I came across Cascade Alpine on Instagram and ordered their taster box. It is 5 meals, with 3 dinners and 2 breakfasts, so I split the reviews into 2. Oh, and it comes in a cute little box indeed. The little things make me smile.
The taster box ships free and comes out to about $14 a meal, which is a fair price for commercial meals now.
The bags the meals come in aren’t fancy, but they’re serviceable. And that is the thing: flashy bags might catch your eye, but it has nothing to do with what is INSIDE it!
Plus, the bags were well-filled, which was a positive start.
If bought individually, the price is $16.00 per meal.
See here for the review of the three dinners.
Today it is 58* and raining – a perfect kind of day for the first day of fall – and for having hearty oatmeal.
High protein, very high fiber, and lower sodium. This is a bowl of comfort. I made it with the called-for 2/3 cup of boiled water and stirred it very well, especially in the bag’s corners, to get all the powder. I would say it could have used a pinch more water to make the oats creamier (say, 3/4 cup).
The peanut butter powder smell is a bit off-putting when dry, but once the oats are ready, that disappears (this is a personal thing; powdered peanut butter often smells weird to me when dry – I think it’s due to how the peanut butter is defatted).
The texture was nice, and the apple chunks rehydrated well and had plenty of flavor. The chia seeds blend in well (which is why it is so high in fiber).
I’d eat this oatmeal again, happily.
Ingredients:
Rolled oats, brown sugar, freeze-dried apples, peanut butter powder (roasted peanuts, coconut sugar, salt), chia seeds, pumpkin pie spice (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, sulfiting agents), salt. According to the website, the apples are Cosmic Crisp. Faaaancy!
I made the hash with 1 cup of boiled water, stirred it well, and let it sit for 10 minutes. The texture was great, and everything rehydrated.
It would make a great filling in flour tortillas, with salsa added and maybe a bit of cheese – and would stretch to serve 2 hungry hikers. Otherwise, it is a very filling portion. You have veggies, beans, and sausage all in one.
It has a nice pinch of heat in the spices, but nothing too strong.
Ingredients:
Red potatoes, liquid whole eggs (whole eggs, citric acid), black beans (black beans, water, salt), pork sausage (pork, water, contains 2% or less of: corn syrup, salt, natural flavor, vinegar, sugar, pork broth, monosodium glutamate), bell peppers (green, red), onion, canola oil, hot sauce (water, peppers [arbol and piquin], salt, acetic acid, xanthan gum, spices, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, natural flavor), butter (cream, salt), cornstarch, salt, monosodium glutamate, black pepper, garlic powder, paprika.
FTC Disclosure: We paid for all products reviewed; these are our thoughts.
~Sarah