Category: Cooking

In 2016, 40.5 million Americans went camping at least once. Collectively, they logged 587.2 million days of camping!

Going camping is a great way to spend time with family, get some fresh air, explore nature, and get away from the hustle and bustle of daily life.

If you’re going camping for the first time, especially with your little ones, you’ll want to do some research about how to take care of the essentials.

Let’s dive into how to cook while camping, so you can stay well-fed while you relax in the wilderness!

Styles of Camping and How They Affect What to Cook When Camping

What to cook while camping is going to depend on the style of camping you choose.

The term “camping” can envelop everything from walking into the woods with just the shirt on your back all the way to staying in an RV campground with full amenities. Depending on how primitive you want your camping experience to be, this will impact the types of meals you should plan.

If you’re planning a long hike, then camping equipment and food should be very carefully planned out. Every ounce of weight will be carried on your backs, so you don’t want to bring anything frivolous.

If you and your family are driving right up to your campground, then you have a lot more elbow room when it comes to what you bring and how you cook.

When planning your camping trip, consider what style of camping you want to experience with your family.

How to Cook While Camping

If you aren’t hiking into a camping spot, there are quite a few things you want to bring along to make your camping cooking experience top-notch. Here’s what you should pack:

• Cooler
• Lighter and matches
• Foil
• Propane gas and stove
• Spatula
• Two good knives
• Silverware
• Small and large resealable blags
• Paper towels
• Ice packs
• Cleaning wipes, sponge, small dish soap, dishwashing bucket, and dish towels
• Small bowls and plates
• Skillet with lid, pot with lid, saucepan with lid
• Trash bags
• Cups, plastic cups, and mugs
• Bug spray

No matter what you make, food always tastes better while camping. Sandwiches made with deli meat or peanut butter and jelly are great lunch ideas. You’ll also want to have hot dogs and hamburgers at some point, with potato chips on the side.

Bringing a dutch oven can be a great way to make cooking on a camping trip even more special. Check out this dutch oven chili for a filling, easy, and satisfying camping meal.

Camping Is the Quintessential American Pastime

The National Parks System makes up 85 million acres of the US, and that’s not even counting all the state, city, and private campgrounds out there! It’s no wonder that Americans view camping as the perfect summer activity: relaxing, socializing, and getting back in touch with nature.

Eating well while camping is an important part of having the energy to hike around and enjoy your surroundings.

Did you find this article on how to cook while camping helpful? If so, be sure to check out the rest of our blog!

Does your coffee taste a little bland? 

It might be your beans. If you bought them pre-roasted and ready for brewing, they may have already gone through oxidation. Even with the best packaging, coffee beans can still go stale if they stay on the shelf for weeks. 

The solution is to start roasting your own coffee. 

How does this help? Is it worth the effort and investment? Discover the answers in our guide below:

1. Freshness

Did you know that roasted coffee beans don’t stay fresh long? Once roasted, the oxidation process begins. Even with an air-tight container, coffee beans can become stale after two weeks.

Roasting your own coffee works around this issue. Now you can roast a small amount of coffee, seal it, and consume it before it gets stale. You’ll always be able to brew flavorful coffee from now on. 

2. Affordable

Go ahead and take a moment to check the prices of packaged roasted coffee. They can cost a lot per pound but if you start roasting coffee at home, you’ll be able to cut the cost down by a significant margin.

You could buy affordable green coffee beans wholesale from a supplier like Intercontinental Coffee Trading and it’ll cost less than what you’d spend for a few pounds of roasted coffee.

Most shops sell fresh, unroasted coffee at a fraction of the price they’d sell roasted beans. This is because they won’t have to shoulder the resources to roast, package, and maintain the beans. Those responsibilities now fall on your shoulder and while that can seem intimidating, it offers you full flavor control.

3. Full Flavor Control

Home roasting coffee gives you the opportunity to make coffee exactly the way you prefer. 

Do you want a light cinnamon roast that doesn’t offer strong flavors but packs in a lot of caffeine? Do you want a medium American roast or a dark, flavorful French roast? 

You can achieve these by learning how to roast coffee beans. Roasting relies heavily on proper temperature control and listening for the iconic “cracking” sounds. 

4. Freedom to Experiment

If you want to add different oils to mix in external flavors, say vanilla extract, for example, you can do it when you roast at home. Now you can perfect how you want your coffee to taste, smell, and feel in your mouth.

Don’t feel afraid to experiment! It’s one of the most fun advantages of roasting coffee yourself. Try different flavors, different roast levels, and combinations to get the flavor you want. 

