A Beach Vacation - Here Are Some Tips to Plan Ahead For Meals

I love my family and I love it when they can visit for an extended time period. A few years ago, my family and my brother's family started getting together at the beach in North Carolina for a week. We rent a condo, and just enjoy the company. It has been such a great time! I am the one who loves cooking (and eating), so that is where I tend to join my efforts. Over the years, I have found the important thing is to plan ahead so that I can spend time with them, and not just focus on food - although that is one of my beloved things in life!

So, I have a few tips that have worked well for us, and made the trip a puny more organized and hassle-free. You have all the normal things you have to take to the beach, like wine, soda, water, toiletries, tissues, paper towels, foil, napkins, etc., so just make a expert list of those things, and conclude which you are willing to purchase at home and take, and those that you want to purchase at the beach grocery stores.
But, let us focus on the food.

Breakfast Pizza

First, I make a list of the menus that would be enjoyed by the group for the nights we will be cooking, and not eating at a restaurant. And, since the sun takes so much out of you, do not forget the appetizers and the dessert! Breakfasts, lunches and dinners. Let us start with breakfasts.

I ordinarily take a join of breakfast casserole and coffee cake or muffin recipes along that can be made there. Also, think about cereals, juices and bagels. It all depends on the preferences of the group. Oh, and do not forget the coffee!

Lunches are ordinarily sub sandwiches, tacos, pasta salad, nachos, and peanut butter and jelly or grilled cheese sandwiches for the puny ones. Most lunch ingredients are purchased at the beach, but we can make the beef for tacos and pasta salad ahead. The beef can be frozen.

Now on to dinners. We are talking about appetizers, main courses, sides, and desserts. We go out about half of the nights to a restaurant, so 3 to 4 will be spent having dinner at the condo, which we will have to put in order - although we have ordered pizza delivery ordinarily for a meal.

Because this is always a beach vacation for us, we count on buying and preparing at least one seafood meal. I ordinarily purchase shrimp and scallops and deep fry them with the local breading. Next, pasta and meatballs is always a hit for those huge appetites we build from a long day on the beach. We can put in order meatballs and pasta sauce ahead and freeze them. I also bake a few baguettes and freeze as well. Another idea is to make grilled teriyaki chicken breasts. If there is a fourth dinner, we ordinarily opt to have seafood while we can get it fresh. Our group beloved is shrimp. For this meal, I would ordinarily make some steamed shrimp as well as fried. The local fish markets ordinarily have some great cocktail sauce as well, unless you make some of your own that you would prefer.

So, out of 7 days at the beach, here is what sample dinner menus may look like:

Dinner #1
Assorted cheeses, crackers, and artichoke cheese dip with crackers and broccoli, cauliflower and red bell peppers
Pasta with sauce and meatballs
Salad
Garlic bread
No bake strawberry cheesecake

Dinner #2
Warm chili con queso dip and salsa with chips
Deep fried shrimp and scallops with cocktail sauce
Salad
Steamed broccoli
Milk chocolate pie

Dinner #3
Warm Mustard Dill Gouda in pastry with crackers, salsa and chips
Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Breasts
Sauteed Mixed Vegetables
French Bread
Leftover desserts from the previous meals

Dinner #4
Leftover appetizers from previous dinners
Steamed and Fried Shrimp with cocktail sauce
Salad
Steamed Green Beans
Ice Cream with hot fudge sauce

The main thing is to be organized and think ahead about what you will make. Then, it is easy to conclude what you can do ahead and what you will need to put in order while there. The more you can have completed before the trip means more time to just relax, and less headaches while you are on vacation.

It is also important to make sure that you take those items that you know you or your family will want to have during the trip, and may not be available at the beach. For instance, your beloved coffee or cheeses. Depending on your menu, you may conclude to take along some of your own cookware, cutlery, etc. You never know what the condo or rental asset will have stocked in the kitchen.

I hope these tips will help you in planning your vacation. I will contain a few recipes in time to come articles that I have mentioned here, although there are many versions available. Keep in mind that you are looking for quick, easy and yummy recipes to cut down the time in the kitchen.

