School’s out and for many people it’s time to pack the mules and prepare to hit the trail for some relaxed away from home time. Last week I read an article in a popular cooking magazine with a list of needs to pack to stock a vacation kitchen and I kept hearing my husband’s laughter in my head. Among those named were a large, cast iron fry pan, two cookie sheets, only 5 spices, a juicer, but no measuring cup or spoons, coffee maker or pots. Moreover, several of the listed items are cumbersome, heavy and not for daily use.

Vacation kitchens are usually small. Anything not essential, hard to store and difficult to move quickly is best left at home. Anything that can be replaced by a disposable item from a local store should stay at home and anything hinting at major culinary effort should stay at home. You’re on vacation too.

However, vacationing in a destination with kitchen facilities, be it for a long weekend in a motel efficiency unit or an extended period in larger digs, is often more stressful on the person responsible for the meals than staying home. Not only must they get acquainted with the on-site equipment but making the time to shop and cook shouldn’t intrude on planned activities. Whether for 5 days or 3 months, it can be a daunting task requiring prior planning.

I learned this lesson the hard way. The first summer I was married, we rented a cottage at the seashore near my in-laws’ vacation homes. My 10 yr. old step-daughter and I were to spend July-August, with my husband joining us on weekends and for the first and last weeks. Though I grew up in a shore resort town, and had had my own city apartment, this was my first vacation rental, and my first time packing for a family. I thought I covered everything, clothes, equipment, toiletries and towels, even toilet paper but the first morning we woke up with NOTHING to eat or drink! Needless to say, we spent it introducing me to the local supermarket and other ‘survival’ important local sites.

This was where I made my second mistake, though not so glaring as the first. Stressed, ‘winging it’ without a definite plan or list, I over bought staples and made impulsive purchases. I should have paused to think more often. I had the situation under control within a week, but was still left with a surplus of products to use or lug home and this wasn’t just packaged food, but wraps, bags, paper, soaps, everything to do with a kitchen.

The next year we opted for only 1 month and I was in the midst of packing a small trunk with kitchen staples when I had another revelation. I was looking at this project through the wrong lens. I wasn’t ‘stocking up’ for an extended period; it was 1 month = 4 weeks, with a supermarket at hand in case I miscalculated. We didn’t use 4 lbs. sugar a month in winter even with possible baking. At the shore, sugar was really only for beverages. The same was true of flour; especially since only two of us were there 4 days a week. I don’t fry much, if ever and I might make a rustica or two (free form pie using 1 cup) but that was all. We only needed to take the amounts of supplies that we would normally use. So I filled quart jars from my open supplies, and put the new packages in the home pantry.

After that the other supplies fell into line. I found 6-compartment plastic spice/herb carousels in a dollar store. I filled 2 of them with my favorites and figured if I ran out, I’d buy more, but I never did. I had worried about taking care of my husband, whose involvement in kitchens began and ended with the dinner table, but then I realized that he was only ‘batching it’ a total of 12 days and of those he had regular plans for 2 days a week while I was gone. So I made him 4 lasagna and 4 chicken in cream sauce, over rice dinners, and planned to send him home with weekend leftovers. That more than covered his wellbeing because he really only needed 6 dinners. It was all a matter of seeing things in the right perspective.

I bought the smaller, lighter household items, wraps, bags, sponges and added them to the trunk, but the larger ones, detergents, a boom, pail, mop etc. I got on vacation in one stop. Also in the trunk, just so history didn’t repeat were coffee, dry creamer, tea, a box of cereal, a can of pineapple rings and 2 boxes of honey buns as well as the utensils I had learned I’d need. A full list of these follows.

The first morning that year was very different. We had breakfast! My husband went golfing while Kara and I headed to the Farmers’ Market, which she loved. We bought fruits and produce and from the adjacent dairy we got bacon, sausage, cheese plus local milk, cream, eggs, and butter. The next stop was a prominent marina restaurant with a fish market and artesian bakery. I bought fish, and crab cakes for the next night, lemons, vinaigrette, Cole slaw and a couple of loaves of bread.

By noon, a cold vegetable dish and salad were ready for dinner, the fish chilling and fruit was marinating for dessert. We had fresh BLTs for lunch, and I was ready to enjoy a free afternoon knowing I was set for days as far as meals were concerned. In fact, I don’t think I even went to the supermarket more than twice that whole month, and only food shopped once a week. So I guess I can say that long before I thought of becoming a personal chef, I had discovered from vacation rentals the advantages of planning in advance and shopping once a week. It gives you so much more time!!

None of this would have been possible without my being willing to take time before leaving for vacation, to calculate exactly what I would need and in the proper amounts, or at least in approximation, as with the flour and sugar. Each year I noted what ran out, what was in surplus, what meals were popular and what weren’t. It let me shorten the preparation time and expense, as well as eliminate stress in creating the menus.

As the years passed, so did the long rentals to be replaced by more exotic trips and short get-aways, but the rule of basic food supplies and utensils to include remains solid. Of course the prime one is in any DIY situation, plan a breakfast for the first day! It does set a tone. Nothing fancy, a jar of instant coffee, plain envelopes of tea bags and sugar packets, a jar or envelope of non-dairy creamer or dry milk, even a can of evaporated milk, dried fruit or a can of pineapple rings and a shelf-stable pastry such as honey buns will do and gets the motor running. Of course if only a short car trip is involved, a bag or container of fresh fruit is an option.

