Ramona Mayhem's tips on playa diet, health and hygiene
August/21/2009 Filed in: getting
ready
"So what do you eat out there? Do people sell food? Are there free showers?"
Ha Ha Ha. Er....Um...No.
Me? Fourth year. Using the same list since 2006 with minor changes each year to suit my whims and appetites.
For those who haven't had playafied grilled cheese sandwiches or dusty lemon drops, let me edumacate you with some tips on the finer points of the playa diet, health, and hygeine.
Tip #1: Radical Self Reliance. Read the Burningman.com site "cover to cover"--not only is it eye candy and a plethora of information, there are so many checklists on there you can essentially tailor any one of them to suit your own needs.
Tip #2: Bring more water than you think you need (average 2 gallons per day)--not only will someone thank you for providing them with much needed hydration in BRC, you might even enjoy a shower once or twice. Do NOT, and I repeat, DO NOT ever refuse H20 on playa. Piss Clear=no drear(y) moments in the medic tent with an IV drip. If you like bubbly water, buy it before Lakeview (Bend or Bigger) because it isn't a hot (cool?) commodity in Lakeview. I.E. you'll be lucky to find seltzer in a can in the "mixers" aisle next to the empty shelves that formerly held water by the individual gallons.
Tip #3: Trader Joe is your best friend. EVER. TJ's is focused largely on flavorful, ready to go meals. Not all of them are a hit. Not all of them are a miss. And trust me, some of them are just plain ole damn YUMMY! I consider myself a situational omnivore (after all, Bacon is a four legged fruit!) No lips, no hips for me, thanks. Though sometimes I eat turkey. A default wonder with having carnivorous children. Hell, last weekend I was at a Black Rock Ranger Silkscreening party and had two bites of bloody steak. It reminded me of my childhood. I didn't get even get a stomach ache. SO. Here is an incomplete list of recommendations for the Trader Joe fan:
*box of emergen-c (I drink 2-4 of
these a day) $7-8.99/box
*TJ's lime/lemon mineral water .89 ea
*DARK CHOCOLATE BARS
*Fried Onion Pieces (garnish? An experiment this year) $2.99
*Cashews, Pepitas, Raw Almonds, Sunflower seeds-- protein, fat, salt, yum, oh my
*"Nothing but Flattened Bananas" (potassium!) $1.29/oz/ea
*Garlic or jalepeno or ?? stuffed green olives: $3.49 for a BIG jar!
*Cornichons/pickles/etc $2.69
*Variety of Salsas $2.49/ea or so
*Multi-grain and flax seed corn chips SUPER YUMMY! $? forgot
*Pre-cooked pasta dishes "Italian Fusilli with tomato sauce" (add boiling water): $2.49
*Pre-cooked rice dishes
*Artichoke tapenade, mixed vegetable bruchetta, roasted red pepper tapenade, etc. A lot to choose from--great on crackers w/cheez & smoked fish!
*Smoked salmon prices are great here, but I get it from my Poppa who catches the fishies. YUM :)
*$3 buck chucks! oh my! The rose Zin is lighter alcohol content and quite tasty believe it or not--will be good in the desert methinks...
*100% Cranberry juice--keep those kidneys clean and functioning
*100% Blueberry juice--detoxify last night's hollyland
*100% Pomegranate--see above and b/c it tastes yummy
*NEW THIS YEAR: Snack Sesame Crepes $1.29 ea--a Vietnamese treat (Calcium)
*Variety of flavored hummus'es--I love the sundried tomato one but they have a dozen to choose from in little and big sizes
*Pre-made Indian fare, variety of flavors (lentils, palak paneer, etc) about $3?--I just eat them straight out of the mylar packets--no heating, no mess
*Septics of soup--portabello mushroom, red pepper curry, french onion--I get the 8 oz versions and chug them--great source of nutrients & electrolytes
(often TJ's doesn't have these, but any Food Co-op will)
*Japanese nori rice crackers
*Rice Crackers
*Variety of cheeses--the 3-pack of goat, the braided mozzerella, dubliner cheddar, Israeli feta, whatever suits your fancy
*Smoked Tuna or Trout (yummy!) It's salty, flavorful, and sooooooooooooooo tasty on playa
*Fresh fruit that is a little under ripe when you travel--stuff without peels and such (grapes, plums, apples) Italian Plums are a favorite! :) (friend's gardens!
