This past winter seemed to linger on for far longer than it had should have.  Even as recently as early May, much of the country was experiencing frosts at night.  Planting had to be delayed and harvests are behind schedule in many areas.

Despite all of this, the end of the school year and onset of summer schedules are impossible to ignore.  Picnics in hand, we are drawn to beaches and parks in droves.

When stored in a high quality cooler, food can stay safely chilled for hours without condensation from ice or damage from dry ice.  Take the time to prepare the right amount of food for your meal.  Running out of food mid-meal is always discouraging, but having too many leftovers make cleaning up time consuming.

While on the topic of cleaning up, make sure to bring plenty of napkins and towels.  If you prefer disposables, foil wrapped wet napkins are very efficient for washing hands when not near running water.  Cloth napkins and damp washcloths in resealable bags are good for cleaning up without creating garbage.

Heavy duty plastic ware is only marginally more expensive than flimsy plastic and worth the extra expense.  Lightweight metal utensils are sturdier and are not substantially heavier.

Ideally, food should be prepared in advance so that it can be grilled or eaten directly out of the cooler with minimal work required on site.  Produce is easily packaged while cubed, cheese is generally available pre-sliced and meat should be cut into individual portions for ease of handling.

For a picnic, an Italian sandwich is filling, tasty and easily served.  This easy to prepare sandwich serves several people.

Purchase a fresh crusty ciabatta or Italian bread from a bakery.  Slice the top third of the loaf off and set aside.  Remove some of the bread from the center to make room for the fillings.  Spread pesto or aioli over all cut surfaces of the loaf.

Layer the fillings generously in the hollowed-out bread.  For meat choices, prosciutto is an Italian classic, as are salami and copocollo.

Vegetarian sandwiches are equally delicious with extra cheese in place of the meat.  After the meat is placed in the loaf, stack dry cheeses such as mozzarella cheese, provolone or even a thinly shaved pecorino.

The cheeses and meats can be followed with sweet or pickled roasted red pimento peppers, sliced olives, mesclun and thickly sliced ripe tomatoes.

Cracked black pepper, sea salt or kosher salt, balsamic vinegar and a fruity extra virgin olive oil will season the sandwich without overpowering the flavors of the meats and vegetables.

The loaf can be cut into individual portions and wrapped or the loaf can be wrapped whole and sliced when served.  Use brown paper or wax paper, then saran wrap for a double layer that protects the sandwich against moisture.

A light, bubbly wine cooler is a refreshing choice to go with Italian sandwiches.  If alcohol is not permitted, a spritzer from white grape juice and seltzer is also thirst quenching.  Don’t forget to bring cool water to drink, especially as the weather gets hotter.

Taking the time to prepare an attractive lunch is no more difficult than putting together bologna and mustard on sliced bread.  Making an Italian sandwich is a fun choice for a summer picnic.

It was in the middle of February just a few weeks ago and I’ve already seen my first robin.  Spring can’t be too far away.  With warm weather approaching, our thoughts turn to outdoor activities.

Family camping is a great activity for parents and children alike.  One of the most important parts of preparing for a family camping trip is the meal selection.  If you love Italian cooking, there are many recipes that can easily be adapted to cooking on a campfire or a portable grill.

The recipes that I am highlighting are prepared with  three different methods of cooking.

1.       Tin foil packets

2.       Cast iron skillet

3.       Dutch oven

Tin Foil Packets

Italian Meatballs in Sauce

Prepare your meatballs just as you would at home.  Here is my recipe.

1 lb. of ground beef
1/3 cup dried bread crumbs
salt, garlic powder and onion powder to taste
1 beaten egg
1/4 cup chopped parsley

Mix it all together and form balls about the size of a ping pong ball.
Place on a square of heavy duty tin foil and add prepared spaghetti sauce.
Make a packet and fold the edges together, sealing tightly.
Cook on your portable grill or right on the coals.  After 20 minutes, check to see if meatballs are done.

Italian Sausage Meatballs

Prepare the meatballs with Italian sausage or if you prefer, a meatloaf mix which includes beef, veal and turkey.

1 lb. of sausage or meatloaf mix.
1/2 a cabbage
Onions
Prepared spaghetti sauce

Prepare your meatballs as you would at home:  egg, bread crumbs, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano.
Cut the cabbage into wedges.
Slice the onion

Assemble all on a square of heavy duty aluminum foil, and add sauce to each packet.  Turn up the sides and seal tightly.  Cook on the coals or if you have a portable camping grill, lay the packets on the grill.  Cook until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are no longer hard.

Cast Iron Skillet

Italian Peppers and Sausage 

There’s no reason you can’t have the ever popular Peppers and Sausage on a camping trip.

