Healthy and Inexpensive Eats on the Road

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Chances are, you're planning a road trip at least once this summer! I'm gearing up to leave on a family camping trip myself, that will involve several hours of driving to get to our destination. 

With two hungry teenage boys in the backseat, I know I need to be prepared with lots of healthy, inexpensive snacks to dole out en route, or we're headed for the dietary (and budgetary) disaster of a fast-food fix somewhere along the way.

One of the strategies I've developed over the years is to make sure to pack some extra-tasty snacks so that they don't feel “deprived” without a stop at McDonald's for lunch.

Two of the best ways to make sure you don't get stuck spending a fortune eating junky food at a greasy spoon on the way to your holiday destination are:

1. Planning ahead: You know you're going to need to eat along the way (and if you have boys who are non-stop eating machines in tow, you know they will need to eat a LOT along the way!) I aim to start tucking some homemade healthy snacks into the freezer a week or two before our departure date, so I just have to pull them out and pack them right before we leave.

2. Packing a cooler: Depending on your final destination, you'll want either a basic cooler to fill with ice, or an electric cooler (one brand name is Koolatron). If you're tent camping without access to electricity, a basic cooler will do the trick. If you'll be staying at a bed and breakfast or hotel, the electric cooler will allow you to easily maintain a stash of healthy foods and drinks throughout your holiday without the inconvenience of draining and refilling a basic cooler with ice every day or two.

What Snacks Should You Pack?

Every family seems to have their favourite “go-to” snacks; below are some suggestions that are quick and easy (and/or make-ahead-and-freeze friendly).

• Chocolate Power Balls (freezer friendly)

• Oatmeal and Fruit Bars (freezer friendly) - substitute raspberries or chopped peaches or plums for the blueberries in these delectable bars

• Muffins (freezer friendly) - Chocolate Zucchini or Banana Chocolate Chip will keep your resident chocoholics happy while being healthier than a donut fix.

• Roasted Chickpeas

• Pocket Sandwiches (freezer friendly) - my boys love these Curried Beef and Spicy Pork pocket sandwiches! The fillings can also be tucked into pitas or wraps if you don't want to wrestle with bread dough, although they're messier and not as travel-friendly that way.

• Popcorn (pack individual servings in ziptop bags)

• Whole fruits and sliced vegetables (pack a container of hummus for extra hunger-pang-busting power!)

• High protein finger foods: Trail mix, cheese cubes, hard boiled eggs and jerky.

• Nut butters and breads or crackers for spreading them on

In addition, we always pack a large Thermos jug with ice water so we can stay well-hydrated in the heat (for a special holiday treat I also bring along a bottle or two of Santa Cruz Organic Lemonade for our roadside picnic – it goes on sale occasionally at Food Basics, Fortinos and Metro for $1.99/960 mL bottle so I stock up then!)

While prepping food for a road trip does take some time and forethought, that effort pays off hugely in the health of both your body and your finances. I'm always glad I took the time to stock our cooler and picnic basket with wholesome, homemade foods and I'm sure you will be, too!

Do you have a favourite healthy, inexpensive snack for toting on road trips? Leave a comment and share it with us!  
  

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RECIPE: Curried Beef Sandwich Pockets

Summer meals should be relaxed and easy. In my house, it's a good thing if they're "make it now, grab it whenever you're ready to eat" as the boys are often off on adventures with their friends and not necessarily around to eat when Joe and I do. 

These pocket sandwiches, like my Spicy Pork Pocket Sandwiches, are a huge hit with my teenage boys. They are good to eat either hot or cold, so work well for a picnic or an on-the-road feast if you're travelling. They also freeze well, so stashing a batch in the freezer makes for an easy-to-reheat snack or meal on a day you don't have the time or inclination to cook.

We really like these paired with Cucumber & Bean Salad; they will pair nicely with just about any kind of summer salad, though - this post has a roundup of some of our favourites.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, chopped

1 lb ground beef

1 carrot, grated

1 zucchini, grated

½ tsp ginger

1 tsp curry powder

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

1 cup plain yogurt

1 tbsp flour

1 lb bread dough - I use my Whole Wheat Refrigerator Bread Dough (or 4 pita breads, halved)

Instructions:

• In a large frying pan, sauté garlic and onion in oil until they start to soften.

• Add ground beef, carrot and zucchini. Cook until no traces of pink remain in beef.

• Add ginger, curry powder, salt and pepper.

• Stir flour into yogurt until smooth. Add to beef mixture and simmer over medium-low heat until mixture thickens.

• Divide the bread dough into 6 or 8 equal pieces (depending how big you want the sandwiches - smaller ones work well for younger kids). Roll a piece of dough out into a rectangle until it's about 1/4" thick. Spoon filling onto one half of the rectangle; fold over and crimp edges to seal. Repeat with remaining pieces of bread dough. Cut 2-3 slashes diagonally across the top of each pocket to allow steam to escape. Arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with a clean dish towel and let rise 20-30 minutes (you can skip this step if you're in a real hurry, the crust will just be thinner and not as fluffy). Bake at 375ºF for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Makes 6-8 sandwiches (If you don't want to wrestle with bread dough, spoon filling into pita pockets instead).

Serves 4

I shared this recipe at Full Plate Thursday.

 

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A Belated Spring Yard Sale Report

Yes, it's the beginning of July - and I haven't posted a single Yard Sale Report for this year yet!

Fear not, I *have* been out on my usual yard saling adventures. With the cold spring we had, I really didn't get started until the end of May. And despite the fact that I've hit a substantial number of sales this season, I haven't come home with much. These days I'm pretty picky about what I'll buy, even at yard sale prices, as the more I declutter, the less desire I have to bring something into the house that just ends up accumulating dust.

That being said, I do enjoy the "thrill of the hunt" enough to continue digging around in boxes of random stuff on people's driveways on the slight chance I will unearth something wonderful (I still adore the vintage glass candlesticks I found wrapped in paper at the bottom of a box at an estate sale 4 years ago).

My first find of the season was at a church rummage sale:

The final 3 Harry Potter books, in pristine hardcover, for $1 each. This was perfect timing as my older son was just ready to start Order of the Phoenix. These put a big smile on his face!

At the same rummage sale, I also picked up these in-brand-new-condition books for my gift cupboard (50 cents each!):

 At the same sale, I also picked up a new-in-the-shrink-wrap kids' DVD of magic tricks for $3 (not pictured - it's already been gifted!!)

A few weeks later, I picked up this beautiful, coffee-table-sized book on herb gardening for 75 cents:

Since I am on a never-ending quest to expand the number of herbs growing in my garden, this is a welcome addition to my library (and I admit that I spent a significant portion of a Saturday afternoon leafing through it on my porch!)

Finally, a couple of weeks ago, I scored all 3 of these items at a fundraiser yard sale:

Handwoven basket (to become the new trash can in my office), 25 cents; beach mat $1 and single-serving stainless steel Thermos $2.

Grand total: $11 for 10 items, or $1.10 per item

July's looking like it's going to be light on the yard sales for me; I have 2 Saturdays where I'm doing demos at the Farmers' Market, plus we'll be on vacation for part of the month, too. So it may be a while before my next yard sale report appears - rest assured that I'll be back eventually with another update!

Have you found anything great at a yard sale lately?

 

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