The other staple items, in quantity for a long stay or simply replacement ingredients for a short one, should be determined by individual need and use. The one I NEVER skimp on is salt. It’s the best extinguisher for a grease fire. In any rental situation, one place that may not have been totally cleaned is the oven, and who knows what a previous tenant cooked? Salt also inhibits mold and in a pinch can clean a greasy sink and drain.

Actually, I found the short stays harder than the longer ones, especially with children. Efficiency kitchens in motel or hotel units are tiny with no storage space for food or cleaning supplies. Daily marketing was a must, and there was no room to prepare for contingencies like rain. To cope, I put a box in the trunk of the car holding a pot, paper plates, hot and cold cups, plastic utensils, knives, and a plastic cutting board—the bare essentials– so I could always heat soup or boil an egg. Of course, choice of utensils is determined by the length of the stay.

For electrical appliances: Rule one is- never take anything valuable or irreplaceable. Coffee lovers can learn to accept old-fashioned percolator or for short term, instant. The only other things I found I really needed for a long stay were a hand beater and a mini-chopper. Before packing any electrical appliances, check the type of current at your destination. I always ask the rental agent what is included and if the major appliances are electric or gas.

Electrical appliances:

These choices are optional and determined by your personal cooking habits.

• Hand beater– Don’t forget these can be used with one head or two
• Mini chopper-.These are also great to puree small amounts for dips or toppings or to whip up baby food
• Coffee maker– Obvious choice
• Toaster oven-Very useful for small meals and sandwiches, but check on available counter space first
• Small microwave- Actually an either/or with the above. Again check on space. If chosen, make oven toast, don’t pack a toaster too.
• Blender- an option to the chopper, but the better choice if you’re into smoothies

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Note: A grill is always an asset. For longer stays, if there isn’t a grill, I bring a hibachi. If there is, I may still buy one once there, depending on the state of the grill. I’d rather start with a new hibachi than spend time cleaning a dirty grill.

Hand Held Utensils:

Several of these are handy for even the shortest of stays. The ones marked with * are easily found in dollar stores, if you don’t want to pack them.

• Pot holders*- A necessity for any stay away from home. These are never provided in any rental kitchen and it can be hard handling hot coffee or warmed-up take-out with a bath towel.
• Towels, both paper and dish*-A roll of paper ones can be used as napkins and are great for spills, but the micro-paper ones in 2 pack which are reusable and washable are good for dishes and can be tossed. Regular dish towels are plentiful in dollar stores.
• Spoons-or at least 1-that stands heat.*-A few plastic ones are fine for a weekend, but metal ones, especially a regular and a slotted serving spoon are needed for longer.
• Whisk, spatula, carving fork, tongs, salad set and other serving pieces*- Available in dollar stores and perhaps better to buy and leave favorites at home.
• Measuring cup- A large 1 qt.one can replace a nest of small ones and double as a mixing bowl.
• Measuring spoons*- Dollar store
• Sieve*- Dollar store, unless you need a fine tea strainer, then bring one. Get one large enough to strain pasta, even if in 2 batches.
• Manual can opener– Always a good companion as is an old-fashioned Church Key opener, so pack them
• Knives– A short paring knife to be used for small jobs and for longer stays another with a blade long enough to trim meat, slice bread or fillet fish is needed. For an extended stay there should be a carving knife as well
• Hand held knife sharpener-Because no knife is worthwhile if it can’t cut
• Scissors-Not shears, but a pair with enough strength to do some kitchen work, yet pointed enough to be useful with mending.
• Plastic chopping board-Protects counter tops and provides a clean surface for your food. Light and flat fits in the bottom of a suitcase.
• Packets of plastic containers with lids*– found in supermarkets in 3paks- most can be microwaved. Often also in dollar stores.
• Small pan with lid-able to boil a couple of eggs, make a sauce or heat a can of soup–when traveling with children a must. For longer stays,2 are needed-a 2 qt. and a saucepan
• 2 Skillets- One large, one small, both non-stick
• Pans for the oven*- Roasting, baking, cookie sheets are all available in disposable.
• Corkscrew*- Obviously useful
• Mixing bowls*- Plastic ones can be used as molds, but ceramic or glass ones are oven-proof
• Table ‘linins’*- Dollar store available
• Table settings*-Check what’s provided, and fill in from a dollar store.
• Seasonings*- Dollar stores carry a surprising variety of herbs and spices
• Cleaning supplies and wraps*- Definitely depend on a dollar store

No matter the cost or how well equipped the rental kitchen, chances are it will have none of the above items, yet all are useful in providing meals for a family. You don’t have to buy them all at once either. Wait until you need a utensil and then get it. You may be surprised at the quality too. I had 2 expensive corkscrews which broke soon after I got them. Disgusted, I bought one of the same type from The Dollar Tree. 8 years later, it’s still working.

It may seem like a long list, but remember we’re talking dollar stores here. Compared to the cost of the rental, the labor and the vacation time saved, buying them is a small investment. Many can be packed up, ready for the next year, or if you like your accommodations, you can offer to leave them. Our landlord was so pleased, he insisted we come back the next year and even arranged his rentals when we opted for just one month and all those items were there waiting for us.

For a more relaxed vacation, just follow these tips and listen to your better judgment. Above all take time to stop, evaluate and plan before you go. You’ll be glad you did!!