1 lb. of Italian sausage
1 large green pepper
1 large onion
Olive oil

Cut the sausage into halves or thirds.  Slice the peppers and onions into long slivers.  Put a good swoosh of olive oil in the skillet and add the peppers and onion.  Cook until soft.  Remove from pan and brown the sausage.  Return the peppers and onion to the skillet and cover with tin foil and cook until the sausages are done all the way through.

Potatoes and Zucchini

This is one of my favorite meals.  It is real comfort food.  It can be served at dinner or eaten at breakfast.  I usually do both.

5 potatoes
4 zucchini
1 1/2 large onions
Olive oil

Peel and slice the potatoes very thinly.  Slice the zucchini thinly too.  Slice the onions.  Add olive oil to the skillet and cook onions until they are soft.  Add potatoes and make sure they are coated with olive oil.  After they have cooked awhile, add the zucchini.  Continue cooking until all is cooked through.  It’s good to leave the zucchini a little crispy.  I always make enough to make sure I have leftovers for breakfast.

Dutch Oven

A Dutch oven is a heavy pot with a lid that fits tightly.  It’s wonderful for one pot meals which make for easy cleanup, whether you are in an RV or a family sized tent.

Baked Spaghetti

There’s nothing fancy here, but it sure tastes good!

1 lb ground beef
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
Spaghetti sauce
Spaghetti

Brown the ground beef in the Dutch oven with the onions and garlic.  Pour off excess fat.  Add spaghetti sauce and break the spaghetti into small pieces or use a smaller pasta like small shells, mini penne or whatever your family likes.  Cook covered for about an hour stirring occasionally.  Then add cheese on top and continue baking  until cheese melts.

Pasta Primavera

Since primavera is Italian for springtime, this dish makes me  think of fresh vegetables.  When you are camping, keep your eye out for roadside produce stands.  They can provide delicious fresh fruits and vegetables for your meals.  This recipe utilizes both the Dutch oven and the skillet.

Thin spaghetti
Tomatoes
Onions
Garlic
Peppers
Zucchini
Basil
Parsley
Olive oil

Cut up the fresh veggies into chunks and chop your herbs.  Cook them in the skillet in olive oil.  Cook the pasta in the Dutch oven.  Drain pasta and return it to the pot.  Add the veggies and stir. Yum!  This is a healthy vegetarian meal.  Since you are using a cooking pot and a skillet to prepare this meal, it’s a help if you have a good grill with room for a pot and a pan, like a Coleman RoadTrip grill.

Now you have six Italian recipes that are easy to prepare at your camp kitchen.  You can eat well and eat Italian even while you’re roughing it!

Author Bio:

Stephanie Trementozzi learned how to cook Italian from her mother-in-law and has never looked back.  She is the publisher of her own website, www.always-outdoors.com, where she writes about outdoor activities and reviews outdoor products such as the Coleman Weathermaster 3 room tent and the Nikon Monarch ATB binoculars.

If you’ve been keeping up on the daily news in conjunction with daily food prices, odds are you are starting to really take seriously not just the state of the economy, but rather how to prepare for it getting worse.

Yeah I know – the economy has been bad for a few years now and it’s expected to recover any day right?   Well, that isn’t how I see it – and I see no signs of it happening any time soon.

So this Sunday morning I was cleaning dishes and perhaps it was the fresh air reminding me of the upcoming spring and summer seasons, but I started thinking about food and the economy.

I have a zillion thoughts about how to prepare for worse times ahead and not sure how to express them all.  But here are a four steps I have either already taken, or plan on taking.  Perhaps you have ideas too – feel free to share.  I hope these help you.

1.  Purchase a portable grill - or really any grill.

Propane or charcoal you ask?  I have no idea which is better.   I can point you to a site that talks specifically about a popular Coleman road trip grill that can be used for camping or at home.  Reading reviews like that one is good – and can let you know what to look for when searching for a grill.

Last year during the summer, our power went out.   So what did we do?  Order Domino’s!  No, I’m kidding – we fired up the grill and grilled some frozen pizzas.   In times of power outages or even brown outs – this is a great way to still cook up a good meal – especially when your freezer or fridge is out of commission.

2.  Eat earlier.

I mention this because not only is it healthier, but in times of power outages (due to storms or what have you)  or when electricity prices are sky high (as our President once foreshadowed), take advantage of the sun light.  You don’t have to have the lights on (oops I’m turning mine off right now) all the time.  This will increase the electric bill.

3.  Talk to older relatives who lived through the Depression and other hard times.

When my husband and I were so pressed for cash and we could no longer use credit cards, who did he talk to about ideas for food and living through hard times?

His parents.  

His father talked about how they ate just about all their meals from their garden – and I mean all their food.  Simple cooking, simple foods (hey that sounds kinda familiar!). His mother talked about how they relatives often helped out bringing baskets of food or fruit for their family.

