Any studio meal ideas out there?

[Patpat15]

We've always stayed in a one or two bedroom but this time just my wife and our newest baby are staying in a studio.

I like ordering from netgrocer, but what meals can we make in a studio?

Is there a can opener and any microwave dishes at all in a studio?

We are staying at BCV next week.

Thanks for any advice

 

[bonzie1]

We've stayed in a studio 2 times now... I remember having paper plates + bowls and plastic utensils. I can't remember if there were actual dishes. This would put a damper on having to prepare meals unless they were the frozen microwavable ones (and if they would fit in the small refrigerator).

Can anyone else help?

 

[Nanajo1]

We only had paper plates and bowls and plastic cutlery in the studio. Ceramic Mugs though. I think it is Glad or is it Ziploc has new microwave dishes. You could bring a few of them to use. Eggs and the precooked sausages could be breakfast. How about buying the ready made pizza shells and adding fresh vceggies,cheese and jar pizza sauce. I can't think of any gourmet meals. Soups could be heated. There are some microwaveable pastas available. Ask for a toaster. Then melt cheese with some tomato between the toast in the micro and you have "grilled cheese and tomato. You could even make tuna melts that way. Nothing gourmet but save that for you night out.
Have fun!

 

[SCDizneyDawn]

I do not remeber there being any microwave safe bowls in the studios, but we have asked for a toaster (before they were in the studios) so, I would think they might be willing to bring you a bowl or 2.

A suggestion I have for a meal is Easy Mac (mac & cheese) and hot dogs. You will need a small micro safe bowl for the Easy Mac.
Also, there are frozen dinners at the little stores at each DVC resort, just stop in on your way to the room and buy what you will eat then ( the freezers are not going to keep dinners frozen). Some canned foods would work also (Chef BoyRdee with a canned veggi)
Anyway, good luck and have a great trip!

 

[lsutigger2]

Don't know your mode of transportation getting to WDW, but last year we drove. I had prepared some meals at home and then froze them in the Glad/Ziploc cheap containers. They stayed frozen in ice chest until we checked in. We drove it in two days and kept adding ice to the chest. Put them in the refrigerator and as we got ready to heat them in the microwave, they had defrosted. It worked great. I think I brought chili, jambalaya, and a meat and bean dish that we like. We liked having "home cooked" meals a few times. I plan to do the same this year even thought we'll have a 1-bedroom. (After all the good reviews, I can't wait!) The only thing I'm thinking about doing different is using my DH's vacuum sealer for things like rice. It will already be cooked and we'll just need to reheat in micro.
There were not any microwave bowls. I had brought some paper bowls that had a bit of "weight" to them. And I think there may have been a few in the studio. They worked out okay.
Enoy!!

 

[Deb & Bill]

Got a good recipe off the Food Network the other day - Egg Mock Muffin. You use Egg Beaters or other egg product, canadian bacon, english muffins and cheese. Put a slice of Canadian Bacon in a small bowl, pour in about 1/2 the carton or egg product, cover with Saran wrap and microwave on high for about 1.5 minutes. Check to see if the egg is cooking. Put back in for about 1 minute. Toast the English muffin. Put the cooked egg product and CB on top of one of the toasted EM, top with a slice of cheese, cover with the other slice of EM and eat. You can get the original recipe off the Food Network website too. Fairly low in cholesterol and fat, too.

 

[Mooobooks]

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[IleneF]

We camp alot so here's what we do:
Breakfasts:
cereal w/milk, OJ or fresh fruit
bagels w/cream cheese, OJ or fruit salad
store bought muffins

Snacks on the go:
granola bars
trail mix
p.butter and cheese crackers

Lunches:
these are easy as they are usually cold vs hot dishes
Tuna sandwhiches
PB and fluff (not allowed except on vacations!)
Salads (use prepared stuff and add)

Dinners:
I assume most will be done out as that is one of the really good
things about WDW - FOOD choices! We have now eaten at each
epcot restaurant once!

However if you want to eat in:
Preboil macaroni, store in ziploc for trip and heat gently
in microwave, add sauce, there are some garlic breads
you can buy or make that crisp okay in a micro if your careful.
Eat with salad.
Frozen Boca burgers or chicken patties do well in microwave
ovens, bring buns and have a side salad or soup to go.
There are tons of frozen dinners available now for microwave
prep. Most are very good. Try the rice bowls - yum!
Good luck you are only limited by your imagination.

If you can get a crock pot your choices multiply and you can come
back to a mighty good smelling kitchen!

 

[MaryJ]

No one has mentioned that if you eat out and the meal is just too much, you can get a take home container, put it in your fridge, and have it for lunch or supper the next day. We did that two times on our last trip to WDW and it really helped to stretch those meals!

