By Tobi Schwartz-Cassell
(AP Photo, File)
Our family gave up hotel vacationing a long time ago, and instead have been going the rental route. Stan, the kids and I manage quite well in a one-bedroom condo that’s a half block or less from the beach. At the shore it’s either size or location, and for us, size doesn’t matter but proximity to the beach does.
Ocean City is our family’s happy place, and by renting, I’m able to cook. We save money, and no one has to make a steady diet of Boardwalk fare. I’m probably the only person on earth who actually looks forward to cooking on vacation.
Maybe it’s because I’m not rushed to get a meal on the table, or maybe it’s the fresh farmer’s market goodies we pick up on the way down. Whatever the reason, I am particularly happy that this year’s destination has a four-burner full-sized stove. What a luxury! After all, I’m used to creating meals with just a two-burner stove top and microwave. So now I’m in full vacation-recipe-mode and in search of easy, nutritious and cheap ways to feed our crew which includes Stan, me, Jardin and her friends Jae and Kat.
In my search for recipes, I’m finding that appliances are the stars of the vacation kitchen this year.
My pick for Most Fun Kitchen Appliance on Vacation is the waffle iron. PureWow, a digital publication, offers 22 Things You Can Make in Your Waffle Iron. Among them are:
1. Pizza
2. Hash Browns
3. Grilled Cheese
4. S’mores
5. Brownies
6. French Toast
7. Cookies
8. Apple Chips
9. Mac & Cheese
10. Omelets
11. And 12 other things
Food Hero Mimi Kozma is a home chef who pays it forward by bringing awareness to the community about the community on her eponymous show. The series runs on Sundays from 6PM-7PM EST on America’s Talk Radio.
Mimi says, “If you’re driving to your destination, take the slow cooker. It will save you time and reward you with a hot, hearty meal after a long day at play.
“If that’s not your thing, use heavy duty foil, which serves as both cookware and serving ware. You can easily assemble make-ahead pouched meals and refrigerate them until you’re ready to cook. You can bake or grill these individualized portions in less than an hour.”
I’d love you to share your favorite vacation recipes below. I really want to know about them. But I also understand that I’m probably the only person who does. 🙂
♥
PS: This recipe for Barley, Black Bean and Corn Burritos is super easy. Just throw the ingredients in the slow cooker before leaving for the beach, and when it’s time to serve, let everyone make up his or her own burritos. Can’t be more simple than that!
Funny, my son and I just had a discussion TODAY about the possibility of
using a banana bread recipe to make waffles!!! Only problem is, we don’t
have a waffle maker, lol. But his friend does. I do love some of these
ideas, and may have to make a trip to Target for yet another appliance! In
any case, your editorials always charm me, and I read them as soon as the
email comes. You never disappoint!
Ooooooo, banana bread waffles! They sound yummy, Jayne. Let us know how they turn out! One year for New Year’s Day I made a French toast casserole and instead of using regular bread, I made banana nut chocolate bread, sliced it down and used that. Needless to say, it’s become a New Year’s Day tradition in our house. Thanks for your comment!