camping & floating trip food ideas

i am wrapping up this week's camping trip tips with some food ideas. like i mentioned on wednesday's post, we made all of our food from one cast iron pan & large, sturdy cooking pot. during lunch time when we were still in mid-route on the water, i pre-made meals at home so clean up was very easy. 

we consider our camping & floating trips as vacation trips so we like to eat well. every morning & night we cooked on a small pop-up burner rented from the university recreational department or an open fire. these meal ingredients are suited for carrying in a medium-size cooler with ice & preparing in somewhat primitive conditions. here are some ideas for your next camping or floating trip:

1. most everyone enjoys a good hot dog while camping. we prefer to purchase all-natural, organic hot dogs for various reasons, & hot dogs are an excellent choice of protein when hiking or paddling. adults & kiddos alike love placing their hot dog on a stick above an open fire for cooking. this allows the whole family to get involved in the preparation of the evening's meal! paired with a couple of healthy sides & you have a delicious meal.

2. i found this idea on pinterest & it was a huge success. i chose to make a vegan pancake mix (replacing soy milk with almond & oil with applesauce) because we were eating the pancakes on the last day & i was worried that our ice would be melted at that point. i put the mix in an old ketchup bottle. it was so easy to squeeze out the pancakes that morning & add bananas. we ate our delicious, warm pancakes with a spoonful of peanut butter & a bit of maple syrup.

3. cheesy potatoes are a must on our outdoor trips. i always slice our potatoes in the food processor at home to avoid using a cutting board & knife on our trips. it makes for a lighter load. i simply place all of my potatoes in a ziplock bag & they are ready to go for that evening's meal.  

4. bacon & eggs are a must for breakfast while camping. we cooked the bacon in a cast iron skillet on our pop up burner & allowed to cool while we were scrambling the eggs. you can use a tortilla to make a wrap for a great on-the-go breakfast meal.

5. we love fresh vegetables for daily meals so why not bring them camping? we sliced up several summer squashes ahead of time at home & placed them in a ziplock bag. we cooked them with a bit of olive oil in our pot on the campfire griddle. it was delicious paired with the hot dogs.

6. we love making simple syrups at home & storing them in the fridge for whenever the desire to enjoy a light & refreshing drink may hit. a great alternative to water or coffee while camping is a bit of club soda & mint syrup (bonus- mint is growing in abundance right now!) you can find my recipe at helloluvvy, a wonderful new e-magazine that i just love & where i will be sharing a bit of my foodie passion. pack up your simple syrup in a mason jar & off you go on your camping adventures!

i would love to hear some of your favorite camping recipes so please share by commenting below!

i hope you enjoyed this week of camping tidbits! 

-----------------

thank you to all of you who shared your favorite camping tips with us! i loved reading each one & made a little list for things we should bring on our next trip! the winner of wednesday's deodorant cream from happy homestead botanicals is megan rowell! i will email you soon!

love,

natalie