5. Profitability

As mentioned, roasting your own coffee is affordable and it gives you full control over the flavor and texture. If you want to go one step further and make it a business, you can!

With enough marketing, you could quit your job and focus entirely on roasting and selling coffee. If you own a coffee shop, roasting your own coffee is a good way of cutting down business expenses and increases your revenue.

Start Roasting Your Own Coffee Now!

Why settle for pre-roasted coffee beans that might not be fresh or tailor-suited to your preferences? Start roasting your own coffee today! Take advantage of the benefits we’ve listed above.

Of course, roasting coffee isn’t as simple as it sounds. There’s a lot to learn to get it right. The good news is we’ve got all the guides you need so don’t hesitate to check out more of our posts right here!

“Seventy-five dollars for a pot!” you exclaim, quickly marching out of the kitchenware store. “That’s more than I would pay for a month’s supply of pasta!”

Kitchenware is expensive! Whether you like it silver or rose gold, serrated or smooth, dishwasher safe or hand wash only, if it’s for your kitchen, it’s probably outrageously overpriced. 

Fear not!

If you’ve ever asked yourself where the best place to buy kitchen supplies is, we’ve gathered options that won’t break the bank. Keep reading to discover them.

Kitchen Gadget Review to Research Items

Kitchen Gadget Review (https://kitchengadgetreview.com/) is the perfect place to discover your next kitchen gadget.

The website reviews anything and everything to do with the kitchen. Kitchen Gadget Review frequently links to the most affordable version of the product, so the site is a great place to start your search.

Where Is the Best Place to Buy Kitchen Supplies?

Now that you know what you’re going to purchase for your kitchen, it’s time to find affordable prices!

Check out the sites below for some of the best places to find affordable kitchenware.

The Container Store

If you thought that they only sold Tupperware, think again! The Container Store has an entire kitchenware department with everything from fridge and freezer organization to kitchen starter kits and wine racks. You’re sure to find great deals on everything that you need here.

Wayfair

With a lot more than furniture, Wayfair is a surprisingly great place to find kitchen gadgets. They have everything from tabletop items, centerpieces, and cookware, to small and large appliances that ship right to your front door. 

With all of the kitchenware items available to ship from Wayfair, you might never need to leave your house again!

World Market

World Market is a fantastic place to get kitchenware because you’ll find kitchen materials that are used all over the world that may not be as readily available on other websites. From bento boxes to Chinese tea sets, you’ll easily impress your guests at your next dinner party when you shop from World Market.

Everything Kitchens

As suggested by its name, Everything Kitchens has everything you need to set up your kitchen (and everything you don’t, but impulse buy anyway). They have small appliances up the wazoo and seasonal items that are perfect for adding a festive flair to your holiday meals. 

Everything Kitchens is also working to help you switch to zero waste living with items like reusable and more durable ziplock bags.

Bed, Bath, and Beyond

Clearly, the “Beyond” stands for kitchenware because at Bed, Bath, and Beyond, you’ll find everything that you never knew that you needed for your kitchen. From air fryers and juicers to electric garbage cans and artisan espresso machines, your kitchen will easily look like something out of a magazine.

Find Your Next Kitchen Gadget Today

Now that you know what to buy and the best place to buy kitchen supplies is, it’s time to start loading up that virtual shopping cart! 

We’re always on the hunt for a great deal, so be sure to let us know what you find and where you find it.

Two-thirds of parents say they don’t do enough to ensure their children eat enough healthy foods.

You know it’s important that your child eats a healthy lunch. And yet, it’s not always easy to come up new ideas for healthy lunches for kids.

Check out our healthy lunch ideas for kids below. Let’s go!

1. Pitta Pockets 

If you want to replace the tired and old slices of bread, pitta pockets are an easy alternative. 

You can stuff them with a mint yogurt dip and a bunch of lettuce, carrots, and tomatoes for a healthy bite. 

2. Pesto Pasta Salad

Pasta has a poor reputation as a nasty carb. And yet, pasta is a healthy and nutritious foundation for your kid’s lunch.

You can also bolster the health marks of your pasta salad by using whole grain pasta which packs plenty of goodness inside.

Store purchased pesto isn’t actually very healthy. But, you can prepare your own green pesto with only a few ingredients: olive oil, basil and pine nuts.

Then, toss in some leafy greens like kale or spinach to make it even healthier. 

3. Turkey Roll-Ups 

Does your kid always complain about having the same sandwiches?

You can give your child a nice surprise for lunch with turkey roll-ups. You can wrap up a wide range of fillings inside.

