Studio Villa meals (yes, again)

[LindaBabe]

Backstory. We were at VWL Thanksgiving week. I didn't go overboard with table service - Yak & Yeti, Kouzinna & Artist point - but I found the prices even more outrageous than in the past. SO -

Although this topic has been visited before - ( the most recent answers are over a year old, according to the search results) - Time for an update?

Doing an unplanned, low budget solo 1 week trip in a Studio in January. No crock pot - just the supplied fridge, coffee pot, toaster & microwave.

Flying and bringing my provisions (except milk & eggs) with me. We usually eat pretty simple - protein, veg, salad, fruit.

I'd love your meal suggestions, please.

 

[sarahk0204]

We will be a studio in 12 days , so I have been planning this as well. We have some TS planned, and we will be meeting up with 2 sets of friends during our trip, but here is what I have. We are driving, but I elected not to bring the crock pot.

Chili - Ours is homemade coming down frozen in the cooler, but you could use your favorite canned chili or soup.

Hot Dogs with precut apple slices and baby carrots

Breakfast for dinner - toaster waffles, microwave bacon or sausage, scrambled eggs, fresh fruit (We will probably get oranges since they will be in season.)

 

[bobbiwoz]

...(We will probably get oranges since they will be in season.)

We go to Whites Red Hill Grove on Conway Ave.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/red-hill-groves-whites-orlando

Their orange juice tastes wonderful, and in December they have red navels that are so delicious!

 

[sarahk0204]

We go to Whites Red Hill Grove on Conway Ave.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/red-hill-groves-whites-orlando

Their orange juice tastes wonderful, and in December they have red navels that are so delicious!

Oh yum! Thanks for the tip!

 

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

Not quite the same as your scenerio, but a few years ago we moved from a Treehouse (our first week with family) to a week in a studio with just the two of us. Before we left the treehouse, I cooked the two boxes of spaghetti noodles we'd not used and put them in a ziplock bag. Then in the studio, I'd combine some of the noodles with various sauces in the bowls and microwave. We'd also brought some fruit and salad fixing over from the treehouse.

I'm not sure how you feel about flying with a big ziplock back of cooked spaghetti noodles in your bag, but it really was a convenient way for us to put together meals in the studio.

 

[Deb & Bill]

The problem with the studio is the small size of the freezer section. So unless you have a cooler of some sort that you can store frozen food in for short periods of time, you are pretty much limited to non-frozen foods.

You could request a blender from Housekeeping and make smoothies for breakfast, but they have some good smoothies at Goods to Go.

 

[jodifla]

Backstory. We were at VWL Thanksgiving week. I didn't go overboard with table service - Yak & Yeti, Kouzinna & Artist point - but I found the prices even more outrageous than in the past. SO -

Although this topic has been visited before - ( the most recent answers are over a year old, according to the search results) - Time for an update?

Doing an unplanned, low budget solo 1 week trip in a Studio in January. No crock pot - just the supplied fridge, coffee pot, toaster & microwave.

Flying and bringing my provisions (except milk & eggs) with me. We usually eat pretty simple - protein, veg, salad, fruit.

I'd love your meal suggestions, please.

Don't forget the grills! You can buy charcoal where you light the bag, and it's an easy one-step process. Then you can grill steaks, or fresh Florida seafood. You can also grill veggies and heat up garlic bread; or you could do baked potatoes in the microwave, or microwave rice.

 

[VanessasMom]

my dd has reflux really bad and one time we had to cook all our own meals to accommodate her medical issues. For the adults, we had things like...spaghetti (you can easily cook noodles in the microwave that can be made into a variety of meals), canned soups, tuna salad (bring tuna in the pouch)--you can also do alot with canned salmon and canned chicken, french toast, eggs, baked potatoes, pb&j, mac&cheese, granola bars, jello/pudding, and pretty much any canned meals will work for you. All we bought from the store there was milk, eggs and bread. Wish I saved my "menu" from our 10 day stay for you.

 

[photobob]

We drive so we are able to carry much more stuff with us, but we generally try to stick with sandwiches on bagel thins, ham, pre-made chicken salad, tuna salad and snack type breakfast. We always take Pringles for chips since they travel well! Normally we eat a TS lunch each day, we try to stay with more moderately priced TS restaurants since we always pay OOP. We will usually do one upscale pricey meal per stay. We normally don't stay in a studio but the things that we take could be cooked in a studio. We rarely cook something that requires the full kitchen. Look forward to ready for more ideas since we will be doing more studio stays in the future.

 

[twinklebug]

Doing an unplanned, low budget solo 1 week trip in a Studio in January. No crock pot - just the supplied fridge, coffee pot, toaster & microwave.

