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Mon Aug 29, 2011 3:10 am

Jake de Villiers wrote: Friends don't let friends drink Starbucks... :)

amen, brother.

Mon Aug 29, 2011 3:31 am

tschroeder0 wrote: I am a vegan and it's amazing how simple it all gets when you eat that way on the road. Very little worry over spoilage, animals are not as attracted to the smell of cooking and at the end of a long trip you still feel healthy even if you did a lot of driving and didn't get out as much as you like.

It's a good way to travel.

i can't call myself a vegan but i pretty much eat a vegan diet (minus the half and half, yogurt, occasional burger, smoked salmon, butter.... uuhh, okay, def not a vegan). i do like the simplicity of being on the road and feeling healthy especially if i'm sedentary a lot of the time and you're right, less spoilage and i swear, body odor is much more pleasant without a bunch of gross, manufactured meat. (this means everything living in tiny quarters with limiting bathing opportunities but i digress...)

on the road i eat lots of canned sardines, peanut butter and cheese for protein, lots of apples and carrots (great for naturally brushing the teeth), red hot blues (corn chips) and the occasional snickers after re-fueling.

i've tried to eat backpacking meals (just add water to the bag types) but i find it's enough for two people and contains my weekly sodium dosage. when i'm on a trail and ravenous, this is perfect. after not doing much all day, a bit much.

i love all of this info. i'm always curious about what/how people eat.

Mon Aug 29, 2011 5:35 am

Starbucks is, by far, not my favourite coffee. Up here in the Great White North...Tim Horton's in "Coffee King". Personally, I think it stinks. I'd rather go without. Just saying that may get me chased out of this country....

Second Cup is a chain that makes pretty good coffee...my first choice if I can find one. (larger centres only) Just Us is a fair trade company that has great coffee. Much like any fair trade company. I'm having the Italian Roast as I type...

Like beer, coffee is a personal choice. Combine that with being just a tad lazy while I'm in the wilderness with the family and the Starbucks instant fits perfect.

Friends don't let friends drink Starbucks...because they are too cheap to buy it for them! hehe

Blue corn chips with corn salsa! I'm in!

Brian.

Mon Aug 29, 2011 8:14 am

bjrogers86auto wrote: Up here in the Great White North...Tim Horton's in "Coffee King". Personally, I think it stinks. I'd rather go without. Just saying that may get me chased out of this country....

I'll back you up on this one. Tim's coffee is horrible! People like to bring you a cup when they're meeting you somewhere, just like in the stupid commercials, and present it like it's some kind of gift.
Luckily it's aways so hot that you can pretend you're "just letting it cool" and by the time the meeting is over you can dump it out or maybe give to a homeless person!

Mon Aug 29, 2011 9:04 am

No one has mentioned dessert. PUDGIE PIES!

Mon Aug 29, 2011 9:28 am

Three cheese tortellini with olive oil sprinkled with your choice of bread dipping spices is quick, easy a little different and none of the ingredients require refrigeration. Olive oil and the dipping spices variety pack are staples in our Westy pantry.

http://www.barillaus.com/Products/44/three-cheese-tortellini.aspx

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000TGX6M4/ref=pd...0ZX5M4EYM7

Mon Aug 29, 2011 10:50 am

AnmlMthrM60 wrote: You guys suck. Now I'm hungry AND thirsty...

Pita bread and hummas probably tops my list. Add some cheese, tomato, and cucumber. Great snack. Or a box of Cheez-Its usually does the trick. Trying to eat while driving really passes the time ;-)

same here!

pita bread cut in half and split open and stuffed with hummus, leafy Spring mix, tomatoes, roasted pepper spread, eggplant spread, olive paste, avocado, and some crumbled cheese. I can eat a combination of those ingredients in a open pita bread all day long. Healthy and fast to prepare.

I also like a combination of grapes, sheep Manchego cheese and quince paste (we call it membrillo). Same deal, so easy to put together.

We also have a lot of fruits and dry nuts we can eat while on the road like strawberries, berries, more grapes, roasted almonds, pistachios, etc.

Mon Aug 29, 2011 11:29 am

bjrogers86auto wrote: Starbucks is, by far, not my favourite coffee. Up here in the Great White North...Tim Horton's in "Coffee King". Personally, I think it stinks. I'd rather go without. Just saying that may get me chased out of this country....

