Easy Camping Food

We just got back from a month-long road trip to Alaska. Because we were using our mini-van as our very own RV, I was determined to keep costs and supplies low.  My hubby built a raised bed for the back of the van and we stored everything we needed in bins underneath or in storage bins on a hitch rack. It was awesome!

Because we were on vacation, I also wanted to keep cooking/clean-up to a minimum. The only cooking supplies we brought was our backpacking stove, backpacking mess kit and a coffee pot for boiling water. That was it.

Did I also mention that I HATE doing dishes? So, not washing out nasty pots and pans was not an option.

I adore my boil in bag cooking method for camping but we didn't have cooler space for that much food. (It works better for shorter trips)

What to do???

Backpacking food...

Thankfully, Pinterest had lots of ideas for homemade backpacking meals that were easy to make and only needed boiling water.

I tried 9 different recipes (from various blogs or made up myself). It took a while to put them all together but it was totally worth it!

All we needed to do was boil some water, pour it in the bag, seal it up and wait 10 minutes. That was it!

Most of them were rice and chicken variations. It did get a little old after a while. We also found that the recipes were way too much for just one person. So we added some side dishes (like fruit cups and/or bread and dessert) and just shared.

I'm posting links to the recipes we liked at the bottom of this post.

The ones that used pasta just didn't work. I used some rice noodles and some more expensive fancy pasta that cooked quickly, but neither really worked. The pasta never got done. In order to make them work, I had to add water and then boil the bag in water. It took a lot more time (and water) and never was really that great. The Korean beef noodles using ramen, were our exception. They were pretty tasty and worth the extra effort on the road.

For breakfast, I made up individual servings of my homemade instant oatmeal in pint-sized freezer zipper bags. Just pour in boiling water, stir and eat. So easy and so much better than the store bought stuff!

I had also brought some canned veggies, instant potatoes and heat and serve meats. All I did was use freezer zipper bags to heat things in a pot of boiling water. Worked GREAT! No clean up!

I know I said I hate doing dishes but we didn't want to use disposable tableware that took up space and makes for tons of garbage. So, I did have to wash our plates, bowls and silverware after every meal. But that was it.

Easy peasy!

Recipe Links:

Fried Rice

Fiesta Rice

Curry Rice

Apricot Cous Cous

Cranberry Chicken Stuffing

Korean Beef & Noodles

Soft Boiled Eggs

All the beautiful sunny mornings the past week have meant more eggs from the hens and more motivation in the mornings for me. I also “found” my breakfast set. So one morning, when all the guys were gone, I decided to make myself a soft boiled egg for breakfast.

I grabbed my 1950s copy of Better Homes and Gardens and a couple of eggs and went to work.

A soft boiled egg only needs to “cook” for 2-4 minutes. Just enough time to make some toast while they cook. I set my timer and popped a couple of pieces of bread in the toaster.

You know how you sometimes get distracted while cooking? Well, I didn’t notice how long the 3-minute sand timer was taking… the sand had stopped at about where the picture shows it. Oops!

Needless to say, my egg was more hard boiled than soft boiled. :o(

Take two: 2 and a half minutes were not enough and the white wasn’t cooked. Ewww!

Take three: 3 minutes is the perfect soft boiled egg.

Unfortunately, by this time my milk was warm and the toast was very cold. Fortunately, we get about 5 eggs a day! :o)

I’ll be having these more often from now on!

Here’s the trick to the perfect soft boiled eggs (using my eggs and my stove)…  ;o)

Cover 1-2 eggs with cold water in small saucepan.

Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat.

Cover. Remove from heat. Let sit for 3 minutes.

Run egg until cold water for 5-10 seconds.

Gently tap around narrow end of the egg with a butter knife to break the shell. Remove top and any broken shell.

Serve with strips of buttered toast.

Fancy Salts

For my birthday, my friend Kate gave me a whole bag full of fancy salts. My brain immediately thought “salted caramels” but I know I need to expand my repertoire. But that required a bit of research on the Salt Works website.

Here’s a bit about what I learned about the salts in my birthday bag…

Alaea: has a bit of Hawaiian red clay in it. Is used for roasting or grilling meat and in traditional Hawaiian dishes like Kalua Pig and Hawaiian jerky and poke.

Salish: alderwood smoked salt used by PNW native Americans to smoke salmon and other meats

Mediterranean: harvested in the south of Italy. Has a mild flavor and bright white color.