We have planned ahead like this for the past two years, and it only leaves determining where and which nights you are going to dinner to think about. But you can agonize over those decisions while you are hanging out on the beach or in the pool!

A Beach Vacation - Here Are Some Tips to Plan Ahead For Meals

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Bvi sailing Vacation With Kids

There is always something extra about shared house time. A few years ago, my husband and I decided to take our niece (then 8) and nephew (then 10) on a seven day pilotage vacation to the British Virgin Islands. Living in Florida, we wanted to supply them with an feel other than Disney. Although I was excited to share a pilotage vacation feel with them, I had three main concerns.

First, would they be bored without their television, GameBoys and Playstations? Second, would the general sibling spats escalate being in a relatively confined space 24/7? And finally, how would they cope different foods when they primarily subsisted on pizza and buttered noodles? I did not need to worry.

Breakfast Pizza

Melody at ViSailing made the arrangements through the Moorings to hire a 47' Catamaran for our pilotage vacation. The squeals of pleasure from Tori and Kacey when we met them at the Redhook, St. Thomas ferry dock, with our dingy, were fast surpassed by the exclamation, "Sweet!" as we pulled up alongside the anchored Cat. This was the first time they had ever been on a catamaran. After a quick tour of the boat and a head lesson, we all retired early so that we could begin our Bvi pilotage vacation first thing in the morning.

When I went to check on the kids, Tori inquired, "How can you sleep on this thing?" But, I assured Tori that the diplomatic rocking of the Cat would soon have both children soundly snoring. We cleared the kids through customs in West End, Tortola, and then began island hopping through the Bvi.

"I'm bored" was naturally not a factor on this trip and my first concern was a non-issue. Prior to leaving on our pilotage vacation, I made journals for Tori and Kacey filled with maps and photos of the Bvi.

Each morning we would discuss assorted topics along with the history of the Bvi, the culture, music and language. The kids had an chance to write down their thoughts and the journals later proved to be overwhelming keepsakes for Show and Tell.

The kids loved exploring pirate caves on Norman Island, jumping off the Willie T at the Bight, and snorkeling for hours nearby the Indians.

They enjoyed the "main drag" on Jost Van Dyke. They decorated and hung a pair of underwear at Foxy's; Tori had her hair braided and beaded at the charm shop; Kacey was introduced to Ting ( a carbonated grapefruit drink) at Abe's By The Sea; and played with Annie's new puppy.

Both kids became fast friends with Anna's children and are still pen pals. The crossing to Marina Cay was busy by studying to man the helm, plotting a procedure on a chart, and playing hide and seek on the Cat.

The Baths on Virgin Gorda was one of their popular spots. Climbing through, up and nearby the boulders without adult supervision was a highlight of their pilotage vacation.

I thought Tori and Kacey might appreciate the Bitter End, mainly because I figured they would need a fix at the outdoor big screen television. To the contrary, they wanted to leave because the resort was, "too fancy" and "not islandy enough." (I think that meant they had to wear shoes and shorts to go into eat, rather than be in swimsuits and barefoot!)

They delighted in playing in the sand at the Beach Club of Cooper Island, chasing goats on Peter Island and swimming with the sea turtles in Great Harbour.

Days were spent snorkeling, swimming, jumping on the trampoline of the Cat, cannon-balling off the aft, telling pirate stories and production up pirate names for each of us. Playing boule and singing with the donkey at Dick's Last Resort, searching for iguanas, and exploring assorted coves while studying to steer a dingy were also a great hit.

They learned how to raise a sail and participated in the daily chores of living aboard. Both kids were in case,granted with disposable water cameras and Caribbean fish guides so they could identify what they saw while snorkeling. By nightfall, they were exhausted and often barely made it through dinner.

My second concern concerning sibling fighting was also a non-issue. We were pleasantly surprised to see how well Tori and Kacey got along. The only seminar in seven days was a brief spat having something to do with "backwash" in a shared can of Ting.