 

[Mic]

Almost everything in the grocery store has microwave directions on it now, even frozen vegetables! I purchased 4 Ziploc throw-away plastic containers($4) to take with me to WDW when we stayed in a studio last year, and I took my small slow-cooker(oblong, sits on a base) and a small colander. Both fit in a small cooler that can be checked if flying. I purchased an Olive Garden jumbo salad with 12 breadsticks($13) the first day, and made spaghetti noodles in the slow cooker(it took 45 minutes for the water to boil, then 10 minutes to cook the noodles) and heated sause from a jar in the microwave in a ziploc bowl. The 2nd night, we ordered pizza and finished off the salad. We made soup and sandwiches once, and the kids love that Easy Mac and Ragu Express. I always bring baby carrots and celery to pair with the "Easy" pasta, so I feel like the kids are getting something they need. Most of the time we have a 2-bedroom, but even then we try to keep it simple because I am on vacation, too.

 

[RUDisney]

Haven't stayed in a studio yet, but we will in October, and these are my thoughts:

One of our favorite summer meals is to have a bagged salad with mandarine oranges, tomatoes, cucumbers and grilled chicken. I figure that the pre-cooked chicken will do when on vacation. Couple that with either poppyseed or caesar dressing... yum.
I've also thought about buying the precooked taco meat that is new on the market. I think it's by El Paso. We can use that to make burritos or a taco dip. If you spread out the meat in the bottom of a microwave dish, top it with a combination of salsa and sour cream mixed together, and put cheese on top of that and microwave it until the cheese bubbles, it is delicious with taco chips.

Of course, we'll have our staple snack, too... microwave popcorn.

 

[Carrieberry]

Thanks everyone for all these great ideas! I was just about to post this exact question when I saw Patpat15 beat me to it! We will also be in a studio at BCV in dec. We will be making a grocery stop but we will also be checking in at about 1:00. What does everyone do if you've brought refrig stuff? We will be flying. Does bell services have a fridge or anything to store your stuff if you arrive before check in time and your room is not ready? How big are the fridges? I'm guessing there is a coffee maker? Thanks-we are renting points and are unsure what to expect!

 

[MaryJ]

Carrieberry---the fridge is one of those rectagular dorm size refrigerators. There is a coffee maker and you get two ceramic cups. If you're like me you will be glad to hear this because I hate drinking hot beverages out of styrofoam! When we transfered from VWL to BWV last summer, bell services put our stuff that needed to be refrigerated in a refrigerator until our room was ready at BWV, so I'm sure they will be able to do the same for you when you check in if you're room isn't ready.

Enjoy your time at BCV!

 

[doubletrouble_vb]

If you know any one who has been on a Jenny Craig diet they have foods that don't require refrigeration. Not dry foods...they are in microwavable containers...you just pull the top off and heat just like a frozen dish. I brought some of those, picked up a salad from Roaring Forks (or whereever) and made various salads for dinner.

If you stop at the grocery store you can get fixins for nachos, bag(s) of salad, bags of carrots, alcohol, ...parmalat in the small boxes to save space in the fridge (put it in when you need it or use the ice bucket). With the right grocery store you can find lots of prepared foods that you can re-combine to make dishes or snacks...I like the one over by Splendid China on 192.

My rule of thumb is to arrange for breakfast and another meal in room...almost every day. The second meal occurs when I come back to the room for a break...so either lunch or dinner is out.

Microwaveable bowls...here I'd choose to spend a little money. Microwaving oily items may be hazardous to your health...find a way to pack a multi-use dish if you can.

 

[Dancind]

We bought one of those microwave egg poachers you see in every grocery store, cooked bacon in the microwave too. BCV had toasters with a slot big enough for bagels. The fridge was pretty roomy, but very little freezer space. A hint: turn the cold temp up in the fridge when you get in the room. I noticed after the first day, ours wasn't cold enough to freeze the ice. Diana

 

[Claudia1]

I like the pre-cooked taco meat. I usually cook up a couple of pounds of ground beef and then turn it into meat for spaghetti or make tacos. I freeze it before going and take it frozen.

Another use for the taco meat is on baked potatoes. I love to take potatoes with me because they don't bruise and travel very nicely. Add some cheese and/or salsa and/or sour cream and you have a great baked potato meal.

You could contact them about the can opener or just pack one in your luggage.

Another good meal is a tuna melt. Mix tuna with mayo (pick up some extra packets at your next fast food stop), spread over an English Muffin, and top with cheese. A tomato is optional.

BTW, freeze juice boxes or water bottles to use as cold packs. Not only will you save money but you will have extra room for souvenirs at the end of your vacay.