I like to pre cook a few meals to have on the run. I cryo vac them and throw in a pot of water on arrival at our camp site and its an easy prep thats for sure.

Make happy hour a lot happier.

Firefly, how do you stop the liquid from being sucked out of the cryovac bags? I tried this and it made an awful mess.

I don't do anything re freezer food as long as it won't expire before we come back. I try to use up fruit and veges and perishables in the fridge.

Once upon a time I used to do a "big shop" before going away, but now realise that shops and markets are all over the place, and I don't stress over it.

I have a rough list of basics in the van - few cans, rice, sauces, flour, herbs, tea, sugar, long life milk etc. After that I take enough food for a day or so, and then we roll.

What we eat after that depends on where we end up.

Coast- fish and seafood (specially if there's a fisherman's market)
Inland- fruit/ veges from the road side stalls
Camping- non spoilable food, canned or long life as much as possible.

Haven't tried the cryovac, its on my list of things to do.

Animalcarer...and all, I am with you.

In all the years I have tried to organise my life the one part that has always disappointed me is my freezer and the left over dish.

Left overs really should have been called throw overs in our house.

My only successors with freezing was when I meant to cook and freeze. So my life with freezing left overs are over and done.

I actually just purchased a new fridge..our old one finally died after 21 years. Trying to find a fridge with a very small freezer down was amazingly difficult.

Well done animalcarer on your creative meals, and using all those left overs.


cheers Sharon

When I buy meat, I freeze into 2 person meal sizes, eg, if i buy 600g mince, I freeze into 2 x 300g, etc, that way, i don't end up with left overs when i cook.  same goes for casserole meat.  Still have a problem with steak, as I eat about 100g, he thinks he needs about 1 kg piece....

I cook to freeze all the time. Not just eat one, freeze one. I deliberately have a cook up to be frozen and stowed in my Waeco.
Whether I'm home or on the road, I always have home-cooked meals on hand.
It could be a Thai green chicken curry, lamb roganjosh, beef mince with a tomato base and lots of veges.
I only buy fresh veg when I intend to have a cook-up that day. I usually get 6 or more 400g meals to freeze, and I eat one when it's fresh.
I use skinless lamb thigh fillets, lean topside steak, the leanest mince, or lamb steaks. I use a variety of veges.
When I'm home I zap them, and when I'm on the road I thaw during the day and heat up on butane cooker when we park up.
I do get sick of road house tucker unless they have a really nice meal going.
I also make up a loaf of sandwiches - ham, turkey, cheese and mustard. No salad fillings. I wrap them in cling wrap and sandwich bags and in the bread bag. When I plan to eat one I thaw on the dash in the sun.
I might cook a steak or a roast if I know I'm having visitors, then I slice and pack the meat in zip bags and freeze for future use.
I pre-cook brown rice and pasta, store in zip bags and freeze for future use.
Baking spuds in a pan or microwave with skin on, add salad, grated cheese, chopped ham, fresh onion, mayo or light sour cream.
I have cooked corn silverside, sliced it and packed 3 slices in zip bags. I might end up with 6 bags to be used with veges or sandwich at a later date.
I don't depend on cooking on open fire because of fire bans and locations.
I carry single-serve tetra pack juices and Up & Go breakfast, single serve fruit, for my breakfast on the go. There's nothing hard about this. I love a stew in the camp over when I'm camping with mates, but not when I'm home or on the job.
Feel free to pop in for a feed.

Elle on Wheels wrote:

---

I've tried to cut down on left overs. I used to cook for an army and the remainders would go into the dog stew or to the chooks. That is one thing I will miss on the road as I loved my chooks and half thought of taking one with me to lay eggs and eat vegie scraps. Wouldn't work though.

As I will be on the road full time I will pick up enough fresh veg for a week max and have a supply of wonderful dried beans, peas, grains etc - generally called pulses i think, full of energy and nutrition - which i will soak for a couple of days and then throw into the dream pot with herbs, spices and meat of various persuasions.

Fortunately the dogs will eat all my mistakes.

All that stuff Rosie said plus powdered milk and honey will be on the list.

I think on the road for energy efficincy you can cook 3 meals at once if using a slow cooker or dreampot but make sure you eat them in the 3 days. A full freezer can be a mistake - where do you put all the fish you catch for instance?

---

 Elle, when on the road, look our for roadside stalls for both eggs and veg.  Since leaving "home" last July, I have rarely had t buy eggs from supermarket, veg can be a little harder to find though.

Like you, I miss our chooks and the veg patch (but not the work that goes with)

Here's a link to the regulations Australia wide, just click on the state you want to check out, see;

http://www.quarantinedomestic.gov.au/index.php