Brian.

WHAT????!!!!! How dare you insult my Tims!!! I live on Tims. I even have a Tims coffee cup. I even drove to NB to get my wife a Tims tea cup in french.

Tims makes vacation cheap with quality food and cheaper prices than everywhere else.

My beef with Quebec is not that they hold the rest of Canada ransom with thier BS, but that they don't have enough Tims...the ones they do have are all in french.

I love Tims...the coffee, the cheese croissants, and the fact that thier slogan IS NOT "America Runs on Duncan". If you ever get to know me you will know why I find that slogan utterly repulsive.

:D

Mon Aug 29, 2011 11:32 am

photogdave wrote: bjrogers86auto wrote: Up here in the Great White North...Tim Horton's in "Coffee King". Personally, I think it stinks. I'd rather go without. Just saying that may get me chased out of this country....

I'll back you up on this one. Tim's coffee is horrible! People like to bring you a cup when they're meeting you somewhere, just like in the stupid commercials, and present it like it's some kind of gift.
Luckily it's aways so hot that you can pretend you're "just letting it cool" and by the time the meeting is over you can dump it out or maybe give to a homeless person!

I got to say I have done that, not with Tims, but a cup of joe I got in Chinatown in Boston once. It seems the chinese love to have everything sickeningly sweet...including the coffee. One sip I spit it out and gave it to a begger. He was happy and so was I to get rid of it.

Mon Aug 29, 2011 12:33 pm

I like to do a little cooking, so choose stuff that I can cook, but here are some of the quick meals that work for us.

some foods pack better than others. I look for flat bread; pita, the sandwich thins little bun things, tortillas, I even found some thin bagels, and pringles pack better than a bag of chips. I usually cut up some veggies and take a bag of salad greens too. spray on salad dressing comes in a small, handy bottle.

high quality (yes there are) hot dogs or pre-cooked brats on flat bread, a side of raw baby carrots and maybe chips.

eggs, cheese and salsa on a warm tortilla is a quick and delish breakfast.

canned soup or stew and grilled cheese sandwiches with red onion and tomato.

some of the frozen "gourmet" pasta meal in bags are easy and tasty for the first night out. just dump in a pot.

canned chili, fritos, cheese and chopped onions-frito pie is a great quick supper.

cold cuts and good bread, chicken breasts cooked at home and chilled, nice cheese, these are filling for sandwiches usually for lunch. dessert consist of fruits, fresh and in the little cups, cookies, sometimes pre-packaged cakes or treats. (little debbies!)

I keep the camper stocked with spices and canned goods,tea, sugar, and a few other staples. before a trip, I pack the fridge or ice chest with half and half for the coffee, eggs, juice, butter, carrots, veggies, cheese and meat. cabinet under tables with fresh fruit, breads, chips, dessert foods.

as for coffee....very important to me. our usual camping companions seem to gravitate toward our camper in the morning! our kids hardly even bring coffee anymore.

I own a coffee shop, and I roast the coffee for our shop. I grind freshly roasted beans before we leave. I take a couple of plastic melita pour-over cones and paper cone filters. heat water to just before boil, and pour in a slow circular motion over the coffee in the paper filter. nothing to wash, you just throw the grounds away in the paper filter. it is the easiest and best way to make coffee in the westy that I've found.

I am picky about coffee and I hate starbucks in theory. in reality, I know that in spite of aggressivly going after the customer base of independant coffee shops, they have made 'going out for coffee' something the average person does more. I actully can drink their little packs of instant, but they aren't cheap!

Mon Aug 29, 2011 12:47 pm

Cheezit's and Mountain Dew

Mon Aug 29, 2011 1:03 pm

sub-hatchtim wrote: i like the tuna in the resealable foil bag doesn't need to be chilled until you open it
X2

It is not too heavy to back pack with either.

In fact, anything good for back packing works well with the Westy.

Freeze dried, MRE, etc.....

With kids, the whole experience is different so you have to augment with stuff they like, too.

Don't start with the Starbucks, Tims, etc bashing please. Hate them all equally! Can you say Dietrich?