Murray River: comes from the Murray River in Australia. This flaky pink salt gets its color from carotene, a salt tolerant algae. Best as a finishing salt.

Fumee De Sel: this salt is smoked with wood from Chardonnay oak wine barrels. This salt has a unique flavor that can be used in many different ways.

Cyprus Flake: light and fluffy and used to garnish fish or vegetable dishes or in baking.

Himalayan Pink: one of the purest salts on earth mined deep in the Himalayan Mountains, this has both healing and nutritional properties. Use to rim drink glasses or rub into meats or vegetables for grilling or roasting.

Hiwa Kai: this dark black salt gets its color from activated charcoal. Evaporated in the sun, it has numerous health benefits. For finishing, salads, meats and seafood.

Sel Gris: also known as gray salt. This salt has a high moisture content and a gray color from the clay in the salt ponds. It is great for cooking or baking. Grind it fine to sprinkle on nuts or popcorn.

I promise to use them on more than just caramels… ;o)

More Biscoff Cookies

The great thing about Biscoff spread is you can use it in just about any recipe that you would use peanut butter or Nutella in.

I know, these are more suggestions than recipes… but they are good suggestions! ;o) You really should try ‘em!

I used it in some no-bake’s…

And in some peanut butter cookies, too!

These little babies were fantastic warm from the oven! But then what cookie isn’t???

Someday, I’ll try some other peanut butter recipes with Biscoff… if only there weren’t so many recipe to try someday! ;o) 

Cream of (fill in the blank) Soup

I may have never actually tried this if I hadn’t had such a need for a can of cream of chicken soup and such an aversion to going out to the store two days before Christmas.

I have seen quite a few recipes for this lately, but just didn’t see a need for making it when it is so handy to just pop open a can. I was wrong! Not only is it super quick and easy to make, but is WAY tastier than any glop of cream soup you buy in the store! I don’t know if I’ll ever go back???

So here’s the recipe I chose to try from Sweet Anna’s…

3/4 cup chicken stock (I used Better than Bouillon)

3/4 cup milk, divided

1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon onion powder (I didn’t have any and it was still good)

1/8 teaspoon paprika

salt & pepper

1/3 cup + 2 Tablespoons flour

Bring the chicken stock, 1/4 cup milk, and spices to a boil over high heat.

*Add chopped sautéed mushrooms or celery for different varieties of soups.

Whisk together the remaining 1/2 cup milk and the flour until smooth.

Whisk the flour mixture into the boiling stock and continue to whisk and stir until it is thick. This won’t take long, by the way…

Use right away or store in fridge to use later.

Perfect Pumpkin Pie Spice

I love the spicy smell of pumpkin pie! Instead of buying pre-made pumpkin pie spice, I made my own. And to make it even better I added orange zest! It makes all my fall pumpkin desserts taste even yummier! And they smell… Mmmmm!!!

First dry the zest to two oranges in your oven on the lowest temp or in your food dehydrator, until dry. Be sure to zest your oranges right onto the tray you will dry on to get all of the lovely orange oil flavor.

Mix:

3 Tablespoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground ginger

2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves

dried zest from two oranges

Place them in a jar and use in your favorite pumpkin recipes.

Pie Pumpkins

I have been drooling over the pumpkin recipes floating around the internet and aghast at the price of canned pumpkin at the grocery store. Thank goodness our local produce stand had lovely sugar pie pumpkins! I bought six of them…

Here’s all you need to do to have “better than canned” pumpkin for all your favorite fall recipes:

Wash a pie pumpkin (not a carving pumpkin).

Place it in your oven at 350.

Prick them with a fork every 30 minutes until they are tender.

Remove from oven. They will have turned this gorgeous brownish-orange color!

Pop off the stems.

Cut the pumpkin in half. Scrape out the seeds and “guts”.

Scoop out the pulp with a spoon.

Let pulp cool in fridge. Then puree in food processor.

Measure into 1-2 cup portions and place in freezer bags.

Use in your favorite pumpkin recipes!

Boil In Bag Cooking

I first learned about this magical way of cooking two years ago while camping on an island in the Columbia River. A very nice pair of gentlemen with a charter kayak trip brought us some leftover lasagna that they cooked right there on the beach in a pot of boiling water. I was intrigued!

But when my friend Kate actually did it in real life on a camping trip last month I decided I had to give it a try. And I knew that Creation Fest NW was the perfect place to try it! With all five of us working, concerts and speakers all day long, three extra teens tagging along; it was just the place for cooking hot and hearty food with only boiling water.

