Hello!
Is spring getting your allergies stirred up? They sure are here.
I wanted to share some ideas of how I cook, or keep, our meals as close to what we eat at home when we travel. Not so much for allergies, but for budget and the comfort of home cooked food.
Don't get me wrong, we eat out. We have date night twice a month that one is at a nice restaurant and one is what we all "low on fundage" restaurant.
This past week we made a trip out of town for 4 days and stayed in a hotel. The hotel room had what they called a 'wet bar' that had a long counter with a small sink, a micro and a mini refrigerator.
This was ideal for meals. I don't have a microwave at home, so it was a bit of a learning curve.
When we go out of town, whether for camping or a mini trip like this one for 4 days, I always get a plain notebook paper and write out the days with B, L, D and S for snacks. Like this:
Then I write in what we usually eat on a normal weekly menu and decide if I want to prepare that, pre-cook, or change to a simpler version of it. Such as I make my own turkey breakfast sausage and have done so for 20 yrs. Sometimes we pre-cook them and freeze them to take, sometimes I buy cooked chicken sausage. This is the point when I choose to plan that.
Each meal we eat a meat, starch and vegi or 2. I often eat two because I feel better with that.
When I plan out what we usually eat and make changes for simplifying it helps to keep my peacefulness while away from home. Then I take a separate paper and write out what needs prepped or cooked then plug that into my weekly planning.
I prep for a trip at least 2 weeks ahead, with 1 week before being the week to make sure I have everything and the last few days are the cooking etc. I pace out everything as I don't have the energy I used to when I was younger, this way I can still keep up with household tasks that need done through the week.
After I have everything and the day arrives, I keep out lunch and put it on the top of the cooler.
I also have my 'kitchen box' that has the following items (usually) unless I am in the camper. The camper has a kitchen that has the same items at home, easy peasy for me.
My kitchen box: small bottle of dish soap, plastic scrapper, dishcloth, hand towel, drying towel, paper towels, salt & pepper, toothpicks, lighter, spatula, cooking fork, spoon or 2, a small pairing knife that can be used for all sorts of things, a mini candle (I light them at each dinner to remind us that Christ is the light of our life), a sauce pan, and a skillet - usually my cast iron. Oh, oil. A couple extra baggies or plastic containers for leftovers, and sleeve stays. I don't like my sleeves sliding down when I am cooking and focused.
Often the hotels don't have a kitchen so I set up one. Like this:
This is an electric low volt 2 burner that travels with us when we are in a hotel. I also have a little basket of teas I bring, since we use herbal teas for a variety of things, and the kettle.
This trip, my husband giggled when he saw I packed my apron. :-) My apron is a signal to my brain "I'm working, need to focus". Really, it's because I'm so good at getting things on my clothes and my trusty apron cuts down on my laundry.
I am careful to not but things down the drain, that would not be a good steward of the hotels resources.
I have also learned that anything which may smoke and cause the hotel room to get smokey, sending both of us to open windows and doors and fan the detectors with towels is a no go for planning meals.
Once. Only once did that happen. I never bring things now that will heat and get smokey. Whew!
I hope this sharing gives ideas of how you can travel and still eat well, and much cheaper than eating out all the time.
We did eat at Cracker Barrel one day for lunch with friends. eh. I like my cooking, but the company was worth it.
Blessings,
Dee