Spinach, tomatoes, and feta make a Greek-style roll-up. You can also give it a Morrocan twist by adding hummus and olives.

If you don’t have the time to prepare this type of healthy lunch for your kid, check out The Lunch Mob.

4. Snacks for Dunking 

You can give your kid lots of different snacks to dunk into a dip. The dip could be either hummus, guacamole or sour cream. 

Then, you can check off every type of important food group. Boiled eggs for protein, carrots for vegetables, and breadsticks for carbs.

5. Chicken Rice Salad

Rice salads are a healthy and delicious lunch for kids. They are easy to make in bulk so you don’t have to prepare lunches every morning.

Just mix rice with tomatoes, onions, beets, and herbs. Then, simply top with chicken pieces or tuna. This is a slam dunk for tasty lunch.

6. Mexican Taco Lunch

Taco shells can be filled with anything. You should always have plenty of boxes of taco shells in your pantry. 

Chunks of avocado, cherry tomatoes, and a handful of chicken pieces make for a perfect, healthy lunch. You can also add guacamole for a dab of extra flavor. 

Healthy Lunches for Kids

Now you know how to prepare healthy lunches for kids. Your children want adventure and surprise at lunchtime. No one wants a boring lunch! 

But, that doesn’t mean you have to feed them salty snacks and sugary treats. You don’t need to spend a fortune on food either. 

Did you find this article helpful? Check out the rest of our website for more tips like this. 

In one year, 80 million Americans say that they grilled outdoors. Seventy-five percent of us own an outdoor grill or smoker.

While grills apply heat directly to cook food, smokers use indirect heat that passes through a cooking chamber, usually containing wood chips. Smoking foods helps to preserve their flavor, and the wood gives them that down-home barbeque flavor we recognize immediately.

Grills, on the other hand, cook food more quickly and are easier to use. Many hosts prefer them because they can socialize with their guests without continuously fussing over the fire.

Whatever your preferred method is, nothing compares to the sweet, barefoot music of a summer cookout in your own backyard. Here are some of our favorite grilling ideas for the season!

1. Fish and Veggies En Papillote

This is a great crowd-pleaser that allows each guest to have their own neatly-wrapped protein package that smells like heaven when it is cracked open.

Place a white, flaky fish with light flavor like halibut, tilapia, or cod in aluminum foil and season with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, or lemon juice. Sprinkle with some basil or thyme and salt and pepper.

Light fish are packed with vitamins and minerals and light on calories. Add some summery cherry tomatoes, zucchini, or squash before closing up the package and grilling it with the lid down. The result is a succulent, savory treat that melts in your mouth.

2. Cedar Plank Salmon

For best results, your cedar plank should be placed in the center of a hot grate, away from the heat. The fish will steam gently here, remaining tender and moist. It picks up the smoky flavors from the grill as well as the woodsy taste of the cedar.

Some serious grillers prefer a charcoal grill smoker combo when entertaining outdoors. It combines the flavor of a smoker with the convenience of a grill.

You will need to soak your cedar plank in salt water for two hours before using it on the grill. Salmon is an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, and Omega-3 fatty acids, which prevent heart attacks and contribute to overall mental and emotional well-being. Try flavoring yours with brown sugar and dry mustard before grilling.

3. Veggie Kebabs

Great summer vegetables such as zucchini, squash, bell peppers, and red onions can be served as a side dish or main event. The grill will make them so soft, smoky, and tender that they will be praised even by non-veggie fanatics.

Try brushing yours with olive oil and lemon juice, and light herbs such as thyme, basil, salt, and pepper.

4. Hot Dog Bar

Anyone who tells you that hot dogs are better served indoors is lying. Something about those charred grooves lets you know a delicious, smoky flavor unique to summer is on its way to your mouth.

Be sure to include classic fixin’s lined up in style like catsup, mustard, pickles, relish, sauerkraut, and an assortment of buns.

You can also shake things up by serving unique recipes like Hawaiian dogs with pineapple relish in bacon, or Asian dogs with hoisin sauce and ginger relish.

5. Grilled Romaine Halves

A healthy, surprisingly delicious appetizer or side, grilled romaine lettuce halves deliver a gorgeous color and succulent flavor.

The halves can be placed directly on the grill, and they need to be turned quickly. Season them with salt and pepper and top with blue cheese and bacon off the heat.

Choose Your Grilling Ideas

Smoky veggies, ethnic hot dogs, and savory fish all make great grilling ideas for your next entertainment event.

For more information on frugal cooking, read our blog today!