Simple Weekend Camping Menu

We recently had the chance to try family camping again - this time, building on the failures things we learned from our last trip by bringing the toddler's potty, packing extra snacks, and just having the Little Lady sleep in her car seat instead of a pack-n-play.

We went to the White Mountains in New Hampshire and camped at the Passaconaway Campground along the Kancamagus Highway (folks here call it "The Kanc").  I know, that was a lot of terminology right there.  Maybe I should rewrite that sentence and say, We went to the mountains up north and camped along a scenic highway at a campground with really great tent sites.  There.  That wasn't quite so jargony.

Anyways.  The weather was beautiful (except for one rainy afternoon, perfect for a nap) and the mountain scenery was refreshing to our souls.  We relished the waterfalls, creeks, gorges, and puddles, and put up with a lot of Harleys (of course we would happen upon this natural gem during bike week).

Swift River at Passaconaway Campground

Instead of posting a recipe from the weekend (because, unless you're planning on cooking dinner over open flame, what would that do for you?), I'm going to share our basic camping menu, along with the list of ingredients I packed for the long weekend.

I'm sharing this because I always wondered how people knew what to pack to eat while camping, until I started thinking it through myself.

Here goes ...
Friday supper: tortellini pasta with olive oil and herbes de provence (cooked on the camping stove)
Saturday breakfast: sausage links, eggs, toast (fried bread, really ... it was delightful!) (cooked on the iron skillet on the fire)
Saturday lunch: summer sausage and cheese (no cooking)
Saturday supper: bratwurst, seasoned potatoes, and bread (cooked on the iron skillet on the fire)
Sunday breakfast: pancakes, leftover sausage links (cooked on the iron skillet on the fire)
Sunday lunch: chicken salad on bread (no cooking)
Sunday supper: foil packets - meat, potatoes, carrots, and onions with herbs and butter wrapped in foil  (cooked in hot coals)
Monday breakfast: eggs, leftover meat and potatoes from foil packets, bread (cooked on the iron skillet on the fire)

What went into the cooler:
milk and cream (for coffee and for pancake mix)
butter (for toast and for foil packets)
meat for foil packets - I had about half a pound of leftover roast, but we've also done foil packets with ground beef
sausage links
bratwurst
summer sausage
8 oz. block of cheddar cheese
1 dozen eggs
chicken salad (already made)

What went into the dry goods box:
package of tortellini
olive oil
vegetable oil
hot chocolate
coffee
pancake mix
potatoes, onions, and carrots
salt and pepper, herbes de provence
peanut butter
trail mix, crackers, pretzels, and stuff for smores
mustard
brown sugar, raisins, and oatmeal (in case we needed a quick meal in a pinch)
bread
sugar for coffee

seasoned potatoes

I've found that when preparing food for a camping trip, it's helpful to think through meals with overlapping foods.  We ate potatoes a few times by just cooking extras at one meal, and keeping the leftovers in the cooler to be reheated for the next meal.  Lunch plans were easy with picnics that required no prep or cooking (we carried a small knife and tiny cutting board with us on our hikes, so we could slice up our food when we were ready for it).  Also, envisioning what you're going to be feeling like before preparing the meal will help - are you just going to be pulling in to the campsite?  Will you have returned from a long hike?  Who else can help you prep the meal?  Thinking through the timing of other plans may help avoid meltdowns (from the kids or yourself).

I would love to have some reader feedback regarding meal planning for camping trips.  I am such a newbie at this, and appreciate any and every idea.  Please leave a comment if you can with your tips for menus while you're enjoying the outdoors with friends and family.

A Meal Planning Tidbit

I've been wondering recently about how to stretch out produce when I'm shopping only two or three times a month.  With all the intentionality of planning meals, sometimes I don't stop to think about what the lettuce is really going to look like on Day 9, and if we will actually want to eat it or not.  Yikes.  I'm trying to get better about it.

