For those who stay offsite and cook their own meals....

[dizfan899]

Oh another thing i didnt even think about...seasonings! Yikes I am glad I checked this thread again!!! Thanks!

 

[FLParadisevilla]

If the home has a crock pot you can do a pot roast with all the veggies in one pot and have it cooking while your out and about and come home to dinner done.

I also agree with the grill we love cooking on the grill and do frozen pizza, lunch meat etc.

 

[A&CsMom]

What we did last year was stop at Publix on our way back to our villa for an afternoon rest/swim/nap, and buy what we wanted to put on the grill for dinner. We would get chicken, steak or pork chops, veggies and potatos and make foil pouches for the potatos and veggies on the grill. Add some butter, spices (we brought our favourites from home), onions to the potatos, and whatever you want to the veggies (green beans work well for us with some butter and garlic), then after 30 minutes of cooking the potatos and veggies, put the meat on. My husband and I share the work and it's not so bad. Before long we have a fairly healthy home cooked meal, throw everything into the dishwasher, turn it on and we're back to the parks for the evening. No dishes, not much work, and the kids like it.

 

[FLParadisevilla]

Yummie! I like the way you cook!

What we did last year was stop at Publix on our way back to our villa for an afternoon rest/swim/nap, and buy what we wanted to put on the grill for dinner. We would get chicken, steak or pork chops, veggies and potatos and make foil pouches for the potatos and veggies on the grill. Add some butter, spices (we brought our favourites from home), onions to the potatos, and whatever you want to the veggies (green beans work well for us with some butter and garlic), then after 30 minutes of cooking the potatos and veggies, put the meat on. My husband and I share the work and it's not so bad. Before long we have a fairly healthy home cooked meal, throw everything into the dishwasher, turn it on and we're back to the parks for the evening. No dishes, not much work, and the kids like it.

 

[isla bonita]

A $ C's Mom thats how things are done at our home except we have more hands to help out so it is even easier.

Nothing better then the kids in the pool while we are preparing so they are having a blast and it is not any work for them to even set the table when we have so many adults.

I think I would enjoy living in a commune. Could get used to not having to do the things that I don't care for because there is always some one who dosn't mind the things you do it is almost perfect.

 

[A&CsMom]

A $ C's Mom thats how things are done at our home except we have more hands to help out so it is even easier.

Nothing better then the kids in the pool while we are preparing so they are having a blast and it is not any work for them to even set the table when we have so many adults.

I think I would enjoy living in a commune. Could get used to not having to do the things that I don't care for because there is always some one who dosn't mind the things you do it is almost perfect.

I guess I'm lucky because my husband is a great cook/barbequer and has no problem doing his share (at home and on vacation). I guess because of that I (we) don't mind doing some cooking on vacation, and having a few special dinners at restaurants.

As you can see from our ticker, we are getting very excited about our upcoming trip and will be grilling by the pool again soon!

 

[AllesonWonderland]

We cooked at our townhouse for our trip a few weeks ago. I had hamburgers on the menu, but then didn't want to deal with condiments so we opted for sloppy joes instead. Grabbed a can of sauce at Walmart with all our other groceries.

I'm a big cook, so the food I planned was still a vacation for me! For breakfasts DH had cereal and the kids had bagels and cream cheese. We had bread, lunchmeat and cheese for lunches, as well as ramen noodles (my kids love those) spaghettios, a few TV dinners, etc. For dinners we had sloppy joes and chips, pasta and sauce, a chicken and noodle casserole (brought the recipe from home), frozen pizza, a leftovers night and a night that was a smorgasboard of everything there was left to eat. LOL

 

[Keacc]

We always go to Publix or Walmart and buy a fully cooked rotisserie chicken. Heat it up in the microwave and you're ready to go. You can also buy potatoes in any variety that can heat in the oven or microwave. You can also buy premade tubs of sloppy joes. Again, just microwave and serve.

 

[Jill in Chicago]

I was thinking about burgers and didn't even give a thought to all the condiments we would need. Burgers are now off the menu. DH loves to cook. I will do the planning, and we will shop when we get down there. Menu so far:

grilled chicken, pasta mix, veg.
Fett. Alfredo, veg
Hamburger casserole (chili, burger, pasta, cheese. sounds yucky tastes great. Plan to make the night before then when we get home from the parks just have to toss it in the oven.)
steak, baked potatoes, veg.

Then I'm still tossing around ideas for the rest of the week. I look forward to reading everyone else's menus.

 

[KiKi Mouse]

What about those frozen stirfry meals in a bag?
There are some brands that are healthy like chicken and veggies and are very quick to cook.

 

[lisajl]

A $ C's Mom thats how things are done at our home except we have more hands to help out so it is even easier.

Nothing better then the kids in the pool while we are preparing so they are having a blast and it is not any work for them to even set the table when we have so many adults.

I think I would enjoy living in a commune. Could get used to not having to do the things that I don't care for because there is always some one who dosn't mind the things you do it is almost perfect.

Just wanted to say Hey Deb!!!

from... lisa

 

[isla bonita]

Why hello Ms. Crazy Lisa how the heck are you?

