Tiny cabin vaca - what would you bring?

[tennisashoe]

This is going to be somewhat like the "if you were stranded on a desert island, what would you want to have with you?" type of question!

DH and I are renting a 700 Sq Ft cabin in July for a week. It has a hot plate, microwave, coffee maker and toaster oven. The kitchen is equipped with a few pans, dishes, etc.

We'll be in Leelanau (Northern Michigan), so there will be farmer's markets for fresh fruit/veg and bread. A grocery store is nearby, but it's small and the prices reflect that 50%+ shoppers are vacationers.

What foodie essentials would you bring? We have a 2 seater hybrid car, so space is limited.

I know you'll have great ideas so TIA!!:)

[veschke]

What I took when we went on our own week-long lake vacation last year:

a 12-inch (with a lid) and 8-inch (non-stick) skillet
a few measuring cups and spoons
beans, rice, pasta, a few emergency cans of soup
spices (I think I brought cumin, herbes de provence, and maybe one or two others)
salt and pepper

Plus stuff our toddler will eat.

Mostly what I cooked that week was whatever fresh vegetables we'd picked up from one of the farm stands, with rice or pasta (what I tend to half-jokingly call "peasant food"). I think I made quesadillas once.

Longing for summer now... have fun!

[vbak]

Could you squeeze in a little table top grill?

[wallycat]

When we travel, we fly into Washington so I literally cannot pack a whole lot.

I find a local health food store that sells bulk spices and get the few I need in little bags.
I have been known to pack coffee filters till I figured out there is a Trader Joe's near by and they sell 'em cheap.
Wine bottle opener, can opener if they don't have them (DH packs that in his check in luggage).
A little tupperware container for salt/pepper.

The rest we are forced to purchase. Still, making it in your lodging is still cheaper than going out even if the prices are higher (which I know is frustrating!).
Have fun!

[cchhbb]

I always bring coffee, tea, crystal light, bottled water filter system, coffee filters and spices. I also try to bring one of my chef knives and a paring knife. I prepack rice into ziplock bags. I use the snack sized ziplock bags to pack spices. I also premeasure for pancakes and put the dry ingredients in ziplock bags.

[Valerie226]

I always bring coffee, tea, crystal light, bottled water filter system, coffee filters and spices. I also try to bring one of my chef knives and a paring knife. I prepack rice into ziplock bags. I use the snack sized ziplock bags to pack spices. I also premeasure for pancakes and put the dry ingredients in ziplock bags.

I always bring a decent knife. the knives in cabins are usually pathetic ( I don't blame the owners) I take a nonstick pan. even a old beater will be better than what they have. I take Food minus e packaging. cereal at small stores is REALLY basic. SPICES. Small bottle of olive oil & reguilar oil. packages of hot chocolate. Decent cheese and crackers. It depends on what you need to be happy. I make a small pan of brownies & muffins, wrap them in foil. I pack everything in one of flip top plastic crates so it's easy to keep out of the way, and a fairly amazing amount of stuff will fit if you get rid of packaging.

[testkitchen45]

(Since "vaca" is Spanish for "cow," I wondered "what in the world is a 'tiny cabin cow'???" :) )

Ditto on the oils, b/c if you buy some, you'll only use a little bit but you'll be paying for the whole bottle. Same for spices/condiments.

What about a small appliance like a crockpot or rice cooker, that'd allow you to cook several foods w/ very little space taken up?

[leebee]

You'll be in my neck of the woods! Which part of the peninsula will you be staying in? There are more & more permanent residents, especially in the Suttons Bay area, so prices aren't as bad as they used to be (although trade off is that there are more people!). I shopped almost exclusively at Hansen's in Suttons Bay for two years and didn't do too badly...of course, it's a FABULOUS little grocery, so I overspent on splurgy items all the time! Of course you can't deny the tourist impact - we stopped getting pizza at our fave local spot every year at Memorial Day & started again after Labor Day--there's nothing better than off-season pizza!

Have fun. We'll be leaving the area this summer, and I'm more than a little sad about it!

[avariell]

i think it is a good idea to pack several snack foods since they can do double-duty as breakfast/lunch items.
what about some cheeses? crackers? granola? small bottles of oil and vinegar if you like simple salads
peanut butter is always a staple for me for simple, easy food (toast with PB is a great breakfast with some local fruit maybe)
i think you probably have a better idea about how much you will want to cook on vacation... personally i like eating out on vacation for dinners. it is a nice break :) what about pasta with simple marinara (bottled or maybe you have some frozen that could thaw out in the car ride?)

