Feeding Camp Kids

Back in early July, I only had to cook for Michael and me, and it was easy because we could eat anything and usually preferred eating outside.  We've since gotten tired of eating out at the same places and also need to start getting back into the budget of a typical month of groceries.  This is a difficult task at a campground!  Add a couple of kids, and it's initially harder!  Take out a refrigerator and that spells multiple trips to the market within a week.  

I was used to going to the commissary every Monday.  Once the kids got here, I realized, I have to go every other day because our cooler only holds 1 half-gallon of milk in addition to the other perishable foods like cream cheese, string cheese, beer, wine, deli meat, green smoothies, apples, strawberries and eggs.  

Speaking of eggs, we have to get the small, half-dozen size because of our lack of space!  We have to get the butter and cream cheese in plastic tubs instead of the foil/paper wrappers.  Ziploc bags have become such a staple now that we have to protect anything have used that needs to be put in the cooler.  Why the ziploc bag?  Because any packaging inside the cooler has to withstand the constant water submersion!  

So far I get ice as often as I go to the market.  Why don't I just get a lot of ice in one visit, you ask.  I asked that of myself once and then found out that there wasn't enough space for that much ice and for all our food.  

The kids don't mind going to commissary so much, though.  They get to ride the shopping carts that mimic cars and they have more chances to ask me for treats!  

The logistics of getting food has taken some getting used to, but I've managed to feed the kids nutritious meals.  They get their grains and fruits and dairy and protein everyday.   Vegetables are another story.  They take more energy to make and sometimes I'm just plain lazy.  I have a stove burner that I attach to propane bottles and it is convenient to fire up, but again ........ I'm lazy sometimes.  Fruits just take a knife and - boom!  ... the kids pop them all in their mouth.  Vegetables, who knows if they'll eat it after all that effort.  

I have put in more effort to making meals by buying a cast iron dutch oven!  My first - and only - dish so far was a beef stew.  It came out delicious!!!  But I soon found out in a cast iron book that I'm not supposed to make tomato-based dishes in it because the acidity of the tomatoes affects the iron.  

Another thing to consider with all these eating is the washing of the dishes.  I already felt I was roughin' it in Florida when I didn't use the dishwasher.  Now I walk to the laundry room and use their utility sink!  I do the rinsing of the grime at the water faucet next to our bus because we don't have our plumbing hooked up yet - and because there is no garbage disposal at the laundry sink.  There are a lot more steps when you're camping and trying to run the household chores.

The kids don't mind - of course.  And that's worth all this effort.  They're enjoying themselves and we're saving a lot of money while we get to enjoy the outdoors!