*Your favorite dressing, (me: Annie's Woodstock--it has tahini in it--another great source of calcium)
The best part about these foods is you have a protein (fish/hummus/cheese) with a carbo (rice crak'n, flax chip, rice/pasta) with a veggie/fruit (aforementioned tapenades) and salt/electrolytes (soups/olives/fried onion pieces?), and last but not least, you have to admit, TJ's has a ROCKIN' sweet tooth department. It's basically my goal to not ever use my stove (I am actually loaning it to my burning sister and her bf for the week)--last two years I made one cooked meal (stir-fry) and boiled water twice for coffee for the camp building crew. Who has time to cook? I do! Just not on playa! :) xoxo
Tip #4: (the random goodies)
*Vitamin medley: 5-htp, melatonin, B-6 & 12 (multi), EFA's (cod liver oil or Evening Primrose), Cal-Mag (no constipation here!), etc
*Dr. Bronner's peppermint (or whatever flavor you dig)
*Huggies Unscented Natural Care, bulk size (about $8) and a plastic travel case (about $2) to keep reloading
*Water misters
*Bring your own t.p. (biodegradable kind--like the stuff used on a boat)
*Get one strand of L.E.D. lights--last forever, create a nice ambience in your tent/VW/dome w/o blinding you, and blue is my favorite. :)
*DUCT TAPE
*Lemon Oil to put in your water bottle (gives anti bacterial and viral props and tastes yummy)
*Disposable cameras--the most fun present to give yourself when you pick up the pics at Rite-Aid post burn. Soooooooooooo much fun.
*In first Aid Kit: tampons, Emu and Vit E oil, aloe vera, eye cup & saline to wash shit out, tweezers
*raw cacao bliss :)
Well, frenz, I have so much more to contribute to this--the wheels are turning inside my brain much like the gears of a giant ole clock, and while I have lost track of the dayz as they relate to a weekend, I know it is exactly 9 dayz before I leave on yet another epic adventure. I'll be headin' on playa sometime after midnight, Monday, and heading directly towards a man visit after blinglebee is righteously parked. :) If y'all feel like sharing a snack, a tune, or some hoop-lalalalalala, by all means, come visit @ Spanky's Village 8:30 and Esplanade.
Monday, 4-6pm:
Join RamonaMayhem & CampMystic @ Spanky’s Wine Village for a hoopjam on Monday from 4-6pm. Hoops will be provided (or bring your own) and a yummy treat to share–as in the stone soup idea–we all contribute and we all feast! Don’t know how to hoop but want to? Worry not–RM is a fabulous teacher and will provide instruction. Come Storm or Shine, baby, the hoop knows not the difference.
Tuesday 11-3pm:
Join me and Raquelisimia at Center Camp Cafe as we make music (java) for the masses. If you mention dBM or some hooptastic limerick, I'll make your Iced Mocha for free!
Wednesday 3-7pm:
Your other chance to breakdance and groove dBM mystic style while I sling jo--impress me with a beatbox or breakdown--I'll make you coffee at Center Camp Cafe (and 1,000 other folks!)
Thursday 9-6pm:
I'm camp bitch of Spanky's village, bitch, and if you don't come (on the orgasmatron, the teeter totter of death, the chairway to heaven, or with a flight of wine), then I'll be your bitch too! (NOT REALLY). No, Yes, Seriously. I'm confused. Come visit. That's all I'm asking. heh
My ticket came in the mail today, I am listening to tangled path on dBM podcasts, wondering why my cd player is stuck as I have 50 cds to burn as playa gifts.....
LOVE LOVE LOVE!
~RamonaMayhem
*TJ's lime/lemon mineral water .89 ea
*DARK CHOCOLATE BARS
*Fried Onion Pieces (garnish? An experiment this year) $2.99
*Cashews, Pepitas, Raw Almonds, Sunflower seeds-- protein, fat, salt, yum, oh my
*"Nothing but Flattened Bananas" (potassium!) $1.29/oz/ea
*Garlic or jalepeno or ?? stuffed green olives: $3.49 for a BIG jar!
*Cornichons/pickles/etc $2.69
*Variety of Salsas $2.49/ea or so
*Multi-grain and flax seed corn chips SUPER YUMMY! $? forgot
*Pre-cooked pasta dishes "Italian Fusilli with tomato sauce" (add boiling water): $2.49
*Pre-cooked rice dishes
*Artichoke tapenade, mixed vegetable bruchetta, roasted red pepper tapenade, etc. A lot to choose from--great on crackers w/cheez & smoked fish!
*Smoked salmon prices are great here, but I get it from my Poppa who catches the fishies. YUM :)
*$3 buck chucks! oh my! The rose Zin is lighter alcohol content and quite tasty believe it or not--will be good in the desert methinks...
