With a little bit of sweet and salty goodness in every bite, GORP is a snack mix that my family devours every time we make it. Lucky for all of us, it’s an easy hassle-free trail mix to make.
GORP is the classic trail mix you probably recall from childhood and I’m happy to report that it’s just as tasty as I remembered. Whether it’s for a quick road trip, a movie night, or a longer camping trip, GORP has long been a favorite for all of us.
What Is GORP?
GORP is an acronym for “good old raisins and peanuts” which was, according to some, the very first trail mix. Chocolate is traditionally included in most recipes for GORP. Today, GORP and trail mix are more or less synonymous.
I grew up munching on GORP whenever my family was road tripping. Some variation of this recipe was always our trail mix of choice. Typically, my family made their trail mix with peanuts, raisins, and m&ms or chocolate chips.
I’ve been traveling a lot over the past 6 weeks and am constantly in need of quick, easy, and tasty snacks to enjoy on the go. There are so many pre-packaged snacks available these days but GORP has remained the travel-friendly snack I reach for the most.
GORP
Trail mix is the perfect sweet and salty snack for long driving days, or for days spent on the go exploring a new city.
GORP probably became THE travel food (and the snack hikers took on long trails) because it’s easy to pack and carry and doesn’t spoil. Luckily, it also happens to be pretty nutritious for a convenience food!
The blend of dried fruit for energy and nuts for protein and fat helps keep hunger at bay and keeps you going all travel day long.
That said, GORP is also one of my favorite snacks for a night-in or to have in my bag on a long day of running errands. Easy to proportion into ziploc bags or small serving containers, this trail mix is also ideal for packing in lunches and tucking into backpacks.
This handy square canister of snack mix has a regular place in my camper kitchen and we all reach for it often. I have probably mixed together a batch of GORP at least once if not twice a week all summer long.
Sweet bits of pineapple and spicy jalapeño combine to make this easy pineapple salsa one of our favorite condiments and snacks.
If you’ve been reading this blog for very long you already know that there are not many recipes that I label “the best”. This salsa is well qualified for that title.
There is a Mexican restaurant in my city that serves a pineapple salsa that I have enjoyed for a while now.
I have no idea why it took me so long to try making my own, but a sale on pineapples finally pushed me to try. What was I waiting for? This pineapple jalapeno salsa absolutely smokes my former favorites.
Jalapeno Pineapple Salsa
I ate this salsa three days in a row and I am not even going to pretend that I shared more than a taste or two with my family. They all liked it, but I lucked out and was able to hide it away.
Most of it, I ate straight out of the bowl with tortilla chips (and, if I’m being honest, a few times with a spoon). I also spooned some on top of some leftover chicken and salad for lunch.
I am making more of this today and will have to share this time because I promised. My oldest son was not happy that the first batch “disappeared” so quickly.
Pineapple Jalapeno Dip
Over the past ten years, this spicy pineapple salsa has become a solid favorite with family and friends. I’ve given this recipe out countless times after sharing the salsa with friends.
We love this salsa on Hawaiian Hot Dogs, Carnitas Street Tacos, and Carnitas Salad Bowls. I make a double batch of this salsa almost every time we’re barbecuing with friends and it disappears fast. Eaten with a spoon, scooped up with chips, or piled over burgers,
This cake. Hershey’s Chocolate Cake is the most versatile and the easiest perfect one-bowl chocolate cake recipe I have ever made.
As long as I can remember, I’ve seen the well-known chocolate cake recipe on the side of the Hershey’s cocoa box and I’ve made it countless times. On a whim, I decided to try making a gluten-free version of the famous Hershey Cake a few years ago.
WOW. It turned out beautifully the very first time and I have made this cake many more times since then, both the original recipe and the gluten-free variation.
There is nothing quite like having a lightning-fast homemade cake recipe that turns out perfectly every single time.
Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Cake
The cake is sturdy enough to hold together in layers, as cupcakes or to slice as a bundt cake. I’ve made this recipe into cupcakes and topped them with Fresh Strawberry Frosting.
I’ve made a layer cake filled with strawberry frosting, and a layer of berries, and then topped the cake with chocolate frosting.
I’ve made bundt cakes and simply poured the warm frosting over the cake. Every way I’ve served this cake, it has disappeared in no time at all!
Hershey Chocolate Cake
Nothing sparks that warm fuzzy feeling like the aroma of chocolate cake baking in your home. Put something chocolatey in the oven and watch as all the members of your family suddenly flock to the kitchen like moths to an iridescent light.
Don’t get me wrong. I love an adventurous dessert ( hello, Flourless Hot Chocolate Cake) and sometimes you need an elegant showstopper like Chocolate Lava Cakes to wow a table.
But at the end of the day, it’s hard to beat the familiar pleasure of a simple Hershey’s chocolate bundt cake.