I have to warn you that it is a whole lot of work ahead of time but it all pays off when you are relaxing and enjoying your meal.

First make out your menu. Our options included chicken curry, rice, pulled pork, chili, pancakes (yes, pancakes), sausages, corn on the cob (packed raw), bacon, hot dogs, baked beans, chicken pesto alfredo, meatball and marinara pasta, taco meat, refried beans.

Then cook all the dishes making sure you undercook things such as vegetables and pastas.

After the food is cooked, chill it thoroughly. Then place it in ziplock freezer bags, making sure that the food is no more than 2 inches thick.

Freeze until solid. Remove from bags, place into vacuum seal bags and seal. Do not remove all the air in the bag when sealing rice in the bags.

Refreeze the food in the vacuum-seal bags until needed.

All you need to do when it comes time to eat is boil a large pot of water. Be sure to allow enough water to cover the bags of food. I used my canning pot.

After the water boils, drop in the bags and cover with a lid. Return to a boil and boil 10-25 minutes, or until heated through. Frozen or bulky foods take longer to heat than others.

Halfway through cooking time, flip bags upside down with a pair of tongs. (I forgot to bring tongs, so I know just how necessary they are!)

When the food is done, remove bags from tongs. I placed them in a second empty pot and cut the tops off each bag. Throw in a serving spoon and your done!

Boiled pancakes taste better than you’d expect!

After eating I used a bit of the hot cooking water to wash up the serving utensils! Couldn’t have been any easier!

Just a note: Someone asked if I had any tips after doing this for an entire week. Yup, I do. Don't cook potatoes or carrots ahead of time. I think after 25 minutes of boiling they'll be just fine.

Raw corn on the cob only needs to boil about 10 minutes, same for baked beans.

Don't pack too much into a bag at once.

Don't forget tongs! It's really hard to get those puppies out with your fingers! Ouch!!!

Buy Rival brand bags. They are a much better bargain!

Bring scissors to open the bags with after they are done. Cut the tops off pretty close to the level of the food to make serving easier and less messy.

Be creative! You might be surprised at what you can boil in a bag???

Menu Planning

I often wonder how much of our day we waste in asking ourselves and deciding on “What’s for dinner?” And how much frivolous money do we spend because we often don’t know or don’t have what we need to make what we want for dinner?

About 16 years ago (yes, about the time our second son came along) I decided that whatever amount of time I was spending on it was too much. I didn’t have that kind of time or money to waste. So I started a menu.

This plan is much easier to do in 1-2 week segments. More than that gets a bit overwhelming!

I just write down all the days and meals on a piece of paper and then start filling in the blanks. I always keep in mind our calendar; simple breakfasts on busy mornings, crock pot meals on crazy days, homemade bread on the rare days that I’m home… I also always buy one or two frozen convenience meal for those “I didn’t see that coming” days.

I also make a note of desserts and snacks that I want to make.

I try to incorporate any items (especially meats) that may be on sale that week into the menu.

Sometimes it is hard to think of that many meals. Sometimes I am just not inspired. While it is a BAD idea to grocery shop while hungry, it is MUCH easier to write your menu when you are hungry. There are weeks when I skip a meal, knowing I have to plan our menu later in the day. :o) I also keep a running list of ideas for menu items: recipes I read on my Google Reader or find on FB, things I have a craving for, meals the guys request…

Then I make the shopping list, including any items I need to make the meals on the menu, my convenience foods, any killer deals that I just can’t pass up that may be on sale that week, and of course any staples that we have run out of.

The hardest part of menu planning for me is writing it on the menu every morning. I started doing this to avoid the nearly constant question of “What are we having for….?” It really did work! Eventually they did learn that they could just look at the menu and see what we were eating that day. It helped that I refused to answer and instead just pointed at the menu until they got the hint and went to look. :o)

It may be a little more time and effort in the planning stages but the time you save on a daily basis is well worth it!

Happy menuing!

Superfine Sugar

There are certain times that it is beneficial to have superfine sugar. It’s just so fine and dissolves so nicely. Unfortunately, it is also fairly spendy. Then I remembered something I read once… You can make your own superfine sugar in a food processor.

So, I gave it a try and it works!

All you do is put about 1 cup of sugar at a time in the food processor and pulse on high until fine.

  Superfine on left, granulated on right

Store in airtight container.