If you’ve read my gardening blogs from about a year ago – you should know that I tried my hand at gardening without too much success.   That terrible heat wave really took it’s toll (well that’s my excuse).   But I might try again – it’s a skill I fervently believe everyone should try to master.

With his mother’s advice – I’d like to expand.   First, don’t let your pride stand in your way if you need help.   But also don’t let selfishness stand in the way of helping others who could use it.  Besides, you never know where they might end up later – such as in a position to return the favor when you are in need.

Remember, we’re not just talking about food per se – but also skills.

If you grow apples – offer them to neighbors.   If you have extra lettuce or tomatoes in your garden – do the same.   Trust me – in tough times people will pull together.  Those that don’t will live to regret it.

4.  Take care of what you have.

I really learned the value of this through my husband.   I have gone through very hard times – no money in the account – can’t put gas in the car to get groceries – it’s been terrible.   But when I went out no one would have ever guessed it.

I took care of the winter leather coat I purchased 12 years ago when working at a large corporation making decent money.   I kept my shoes in their original boxes never to get scratched up or trashed even during 3 moves.  And makeup – I used only when going out – thereby never wasting it.   You get the point.

Those are my first 4 tips.  Coupon clipping, living frugally, and learning to say NO to material indulgences – there are other things that you can do to reduce living expenses and survive in hard times.

It is possible.

Liz
www.simpleitaliancooking.com
Easy italian recipes

Modern day festivals in Rome are a series of outdoor events known as Roman Summer.  The tradition of celebrations dates back to the time when Rome dominated the world.

Early Roman Celebrations

In the early Roman culture, the people loved celebrations.  This was a pagan society which worshiped many gods. The gods were jealous of each other and were always warring with one another.  In order to appease the different gods, the Romans held separate festivals to honor each god.  It was party time.  The parties consisted of many excesses in food, drink and sexual activity.  They loved games and we are familiar with the gladiators who fought each other and wild beasts as well.  Saturnalia was a feast to honor the god, Saturn.  The nobles dressed and acted like slaves and the slaves “became” noblemen. A good time was had by all.

Dark Ages

After the fall of Rome and the rise of the Papacy, the festivals were banned.  Mysteries or religious dramas became the form of entertainment.  This period was originally thought of as the Dark Ages, in contrast to the light of classical Greek and Roman antiquity that came before.  It was a time of economic and cultural deterioration and there was not much to celebrate.

Renaissance

During the Renaissance there was a return to festivals.  The Roman Carnival became famous and people came from all over the world to participate.  The celebration inspired many artists and musicians, including Berlioz and Resipghi.  There was even horse racing down the main street in Rome.

Modern Times

Today, Roman Summer or L’estate Romana, is a festival that lasts from June to September.  It is a series of open air performances.  There are many sites in the city where music, dancing and theater are offered.  At the Baths of Caracalla and the Castle of St. Angelo ballets and operas are performed in the open air.  There are many piazzas or squares where visitors and locals alike enjoy sitting and enjoying a gelato or sipping an espresso while watching the crowds go by.

Celebrations, parties and festivals are a natural way to express our love and enthusiasm for life.  Let the good times roll.

Stephanie
Italian Nonna

Simple Italian Cooking

How has the Italian Kitchen evolved over time?

When I think of an Italian kitchen (la cucina), I think of a comfortable room where everyone tends to gravitate.  La cucina is a place where food, wine and conversation flow.

It wasn’t always like that however.  In medieval times, only the rich had a separate room for a kitchen.  And it was usually on the top floor of the house.

The poorer people only had a fireplace in the corner of a room.  This was used to make soups and to reheat food.  There was a public oven for the people of the town to use for baking, for a fee, of course.

The end of 18th century saw the rise of the middle class. La cucina now held a table as well as a fireplace. The kitchens were small, not nearly as large as the rich people had.  Nevertheless, this was the beginning of socialization in the kitchen.

In the early 20th century, after World War I, more women began to work outside the home.  Kitchens design began to utilize space more efficiently and  different utensils and appliances were introduced to reduce preparation time.  Also, cooking fumes and odors were vented to the outside.

After World War II, the kitchen became more than just a place to prepare meals.  It was now a place to decorate.  Many began to display their beautiful hand painted pasta bowls.  The kitchen was now a place for visiting, doing homework or just talking.

In the Sixties, there was a real explosion of innovation in the kitchen.  There was a marriage of form and function, beauty and efficiency.  Now la cucina, was truly the center of the house.

This was the entertainment hub, a place where both men, women and children felt comfortable to visit with one another.  They would linger after dinner, talking and enjoying an espresso made from  their very own stove top espresso maker.  Maybe they would even have some home made gelato prepared in their gelato maker.

La cucina has truly evolved since medieval times.  I wonder what it will be like 100 years from now!

Stephanie
Italian Nonna

SimpleItalianCooking