SNOWBIRDING – What’s For Dinner?

February 1, 2023

There was a time when camping involved cooking over a campfire or perhaps a Coleman stove. 

Today we have a wide variety of options, including our propane BBQ, stove top, and oven, albeit smaller than normal models.  We can hook up to an electrical outlet or use our generator to power the microwave oven, convection oven, air fryer, instant pot, or electric frying pan. 

Similarly, rather than depending on a cooler of ice or a mountain stream to keep our drinks cool and our food from spoiling, we have a thermoelectric cooler, refrigerator, and freezer in our motorhome.  All the conveniences of home.

However, there is not a lot of cupboard space for a wide variety of ingredients, pots and pans or other cooking utensils, so we try to keep things simple.  We usually settle for meat or seafood cooked in our choice of a variety of ways, with a salad of some type.   Tossed Salad with lettuce, cucumber, tomato, avocado, shredded cheddar cheese, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, plus croutons; Mediterranean Salad comprised of oil and balsamic vinegar dressing over thinly sliced red onion, chopped avocado, grape tomatoes, cucumbers and feta cheese; California Salad with romaine, shredded cheddar, tomatoes, green onions, corn chips, and dressing made with ripe avocado and Miracle Whip; Cesar Salad with bacon bits and shredded parmesan; Spinach Strawberry Salad with red onion, pecans, and feta cheese, topped with poppy seed dressing.  You get the picture.

Gary is a huge fan of stir fry.  It’s easy to make, so I am a fan as well.  We eat a lot of it.  At home I had always cut up fresh vegetables to add to the meat or shrimp, but on the road we learned that frozen mixtures work just as well and dramatically reduce preparation time.  We purchased a large stainless-steel wok before we left home, and it has become my most-used cooking pot.

When we’re taking a break from our low-carb diet I make sweet and sour ribs, and chicken fried rice.  If I hope to have any leftovers, I need to make a double recipe. Sometimes to ease our consciences we use cauliflower rice.

At home we prepare our meals together, but there is not adequate kitchen space for that in our RV.  So, unless Gary is BBQing, I do the cooking.  With rare exception I insist he decide what we will eat, as all things food-related are very important to him.

One such exception was when I decided to use a package of chili ingredients that I had purchased in the farmers market before leaving home.  It made a large batch but didn’t quite taste the way we like it, so we added things to the leftovers.  The taste improved somewhat but so did the volume, resulting in more mediocre leftovers.  The next time we added different things, and the mixture took on a life of its own, much like a sourdough starter.  What began as chili morphed into Sloppy Joes and then to spaghetti sauce.  Gary began to despair, but I refuse to throw out food that is edible, so we persevered to the bitter end. As a result, we will not be eating chili again anytime soon.

It was several weeks before I found the courage to use the package of clam chowder ingredients that I had also purchased at the farmers market.  Fortunately, it suited our taste and did not result in repeated leftovers.

Before leaving home, I printed recipes for some of our favourite meals, and brought along any of the required spices and condiments that I had on hand.  From our trip last June, we knew that food prices are generally no longer lower in the US than they are in Canada, and once the exchange rate is paid the cost is actually much higher.  Moreover, there are a few things we have been unable to find here that we have enjoyed in Canada, such as Sweet Soy Sauce.  On the other hand, we will be sure to stock up on things like PF Chang’s sauces before we return home. 

Looking ahead, I have made a list of things we can bring a six-month supply of from home, much of which can be stored in the basement of the motorhome until it is needed.  The less time we spend finding parking space and standing in long line-ups for the privilege of using self-serve check-outs and packing our own groceries, the better!