Can You Still Go RVing in the Winter?

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Not that hard. RV cooking is not the simplest task, however, it is most definitely do-able and it does not have to be such a hassle. There are limited appliances, limited storage, and limited counter space which do not make things extremely easy. To top things off, sadly, you can’t pack your whole house into your RV which would make life so much easier. Nevertheless, make your life easier with RV cooking by planning accordingly.

Appliances

Your meals will be a little bit dictated upon what appliances you have in your RV. Most RV’s have one to two burners on the stovetop, maybe a toaster, sometimes a microwave, and a very crammed refrigerator. Not only this, but there are limited pots and pans, knives, and other cooking utensils due to space. This means you need to be strategic with what meals you are trying to cook depending on how many people you will be feeding. It may be of your best interest to invest in some sturdy pots and pans as well as a crockpot or an Instant Pot if you plan on cooking a lot of hot meals that take some time. You do not need more than a few pots/ pans because you can’t use them all at once and it is likely you do not have much storage for them. Another thing to make sure you have is some Ziplock baggies for storing food and maybe a few pieces of Tupperware just in case you have leftovers.

Grocery Shopping

Spending a little bit of time going to the grocery store can go a long way and save you an ample amount of time. Before you head out to the grocery store for your big RV trip, it is important to plan your meals out beforehand. Gather all of the ingredients you have, and write down the ones you will need. Remember to keep it simple when you are cooking. You do not need a gourmet meal every time dinner time rolls around. Hot dogs, salads, and soups will always do the trick. To keep everything fresh and to save space, you should only be shopping a few days at a time, which means the grocery store might be in your future a couple more times depending on how long your travels are. Your meals will be more likely to turn out, and you won’t be scrambling for food if you plan ahead. If you don’t plan ahead, we can’t say the same thing.

Save Time

If you are really not one who enjoys being in the kitchen, grocery stores will be your best friend! Buy all the premade meals there are! Instead of spending your entire day making breakfast, then lunch, then dinner, and then dessert… Make your life easier. You don’t have to eat premade meals for the rest of your life, but for RV travels, it really makes cooking so much easier! Instead of making pancakes, buy eggos. Instead of chopping up a salad, buy a premade one. Instead of making tacos, make a cold sandwich. Instead of baking a pie, buy a premade one. There are so many substitutes for most meals! It is easy, and remember this lifestyle is not the rest of your life, however we know that not everyone wants to do premade-meals for their trip!

Shop Carefully

RV refrigerators are small, but do the trick when you use them correctly. It is extremely important to know and be aware of how much your refrigerator will be able to hold and how much food is already in it when you go grocery shopping. Be strategic when packing up your refrigerator. It might be a little game like Tetris if you want to have some fun with it. Make sure to stack items and create the perfect fit to optimize all the little refrigerator space you have. Have the food items that will be used later in the week in the back but have fruit, snacks, and vegetables easily accessible to snack on by keeping them in the front. If you have room in your refrigerator, you can make extras of meals to eat leftovers, but if your refrigerator is already full, make sure to try to stay around the correct amount of food so you don’t have to waste it.

Meal Prepping

To save some time, it may be of your interest to do some cooking of meat, chopping of vegetables, grading of cheese, and slicing of fruit to get it out of the way before you are on the road. This will not only save you a lot of time but will lessen the number of dishes you have to use and clean when you are on your travels. Whatever you can do before, DO IT! You will thank yourself later.

Meals

Cold meals, as well as hot meals, can be made in an RV, and it’s not that hard if you follow the steps above. However, if you are really looking to make your life easy and not spend so much time in the small cramped kitchen on your travels, try to make more cold meals than hot meals. Below is a list of simple and easy cold or hot meals you can make when on your travels, and some recipes to go along with it. Remember, life is so much easier when you meal prep. Cut those veggies before you leave, and save time by purchasing a similar dressing than making it yourself.

Cold

· Cold Sandwiches - you know that you like on your sandwiches, you don’t need a recipe!

· Pasta Salad- (https://armagazine.com/3j3xZV1)

· Tossed Salad - add whatever, ingredients and dressing you want!

· Chicken Caesar Wrap- (https://bit.ly/3kWO4Oa) · Chicken cucumber Pitas- (https://bit.ly/3hjejfq)

Hot

· Hot Dogs- SO simple. Cook these over the fire, on a grill, or on your stove in your RV. Add what you want.

· Taco Soup- (https://armagazine.com/2QouHjf) · Chili- (https://armagazine.com/3hkVYPe)

· Hamburgers- Again, cook these on a grill, or on your stove in your RV, and add what you want.

Cleaning Supplies

Cleaning up the kitchen takes a long time when you want it to be sparkling again after you cook, and it is most certainly not fun. One of the most important things to keep on hand with you during your RV travels is a nice all-purpose cleaner. Find one that you like, but keep in mind cleaning in an RV is a small enclosed area so it may be best to look for an all-purpose cleaner that is light on chemicals and heavy on natural ingredients so you don’t pass out due to the strong cleaning smell! Most all-purpose cleaners

can clean carpets, rubber, countertops, plastic, leather, and sometimes even stove-tops! It is also very nice to have a compact vacuum in the RV with you. This helps with the crumbs of food and all of the dirt that may enter your RV after being outside. Having a compact vacuum instead of a normal-sized vacuum makes cleaning easier, and storing it is easier as well.

Get cookin’, it’s not that hard. We promise!

Cited used: https://www.campanda.com/magazine/rv-cleaning-maintenance-storage-products/

https://axleaddict.com/rvs/RV-Cooking-Is-a-Challenge

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