A Beach Vacation - Here Are Some Tips to Plan Ahead For Meals

!±8± A Beach Vacation - Here Are Some Tips to Plan Ahead For Meals

I love my family and I love it when they can visit for an extended time period. A few years ago, my family and my brother's family started getting together at the beach in North Carolina for a week. We rent a condo, and just enjoy the company. It has been such a great time! I am the one who loves cooking (and eating), so that is where I tend to concentrate my efforts. Over the years, I have found the important thing is to plan ahead so that I can spend time with them, and not just focus on food - although that is one of my favorite things in life!

So, I have a few tips that have worked well for us, and made the trip a little more organized and hassle-free. You have all the normal things you have to take to the beach, like wine, soda, water, toiletries, tissues, paper towels, foil, napkins, etc., so just make a master list of those things, and determine which you are willing to purchase at home and take, and those that you want to purchase at the beach grocery stores.
But, let us focus on the food.

First, I make a list of the menus that would be enjoyed by the group for the nights we will be cooking, and not eating at a restaurant. And, since the sun takes so much out of you, do not forget the appetizers and the dessert! Breakfasts, lunches and dinners. Let us start with breakfasts.

I usually take a couple of breakfast casserole and coffee cake or muffin recipes along that can be made there. Also, think about cereals, juices and bagels. It all depends on the preferences of the group. Oh, and do not forget the coffee!

Lunches are usually sub sandwiches, tacos, pasta salad, nachos, and peanut butter and jelly or grilled cheese sandwiches for the little ones. Most lunch ingredients are purchased at the beach, but we can make the beef for tacos and pasta salad ahead. The beef can be frozen.

Now on to dinners. We are talking about appetizers, main courses, sides, and desserts. We go out about half of the nights to a restaurant, so 3 to 4 will be spent having dinner at the condo, which we will have to prepare - although we have ordered pizza delivery regularly for a meal.

Because this is always a beach vacation for us, we count on buying and preparing at least one seafood meal. I usually purchase shrimp and scallops and deep fry them with the local breading. Next, pasta and meatballs is always a hit for those huge appetites we build from a long day on the beach. We can prepare meatballs and pasta sauce ahead and freeze them. I also bake a few baguettes and freeze as well. Another idea is to make grilled teriyaki chicken breasts. If there is a fourth dinner, we usually opt to have seafood while we can get it fresh. Our group favorite is shrimp. For this meal, I would normally make some steamed shrimp as well as fried. The local fish markets usually have some great cocktail sauce as well, unless you make some of your own that you would prefer.

So, out of 7 days at the beach, here is what sample dinner menus may look like:

Dinner #1
Assorted cheeses, crackers, and artichoke cheese dip with crackers and broccoli, cauliflower and red bell peppers
Pasta with sauce and meatballs
Salad
Garlic bread
No bake strawberry cheesecake

Dinner #2
Warm chili con queso dip and salsa with chips
Deep fried shrimp and scallops with cocktail sauce
Salad
Steamed broccoli
Milk chocolate pie

Dinner #3
Warm Mustard Dill Gouda in pastry with crackers, salsa and chips
Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Breasts
Sauteed Mixed Vegetables
French Bread
Leftover desserts from the previous meals

Dinner #4
Leftover appetizers from previous dinners
Steamed and Fried Shrimp with cocktail sauce
Salad
Steamed Green Beans
Ice Cream with hot fudge sauce

The main thing is to be organized and think ahead about what you will make. Then, it is easy to determine what you can do ahead and what you will need to prepare while there. The more you can have completed before the trip means more time to just relax, and less headaches while you are on vacation.

It is also important to make sure that you take those items that you know you or your family will want to have during the trip, and may not be available at the beach. For instance, your favorite coffee or cheeses. Depending on your menu, you may decide to take along some of your own cookware, cutlery, etc. You never know what the condo or rental property will have stocked in the kitchen.

I hope these tips will help you in planning your vacation. I will include a few recipes in future articles that I have mentioned here, although there are many versions available. Keep in mind that you are looking for quick, easy and yummy recipes to cut down the time in the kitchen.

We have planned ahead like this for the past two years, and it only leaves determining where and which nights you are going to dinner to think about. But you can agonize over those decisions while you are hanging out on the beach or in the pool!

A Beach Vacation - Here Are Some Tips to Plan Ahead For Meals

Brand New Rebounding For Weight Loss Intova Digital Sale

Cooking Japanese - Real Taste of Home Healthy Cookbook Recipes

!±8± Cooking Japanese - Real Taste of Home Healthy Cookbook Recipes

Nowadays every one loves eating Japanese food. They seems to have a fascination with Japanese food, the way it is prepared into small little bite sized sushi, delicious grilled teriyaki, fresh salmon or cod fish in sashimi, the humble miso soup and soba noodles are jam-packed with nutrition and bursting with vitamins and minerals! The salmon and cod fish is high in omega 3, which is great for lowering cholesterol levels for a healthy heart. They provide the most optimum nutrition that our body daily needs. Every single dish is an art form packed with nutrition. It's simply ingenious!

The beautiful presentation and well-arrangement in Japanese food and the distinct taste of home recipes always fulfill one's appetite. However,eating out in Japanese restaurants does take a big chunk out of our budget. Cooking Japanese dishes by yourself is another alternative to save some money in the mean time to enjoy the real Japanese taste recipes from your own home.

Below are some Japanese taste of home healthy cookbook recipes which will definitely let you and your family enjoy a luxurious yet affordable dinner:

Tofu Dengaku
Japanese have a long history of eating miso-topped tofu. This nutritious dish came to be called dengaku, named for the wooden skewers on which it was sometimes cooked. These long skewers were reminiscent of the stilts worn in an ancient dance of the same name.

Making this dish is easy. First wrap the tofu with a clean dish towel. Put two plates on top of tofu leave aside to extract any excess moisture. Meanwhile, combine the 100g miso, 1 egg york, 2 teaspoons dashi, 2 teaspoons mirin and 2 teaspoons sugar in a bowl. Whisk until smooth. Preheat the grill, lightly brush the tofu blocks with little vegetables oil and grill until lightly brown. Thickly spread the miso mixture onto one side and sit under the grill again, miso side up for a few minutes or golden in color. Sprinkled with some sesame seeds and serve immediately.

Sake-glazed Salmon
Both savory and sweet often mingle in Japanese cuisine. These tender and juicy salmon slices are served with a lightly sweetened soy sauce and butter glazed. Usually serve with a vegetable side dish and a bowl of hot steamed rice.

You will need to have 500g salmon fillets lightly season with salt. Heat the oils in a frying pan and cook the salmon pieces with skin side down over medium-high heat. Cook about 3 minutes and reduce the heat to medium. Turn fish over and cook for further 2 - 3 minutes. Be careful not to overcooked the salmon. Remove the salmon from the pan, cover and set aside. Remove any excess oil from the frying pan, mix in butter, sake, soy sauce, mirin, sugar and ginger to the pan. Increase the heat and stir to dissolve the sugar. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring until slightly thickened. Drizzle the glaze over salmon.

Cooking Japanese - Real Taste of Home Healthy Cookbook Recipes

Wholesale Shop Onkyo Weber Gas Barbecue Grills Get It Now!