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Breakfast Burritos you can Make in Advance

I don’t know about you but if I can make my kitchen messy once instead of 20 times then that’s what I’m going to do. This especially applies when we are RVing. I fully believe that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, unfortunately it’s at a time of the day when I don’t much feel like cooking. Thankfully I have found this breakfast burrito recipe that you can make a lot, freeze them, and then heat them up individually as needed. This way is much cheaper and better for you then the boxed ones or picking up a fast food breakfast along the way. Plus you can grab it, go, and get back to relaxing and enjoying your vacation!

Frozen_Breakfast_Burritos_1All you need is

  • 12 eggs
  • 2 Tbsp. butter
  • 1 lb sausage
  • 1/2 cup chunky salsa
  • 2 cups of pepper jack cheese
  • 24 flour tortillas.

In a large skillet melt the butter and add eggs already beaten and stir until scrambled. Add the already cooked sausage and salsa to the mixture and continue to mix gently. Warm up the tortillas according to package and put about 1/4-1/2 cup mixture into each tortilla and sprinkle with cheese. Roll up the tortillas and place on parchment paper lined cookie sheets and freeze. Once they are frozen you can wrap them individually in zip lock baggies or saran wrap in the freezer.

Simply pull out of the freezer, put on a plate, microwave, and enjoy a homemade breakfast!

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How to Keep your RV Organized

Despite some of the most spacious coaches and loads of cabinets and drawers space is always an issue when it comes to an RV. If you are anything like me you want to take nearly everything from home and bring it with you. Unfortunately common laws of physics don’t allow for more objects than the space permits. Fortunately I have discovered some helpful tips on how to package things smaller and organize in a way to allow you to bring more, here are a few of my solutions.

pancakebatterinketchupI love to cook in our RV and I especially love the money that it saves by not eating out for every meal. Unfortunately bringing all of those spice jars and tins with me takes up an entire cabinet that I just can’t spare. But I have found a way to bring all of the kinds and varieties that I need and save on space and that is by using empty tic-tac containers to store all of my spices. They fit perfectly in a small drawer freeing up some much needed cabinet space!

Another kitchen helper is having some of our food pre-made so that I don’t have to tote all of the ingredients with me. Pancakes are a big breakfast staple while we are RVing but bringing the big box of batter can get bulky and in the way. I have devised a way to make not only storage but the cooking process easier and that is to store already mixed pancake batter into plastic squeeze containers such as empty ketchup bottles. That way in the morning you can simple squeeze the batter into the pan with no preparation and very little clean up!

Last but not least the bathroom space is a high commodity in our RV. Instead of cramming all of my cosmetics, hair accessories, jewelry, etc into small cosmetic bags I have discovered a way to display it and yet use up little to no space. I use a shoe bag organizer attached to the back of the bathroom door. This way it stays out of sight and the smaller pockets allow me to keep all of my beauty routine necessities organized and within reach.

If you have any other tips for organizing in small places I would love to hear them!

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S’more S’more Recipes

Just because winter is here and camping season is taking a short hiatus doesn’t mean you need to miss out on your favorite campfire dessert. I’m sure by now you have all realized that the decadent s’more is one of my favorite foods that why I was so excited when I came across these recipes that would allow me to enjoy them year round!

The first recipe is super simple and that is crescent roll s’mores. All you need is mini marshmallows, chocolate chips, and a roll of crescent rolls. Simply roll out the crescent rolls and fill with the chocolate and marshmallows. Roll up the crescent roll like normal and bake according to instructions. Once they cool you will be able to bite into the flaky, chocolatey goodness inside!

The next recipe would make a perfect accompaniment to the previous recipe and that is liquid s’mores you can drink! All that it consists of is whatever your favorite brand of hot chocolate is then throw in mini marshmallows, top it off with a handful of graham cracker crumbs and enjoy. I like to put a candy cane in mine to give it a hint of mint flavor and it’s perfect for the Christmas season!

And last but not least this recipe is the least messy and could even be eaten during a road trip or in bed for dessert!

All you need is

  • 8 cups of Golden Graham cereal
  • 3 cups of mini marshmallows
  • 1 tsp. vanilla,
  • 2/3 cup light corn syrup
  • 2 TBS butter
  • 2 cups milk chocolate.

In a saucepan heat the corn syrup, butter, and chocolate while constantly stirring. Then stir in vanilla. Remove from heat and add the cereal. Then slowly fold in the marshmallows. Spread the mixture into a pan with a piece of wax paper to push firmly. Let mixture stand until firm and then cut into squares. Delicious!

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Campfire Cake

orangecakeThe camping season may be coming to a close but there’s still some time to squeeze in some good campfire food. I recently came across what I think is the most unique and tasty campfire dessert (besides my beloved s’mores of course). It is cake in an orange and the recipe couldn’t be simpler. All you do is cut an orange in half and scoop out the inside with a spoon and set to the side. Then mix up any brand of chocolate cake mix. Pour the mixture into the orange making it a little over half way full. Put the lid (other half of the orange) back on top of the other half and wrap with aluminum foil.

Place the wrapped orange in the coals and rotate regularly for even cooking. It shouldn’t take much more than 20 minutes for the cake to bake all of the way through. Then let cool and open the orange and voila! I love how the flavor of the orange infuses into the chocolate cake. To give it more pop I even chop up some of the scraped out orange and put it on top of my cake.

