Kitchen Storage and Cooking Issues

[Salida Scarlett]

<p>One of my biggest trade offs when I sold my home was leaving behind the huge pantry, kitchen and all it's conveniences, to scale down to miniscule storage, which limited my ability to do home cooking with a large array of spices, fridge storage for veggies, and just about everything else cooking women like in their kitchens. I kept a bare minimum of what I thought I had to survive, but still find it very challenging to cook in an RV the size of mine. Now, I have to look at recipes for a minimum of ingredients, and simplify techniques. Tonight's dinner, just for me, will be a 3 egg omelet, with snipped garlic scapes, with cheese and a touch of red pepper flakes. I happened on a rare treat, the garlic scapes at the Ploughboy food market in Salida, where they have lots of local produce. Simple can still be good I think in a case like this; <a href="http://www.garlicfarmct.com/recipes.htm" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.garlicfarmct.com/recipes.htm</a>&nbsp;</p>

 

[Guest]

I'm putting a lot of importance in my spices, mainly because I like cooking a lot of different cuisines.&nbsp; I buy them in bulk &amp; keep them in labeled Tic Tac containers.&nbsp; I can keep a full spice rack in a small plastic drawer now.<br><br>Cooking is going to be one of my main challenges, as I love trying new things &amp; I'm used to having a lot of different foods on hand &amp; a lot of tools to work with<br><br>I'm making a small cookbook to keep simple recipes &amp; meal ideas in (along with multiple uses for different canned goods or leftovers).&nbsp; I guess I'll find out next month if it'll help&nbsp; XD

 

[James AKA Lynx]

Try a single serving cook book like "Mix-A-Meal"<br><br>James AKA LYnx

 

[Salida Scarlett]

I'm trying to do that James. With a three burner stove, no counter space, and a so-called double sink the size of a couple of postage stamps, it's the only way out.

 

[TxGypsy]

I have to be creative in my camper van.&nbsp; I have a TV tray where the tray swings down out of the way and use it all the time for a bit of counter space.&nbsp; I have a 2 burner hot plate and a single burner that screws onto the top of the tiny propane bottles.&nbsp; I try to do as much of my cooking outside as possible.&nbsp; It keeps from heating up the inside of the van and I don't have cooking odors lingering in the van.&nbsp; I do my prep inside the van.&nbsp; I picked up some trays from an Army Navy store just like the ones we all used to use in the lunch room when we were in school.&nbsp; I put all the things I will need to cook my meal on one of those trays and set it in the doorway.&nbsp; If there are a lot of flies I just open the door and grab what I need off of the tray, otherwise I take everything outside with me.&nbsp; When dry camping I set up for washing dishes outside, so that everything goes back into the van clean.<br><br>I spend lavish amounts of space in my van on foods and cooking utensils.&nbsp; Everything else I limit.&nbsp; I'm pretty limited on clothes and other personal items...just the bare necessities, with frequent laundering necessary.&nbsp; I am able to take my entire Emerilware set(love these pots and pans!), my wok, bread pans, food trays I mentioned earlier, solar oven, 1 good chefs knife, 1 good pocket knife that doubles as a paring knife, 4 of each type silverware, can opener, 2 bowls that were deep enough to double as small mixing bowls, 2 cup glass measuring cup, vitamix blender, electric hot water kettle, couple of thermos's, thermal cooking pot, gallon pitcher, noodle strainer, 2 plates, muffin pan, cast iron griddle, 2 kitchen towels and a huge stainless steel mixing bowl.&nbsp; <br><br>I arranged and rearranged to see how everything would stack together in the most compact fashion.&nbsp; I have plenty of room that I can fit more if I want to.&nbsp; I also have all of my staple ingredients, spices and enough food to feed me for at least 3 weeks at almost all times.&nbsp; It can be done!<br><br>Just keep working at reorganizing.&nbsp; If you can tuck any of the clear drawer 'dressers' in anywhere they are wonderful.&nbsp;

 

[Stargazer]

TxGypsy,

Wow! I haven't owned that much kitchen stuff in all my life! Then again, I'm not much of a cook, either :-(

I did do one thing to make in-van cooking safer. I have the standard Coleman two-burner stove. When open, the lid acts as a screen for the back and the two side screens partly block the sides. But the ceiling in the van gets a little warm when using it so I wanted to block/deflect that heat from rising. I bought some aluminum flashing, cut one piece the length and depth of the stove and two pieces the height (from the cooking surface to the top of the lid when open). Hinged the three pieces, affixed cork tiles to one side. I place it so that it covers both sides and across the top (the stove lid protects the back). It wedges just under the lip of the open lid and between the side wind screens and outer edge of the stove so its wedged in there and doesnt move. The only side of the stove that is open is the front. This way, nothing can accidentally fall into it and heat is deflected out the front. It folds flat for storage.

I would post a picture but the van is currently in the shop for new shocks and transmission. If anybody is interested, I can post a pic tomorrow when I get her back.

 

[owl]

TxGypsy, what time is dinner and can I bring anything?

 

[Salida Scarlett]

After 6 months in this small Motor Home, I'm still a bit frustrated about space, but one of the things I've done that's helped, is invest in 4 three tier spice racks; http://www.amazon.com/Organize-It-A...5961699&sr=1-1&keywords=spice+rack+wall+mount which I installed in my modified pantry, which used to be a small closet. Love it! Now I have lots of room for my spices without them falling over, and also for quite a lot of room for staples, canned goods, etc. in the pantry. Also, I threw the microwave oven away, so now I have more room for cooking utensils. Then, although I still mainly use my propane Magic Chef stove top for cooking, I found an oval Hamilton Beach Crock Pot for $5 at thrift shop, and found that I can cook more delicious meals, and desserts than I ever dreamed of. ~Scarlett

 

[Lifemagician]

I would post a picture but the van is currently in the shop for new shocks and transmission. If anybody is interested, I can post a pic tomorrow when I get her back.

Tomorrow's come and gone.... still no pics.

Lifey

 

[Stargazer]

Lifey,

I can't seem to get the pics to attach -- "file is too large". Bleh!

 

[steamjam1]

For cooking food, I use (All Stainless Steel, cept for the stove itself):

A Soviet Union era built bumble-bee 2 gasoline stove:

A US army mess pan kit:

A Helikon mess pot kit

and a German Bundeswehr utensils set.