Mari Kondo meet Luigi the Travato!

I've got to be out of my mind!  We've been downsizing our house and have 'stuff' piled everywhere--stuff from the attic, guest room closets, Tom's office, my craft room, and don't even get me started about the garage or shed...!  Piles for family, piles for a yard sale, piles for the ReStore,  Good Will, the free pile out at the road, recycling, and more! So why in the midst of all this upheaval do I decide it's time to hoe out our RV?

Well...we bring different stuff in our RV for summer travel than we do for other seasons.  We don't need our little screen house for winter camping on Cape Cod, and definitely won't use winter comforters in South Dakota this summer. Just like our sticks and bricks house,  over time things accumulate in our tiny home on wheels. So with all our downsizing, it just made sense to downsize in Luigi too.

As fans of Marie Kondo's book and her Netflix series,  The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up,  we followed her advice and removed everything from Luigi.

So the result is that This Happened in our living room!  Not pictured are the mattresses just out of the photo and bedding which was in the washer. But everything else from the van including the cab is in this photo.

It was a mess, but oh, did it feel SO good to take everything out and give Luigi a good cleaning.  If you decide to do the same, don't forget to clean the chassis AC filters, the overhead fans, and if you have a Travato K model, carefully remove the glass guard over the galley cooktop to clean it --the 4 stainless steel bolts unscrew.

Then according to Marie Kondo, only return those items that 'spark joy.'  Here are a few 'after' pictures:

So if I'm honest the broom doesn't spark quite as much joy as the corkscrew does, but clean floors at sandy campsites do!  What did we remove?  Well, a ton a paper surprisingly--lots of maps and tourist brochures from places we've been; a few knitting patterns I'd been missing.  Some sea glass, and pebbles that had been precious at one time. Cluttery things!  In addition some fairly large items like one of the table legs--we use the table all the time to make up the big bed, but never use it as a table.  We kept just one table leg to use with our small table.  We also removed the convection oven wire rack--used it just once for a frozen pizza,  the lid to the dish pan, and the cutting board that sat on top of it, and various other kitchen and junk draw items that wormed their way into the rig but were never used. For a small investment of a rainy Saturday afternoon, we were thrilled with the results.

If you decide to Konmari your RV, what you keep and discard will most likely be totally different than our experience--just do what sparks joy!

Newfoundland Meal Prep -- Sloppy Joe Sliders & Salad

Sloppy Joe Sliders & Salad

On long driving days when we're focused on getting from Point A to Point B, we aren't usually very hungry at dinner time--probably because we didn't get enough exercise!  Sloppy Joe Sliders & Salad is a perfect small meal that satisfies with a taste of comfort food, but keeps it healthy with a fresh salad.  It's also a great meal for rainy or windy nights since it easily heats up in an RV galley.

This is another recipe that isn't really a recipe.  Everyone has a favorite Sloppy Joe recipe so go ahead and cook up a batch, divide into bags, and pop in the freezer.  When you're on the road, just defrost and heat in a skillet or microwave.

The Sloppy Joe recipe I've been making for decades is from my friend, Sharon.  On rainy days at her lake house, Sharon make a double batch of Sloppy Joes and it's always a hit with her large extended family.

Make Ahead Ingredients

2 lbs lean ground beef (or turkey)
1 onion, peeled and diced
1 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons vinegar
1/4 teaspoon of dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tablespoon of hot sauce (or more to taste)
salt & pepper to taste

In a large preheated skillet, brown diced onion with meat in two batches to not crowd the pan, pour off any grease.  Combine the other ingredients in a small bowl.  Add all the cooked meat mixture back to the skillet and stir in the sauce. Simmer for 15 minutes.  Cool mixture, fill freezer bags removing as much air as possible, and place flat in the freezer.

Notes: Like green peppers, chopped celery, chopped carrot?  Garlic?  Sloppy Joes are a great way to use up veggies in your fridge.  Just chop and add when you add the onions.  Vegetarian?  Use Beyond Meat Crumbles to replace the beef or turkey.

2. Since we make small sliders with this recipe, we fill at least 4 freezer bags with the 2 lbs of beef.  If you want full size Sloppy Joes, just divide among fewer bags.

3. Adding crushed tomatoes to the sauce will make them 'extra' sloppy for easy reheating.

4. Serve on small toasted dinner rolls (those Hawaiian ones are a guilty pleasure) with a side salad.

Rosie's Pet Friendly Tip:  Make sure some of the Sloppy Joes 'accidentally' slide off your plate!