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Meals you can Freeze to make your Vacation a Breeze

I love pre-making and then freezing meals to serve my family when we are traveling in our RV. Not only does it give me more time to spend with my family on vacation but I also only have to make a mess in my kitchen once and then be done! Here are some of my families favorite and simplest recipes that everyone will enjoy.

pastaGoulash:

Ingredients:

  • 1 large onion
  • 1 clove of garlic minced
  • 1 Tbs olive oil
  • 3/4lb ground beef
  • 2 cans of diced tomatoes
  • 1 can of water
  • 8 oz of elbow macaroni (uncooked)
  • parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

Saute the onions and garlic in the olive oil until they become quite see-through. Cook the ground beef and then drain. Add beef, tomatoes, water, macaroni (raw) to the onion mixture and cook for 15 minutes until macaroni is tender. I then let it cool and then put it in a tupperware airtight container with some parmesan cheese sprinkled on top. When you are ready to eat simply take out of the freezer and add 1-2 tablespoons of water or olive oil and microwave. Search with garlic bread and a salad!

 

Bacon Wrapped Chicken:

Ingredients:

  • 12 Boneless Skinless chicken breast halves
  • 2 8 oz cartons of chive and onion cream cheese
  • 2 Tbs butter
  • 12 slices of bacon.

Directions:

Pound the chicken to 1/2″ thickness and spread 3 Tbs. cream cheese over each individual chicken piece. Dot with a little bit of butter and then roll up the chicken. Wrap each piece of chicken with a bacon strip. Place on a cookie sheet to freeze and then once frozer in a freezer bag (you can put a toothpick through to ensure that it doesn’t unravel). When it’s time to cook let them thaw first then place them seam side down in a greased pan and bake for 35-40 minutes at 400 degrees. Then broil 6 inches from the heat for 3-5 minutes or until bacon becomes crispy.

 

Chili:

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 large onion
  • two Tbs. olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic
  • two cans diced tomatoes
  • one can stewed tomatoes
  • two canss of chili beans
  • one packet of chili seasoning
  • pepper to taste.

Directions:

Put olive oil, garlic, and onions into pot and cook until translucent. Add ground beef and chili seasoning, cook until brown. Then put in tomatoes, chili beans, and some pepper. Cook until the chili thickens. Let cool. The best way I have found to freeze this is by putting them in freezer bags about half full and then laying it on it’s side. Once it freezes it is simple to stack the bags one on top of the other for simple storage.

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Camping recipes to Keep you Warm

Old man winter is moving in quickly but there is still some good crisp camping weather left this fall. Here are some simple recipes to keep you full and warm on those chilly fall evenings.

crescent_rollsI love any meal that you can make in one pot (or foil in this case)….

All you need is

  • 1/3 lb ground chuck
  • 1 potato sliced
  • 1 carrot sliced
  • 1 sweet onion sliced
  • 1 TBS butter
  • salt and pepper

Just make the ground chuck into a patty and grease one side of a large piece of foil. Put all of the veggies around the beef and seal the package. Place it on the grill or grates turning frequently for about 30 minutes. Let cool and then unwrap for a beef stew foil wrap! Sure to stick to your ribs.

To add to your outdoor meal you can make crescent rolls on a stick. These are super simple to make. All you need is a pack of crescent rolls, a clean hardwood stick and some butter. Just wrap the dough around the end of the stick leaving space between the spirals so that all of the dough gets baked. Hold over the hot coals for about 15-20 minutes and top with some yummy butter! A perfect and fun side dish!

And last but not least a meal is not a meal without dessert. This is the perfect autumn dessert to enjoy around the campfire. All you need is apples, cinnamon, and a little butter. Just core the apples, place the cinnamon inside of the apples with a touch of butter. Then you seal them in foil and let them cook for around 5 minutes.

Let cool and enjoy!

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Eating Healthy Even When You Are Camping

I think it’s pretty safe to say that a vast majority of the so-called “camping” foods aren’t all that good for our waistlines. Think about it, there are hamburgers, hot dogs, maybe some macaroni and cheese, a bag of chips, soda, and the oh so yummy s’mores. But there are DSCF0560ways to still enjoy the grill, the RV atmosphere, and keep it delicious and lower in fat. One of the easiest switches you can make is to switch out the hamburgers and hot dogs for meats much lower in calories and saturated fats such as chicken and fish. My kids are just as happy with a chicken sandwich as they are a hamburger any-day.

Another great tip to keep your calories in check is to use meat as a condiment. What this means is to have veggies or rice be the main portion of the meal and meat is there to add flavor. I do this when I make our shish kabobs. I will add 2-3 pieces of meat to each kabob and the rest is loaded with colorful vegetables. It’s also important to keep fresh fruits on hand for you and your family to snack on instead of reaching for that all too convenient bag of chips.

Now that dinner is covered the biggest struggle that we had was to find a healthier substitute for the s’mores. I am a self-admitted chocoholic and the idea of giving up chocolate simply wasn’t an option. But I did find a dessert that I, as well as my picky little eaters, loved almost as much as the s’mores. I buy a big bunch of bananas and with the skin on I cut them long ways down the middle but not all the way through. I then stuff them with dark chocolate chips and then wrap them with foil. We put them on the grill long enough to let the chocolate melt and the bananas get a bit mushy. We open them up and eat them straight out of the peel! You can always add more to the stuffing of the bananas such as nuts, marshmallows, or candy bar pieces. Great tasting, less fat, still able to enjoy the fun of campfire cooking, and my pants fit better! Overall a win-win all around!