"Va-Catering"

Vacations come in all different shapes and sizes. Some tend to be more relaxing than others. The Family Vacation can be a little less so, if not planned properly. Often times when you bring your brood on holiday, it can end up being more of the same thing you do at home — with a change of location. Shaking out the towels, hanging the wet clothes on the line, sweeping the sand off the floors, and, of course, feeding the hungry vacationers. This last chore can be easier with a little forethought.

If you’re lucky enough to have an unlimited budget … our advice is to eat out every night. Even with this plan, though, there can be glitches. Often times, in the summer vacation “hot spots,” the wait for a table can be a nightmare, especially if your kids are already hungry when you leave to go out. 

Endure a 45-minute wait to be seated, and you suddenly wish you had stayed at the cottage and fed the family peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. The lesson here — make reservations well in advance, even months in advance. Use your computer to do some research on local eateries and map out your week with reservations. It may sound like over-planning, but you’ll be glad you did it. Plus, if your plans change, you can always cancel.

Perhaps an even better strategy, depending on the size of your group and the ages of your kids, might be to do your meals right in your own rental kitchen, campsite, sailboat, etc. It sounds like more work, but if you add the effort it takes to get everyone rounded up, showered, dressed, into the car — not to mention the downtown congestion of the summer traffic, finding a parking space — you get the idea. Eating in starts to sound a little more appealing — not to mention cost effective.

So again here, planning is key. Try to do some of the work before you even leave home. Make an outline of the foods you want your family to enjoy, focusing mainly on the entrée. Marinate your meats in Ziploc bags and freeze them weeks in advance of your trip if you wish. Pork tenderloins, chicken breasts and beef can then be thawed at your leisure while you soak up the day with your family. 

A simple pork tenderloin marinade — a couple of cups of orange juice poured over the tenderloins in a baggie. Generously add salt and pepper. Freeze.

A simple chicken breast marinade — a cup of Teriyaki with ¼ cup of lime juice, 1 tablespoon chopped garlic and 2 teaspoons ground cumin seed poured over boneless, skinless chicken in a baggie. Freeze.

A simple beef marinade — one cup of soy sauce, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon chopped garlic, 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, 4 minced scallions poured over beef in a baggie. Freeze.

Leave the side dishes to chance if you wish. You may find a local vegetable stand or farmer’s market to buy your produce and starches. Or a little bakery with fresh breads and rolls. This allows you to enjoy the regional flavors, knowing that the main event is already thawing in your fridge, waiting for the hot coals of a summer grill.