Newfoundland Meal Prep--TexMex Chicken Bowls

Why all the meal prep for long RV trips?  We have three reasons: 1) eating healthy, keeping an eye on our expenses, and preparing quick meals, so we don't cut into adventuring time.  I mention the quick meals because we take shortcuts! At home I cook with dried beans--on the road--canned. I also don't do much any baking on the road.  I find myself watching the timer and thinking about what I'm missing while I'm waiting.

Maybe when we retire the timer won't have as much power over us, but for now, it's about quick meals so we can catch a sunset or a ranger program.

One of my shortcuts (don't judge me!) is 'boil-in-bag' type grains to make bowl meals.  There are several different brands of these available in local grocery stores. Trader Joe's has some great options too.  I usually get "Success" brand--it's non-GMO (thank you Vermont for being first in the nation to ban GMO products) and available in several varieties of white rice, brown rice, and quinoa.  In 10 minutes we have brown rice, and a pot that doesn't need to be cleaned! That totally works in our little RV galley.

Oh and did I mention, one box of Success Boil-in-Bag brown rice contains four 2-serving bags. Think Mexican, Chinese, Indian, Thai...

Here's a TexMex Chicken Bowl I prepped for our trip.

TexMex Chicken Prep

3 chicken breasts
3 small cans of tomato sauce (no sugar added)
3 Tablespoons taco seasoning
Hot sauce (optional)

Heat a medium sized skillet with a tsp of olive oil.  Brown chicken breasts (about 4 minutes per side).  Add 3 cans of tomato sauce and taco seasoning.  Simmer until chicken is heated through (about 20 minutes).  Remove from heat, cool, and shred chicken.  Divide chicken into three freezer ziplock bags to prep for three meals, and place flat in freezer.

Note: You can make this with chicken and a jar of salsa, but the day I made it, I only had tomato sauce in the house. A can of Rotel tomatoes and peppers would work well too.  Vegetarian?  Black beans heated with a can of Rotel and some taco seasoning is yummy.

TexMex Bowl

Ingredients
1 bag of defrosted TexMex Chicken
1 bag of 'boil-in-bag' brown rice
cilantro, 5 or 6 sprigs of fresh
1 lime, cut in quarters
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
Other toppings--avocado, tomatoes, corn, sour cream, broken corn chips

Prep The Meal
1.  Boil the rice, split between 2 bowls and stir in a little chopped cilantro for flavor.
2.  Reheat chicken adding a little water in a foil lined small skillet.
3.  While chicken is heating, make chimichurri in a small bowl by combining minced jalapeno,  a tablespoon olive oil,  the rest of the chopped cilantro, and juice from half a lime. Set aside.
4.  Add chimichurri on top of rice, then the warm chicken, top with whatever else you have--Monterrey Jack or cotija cheese, avocado slices, tomato... have any sour cream or corn--toss that in too...and squeeze remaining lime over the top.

Rosie would honestly rather have a restaurant doggie bag, because there are usually more leftovers.  But a little chicken and rice to top off her kibble is always a good thing.

Newfoundland Meal Prep--Pork Roasts Were BOGO!

Pork roasts were Buy One Get One Free at the grocery store, so meal prep for our Newfoundland trip is Pork Carnitas! The recipe I use is modified from iheartkitchen.com which uses leftover cooked pork roast.  I changed up the spices a bit, and substituted orange juice and juice from a lime--I didn't have a lemon.

Here's my version.  I think the lemon would have made this a little bitter, so I'm glad I didn't have one.  I also increased the amount of onion and only used garlic powder.

Pork Carnitas

In a heavy dutch oven, combine the following and simmer about an hour until liquid is reduced by half.

Carnitas Ingredients to make ahead and freeze:

4 cups of cooked pork roast, trimmed of fat and cut in 1 inch pieces
2 1/4 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 medium onions, diced
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
1/4 cup orange juice
1 lime, juiced
1 tablespoon cumin
1 1/4  teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon coriander
3/4 teaspoon salt
cayenne pepper (optional if you like more of a kick)

After liquid is reduced by half, shred the pork with a fork.  Cool, and divide between freezer bags (I filled 3 quart bags and each bag serves two.

Making Dinner: 

Remove pork from freezer and defrost the day you plan to eat. You'll need these additional ingredients to make dinner:  small soft tacos, a bag of coleslaw mix, 1 jalapeno, cilantro (fresh or dried), sour cream (or mayonnaise), 1 lime including zest, and any toppings you might want--tomato, cheese....