*100% Cranberry juice--keep those kidneys clean and functioning
*100% Blueberry juice--detoxify last night's hollyland
*100% Pomegranate--see above and b/c it tastes yummy
*NEW THIS YEAR: Snack Sesame Crepes $1.29 ea--a Vietnamese treat (Calcium)
*Variety of flavored hummus'es--I love the sundried tomato one but they have a dozen to choose from in little and big sizes
*Pre-made Indian fare, variety of flavors (lentils, palak paneer, etc) about $3?--I just eat them straight out of the mylar packets--no heating, no mess
*Septics of soup--portabello mushroom, red pepper curry, french onion--I get the 8 oz versions and chug them--great source of nutrients & electrolytes
(often TJ's doesn't have these, but any Food Co-op will)
*Japanese nori rice crackers
*Rice Crackers
*Variety of cheeses--the 3-pack of goat, the braided mozzerella, dubliner cheddar, Israeli feta, whatever suits your fancy
*Smoked Tuna or Trout (yummy!) It's salty, flavorful, and sooooooooooooooo tasty on playa
*Fresh fruit that is a little under ripe when you travel--stuff without peels and such (grapes, plums, apples) Italian Plums are a favorite! :) (friend's gardens!
*Your favorite dressing, (me: Annie's Woodstock--it has tahini in it--another great source of calcium)
The best part about these foods is you have a protein (fish/hummus/cheese) with a carbo (rice crak'n, flax chip, rice/pasta) with a veggie/fruit (aforementioned tapenades) and salt/electrolytes (soups/olives/fried onion pieces?), and last but not least, you have to admit, TJ's has a ROCKIN' sweet tooth department. It's basically my goal to not ever use my stove (I am actually loaning it to my burning sister and her bf for the week)--last two years I made one cooked meal (stir-fry) and boiled water twice for coffee for the camp building crew. Who has time to cook? I do! Just not on playa! :) xoxo
Tip #4: (the random goodies)
*Vitamin medley: 5-htp, melatonin, B-6 & 12 (multi), EFA's (cod liver oil or Evening Primrose), Cal-Mag (no constipation here!), etc
*Dr. Bronner's peppermint (or whatever flavor you dig)
*Huggies Unscented Natural Care, bulk size (about $8) and a plastic travel case (about $2) to keep reloading
*Water misters
*Bring your own t.p. (biodegradable kind--like the stuff used on a boat)
*Get one strand of L.E.D. lights--last forever, create a nice ambience in your tent/VW/dome w/o blinding you, and blue is my favorite. :)
*DUCT TAPE
*Lemon Oil to put in your water bottle (gives anti bacterial and viral props and tastes yummy)
*Disposable cameras--the most fun present to give yourself when you pick up the pics at Rite-Aid post burn. Soooooooooooo much fun.
*In first Aid Kit: tampons, Emu and Vit E oil, aloe vera, eye cup & saline to wash shit out, tweezers
*raw cacao bliss :)
Well, frenz, I have so much more to contribute to this--the wheels are turning inside my brain much like the gears of a giant ole clock, and while I have lost track of the dayz as they relate to a weekend, I know it is exactly 9 dayz before I leave on yet another epic adventure. I'll be headin' on playa sometime after midnight, Monday, and heading directly towards a man visit after blinglebee is righteously parked. :) If y'all feel like sharing a snack, a tune, or some hoop-lalalalalala, by all means, come visit @ Spanky's Village 8:30 and Esplanade.
Monday, 4-6pm:
Join RamonaMayhem & CampMystic @ Spanky’s Wine Village for a hoopjam on Monday from 4-6pm. Hoops will be provided (or bring your own) and a yummy treat to share–as in the stone soup idea–we all contribute and we all feast! Don’t know how to hoop but want to? Worry not–RM is a fabulous teacher and will provide instruction. Come Storm or Shine, baby, the hoop knows not the difference.
Tuesday 11-3pm:
Join me and Raquelisimia at Center Camp Cafe as we make music (java) for the masses. If you mention dBM or some hooptastic limerick, I'll make your Iced Mocha for free!
Wednesday 3-7pm:
Your other chance to breakdance and groove dBM mystic style while I sling jo--impress me with a beatbox or breakdown--I'll make you coffee at Center Camp Cafe (and 1,000 other folks!)
Thursday 9-6pm:
I'm camp bitch of Spanky's village, bitch, and if you don't come (on the orgasmatron, the teeter totter of death, the chairway to heaven, or with a flight of wine), then I'll be your bitch too! (NOT REALLY). No, Yes, Seriously. I'm confused. Come visit. That's all I'm asking. heh
My ticket came in the mail today, I am listening to tangled path on dBM podcasts, wondering why my cd player is stuck as I have 50 cds to burn as playa gifts.....
LOVE LOVE LOVE!
~RamonaMayhem
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