Create a Camping Menu Using Food Storage

Published: Fri, 08/29/14

Hi from Jodi and Julie,

Labor Day weekend is one of the last good camping weekends of the year. We wanted to share a few camp cooking tips we've come up with recently to make it easier for us to get out and go camping without it being a huge hassle to prepare all the food. Here is a sample menu for a day of camping including snacks. Use our ideas/recipes or come up with your own based on things YOUR family likes.

And don't forget ... Our 7 Day Emergency Preparedness Challenge starts on a surprise day in September, it could be the 1st (but we won't do that to you since it's a holiday, lol). So sign up if you haven't already and you'll be notified as soon as the "crisis" hits. You can also review our tips for getting ready for the big event.

CAMPING BREAKFAST: EGG SCRAMBLE

This simple egg mix can be customized to include whatever add-ins you like. I made two separate batches to accommodate some picky eaters. It's a hearty, filling breakfast that the whole family will enjoy. I've been hesitant to use powdered eggs for scrambled eggs but after I tried the Thrive brand of scrambled egg mix I knew this was a solution that would work for my family. They are soooo good and taste like real eggs!

Ingredients:
Serves 2-3 adults or 3-4 kids (it's equivalent to 8 eggs)
1/2 c. Thrive Scrambled Egg Mix
1/3 c. Freeze-Dried Cheddar Cheese
1/4. c. Freeze-Dried Sausage Crumbles
1 T. Dehydrated Onion Flakes
1/3 c. Freeze-Dried Green Bell Peppers
1/3 c. Freeze-Dried Diced Tomatoes

Directions:
Put all ingredients in a FoodSaver or ziplock bag. When ready to use, mix with 1 c. water and let sit for a few minutes. Cook like normal eggs!

CAMPING LUNCH: THRIVE EXPRESS MEALS

Thrive Express is a line of just-add-water meals which are nice for a campout but we don't like them enough to eat them for all of our meals for the weekend. Our kids favorites are chili lime chicken rice, baked potato cheese soup, or the hearty chili. We need two-three pouches to feed our family of six (my husband eats a lot)

CAMPING DINNER: THRIVE CHICKEN CHILI

We've talked in the past about how to make quick dinners using the Meal in a Jar concept. I decided to use a favorite jar recipe but vacuum seal it in a FoodSaver bag instead. This gives us a light-weight but hearty dinner that can feed a big family but doesn't take up too much space.

Ingredients:
Serves 4-6 people
3/4 c. Freeze-Dried Chopped Chicken
1/2 c. Instant Black Beans
1/2 c. Instant Brown Rice
1/2 c. Freeze-Dried Sweet Corn
1/4 c. Freeze-Dried Chopped Onion
1/4 c. Freeze-Dried Green Chili Peppers
1/4 c. Freeze-Dried Diced Tomatoes
2 T. Thrive Tomato Powder
2 T. Chicken Bouillon
1 tsp. Ground Cumin
1 tsp. Chili Powder
1 tsp. Garlic Powder

Directions: Put all ingredients in a Foodsaver or ziplog bag. When ready to use, boil 8 cups of water and add the ingredients to it. Let simmer 15-20 minutes until thickened.

CAMPING SNACKS: HOMEMADE GRANOLA + DRIED FRUIT

Granola is a great light snack for camping and uses lots of ingredients we already have in our food storage (rotate those rolled oats!). Adding in freeze-dried fruits makes it delicious, healthier and more filling.

Ingredients:
3 c. rolled oats
3 T. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/3 c. honey (I used reconstituted Thrive Honey Crystals)
1/4 c. coconut oil or vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Optional: freeze-dried fruits, chocolate chips, chopped nuts as desired

Directions:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees and put the rack in the middle. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Combine wet ingredients and mix well. It helps mix better if they are heated slightly. Pour the liquid over the dry ingredients and mix until the oats are thoroughly coated. Spread into a rimmed baking sheet in a thin layer. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and stir. Bake for another 10 minutes or so until the granola is a light golden brown (don't overcook!) Allow to cool to room temperature and then add in any optional ingredients. YUM!

AUGUST SPECIALS

We used Thrive Life food storage ingredients (our favorite) to make our meals and snacks and quite a few of them are on sale in August as part of the 5 year Thrive anniversary. Check out the deals and make sure to order by August 31st!

Click here to view the Thrive August Specials!

All these food items weight a total of 4 pounds and can easily fit in one small backpack. I'm so excited to take my family camping and eat all our favorite foods on the go!

Have a great weekend and we will write again when the 7 day challenge officially begins!

-Jodi and Julie
http://FoodStorageMadeEasy.NET