So, this long awaited post is about tips and tricks to make super easy, fun and frugal food whilst camping. I am all about simplicity….who wants to be standing washing pots when there’s fun to be had? And I’m also all about saving money to have fun with. I have listed below some of my top tips for simple ideas that save time and money and can be fun for the kids as well.
The Plan
Plan what you are going to eat ahead of the holiday so you are prepared in all departments, including fun and simplicity.
Make your first meal ahead and freeze it. On your departure day take it out the freezer to defrost. No one wants to be slaving over a stove after a long day travelling and assembling tents etc. Warm through your food, grab a chair, light the fire, grab a drink, sit back and relax.
Only shop for the first few days, you won’t have the storage for a week's worth of food and this also helps maximising the amount of space in the car and cuts down on the risk of food poisoning from gone off food. No one wants a ‘deli belly’ whilst camping either.
Invest in a one pot meal cookbook - it cuts down on washing, the amount of cooking equipment you need to take and are usually simple but heart warming eats.
Take a small selection of seasoning to flavour your dishes. Think pill boxes where you pop your pills in for the week. These are great for keeping spices and herbs in.
Freeze milk and water before you go, these can keep cool bags and boxes cooler for longer especially when you don’t have access to electricity.
The Food - Some of our favourites
Pancakes….who doesn’t love pancakes? Make the batter mix before you leave and decant into a squeezy tomato ketchup bottle. Pancakes make a fun, frugal breakfast -just remember to pack your toppings. I would also advise that this is used the first day or two.
Hot dog sausages are a simple meal that can be eaten out and about. Place the hot dog sausages into hot water in a thermal flask. Cut cobs, squeeze on sauce, voila a simple cheap meal on the move.
Variety packs of cereal are great for kids but the best bit is that they are a great washing up saver. Carefully open the pack so not to tear the plastic and pour the milk straight in, using the cardboard box to give the inner plastic some structure. Pop in a spoon and there you go: another simple, time saving, easy peasy breakfast.
Cheesy nachos on the campfire are another fun and simple meal. The dish is easy to prepare and they are super delicious and go down well with the kids. Place the nachos in a tinfoil tray (the type you cook your turkey in at Christmas). Fry some mince and onions and pour onto the nachos in several layers. Add salsa and cheese on top and cover with foil. Place the sacrificial nachos on to the fire and leave for about 10 minutes until the cheesy topping has melted. Dish up and look smug!
Campfire puddings are special and can be really quick to make. You could make a cake mix before you go or buy a premixed one (the Betty Crocker type mixes) that you just add eggs and water to. Scoop out the middle of an orange or grapefruit (Make sure you have grapefruit or jaffa oranges on the menu at some point during the week and keep the empty skins so nothing gets wasted). Pour in the cake mixture and wrap them in foil. Place the cakes in the embers of the fire and leave to cook for about 10-15 minutes. There you go, another fun idea that also entertains the kids as they’ll love getting involved.
It wouldn't be a proper camp if marshmellos weren't on the menu. A simple fun activity find a stick (peel bark) or use BBQ kebab sticks. Roast in the embers until the desired level of gooeyness is achieved and sandwich between two chocolate digestive biscuits. Yum!
Try the above and make camping meals a little bit more exciting whilst cutting down on the amount of time spent preparing ready for the meal. Camping can be hard work as you still have to make sure everybody is fed and watered so make it easier for yourself where you can. I hope these few little tips make more time for you to enjoy the reasons why you went camping in the first place.
'Simplicity is key'
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