Kitchens, and Kitchenettes

[Longhairbear]

Hi all,
With all the chat about cupgate, I thought it would be a good idea to chat about how we really use our kitchens, and kitchenettes.
I don't want this thread to be about guests that never use the kitchens, and kitchenettes, but more about how inventive we all can be when using the kitchens, and kitchenettes.
For example, while at OKW, in a one bedroom, I made Eggs Benedict from groceries available at the OKW store. I managed to make the same meal a year later in a studio at VWL. Last Jan. we opted to use Garden Grocer, and had many more items to choose from to stock, and plan meals in our one bedroom at SSR.
I want to share and exchange recipes that we use in our DVC. We'd love to hear from everyone, those that fly into Orlando, and do, or do not rent a car, and those that drive to WDW.
For example, we don't rent,or have a car at WDW, but we eat normal stuff, and also eat like royalty. We have become inventive, using only the stuff provided by DVC.
We all want to save money on our trips, and keep expenses down. Perhaps sharing ideas will help.
So this is more about those that don't have an Owner's Locker, or those that drive in with Crock Pots. But, of course, those that do have those items are welcome to share their recipes.

 

[DisDaydreamer]

We typically stay in a 1bdrm and we really use the kitchen as we would at home, but on occassion we stay in an OVIR at VB. We're not restaurant people so you do have to get creative in this situation.

Here is my breakfast sandwich routine. Slime a little butter in a paper bowl, stir an egg up in it and microwave it till done. Toast a split english muffin. Put the egg on one half of EM along with a slice of cheese and then some (precooked) bacon or some split sausage links. Microwave again until cheese starts to melt. Put EM top on and eat... Yummy. I'll also eat the same ingredients separately as scrambled eggs, toasted muffin with jelly, and bacon or sausage.

For lunch we'll typically eat a sandwich or hotdog and chips or salad.

We don't bring a burner or crockpot, at least we haven't yet.

There are a number of nice precooked items you can buy these days from bacon and sausage to beeftips and other entrees. Lots of two serving mixed veggie bags for the microwave too.

 

[OlderMan]

We're about an hour or so from WDW, so, obviously, we drive.

While we bring a cooler with us, we also shop for items we may need--usually at Winn-Dixie or Publix.

We cook like we normally do at home--2 DD's require that we get at least a 1BR, so we have the full kitchn.

We usually cook eggs, bacon, bagels/toast, etc for breakfast.

Snacks--pizza/egg rolls, chips & dip, etc--before dinner. With a glass of wine or a cocktail!!!!!

Dinner is chicken, fish pasta, pizza, etc. Usually, we try to grill out one night--steaks, burgers, chicken, fish....

OKW is oure "home away from home," so we cook like we do at home.

Just what works for us!

 

[backyardponder]

I'm about to make my first trip as a DVC member. I see there are grills at most (maybe all) DVC resorts. Are they gas, or do users have to provide their own charcoal?

 

[bobbiwoz]

I'm about to make my first trip as a DVC member. I see there are grills at most (maybe all) DVC resorts. Are they gas, or do users have to provide their own charcoal?

Grills are charcoal. You need to provide coals.
Bobbi

 

[backyardponder]

Thanks Bobbie.

John

 

[DisneyPhD]

Edited because opps, wrote this on the wrong thread.

We don't stay in one bedrooms too much as we like to go often, and don't have as many points as we would like too.

In studios I either stop for groceries, or lately place an order from garden grocer. We don't' cook, but there are a lot of convince foods you can get now a days. Especially for snacks, breakfast and even lunch. It is great to have food you don't need to stand in line to buy when your kids are hungry right then.

 

[moredisneyplease]

I meal plan and have groceries delivered and end up using my kitchen like I would at home! Breakfast in, pack lunches and snacks, and even a few dinners in.

I'll share some simple breakfasts: oatmeal, instant pancake mixes, bagels w/ butter/jelly/cream cheese, cottage cheese, hard boiled eggs, of course cereal and milk.

 

[jodifla]

We consider OKW our home away from home, so we eat almost every breakfast there, and at least a couple of lunches and a couple of dinners. We also stock the bar and do appetizers.

We like to have friends join us there, so we tend to have happy hours, do dinner of bagges salads, grilled meats, or pastas.

