchase organic/grass-fed/pasture-raised cuts of meat that are still on the bone. Not only is bone-in meat typically cheaper, but meat cooked on the bone offers more flavor and nutrition. For example, after you roast a whole chicken, you can save the bones for bone broth and really get your money’s worth

Any type of bone will work, but bones that include joints result in a broth that is richer in collagen and other healthy-joint compounds. Chicken feet are also great to add if you have them.

Consider asking your butcher to cut the bones you buy down the middle through the joint to increase the surface area. Increasing surface area and exposing the insides of the bones will help the water extract all the wonderful nutrients locked inside. Asking the butcher to do this can be intimidating, but it’s their job and they should be more than happy to do it for you. I have found butchers to be a great source of information and very helpful when asked.

 

Why consume bone broth?

Simply put, bone broth is delicious and an amazing source of several nutrients that are super bioavailable! Bone broth is great for your gut, bones, joints, skin … the list goes on and on. Among other things, bone broth contains collagen, amino acids, and minerals. If you want to know more, here is a great article by Chris Kesser about bone broth.

Consuming your broth

I use bone broth any time a savory recipe calls for water. Broth is a must for soups and stews, but I also use it whenever I cook rice, to add nutrition and flavor to a simple, bland food. I also use it in my slow-cooker meals. Chilis and curries are my favorites, so that is how my family consumes most of our bone broth. You can also sip broth like a tea. Sipping a cup before bed is a great way to unwind after a long day butchering caribou, and the magnesium and glycine found in bone broth will help you fall asleep!

Roasted caribou bone

Making Yur Bone Broth

Bone Broth

Bone Broth is a true superfood that you can make in your own kitchen.

Keyword bone broth, bones, stock

Instructions

  1. Roast at least one pound of frozen bones in a glass baking dish at 425° F for about 20 minutes, until browned.
  2. Put the bones in a slow-cooker and cover them with water.
  3. Add a splash of vinegar, preferably organic apple cider vinegar.
  4. Cook the bones, water, and vinegar or lemon juice on LOW.

    If you’re using chicken bones, you will want to cook them for 12-24 hours. You’ll want to cook larger bones (like beef bones) for at least 24-36 hours. 

  5. As the bones cook, skim the fat and scum off the top. Do this more often in the beginning and aim for every few hours throughout the cooking process. 

While you may have just recently learned about bone broth and its benefits, bone “broth” is nothing new. Traditional cultures all over the world have been making it for many years. Chefs call it stock (and don’t cook it long enough, in my opinion) and use it as a crucial ingredient for adding flavor and viscosity to soups, stews, and sauces. Here’s how I make my broth.

I love my slow cooker because I can roast the bones right in the insert.

 

1. Roast at least one pound of frozen bones in a glass baking dish at 425° F for about 20 minutes, until browned.

 

The more bones the better, but don’t stress over it or put in so many bones that you can’t cover them with at least an inch of water when you move them to your slow cooker in the next step. If you are using bigger bones, you can generally make more than one batch of broth.

Roasting the bones is purely for flavor. Make sure your bones are nice and browned, but not burnt. After baking, the liquid may have accumulated in the bottom of your baking dish. If you’d like, you can pour this liquid into a heat-proof glass container and let it set. Once the fat has risen to the top, discard this and add the remaining liquid to your slow-cooker.

2. Put the bones in a slow-cooker and cover them with water.

If you are using tap water, make sure to run it through a filter first. I used this filter before I moved to a house with a well.

Cooking with and drinking filtered water or well water is important because the water you use greatly affects the flavor of whatever you’re cooking. Unfiltered tap water may also contain things that you don’t want to consume, like excess chlorine, which can be hard on the good bacteria in your gut.

3. Add a splash of vinegar, preferably organic apple cider vinegar.

As a substitute, you can use lemon juice. Acidity releases more nutrients, like calcium and magnesium, from the bones and into your water. Here is a PubMed study to prove it 😉 The study also looked at heavy metals in bone broth.

While the study found that bone broth contains safe levels of heavy metals, less is always better. Animals that are fattened in feedlots can be exposed to more heavy metals. If you source your bone from the right place, this is even less of a concern.

4. Cook the bones, water, and vinegar or lemon juice on LOW.

If you’re using chicken bones, you will want to cook them for 12-24 hours. You’ll want to cook larger bones (like beef bones) for at least 24-36 hours. As the bones cook, skim the fat and scum off the top. 

Do this more often in the beginning and aim for every few hours throughout the cooking process. (Don’t worry about it overnight, though.) Here is the skimmer I use. You can use a ladle but if you get serious about bone broth, the skimmer will save you a lot of time. If you skip the skimming, your broth will taste funky. Trust me on this one.

Flavoring the broth is optional.

However, I like to add herbs and spices, as well as organic veggie scraps, skins, and stems from dishes that I had cooked throughout the week. (I save the scraps in the freezer until they’re ready to use.) I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but organic is important.

Things that are good in broth include, but are not limited to, carrot, celery, mushrooms, onions (and the skins), herbs, ginger, peppercorns, bay leaves, allspice berries, lemon peel, garlic, etc. Don’t be afraid to get creative with the flavorings! If you add the veggies and spices to your broth at the beginning, the long cooking time will overcook them and the resulting broth will be less flavorful. Be patient and wait to add the flavorings until the last couple hours of cook time. You can also leave the broth plain, which can be a good option if you are simply going to be cooking with it (vs. sipping it on its own).

You can tell that your bones have given you all they can when you can cut them with a butter knife.

To store your broth, you will want to strain out the solids. These are the strainers I wish I had. I recommend storing broth in glass mason jars. (I typically use a quart or half-gallon jars.) Your broth will keep in the fridge for about five days, though adding a teaspoon of salt per quart of broth will help it stay fresh longer.

If you aren’t going to consume the broth in the next week, keep in mind that it freezes well. You can freeze it in freezer jars. I like to simmer broth on the stove to reduce the volume by about half. This way, it takes up less room in the freezer. (After hunting and fishing season, freezer space is at a premium in our house.) After the broth has reduced, I pour it into silicone molds. I like these molds because they are a great individual serving size; they are the same ones in which I bake personal frittatas. Once the broth is frozen, I move it into Ziploc freezer bags for longer-term storage. When you defrost your broth, just add water to restore your original quantity.

Give bone broth a try! Let me know what you think or if you have any questions.

Slow-cooker Bone Broth

Adapted for a post I wrote for Open Sky Fitness

*Wild and Well Fed is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. While this does not add any cost to the consumer it helps Gina continue to work on this blog. She will only provide links to things she thinks will help you or you might really like. Thanks for the support!