Smooth ride

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 19/07/2006 (7267 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

AFTER “Are we there yet?,” “We’re hungry!” is probably the second most dreaded refrain of the backseat-bound junior traveller on the annual family vacation.

When you’re on the road, for the long or short haul, it’s always a good idea to have something at hand to nibble on. Small children tend to eat smaller quantities, and they also need to eat a little more frequently to keep up with their race-car metabolism.

Bringing along your own food means you’re less tempted to hit the drive-thru as you travel, which is going to result in better nutritional choices and a more manageable food budget. It also means the food is at hand, right when you need it, and anything that can help to reduce the wait for a hungry kid is a welcome thing.

While there is a huge variety of individually packaged convenience foods that can certainly fill the gap, it is a good idea to incorporate fresh fruit and vegetables and even a little home baking into that movable feast. Here are a few tips that should take a few bumps out of the road.

Bring plenty of water instead of juice. Water is just as refreshing, won’t turn “sour” and isn’t a sticky crisis if it’s spilled. If you’re using refillable water bottles, fill them about a third full and freeze them the night before. Top them up in the morning before you leave.

If you do bring juice boxes, freeze them to help keep packed food cool.

Try using pita bread for sandwiches. Sandwich filling tends to stay in the “pocket” and creates less mess.

Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. That means pre-heating thermoses with hot water before filling them with hot food and making sure you have adequate ice in the cooler.

Get the kids involved with planning the snack menu.

Handy foods to consider? How about little containers of peanut butter or cream cheese as a dip for fruit, vegetables or pretzel sticks? Take the time to peel oranges and cut up apples to make them easier to eat. Go for dry cereals like Cheerios mixed with dried cranberries or raisins. Try dried apricots, mango or pineapple for a change. And speaking of change, if you’re planning to try something new, do it before you leave, otherwise stick with familiar foods you know the kids will eat.

Give each child a large flat plastic container with a lid. It doubles as a tray that can contain spills, and the lid keeps leftovers in place when they’re done.

Don’t forget to bring serviettes, a knife for cutting things up, and paper towels and small garbage bags for messes.

Bring a jug of warm water and some soap and hand towels for washing up. While the anti-bacterial scrubs kill germs, hands just feel cleaner with soap and water.

A package of bleach wipes can be a handy thing at rest stops if the facilities don’t look too “tidy.”

Here are three recipes for foods that will travel well.

Jumbo Pear Breakfast Cookies

This is like having a fruity handful of cereal without the bowl. Serve them with some milk or a small container of yogurt. These are meant to be large — they are breakfast, after all!

1 500 ml (16 oz) can Bartlett pear halves or slices

250 ml (1 cup) raisins

125 ml (1/2 cup) butter or margarine

180 ml (3/4 cup) honey

2 eggs

250 ml (1 cup) all-purpose flour

250 ml (1 cup) whole wheat flour

5 ml (1 tsp) baking powder

3 ml (1/2 tsp) baking soda

15 ml (3 tsp) ground cinnamon

4 ml (3/4 tsp) salt

1 ml (1/8 tsp) ground cloves

500 ml (2 cups) quick-cooking rolled oats

125 ml (1/2 cup) chopped walnuts

125 ml (1/2 cup) sunflower seeds

Drain pears reserving 125 ml (1/2 cup) liquid; cut pears into chunks. In a small saucepan, bring reserved liquid to a boil: add raisins and let stand 15 minutes. In large bowl, cream butter, beat in honey and eggs. In separate bowl, combine flours, baking powder, soda, cinnamon, salt and cloves then stir into butter mixture. Stir in raisins with pear liquid, pears, rolled oats, walnuts and sunflower seeds. Using 160 ml (1/3 cup) cookie dough for each, shape dough into 5-inch cookies on greased baking sheet. Six cookies should fit on a baking sheet. Bake at 325 F for about 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Makes 12 to 16 cookies.

Source: Philomena Corradeno, King Features Syndicate.

Best Cheese Biscuits (With Ham)

You can add cubed ham right into these biscuits or cut them open when you’re packing them and add a slice of ham instead. Serve these with chilled hard-boiled eggs and some veggie sticks, for a solid breakfast or lunch.

500 ml (2 cups) all-purpose flour

20 ml (4 tsp) baking powder

30 ml (2 tbsp) granulated sugar

4 ml (3/4 tsp) salt

250 ml (1 cup) grated sharp Cheddar cheese

Up to 250 ml (1 cup) diced, cooked ham (optional)

75 ml (1/3 cup) cooking oil

200 ml (3/4 cup) milk

Measure first four ingredients into bowl. Add grated cheese and ham, if using. Add cooking oil and milk. Stir to form a soft ball of dough. Turn out on lightly floured board and knead gently 8 to 10 times. Roll or pat 2 to 2.5 cm (3/4 to 1 inch) thick. Cut with biscuit cutter. Place on ungreased cookie sheet close together for moist sides or 1 inch apart for crisp sides. Dab tops with milk for nicer browning. Bake in 425 F (220 C) oven for 15 minutes until nicely browned. Serve plain or with butter. Makes 1 dozen.

Source: Company’s Coming Muffins & More by Jean Pare.

Traveller’s Muffins

These keep well for a few days and are not very crumbly, so they won’t make a mess of the car. They make a nice snack or can be served alongside some cheese, cold meat or cold sausage as part of lunch.

250 ml (1 cup) rolled oats

250 ml (1 cup) all-purpose flour

250 ml (1 cup) whole-wheat flour

12 ml (2 1/2 tsp) baking powder

3 ml (1/2 tsp) baking soda

1 ml (1/4 tsp) salt

1 ml (1/4 tsp) ground cloves

30 ml (2 tbsp) poppy seeds

1 large egg

250 ml (1 cup) buttermilk

125 to 160 ml (1/2 to 2/3 cup) honey

60 ml (1/4 cup) applesauce

grated zest of 1 orange

Preheat oven to 400 F (210 C). Grease a 12-cup muffin pan. In a mixing bowl, combine the oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cloves, and poppy seeds and stir together. In a second mixing bowl, combine the egg buttermilk, honey, applesauce, and orange zest, and blend until smooth. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, stirring slowly until smooth. Fill the muffin cups and bake 20 to 25 minutes. Makes 1 dozen.

Source: The Old Farmer’s Almanac Good Cook’s Companion.