Flying and bringing my provisions (except milk & eggs) with me. We usually eat pretty simple - protein, veg, salad, fruit.

I'd love your meal suggestions, please.

Fruit/veggies/Salad are all really easy.
Your problem is the protein and preparing that.

Cold:
Tunafish sandwiches are a hit with the kids
PB & J are cool for them too.
Deli meats are easy.

Hot:
Soup is very doable in a microwave.
Beans and hotdogs can be made.
Some people like microwaved eggs.
Microwaved bacon can be made too.

... I can't think of anything other than those that can be made without a hotplate/skillet or crocpot.

This next trip I bought a small covered Presto Skillet and am testing real recipes. It won't take up much room in the luggage once I detach the legs. With it we'll be able to make tacos/ fajitas/ chilli, spaghetti sauce, onions & peppers, stir-fry veggies with chicken and a few more things. Might be worth looking into.

 

[LindaBabe]

Microwaved eggs are pretty good IF you beat them first and pour into a buttered dish to microwave. The other key is 1 minute or less before stirring. then another 30 sec to 1 min.

How do you microwave noodles or spaghetti? Is it precooked or fresh, or can you do it with dry from the box?

 

[twinklebug]

Microwaved eggs are pretty good IF you beat them first and pour into a buttered dish to microwave. The other key is 1 minute or less before stirring. then another 30 sec to 1 min.

How do you microwave noodles or spaghetti? Is it precooked or fresh, or can you do it with dry from the box?

For me it's not so much the taste of the eggs from the microwave, but the smell that bothers me. Then again, eggs typically hate me :/

To cook pasta some folk have special pasta cookers. I simply recycle some of the Healthy Choice Fresh Mixers containers I used to buy for work. Just refill with my own pasta (the small shells from walmart work best, but Angel Hair might work well too), fill to the line with water and microwave on high for 6 minutes. The 'colander' is built into the top: just hold and flip. Image from their website so you know what I'm talking about:

 

[twinklebug]

I'm not sure how you feel about flying with a big ziplock back of cooked spaghetti noodles in your bag, but it really was a convenient way for us to put together meals in the studio.

Picturing the look on TSA's faces as they review the gallon sized bag-o-pasta

It's not a liquid or a gel!

 

[KingRichard]

If you have a car, then places sell crock pots for $15-20.

Cost less then 1 lunch.

 

[bababear_50]

Breakfast for me

toasted bagel-with cream cheese and jam
bowl of cereal / milk
hot oatmeal-pkg type-just add hot water
scrambled egg-(microwave) and toast
toaster waffles /syrup

cup coffee/ juice

fruit cup


Lunch :

Tuna salad and raw veggies and dip
Chicken salad and raw veggies and dip


pretzels, chips or crackers to nibble on

lemonade,or milk
yogurt

Dinner:

Baked potato
melted cheese on top

or

can chilli on top
tossed salad

or

sub sandwich ( deli meat)
hot soup / crackers

or
Lipton pasta side dish (microwaveable)
with can tuna or chicken added.
or can of tomato and meat sauce added-omit the seasoning pouch in the side dish
if doing this one and just use the plain noodles.

milk/water/juice

things that I've found travel well
Pringle chips
small cereal boxes
small pk jam and peanut butter and honey
pop-corn microwaveable
hot cereal pouches
hot-chocolate pouches
cup a soup or Campbell's Chunky soup
crackers
potatoes
can meats
can pasta--Beefaroni,etc
small can fruit--jello puddings
peanuts/soya nuts and raisins
Uncle Bens rice bags with the seasonings included
Lipton's Pasta side dishes


How To cook Pasta In A Microwave

here is a link

http://www.ehow.com/how_5020839_cook-pasta-microwave.html

 

[DonnaL]

I have a good size insulated Thermos bag that I have used as my "carryon" bag in the past....keeps stuff cold/frozen for up to 24 hours. I've precooked boneless chicken and then freeze.....usually still frozen when I get there...so I just put in the fridge and let it defrost ....no need to freeze....can take (in checked bags of course) small jar of mayo/ranch dressing for chicken salad, or mix up with some salsa (again small jar packed in checked bags). Also, I've precooked meatballs/freeze.....have meatball subs or pack small jar of pasta sauce .....can do the same with meatloaf......if you don't wish to pack/check bags with jarred food....personally I don't...... prefer to either UPS/FedEx a small box addressed to myself c/o of the resort we're staying, with our check-in dated noted on the address label and time the shipping so that it arrives the day before we do....in the box I'll put any jarred or dry products I need to complete the meals I've decided on, also I premix any spices I need and put them in a snack size ziploc, coffee and sugar packets also go in the box. There is a company called www.minimus.biz which sells travel sized products..they've got just about everything...very convenient for use in a studio kitchen and the items pack very compactly in a box. At check-in I just ask for the UPS/FedEx delivery which arrived the day before......everything above doesn't need to be frozen once you get there if you plan to eat it within five or six days.....simply keeping it refrigerated will be fine.