In a small bowl, combine a quarter to a third of a bag of coleslaw mix with 2 tablespoons sour cream, lime zest, lime juice, minced jalapeno (remove seeds), cilantro, salt, and pepper to taste.  Chop tomato, grate cheese.

In a nonstick skillet, add a teaspoon of olive oil and reheat the pork on high to crisp it up a bit.  Remove pork to bowl, wipe out pan and heat tortillas in the same pan.

In warm tortillas, add pork, coleslaw, and garnish with chopped tomato and cheese.

So Tom is probably shocked, that I prepped three dinners using pork, his favorite,  since I usually eat pork a just three times a year!  But between the 'buy one, get one deal, ' and this flavorful recipe, I won't have any trouble eating carnitas 3 times in 6 weeks with just a tiny taste leftover for Rosie.

If you're keeping track, I've got 9 dinners prepped so far!

Newfoundand Meal Prep--Pizza, Pizza!

Naan Grilled Pizza

This is so simple it doesn't even count as a recipe, you can totally customize, and there's next to no prep!  Perfect for camping.

We grill our pizza on a small Coleman Fold n Go Grill that fits easily under the bed in our Travato- K model, but a campground grill would work too as long as you're using a pre-cooked flatbread type crust. The one trick to successful pizza grilling is coating the grill with a little olive oil to prevent sticking.  Boondocking and no grill?  You can cook this in a cast iron skillet on your RV's stovetop.

Pre-planning Prep
We use whole grain naan for our pizza crust, but any flatbread will work.  Then we pack a jar of prepared pizza sauce and a few other toppings which can easily be re-used in salads or pasta dishes. We usually go vegetarian with pizza and our favorite toppings are artichoke hearts, sun dried tomatoes, olives, and walnuts for some protein.  Once we're in Newfoundland, we'll look for mozzarella and parmesan, but goat cheese and feta are yummy too.


Grilling the Pizza

Prep the grill with a little olive oil and preheat.  Spread a think layer of pizza sauce on the naan and top with mozzarella and parmesan.  Add toppings of your choice and sprinkle a little oregano or Italian seasoning and pepper on top. Place naan on hot grill. Part way through grilling I cover with foil so the cheese melts.  Check bottom of Naan often to make sure it doesn't burn.  When heated through, remove from grill and serve with salad!


Ingredients for 2 individual pizzas

Whole wheat Naan (package of 2)
4 oz mozzarella
1 oz parmesan
sliced olives
1/4 can of quartered artichokes, drained
2 Tbl julienned sun dried tomatoes
1/4 C walnut pieces
pinch each of oregano and pepper

Leftover cheese and toppings can be saved for pizza night next week or use them in pasta dishes or salads.

Rosie definitely likes leftover pizza even if it's vegetarian!

Newfoundland Meal Prep Korean Beef Tacos

WooHoo! It's prep time for our epic bucket list trip in our Travato camper van to Newfoundland!

We love these long 6-week trips with time to get to know an area and the people, but travel can be expensive. One of our secret weapons for cutting costs is cooking most of our meals.  An added benefit is that we usually eat much healthier, have better portion control, and can eat when and where we are hungry! To make this work, I food prep, pack some staples, carefully choose recipes that are camping friendly, and repeat meals to keep it simple.

For this 6-week trip I'm selecting 12 recipes that I'll prep 3 times each for 36 dinners and for the rest of the time we'll be enjoying fresh local Newfoundland seafood!  Our breakfasts are simple -- coffee, cereal or oatmeal, fresh fruit, and occasionally egg burritos or a smoothie.  Lunch is usually cold cuts, tuna, or hummus in a salad bowl or a pita.

So really the only cooking I do is for dinner.  Anything I can pre-prep goes in the small freezer in our Travato K.  It's narrow, but deep, so anything I freeze, I freeze flat in ziplock bags.  Don't forget to label the contents of those freezer bags!

Here's the recipe I'm prepping today--Korean Beef Tacos.  I'll make three portions of the beef (each portion feeds two people).  After it cools, it gets divided into 3 ziplock bags.

Korean Beef Tacos

Prep Ingredients: 
12 oz    Thin sliced ribeye steak (you could sub lean ground beef)
1/2       Onion, diced small
4 oz.    Teriyaki marinade (we love the brand        pictured--it's organic and not too sweet)
1 tsp     Olive oil
couple dashes of tabasco (we like a little kick)

Prep Method:
Add a tsp of olive oil to hot skillet.  Toss in minced onion and beef.  Cook 5-6 minutes or until browned. Add Teriyaki marinade and dash of tabasco (optional).  Cool and add to a quart size ziplock freezer bag.  Label bag's contents and lay flat in freezer.