 

[BEASLYBOO]

We have big family reunions every 3 years, generally a group of 8-10. Feeding all of these people is a challenge. We have a few ADR's but we like to hang out at the resort as well so I cook. We drive in so I bring my crock pot. One of our favorite meals is 2 jars of spaghetti sauce, some frozen meatballs, rolls and cheese (all from Publix) and you have meatball subs or throw on some spaghetti. The best part is that it's ready when you get back and the villa smells awsome. Another one is throw ground beef and taco seasoning in the crock pot, and you have the starter for great burritos or tacos, just add lettuce, cheese, sour cream and onions. It's nice to eat out but with such a big group it's easier to eat at home and also much less expensive. We always go to Disney in the summer, so to beat the heat we come back to OKW between 1-4, and we have lunch there instead of the parks, much less expensive and the little kids really eat better at home. It's nice to combine both cooking in (still keeping it simple) and eating out.

 

[BEASLYBOO]

delete

 

[AKV707]

On our last stay,m which was our first DVC stay, we were in an OKW studio. We had cereal in our room every morning with coffee and juice. We had fruit in the fridge for snacks. It was great.

We are in a 1 br at AKV on our next trip. We will be there for 11 nights. We plan on breakfast in the room every day, and dinner on 4 of the nights. We will be ordering from Garden Grocer as we will not have a car.

 

[bszoo]

We usually stay in a studio since it's just the two of us.We drive fom L.I. and I bring a cooler with burgers, chicken cutlets and steaks. I have a George Forman grill to cook the meat. We pick up a salad and have any easy dinner or lunch. I also have another grill that has removable plates to cook eggs or waffles. I enjoy going put to eat, but a quick meal is sometimes more enjoyable.

 

[debbiepump]

I'm sooo jealous!!! I fly from Seattle. With some of the airlines only allowing ONE suitcase, sure it limiting me as to what I lug from home to WDW. Way it's going, airlines are going to require us to bring our own (lawn) chairs from home to sit on!!! George Foreman grills??? I wish!!!

 

[dgaston]

OH! Owners Locker for debbiepump coming up!

 

[Longhairbear]

I've cooked bacon for breakfast in the studio microwave a few times. I also tried microwaving scrambled eggs using the paper bowl.It came out ok.

 

[MMCD]

I do what I do now. I would go to the grocery and load up on meat items. Buy marinades/seasoning. Then I cook like a banshee. I wait till it cools down abit and freeze. Items that I baked will stay in the foil pan. I cover with foil and plastic. Things cooked in a pot, I dump into a ziploc.

We've flown but mostly drive. I put all the frozen stuff in a soft cooler and carried on. But we have not flown to WDW since 2001 mostly because a third kid came along.

Here's what I've done:

Ground beef:
1. Tacos - brown meat with seasoning, freeze in ziploc. At location, reheat but I've purchase there the lettuce, tomato, tortilla. I may purchase the cheese at location or have brought it frozen.

2a. Spaghetti - brown meat with seasoning, freeze in ziploc. At location, reheat and purchase salad bag. I've brought from home the noodle and cook there. Along with frozen Texas toast.

2b Spaghetti Without a oven or cook top - same but I have precooked the noodles and mix it with the meat. I used to put fozen veggies or shredded carrot but 3rd kid won't eat it, He does not eat veggies. Then I just reheat in a microwave. This I will store in a disposable hard plastic container to reheat in a microwave.

I type too slow. But you get the gist of it. I do the same with chicken & pork. I don't pack fish on vacation.

Then again, we buy the fried chicken, cooked rotisserie chicken, frozen lasagna... at the grocery store too.

We eat white rice, too. I have the microwave rice cooker. I'll cook that and have sausage and frozen veggies.

I hope this helps.

mmcdt

 

[La2kw]

We usually have a 1br and we usually rent a car for one day, or for the whole trip depending on what we are doing besides Disney. We stock up our kitchen at Publix with groceries. We eat a lot of fresh produce, and you can't get that from the onsite general stores. We always eat breakfast in our room, usually cereal, toast, fried eggs, fruit, etc. We occasionally have sandwiches for lunch and always pack a picnic lunch for the water parks (which we hit about three times per trip). We do a few dinners like ground beef burritos, baked chicken, or broiled fish. We make it pretty simple, but go heavy on the salads and veggies. DD and DS often like to just hang out in the room and eat what is there, so DW and I may go out to dinner without them a few times. We have been to WDW so many times, we like to spend time at the resort and enjoy the whole experience, not just the parks.

 

[debbiepump]

OH! Owners Locker for debbiepump coming up!

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You know, if it didn't cost so much per year and if I went more than I do, I'd certainly consider it! Flying round trip from Seattle is getting prohibitive with air fares going up the way they are and driving is certainly out of the question. Have actually been thinking about adding on (own at BCV) but have to buy some groceries this week and put gas in the car and think I'd probably be pushing daisies before those ponts came through!

Still love DVC though!