 

[LindaBabe]

For me it's not so much the taste of the eggs from the microwave, but the smell that bothers me. Then again, eggs typically hate me :/

To cook pasta some folk have special pasta cookers. I simply recycle some of the Healthy Choice Fresh Mixers containers I used to buy for work. Just refill with my own pasta (the small shells from walmart work best, but Angel Hair might work well too), fill to the line with water and microwave on high for 6 minutes. The 'colander' is built into the top: just hold and flip. Image from their website so you know what I'm talking about:

Breakfast for me

toasted bagel-with cream cheese and jam
bowl of cereal / milk
hot oatmeal-pkg type-just add hot water
scrambled egg-(microwave) and toast
toaster waffles /syrup

cup coffee/ juice

fruit cup


Lunch :

Tuna salad and raw veggies and dip
Chicken salad and raw veggies and dip


pretzels, chips or crackers to nibble on

lemonade,or milk
yogurt

Dinner:

Baked potato
melted cheese on top

or

can chilli on top
tossed salad

or

sub sandwich ( deli meat)
hot soup / crackers

or
Lipton pasta side dish (microwaveable)
with can tuna or chicken added.
or can of tomato and meat sauce added-omit the seasoning pouch in the side dish
if doing this one and just use the plain noodles.

milk/water/juice

things that I've found travel well
Pringle chips
small cereal boxes
small pk jam and peanut butter and honey
pop-corn microwaveable
hot cereal pouches
hot-chocolate pouches
cup a soup or Campbell's Chunky soup
crackers
potatoes
can meats
can pasta--Beefaroni,etc
small can fruit--jello puddings
peanuts/soya nuts and raisins
Uncle Bens rice bags with the seasonings included
Lipton's Pasta side dishes


How To cook Pasta In A Microwave

here is a link

http://www.ehow.com/how_5020839_cook-pasta-microwave.html

I have a good size insulated Thermos bag that I have used as my "carryon" bag in the past....keeps stuff cold/frozen for up to 24 hours. I've precooked boneless chicken and then freeze.....usually still frozen when I get there...so I just put in the fridge and let it defrost ....no need to freeze....can take (in checked bags of course) small jar of mayo/ranch dressing for chicken salad, or mix up with some salsa (again small jar packed in checked bags). Also, I've precooked meatballs/freeze.....have meatball subs or pack small jar of pasta sauce .....can do the same with meatloaf......if you don't wish to pack/check bags with jarred food....personally I don't...... prefer to either UPS/FedEx a small box addressed to myself c/o of the resort we're staying, with our check-in dated noted on the address label and time the shipping so that it arrives the day before we do....in the box I'll put any jarred or dry products I need to complete the meals I've decided on, also I premix any spices I need and put them in a snack size ziploc, coffee and sugar packets also go in the box. There is a company called www.minimus.biz which sells travel sized products..they've got just about everything...very convenient for use in a studio kitchen and the items pack very compactly in a box. At check-in I just ask for the UPS/FedEx delivery which arrived the day before......everything above doesn't need to be frozen once you get there if you plan to eat it within five or six days.....simply keeping it refrigerated will be fine.

Brilliant ideas! Thank you

Gotta try one of those healthy choice things just so I can get the container. Haven't ever eaten any of the microwaveable entrees so I don't know what's good. And I had forgotten about shipping a box - although I think i'll have plenty of luggage space.

 

[LindaBabe]

If you have a car, then places sell crock pots for $15-20.

Cost less then 1 lunch.

no car - I did buy one once for a 3 week trip when I had a car, and abandoned it after, but it's not really worth it for 8 days.

 

[bakerworld]

Sharing - we often stop at the QS for a sandwich and salad and split it back in the room. Also, we ask at the eatery if they have a problem with us sharing an entree and we've never been refused. Sharing an appetizer, entree with salad and desert has always been enough food for us.

 

[LindaBabe]

Sharing - we often stop at the QS for a sandwich and salad and split it back in the room. Also, we ask at the eatery if they have a problem with us sharing an entree and we've never been refused. Sharing an appetizer, entree with salad and desert has always been enough food for us.

Yes, we've been known to do that too. At Kouzinna, in fact, we had App's, salads and shared a dessert. That was *it*.

However, in January, I'll be alone. I could share with 'me' by bring half back to the resort for another meal, but i'm always a little concerned about food safety due to the unrefrigerated travel time.