What To Pack During These Summer Adventures

The sun is shining longer, temperatures are gradually rising, long weekends of camping, gathering, and socializing is well underway. Here are a few tips to consider during these summer adventures. 

Camping: If your family is like mine, camping means leaving town for the weekend, spending some time around a fire, grilling and cooking outdoors. During these times it is easy to pack processed meats such as hamburgers and hot dogs. Try to also incorporate a whole meat such as marinated ribs or chicken. Be sure to keep these items chilled in a cooler till ready to cook and cook them thoroughly (no pink meat!, being sick during camping is not fun). 

Camping is not a time we are health conscious. We often pack foods that won’t spoil. Try to make an effort to bring some fresh foods with the plan to eat them first.  Pack some vegetables for grilling. These fresh flavors break up the savory flavors of meat. Some vegetables that are great for grilling include: asparagus, onions, eggplant, bell peppers, and zucchini. You can either oil the vegetables and put them in a grill safe pan (see picture) or put them on or wrapped in foil and throw them on the grill or around the fire. Optional: season vegetables with salt/ pepper/ seasoning salt/ etc. 

Getting tired of s’mores? Try a banana boat! Take a banana, cut them in half long ways, add marshmallows, chocolate, and crushed graham crackers. Optional: Add other topics such as nuts and fruits. Wrap in foil and put next to the fire for a few minutes or until marshmallows and chocolate are meaty. Be cautious as this dessert is steamy hot! Serve warm. Enjoy! 

If you plan to be gone awhile, pack some dry goods to eat after the fresh food has been consumed. These are items such as: beef jerky, trail mix, dried fruits, granola bars, and in some cases, Meals Ready to Eats (MREs). 

I hope you all have a great camping season this summer!