Mon Aug 29, 2011 7:50 pm

Find Westy cooking way different than motorhome cooking. Westy stuff needs to be pretty simle, easy cleanup.

Breakfast big pot of coffee, rest goes in thermos. I have a square griddle I carry, fits the stove nicely, eggs, brats or bacon, english muffins grilled.

Lunch, carry some sandwich meats, and choice of breads, last loaf a dill rye bread, peppered turkey, tomato, avacado and a little mayo, and of course coarse ground salt and pepper.

Dinners, the 3 cheese tortellini mentioned is great, a little pesto or just olive oil, garlic and a little parnesean is all done in one pot.

Always keep a couple cans of Bush's beans somewhere, maybe a can of Mary K's corned beef hash. Smoked Spam, nice add in to something like noodles, or ramen. I have a pack of ramen in there, but so far still unused.

Now that I have a grill, we take a couple steaks, or burgers. Fresh sweet corn, take off the silk, leave the husk, soak 1/2 hour or so in cold water, then right on edge of coals. turn occasionally, fantastic.

Near fresh seafood? I am envious. However, not sure I would cook them inside, so a nice one or two burner stove for the picnic table is in order. Then, a chowder, or steamed lobster is on the menu. Keeps the vegans away too.

I have a big 2 burner with legs, will boil up a couple gallons of water and use it mainly when motorhoming, haven't figured out how to carry it yet. That will cook up a storm, might need to get a little trailer.

Guy I worked with at one point couldn't understand how I could go away every weekend, he say he couldn't eat that many hot dogs. I almost fell off me seat laughing. He should have followed us.

Tue Aug 30, 2011 6:26 am

[quote="BillWYellowstone")

Near fresh seafood? I am envious. However, not sure I would cook them inside, so a nice one or two burner stove for the picnic table is in order. Then, a chowder, or steamed lobster is on the menu. Keeps the vegans away too.[/quote]

Agreed, never inside. And we never have issues with those pesky vegans, a little foie gras fat behindthe ears acts as a natural vegan repellant.

Tue Aug 30, 2011 9:25 am

BillWYellowstone wrote: I have a pack of ramen in there, but so far still unused.

ramen with swanson canned chicken makes it a totally different meal and actually quite good. Add some veggies and you are good to go. Another meal to make when time is short and folks are hungry!

Tue Aug 30, 2011 11:25 am

Roadfood, we commonly hit the grocery store, get makings for wraps..

Tue Aug 30, 2011 11:56 am

We usually make little sandwiches from stout bread. Cut vegtables. Drinks. All in the cooler.

Then we have dry things. Baggies with goodies for the kids. Nuts. Chips. Pita bread. German bread.

We have to pack for adults and kids.

We are more weekend oriented.

On long trips a bigger cooler, if possible, and make things ahead at motel or camp.

Constantly hitting stores during trips detracts from our experience and we try to avoid it.

Tue Aug 30, 2011 12:22 pm

[quote="BillWYellowstone")

Near fresh seafood? I am envious. However, not sure I would cook them inside, so a nice one or two burner stove for the picnic table is in order. Then, a chowder, or steamed lobster is on the menu. Keeps the vegans away too.[/quote]

Dang, never though about that.... We are actually pescatarians so travelling inland may be difficult....

Coffee....try sweet marias green beans and roast in a pot small batches of beans. Just don't burn them.

Tue Aug 30, 2011 12:35 pm

If you can only boil water, cous cous is a good option. All it requires is mixing the cous cous with boiling water and waiting a few minutes. Add a few veggies and a little bit of olive oil and you have a good healthy meal in no time.

Tue Aug 30, 2011 12:43 pm

ithinkso wrote: If you can only boil water, cous cous is a good option. All it requires is mixing the cous cous with boiling water and waiting a few minutes. Add a few veggies and a little bit of olive oil and you have a good healthy meal in no time.

Speaking of, grits are good too. Boiling water and a tab of butter...that and rice prepared the same way.

The biggest issue we had with meat when we used to eat it was making sure it did not go bad, possible salmonella contamination on surfaces. Getting rid of the castings once you were done but before you found a trash receptacle. Avoiding the attraction of unwelcome wild guests.

Meat was always a headache