Travel Menus

[barbszy]

We are planning our upcoming vacation. We're renting a beach house with a full kitchen so there will be at most one dinner eaten "out."

I like to bring as much as possible from home so I don't have to patronize the overpriced grocery store at the beach.

I have my menus from the past few years but I'm trying to come up with some good, new ideas. Also, we might be bringing a couple of the Big Kids' friends--who are a little pickier than my Big Kids.

2 meals are "set in stone"--chicken parmesan (for DH's birthday) and I will bring the chicken already cooked and the sauce already made. Just layer it up and bake.

The other will be spaghetti and meatballs.
I need to come up with 4 or 5 more dinners--and a week's worth of lunch!

[DeBora4BobbyL]

Some of the things that my family likes, especially my children are:
Quesadillas (cheese, chicken, or anything)
Flips
Sloppy Joes
Hamburger stroganoff
Chicken Cacciatore over spaghetti
Baked ziti

I hope these help. They sure are kid friendly.

[cat lover]

For your meats you can purchase at home and freeze them in meal size packages to transport them, same with fish.
Of course can goods will be easy.
Is there a place before you get to the beach house close enough but far enough away to get a good price on fresh fruits and vegetables? If so you could purchase those the first day going and they should keep about a week.
Do you have or want to fool with maybe homemade ice cream or sherbet? That could be a fun thing to do on vacation.

Here are some recipes maybe you could use for something a little different:

Grilled Southwestern Pasta Salad

8 oz multigrain or whole wheat penne
8 oz lean boneless sirloin steak
1/2 tsp each ground cumin, salt & pepper
3 medium poblano chile peppers, halved & seeded
1 ear fresh corn, husked
1 medium sweet onion, sliced 1/2" thick
Nonstick spray
2 large ripe tomatoes, cut in bitesize chunks
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup lime juice
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Cook pasta in a large pot of lightly salted water as package directs. Drain and rinse under cold water and drain again. Transfer to a large serving bowl.
Heat outdoor grill. Rub steak with 1/4 tsp each of the cumin, salt and pepper. Coat steak, peppers, corn and onion with nonstick spray.Grill steak 4 to 6 minutes turning once for medium rare. Remove to cutting board and let stand 5 minutes. Grill peppers, corn and onion 8 to 10 minutes turning as needed till lightly charred and tender.Cut peppers and onion into bite size pieces and cut corn off cob; add to bowl with pasta. Slice steak thinly against the grain and add to bowl.Add remaining cumin, salt and pepper and remaining ingredients to bowl and toss to mix and coat.Serves 4

Beer can Chicken

1 can (12 oz) beer
3 Tbsp of your favorite chicken seasoning or rub
One 4 to 4 1/2lb chicken, giblet packet removed
1 tbsp oil

To steady the chicken while grilling, crumple a 24"long piece of heavyduty foil and shape into a ring about 7" across. Heat outdoor grill to medium for indirect grilling. Open beer can, pour out about 1/4 cup and poke 2 holes in top using a church key type opener. Rub 1 tbsp seasoning blend inside chicken cavity. Brush chicken with oil and sprinkle with rest of seasoning. Hold chicken upright and lower cavity onto beer can. Pull legs forward to form a tripod so bird stands upright. Tuck wing tips behind back.Place foil ring on grill away from direct heat and stand chicken in ring. Cover grill and cook 1 1/4 hours or til a meat thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh, not touching bone, registers 165 degrees. Remove chicken in upright position to cutting board. Let stand 10 minutes. Carefully lift chicken off can, taking care not to spill hot beer. Carve chicken. Serves 6


Chinese Supper Skillet

1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cans (10 3/4 oz each) condensed golden mushroom soup
1/2 can water
1 can (16 oz) chinese vegetables, drained
1 cup quick cooking rice, uncooked
1 tsp soy sauce

In a skillet brown the beef and cook onion till tender. Stir to separate meat and pour off fat. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat andcook 10 minutes or till rice is tender. Stir often. Makes about 6 cups.