Hotel Home Cookin’ (Part 1)

For Christmas this year, we gave our boys a trip to Disneyland for 6 days! This meant driving straight down and staying in a hotel for 7 nights. We have 3 teenage sons and they can EAT!!! I did a bit of figuring and deduced that even if we averaged only $8 per meal eating out (and that’s being really frugal), food alone would be $720!!! Yeah, not on our budget…

Thankfully I was struck with a revolutionary solution: my crock pot! Every hotel room has an outlet and I have a crock pot. Perfect!

Now this plan works even better if the room also has a microwave and a mini fridge. It also is much simpler for shorter stays. A week is probably about the limit, although you could shop while on vacation if necessary.

Here’s a summary of the plan. Eat simple, quick breakfasts and lunches. After lunch, line your crock pot with a slow cooker liner (Reynold’s makes them), pop in your supper, turn it on (use high or low heat depending on how long you will be gone and how frozen your food is when you put it in), and come back to a hot supper with no cooking!

When planning your menu, remember that simpler is better. Also keep in mind what will freeze well and can be reheated in a crock pot (mashed potatoes, for instance, are not a good idea). The fewer things that need to be kept cold, the better. Be sure to plan to eat things that will spoil sooner right away.

If budget allows, treat yourself to at least one meal out. After all, you’ve done all this work and you deserve it! :o) I would recommend waiting until your last day to do this unless you have a really hectic day in the schedule or you are really self-disciplined. I found it really hard to go back to eating out of paper plates while sitting on the end of the bed once I’d eaten out. LOL

This is what our menu for the 6 days looked like: (the items in pink are linked to recipes I like)

Day 1

Breakfast- yogurt, granola, quick bread, fruit, juice, milk

Lunch- bagels with turkey & cheese, chips and fruit

Dinner- turkey rice soup, rolls and salad

Day 2

Breakfast- cereal, quick bread, fruit, juice, milk

Lunch- cup o noodle soup, crackers and fruit

Dinner- chili, corn muffins and fruit salad

Day 3

Breakfast- instant oatmeal, quick bread, fruit, juice, milk

Lunch- PB sandwiches, chips, and fruit

Dinner- BBQs, baked beans, corn and chips

Day 4

Breakfast- yogurt, granola, quick bread, fruit, juice, milk

Lunch- bagels with cream cheese, chips and fruit

Dinner- tacos, Spanish rice, tortilla chips and fruit

Day 5

Breakfast- cereal, quick bread, fruit, juice, milk

Lunch- cup o noodle soup, crackers and fruit

Dinner- hot dogs, baked beans, chips and fruit

Day 6

Breakfast- instant oatmeal, quick bread, fruit, juice, milk

Lunch- PB sandwiches, chips, and fruit

Dinner- Eating out

 

Don’t forget about snacks and desserts! This will also save you from spending money on junk food while you’re out for the day.

If you are going to be gone for only a couple of days, homemade treats are great! Be sure to individually wrap them for easy eating on the road and while at the hotel. If you know you will just be eating them in the room, you can place them in zipper bags or containers.

If you are going to be gone for several days, you may want to consider bringing some store bought treats/snacks/desserts for later in the week.

Some of our favorite treats were brownies, popcorn, little bags of pretzels, dried fruits, small bags of trail mix, nuts, candies, and granola bars (this recipe is by far our favorite!).

Hotel Home Cookin’ (Part 3)

Now that you’ve arrived. There are a few more things to do.

First, unpack any items that you want to keep extra cold into a fridge (if you have one).

You will also want to take out whatever you want to eat that evening or the next evening. Thaw it in the cooler or fridge. Frozen food doesn’t do well. If it’s mostly thawed it’s best!

I like having an electric tea kettle to boil water for soup or oatmeal. The microwave works but is pretty slow… You can also use it for coffee or tea in the morning.

Some days you may want to take snacks or lunch with you and not return to the room in the afternoon. If you are packing things that can be smashed or crushed, place them in a plastic container with a lid to put in your back pack or bag. This works great for pb & j sandwiches, too!

Don’t forget to bring drinks (preferably bottled water) whenever you leave the room!

I recommend starting your dinner in the crock pot when you go back to the room for lunch. This could present a challenge if you are not planning on going back to the room for lunch, but are bringing it with you instead.

If my dinner was still slightly thawed, I would put the crock pot on high. If it was completely thawed or was going to be heating for a long time, I set it to low.

Coming back to the lovely smell of a hot home cooked meal is so nice after a fun and busy day!

Wash any dirtied dishes as soon as your meal is done. If you’ve brought mostly disposable, it shouldn’t take long and they will be SO MUCH easier than if you let them sit.

