Even though our token camping excursions when we were younger to the beach in Mexico and on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon were enjoyable, I have never really been one for camping. With the purchase of an RV, I am adapting though by applying my Type-A preparations even to this lifestyle in order to continue to travel the country.
Purchasing an RV was not a life-long dream. Because of Covid-19 and my husband’s risk factor with asthma, we felt that to travel and to continue to social distance, an RV seemed the best solution. Oh, my! We did our research! We donned masks and carried hand sanitizer to head out to the RV lots! So many choices! A is the largest. B is the smallest. C is the middle size, but it looks more like a truck with a camper attached. We settled on one of the smaller A models from a family-owned, local RV dealership.
Prior to our first trip, I spent time making lists of what we needed and what I “needed” to make things feel a little more like a home - while keeping in mind the storage and size restrictions. I made lists of pantry items, cookware, outdoor cooking items, picnic items, etc. Because RVs have refrigerators and freezers, an early-morning shopping excursion was in order to Trader Joe’s. Even with those yummy prepared foods, I still wanted us to eat healthy while not spending too much time “in the kitchen” of the RV. While I was engrossed in the list making and preparations, I started thinking about what foods I could prepare before we left in order to make the trip more relaxing and enjoyable.
Onions: Our younger daughter dices onions and puts them in ziplocks in the freezer to throw into soups, casseroles, etc. I did a few ziplocks of frozen diced onions for our trip. I have used the onions for several different meals, but one of the best was fried potatoes.
Potatoes: I made five baked potatoes in my air fryer the day before we left for our trip. I let them cool and sealed them in a container to put in the refrigerator. During our trip, I cut up the potatoes into large cubes to put in a skillet with a few diced onions, butter, salt and pepper. Since the potatoes were already done, it was a quick way to have fried potatoes and onions with our breakfast or dinner.
Adaptation to the RV from my home life and advanced preparations have surely been the keys to enjoying this lifestyle more!
