Bill & Lisa

We have been camping since our marriage 23 years ago. From overnights in the car, tents, pop ups and now our TM, I've discovered the more you do beforehand, the better time you have while in the great outdoors. That's why we go camping in the first place!

Before a trip, I consider my weekly menu planning (okay, for those of us who do, it helps!). Whenever possible I try to cook double portions and either vacuume seal meals, can soups or stews, or pre-marinate meats so that the meal preparation on the road is minimal. Frozen items work well in the bottom of a cooler until you can use them. I keep the first 2 days' worth in the refer section or cooler to save freezer space, the rest in the freezer to save refer space.

Some of my favorites are:

Meat, veggie & tater foil packets for the grill. Add a dessert and you're done.
Try center cut pork chops, sliced onions, cubed apples w/skin, baby carrots, pumpkin pie spice and a little apple juice concentrate. Place in a double layer of heavy duty foil, seal. Freeze. Wash and dry a sweet potato. Coat in olive oil and sprinkle with a little cinnamon sugar. wrap in foil. Bake both either in the oven or on the grill. One meat packet per person, one potato packet per two people.
Try a whitefish, lemon peel, squash and zuccini, and a little pepper and paprika, squirt of orange juice. Serve with microwaveable rice.
Steak, monterey seasoning, onions, mushrooms, sliced bell pepper, and a dash of teryaki sauce. Make boiled new potatoes in butter and parsley.
Vary the ingredients to make your own favorites.

Lasagne--or any Italian main dish in vacuume packets. Boil in water or nuke. Add a salad.

Egg casserole--
Spray a disposable oven pan (the plastic kind) with pan spray. Cut bread into triangles and line the pan, making a crown of sorts around the edges. Add a mixture of cut cooked breakfast meats, leftover hash browns, whatever cooked vegetables (onion, bell pepper, celery, broccoli) you may like in an omlette, shredded cheese(s), spices to taste, and enough scrambled egg to hold it all together. Bake at home at 325 F. Let cool. (If feeding only a few, Cut into manageable portions) vacuume pack. Freeze. Microwave on site. Add fresh fruit or fruit coctail cups and you're done.

For younger kids--Scavenger hunt breakfast!
Gather your supplies: lunch bags, a stapler, individual portions of their favorite cereals, plastic bowls, spoons, napkins, a fruit cup or roll up, a granola bar, muffins, juice box, etc. Package the appropriate items, staple the bag shut, and hide in and around your TM just before the kids get up. Supply milk. I used this one for my scouts--when their breakdown was done, they got to look for breakfast. Older kids can eat their cereal and milk from zipper bags, but younger ones need a bowl.

Easy Canning Instructions:
For those of you who were never introduced to home canning, I have an easy way to make it work for you.
Purchase jars with lids from the grocery. Rinse the jars, lids and screw bands just before filling the jars. Place the lid portion into a bowl of the hottest tap water you have. Put whatever hot, liquid based meal (soups, stews, sauces, fruits or vegetables in juice, etc.) into the jar leaving the area that the band covers empty. Microwave the jar and it's contents until the jar is very hot to the touch, 2-4 minutes for 2 pint sized jars. Immediately add the lid and seal with the band. *Turn upside down on a dish towel for at least 10 minutes. This insures that the rubber portion of the lids will be hot enough to make a seal. After ten minutes, turn upright. The lids will "pop" down due to the vacuume created by the cooling product.* It may take a little while, so have patience. If any lids don't seal before the product cools, use these within a few days, or immediately boil them in a pot of water for 10-20 minutes. Repeat steps between**.

Eclairs: It's not a total make ahead, but it's great!
At home, make 8" long by 1" diameter foil hot dogs by crumpling and wrapping foil to the shape of a frankfurter. Make the outside as smooth as possible. Spray your frank with pan spray.
preheat your oven to 400 F. Wrap a flattened "Grands" biscuit around the frank being sure to leave one end open for the filling and sealing all other cracks. It is not necessary to completely cover the frankfurter form. Bake these "shells" on a cookie sheet until nicely browned.
At the site, mix up a small package of vanilla instant pudding in a zipper bag. Once mixed (usually by tossing the bag gently from one hand to the other--or person to the other) cut off 1/4 inch of one corner to create a piping bag. Remove the foil franks and fill the centers with pudding. Top each eclair with canned chocolate frosting. Enjoy.

ShisKebob

For this one, I pre cut, marinate, and vacuume pack meats and pre-cut the vegetables at home. I usually prepare this meal within the first 48 hours of camping due to the vegetable storage time. Soak your skewers in water if using bamboo, then assemble the kebobs to your liking. Grill. Add a packet of pre-cooked microwaveable rice and dinner's done.

Not so light Nachos
Use a quality ground beef, taco seasoning packet, drained and rinsed can of kidney beans, and a small can of tomato sauce. Brown the beef, drain the fat, then mix everything together and heat though. Can or vacuume pack the results. Pack up a small package of sour cream, a bag of shredded mexican cheeses, a small can of black olive slices, and a large bag of tortilla chips. On site, microvave the jar or bag. Place the chips on the bottom of each plate (or a clean garbage can lid!) add the meat mix, top with cheese and dollop with sour cream. Add olives if desired.