Lucky for me, I found some great suggestions here on the Passionate Homemaking blog.  It makes so much sense - eat the more perishable stuff first ... the hardier stuff later.

I'll blame it on my momnesia/baby brain that I wasn't able to come up with that on my own.

Freezer-Crockpot Meals: The Recipes

Here are the recipes for the freezer-crockpot meals I've already prepped and frozen.  I've got plans to try a bunch more, but freezer space is getting slim.

I got started with inspiration from Aimee over at Six Cents, and followed her link to Ring Around The Rosies.  Then I searched out other crockpot favorites in cookbooks and websites I love (like The Pioneer Woman and Southern Living).

I've also just found Six Sisters' Stuff, a blog with a fantastic array of freezer-to-slow cooker meals - including a shopping list, step-by-step instructions, and side dish ideas.  Boo-yah.  None of the recipes I've prepped came from there directly, but there is some overlap.  I'm pretty sure I'm going to pick up the ingredients for the Hearty Beef Stew and Chicken Broccoli Alfredo on my next shopping trip.

A few "tweaks" that I made across the board ... 

1. We prefer dark meat to light, so I bought two giant packages of chicken thighs for these recipes in place of chicken breasts.

2.  I make my own "cream of [whatever] soup" ... I assume one commercial can is about 1 cup of homemade soup, give or take.

3. I chose these recipes because of what was on sale, and what ingredients overlapped.  Onions, tomatoes, and chicken were predominant in the first three, and Italian seasoning shows up in the first and last recipe.  That helped me cut down on having a bunch of leftovers I didn't know what to do with.

4. Since these are "future meals" and not "eat right away meals," I had to decide how to fit the bill into my regular food budget.  I decided that we'd eat a little more modestly this shopping cycle (aka, less meat, more beans) and would not spend any extra on these meals.  It worked!  We've eaten a lot of quesadillas, nachos, soups, sandwiches, and pizza in the last couple of weeks, but I am so pleased that I didn't have to spend money outside of my normal food budget.

Sausage and Peppers (from Ring Around the Rosies)

6 Italian Sausage or chicken sausage

2 green peppers, sliced

1 red pepper, sliced

1 large red onion, sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 cans Italian diced tomatoes

2 Tbsp Italian seasoning

Split between 2 bags, seal, mix, lay flat, and freeze.

Add drizzle of olive oil, cook on low 8 hours, serve over hot noodles or or fresh French bread with mozzarella cheese.

Chicken Curry (from Six Cents) 

6-8 chicken breasts

2 cans of cream of chicken soup

1 cup of dry cooking sherry

½ cup of butter

8 green onions chopped

4 tsp of curry powder

salt and pepper

Directions: Divide everything except butter into two bags evenly.  Add butter to crockpot when ready to cook.  Cook on low for 8 hours. Serve over rice with a side salad.

Chipotle Lime Chicken (from Six Cents)

2 cups diced onion

2 cups chopped celery

2 cups chopped carrots

8 skinless chicken thighs

salt and pepper to taste

2 cans tomato sauce

1/2 cup lime juice

2 tbsp miced chipotle chiles in adobo sauce

4 garlic cloves

1/2 cup cilantro

2 sliced avocodos

Directions:  Split all ingredients into two bags except avocado.  Cook on low 8 hours.  Serve with avocodo on top.  Serve on top of rice or noodles.

Italian Drip Beef (from The Pioneer Woman)

1 whole beef chuck roast, 2.5 To 4 pounds

1 can beef consomme or beef broth

3 Tablespoons (heaping) Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup water

1/2 jar (16 Oz) pepperoncini peppers, with juice

Buttered, toasted deli rolls

*PW's instructions were not specifically for the crockpot, but I made it work ... as with most recipes adapted for a slow cooker, you may require a little more or less seasoning or liquid than the original recipe calls for*

Directions: Place all ingredients in a bag except for the deli rolls.  Cook on low 6-8 hours or until meat is fork-tender and falling apart (if it's not falling apart, keep cooking!)  With two forks, completely shred all meat, leaving no large chunks behind. Serve immediately, or keep warm.