Zucchini Corn Skillet

1/4 cup margarine
4 medium zucchini, sliced
1 large onion, chopped
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tsap leaf oregano, crumbled
2 cans (12 oz each) Mexican style whole kernel corn

Melt margarine in a large skillet and stir in zucchini and onion; sprinkle with pepper and oregano. Saute stirring several times, about 15 minutes and push to one side. Add corn to pan and simmer 15 minutes or till flavors mix.

Some more ideas:


Ham & Cheese Casserole
Chili
Apple & Cinnamon Pancakes
Jambalaya
Skillet Lasagna
Tuna Noodle Casserole
For potato dishes you can buy boxed scalloped, au gratin & hash brown mixes
Chef Salad for lunches
A large amount of lunch meats and cheeses for make your own sandwiches(you can prepare a large container of lettuce, tomatoes, onions & such for use in sandwiches that will last a few days)
Combination breakfast- potaotes sliced, bacon, onion, shredded cheese, & eggs
Cooked beans with bell peppers, onions and smoked sausage
Chicken & Rice

[barbszy]

I am loving all the ideas especially lunch ideas! I'm bad about that one and having a better lunch plan will help a lot.

DH wants to go out to dinner for his birthday.

Probably these will be the other dinners (subject to change)

Spaghetti & meatballs
Pot roast, noodles & gravy, vegetable (I'll be bringing one of my Nesco roasters with me so I can slow cook the pot roast as well as make the next meal without a baking pan)
Chicken Swiss Melt, rice and vegetable (also done in the Nesco as there are never baking pans available)
Skillet Taco, vegetable (hot dogs as an "alternate" for picky people, and I will have the ground beef precooked before we even go on vacation so this will be super quick)
Spanish Garlic Shrimp, rice
Paula Deen's sesame chicken fingers, french fries and vegetable (chicken will be frozen with the marinade so I just have to defrost, bread, and bake)

[cat lover]

Still need more lunch ideas?

[cat lover]

How about some pasta salads for lunches? Whatever pasta you desire with various meats in them: ham, pepperoni, etc. You can add sliced zucchini, yellow squash, onions, grape tomatoes etc. Toss with french or ranch dresing.

[barbszy]

MMM, that sounds GOOD!

[ajrsmom]

I am loving all the ideas especially lunch ideas! I'm bad about that one and having a better lunch plan will help a lot.

DH wants to go out to dinner for his birthday.

Probably these will be the other dinners (subject to change)

Spaghetti & meatballs
Pot roast, noodles & gravy, vegetable (I'll be bringing one of my Nesco roasters with me so I can slow cook the pot roast as well as make the next meal without a baking pan)
Chicken Swiss Melt, rice and vegetable (also done in the Nesco as there are never baking pans available)
Skillet Taco, vegetable (hot dogs as an "alternate" for picky people, and I will have the ground beef precooked before we even go on vacation so this will be super quick)
Spanish Garlic Shrimp, rice
Paula Deen's sesame chicken fingers, french fries and vegetable (chicken will be frozen with the marinade so I just have to defrost, bread, and bake)

Sounds like a great week!

Just curious, if you don't take a baking pan, how will you cook the fries? Deep fry?

[barbszy]

Tami, I will have to take a cookie sheet. But that is easy to pack as it's flat. I don't want to have to take a bunch of casserole dishes; if I bring the Nesco I can cook right in it.

[barbszy]

:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:
Last night I made Spanish Garlic Shrimp. I figured I'd get ahead for vacation and make a triple batch of the sauce and freeze 2/3 of it (since we are planning for guests). So I got that all done and put the container in the freezer in the kitchen, meaning to take it downstairs to the big freezer after we ate.

DH opened the freezer to get one of those "freezie mugs" for his drink, and knocked the sauce container over. ALL OVER the kitchen floor!

