Actual useful tip though. Heat gun, power drill, roto brush. One Milwaukee 5ah 18v battery with no charger was easily enough to get me through multiple waxings during a two week trip. Bonus the heat gun can easily be used for some (careful) boot warming in the morning or toe warming after a cold day.
Pre-workout type mix for a cheap caffeinated drink with lunch on the slopes.
Since we usually rent a condo or apartment with a kitchen, I put together spice blends in Ziplock so all I need to make some chili are meat beans and veggies. Here is the recipe passed down from my grandma. You can easily pack some apple cider vinegar in one of those 3oz generic travel bottles and get ketchup packets anywhere. For the honey you can just use some sugar or get honey packets at a coffee shop.
CINCINNATI FIVE WAY CHILI (serves 4+)
INGREDIENTS:
1 lb. ground beef or turkey
2 medium onions, chopped fine
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1 tsp black pepper
(premade spice mix)
1 TBS paprika
1 TBS chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp marjoram
1/2 tsp tumeric
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp mace
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 dry bay leaf, crumbled
1/2 oz unsweetened chocolate
1 cup tomato sauce
2 TBS ketchup
1 cup water
1 TBS red wine vinegar
1 tsp honey
DIRECTIONS:
1. Salt a large pot/cast iron skillet (use a pot/skillet with a lid).
2. Turn on heat to medium and add meat, onions and garlic.
3. Cook until all meat is browned.
4. Add tomato sauce, ketchup, water and vinegar.
5. As mixture begins to boil, add everything else.
6. Adjust spices to taste:
Salt to perk it up,
Tumeric and cumin for a sweatier chili flavor,
Cinnamon, cloves and mace for a sweeter sauce,
Cardamom for more bang, and
Chocolate for more body.
7. Cover and simmer over very low heat for about 1 hour, stirring and tasting occasionally, adding tomato juice if it is getting too dry to ladle up easily.
CONSTRUCTING THE CHILI:
8 oz thick spaghetti, cooked 1 lb Wisconsin Cheddar, grated fine
1 16 oz can red kidney beans, drained 2 onions, chopped
1. The bottom layer is always spaghetti, the thickest you can find, perciatelli - long thin macaroni works well. Add some butter to the noodles just before they are served. The noodles should be tender, but firm as they have to support the other layers. Spread them out evenly over the bottom of a small plate (preferably oval).
2. Ladle on the chili enough to cover the noodles.
3. Kidney beans. One 16 ounce can. Wash bean; heat with 2 cups water, then drain. Don't season them or do anything fancy, though. They're hear more for texture than taste. Spoon a sparse layer on top of the chili.
4. Chopped onions. Spread them out; to taste over the beans.
5. Quickly now so it melts a bit, spread the cheese to cover everything. Don't skimp. Cheese should completely blanket the plate, enough so that you pat it into a neat mound with your hands, just the way they do in Cincinnati.
* You may, if desired, omit either the beans or onions, or both, for Three-Way of four-Way Chili.