Serve on buttered, toasted rolls. Top with cheese and melt under the broiler if desired. Serve with juices from the pot.

Freezer-Crockpot Meals: The Idea

The Freezer-Crockpot Meal is one of Pinterest's most amazing gifts to me.  It's revolutionary enough to take over the world (or at least a good portion of my available freezer space).  I can't believe that I've never heard of this process before - I don't know whether that's because I'm in a technology vacuum with a 5-year-old computer and no smartphone, or whether the idea is really something new.  Either way, I am excited to have stumbled on such an easy way to prep a bajillion a handful of easy meals with about as little preparation time as a girl can hope for.

Here's the gist of what a "freezer-crockpot meal" is: dump all ingredients for favorite slow cooker meals into a gallon-sized plastic bag and freeze it.  (This includes meat - with the exception of ground beef which should always be pre-cooked before adding to a slow cooker, the meats for the recipes can be raw!)  When you need it, run the bag under warm water for a bit to loosen the bag, and place the frozen contents into the crock.  Turn it on, leave it all day, come home to an amazing main dish, and throw together some quick side like garlic bread, rice, pasta, a salad, or sauteed vegetables.

So simple, right?

I'll post some of the recipes I've prepared tomorrow.

Tips from You

Hey friends!  I've gotten some really great ideas from folks who have read my recent posts and shared ideas with me regarding budgets, meal planning, and menu ideas.  It's been helpful to me to see how others have managed the same process in different ways, so I thought I'd pass along a few to you ...

- Buy gift cards - "I decide my food budget for the month and then on the first put the money on the cards. That way I cannot go over. I made a rule...no using my debit card to buy groceries! This is the 3rd month and it has worked really well."

- Use that calculator - "This plan came right after I'd officially switched to cash for groceries ... and was feeling a little overwhelmed. Not sure WHY I'd never thought to carry a calculator - now I do it every week!"

- Plan meals for the month, and supplement as needed - "[This list] actually might last most the month except for buying the staples and veggies we need weekly."

-Plan ahead - "Cook once, eat twice (or more!) meals. A whole chicken is always cheaper than parts. So for example, the first night, roast the whole chicken. After dinner pick the carcass and save the leftover meat and throw the bones in a crockpot or stockpot overnight to make chicken stock. The second day you can have chicken sandwiches, or enchiladas, or stir fry etc. And maybe even a third day of chicken noodle soup or chili. With chicken the possibilities are endless. I freeze my chicken stock in approx 2 cup portions to pull out as needed."

- Use the savings - "Don't just shop the sales for your current menu plan. If you have leftover money in your budget pick up one or two extra items that are at their rock bottom prices to have on hand for when you need it. This saves you from ever having to pay full price for an item, and over time this savings adds up specifically."

- Know when to buy -"To know when an item is at its rock bottom price, you need to also know its regular price, and how often you can expect it to go on sale etc. Also there are sales and then there are good sales. I suggest figuring out the top 15 grocery items you purchase and figuring out your buy price and stock up price for each. The buy price is the price it has to be before you will buy it and the stock up price is the price it needs to hit when you'll buy more than one (for most things 75% regular retail, but not all)."

- Use coupons - "Typically I save over 50% every week just by matching coupons with sale items and stocking up. It could be higher, but the bulk of my grocery budget goes to produce, and its hard to get that at 75% off. You don't have to do these matchups yourself, there are tons of blogs that do it for your local stores."

- Break it down - "I've had the most success planning meals by prices. Like, I think of the total price of the meal, then I think of how many times it will feed us. So a $7 meal sounds cheap for our big family but if it leaves no leftovers it's actually pretty expensive. And a $15 meal that gives us dinner Monday night and lunch the rest of the week is totally worth it."

