hmm... I'd guess "glop" arises more from onomatopoeia; the sound it makes when shovelled onto a plate?
(and speaking of trail food: couscous with as much squeeze margarine as it can absorb makes for a quick high calorie life sustaining glop; I was wondering more about the entire cookbook than this particular recipe)
EDIT: in non-trail food, I find it tough to beat rice & corn/hominy & beans for cheap and cheerful.