Enjoy all your work and just think about all the money you saved!

If you have any questions or have any great tips to share, please post them in a comment!

Hotel Home Cookin’ (Part 2)

Now that you’ve decided to take the challenge and have your menu planned, you’re on to the next step. It’s now time to make a list of all the food you will need to make all the pre-cooked items on your menu. You are also going to need quite a few freezer bags of various sizes. Do all of this a week or two before you leave. You’re going to put it all in the freezer until you leave.

Make all of your items, being sure to slightly undercook things that will get mushy when reheating (ie pasta, veggies…) Let them cool in fridge. Place them in freezer bags, laying them flat so as to take up less space in the cooler and/or fridge.

If you have soups on the menu, pour the cooled soup into a plastic bowl or container. Place soup in freezer until solid. Remove from container and place into freezer bag. You don’t want the soup to leak. 

Pre-slice any homemade bread, pre-grate cheese (if you aren’t already buying grated cheese, which I would recommend) and individually wrap or bag things if desired. The less work you do at the hotel, the fewer things you’ll have to bring along and the more you’ll enjoy yourself.

Anything that you want to make but cannot freeze you will want to make as close to the time that you leave as possible. You also may not want to freeze whatever you are going to eat that first evening.

If you are going to be gone several days, consider buying pre-made things that will stay fresh longer. Having things that you’ve made get stale and/or spoil stinks!

Now make a shopping list of all the food you want to bring along. Depending on your car space, you may want to do some of the shopping once you arrive.

Also be sure to make a list of all the other things you will need for eating in a hotel. This will possibly be a lengthy list.

Here are some things you do not want to forget… (You will probably think of more)

crock pot, liners, serving spoons, can opener, electric tea kettle, small cutting board, sharp knife, sponge, dish soap, towels, serving bowl, 1 or 2 plastic containers with lid, napkins, plates, cups, bowls, spoons, forks, knives.

I would also recommend using disposable napkins, plates, cups, bowls and silverware. You want to keep doing dishes in a hotel bathroom sink to a minimum. You are on vacation… :o)

Also, juices in boxes or pouches are much better than jugs. They are less messy and portable. If you drink soda, bringing your own will save money. The same for coffee. I would also recommend bringing individual disposable water bottles. Losing an expensive water bottle while on vacation isn’t fun! Just remember to bring a Sharpie for writing names on them!

You are now ready to pack!

Place all cold foods in a cooler with ice. Make your ice with jugs of drinking water (not old milk jugs). Be sure to pour a bit out before freezing to allow for expansion. This will also make good drinking water later as the ice thaws.

You may want to take out whatever you are going to eat the first night so it will be thawed when you arrive. You may also need to think of a non-crock pot meal if you are going to arrive at your destination late in the day. Crock pots need a few hours to cook.

All your frozen food should get packed tightly in its own cooler and topped with about 20 pounds of dry ice wrapped in paper bags. This should keep it frozen for about 3 days. You may want to buy more or just let it thaw in a cooler with ice.

And you’re off!!!

Christmas Baking

I always do my Christmas baking the week before Thanksgiving. That way we can enjoy our tradition of eating Christmas cookies and reading the Christmas story from Luke in the candle/tree light the day after Thanksgiving. It also makes holiday parties and entertaining WAY less stressful and WAY more enjoyable! And they freeze up great and are always ready (even last minute)!

We have the ones we make every year and then we try to add a new one every year, too. Here’s the list along with the links to the recipes…

#1- Thumbprints: These cookies remind me of my grandma and is a great way to use that mint jelly I made.

#2- Orange Biscotti: Dipped or drizzled with dark chocolate, these are the best dunked in a cup of coffee or cocoa!

#3- Gingerbread: The boys always help decorate these and they turn out different every year.

#4- Mexican Wedding Cakes:  We called these Russian Teacakes growing up.

#5- Chocolate-dipped chocolate chip:  Chris’ favorite cookies are chocolate chip. So I make these just for him… Well, he does have to share. :o)

#6- Cookie stamp cookies:  I took a class and made these cookie stamps when I was pregnant with Andy and we’ve used them every year since.

#7- Cranberry orange nut bread: This was my great grandma’s recipe and it is delicious and a holiday must!

  #8- See’s Fudge:  This is foolproof recipe that is so good either plain or with mini marshmallows (nuts optional).

#9- Eggnog Cookie Logs:  This is the new one for this year. My friend Annalise posted it on her blog and we’re going to try it!