- Some meal ideas:

Chicken Florentine Pasta (Pioneer Woman)Meaty Spinach Manicotti (Taste of Home) ChiliCalzonesAutumn Chowder (Taste of Home) & drop biscuitsQuicheCrock Pot Sesame Chicken (Pinterest)StewTortilla SoupChicken and SaladSpaghetti with MeatballsItalian Chicken Soup (PW)Taco SaladSalmon PocketsSushi & eggrolls

Thanks to KR, MW, GT, and JP for the insights!  Ya'll are awesome.

Meal Plans (and then something even better)

10 more days of meal plans:

10/1 - Breakfast for dinner: pancakes, bacon, hash browns, scrambled eggs
10/2 - crock-pot chili (not completely decided on the recipe yet, but probably one similar to this) with grilled cheese sandwiches
10/3 - tortellini pasta with spinach, chicken, and alfredo sauce
10/4 - leftovers
10/5 - pepperoni pizza or calzone with french fries and lettuce salad
10/6 - kebabs on the grill
10/7 - snacks (this is the night we get together with folks from church)
10/8 - crock-pot pork roast with oven-roasted vegetables and lettuce salad
10/9 - Mexican enchiladas (tweaking this recipe)
10/10 - sausage and wild rice casserole

One tiny thing I've added in is a "leftovers" night.  If I'm making casseroles and soups that serve 6-8, there's always plenty for at least an extra dinner.

Since a lot of my recipes tend to have the same kind of ingredients in them, I try to save myself some time by prepping large quantities at once so I can pull them out of the fridge later.  For example, this week I will cook up a pound of dry beans to use in chili and then in the enchiladas (also, the kiddo loves beans for snacks).  I'll make a couple loaves of bread (in the bread machine, of course) for grilled cheese and breakfast toast, and when I chop up veggies for kebabs I'll chop a little extra to roast a couple of days later.

Both the chili (on 10/2) and the casserole (on 10/10) have sausage, so I may try to prepare the casserole a few days early and stick it in the freezer.

And now, for something even better than a ten-day meal plan: this sweet girl!  She's 21 months old today, and is into hairbows (she calls them "he-bows"), books ("Mommy read" and "Daddy read" rarely gets a "no" around here), and playing games involving giggles.  She's practicing the stink-eye when she doesn't get her way (which makes standing firm on discipline rather difficult) and loves giving the dog his treat after a walk.  What a fun kid!

We can't get enough of this face.

10 Days of Meal Plans

So, I'm pretty excited about planning meals these days.  Dorky?  Yes.  But whatever.  I thought I'd share the menu plan I came up with for these next 10 days ... I made it based on my recent New Way To Plan Food System.  I went grocery shopping yesterday and spent just under 1/3 of my monthly food budget (by just under, I mean ... $2 under!  Thank you, Calculator).

Now, the meals (I know it's kinda cheesy, but most of the links are to recipes I've posted before ... once I really get the hang of this new system of planning meals, I'll start branching out to recipes other people post!):

9/21 - quiche, salad, bread (a la bread machine)
9/22 - bratwurst on the grill, coleslaw, french fries
9/23 - fruit and cheese with crackers (we get off a little easy on Sundays, because we meet for evening church fellowship, and snacks are typically involved)
9/24 - nachos
9/25 - pork roast with oven-fried potatoes, green beans, and salad
9/26 - cheese tortellini, salad, toast
9/27 - rice/chicken/broccoli casserole, toast
9/28 - homemade pepperoni pizza, french fries
9/29 - chicken on the grill, rosemary potatoes on the grill
9/30 - Mexican dip with chips (Sunday snacks)

A few notes:
- Lunches will be leftovers from the night(s) before
- Because we now have this Sunday night group going on, there are a few meal options I didn't use in this 10-day block.  So I have some variety to mix in the next set of meal plans ... breakfast for dinner, soup, and a vegetarian dinner.
- Since I'm in "Countdown To Baby" mode (approximately 8 weeks to go!), I'm also trying to make extra food when possible so I can freeze it.  In this block I'm probably looking at making a 9"x13" dish's worth of casserole,  but splitting it into two smaller dishes so I can freeze one.  Also, I will most likely throw what I can into the crock pot at some point for a big batch of soup to freeze.

