I've been asked several times how I meal plan and cook for so many without an oven or refrigerator. It's really not been too bad, especially now that most of the nights stay quite cool (mostly low 20s to low 40s). I have been able to consistently plan and shop for at least a full week's worth of meals without need of a mid-week “booster,” though we sometimes grab some extra fruit or a special treat when we're in town. We keep a large Igloo cooler and a small overflow cooler outside the back (always shady, north-facing) sliding glass door, so I am able to reach our perishables without having to step outside. Our indoor stove is a two-burning camp stove hooked up to a 20 lb. propane tank. On occasion, we build a campfire and use the dutch oven outdoors over hot coals with coals piled on the lid to perform the task of baking, but it's going to take more practice to consistently get the goods evenly heated. When I have a high-carb craving, I usually put dumplings in a stew or soup or make some fry bread. I did get so desperate that I attempted brownie mix pancakes once, but I wouldn't recommend that. The staple homemade desserts (as opposed to the store-bought dessert of choice: generic Fig Newtons) are no-bake chocolate oatmeal peanut butter balls, no-bake chocolate peanut butter bars, cinnamon-sugar tortillas, truffles, fudge, sopapillas, and toffee. Oh, and GORP, if that counts...
Here are some meals that frequent our table: Breakfast: pancakes (usually with bananas, apples, peaches, Craisins, black walnuts, and/or pecans, always with lots of cinnamon and vanilla) breakfast burritos grits with poached eggs and cheese oatmeal (usually with a can of peaches) potato pancakes/hashbrowns French toast omelets, creamed eggs on toast, huevos rancheros, quiche, or something else egg-y Lunch: PB&J/PB&honey/PB&banana tuna salad sandwiches chicken salad sandwiches (either with apples/grapes & almonds or Aunt Thelma's delicious pineapple & pecan) soup/chili grilled cheese/ham & cheese green salad, usually Caesar or Tex-Mex nachos/quesadillas mac & cheese (with tuna, hot dog, or chili thrown in) pasta or cold pasta salad dinner leftovers Dinner: squash, pumpkin, or sweet potato soup spicy black bean soup tortilla soup chili clam chowder chicken & corn chowder potato soup chicken & dumplings ratatouille rotini w/ sundried tomatoes, walnuts, garlic, basil, & Parmesan spicy vermicelli pork & pineapple curry kielbasa & sauerkraut w/ apples and potatoes chicken & lentils enchilada skillet Thai curry with rice Filipino dinner (layers of rice, ground beef, crushed pineapple or mango, chopped tomatos, raisins, coconut, and Spanish peanuts – don't knock it til you've tried it – so good!) quinoa stir-fry pork mango picadillo pulled pork fajitas with guacamole burritos/tacos beans & rice with coconut milk and cilantro stroganoff skillet hash OK, now I'm getting hungry.
1 Comment
Gail Hinson
1/25/2013 04:31:02 am
You amaze me, Alyssa!
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LyssI plan to use this blog to keep track of ideas and information, to hold myself accountable to my goals, and to give others the opportunity to observe the challenges and triumphs that ensue. Archives
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