So I will have to start over on getting ahead. :mad:

[cat lover]

Oh no!!! Hope you have it remade now and in a "safe" place! LOL Just hate it when you try to "get ahead" and something spoils it.

[barbszy]

I plan on doing that today while I am starting dinner. I'll be browning the ground beef for the Taco Skillet, making marinade for the Sesame Chicken Strips and making the sauce for Garlic Shrimp. Then I will take it ALL right downstairs to the big freezer before any more disasters happen! LOL!

[ajrsmom]

:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:
Last night I made Spanish Garlic Shrimp. I figured I'd get ahead for vacation and make a triple batch of the sauce and freeze 2/3 of it (since we are planning for guests). So I got that all done and put the container in the freezer in the kitchen, meaning to take it downstairs to the big freezer after we ate.

DH opened the freezer to get one of those "freezie mugs" for his drink, and knocked the sauce container over. ALL OVER the kitchen floor!

So I will have to start over on getting ahead. :mad:


Oh no!! Boy I bet that was fun to clean up.

I hope that you got caught up on things today!

[DeBora4BobbyL]

:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:
Last night I made Spanish Garlic Shrimp. I figured I'd get ahead for vacation and make a triple batch of the sauce and freeze 2/3 of it (since we are planning for guests). So I got that all done and put the container in the freezer in the kitchen, meaning to take it downstairs to the big freezer after we ate.

DH opened the freezer to get one of those "freezie mugs" for his drink, and knocked the sauce container over. ALL OVER the kitchen floor!

So I will have to start over on getting ahead. :mad:

I say to blame Mr Poo Poo! lol I bet you were mumbling under your breath.

[cat lover]

Here's a recipe you can use for any meal really that can be an easy take along!

Bacon, Egg & Corn Pancakes

Real bacon bits equal to 4 slices bacon
1 hard boiled egg, chopped
1 cup whole kernel corn
1 egg
1 1/4 cups milk
2 tbsp oil
1 pkg, (12 oz) corn muffin mix

MIx all ingredients together and spoon onto hot griddle greased with oil and brown on both sides. Serve with butter and syrup. Makes about 2 dozen 3 1/2" pancakes.

[barbszy]

DeBora, there was no MUMBLING going on. There was actual YELLING. Maybe even a little SWEARING ;)

I made the sauce again today, along with the marinade and cooking the ground beef. They are all in the fridge, safely, ready to freeze. Big DS kept trying to pinch some of the meat :rolleyes:

[DeBora4BobbyL]

Barb, I suspected that you were swearing, but I wasn't going to say anything. lol

Our party went well. The kids had a blast. There was only one problem with some lady who wasn't watching her 5 yr old DS, who was playing at the park. One of the 11 yr old girls at the party was helping the little guy on the teeter-totter when he fell on the sand. Christina, the 11 yr old, is very sensitive and loving with little children. All this mother knew was that her precious baby was crying and she assumed that the older child hurt him. I but my tongue since it was my DGSs birthday. The father of the 11 yr old, asked the mother why she wasn't watching her DS? Then, he turned and ignored her ranting. I noticed that Christina was in tears, so I comforted her. I told her that sometimes adults over-react when their children are crying and that I was sorry. I gave her a big hug. One thing that I can say about my DD's friend's kids is that they are so well behaved. The live just down the street from where I live, ironically. Of course, we all live in the boonies. I just cannot believe there isn't cable or Internet out here with the amount of people that live out here. Oh well.

We have SO many errands to run tomorrow in Odessa. Then, we have to take some things to DHs brother in Iraan before we can go home. I will be so glad to be back home for the few days that I have. I plan on coming here either Saturday or Sunday since School starts on Monday as well as my new job.

I forgot to share. I got a call from the university with an assitantship offer. I like this job offer better because it have fewer hours and it will work around my school schedule. I work 19.5 hours per day. I get a pay and a scholarship. The lady said on the phone that the scholarship was $5,000 but I noticed on the phone that she said $500. So, I will talk to her later about which one I misunderstood. The pay is $4,000 per semester.