[Autumn]

If you have a food saver, you can pack a surprising amount of meat in a small cooler. I package it in amounts I will need per meal, and sometimes I even package it in a marinade. When we're on vacation, a nice chop or steak with a salad and bread is a perfect meal to eat on the cabin deck. Check to see if there might be a community grill available--cabin resorts often have them.

[gertdog]

Ditto on bringing one good knife. It is so much easier and more pleasant (not to mention safer) to prepare meals when you have a good sharp knife. If you are planning on eating lots of veggies, a good peeler might be nice too.

On a vacation like that, I usually have a few meals in mind, and I'll bring along any ingredients that I need in small quantities (spices, oil and vinegar) so that I don't have to buy them and then either lug leftovers home or leave them behind. The spices I'm most likely to bring are salt and pepper (I use my grinder to grind a tablespoon or so of pepper into a small tuppeware container), cumin, cayenne, oregano, and basil.

Last summer I brought along my Braun immersion blender and mini-processor attachment so that I could blend up DS's food (he was 10 months old at the time) but we got a good bit of use out of it- fresh basil from the farmers market became pesto, and I think we whipped up a few dips and other things as well. Even though DS eats what we eat now, I plan to bring the immersion blender and processor along on this summer's vacation too.

Something fun that we do on our vacations (well, we think it's fun! :p ) is to have a "cocktail hour" each day. Each year we choose a different cocktail, so we bring along the liquor and mixers needed for that drink. We also bring a few bottles of inexpensive wine to go with our no-fuss meals.

[Valerie226]

My idea of vacation is to spend as little time as possible shopping or eating in restaurants, my two least favorite things. we camp alot and driving 100 miles RT for supplies is expensive in gas and time. We have a supply of small plastic bottles and containers for carrying spices, oils, vinegar, powdered milk, sugar, raisins, pasta, cereal, coffee, wine. I pack things at the beginning of the season & refill as needed.

We've rented cabins that didn't have a coffee pot (???? what were they thinking) so I carry one unless I can confirm they have one. also cabins often won't have paper towels, foil, plastic wrap, or zip locks so I usually pack those although since your space is limited those can be gotten most places. I've found fresh produce is usually available at reasonable prices but buying spices will really set you back $$.

I also color tag things so we don't accidentally leave a knife or pan where we're renting. Camping and outdoor stores have tiny well sealing containers that can be refilled used over and over.

[heavy hedonist]

i'd bring good coffee, a supply of wine/booze, which is always more expensive when you travel, new small jars of your two fave condiments, and 3-5 spices you can't live without, plus good salt if you like. i also bring my fave olive oil, because it's my primary cooking oil, but that might not be an issue if you only have a hot plate and microwave. maybe you could focus on eating mostly Raw foods for your vacay! Have too much fun.

[funniegrrl]

Since "vaca" is Spanish for "cow," I wondered "what in the world is a 'tiny cabin cow'???"

Me too! I had to open the thread to figure out what it was about. LOL

[Schmee]

I don't have any particular advice since I have never rented a cabin. I just wanted to say that I am jealous of your vacation plans! DH and I went to a wedding in the Leelanau Penninsula 2 summers ago and we had the best time. Renting a cabin up there sounds like a dream come true. I can't wait to hear all about your trip when you get back!

Not sure if you've ever been up there before, but there a few threads on the area, I think from last summer. You might get some good ideas of where to visit from them.

[tennisashoe]

See? You are all so smart. I'm going to print all the answers and create my packing list from it! So many things I would not have thought of or packed in such an efficient way. Fabulous. THANK YOU.

I'm going to check with the owner, but it's very possible there is a gas grill on the deck. Looks like it from the pics. That would be a HUGE help.

Leebee it's funny that you mention Hansen's because we LOVE that place. We were just there Sat getting our ritual bread/cheese and wine before heading up to check on our property. We have an organic cherry farm in Omena and will be up in July (for our cow, I mean vacation) for the harvest. I just know that the older I get, the less I can handle staying in a tent for more than 2 days!

The cabin is in the woods in Northport very close to Leelanau St Park. Finding this cabin was the perfect solution. It's only 8 miles north of our property. Sorry to hear you're leaving the area. We wish we could spend all of our time there and are sad every time we leave. My condolences.

Gertdog, you and I would get along just fine on vacation. One thing DH and I always indulge in is a blendorama (taking turns making concoctions in the blender).:D Up in Leelanau though, we typically drink local wine because we buy way more than we can fit in the car to take home! :o

[AZgal]

Take a scented candle for ambiance while drinking your wine and eating your cheese and crackers.