Dinner Ingredients:

Defrosted, prepared beef
6 small whole wheat soft tacos
1 cucumber
4 oz of a package of coleslaw mix
1 lime, cut into wedges
1 Tbl Mayonaise
Sriracha

Dinner Method:
Defrost the beef in the morning--I usually put the freezer bag on a plate in the sink before we head out for the day).  At dinner time, warm up defrosted beef in the microwave or a skillet with a little added water.  Wash and peel skin from cucumber.  Peel cumber lengthwise in long peels until you reach the inner seeded part which you can discard.  Add cucumber peels to small bowl with 1 tbl of lime juice 1 tbl water, and a little salt. Toss and set aside.  In another small bowl, add coleslaw mix, 1 tbl mayo, 1 tsp lime juice, and sriracha to taste, mix and set aside.  Warm the soft tacos, and to each taco pile on beef, slaw mix, and cucumber, squirt a wedge of lime over the top.  Yum!

The fresh ingredients--coleslaw mix, cucumber, soft tacos, and lime should be easy to find in a local grocery store.  As far as prep goes--I keep is simple with paper bowls for mixing veggies, and just one skillet to warm the meat (if you line it with aluminum foil, you can remove the meat in the foil to a plate and heat the soft tacos in the same skillet.

Korean Beef Tacos is a nice change from burgers on the grill and easy to prepare indoors if it's raining! The whole wheat tacos add healthy carbs, and of course there are lots of flavorful veggies.

Rosie said to be sure to let you know she approves of this recipe and that there's enough beef left over to top off her dry dog food!

                                                                                                                                    

Finding Campsites & Overnight Parking

How do you find campgrounds or overnight parking when you're on the road?  Back in our tenting days we travelled with a well worn Woodall's camping directory that was about 4 inches thick.  Fast forward to our favorite campground apps!

AllStays ($) --  This app is at the top of our list to check, but sadly only available for Apple iOS. It's $9.99, but money well spent.  With over 60,000 locations, you can filter by--Cracker Barrels, Cabelas, Walmarts, casinos, municipal, state, and national parks; as well as dispersed sites in forests, BLM land, and Corp of Engineers.  It's super comprehensive!  Why would you want any other app?  Well...read on.




Campendium (free) --Use Campendium if you're looking for detailed reviews by other campers. One reason I like Campendium is because the reviews often include information about cell service and/or WiFi access.  It's available for iOS or you can search the website in your browser.


RV Parky (free) -- is a great choice for iOS or Android and like AllStays it includes a wide variety of options--private, public,  casinos, Walmarts, Cabelas's, Cracker Barrels, truck stops, rest areas, and more. It even provides warnings for low clearance roads.  I like the filters for amenities like laundry, pool, pet friendly, wifi, and more.



Recreation.gov (free) --  Yay! The update to this National Parks reservation app has been long overdue.  If used the clunky old Recreation.gov you know exactly what I'm talking about.  I love how you can now see availability IN REAL TIME(!) at 12 participating partners including National Parks, Seashores, Forests; BLM, Army Corps of Engineers, Tennessee Valley Authority, and more. It is SO much easier to see what sites are available and to reserve them.  Ditch the old app on your phone and download this one.  Note: this brand new update is currently available for iOS only, but an Android version is expected soon.

Harvest Hosts (app is free, annual membership required) -- We're big fans of Harvest Hosts.  Why stay at a noisy truck stop or crowded Walmart, when you can stay at a scenic winery, rural farm, or fascinating museum?  For an annual membership fee, Harvest Hosts provides over 700 locations in the U.S. and Canada, where all it takes is a quick phone call to ask if they have room for overnight parking.  You can thank the owners with a purchase of a bottle of wine, some farm fresh produce, or a museum ticket while you're there.  We love getting off the beaten path and supporting local businesses.

RV Parks and Campgrounds (free) -- Another popular app that includes a variety of campgrounds (over 40,000) including private, public, RV friendly stores, truck stops, and more.

Here are a few other options that we don't use, but other folks have recommended: KOA, Passport America, Overnight RV Parking, Ultimate U.S. Military Campgrounds, and iOverlander.

And I saved my favorite for last! I love using the website, freecampsites.net. Hard to believe, but we found free overnight parking on Cape Cod with this website! Unfortunately there's no app, but use it in your browser to locate free places to overnight.

What other apps and websites do you use?  Please share them in the comments!