We are down in Sept if you want to join us for a dip and dinner?

How bout it?

 

[lisajl]

Why hello Ms. Crazy Lisa how the heck are you?

We are down in Sept if you want to join us for a dip and dinner?

How bout it?

Oh that would be so nice!! We are full up this year. Going to Maine in June and Mackinac Island in August...I think we will be tapped out by Sept. LOL!!
Have a great time!

 

[Camping Griswalds]

When we went we cooked a lot. We cooked on the charcoal grill, used tin foil, did steaks and hotdogs and s'mores!!

In the home we did the tyson pre made chicken, mac n cheese. Also waffles and break apart cookies. I agree that you need to look at the pots and pans before you go shopping, because there was not a big enough pot to cook pasta in.

We have rented the same home in Jan of 2008 and plan on brining an old crock pot down. That way we can open a jar of spaghetti sauce, and add frozen meatballs. Also chicken and potatoes, roast and potatoes. We are driving, so this is not a big deal to pack, and willsave us lots of effort.

We are a family of 5 and each boy is taking a frien so there will be two 15 yo boys,a nd two 11 yo boys, and they can eat incredible amounts of food So we will cook, but mostly convenience style, like the crock pot, and frozen lasagna, and the grill.

We found that after bing in the parks from 9-10am until 3 pm was enough for us. We came home, the 2 yo swam her heart out, skipped her nap, everyone ate and bathed, and then the 2yo was in bed by 7pm. We than played games. Or went back in the pool. We never felt like going back to the parks, or out to dinner. The 2 yo is a nightmare at restaurants, and truthfully it is much easier for us to have a family meal. We are a very over booked family though, so cooking together, food shopping together, and eating together is a pleasure, not a chore.

 

[5mins2disney]

Oh that would be so nice!! We are full up this year. Going to Maine in June and Mackinac Island in August...I think we will be tapped out by Sept. LOL!!
Have a great time!

Oh Mackinac Island is a very cool place! I've done the famous Mackinac sailboat race the past 6 years in a row up to there, so I've been there quite a few times, the race is usually in July though. Last summer we got up there, got off the boat all bleary eyed and tired from 3 days of straight non-stop sailing, the last part of which was 8-10 foot waves and very intense, and bumped right into Kid Rock! LOL

 

[neonurse]

Don' forget to treat yourself to a night off. Golden Corral and Cici's pizza are our favs. Look them up on mapquest before you go to know how to get to them.

 

[lisajl]

Oh Mackinac Island is a very cool place! I've done the famous Mackinac sailboat race the past 6 years in a row up to there, so I've been there quite a few times, the race is usually in July though. Last summer we got up there, got off the boat all bleary eyed and tired from 3 days of straight non-stop sailing, the last part of which was 8-10 foot waves and very intense, and bumped right into Kid Rock! LOL

Chicago to Mackinac? We have always wanted to see those races. We have been going to Mackinac for years. We decided not to this year and our kids had a fit! They said it is not a summer until we have been up north.
I tend to agree!! We used to live in Grand Rapids so it was much easier back in the day to get to Mackinac!

Lisa

 

[kerry34]

Don' forget to treat yourself to a night off. Golden Corral and Cici's pizza are our favs. Look them up on mapquest before you go to know how to get to them.

My kids saw a tv commercial for Cici's and asked if we can go to one when we are there. The price seems to good to be true...but if it is edible I dont think they would care. They are hung up on the all you can eat thing. We don't have too many buffet style restaurants around here. I guess if it isnt too horrible, I will probably concede. It will get me off the hook for cooking one night anyway.

 

[5mins2disney]

Chicago to Mackinac? We have always wanted to see those races. We have been going to Mackinac for years. We decided not to this year and our kids had a fit! They said it is not a summer until we have been up north.
I tend to agree!! We used to live in Grand Rapids so it was much easier back in the day to get to Mackinac!

Lisa

Yes just the Chicago - Mackinac race. Most people don't actually realize there are 2 Mac races...Chicago-Mack (the most well known one)...and the Port-Huron - Mack race up Lake Huron (the not as famous one). Some people do both...but that involves taking off pretty much a whole month from work to sail the boats to the harbors, race, get the boats back, etc, wish I could do this, but work doesn't allow it! hehe Thing is, it's a very team sport, so you need 7-8-10 other people that are all expert level sailors to do it with you too, and it's rare for everyone to be able to take off that much time from work.

It's VERY cool to be at Mack though when either race gets in, boats from all over the world come in just for this race, and the island is just hopping! If you ever get the chance to go up there when it arrives I would suggest it, but it's also VERY crowded, tough to get dinner reservations anywhere, that sort of thing.

 

[swilshire]

My kids saw a tv commercial for Cici's and asked if we can go to one when we are there. The price seems to good to be true...but if it is edible I dont think they would care. They are hung up on the all you can eat thing. We don't have too many buffet style restaurants around here. I guess if it isnt too horrible, I will probably concede. It will get me off the hook for cooking one night anyway.

We have a couple of those around here. I've tried them and wasn't real impressed, but it certainly was edible. A cheap way to feed a group, for sure. My in-laws go there all the time.

Sheila