Inventive Meals on the Roadby Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger 11 Jun 2009 05:21 AM After traveling and lodging, food is the biggest expense while traveling. But you can get in some great meals for $10, $5 or less when you cook them yourself. How can you cook while traveling? There are a few fun and inventive ways to be frugal here. Bring the slow cooker While many hotels don't allow cooking in the room unless you have a suite that includes a kitchen, you can still use your crockpot in your car! If you have a long trip, at least four hours, then you are all set for a great meal. Add a liner to your crockpot, fill it up with ingredients and plug it into your car using an inverter. You can help secure it in the car with a cake pan. When you get to your destination, a hot meal will be waiting. Remove the liner for a fast cleanup. Cook on your manifold Did you know that you could use your engine's heat that just gets wasted anyway to cook an entire meal? You'll need to wrap your food in several layers of aluminum foil to prevent spillage getting into your engine. Dry items, such as seasoned chicken do well with this method. So do apples for baked apples, potatoes and several other foods. As you get better at car cooking, you'll know where to place items to prevent overcooking. There is a popular book called Manifold Destiny that lists different recipes and includes milage and times for cooking. Pack the cooler Whether you have a short or a long trip, it makes sense to pack the cooler and enjoy lunch or dinner. Picnic foods can be fun and inexpensive. Sandwiches, cold pasta dishes, fruit and more are easy to prepare and to eat. Find a rest stop or a picnic area for lunch instead of the local fast food restaurant. You'll save money and have fun. You can also bring along or purchase frozen dinners that can be stored in your hotel fridge/freezer. Most hotels offer a in-room microwave. You can read more blog posts by Mary Ann Romans here! or subscribe to this blog using the subscription box on the right. Favorite Deal Websites: Related Articles: Easy Food to Cook from Scratch Things to Know About Your Freezer Flattening Your Freezer Cooking Incorporating Freezer Cooking into Your Life Making Your Freezer and Crock Pot Work Together Things to Do with Expired Coupons A Guide to Salvage Grocery Shopping A Guide to Salvage Grocery Shopping 2 Five Little Grocery Shopping Tricks: Shelf Placement Coping with the Grocery Shrink Ray Adjusting Your Price Book with Escalating Grocery Costs Coping with No More Coupon Inserts New Grocery Shopping Techniques Five Little Grocery Shopping Tricks: Hide and Seek Learn more about Mary Ann Romans  Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat. Relevantfrugal tags User Comments No comments on this article yet. Be the first to comment! Discuss this article
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