Jumping Back into Planning Meals

The fun of a cross-country road trip is the opportunity to take in the sites, smells & textures of places you’ve never been.  Yes, we absolutely did quite a bit of research (options for parks, roadside attractions & other detours) and some planning (basic routes/destinations/campsite & hotel reservations) ahead of time, but most of our time was left unscheduled.  This allowed us to experience some of the amazing sites the United States has to offer.  (Colorado National Monument, anyone?)  But I’d be lying if I said I was 100% comfortable with leaving my meal planning hat at home.  

I compensated for the lack of concrete plans by finding comfort in the options available in our portable pantry of non-perishable foods in the back seat of the truck.  (Worth noting: I also yearned for my meat thermometer as we grilled dinner in the dark on the camp stove in Arches National Forest in Utah.) 

As was our hope, we definitely enjoyed some delicious local foods on our adventure, but we also made do with some sub-par continental breakfasts (a perk of the cost-effective hotels) and, especially towards the end, we opted for convenience over nutrient-content when deciding where to stop.

Needless to say, planning last week’s meals and reuniting with my grocery store was a welcomed event.  And make no mistake, the lack of beef on our menu was no accident. We needed a break from red meat after our own personal cattle drive across the country.  

Do you look forward to eating at home after time away?  Do you have go-to recipes you prepare when you return?  Do you ever burn out on protein sources?

And if you’ve ever taken a cross-country road trip, let me know what you thought.  Would you do it again?  I certainly would.

<Side note: that picture from the Colorado National Monument up there?  It’s one of 1400 we took throughout our trip.  … this could go on for days. ;-) >

THANKS again to all of my guest bloggers!  I sincerely appreciate it!