Overall, the pilotage vacation seemed to bring them closer together. My last concern concerning taking the children on a pilotage vacation had to do with what would Tori and Kacey eat since their main diet was pizza and buttered noodles. Since this was my vacation too, other than breakfast, I did not cook aboard.

Fortunately, roughly anywhere we went had Bbq chicken or ribs, which the kids ate. They tried and liked rice and beans, fried plantains, and a variety of new fruits like mangoes.

We were shocked because they even assuredly ate triggerfish sandwiches at Foxy's. Tori did get her buttered noodles on Cooper Island, while Kacey unfortunately developed a taste for fresh Anegada lobster (sorry, Sis!).

Both kids slurped nightly virgin Pina Coladas or Daiquiris - good than any state side slurpee. They thought it was pretty cool to mix their own drink concoctions at Sidney's Peace & Love. Neither child starved. With all the performance and fresh air, they had good appetites at meal time.

Tori and Kacey were very sorry to see their pilotage vacation end. My husband and I have spent many vacations with them, but this was right on the best. The "Bvi" has become as much a general part of their vocabulary as "pepperoni pizza" and "iPods."

Recently, my nephew had to write a paper for his sixth grade language arts class about his idea of the most excellent vacation. He did not need to dream - he already knew. A pilotage vacation on a 47' Catamaran in the Bvi, of course! Since then, we have had any more opportunities to take a Bvi pilotage vacation with the family.

Luckily for all of us, we are going back again this summer.

Bvi sailing Vacation With Kids

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Daytona Beach Ocean Walk - Famous For a Fun Vacation

For vacationers, the Daytona Beach Ocean Walk offers much. This area has many things to do and see and is surrounded by other places that are just a short walk away. Let's take a closer look at this very fun and exciting area that is just one single part of the "World's Best Known Beach."
Ocean Walk is a mini mall type area that offers one hundred and ten thousand square feet of restaurants, a movie theater, shops, and the oceanfront boardwalk. Lets take these one step at a time and explore each in detail.
The restaurants offer all types of cuisine from burgers and chicken to seafood. A couple of the main highlighted restaurants are "Bubba Gump's Shrimp" and "Johnny Rockets," which is a nineteen fifties style oriented diner that offers old fashioned cheeseburgers and shakes. Both of these places are relatively inexpensive, however, "Bubba Gump's Shrimp" is probably leaning toward moderately priced. There are also the typical ocean boardwalk fare that is offered too. From ice cream to pizza to corn dogs. Around this area are numerous national fast food places and a converted trolley diner where one can have a typical sit down type breakfast. Therefore, there are many different choices for a hungry person here.
For the movie buff, Ocean Walk offers ten screens in a completely digital sound system as well as stadium seating. There are all the latest releases here and your typical matinée prices for films before six pm. They even offer one dollar older movies at certain times.
There are many specialty shops located in the Ocean Walk complex, as well as just a short walk around it too. These shops have anything from souvenirs and trinkets such as beach attire and typical beach oriented items, to candles, surf items, and jewelry. These are all reasonably priced so one's wallet will not take a hit.
This is where they also have a bandshell where various bands put on shows at various times of the year. It is the main location for spring breakers and always has many events geared toward this aspect.
The boardwalk is the oceanfront area that one can take a leisurely stroll while taking in the sights. There are various shops along the way also, from t-shirts to and arcade. There is also a couple of rides that can be taken advantage of here. One is a slow skyway ride that can be ridden above everything to the end of the pier and back. The other is for the thrill seeker. This ride is a ball that uses bungee technology to shoot one into the sky. Definitely not for the faint of heart.

So, if you intend to take a vacation in Daytona Beach, be sure to take the time to visit the Daytona Beach Ocean Walk area.

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Disneyland Resort - Ten Places You Must Eat While On Vacation

The Disneyland Resort offers some of the most fun, entertaining, and delicious meals around. While traveling you want to try foods that are new, fun, and exciting. Don't know where you would find such places? Let me take away the stress and help you out! I've put together a "must go by" list of places to eat at when vacationing at the Disneyland Resort. Whether you are looking for Character Dining or dining elegance, they have it all. Here are my top ten, not in any particular order!