My New Way to Plan Food (Part 3)

10 Days of Meals,
or
"How I'm Revising my Food Budget by Planning Meals" (see previous two posts if you want some background information)

- Come up with ten generic main-dish ideas that you like, know how to make (or have go-to recipes for), and have the time to make with regularity.  Here are my ten:
1. Casserole
2. Mexican
3. Soup
4. Pasta
5. Pizza
6. Something on the grill
7. Vegetarian
8. Roast/Chicken
9. Picnic foods
10. Breakfast foods

- Think of generic side-dish ideas that follow the same rules, and pair them with the main-dish ideas.  Again, here's my list:

1. Casserole with vegetable

2. Mexican with rice/beans

3. Soup with bread

4. Pasta with salad

5. Pizza with french fries or salad

6. Something on the grill with vegetable

7. Vegetarian with egg

8. Roast/Chicken with potato

9. Picnic foods with chips

10. Breakfast foods with breakfasty side (I did say generic!)

-Now, within each generic main/side dish combo, think of just three things that would fit in that category.  It's OK if they're similar ... just try to think of things you'd normally cook up.  I'll give you a couple of examples based on my list, but obviously it's not comprehensive.

1. Casserole with vegetable - 

I could do a broccoli/chicken/rice casserole, a chicken pot pie, or a quiche ("casserole" is a loose term, obviously).  For a vegetable side, there's green beans, squash, or roasted vegetables.

2. Mexican with rice/beans - 

Quesadillas, burritos, or enchiladas.  Seasoned rice or plain rice, rice and beans together, or just refried beans with some cheese.

3. Soup with bread -

Chili, vegetable soup, or "look what leftovers I threw in the crockpot" soup (this last one is particularly good towards the end of the 10 days, when the leftovers don't necessarily go together well).  Bread can be grilled cheese, crackers, or cornbread.

You get the idea.  

Finish the list, and all of a sudden you've got an entire month's worth of meals.

And, it informs the 10-day shopping list.  If you make your list while looking at the meals AND looking at the grocery store sale circular, it's possible to coordinate the two so that you're planning to eat what's on sale ...

On top of that, it's easier to estimate what you'll be needing for those 10 days ... like two loaves of bread, three pounds of meat, one bag of chips, etc.  

But what about breakfast and lunch, you ask?  Because, we all know that I would be the last one to cut out a meal for any reason.

Breakfasts around here are typically oatmeal with fruit, yogurt with fruit, bread and jam, or cereal.  

Lunches tend to be leftovers from dinner the night before.  So really, the only real cooking is dinner.

This may not work for everyone, but so far it's worked for us.  It helps to just have an idea of what to expect for the next 10 days when going to the store.  And I've been able to keep food in the fridge, pantry, and even sock some away in the freezer for later with the plan so far.  

I'll try to post an update in the coming months about whether or not this seems to be working long term.  Until then, I'd LOVE to know what grocery-budget trimming tips you have!

My New Way to Plan Food (Part 2)

Thanks for coming back.  I thought maybe I had bored you with my "duh" conclusions from the last post, but I'm glad to know that I haven't permanently scared you off.

I am trying something new to plan meals, whittle away at the food budget, and try to stash away a little bit here and there for family fun.

I'll call it "10 Days Of Meals."  It comes with a set of rules (and exceptions), but I'm pretty excited about it because it works for us, it's flexible, and so far we haven't gone hungry.

It goes like this: I read somewhere that one way to work within a food budget is to limit the number of times you go to the grocery store.  I've historically gone every week, or when we need something.  But now, I only allow myself to go on the 10th, 20th, and 30th of the month.  That's my first rule: no in-between trips.  If we run out of tomatoes, well shoot, we're out of tomatoes.  Substitute the canned stuff, or find something tomato-less to make.  (The first rule comes with the first exception: Get milk whenever it's needed.  But that's it.  Just milk.)

