Food when camping - help I need some inspiration

[sparkler]

I'm in need of some food ideas for camping for DH, me and two dds (ages 8 and 5).
Really interested to hear what you folks take with you from home to use. We are going on Saturday for a week to Cornwall and need to start thinking about what shopping I need to get.
Thanks

Where have all the campers gone? Oh, camping I guess.

aha now I am just about to load the car today for a 5 day festival trip (Big Green gathering anybody??)
so if it helps this is our meal plan & food list. we are vegetarian (plus tuna for dd)and have read on festival info that you can't go on and off site with your car, so no popping to supermarket to stock up.
also there will be presumably minimal facilities so nowhere to wash up.

5 main Meals:

day 1 (arrive) couscous salad & rice salad with veg sausages made at home & brought in cool box. Tomatoes, cucumber, etc.

day 2: stir-fry - ready chopped veg, straight-to-wok noodles, ready sauce, plus cashew nuts. For fussy DS - noodles cooked in egg plus tinned sweetcorn.

day 3: rest of eggs for breakfast. Pasta & ready sauce, tinned tuna, veg which cook quickly eg courgettes, baby corn, or tinned veg. Salad (if unopened should keep OK).

day 4: ready egg fried rice & tinned aduki beans & sauce & same veg.

day 5: baked beans!!

Plus; breakfast cereals, general snacks, flapjacks, pitta bread (keeps longer), peanut butter, marmite, malt loaf, biscuits, crisps, lots of dried fruit. Am trying instant porridge (just add hot water) for first time. I buy little individual cartons of (rice) milk & juice because can't keep opened ones fresh.

obviously there is more scope if you are camping next to your car, so can have a cool box there, or have EHU.

Smores, Smores, and Smores

One roasted Marshmellow, One thin peice of chocolate, one graham cracker broken in half

Put the marshmellow and chocolate in between the graham cracker....HEAVEN

Thanks iheartdusty . You sound extremely organised.
Some of those sound lovely. I think it definately helps to cook something up at home ready for evening meal that day. So I shall be doing that this time.
My two dds are quite fussy so not sure some of that will work for them - DH and I on the other hand will eat just about anything.

Ooooh and the kids will love roasting the Marshmellows. Stick them on a long stick and let DDs put in fire for a second. Stand close by to blow on the marshmellow if you need too. YUMMY!

I don't know if this is a camping essential in the UK but in the US it definitely is

leati thats very american! what is a graham cracker?

filchthemildmanneredjanitor,

It is a honey or cinnamon flavored cracker...hmm it did not occur to me that it might have a different name in the UK. Let me google and see if I can find the UK equivelant.

we usually go to farm shops, either onsite or nearby

so lots of stir fy veg with crusty bread and local cheese

also fried eggs, popcorn

we tend to go for sites with campfires-so baked potatoes, baked fish etc.

soup also easy

you just set it going and bugger off to play football. then mash it with potato masher.

Here is a link

www.nicecupofteaandasitdown.com/biscuits/previous.php3?item=115

I think it is might be called a bisquit?

sparkler

If you can get your hand on the stuff for smores you will fall in love. I found the recipe in English pages.

www.geocities.com/suarezgfam/Smores.html

we eat beanfreaks, is that horribly naff?

I also make a spicy lentil soup, recipe on request

We always have a biggish breakfast when camping - egg & bacon or mushrooms, toast etc

Spag bol on first day (bring frozen from home then just cook the spag)

Pesto pasta

Barbecue (we have a small kettle one)

Stir fry

Can't think what else atm

Sallystrawberry recommends M&S tinned curry

good camping recipe cos cooked in 1 pan if you take the mince with you frozen (or can be made at home and taken for first evening).

Fry a chopped onion in large frying pan or wok, add some minced pork and brown. Then add sliced mushrooms (tinned or fresh), tin of peas, 2 tablespoons curry paste, 1 cup of rice, 3 potatoes cut into small cubes and 4 cups of stock made from a cube and leave it to simmer til all of the water is absorbed and eat with some lovely fresh bread.

we always do cereal for breakfast with coffee/tea.

sandwhiches for lunch with fresh fruit, crisps, salad

evening meal sausages/eggs/soup/pasta-all-in-one

or a restuarant/takeaway!!

makes it easy to remember when cattering for five or more!

Take a packet of cous cous with you, cooks so much faster than pasta and you can take it off the heat once boiling, and use the burner for other things.

Spanish omlettes are easy

Cookd breakfast is a must at least once.

take cakes for 'afters' they tend not to need to be kept cool.

Take one stew cooked and frozen. Not only will it help to keep the rest of your stuff fresh, it saves you thinking on one meal

We barbecue most evenings TBH. What goes on the grill varies, and then we have bread or couscous and salad (or barbecued veggies) with it.

And we have a cooked breakfast every day when camping in the UK. DH is in charge - hurrah!

We don't tend to have lunch...

we also bbq a fair bit. Also don't forget how fantastic fish and chips can taste when eaten in the fresh air out of the paper!

Oh yes - always fish and chips on the first night, especially if camping by the sea

iheartdusty am dead jealous. we've decided not to go to big green this year at last minute cos up till now sunny 8 wk old is ill/reacting to jabs and very unsettled/needy/not sleeping, so what seemed possible before now seems not particularly wise

you'll have a blast at the big green. food is excellent and not ridiculously overpriced, almost all veggie, some vegan. last year the vegan place (forget name) next to the last chance saloon was fantastic. can also get fresh organic fruit/veg on site, so don't feel you have to take that with you if you're pushed for space.

we freeze as much as poss and keep in coolbag e.g. bolognese for first night, veggie chilli or moroccanny veggies for second night (figure veggie stuff not so urgent if it defrosts), along with frozen juice and milk, so it lasts a good couple of days (longer of proper icebox or can refreeze ice blocks).

tinned stuff: sweetcorn, rice pud, beans, pasta sauce jars.

dried stuff: pasta, instant noodles, poncey flavoured couscous, dried fruit.

plus lots of cake

((thanks puppydavies, we have not been to BGG before so not sure what to expect - our usual festie choices are more music focused. will look out for that vegan stall. hope your l/o settles down. still tickets for End of the Road festival if you can go during school term!))

((ooh superfurries and broken family band and larmer tree gardens am sorely tempted. although one of reasons we loved big green was lack of exciting headliners as can guarantee kids will need a wee/throw strop/throw up in middle of set you've been looking forward to for months... still, veeeery tempted ))

I convinced my 2 and 4yr old that cold baked beans with bread and butter was a traditional camping feast last month. When it came to it I just couldn't be arsed to heat up one little tin!

I always take tins of Waitrose or M&S curry, chicken in gravy, beef casserole etc. Then just take pasta and rice, hey presto. Buy some local veg to go with it.

Depending on how far away the campsite is, I usually take a home made spag bol or chilli too. Great for the first night...just heat up on the stove and add pasta/rice.

We're going for a week's camping tomorrow.....full board. Not done this before, it's a folk camp and you help out with the cooking on one day I think. All I'm taking is a little gaz cooker, coffees and hot chocolate! Ah, the hardship of it all!
SK