Goofy's Kitchen is an all-you-care-to-eat buffet featuring American cuisine with healthy options. They even offer a vegetarian menu. Goofy's Kitchen is an entertaining character dining experience located inside the Disneyland Hotel. Kids (and kids at heart) can have peanut butter and jelly pizza for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Do the Macarena with some really "goofy" characters, then eat some more! PCH Grill in Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel offers one of four fabulous character breakfasts. The Lilo and Stitch Hawaiian-themed all-you-care-to-eat buffet will delight all ages. Character breakfasts do sell out, so make your reservation well in advance by calling (714)781-DINE. Storytellers Cafe has a Chip n' Dale all-you-care-to-eat breakfast buffet. Located at Disney's Grand Californian Hotel, this dining experience comes packed with sing alongs and adventure for the whole family. Mix and mingle with Minnie & Friends-Breakfast in the Park at The Plaza Inn. This all-you-care-to-eat breakfast buffet featuring American cuisine is the only character dining experience inside Disneyland Park. Make sure you come prepared with your camera and autograph book! Ariel's Grotto is home to the Disney Princess Celebration lunch and dinner where you can enjoy American cuisine and learn proper etiquette. This is the only character dining experience inside Disney's California Adventureâ Park. It's also the only character dining experience that isn't a buffet. Order your appetizer, entrée, dessert, and drink. You won't want to miss fun memories, so make sure to bring your camera and autograph books as well! Medieval Times is a fun-filled dinner show that will take you back to Medieval days. The five course meal (served without utensils) includes garlic bread, vegetable soup, slow roasted chicken, barbecued ribs, a baked potato, pastry, and two rounds of beverages. Vegetarian options are also available. This trip back in time is located in Buena Park, just 10-15 minutes away from the Disneyland Resort. If you didn't get enough pirates at Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean, head up the road to Buena Park to the Pirate's Dinner Adventure. This swashbuckling dinner offers a pre-show and buffet, but don't eat too much because then comes your dinner! Your dinner options include salad, potatoes, rice, chicken, beef, shrimp, and apple pie 'a la mode. Your meal is also served with complimentary beer, wine, soft drinks, and coffee, but only during the main show. A cash bar is available all other times. The Blue Bayou is one of the most sought after restaurants inside Disneyland. This restaurant is world- renowned and at a great location in New Orleans Square... right inside the Pirates of Carribean ride! The meals served are "Louisiana Cookin" and range from - per person. In order to dine here you must call in advance to reserve your spot. Reservations can be made up to sixty days in advance by calling (714) 781-DINE. The Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor is located on Main Street inside Disneyland. The Parlor is home to the famous "Fantasia" ice cream that is only available inside Disneyland Park. This flavor consists of banana, cherry, and pistachio and is served inside a waffle cone. The Parlor also has many different flavors to choose from. The famous Disneyland turkey legs are a must try! You can find these for about .00 at carts in front of Sleeping Beauty's Castle near the Matterhorn entrance, and in Frontierland near the Rivers of America. Keep your eyes peeled because these small carts are easy to miss and tend to move around. Be sure you're hungry, because these legs are gargantuan.

Breakfast Pizza

Surrounding yourself in new experiences on your vacation, including meal times, adds excitement to your trip! These dining locations will leave you with a full stomach, a pleased palate, and will add a dash of magic to your get away!

© 2007 Aubree DeFriez, Get Away Today Vacations

Disneyland Resort - Ten Places You Must Eat While On Vacation

Written by Aubree DeFriez, Disney Dining Correspondent - Get Away Today Vacations. Since 1990, Get Away Today Vacations has sent millions of families on affordable, memorable, fun-filled vacations. Get Away Today saves families up to 50% off vacation packages while maintaining their high standards of customer service and contributions to the community. If you want to save on your vacations or to sign up for FREE last minute travel alerts, visit: http://www.GetAwayToday.com

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