The second rule says to bring a calculator (and look like a nerd).  Yes, I'm that mom with the calculator.  I know exactly what the cashier is going to ring me up for.  I know whether or not I can get the store brand of chips or the pretty brand.  The difference between $90 and $100 is significant if that extra $10 means a fun family activity or not.

The third rule requires strict adherence to the list which means ... make a list.  And stick to it.  Always.  (Second exception: don't stick to the list if you come in under budget and you see fresh baked goods.)

And the final rule, which actually precludes all the other rules, is to plan 10 days' worth of meals before making a list.

I'll tell you tomorrow how I came up with 10 days' worth of meals that is (in my opinion) flexible, versatile (I'm not one to want to eat spaghetti and meatballs every Tuesday), and frugal.  Check back ...

My New Way to Plan Food (Part 1)

I have come to some recent conclusions that have led me to make some budgetary/food/planning changes.  Some of them are "duh" conclusions (you'll see why) and others are more legitimate "oh, right!" conclusions.  Ready?

Conclusion #1: I am a mom.

Duh.  Of course I am a mom.  I've been a mom for 20 months.  But ... I think I've come to realize that I'm not just a girl with a kid anymore ... I'm really a mom.  You know?  Like, the kind that has a 2-month calendar on the fridge she writes dates on, who schedules things around nap routines, and who regularly uses words like "potty" in everyday conversations.  I'm really a mom.  And moms have to do things like care about the family budget, plan meals, and shop for groceries at specific times (last minute trips to the store require the super-human effort that I prefer to save for getting out of bed in the morning).  So, yes.  I am a mom.

Conclusion #2: Toddlers do not pay well.

I cannot tell you enough how much I love the privilege of staying at home with one very awesome 20 month old girl.  It's not always peaches and cream, but there's grace for that.  She's sometimes cranky, and I'm sometimes cranky ... but I digress.  Though she's a pretty demanding boss, the benefits package is just phenomenal.  Unfortunately, the actual salary she pays into our account is pretty lousy, so we're on tight budgets with kid activities.  And by tight budgets, I mean ... it must be free.  Or under $10 ... for the whole month.  Those kinds of activities can be a little tough to come by when you're not familiar with an area ... so, most of our activities involve friends, home, parks, or food.  Or, all of them.  If there's leftover money from the food budget, we get to do something cool.  So ... work on the food budget.

Conclusion #3: "Whipping Up Something Last-Minute" doesn't work anymore.

The kid is learning patience when it comes to food - like, waiting until everyone is at the table to eat, and waiting until the prayer is over to stuff something in.  But "patience" for a toddler means a grace period of about 74 seconds, not a late dinner at 8:30 because it's been a busy day.  I'm having to actually plan meals days in advance, and most days I start dinner as soon as I clean up the breakfast dishes.

Conclusion #4: The internet has some really great tips for budgeting for food and planning meals.

Duh.  It's the internet.  It has everything.  But, while it has great ideas that have worked for other people, I have yet to find the link for the "Personally Organized Shopping List and Food Budget, With Meal Plans Catered to My Specific Tastes and Time Allowances" website - that specifically targets the high food prices of New England Suburbia.  I find great ideas for cutting food budgets that involve buying what's on sale and skipping the ready-made meals in favor of foods requiring a little bit of prep ... but I already do that.  So, how can a girl whittle away at a grocery store receipt when she's already only buying the most basic of ingredients, and only buying on sale items?

Conclusion #5: There is no easy answer.

Duh.  And ouch.

So, all that is to say, I'm trying something new to plan meals, work with a budget, and even have some left over for fun things.  It's worked for the past month.  I'll be curious to see if it continues to work.

Check back tomorrow!